Name: Marian
Date: September 20th, 2002

Hello and welcome to our website:
first of all we would like you to introduce yourself

PERSONAL QUESTIONS

-Name

Marian Benjamin

-Nickname

KeKwAnTa_MaRiAn

-Sex/age/location

Female, 20 and living in Toronto.

-What do you do in life, interests, and hobbies?

I am full time student and part time employee. I am also part of Assyrian Canadian Student Union, which provides educational help, activities, gatherings etc. for our Assyrian, chaldean and all other groups, students here in Canada, Toronto. For my interests and hobbies, well I love reading and most of all meeting new people/friends .

-Do you have any plans for the future or you just let the future do its job?

My plan for the future is to finish my school and get a job in my field. I plan for the future, set goals, but mostly I let the future do its job because you never know what tomorrow holds.

-What are your educational and career goals?

I am currently majoring in Computer Programming Analysis and I am specializing in Database and AS/400. My goals are to graduate and get the job that would provide me enough experience to become an Analyst.

Favorite Joke?
....and kfc with milk,

-Tell us about your love life?

Oh dear God. THAT is one life I don’t have lol. I don’t know if that is fortunate or not, but I think it is not lol. Anyway, so far haven’t found the right one here in Toronto, sooner or later love will come.

-Your relation with your family members?

Every family has its ups and downs good and bad days, and my relationship with my family is great.  I have a great relation with each single member in the family that varies from the other member. My dad, I don’t know what to say, he is great, I love him, great listener who understands me and makes me understand his point, great advice giver and so honest in everything. Mom is my friend in many ways. My brothers are my protectors and always there for me. Altogether I am thankful for each and every one in my family can’t stand being away from them. 

-Your future life mate is and should be?

Respectful Assyrian.  I believe love grows if there is respect. Honesty comes from respect, trust comes from love that is born from respect, and lastly family oriented. They all intertwine together, but for me Respect starts the idea of love.

CHAT QUESTIONS

-How different do you see the Internet now from the first days you were online?

More people, world wide, are exposed to Internet nowadays than before.

-Which place do you think is being used more: message board or text chat?

I think both are being used equally.

-What is the funniest moment you have ever been faced with on the Internet?

There are so many to mention all , but one I’ll never forget, it was you (Ashoor), Amar and I, you guys were telling me jokes about that vicious dog attack and kfc with milk, looool. THAT I’ll never forget

-Do you think the people on the chat lines and the message board in general has changed? If they did, to what? good or bad? have they become more enlightened?

People always come and go.  People have increased more, they are and have been changed to better I think, although there is always someone who is bad more like immature. I can’t make any judgments because I didn’t know those people before I met them online, but what I think is that most of them are good and enlightened because they are being exposed to new ideas and views as well as great friends.  Percentage of good is raising and am glad for it.

-Do you take Internet chatting and discussions seriously?

I think almost everyone on message board knows that I take it really serious lol; I can’t help it but take it serious.  Just because someone is expressing his/her idea behind a computer in a different country doesn’t mean we should take them less serious and ignore them. 

-What comes to your mind when you first hear these three nicknames?

Holland:  reminds me of peaceful, green, and quiet country, more like a village.

Sqeeda: someone VERY VERY MISRABLE lol.  I’ve talked to him couple of times before, he is NOT sqeeda but I guess he found himself an interesting nickname.

Ketwane d' shereh:  reminds me of a poet.

-Who do you think are some of the smartest or most thoughtful people on the message board?

They are many to be mentioned. I’ve come across people who are smart in his or her own unique ways. But I’ve come across people who ignore the subject after they finally understand the point of discussion and refuse to admit it. There is always good apple and bad apple.  There are some that are young, but doesn’t mean they aren’t smart, they just don’t have the skills of expressing what they want to say.

-Is it ok for a guy/girl to go on the chat line on a regular basis to find a partner from the opposite sex? Provided that they are single.

Yes I think it is great, because you are less nervous about telling the other person how you feel, more confident and you get a chance of knowing how a person is assuming you know the person physically only and is from your city but can’t approach them when you see them lol. Lets not start with long distance relationship.

-First Assyrians you met on our website, and the Internet?

You (ASHOOR), our Chaldean friend Amar, Renya from California, HotGuy from Windsor and so many more that I fail to remember. Forgive me. 

-What is better? Voice chat, Text chat, and Visual chat.

Depends on the personality, some prefer to hear the person’s voice and speak themselves rather than type, others which include me, prefer text chat who don’t like and are not comfortable sharing their voices, and some prefer visual chat because it is more user friendly and express their physical looks. They are all good, just different way of contacting others.

-Do you see any connection between the last Assyrian convention and the increase in the number coming to the message board and the website in general?

It sure did increase.

FAVORITES

-Favorite sport:

Swimming, badminton, and volleyball, which I don’t know how to play, but in the process of learning :D

-Favorite foreign singer:

Marc Anthony, Celine Dion, Brian Adams, Bon Jovi and many more.

-Favorite country/city:

Barwar, my home, located in North Iraq.  I would give anything in the world to have that place somewhere safe and free.

-Favorite car:

 BMW

-Favorite Assyrian singer:

Ashur sargis and Shamiram.

-Favorite soccer player:

Don’t have any because I don’t watch soccer lol.

-Favorite number, and color:

2 and 4, colors depending on the season, I like almost all colors, don’t have favorite.

-Favorite food:

DOLMAAAA and BERYANII when I Cooke it of course lol plus almost all Assyrian/Greek food.

ASSYRIANS RELATED QUESTIONS

-What should the Assyrians be doing at this time?

Try to unite rather than compete, same time get education for those who have a chance but are not willing to take it.

-Should the Assyrians focus more on: money, power or education?

Education. Education brings money and power.

-Do you have any plans to help Assyrians get where they want to be?

Yes, help in anyway I can, that is why I am in Assyrian Canadian Student Union.

-The naming issue: how can you solve it while still satisfying all other Assyrian groups that are known by other names?

I don’t think it is solvable, knowing that we were called Assyrians for as long as we can remember, it is hard to change the history and books.  It is also hard to put all the groups under one umbrella, one name, after such a long time of being known by our own names.  All I can say is, avoid further divisions. If this problem was easily solved I would say Syriac, I think it is the name that everyone would be satisfied with but than again there are always people who would want to stand-alone and would disagree. Very rare you find everyone satisfied nowdays.

-Where do you see the future of the Assyrian language?

With all the increase in teaching here in Canada and in North Iraq I would defiantly say it is going somewhere and I encourage everyone including myself to NEVER EVER speak English among your Assyrian friends. Assyrian is our language and that is what it should be.

-Do you think it is wrong to use English more than Assyrian?

Yes, because Assyrian is our mother tongue and not English. It is good to practice English for those who don’t speak it well, but don’t practice with your family and friends who speak your own language. Why would you want to replace your mother tongue language with your second probably third language? someone else made a good point saying "arabs speak arabic amongthemselves, chiness speak china among themselves why should we speak anything other than Assyrian?" really good point. See this is what you learn from those interviews and people you meet online.

-The Internet's role in making Assyrians more aware of whom they are and getting them closer to each other. 

Internet is another great way of getting to know who we really are and also a great way of being exposed to worldwide of who we were, are, and always be.

-Last word to all people out there and how they can serve our nation even better?

Never forget your own language, teach your friends Assyrian Just like they are teaching you English and other languages, Stay together to be strong, always lay a hand for those who need help even though if your not asked for it, you’ll be surprised how helpful you’ll be and how many will be thankful.

General and Miscellaneous Questions

-What is your horoscope and what is your best matching horoscope?

Leo, I think Scorpio and Aries are my best matches.

-How do you see the relations between Assyrian guys and girls in Toronto and Canada in general? Is it open or still weak due to traditions and other constraints?

It is open to an extend which I think is great knowing the traditions and all…I think here in Toronto Canada, girls and guys keep the relation secret only from parents lol. One way or the other everyone finds out about the relationship.

-If you were to rename our website, what would you call it?

I can’t think of any better name.

-Do you like school? And why.

Hahaha people used to think I was a geek for loving school so much. Yes I do love school, more than shopping lool, and that is simply because you learn how to use your brain, gain so much knowledge, gain experience socially and otherwise, meet new people and most of all you have a routine that you can always follow and know what to do in a typical day. School is part of a person’s life, without school I would feel disabled.

-We have a lot of new things coming to our website? Do you wish to add anything in particular?

Yes, history of Assyrians. Section describing who we are and where we originated from, it will help other cultures to learn about Assyrians when they are visiting the site.

-MSN or ICQ?

MSN defiantly, ICQ to complicated and detailed.

-Who is the best Assyrian singer when it comes to:

Slow songs: Sargon Gabriel

khiga songs: Janan Sawa and Linda George

National songs:  Evan Aghasi.

-According to you what is the ultimate good?

Following my values and keeping my faith.

-What do you think of the following figures?

Queen Mary of Scotts: sounds like a British figure, very famous queen.

Fraidoon Atouraya: Visited us back home when I was younger, loyal gentleman.

Madonna: Star for so many people who look up to her and envy her.

FINAL THOUGHTS

-What was the hardest question we asked you? Or didn't like?

Liked all of them, although had to think about few.

-One question you were glad we didn't ask you?

How much I dislike people who refuse to see their own faults, that includes cultural, religious and personal. What I think about long distance relationship.

-Your best quote in life

I have many. “What goes around comes around”, “Never say Never”, “love is all eyes, yet it is blind” and “believing in yourself is the key to your success”.

-Something to say to those reading this interview?

Don’t take anything personal and just as I stated above, Never forget your own language, teach your friends Assyrian Just like they are teaching you English and other languages, Stay together to be strong, always lay a hand for those who need help even though if your not asked for it, you’ll be surprised how helpful you’ll be and how many will be thankful.

 -What do you think of this interview and what can it help us with?

Great experience for me, and it can help anyone who is interested in knowing my thoughts, learn from it and helps us in getting to know others of course.

-We have reached our third year of conducting interviews: which interview did you like best so far? (You dont have to answer this if u want)

I liked all of them because each and every one of them was good in it’s own ways.

-If you were to choose the next person to be interviewed whom would it be from the chat and why?

Would it be possible to choose you Ashoor? I love to read your thoughts and ideas. If not than I would defiantly recommend Lamaso. Rare chatter, but great person also my dear friend Bella.

-Any final comments or thoughts?

Don’t be stubborn, admit your mistakes, keep peace and thank you so much Ashoor for allowing me the chance of saying what I want. Keep up the great job.

At the end of this interview we would like to thank you and wish you a good luck in your life.

Your welcome and I wish you all the luck in your life and wish you the success you deserve for such a great work you have been doing.