Alison Christie

April, 2007

-Where are you now?
Savannah, Georgia.Yes. Location of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. We lived (in a postage stamp) one square east of the scene of the crime for a while. Now we're out in the 'burbs, on an inland island surrounded by salt marsh and 10 minutes from the beach.

-List household members:
Husband: Tim - Photojournalist, lovely man who works from home
Offspring: Josh - two, and just figuring out what that means. Uh oh...
Fish: Bis! - always hungry

-What do you do all day?
Currently focussed on keeping the two-year-old out of trouble. Previously, let's see:
* Copywriter
* K-TV script writer
* M-Net producer
* e-TV writer / producer
* Amazing Race production assistant (ummmm... Hair raising...)
* Morning News Show producer, NBC affiliate in Louisiana (Can we say, Very. Bad. Hours? 11pm to 7am.)
* Business journalist at two midsized papers
* Now home with offspring

The last 20 years in 100 words, or less, or more...
Left school, UCT, then off to Jo'burg. Brief copy writing career, followed by longer stretch at K-TV and M-Net writing scripts and producing. Back down to Cape Town when e-TV was launched. And then up back to Jo'Burg. Met Tim, got married in 2000. Landed stateside in September 2001. Moved to Texas (spent first 3 weeks in a town called Uncertain. Really.) Couple of years in Texas, followed by a job offer in Savannah. And we've been here ever since. Almost three years now. Lovely city, which is important after living in Cape Town. Has a real sense of place that can be lacking in the sameness of strip mall USA. Josh was born in March, 2005.

- Any shining moments from The School Years?
A million dollar view of the mountain - especially at night from the dormitory windows.

- How about less than-than-shining?
How about every maths exam I ever took? I still have nightmares about these.
And yes, so many bad outfits... One civvies day I was aiming for low key, but after a full weekend of preparation, the effect was alarmingly biker chick...

- Random memories?
Lynda Heesom refusing to sit down because you burned more calories standing up...

- Did you stay in touch with anyone? Who?
Vikki and I have visited pretty regularly, well, considering we've not been living in the same country. And our handwriting is no longer even remotely similar. Hers is still lovely, mine is horrendous.

- With the benefit of 20 years hindsight, did St Cyprians prepare you for life?
Sure, some days it was easy, and on others, it felt like the hardest thing I'd ever do. That's how life is.

- Any stand out teachers?
Mrs Thorburn. Why didn't I listen to her and become a radiologist? Journalists are paid peanuts. Of course, if I had, I wouldn't have met Tim...

- Life lessons?
This too shall pass.

- Greatest hope?
Many more years with people I love. That this war ends sooner rather than later. That we don't totally trash the planet for the next generation.

-Achievements?
Hmmm... Life still feels like a work in progress. Can 40 really be just around the corner? I don't feel grown up enough to be 40...

- How different is your life from how you envisaged it 20 years ago?
Umm. Completely. I had a total failure of imagination, because I didn't see journalism, Savannah, motherhood in there. I thought I'd be an English academic in some ivy-encrusted building somewhere.

And no humiliating photos from the 80's? Many moves mean they're lost for now, but I'm looking, I am, I am. Was up rooting around in the attic this morning. No dice yet...

- Living online?
Blog - they hand them out with citizenship.
Some images from a site documenting USA, the early years. I ran out of energy, as you do.

email: alison dot zielenbach at gmail dot com