The Best of Interview Time 2009
We’ve seen a fair share of famous people and travel celebrities come through the doors at St Christopher’s in 2009, so to sum up the best of it ‐ here are the greatest Q and A snippets, from the guys and girls who left a lasting impression.
Travel Expert Craig Martin ‐ April 2009
You’re stuck on a desert island with the personality bereft Paris Hilton, the intellectual deficit that is Sarah Palin and a gun with one bullet. What do you do?
I could live a happy, monastic life on a deserted island so I would club them one by one and save the shot for a seabird. In the short term, Palin’s hunting skills could come in handy but I don’t think one can eat Botox or Silicon. Hard times bring hard choices.
Lonely Planet Author Oliver Berry ‐ May 2009
What are your thoughts on Twitter? Is it a good medium for communicating with the masses or as recent studies have suggested, do you think it’s a desensitising path towards an information overload?
Personally, I prefer my tweets to come from the birds.
Author of The Backpacker John Harris ‐ July 2009
If you were to be remembered for centuries to come by just one mantra, what would said mantra be and why?
Don’t be afraid of your freedom. It really saddens me to hear young people citing job security or their mortgage as a reason not to travel the world. I think it’s fear that stops people from exploring this beautiful planet we live on. By the time we leave school we’re all conditioned to get a job, start the consumer cycle and accumulate possessions.
Unfortunately the things we own end up owning us. They numb us of what really excites our senses and we start to build barricades of crap around ourselves. We become insular and the thought of leaving behind the safety makes us fearful. Who cares what car you own or what house you have ‐ it’s just stuff. Sooner or later you’re going to explode with frustration. Also it’s the best and only way to meet people ‐ when their barriers are down.
Twitter Traveller Matthew Kepnes ‐ October 2009
You wake up one morning with one choice. A lifetime as Paris Hilton’s purse bound pooch or endless employment as the personal bottom wiper of George Bush. What do you go for and why?
I’d go with Paris Hilton’s pooch. That way when she stepped out of line, I could bite her. Maybe that way I could also make her say: “That’s hot” less often. Seriously ‐ how many times could you stand hearing that phrase before going postal? Also she’ll probably feed me Kobe beef and caviar.
Travel Editor of TNT Magazine Amy Adams ‐ December 2009
How did you get involved with TNT and what’s the ride been like so far?
I sneaked in the back door as listings editor and after a stint as staff writer became travel editor. As one of the few Brits in an office of Aussies, Kiwis and South Africans it’s been quite an education. On my first day a colleague told me I could wear thongs to work. Luckily I didn’t take this at face value.
What’s the best part of your job?
I’d be lying, and possibly in the wrong job, if I didn’t say the travelling. From ice fishing in the depths of Russia to trekking in Northern Pakistan, my work has taken me to some amazing places. The rewards aren’t all outside the office, though. Getting a letter from a reader saying they’ve been inspired to travel somewhere after reading TNT makes my day.
And the worst?
Everyday I come across a new destination I want to go to. My wish list is getting way too long.
‐ Rob Savage
