Ireland kind of reminds me of Jamaicans - there are a lot of Irish people in Jamaica. It's the blend of their easy-going nature, cool mentality, and warmth.
People who don't know me think I'm easy-going, but I'm a pessimist by nature and an old curmudgeon.
During cancer, when I was flat out on the bed, I was so helpless. I wanted to do things my way, but it was not happening. I learnt to trust the process of life and letting other people also sometimes take control. I became more easy-going.
There's a bit of a Bertie Wooster about my father. He's very easy-going, he never judges people, and we get on brilliantly.
People have interpretations of what you're supposed to be like. If you're unattractive and overweight, you must have a great personality. If you're attractive, then you must not be the nicest person. People are always taken aback that I'm easygoing but not necessarily stupid.
I am generally a very happy and easygoing person. I also believe it's always better to meet people with a smile rather than looking cold, especially when you first meet. It changes everything.
You get around people who see us away from the track, and it's a pretty big contrast. You're still competitive, and you still want to win everything, but I think in the car, we're focused and passionate all the time. We get outside the car, and we're a lot more relaxed and easygoing, enjoying things away from racing.
I'm a pretty chill and easygoing person; most people in Australia are, as well. I don't think I ever really saw a lot of fights growing up. I think it's hard to get people in Australia angry and want to fight, minus one or two people in the media... but we won't say any names.
I'm reasonably easygoing. Messing up my lines or making a fool of myself is where you find my fears. Like a lot of English people, I'm prey to embarrassment - the dread that everyone's sort of sniggering at you, that you're going to look like an idiot. I think that sort of halts us all.
I think growing up in Santa Fe or Northern New Mexico in general instills a sense of humor in people, a sort of easygoing sense of not taking yourself too seriously, while still being very proud of where you come from, and that's something we all share.
Of course there are people who would like to eat breakfast without the screams of toddlers all around them, but those people should get over themselves and stop being stuck up and idiotic.
I always cringe when people tell me they don't eat breakfast, as though that's a good thing. Eek! You have to start the day off with something in your stomach to get your metabolism active. Also, the mental game of 'holding out,' not eating for as long as possible, at least for me, was a really unhealthy mental place.
I think people really connect with the idea of someone who's gained and lost weight in this very public way, and also someone who's an emotional eater.
Sometimes I eavesdrop on people. I could rationalize it - oh, this is good anthropological research for characters I'm writing - but it's basically just nosiness. It also helps me gauge where I'm at: Am I normal?
I do love to eavesdrop. It's inspirational, not only for subject matter but for actual dialogue, the way people talk.
For me, New York is about anonymity; that's the draw. It's not at all about other people in my business being nearby. It's that I can get on the subway and eavesdrop on conversations that I would never have access to otherwise. That's why I stay. That's why I could never leave.
I always have a notebook with me, I eavesdrop; I write down what people say. It's very rare that one of those things will provoke a story, but I think that that kind of paying attention all the time, and keeping everything open, lets the stories come in. But where they come from is still a mystery to me.
We've ignored audiences all these years. We've just amused ourselves and hoped enough people would want to eavesdrop to make it all viable.
I think I'm very curious about other people. I like to sit and eavesdrop, you know.
Eavesdrop and write it down from memory - gives you a stronger sense of how people talk and what their concerns are. I love to eavesdrop!
