Interview with Amar Hussain of GapYearEscape.com: Lucky 13 Questions 19

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Amar and GapYearEscape came a bit late to my attention.  It was only within the last couple months that I started following him in Twitter and reading his stuff, and I have really enjoyed catching up.  His website, Gap Year Escape, is a very comprehensive resource for those of us that want to backpack all around the world — well worth browsing around for hours.

And for my female blogging friends that have complained that I have tended towards more towards interviewing cute women bloggers in this series over great looking men…. consider the playing field leveled.  So, go read Amar’s website and follow him on Twitter, and enjoy his great answers here to the Lucky 13.

1. What is the best movie that no one has heard of?

I’m sat here racking my brains and what comes to mind is the worst movie I have ever seen! It was one of the moments in life you regret. You go to the rental store, close your eyes, spin round and pick whatever movie you happen to be pointing at. I wish I could have those two hours of my life back. It was a ‘horror’ where a group of teens get marooned on an island and there’s some guy with a yellow rain coat and a hook. That’s not the best of it. The locals worship some giant killer octopus and want to sacrifice the teens. Atrocious film. I can imagine the pitch; Horror… Teens… Island… Killer Octopus? Give me your financial backing!

2. What is the most romantic thing you have ever done for someone?

I do believe in romantic gestures but ladies please level with me here. Would you rather be sent flowers and bought just because gifts? Or would you rather a man be faithful, tell you you’re beautiful and call you everyday even if it is just to say goodnight. I don’t know why I bother asking, the answer is all of the above. Obviously.

fictional character, fictional fiction book, big party

3. What is the fictional character you’d most want to hang out with for a weekend?

Hank Moody from the show ‘Californication’. He has to be one of the best losers on tv and for that I totally admire and respect him. I probably identify with the character somewhat. Of course I am talking about the writer’s block he has and nothing else…

If he was too busy I would have to say someone like SpongeBob Square Pants. I just want to ask him what his deal is. I mean seriously, it’s like he’s on crack.

4. Most overrated writer you can think of?

Can I say myself? Oh no wait you said rated. I’m going to have to say Dan Brown, just because his latest book made me want to cry. The book cost me a fortune too (why are books so expensive in Australia?). I can’t say I would buy any more of the trash he produces. Let down.

5. Decade in time, other than now, that you wish you had lived in?

I wish I was in my 20’s in the 80’s and went travelling. Imagine going to places like South East Asia before “getting off the beaten track” actually became mainstream. Wouldn’t it be great to be the only foreigner in a place like Koh Phi Phi or to be one of the pioneers of Tubing in Vang Vieng before it became all commercial. South East Asia is still beautiful now but I imagine back then there really were some untouched areas yet to be properly discovered and explored.

6. What is the worst meal you have ever had?

I once had a takeout and half way through a cockroach climbed out. If I am honest I just ate round it. Nom Nom.

Amar with a British accent? (Adrian Lester)

7. Biggest celebrity you have ever seen in person and where was it?

I’ve never actually met a celebrity, not a real one anyway! When I was in LA I was hoping to bump into someone but it didn’t happen. I’ve been mistaken for a celebrity though. Apparently if you’re drunk and it’s dark I can be mistaken for a British soap star. Being famous is awesome, I now understand the appeal.

8. What is your favourite sports team?

I can’t say I actually follow any sports or even do any for that matter. Even as an Englishman I don’t have a football (soccer for you Americans) team. It’s not that I don’t play well with others, I just love competing against my biggest rival; Myself. But still, a question has been asked and I will answer. I shall go with the Jamaican Bobsleigh Team. Cool Runnings!

9. Fill in the blank: the world would be a much better place without ________________.

I feel compelled to say something like war, famine, murder, splash back, Bob Saget etc. However, this isn’t a beauty pageant and I have no need to impress you with my moral virtues. I would love to rid the world of the ‘lost last bite’. Stay with me here. You know if you’re eating a chocolate for example. You spend your time enjoying it piece by piece. You get to the end and then disaster strikes. You get knocked, you fumble the wrapper or you miss your mouth. The VERY last piece falls from your grasp and hits the floor. In that instance you tut, shake your head and then feel that emptiness. That moment of incompleteness. Yes ladies and gentleman, the world would be a better place without this sorry episode. (Man I am seriously hungry right now).

10. Best single tip you can give your fellow travel bloggers, aside from “better content”?

Oh just enjoy it! I think almost all travel bloggers start out doing it as a hobby and if they get some extra cash, great. But sometimes it just feels like high school. I don’t care if your Alex rank is higher than mine or if you don’t agree with what I say. If my website lost all its readers and got de-indexed by Google tomorrow then sure it would be irritating but I have made some great friends in the community. Some of them I have met and weirdly some of them I haven’t. Sure I run my blog like a business but it’s the people that make it fun. There’s easier ways to make money and if I didn’t enjoy this I wouldn’t do it.

11. If someone gave you $10,000 on the condition that you had to spend it frivolously and not on travel, how would you spend it?

I think I would just treat my Momma! Yes, she’s my hero and I would just get her whatever she wanted. You did say frivolously so if that wasn’t allowed I think I would finally get round to creating my own home cinema complete with projector and lazy boy chairs or equivalent!

12. What is the best foreign curse that you know?

It’s a new year’s resolution to stop cursing so I won’t start now. However, I would say that anything in Italian sounds awesome. Also, weirdly, a little bit sexy.

13. What are your parents most proud of you for, so far?

I think they are just proud of all their kids generally. We’re highly educated, good jobs, never been arrested blah blah blah. We’re not the kind of children parents would ever have to worry about. My mother is someone who doesn’t always understands what’s going on. I could tell her I failed a test and she would still be like “Oh well done!” Always a proud parent!

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