We’re kicking off 2016 with an article highlighting what our newest members think of the club, the training, and our people. But! We’re not doing our usual Q&A – I’m adding personality-revealing questions as uni students are likely to be facing once we graduate!
Say hello to a selection of our members from 2015: Sem2! From left to right: Jenny, Lianne, Winnie, Xin, Claire and Yuling!
Hi guys thanks for being part of the interview! We need fresh opinions to know how our club is being viewed these days, and it would help prospective people learn more about who we are. So as an easy start… “Why did you join Kendo?”
Yuling: My friend told me he had (Kendo) training, from 6 to 8, and said I should try a lesson too. I thought “Hmmm, good idea! Why not to try something new?” After training, I felt I put 100% in it, listened to Sensei’s instructions and tried to copy the instructors’ every move. Especially when I saw seniors’ training, it’s full of power, every kiai, every cut, I wanna be like them! So, I decided to join USYD kendo club.
Jenny: Because the uniform is soooooooo cute! And I believe this is the answer of most of the girls…
Really? I’ll be honest, you are the first girl I’ve heard say that…
Lianne: I found going to classes without extracurricular activities very dull so I wanted to experience the uni life. While walking from Redfern, I saw someone with a “TEAM USYD KENDO” jacket, then when I went to Wentworth, I also saw someone with Kendo gear and became fascinated in Kendo.
Ahh the infamous kendo jackets. One of our promises is to provide new uniforms this coming 2016. Please keep a watch out for our progress!
Winnie: Initially, I tried kendo because I love Japanese anime since I was a child, and a lot of anime characters play kendo. However, when I saw those seniors playing Kendo I can’t move my eyes. I have been attracted by their distinctive temperament. I hope one day I could have that temperament just like them.
Yes. All anime characters did Kendo actually…hmm “temperament” you say interesting…
Okay next question. “What is your favourite thing about Kendo?”
Yuling: The seniors in our club help me a lot. I thought as I’m a beginner, because I suck at everything, and no one will pay attention to me. However, after training, seniors came to me and told me my posture was wrong, that I would easily hurt myself, and helped me correct it. This culture related to kendo attracted me a lot. We respect and help each other with patience. Actually this made me feel I’m in a big family and welcomed by everyone.
Jenny: Uniforms…
Oh great! A second opinion, one of the other girls just said the same thing….wait a minute…that was YOU that said this!
Jenny: Fine I’m kidding… It’s the spirit of 不動心(Fu-dou-shin) that attract me the most. You have to stick to your goals and overcome the interruption from the outside and put all you into to one hit to get the point. The feeling of focusing on one point is really great.
That’s more like it…
Lianne: Kendo keeps my life balanced. It has allowed me to learn new things and skills I would otherwise never knew existed. I’ve been able to keep up some physical strength and muscles have even started appearing ! I feel like Kendo has also allowed me to meet a variety of people, everyone is very welcoming and nice! I’ve been able to make so many friends (there are so many females in this club, YES!) with people I’d never meet in my degree. I’m thankful to be training with all these lovely people.
Aww. Well just pointing out that us guys are also pretty cool to be friends with…(right guys?)
Winnie: Cool uniform + hit people? Hahah…
Fine @Jenny – I stand proven.
Okay now for some fun. I have some interesting question for each of you. Now these are weird questions but they are used routinely at job interviews. Firstly @Yuling: “If you could be an animal, what would you be?”
Yuling: Wow, good question! If I could be another animal, I hope I could be a swan. I could fly to everywhere I want freely. And I can escape from earthquakes and tsunamis. When I need private space, I want to be a hedgehog so nobody can bother me. When I’m alone, I would like to be a snail, I could hide myself in my home. But I think a swan can also do the last two things. Fly to some places without people, or find a home for myself!
My analysis reveals that the most ideal thing for you is the Death Star. You can fly through space, be alone in space, and also call it your home. There are no earthquakes or tsunamis in space too. Too bad it’s not an animal. Next @Jenny “If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?”
Jenny: It’s really a hard question… Firstly I think I want to be the Ironman, because everyone loves Tony Stark, but being popular is not a superpower so forget about that. Then I think maybe I could have a cape or a Bat-mobile, but it’s not safe to drive too fast or fly too fast. Magnetic force sounds like a good power, since human blood is rich of iron and if my power is strong enough maybe I will be able to control the human kind! But then I recall that I’m going to be a superhero not the dark queen of the world… Every time when I’m late for something I always wish I’m able to teleportation, but it was said that teleportation may cause dizziness and vomit, so it seems not my best choice. Maybe I’m not suitable for a position as “superhero”, although I do hope world peace. Finally I decide I want a superpower of “be able to always pick the fruit in the market and will never catch cold during the final period”.
o-k….ay…… Good news is that I believe those last two things are linked. Next! @Lianne “What is the last gift you have given anyone?”
Lianne: A male goldfish plant from the anime Hoozuki no Reitetsu. We both really like the anime, so it was nice to surprise her with it after I got back from my holiday. She is my closest and first female friend I made at Usyd, its hard to make female friends in a male-dominated degree (Computer Science)/courses.
(Here is the thing if you are interested). Its, uh, pretty – how nice! I guess that makes your relationship with her …o-fish-ial? Last one: @Winnie “If you were on an island and could only bring three things, what would they be?”
Winnie: I was the only one on the island? Lamp of Aladdian, Ma liang’s Magic Brush, and Doraemon！！！(◐‿◑)
I guess you have everything you want with the first one…! FYI: Ma Jiang’s is a classic story about a brush that allows any painting to become real. Ma Jiang, according to the story, also commits murder with this brush – but it’s a fairy tail so nobody cares.
Conclusion! I wouldn’t hire any of you. Yuling would fly away, Jenny will try to control my mind, Winnie might kill me with a paint brush, and to make me feel better Lianne will give me a fish…plant… thing. But I’m not recruiting you anyway! One thing for sure is you are all wonderfully interesting people whom I’m happy to have chatted to! Please stay in our club and share your …interesting…personalities with us all! Best of luck with 2016!
Tips: If you are feeling daring here are cringeworthy answers to be above you may want to try on your future employers:
Q1: An ant! Because I LOVE to be a soldier and work in a TEAM!
Q2: Be like Doctor Octopus because I’ll be awesome at MULTITASKING!
Q3: This moment – the gift of my company. Please hire me.
Q4: (a funny answer) Michael Phelps, a saddle, and a gold medal on stick.