Apparently, web development is really popular nowadays. Everybody wants a cool website…everybody wants multiple functions….everybody wants more plugins. Needless to say, sometimes we find ourselves treading water in the choppy bay of URLs, eCommerce, WordPress themes, and APIs. This month was one of those times. Then, along came Nikki.
First, she’s awesome. Secondly, she’s a gamer (Nintendo consoles and PC – can we get an amen!). She also does digital painting/illustration, attends comic conventions, participates in a variety of fan groups and communities, and really just wants to learn more about everything and anything. She graduated from the University of Oregon with her B.S. in Computer Science, and moved to Arizona to open a gaming bar on Mill Ave (which we think is totally jammin’). We’re really excited to get to know her better, and we’re sure you are too. So without further ado, here’s Nikki:
Resound: What do you love about web development?
Nikki: I love creating things! There’s something really satisfying about having an end product that I can look at, interact with, and show other people. I also really love learning new ways to do things, and web dev is a field which is always advancing. I’ll never know everything about it, and I love that.
Resound: In your opinion, what is the stupidest sport?
Nikki: You know, I really don’t get the appeal of sports, so I figure that anything that people enjoy playing and enjoy watching is valuable. If I had to choose, though… it would probably be football. It’s not that I think the sport itself is stupider than others, but the vast amount of hype and attention and money that goes into it seems kind of silly to me!
Resound: Tell us about the best thing that ever happened to you.
Nikki: I think the best thing that ever happened to me was discovering the internet.
Resound: David Allen said, “You can do anything, but not everything.” What’s your anything?
Nikki: This quote is funny, because my “anything” is trying the best that I possibly can to do a little of everything. I know that I can never hope to achieve or succeed at everything, but there are so many things in the world to experience and learn about! Some of the high things on my list are to learn new languages, travel to new places, get better at cooking, learn to sing, make stuff (electronics, jewelry, furniture, whatever!). What I actually end up doing is just whatever I feel most motivated for at the time, picked out of this huge grab-bag list of stuff I find interesting.
Resound: In middle school, what email address would’ve best described you? Why?
Nikki: I think my actual email address from back then is pretty accurate: [email protected]
Puar is a shape shifting cat character from Dragon Ball Z. I had an unhealthy obsession with this show. I don’t really understand why, but I recently watched a newer movie from it and I still found it enjoyable, so… there’s that. It also captures my childhood fixation with cats and dragons, and the fact that this show was so stereotypically a “boy’s show,” but that I loved it anyways, says a lot about me.
Resound: You get off work at 6pm – what’s the absolute best way to spend your evening?
Nikki: Cup of tea, plate of sushi, somebody awesome, good discussion, and either something to play or watch if I just need to relax, or a creative project to collaborate on!
Resound: In an alternate reality, who would you be?
Nikki: Your cat.
Resound: Resound calls and says “We’re sending you on an all expense paid vacation to…..” What are you hoping comes next?
Nikki: This is a hard choice, but I think I would have to say Japan. Visiting Japan is an old dream of mine from high school, back when I took as many Japanese classes as I could fit into my schedule and was really into anime. I’ve almost had a chance to go there a few times, but still haven’t gone. I still find the country and culture fascinating, and would love to have an opportunity to improve my Japanese (it’s really bad!).
Europe is also really high on my list of places that I want to visit, too, though! The density of different cultures and languages is really appealing to me, and, similar to Japanese, I’ve got a beginner’s understanding of the German language and would love an opportunity to practice some of it and learn more.
Resound: Name 10 actors that you would want to play in your life biography (and the characters they’d play)
Niki: I could come up with a list of the types of actors I would want to play in a life biography, but I really would never want to be the center of attention in something big like a movie. If I ever really had to make something like this, I would want it to be a parody of my life. It would have to be over the top: absurdly grandiose, while mischaracterizing everyone to the point of hilarity. At this point, I don’t even know if it matters who is which character, but I would want to see something that pulled together actors like:
- Samuel L. Jackson
- Patrick Stewart
- Christopher Walken
- Felicia Day
- Neil Patrick Harris
- Wil Wheaton
- Drew Barrymore
- Michael Cera
- Matt Smith
- Laura Prepon
- And anyone else who has some place in geek culture and/or would be hilarious to see together on film.
