Daniel : Interview 6

Meet Daniel.

Who is the most important person in your life?

The most important person in my life. That’s a good question. The most important person in my life… All my friends. And my family. I couldn't pick any one particular, one person, I would say.

I’ve moved around so much. It’s literally just… I’ve, ya know, I’ve lived overseas and such. It’s just like, it’s just like the whole community of my friends. Nothing more than that, like, there is no one person that is the most important person in my life.

What is your greatest accomplishment?

The greatest accomplishment in my life, I think would probably be having lived overseas for a fairly extended time. Eight years over in the UK. And probably the travel, everything, seeing stuff. I literally did a list, ya know, in my head and ticked it off by going to all the places I wanted to go to. Including some extras as well.

And I had the advantage, dual citizenship really helps out, but I made use of it and it’s something that a lot of people wish they could do, so that was pretty much, that was impetus enough to do it. So I think that was one of the biggest things was spending that time.

Also I managed to live over there during the GFC [Global Financial Crisis] and I’ll tell ya what, it was interesting being a part of it. It was living in the heart in Europe was serious. And I watched a lot of my friends lose jobs and such, like I was very lucky that I managed to hold on to a job that, ya know, could keep me going.

And then, such like, that’s why I held onto it. But yeah, watching banks implode around you and such was quite serious. Over here in Australia, they have no idea. They talk about it, but it’s literally just a concept that happened over there. They don’t really understand how serious it got. Yeah, I would say getting through all that was fun! [Laughs] I’d say that’s probably one of the biggest things. Definitely.

How do you define being “in love”?

Ooh. I’m… I can be annoyingly scientific about these things, I’m one of those people. You know, it’s the chemical in the brain, that sort of thing. And such.

Ahhh, but ya know, ultimately, it’s a very convenient way for human beings to hold on to that person who’s genetically disposed to them. But apart from that, eh what the hell, it’s just for the fun as well, ya know. [Laughs] It’s, it’s, it’s both those things to me.

I can be literally… I can be frustratingly scientific about things, just because it’s the person I am. Also, I can see, I suppose, because I work in the arts, I can also see the artistic side of it as well. So it is both those things. It’s everything like that. It’s a pretty amazing thing. It can be overhyped, ya know, however… It’s um, ya know, when it’s done right, it’s the best of things.

Though one thing I have thought about with it is the fact that despite what people say the horrible things that happen? That is still love. Regardless of what people like to say. You know, when that person, when someone does something horrible to someone because they were, you know, because they don’t, the love is unrequited, it’s still love. Regardless of what people think.

And regardless of how people like to always portray is the good…it is the evil as well, it is the worst. Because it is the extremes of emotion. No matter what happens. So it’s, yeah. So it’s seriously ya know, while media likes to portray it as this wonderful thing? It is the darkest thing as well. It’s just how the individual can handle it…is the best way, I think, to describe it.

“And regardless of how people like to always portray is the good…it is the evil as well, it is the worst. Because it is the extremes of emotion. No matter what happens. So it’s, yeah. So it’s seriously ya know, while media likes to portray it as this wonderful thing? It is the darkest thing as well. It’s just how the individual can handle it…is the best way, I think, to describe it.”

What's one thing you wish people knew about you?

Huh. [Long pause] That’s a good question. I don’t tend to hide things from people. I’m not really a—I’m not very a hide—eventually something always comes out. Only because I’ve drunk a bit too much. But I have a tendency to talk, ya know. I’m not—I’m not a hide, sort of, stuff, type of person. That’s a very tough one.

I think that I give much to people. The people that are friends are my friends and they know the stuff. There’s nothing I really hide or anything like that. I don’t keep anything particularly private. I like doing what I do and that sort of thing.

I’ve done some stuff that people haven’t done. Like, one of the best ones is hanging outside of a helicopter taking photographs and controlling a warship. Yeah, while it was on sea trials. That only came about because my father Michael over there just couldn't happen to do it that day. So I got to do it. And that was—I actually hate heights, I’m not a heights person, but it was weird having a camera in your hand, and literally being strapped in. You had the side of the helicopter open, flying sideways towards the ship, and you hang out over the ocean around this battleship, not one of the—not a major battleship, but ya know, it’s a warship so it’s still cool. [Laughs] 

And ya know, yeah, you just forget. You just don’t remember that you’ve got this issue, you just do it. And it was just amazing, it is absolutely amazing, you float over it and around it. I—literally around you, you got it looming over you and you’re flying just above the water and such like. My chance at it didn’t last as long as my father, Michael’s, did because they  had a bit less time for this particular one. But being able to say I actually did that is amazing. It’s so cool. It still wows people and yeah, it’s definitely one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. 

What will you miss most when you are gone?

What will I miss the most when I’m gone? I don’t know. All the geeky fantasy stuff out there. Like science fiction. Like all of that sort of stuff.

Yeah, of course—I mean, it goes without saying the friends, the family, blah blah blah. It’s a given as far as I’m concerned. You know, everyone can go on about that all day.

If I had to pick something else, yeah, I’m a big fan of science fiction, the geeky stuff, things like that. It’s all the crazy stories that humans can think up and, ya know, do and that sort of stuff. I reckon that’s probably, yeah, what I’ll miss. Because, yeah, I immerse myself in the stories of everything, it’s just yeah, ever since I was little I was devouring books like, ya know, just… I learnt more by reading books than I ever did in school.

I didn’t particularly like school. Possibly because I was, probably, by reading books, a bit too far ahead in some respects. Don’t get me wrong, I was terrible at other things—mathematics. I hit an epiphany with maths round about year 10 over here in Australia, I realized I didn’t have a clue what they were talking about.

On the other hand, ya know, I was—history and such like, I was just devouring like a maniac. So yeah, stories and everything like that—plus also, ya know, I’m not into religion or anything like that, in fact I kind of hate it. I hate the whole concept. It’s annoying because it’s [inaudible] by humans in my books, but that is a side—I kinda wouldn’t mind an afterlife where I can keep an eye on the human race. Just to see what the hell happens.

It’s like, “Come on! I wanna see where it goes!” Being a part of it, I don’t want it to just go, (snaps fingers), I’m off and that’s it. Game over, zoop! You’re gone or even if there is an afterlife or whatever, I wanna see! I wanna keep an eye. Every now and again, just check in. One of the things I’ve always said, like, people watch, ya know, soap operas and such like. I always said this, “I don’t need to. I’ve got friends. Why the hell would I watch a soap opera? I’ve got you guys!” You know, like, “You’re more entertaining! So much more entertaining!” Yeah, I think that’s probably it. It’s just the story. And what happens.