Question Time

Time for a bit of Q & A here.

Kel at The X Facta has been asking a few questions. The idea is that she asks 5 people 5 questions each. Each person then responds on their own blog providing a link back to her blog.

I’m one of the people that put my hand up to be questioned so you’ll find my answers below. Now I’m looking for 5 people to leave a comment below this post so that I can interview you. Are you up for the challenge? You don’t have to write as much as I have in my answers and I promise not to make the questions too hard. If you want me to interview you, just leave me a comment.

Thanks for the questions Kel.

1. Why did you recently spend three weeks cycling around India?

Way back in 1987 I cycled 4500 kilometres across Australia to raise money for a Bible Society literacy project under the banner of Bike for Bibles. I did the same trip the following year and then cycled from Perth to Adelaide in 1990. In 1992 I was asked to travel to Canada for a couple of weeks to get Bike for Bibles started there. It was a fantastic trip as we cycled alongside the Rocky Mountains. My involvement with Bike for Bibles had been as a volunteer for all those years. In 1999 I left my job at Sonshine FM to become the Bike for Bibles Coordinator in Western Australia. I held that position for 5 years before returning to Sonshine FM in August last year. In early 2003 I visited India to help in commencing Bike for Bibles in the Delhi region. At that time there were just a handful of Indian cyclists who joined me to ride from Agra to Delhi. Two years later I returned as part of a group of 9 Australians to see how things have progressed and to further the work of Bike for Bibles in that part of the world. I’m very pleased to say that so far this year, there have been around 1000 riders taking part in Bike for Bibles events in North West India.

2. How did you become a radio announcer and what’s the best part of your job?

I have had a fascination for radio since I was very, very young. While other kids were off climbing trees, playing football, riding bikes or attaching firecrackers to small mammals, I had my own radio station set up under our house. I wired up a speaker to the front of the house and then I’d drive everyone crazy by running my own programmes. I even did a range of voices and accents so that I would have more than one announcer on my station. In 1988, the year that Sonshine FM first went to air, I approached the Programme Manager about the possibility of becoming an announcer. One thing led to another and on May the 8th 1988 I did my first air shift. I worked for a year as a part time announcer, working weekends and filling where needed. In May 1989 I commenced full time work. After 10 years I went on long service leave and subsequently left to become the WA Bike for Bibles Coordinator. During that time I reverted to being a part time announcer, taking on occasional weekend and fill in shifts. I rejoined the radio station in August last year. The best part of the job is the satisfaction that comes from being able to engage people as you communicate. I suppose it’s similar to that feeling you get when you drop into your own blog and see that a post has generated a few comments. That’s when you know you’ve connected.

3. Who is the most interesting person you’ve interviewed on your show, and why?

That’s a tough one. I’ve chatted to so many interesting people and it’s not always the celebrities or well known people that have the most interesting stories. I remember interviewing Wendy Kaiser from Resurrection Band many years ago (anyone remember them?) and I was very impressed by her style. There was almost always a short gap after I asked a question while she formulated her answer. That told me that she was thinking about what I had asked. A lot of interviewees just launch into their standard list of answers. You end up getting a neatly packaged interview but you don’t really get to know the person. I’ve talked to all sorts of people including Olympic athletes, state and federal politicians including Fred Nile, Tim Fischer and Wilson Tuckey, entertainers like David Strassman, Colin Buchanan, Jimmy Little, David Meece, Michael W. Smith, Jon Stevens, Cosima, Paulini and Marcia Hines as well as prominent Australians like Tim Costello. There are many others too numerous to mention.

4. You list Rebecca as one of your favourite movies and Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier as one of your favourite books. Was the movie inspired by the book? And why is it a favourite?

Yes, the movie was inspired by the book, but I saw the movie many years before reading the novel. I can’t really put my finger on what it is that I like about the story. It’s a kind of mystery thriller where all is not as it seems. It’s a classic. The first line of the book, which is also used as the first line of the movie, is a classic that is quoted regularly. “Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderlay again”.

5. Why did you start blogging and when?

I first heard of blogging many years ago and thought, “What a stupid idea. Who would want to put their most personal thoughts out there for everyone to read?” Being a rather private person I just didn’t get the concept at all. In late 2003, I went to a one day seminar that was organised by a friend. That friend is Andrew Hamilton, or Hamo as he’s mostly known. During the day he mentioned his blog and so when I got home I checked it out and decided it wasn’t such a bad idea after all. I realised that as I’m the one writing the blog, I get to choose how much or how little I reveal about myself and my life. At the time I was working as the WA Coordinator of Bike for Bibles. I suppose I was missing the opportunity to communicate with an audience after leaving radio. Even though I don’t have a huge ‘blogging audience’ it helped fill a need. My first posts were in November 2003.

Posted by Rodney Olsen

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