January 30, 2015

Stranger #13

Combining textiles with sound
Start by going way back. The connection has a long history and was (and still is) a central part of everyday culture to many people. Delve into this and your experience moving forward will be so much richer. learn more here

Getting crafty
get stuck in. make mistakes. keep playing. go for a walk. work with and learn from other people. share and pass it on.

Visiting York
Hire a bike and cycle along the river Ouse. Get a copy of One and Other (or check on online) and see what’s happening.
The strange smell drifting across the city is cocoa.
Do go to Betty’s – it is worth it.
Grab a pint of local beer – Yorkshire Terrier, Yorkshire Sparkle and anything by Roosters and Rudgate.
Avoid Saturday nights and the Ghost tours!

Would like advice on
How to plan your life

Best advice received
Don’t plan your life.

Life experience
47 years

Location
York, England

January 16, 2015

Stranger #9

Take One Interview marriage, music

Getting married in Las Vegas
You obviously don’t care about having a huge traditional wedding, so do whatever you like, wear what you want, and don’t invite anyone if you don’t want to. Also don’t feel bad about any of these things, you are the boss.

Transporting a dog overseas
Ignore any family members or friends who suggest leaving the dog behind. Make sure your dog is all up to date with shots and have copies of all the paperwork. Have someone you know meet them at the other side if you can’t and make sure they have copies of all the paperwork. Your dog will be forever grateful to the person who rescued them from their small crate once landed. Remember it is only a tiny part of your dog’s whole life so don’t stress too much about it.

Buying your first Morrissey album
Go with Vauxhall and I , it is Captain Bringdown at his best. You will be happy.

Would like advice on
I like hearing advice on all sorts of things but I usually do what I had initially intended because I generally know what I will do in situations straight away.

Best advice received
It is not advice someone told to me but advice that I read on a blog which I thought was very applicable to lots of situations and that is always assume that you don’t have all the information. Like if you get a really grouchy cashier think about what could have happened to cause them to be that way. Maybe something really bad happened to them. Alternatively if you are on the phone to a customer service person and you aren’t getting the ideal outcome, you should always assume they don’t have all the information, hang up and call back so you can talk to someone else.

Life experience
39 years

Location
Ontario, Canada

January 15, 2015

Stranger #7

Take One Interview health, music, technology

Throwing a sick day
Never take only one sick day, it’s too obvious. Take at least two or three in a row. When you return, walk around with a slight limp for a day or two. Tell your boss your having a medical procedure. He/she is likely not to ask for any further details.

Creating an App
First make sure the app doesn’t already exist. If it’s a good idea then it’s likely someone else has already thought of it
Decide if you want the app for Android or iPhone or both. You may need to hire separate developers to build each. Consider hiring a graphic designer to create a professional/slick look and feel for the app that looks great on a handset and a tablet. Don’t forget marketing. If you want people to know about your app, you have to market it heavily by hitting websites, blogs, facebook etc. The name, description and images you use for your app in iTunes/Google Play are really important as they create the first impression.

Learning a new instrument
Don’t start by spending lots of money on an expensive instrument / lessons until you are sure you are fully committed. Instead start by buying a cheap instrument and use youtube to learn.
Persevere. An instrument is a great companion to have throughout your life.

Would like advice on
In balance, is lying to your kids for the first eight years of their lives by telling them that Santa Claus exists a good thing or not?
Which should I commit to finishing this year, reading all of Dickens’ novels or watching every episode of Lost?

Best advice received
Judge people by their intentions, not their actions. I like this because people do accidental, erratic, random stupid stuff all the time that does not represent who they really are.

Life experience
43 years

Location
Ontario, Canada