Meet Andrea Miller, a Toronto writer who is an expert on all things BBC. She’s headed off to Jolly Old in a couple of months to study broadcasting – hopefully we’ll be hearing her on the airwaves someday!
Where did you grow up? Why?
I grew up in Cornwall, Ontario due to the unstoppable march of time.
How long have you been in Toronto?
Six years, which seems impossible.
Toronto is…
Where I (mostly) finished growing up.
What do you do for a living?
At the moment, I am Andrea the Temp, which is exactly as interesting as it sounds.
What keeps you busy?
I spend an inordinate amount of time downloading things off the BBC, watching or listening to them (sometimes both at once), and then forcing it on my uninterested friends. I get panicky when I think of how much time I waste, but I can give a top ten list of the funniest shows you’ve never seen.
What was your favourite summer job?
In my experience there is no such thing as a good summer job. My worst summer job was the third summer of my undergrad when I spent four months organizing the City of Cornwall’s employee files chronologically in what was essentially a stationary cupboard. The one consolation was that I could listen to the CBC as loudly as I liked.
Dream job? Why?
Some sort of writer/producer for radio. Or professional hammock.
What’s your passion?
As much as a one-trick pony as it clearly demonstrates that I am, I suppose it’s the comedy.
If I say jump?
I worry that if millions of people can band together to demonstrate for a good cause here, a brutalist Chinese regime can easily organize a billion people to jump at the same time. Which would send the Earth careening towards the sun, if I’m not mistaken.
What do you give back to the No Fly Zone?
I like to help people who look lost and bewildered. Unless it’s spiritually.
What can we do to make Toronto a "world class" city?
I haven’t checked an honest-to-God atlas in a long time, but last time I did, Toronto was a part of the world, no? If we’ve drifted off a bit, I propose some sort of rope and pulley system to winch ourselves back down.
Are you an artist?
Nah. I dick around with a lot of things, I fool around on the guitar, I write a fair bit. But after doing Creative Writing at York, I learned that compared to most of the people in my class, writing stories about carp who steal glasses just isn’t art. Plus I can’t pull off wearing hats.
How does art influence your life?
Well, if it weren’t for music and radio shows I couldn’t get through a day at work, and I couldn’t bear to be on the TTC, so I think it keeps me sane.
Hands or feet?
Hands. Fingers are WAY more useful than toes.
Worst public moment?
The time I met a Mormon for the first time, way back in high school, and very sagely went, “Ah, the Mormons, they had many wives.” One of those “what just came out of my mouth?” moments that I was mocked for the rest of the night.
Why do you live here?
I just…do. And really, if you want to be a part of a big cultural metropolis, it’s one of the best places to be in the country.
Two Beatles left: Ringo and Paul. Who wins in a smackdown?
In hand-to-hand combat, I’d go for Ringo, but Paul has proved to have the best lawyers, which gives on a certain edge.
Favourite public space?
I love being down by the waterfront more than probably anywhere else, especially now that it’s warming up again.
Who are your favorite artists?
I’m not very good at picking favourites, ESPECIALLY when it comes to the arts. I can say that my favourite band is the Beatles, but sadly, it’s about as decisive as I get.
Mon Chi Chi, My Little Pony, Barbie? discuss.
The last two are toys, but the first seems like a variation on “Mon ‘Tit Choux Choux,” which my grade five French teacher used to call us when we being particularly adorable.