Make Mine A Karma Koffee - Phoenix Karma

I'm a determinist. Life is a series of choices. Not all of those choices are made by you and not all circumstances are under your control. You could call that luck. Or coincidence. They're the stage, you're the actor....

 

What's a country you'd like to visit and why?

 

I've travelled quite widely, but I've never been to sub-Saharran Africa. I'd like to go to Zimbabwe, see the Victoria Falls, do the whole safari thing. Also, I'd like to visit Venezuela, see the revolution in progress....

 

I'd love to see Victoria falls as well.

Have you been to Canada?

 

Yeah, been to Alberta, British Columbia and Vancouver Island. Great country, loved it. Like America, but without the Americans, what more could you want?

 

Haha.

What's your dream job?

 

Novelist....

 

Do you have anything published?

 

I've published quite a lot of poetry and articles. Google "Salman Shaheen" to find them. My novel's something I've been working on for the last year and a half though, getting that published will be by far the biggest challenge. What I've done so far is just small fry really. I've put a lot of energy into it and come the summer once it's finished I'm going to start approaching agents. It won't be easy, but I have a few aces up my sleeve....

 

You've started to accomplish what all artists dream off. Congrats.

What is your favourite sound and why?

 

Tough question. Other than my own voice, () I'd probably have to say the wood pigeon as it reminds me of being out in the countryside, which is where I most like to be....

 

Lol, uh huh.

What is friendship to you?

 

Friendship is being able to have a good time with someone, to enjoy their company, to have a laugh. But it's more. Your really good friends you should be able to count on no matter what, you should be able to trust them with your life....

 

What's your favourite song lyrics and why?

 

One of my favourite song lines ever, which quotes a Welsh farmer on his way to fight in the Spanish Civil War:

"If I can shoot rabbits, I can shoot fascists!"

- Manic Street Preachers 'If You Tolerate This Then Your Children Will Be Next'

 

If you could change one event from your past, what would you change and why?

 

I don't think I'd change anything. I've definitely made mistakes. But if you go back and erase the mistakes, we wouldn't be complete people. Often mistakes are the only way to learn. If I went back and changed things, I'd only do something wrong all over again....

 

So true.

What has been your most enlightening moment?

 

If you take away all those times on drugs, I don't think I could pin down one single epiphanic moment. Life is slow enlightenment. Obviously there are moments of inspiration and great bursts of creativity, but no gestalt switch. I've learnt a lot, and in very short spaces of time, but never would I say I've had a moment of pure enlightenment. I think those sorts of things are romanticised flights of fancy....

 

How many people do you trust with your life?