Interview with @Based_Aura 19.06.2026
Thank you very much Jay @Based_Aura that i can interview you for the forum!! ππππ I have 20 questions but each time i will only ask 5 questions. And if i have to change a question that is of course not a problem!!! π Thank you for the interview!! πβ¨
β β β β β β β β β β PART I
1: How long have you been a member of PPG and what are the things that you like the most? What kind of forums do you like and with what kind of persons do u like to talk the most? And do you think PPG is really different than Interpals bc u were a member of that too? And do you maybe have nice tips for @Etienne about PPG?
Wow... Less than year, I think. I came here because I was banned from Interpals. I don't even know what I did! But that's Interpals these days. TBH, I didn't really care by that point, and I just went on with life. Fast forward like nine months later, the girl I was involved with went to jail and as a favor I pen-palled some of her friends who were doing time with her. Things got dramatic and I had to stop, but I found I missed the pen-pal experience, so, being the masochist, I am, I searched the web and found PPG. For a while, I barely posted or engaged because I was busy with other things, then I found the band forum and the rest, as they say, is history.
What do I like the most about PPG? It's a smaller community than Interpals and @Etienne has a good handle on keeping the scammers and other fools at bay, On Interpals, I would get messaged daily, mostly from scammers and people looking for free English lessons. There is a good mix of people here and the vast majority seem to be genuine, and I like that, As to the forums... Mainly anything music related, or the ones where people don't take things too seriously... like the adoption forum π. There's also a lot of people here that have similar interests with me. Maybe it's the smaller community... who knows? But I like it that we can be big fish in a smaller pond.
2: You have lived in a LOTTT of countries. Which 3 countries did u like the most and why? And how is your homecity now? What is the nicest place that we must see if we visit your homecity? And did u also live in other cities in your country?
I cant say I've LIVED in many of the places I've visited. Sometimes it was definitely more work than play, and safety concerns kept me on a tight leash. So please consider that. For example, I was only in Yemen for a week and it's well.. Yemen, so I couldn't do much.
Ok... so which three countries did I like living in the most? Indonesia, Korea and China. Indonesia because no city was the same, and the people were awesome and I met a lot friends that vibed with. Korea.. because the internet was fast af, and there was just so much to do. I never had a dull moment there. China. I lived in a small town and taught English at the local High School. Everyone was so awesome to me, for the most part. I had tons of respect as a teacher and I had a fulfilling job.
Hometown: I'm originally from Washington DC. I grew up there. Other cities I've lived in? NYC, Baltimore, Richmond, Virginia. Kileen, Texas, Elizabethtown, Kentucky, and Durham, North Carolina. Now, I live in a town called Haw River, North Carolina.
Nicest place to visit in my hometown? Umm, the river? Lol... honestly, that's it, there really isn't anything else unless you like urban exploring, because I live close to the old mill and that's mostly derelict. As a place to live tho, I like it. It's quiet, I have cool neighbors and I don't have to deal with city BS. The city that I live next to, Burlington, is mostly textile and manufacturing factories, which makes it a bit gritty. Durham, where I work, 40km from my house... unless you like old tobacco factories or would like to tour Duke University's campus... then it's rather boring, and also not particularly safe. My suggestion? Drive about three and half hours east to the coast or the same distance to the west for the mountains.
3: What kind of food do u like the most? And can you cook really well yourself? If u have guests in your house: what do u normally make as the best dish? And do u cook super clean is it a HUGE mess?
I LOVE Rendang, which is an Indonesian spicy beef stew (kind of), and chicken vindaloo. And yes, I can cook, I'm no Gordon Ramesy, but I do OK. These days, I'm mostly cook historical dishes that my ancestors made... like Frumenty or baked onions. I also do a lot of Braai during the summer, and I make pretty decent burgers (or so people tell me). Braais almost always include guests and while it does get messy, I clean up afterwards.
4: Are you a lot like your parents and siblings if you have them? And if yes in what way or if not how are u really different? And what is nicest memory u have of your grandparents? Were u super close? What do u think of the PPG family tree?
At first, I thought the PPG family tree was a bit weird, but I think it's kind of sweet now. As far as being like my parents goes... Yes.. maybe like my dad, though I have to admit I didn't know him well. He was never really comfortable in one place, and I guess I have that trait. I saw my mom often, as she lived close to my grandparents, but I can't say we're very much alike. She was a hippy in the 60s and very much into that kind of vibe, and I think the whole "peace and love" thing was a con. From the age of four my sis and I were raised by my grandparents. Things were ok with them, and I remember fun family trips to New York and California, or down to Florida for Disneyland. But, as I got older, my grandad and I grew apart. He was a career Army Officer and very much the "My Way, or the Highway," type. When I turned 18, I left. Being in that house was stifling and we were always at odds. My sis is one year younger. Very much the goth metal head (yup!). Ex-convict (drugs and fraud), dog groomer and occasional burlesque dancer.. we have the same colorful outlook on life. Honestly, I should introduce her to Drac.
5: You wrote that you were a long time in the army. Were u often really scared that it was really dangerous? And did u feel unsafe a lot? And do you still have a lot of friends from the army? What is the nicest memory that u have or maybe the most special memory?
I was in the Army 15 years and then medically discharged. Was I scared in conflict zones? Of course. General Patton once said, "All men are frightened. The more intelligent they are, the more they are frightened." On the other hand, I always a fatalistic view of life, and I figured that when it was my time, my family would be well taken care of. So I guess I did let fear overtake me. Outside of Iraq, the only places I felt truly unsafe was the Central African Republic, Mali and Yemen. Don't go to those places. ESPECIALLY CAR. Yes... I still keep in touch with people I served with. Some are still in, some retired, some did their contract and moved on. When I lived in Durham and was saving money to buy a house, I roomed with a guy I served with. Those two and half years were....rather insane. The best memory I have of my Army career? Graduating SERE School. That's an intense course where you are trained to survive in the wilderness, evade capture by the enemy, resist your captors if you're a prisoner and escape from captivity. This is a school where they mentally and physically torture you. Some guys had their fingers fractured by the guards. As punishment for being caught with cigarettes, I had to sit on a block of ice for an hour, naked! So getting through that course and graduating was a life changing experience for me.
Thank you very much for the first part of this interview Jay @Based_Aura!! ππππ ANDDD i dont think i WANT to also do that SERE school!!!! I dont smoke cigarettes and i dont want EVER smoke but still i want not my fingers broken or that u have to be naked on ice or other things. So maybe they can have a nicer training and i do that one!!! π
β‘οΈALSOOO i forgot to add a question bc ur name is Jay BUTTT ur nickname is @Based_Aura. So why did u choose that nickname???
If anybody wants to ask a question or post a comment you can do that below β¬οΈβ¬οΈ or write @Based_Aura a message!! π Sorryyy that i asked above another question before other people can write but i didnt want to forget it AGAINN!!!! π¬ππ And more interviews of PPG members are on this page: overview of interviews. Also HERE is the PPG family tree that is mentioned above (but if u read that u need a break for 2 hrs after it!!! π€π€π
