h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Good evening!

I am writing to ask very nicely why your name isn't Earl. Or why you felt the need to tell us that it isn't Earl. Or both.

What type of stuff do you write? I'm also looking to publish a book (Or twenty) when I leave skool - Though doing it now would save need to do exams. Urgh...

Anyway. Why isn't your name Earl?
Kirp xXx

My name is not Earl because I do not wish it to be. It is a very good name for a little dionosaur, but not for me. I just wanted to make it absoulutly clear that it isn´t Earl.
I write a lot of different stuff, but the book I just finished is adventure/fantasy for ickles. I want to publish before I leave school because I´m convinced it will help me get into collage. What do you write?

Me? I write really depressing stuff. Its kinda sci-fi, or if not sci-fi, ordinary real-life, but with a strange concept, like I wrote one in 'real-time'. Or am halfway through. Ok, a quarter of the way, I got interrupted by exams! Don't know how else to explain it, I've got loads of ideas. Do your parent/s give u a lot of support? Being taken seriously would help me a lot I think, but no-one really believes I can do it. But I do, and I'm stubborn.

Wow, that was deep!

How long until you leave school? I think a published book will definately help with college, what are you hoping to study? Ok, so its probably writing, but it may not be...(just felt the need to explain, in case you thought that was a stupid question.)

Ok, (I really use that phrase too much) guess I'd better go!

Chat 2 ya soon!
Luv Kirp

I do get taken seriously and get support from my parents etc. My step dad´s a writer (sometimes) and has about a million books published (mostly non fiction stuff about war and protesting it). I also have a great uncle and a second cosin who are writers, so it´s kind of a family thing. People should take you seriously, but even if they don´t you seem like you´re pretty hell bent on getting published, so it´ll happen.
In school I have the end of this year and next year. I´m a junior (16) and I think that´s enough time to get published (I hope). I want to study English, history, modern languages, theatre, photography, and piles of stuff, but I´ll probably major in English. How long have you got left in school? What would you like to study in collage (if you plan to go)? If you want to go, where do you want to go?
TTFN!
A Friend of Fish.

Two years (rest of this year and all of the next) left - also 16! I want to go to college, probably majoring in psychology, but I've also thought about English and drama. Drama is really expensive though, so that ones out! Unless I publish anything in the next year...!

Haven't really thought about where to go, but I fancy somewhere like Keele or Manchester. All depends on grades, really, doesn't it? How about you, any in mind? What about taking a gap year, that would extend the time you have to publish a book(s), then you could go to college with that behind you?

What are you studying at the moment? I'm doing Chemistry, Biology, English (obviously!), RE, Psychology and Maths at AS level. You got any exams coming up? If so, which ones? I'm guessing at the mo that you live in England, so at risk of sounding stupid, do u?

C u l8r
Kirp

Very unfortunately, I do not live in England. Currently I´m living in Spain, but I´m really from the states. Honestly, I wish I lived in England and plan to some day, but for now I have to be content with New England. I take it you live in England, you lucky person, you don´t have to deal with GWB.
I´m between different schools right now, on vacacion. I just finished a trimester at a school in Valencia, where I took math, English (as a language), Spanish literature and language, Valanciano (a dialect similer to Catalan), Philosophy, French, Contemperary History, Latin, and gym. I might be forgetting something. When I get back to school at home I´ll be taking English, History, Math, Phyisics (much to my dismay), French, Spanish, Latin, Russian, Ancient Greek, Chorus, Photo, drama, and creative writing. I take to many classes.
Because I was away for my school´s first semester, I´m getting out of the mid-terms that will happen when I get home. Also, because I don´t speek Spanish I got out of taking exams there. I considder my self very lucky indeed.
As to collage and a gap year, I´m not sure. I´m looking mostly into schools in Canada and the U.K. because American schools are too expensive and stuck up. I could get just as good as an education away from my bloody country for much less money, so that´s just what I´m going to do. If I don´t get into a school I want to go to I´ll probabally take a gap year, dispite my father´s protests.
I think I´ve carried on enough for today. I´m going home on Friday. Aggh! I´ve been told it will be a major culture shok. I´ll be on a plane for way too long and then be subjected to the rediclous comercialism of the U.S. at some ungodly hour. Maybe I´ll pass out and not have to see it all. That would be good. Wish me luck. Talk to you soon.
-a friend of fish

Sorry, but GWB? No idea what that is! i can think of some things it could stand for, but I'm afraid they're unrepeatable...aha- George W Bush? If it is, I also consider myself lucky that I live in England. I think the mans a prat. If not, I just want to register that I think the mans a prat.

I'd like to agree that you take too many classes, however that would be very hypocritical, as I am taking 3 more classes than I should do, aah well, do it while you have the chance is my motto! How long have you been in Spain? I've never been there, or to the states, or to pretty much anywhere. I went to Australia (Brisbane) for 5 weeks this summer, to stay with family, which was amazing, cos I saved up for it myself, flight and everything. It included an overnight stop in Japan, which is a country I wanna see more of! And I'm rambling...

So you fancy living in England. Its not a bad place to live, and I don't think I could live permanently anywhere else, except maybe australia. I get the impression you're not a fan of the whole commercialism thing, and i totally get that. I'm the same! I could visit america, but I don't think I could live there. Not in the bigger states at least.

Are you returning to a school you were at before, or a new one? Or a follow-on from one you were at before, so there'll be the same friends? I only ask cos i'm really nosey! Teehee, only joking!

I'm gonna wish you good luck for your trip, and I'll chat to you sometime, before or after your journey!

Chat soon!
Kirp

Ps, Will you keep the same nickname on here when back in america?

Erg, I just lost a bunch that I had typed. Bush is a prat. He is THE prat. I wish he would just jump in a lake. I´ll write more later, but yes, I´m going back to my same school and all that jazz. I will prababally keep the same nickname, unless I get bored. I have about a million people waiting for the computer, so I´ve got to go. More later,
a friend of fish

This message is not ment to be. This is the fourth time I´ve sat down to write it. Urg. Ok, I´ve been in Spain for four months tomorrow, and am going home on the third, which is really soon. I don´t think I could live in one of the bigger states either, but I live in New England where the states are small and the people are liberal, so it´s not too bad. I´m two hours from Boston and about four from NYC. If I want to leave the country I´m only about five hours from Montreal, so I´m doing alright.
I´ve never been to Austraila or Japan, so you´ve got two on me right there. It´s really cool that you went and all that, it sounds like a lot of fun. I have a friend who went to Austraila and all he did was watch cable tv. Can you imagine going to such a cool place and sitting in your hotel the whole time? I can´t.
I went to England a few years ago and fell in love. My step dad went to Oxford and they want him to go and teach, but he says he´ll never live in the U.K. again. I´m still working on him though. I´m going to be going to England again in either March or June, so I´m pretty excited about that.
Have you finished anything you´d want to publish? I just did, so I´m looking into literary agents with my parent´s help. Here´s a dumb question: do you like to read? If so, what? Also, what kind of music and movies do you like? Now who´s the nosy one?
Happy New Year!
a friend of fish

How can you go to Oz, and only watch tv while your out there? Mad!

Do I like to read? Not a dumb question at all! I love reading, and will read anything but love stories! I quite like sci-fi, and whodunnits! I'm gonna admit to you that I am also a fan of Harry Potter books, but not the films. I have seen both, but all I could do in the cinema was compare them to the books. Now none of my friends will go to the next one with me, so it looks like I'm on my own! How about you?

Music and movies. Yes, into both! I will listen to anything, except classical, but I quite like pop music. Again, thats an admission that I'm sure I'll regret! But rock as well, Nickleback, Bon Jovi, and garage. My music collection is probably the most varied of anyone I know! And movies - the same again. I'm quite an open minded person, nothing really annoys me, and I can become fanatical about anything. Sci-fi is a big thing with me, I love the possibility of other worlds etc so I like Star wars and things like that.

You're probably at this point thinking 'Oh my God, what is this girl on' and backing away from your computer slowly. Just smile and nod, and I'll be happy!

So what do you like? any confessions you want to make about your cd collection? What movies/books are you into?

My books - well, I got halfway through one, which after reading needs to be completely re-written. I've shelved that for the moment, because I have another idea which I think is, if anything is, the one with most possibility of being published. I have bits of this one in various files in my computer, its all in my head, but it needs ordering, and to be written down and fleshed out a bit. I let my friend read a bit last night, and I think she thought it was good, but then again, you can never tell if their just being polite! I have a short story I'm going to try to put in a magazine or something, and all I need to do with it is transfer it to the computer, then I'll start emailing people to see if they would use it!

Ok, heres a question for you, while we're both in a seemingly nosy mood - do you write at a computer, or on paper? Strange question huh?I'm just interested, because everyone feels comfortable in a different place. And where do you write, is there a place you like to write especially, or will anywhere do?

Whereabouts in England are you going next year?

Anyway, i'd best go! Happy new year to you, and i will talk to you soon!
Kirp

Wow - I can do smileys!

That was a really long message - sorry!

Hello there, and Happy New Year! If you want to berate my friend for sitting and watching the tube he goes by Spike Anderson here, just make sure to let him know I sent you (tee hee).
Books, well, I read anything. Honestly, though romance doesn´t quite do it for me. I´m also a closet Harry Potter fan, and saw the movies as well, though the books are far superior, as are almost all book and movie combanations, minus Interveiw With The Vampire. I also like all sorts of fantasy, science fiction, classics, plays, and what not. I can usually do with out epic poetry, though apperently I´m missing something. I don´t like being bored though, so if I´m not amused by a book I feel no guilt when I through it across the room and never look at it again.
With movies and music I, like you, am open to just about anything. The only things I really WILL NOT listen to are opera and easy listening. I also don´t like albems that sound the same all the way through, I like some variety. This is why I can´t stand too much Greenday, though I do like Greenday. I play the cello, so I´m fairly open to classical, providing it has cello involved.
As for movies, I´ll watch anything, bassically. Once again, as long as I´m amused, I´m happy. I don´t get offended easily, so I can watch a lot of movies easily offended people can´t. I like Star Wars too, though the two recent ones were fairly painful, espeshily the second. I just thought Hayden Christionson was the worst actor I´ve ever seen in a movie, and that kind of ruined it for me. Also, the magic that really came with the origonals is lost in the recent ones, at least in my oppinon.
I hope your story gets into a magizine, you´ll have to let me know!
I like to write on paper. It feels more real and scure to me then the computer, but that might be because I´m prone to computer problems. I also think I have a different tone when I´m writing straight onto the computer, one more compatible with essays for school, if you know what I meen. As to where, I like being in a crowded noisy place, preferably with a cup of coffee. When I´m in a nice quite place I distract myself, so Spain´s been perfect for me.
What about you, paper or computer? and where? I´m still feeling nosey.
If I go (that´s still in question, but it´s a probably) I´ll be going first to London and then Oxford. We might go up a bit ferther, but the only sure things are London and Oxford.
Talk to you later, next time will be when I´m back in freezing New England!
a friend of fish

Hi'ya! Hope the journey was ok, and not too stressful, and that you survived both the culture shock and the initial blast of commercialism - I hear that once you've been in it for a few days, you harden to it. Your immune system kicks in, I guess, and blocks it for you!

Writing, for me, has to be done on paper! I have lots of REALLY tatty notebooks which I use most of the time. Thats another strange thing about me - I can't write on A4 paper, except for school work, so mostly use reporter-type-notebooks! Again, I like to be in crowded places, trains are a favourite for me, go on a long journey and write and write and write! Until I get writers block, at which point I get bored of the train! Aah well, its all good.

Strange question, but do you watch the X files? Or, I should say, did you watch it? I know its an acquired taste, and not something many people are in to. Just a random question, and I'm sure I'll have come up with more by the end of this message!

Ihave to say, I like Episode 2, though I agree that Hayden Christianson is one of the worst actors ever to be given a contract! Theres just some images in there that stuck. It was nice to see all the Jedi in battle, rather than just 2 or three! And Yoda is really great! Obi-wan Kenobi is ok, but they don't portray him in the way he's shown in the first 3 - in those he keeps saying how ruthless he was as a padwan, and how headstrong he was, but he isn't like that in Ep1 or 2. I think the graphics are great. Anyway, enough ranting!

Do you have any brothers or sisters? (See, told you there would be some more random questions coming!) I have a sister, older, who's a teacher, and doesn't live with us any more. There you go, some useless info for you! If you do, do you get on with them etc? Again, still in Nosey mood!

Anyway, I hope your journey was ok, and I guess I'll speak to you soon!
See ya
Kirp

After a really long few days, I'm finally home. It took two days of traveelling, but I'm here and it is so cold. There are about three feet of snow, and tomorrow I'm headed up to my dad's house where there's even more snow.
I'm glad that you write on paper and in crowded places too, everyone always tells me I'm strange. Today I ate Chinese food with a lot of my friends. It was really wierd.
I have four siblings, but none of them are true siblings. I have one step-brother, two step-sisters, and one half-sister. When I'm with my mom I'm an only child. I'm the exact middle of the five of us, sometimes life is pretty hectic when they're all home, but two don't live at home, and two of us are only there half of the time.
I also did watch the X-files for a very long time. I stopped the year before it ended because it just got dumb.
Do you watch tv often? What shows to you like? I'm still feeling nosey, so fill me in on whatever you want.
a friend of fish

Hi'ya! How're u?

TV, yes I do watch a bit - a fair bit in fact! I don't know what I watch that you'll know. I watch the simpsons, more a force of habit than anything else, and Friends. I also watch Buffy, which is not a confession I like to make, and Angel, mainly for the mythological stuff! I'm a hugefan of myths and legends, which is partly the reason I'm taking Religion for AS level. All things wierd and wonderful is what interests me, or at least thats what my mum said. She also said I have a warped mind, but I'm not bothered. Sanity is optional! Hey, I might have to make that my screenname...(its my new philosophy!)

I'm rambling again!

I'm gonna be parkery now! Do you believe in extra-terrestrial life. Or aliens, whichever way you wanna put it. I kinda put it the first way to steer away from the 'little green men' thing, which loadsa people can't stand, and thats what makes them laugh at the idea of life on other planets! Wow, that was deep! I think you can probably deduce from this paragraph that I do. Believe in them I mean! Yes, I know I'm VERY strange, but hey, I'm Kirp, strange is an occupation to me! lol!

Can I suggest some books for you? Ok, I will! You've probably read it, but the Northern Lights Trilogy by Philip Pullman and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (again - you've probably read it!). This is my most favouritest book ever! Dunno why, just got to me I guess!
Any suggestions for me?

Do you do any sport? Just a random question, but I love sport, and play hockey a lot. I run, used to be best high jumper in my school, but now I've done my knee. Luckily I can still do most things, just not High Jump!

How about pets?

These are getting ever closer to the bottom of the barrel, so I'd better go! Your turn to be nosey!

Kirp

I'm really sorry that took so long. You see, I was at my dad's and he doesn't even have a computer, let alone an internet connection. Unfortunately I end up at my dad's house every other week and thus get behind on my interneting.

Anyway, I watch Buffy too, or try to at least. Often I have too much home work to even considder turning on the old tube. Also I haven't really liked the last few seasons, since it was taken off the WB (here, at least). I also watch Friends when I can, my younger step-sister's an adict, so I can't really avoid it. Fortunately, I love it. I also watch Alias when I can, and 24. In Spain I watched the best show, but much to my unending woe I've got digital cable rather then a dish, so I can't pick it up. Oh well.

As to alians, I find it hard to belive in little green men, but I also find it hard to belive that we're all that there is. That's just a bit self centered, if you ask me.

I've read both the Northern Light's trilogy (here the first book's called The Golden Compass, but I have it as Northern Lights) and To Kill A Mocking Bird. That's required reading in every American school, as well it should be. Have you read anything by David Eddings? It's all formulaic fantasy, but it's really funny and quite well written. What about The Catcher in The Rye? I love that book and anything else by J.D. Salinger. Have you read any Edward Gorey books? They're a select and aquired taste, but they're really wonderful.

I love sports. I play soccer (football to you) and lacross, which is the most rediclous and wonderful sport ever invented. I also ski whenever possible and have been since I was four. I could carry on about skiing all day, but I'll spare you that.

I do have pets. I have a very fat lazy cat name Louie here at my mum's house. He's orange and white and lives to not be seen. At my dad's I have Cedric, who my dad later dubbed Berlin Betty, and now we just call Betty. He's orange as well, but fluffyer and thinner then Louie. We also have Emma, who's not quite a year old. She's a calico and the most hyper cat I have ever met. I also have Edward, a big, stupid, smelly golden retriver. I love him to pieces. I've had many other cats, but I wont go into them right now. What about you? Have you any pets?

Wow, that was long. I'd better go. Talk to you soon.
a friend of fish

Howdy! Once again congrats on passing ur test!

Anyways, hows u? I'm ok - really happy cos I went to the Albert Hall the other day! It was amazing! Teehee!

24 is one of the best shows I have ever seen, and can't wait for season two (which, being in the states, u've probably already started watching!). I'm currently watching the season 1 repeats on satellite tv, which is quite strange! aah well! Buffy, also gone downhill, season 4 was probably the best ever! But enough about tv, I'm beginning to sound like an addict!

I haven't read anything by the authors you mentioned, but I'll keep an eye out for them!

One more word about the aliens - It could just be bacteria on another planet. Even scientists are searching for life signs on mars etc. Sorry, I'm not trying to convert you. I'll shutup now!

Pets - I have a chinchilla called Chi-Chi, who is very gorgeous! I also have a guineapig called minstrel. Until very recently I had a cat called Ebony, but she died, only 2 and a half. Still quite fresh in my mind, and she was the first pet I thought of when you asked, thats why I put her in.

So, tell me some random info about yourself! What do you like to do? Do you like the theatre? What do you look like?

Talk soon!
Kirp
xXx

Oh my goodness, I just got back from one of the best theatre proformences I have ever been exposed to, second only to a proformence of Henry V I saw when I was in London. I've just been to see Copenhagen, by Michael Frayn. It was amazing. The acting was some of the best I've ever seen, and afterwards was a panal of some academics, one who won the Nobel Prize for Physics in the seventies. I also met one of the actors. Now I'm not dreading my upcoming physics class nearly as much. Anyway, I do like theatre quite a lot.

What do I look like? I'm mediam height, a bit taller then average, and about mediam build, on the slimmer side. I have shoulder length red hair, eyes that change colour, and what was a straight nose until I ran into a door frame with it. People in general haven't noticed the difference, but I do. I have high cheek bones and kind of floppy small ears. I have long, sometimes annoying, legs. What about you? If you haven't guessed already, I'm female.

Hum, random things? I'm not sure what to put here. Ok, my favorite colour's red, and I always use Mac's. I'm wearing my step-dad's slippers because I've lost mine, and his are really big. I like to have things organized and matching, but I'm also a bit absent minded, so I guess I have traits of both actors and writers. How about some random stuff about you?

Right now I'm working on a production of T.S. Eliot's The Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock at school. It's rather interesting, trying to turn a poem, espishily a not so neritive one, into a play. It's fun, though. We're due to profrom in February. Tomorrow I'm going to see The Two Towers, which ought to be fun. I start back at school on Monday and have about five chapters in my history book to read for then. Ak!

Talk to you soon,
a friend of fish

P.S.- Tell me some totally random stuff about you. Do you have to take physics?

Theatre sounds good, have you ever seen Art? That is the funniest theatre I've ever seen! I'm going to see What The Night Is For on Wednesday, for my b-day, so looking forward to that!

Me? Well, I have Blue eyes, red hair at the mo, I started blonde, but I've been red since October, and it kinda suits me, its just below my shoulders. I'm about medium build and height, and long legs, but thats ok cos it helps with the sport! My best feature is my left shoulder. And also female!

I did the sensible thing last year and dropped physics, though I had to take it till june. Unfortunately in a fit of madness I carried on Chemistry and Biology! I took exams in both last week - yuk!Get the results late feb/early march! Not looking forward to it!

Right now, I'm killing time b4 going to work. I work in an old peoples home twice a week, and really love it. I've been there 2 yrs now, and get on really well with the staff and residents.

Umm...Random stuff...

Yesterday, I bought two xfiles boxsets, the early stuff. My friend stayed over last night and we attempted to watch a movie, but ended up chatting all the way through it! I like clouds. I haven't got drunk since b4 xmas, and I'm proud of myself for that!

I do a martial art called Aikido, and just got my yellow belt. Its fun, I'm the only girl in the class, which was awkward at first, but better now!

I'm waiting anxiously for the 21st June, for the Harry Potter book to be published! Lol!

End of random stuff. Being random is very tiring!

I haven't seen Either of the Lord of the rings films i'm sorry to admit! I know I should've! I'm gonna rent the first one soon, cos all my friends keep having a go at me for not seeing them. Oh well, I will eventually!

Do you like quotes and stuff? I love words, and what they can mean. In my bedroom, I have quotes painted onto the wall. Its very strange. I also have quotes covering all my school books, which confuses my friends bcos they can't always see what they mean! I probably don't get the true meaning, I just like the way they make me think! Thats probably why I'm doing English as a subject, bcos I get to analyse a load of books! And write, of course, never forget writing!

I've just been in two school things, Something called Isshoe, which was a physical drama thing, based on a poem called The Last Flower, and the other was an adaptation of a part of A Midsummer Nights dream, which a group of us did at a christmas presentation. It was quite funny, we all ended up wearing pyjamas, and we had boys playing girls and vice versa! I might have a part in a small movie, just a local thing, but I'll probably have to audition. Its to play a 16/17 year old girl, and hey, I'm a 16 nearly 17 year old girl! Worth a try!

How are you getting on? You said you'd finished a book, didn't you? Hows that going? Do you act a lot?

Chat soon!
Kirp
xXx

I'm waiting with semi-baited breath for the next Harry Potter book as well, and have been discusing with my mother how exactally to buy one, as neither of us will be around for the twenty-first.

Last year I had to take cell biology, which was terrible mostly on account of my teacher, who had a big bushy beard, ate road kill, and disrupted a math class to watch his pet snake make a bowel movement. The year before that it was basic chem/phys, and this year it's just plain physics. I have advanced chem to look forward to next year. Ug.

My hair's just turning back to red after an all to long stint as a dark brunette. It was actually black that I died it last January, but before that I'd been light brown and blonde. I'm naturally red, though.

Your birthday's on Wed? Happy Birthday! Mine's not until September, so I have a while yet to be sixteen.

I finished the first hand written draft of my book, and have been working on typing it, which is not nearly as fun. Oh well. And now that I'm starting school again I wont really have that much time.

I work at a private docter's office. He's holistic, and all I do is file and answer phones and all that jazz, but it's not bad. It beat's most of my friend's jobs, except one, who's a ski instructor.

I do like quotes and all that. I think they're lot's of fun. I have them floating around everywhere, but my favorite are all from Bill and Ted's Exelent Adventure, which is just a fablous movie.

I wish I could be in a movie, even if it is just a local thing. That's really cool. The Cider House Rules was filmed in my city, and one of my friend's auditioned, but he was to old for the part. We have a lot of movies that are filmed and made here, but I always manage to miss the auditions.

I do do a fair amount of acting, mostly at school. We have a really good department that gets a lot of notice, which is good. Every winter we do a big production. I've done a bunch of Shakespeare, but also a lot of short stories and that kind of interpertive thing. Do you do a lot of acting? I wish I had time to act with a group outside of school, but school takes up so much time. Oh well.

Well I hope you have a good day at work. I'm still in my pj's, so I ought to go change before one of my friends gets here.

Talk to you later,
a friend of fish