today’s interview is a little different than usual. why? (you and yr whys!). because i’m interviewing someone that I DON’T KNOW!!!
almost like a real reporter!
and ok, i do kind of know her. and i’ve seen her in person. for about five minutes total. but the bulk of our “time together” has been spent on the internet, which means that i have an idea of what she’s like, but i don’t know any of the facts.
obviously, this situation is exactly why cavemen invented the interview.
and so today, ladies and gentlemen, i present to you: trish benford!
see? you can tell she’s cool already.
trish and i were brought together by the universe via our mutual love of sing-alongs. which is, really, one of the best justifications for a friendship. she found my myspace through henri’s page, clicked on the link to my blog, and the rest is HISTORY. a double spaced, one page history. so far.
she left a comment every once in an while, which led to a few email exchanges. then i realized, i had TAKEN A PICTURE OF HER AND DIDN’T EVEN KNOW IT. LOOK!!!!
it’s like, when people take a picture and then they get it developed and a ghost appears or a kid’s face is in the window or whatever. except, this was like, a prophecy of friendship rather than, say, doom.
anyway, i found out that trish had a blog of her own, and after one read, i was instantly a fan. esp. cos i realized that we are basically THE SAME PERSON. and who isn’t a fan of themselves? ok, joking. kind of.
it’s obvious, after reading her blog, that trish is totally someone that i need to actually *know* rather than internet stalk. i mean, watch this video and tell me that you don’t want to be her friend:
so let’s start this interview, cos i have nothing further to say in this introduction, cos i don’t know anything else about trish, which is why i’m interviewing her. ok!
hi trish. this is weird! but in a good way. i don’t know you! i don’t know what to ask! i didn’t even get a press release! but here it goes…
tell me about yr background– family, where you grew up, etc. what was yr childhood like?
My childhood was pretty interesting. Or course, I didn’t realize that until now. My mom is from Japan and my dad is from England. Also, they are both quite a bit older than the parents of most people my age. They both grew up during WW2 and I think that has had an effect on how they look at life. Neither of them were at all interested in making sure my older sister and I conformed to American culture so we never got to do things just because our friends did. They are also super health freaks and we rarely ate sugar, processed foods, or in restaurants. Even though these seem like small things, I think they made me feel a little exposed, esp. because we were in Buda, which was not exactly a hot spot of diversity.
But, don’t get me wrong. I had the most fun as a little kid! I was always going roller skating and riding my bike and just being a kid. I also had to play soccer, by decree of my dad. Those Brits and their football. I think the cultural differences didn’t really start to show until jr. high, which as we all know is also called Hell for Kids.
trish and her dad. i think it’s pretty obvious that her childhood was happy.
did yr parents include their own cultures and backgrounds while raising you and yr sister? if you ate japanese food growing up, i’m going to be sooooo jealous.
My mom did more than my dad. She is an amazing cook and we ate a lot of Japanese food growing up. Not as much as I would have liked though, because my dad doesn’t like rice or miso (who doesn’t like rice?). But we still do some things like we always have this traditional soup with mochi on New Years that’s supposed to be good luck. It’s also delicious. I also always had a kimono as a child. But I really only wore it for halloween.
I was also really lucky that I learned how to cook from her. I like to have a curry night and make Japanese curry for all my friends.
you went to japan earlier this year with yr mom and sister. what was it like? did you see yr mom’s hometown? what kind of stuff did you eat?
We went to Tokyo for my cousin’s wedding. Mom is actually from the north island, Hokkaido, just near Sapporo. But I did get to see where my sister was born! It was just the most incredible trip. Tokyo is a big city like no other. Everyone rides their bikes to work and they never lock them up. Nobody steals them!
The wedding was so beautiful. They had a Shinto ceremony and it was full of ritual and tradition. I was a disappointed though because there’s no dancing at the reception. But there’s tons of fancy food, sake, beer and family and friends. The bride and groom had costume changes!
Oh god, what didn’t I eat in Japan? Every kind of noodles! My aunt, who we stayed with, has her degree in nutrition, which in Japan, is basically a degree in cooking. She made us gyoza, the most incredible miso soup (not the instant kind all the restaurants here serve), sukiyaki, tempura, everything! We also went to the Ramen Museum in Yokohama and ate different kinds of ramen from every region of Japan! My mom and I rode the bullet train to Kyoto, where they are known for their udon, which was incredible! We also went to the fish market in Tsukiji. There a bunch of tiny little sushi bars and you wait in line for 30 or more minutes to eat fish that is basically just out of the ocean. Like it’s been out of the sea for maybe a couple hours, tops. You don’t order there. You just tell them what you don’t like and they keep bringing you food until you can’t possibly eat anymore!
Also in Japan, the toilet seats are heated. Why is it so difficult to do that here?
trish has a whole flickr set from her trip here. she let me pick out the pictures, so of course i had to throw in this one as a bonus:
you seem like the kind of person i totally would have wanted to be friends with in high school. what were you like back then? what sort of activities did you do?
That’s so nice of you to say! Thanks!
By the time I got to high school, I decided to only do things that made me happy. So, I pretty much did everything except for sports. I was in speech and debate, theater, band, cheerleading and a few academic groups, too. Cheerleading was really fun (mostly because I like dancing and doing routines) but I totally did not fit in. Some girls actually tried to get me kicked off the squad before the year had even started! They weren’t too pleased that I was in band.
Band was really my big thing. Since I play oboe, I was in the color guard for marching band until my senior year when I was a drum major. But, I was never all that interested in marching band. I was in band to play the oboe. I think we get to that later, though.
Since I did all those random activities in high school, I don’t know if I was classified in any one group. But my reunion is this year, so maybe I’ll find out then.
in high school, trish defied all clique boundaries. she was like switzerland. but cooler.
drum major, huh? i can’t believe i know two former drum majors now. and cheerleader?!! dude. was it anything like “bring it on”?
No we didn’t compete. Our big thing was doing dances and routines for pep rallies. It was just for fun and the only competition was with each other.
what about yr college pants?
I went to college in San Marcos. It was Southwest Texas when I started, but Texas State when I graduated. College was ok. I majored in advertising which is what got me interested in graphic design (that’s what I do now). I minored in music though, so I could keep playing. I played in the orchestra and wind ensemble for four years and competed on this really hard-core (and in retrospect, kind of ridiculous) advertising team.
Also, prolly because of my healthy parents, when I got to college I binged on eating junk. Donuts, fast food, all that. I’ve def. calmed down on the fast food, but sugar just won’t release its iron grip on me. Luckily, I love to cook and bake so I can make my own damn fried chicken and cookies.
have you lived in austin yr whole life? (ok, seriously, are we on a blind date?)
heehee. I’ve been in the Austin area pretty much my whole life. I was born in San Francisco but we moved here when I was two. Well, actually we lived in Buda and Manchaca. I know it’s kinda lame to stay in the same place you grew up but, every few years I get the itch to move and then something cool happens which makes me want to stay (most recently was meeting my boyfriend, Chris. He’s totally cute and just all around great).
what are yr favorite places in austin? when people visit you, where do you take them?
My absolute top place in Austin is Barton Springs and the Zilker Botanical Gardens. I love it there. I had birthday parties at both of those places when I was little. And I absolutely take people there. I also love love love Hamilton Pool. It’s hard to take people there though because it closes so frequently because of the bacteria levels. But, it so amazingly beautiful. Book People has also been one of my favorite places since I was a little kid. It used to be in the Brodie Oaks shopping center next to where Sun Harvest is now (which was Whole Foods back then). That old Book People was so awesome. Half of it was a record shop and they had all these lazy boys where you could listen to albums before (or after) you bought it.
Speaking of Whole Foods, that is definitely a place of note for me. My mom is a massage therapist (I know. I’m so freakin lucky) and has been doing massages there on the weekends for 20 years or so. It’s really interesting to see how it has changed from being a super laid back neighborhood store to the monstrosity it is now. Did you know that employees there aren’t allowed to have fun colored hair anymore? I still can’t quite believe it.
if you’re lucky, at some point on the tour trish will force you, at gunpoint, to don a sombrero. p.s. this picture is actually from mexico. p.p.s. i love this picture.
he Trish Tour of Austin also often includes the Salt Lick or Uchi and brunch somewhere. I love brunch so much. Oh absolutely the Drafthouse. Chris and I totally love to show off our theater that serves drinks.
The final stop on the tour is generally my house. I love to entertain and cook for people. I’m big time into baking and you guys, I love Martha Stewart. Her chocolate chip cookies, her brownies and her mac n cheese CANNOT be beat.
One last Austin favorite of mine is Don’s Depot on Saturday nights. The owner, Don, was a Vegas lounge singer for like, a million years and retired, bought an old train car in Austin and turned it into a saloon. He sings on Saturday nights and covers pretty much any song you request. Also, it has the BEST ladies’ room in all of Austin.
double true on the the don’s depot bathroom. in a city full of sixth street restrooms, don’s is like, the promised land.
i read on yr facebook page (yes, i’ve been stalking you for information) that you work as a graphic designer. is that as cool as it sounds or what?
well, yes and no. I work for a biotech company and have little to no idea of what we exactly do. It’s very dry work. However, I have a totally awesome boss and freaking hilarious coworkers. We recently had to go visit our company’s headquarters in the Bay Area together and for real you guys, we had entirely too much fun hanging out together. For real, you think your boss is cool? Call me when he comes in your office to watch downloaded episodes of So You Think You Can Dance and Madonna concerts for an hour.
But honestly, I think I’d rather bake all day. Maybe one day. . .
you have a puppy! tell me about him!
Oh that’s Gary. He’s the most precious little friend. He’s half min-pin/half chihuahua and I rescued him about a year and a half ago. He’s only 5 lbs and has chocolate fur, green eyes and BLOND EYEBROWS. He is a total snuggler and likes to sleep under the covers next to my hip. He likes to play fetch and can poop on command.
trish commissioned this portrait of gary from cakespy, because she appreciates the value of baked goods. and yes, we are the same person.
BUT, I also claimed Chris’ dog, Sidney, as my own. She’s so sweet. She’s a mix of Australian Shepherd and Blue Heeler. The few people I know who say they aren’t dog people say they would only want a dog like Sid. She super smart and just wants to be your best friend. Oh, and she has orange eyebrows. I love when pups have eyebrows.
Sidney and Gary are total besties. They like to take naps together and Gary sleeps on top of Sid. It makes me melt.
i think you just made all of us melt. like, see that jessica puddle over there?
and you play the oboe! i just found out on facebook!
Yes! I started in the 6th grade, when everyone in Texas public schools starts. Now I play regularly in the Austin Civic Orchestra and sometimes in the Austin New Music Co-op, which is a contemporary group. The next new music show features pieces based on games, most of which is written by local composers. One of the pieces is like musical Uno! It’s a really awesome group.
My orchestra is totally traditional. I think our upcoming season includes Beethoven and Dvorak. And I think we are playing the Nutcracker in a Christmas concert. I also play English Horn in the orchestra, which is a bigger version of the oboe. And a couple seasons ago I got to play bass oboe and that was sooo awesome. I had to sit on a booster seat because it’s so huge!
I often feel so lucky that I play the oboe. In addition to just the sheer happiness I get from it, I’ve also been able to do some really rad stuff because of it. I’ve made so many friends because of it and been able to travel and play abroad. I’ve also been able to play in the pit of a couple operas, which is so awesome.
trish with not one but TWO kinds of oboe. because she is a professional.
do you ever write music? also, i noticed that chris plays guitar. do you guys have a guitar & oboe band going on?!!
Yeah, no. I had to write little tiny pieces for music theory in college but that’s the extent of my career in composition. Chris actually has a degree in classical guitar and once I suggested we play at weddings for fun and extra moolah but it never came into fruition. Which is prolly for the better. In college I played a lot with a composer/bassoon boyfriend (now ex, of course) and it just made us bicker most of the time. The only band Chris and I have is our Rock Band band, Wild Puppiez (named after a fictional Keanu Reeves band of course).
when did you first start attending sing-alongs? which ones are yr favorite?
My friend Hur-shiu (sounds like Hershey) and I started going to singalongs about 2 years ago. The boy band one was my first and I was so hooked! It’s like a giant slumber party! We’ve been to over 20 of them. I really liked the mixtape ones because there’s some variety. Same with the pop music ones. I think the Beastie Boys might be my top one. I love me some hip hop and I really like to rap along (even though I have little to no flow). I’m really excited for Madonna’s birthday though! yay!!
trish and chris caroling on sixth street after the xmas pops sing-along. trish wants everyone to note the perez hilton impersonator behind her.
i see that you enjoy dance parties. what, in yr opinion, are the most important factors for dance party success?
The number one important factor is the music. I almost said friends but, as important as they are (hella important), I can totally have an awesome dance party all by myself with a really good itunes playlist. No my friends, it’s all about the beats.
Having great people with you, however, can def. make the difference between a meh dance party and THE BEST FREAKIN TIME OF YOUR LIFE. Also, cocktails and/or champers can help.
One last thing about the dance party success. You cannot have a great dance party if your shoes hurt your feet. I’m sorry, but no amount of dope beats, best friends or cocktails will make your night anything other than agony. I speak from experience.
ok, i just saw a picture of you (on facebook, obvs, since it is my only journalistic source) drinking a sofia and calling it “champers.” uh, why are we the same person?
heehee I know! Why do you think I thought your blog was so awesome when I found it on the myspace!
Seriously though, I love champagne. My mom and I sometimes have champagne nights where we just drink some and hang out. And now, my friends and I do it. I’d say Chris and I spend at least a part of 3 out of 4 weekends playing rock band and drinking champers with friends. Well, Chris and the other guys normally stick to beer after the first glass of champers (because we like to toast). But I’m ok with that. More champers for me and my girls.
And while we are talking about the bubbly, I will let you in on a secret. Go to Specs and get Veuve de Verney. It’s like $7 but is made from fancy grapes. It’s tastes yummy and won’t make you feel gross, like SOME cheap champers (I’m talking to you Cristalino).
that is an EXCELLENT piece of information. i will act on it immediately.
the standard response to pictures taken in japan: i have no idea. but it’s awesome.
what is yr secret power?
planning parties and get-togethers. I am generally not an organized person but I love hosting a good time. Making snacks and treats, playlists, planning themes, etc. I throw a pretty mean celebration.
do you sleep in jimjams? what kind?
I like girly nighties. It makes me happy to sleep in what is basically a little dress.
what is yr #1 favorite food?
Noodles. I love a lot of different foods. There is really only one thing I will not eat. But when it comes down to it, I heart noodles. My favorite are def. Japanese noodles - udon, ramen, yakisoba, somen, etc, but I also love noodles in other forms, like spaghetti.
what is yr top restaurant recommendation in austin? what’s the best thing on the menu?
well, I def. love Uchi, but it’s gotten a lot of blog time here, so I’ll try to stray. I love Buenos Aires on S. 1st. Have you been there? no? Please go immediately. It reminds me of eating at someone’s house and they are an incredible cook. It’s so delicious and everything tastes so fresh. It’s a little pricey for dinner so we have lunch there often. The spicy beef empanadas rock my face off. And if they have the tuna ones (they are just a special) you will not be disappointed. Unless you don’t order them. Then you will definitely be disappointed. They also have amazing soups. Everyday is a different soup. The asparagus is my favorite so far.
And for dessert, they have a most moist and yummy Quatros Leches cake. Three milks were not enough, you guys. They added a fourth and it is so worth it.
tell me about yr top area of expertise.
I think it must be movies about dancing, esp those made since 2000. It is my absolute favorite genre. I think it started when I was in 8th or 9th grade. Everyday when I’d get home from school, I put in our video tape of Singing in the Rain. Now I can’t get enough movies with dancing. And I saw that you took hip hop lessons. If you do that again, I’ll totally go with you. For real.
what was yr favorite item of clothing as a child?
I had the best handmedown Hello Kitty dress and shoes from my sister. She always had the best Hello Kitty stuff because she spent her childhood in Japan.
for the first time EVER, someone actually has a picture of their favorite outfit! I HAVE BEEN DYING FOR THIS TO HAPPEN! and yeah, those shoes are fabulous.
what was yr favorite toy as a child? (the moody bonus question)
Definitely the light bright. Except that was also a handmedown from my sister and I didn’t know that there were patterns included. So I just made up my own amazing designs of magical shining light.
what do you plan on doing when you’re 80?
I want to be near the water. I hope to live by a coast with my friends and puppies. I want to have parties and enjoy the people in my life. And this is prolly way cheesy and romantic, because I’m way cheesy and romantic, but I want to be with Chris when I’m 80. Because he’s amazing and I love him.
if you could assemble yr own ocean’s 11, who would you pick and why?
So this list is prolly irrelevant to all the readers of your blog, because nobody knows me or my friends but here goes:
I want Hur-shiu and Casey because they are amazing at math and puzzles. They’re logistics. Josh, who happens to be Hur-shiu’s husband, and Jeff Frelack are the most calm people I know, so they have to be there to tell lies and not freak out. Chris is good at everything (except bowling) so he’ll def. come in handy. Andy is the most industrious, problem-solving person in all of Austin. They’re def in. Mick, Jeni and Julie are the eye-candy distractions. Also, Mick is really good at finding good deals on electronics, which might help. And Katie went to theater camp with Natalie Portman, so she’s the acting coach. And my boss Heath. He has to be in because he devious and a really good liar.
trish made this handy guide for her oceans 11. although now we all know what they look like, trish. gah! i hope you’ve got a good disguise person.
what is yr best karaoke song?
Debbie Gibson’s Lost in Your Eyes.
And as a sidenote, Debbie Gibson was my first concert. It was at the Frank Erwin Center and I was in the 4th grade. It was rad.
no, it’s not a tiny room. trish got on a table, for emphasis.
do people ever tell you that you look like someone famous? who?
not really. Once at band camp (I know, I know, but it’s true) someone told me I looked like James Iha from the Smashing Pumpkins. I didn’t know how to react that and even now, I suspect I kinda look like a boy. And in the CVS the other day, someone told me I “look like that girl from Bones” but I don’t watch that show, so I have no idea. But there’s no celebrity face that I’m constantly compared to.
tell me something scandalous!
I once got busy in a Burger King bathroom. No not really. That was Humpty, not me.
I owe the UT Music Library $75 for scores forgot to return for a really long time. I don’t really intend on paying.
trish, this was so fun! thanks for letting a somewhat-total stranger ask you tons of questions about yr life.
and now maybe we can hang out! and be real friends! yay! rainbows!
LINKS
WORST NEWS EVER: the harry potter 6 movie isn’t coming out until next summer!! WAHHHH!! if i could put a curse on warner brothers, i so would. i mean, how am i supposed to drink butterbeer in the dead heat of summer? boo boo BOOO.
you guys, i totally teared up while watching the clips of nastia liukin’s gold medal-winning performance. she’s so graceful and amazing and GAH my eyes are leaking again already.
some of you may remember that rice student that went missing last december… well, he’s been found! which is fortunate for him mom but apparently unfortunate for him. really fascinating, actually.
dude. even the NYT is covering the bigfoot discovery!! i’m serious, this could be real!!!!!
so i couldn’t care less about miley cyrus BUT i just found out that she might be dating my favorite person in step up 2: the streets!! and so now i hate her.
john, incredibly eager to read my blog (who isn’t?), accidentally pulled up www.poshd.com. which is a kind of real estate site. i think? but there are no cupcakes, so no one cares.
i remember her from the old downtown, always sitting on the side of the theater to maximize her dance space.
Buenos Aires Cafe is the best! Their gnocchi is so amazing it brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. Great pick, Trish!
I don’t know if you intentionally misrepresented your super power in order to throw you arch nemesis off of your trail, but I’m gonna call shinanigans on this whole “planning parties” business. We all know that your super power lies in fried chicken tenders.
Excellent interview, Trish! My boyfriend and I went to Japan last summer and it was the best trip of my life. We ate soooo many noodles, and I also became completely obsessed with okinomiyaki.
And I, too, am champagne-obsessed.
That WAS an excellent interview. I’m happy to know that I’m not the only one who has wandered over here via Henri. (In my case it was a blazing saddles barbeque tour article… http://poshdeluxe.com/2007/11/12/the-most-carnivorous-day-of-my-life/)
Trish, I hope that your biotech design is more interesting than the medical graphic design work that I get to do… and it’s GOT to be better than the medical video I edited for a while during the college years… one year a heart valve made out of pig tissue showed up at the office and I was told to “make it look pretty”.
Once we finally get to Austin I’m SO going to get to my first singalong.
Trish is like the coolest person ever. I had suspected it during our brief conversations when she ordered artwork from me, but now it’s absolutely confirmed. It makes me want to move to TX to be closer to her awesomeness!
As someone who watches Bones (Hello, David Boreanez!) you do kinda look like the character Angela.
Being the simple person I am I have to ask since you went to the Ramen Museum. Is it true it was developed by the Japanese in WWII? I learned that from Metal Gear Solid 3. Just doing some fact checking.
Seriously - Ramen museums? That sounds like my kind of place. Because I think I’m with Trish on the noodles being the ultimate food. I’d have pictures of them all over my blog the way Sarah uses cupcakes, except that noodles aren’t pretty because they aren’t concerned with showing off, only with being delicious and awesome. Especially Udon (but that makes me miss Noodle-ism).
Good news guys it looks like Twilight is taking the November 21 spot held by Harry Potter.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080817/ap_en_mu/film_harry_potter_ew
You heard it here second.
yay day in the pants! I think Sarah has the nicest commenters on the whole internet!
Moody, I was under the impression that the Ramen Museum was developed just after WW2 but, I’m not positive and it doesn’t say in my guidebook. The inside is decorated to look like old Japan, which really just means pre-WW2 Japan.
Henri, I’m seriously going to have to pay attention to your blog if you put pics of noodles up.
And I’m pretty sure Cakespy should just move to Austin and eat cake with me and Gary all the time.
dude! trish! cakespy commented on yr interview!! BONUS!!!!
brian, you know i’m gonna be all over those pig heart stories when i interview you…
moody, thanks for the scoop. that’s cool, even though there is no way that “twilight” can cure me of my HP jonesing…
wow, to think I might someday join the pantheon of Pants World Interviewees. haha. Hopefully I’ll have thought up enough stories by that point to keep you entertained. Hmm, what would I talk about? I’m sure I’d talk about the Ironman. I just need to think about all of the stories that Angela rolls her eyes at because I’ve told them too many times.
I watched the video and I STILL don’t want to be Trish’s friend!!!
That’s a lie. I do want to be Trish’s friend. Even more so after watching the video.
I just realised that the banner image at the top of this site, that I have been reading for over a year, prominently features cupcakes.
That was a great interview with Trish..ok I have been really busy at work and about a week behind the poshdeluxe blog. I am sure that i have bumped into you dancing at a sing a long..i can’t wait to actually dance with you and know who you are.
And I loved the picture guide to your ocean’s 11 - very reader friendly.