Ask Me Anything

[Ayla of Duluth]

I'm posting this in the introduction thread because I figured its a really good way for people to get to know all about me, especially since I'm just starting out as a local entertainer and haven't had a chance to post much about myself.

Anyways, I want to put an FAQ section on the website being made for me, but there's just one problem: Nobody's ever asked me anything! :s So I'm putting this here as a way to collect some questions that I can post on the website. Now I know I don't have my tail yet, but it will be started on the 3rd or 4th of august once I get the last payment to Raven. Honestly, I think the outfit is the only thing I have missing in my business. I've already been booked up for a whole week next summer by one of the bigger businesses in my city. I've got a logo, the business cards, the facebook page, youtube account, pricing chart, website is being made, etc.

SO...

Go ahead! Ask me whatever you want to know, seriously, no question is too far out there for me to answer. And when this thread dies, I'll take my favorite questions that I think will be really common, and I'll put them up on my FAQ section.

GO! :D

[New York Mermaid]

at what point in your life did you suddenly realize " I want to be a mermaid?"

[Ayla of Duluth]

at what point in your life did you suddenly realize " I want to be a mermaid?"

Well, this is my one year anniversary being on Mernetwork, and I found this site just a month or so after I was inspired by the clorox mermaids commercial. So I'd say about a year ago. And honestly, it came as a suprise to me, because mermaids were never something that ever interested me before that. I never got into the little mermaid, quite frankly, I'm not keen on any of the mermaid shows or movies there are out there, so it was really odd for me to think to myself "I want to be like those mermaids." It came on so suddenly.

[Ayla of Duluth]

what a weird thing to be inspired by...a commercial...about a cleaning agent...

[Merman Dan]

Merbabies.... eggs or live birth? (you did say ANYTHING!) ;)

[Spindrift]

Why 'mermaid'? Why not 'fairy' or 'ballerina' or 'dinosaur'?
Who are your role models?
What do you want to achieve with your mermaid persona?
Can I poke your tail?
Why do you have legs sometimes?
What does being a mermaid entail?
What is your favorite thing to eat as a mermaid?
What is your biggest dream/goal?

IDK I was trying to come up with questions that might be helpful for your website.

[Ayla of Duluth]

Merbabies.... eggs or live birth? (you did say ANYTHING!) ;)
That's a difficult one. The top half of a mermaid is mammalian, while the bottom half is fish. Two completely different reproductive systems. So maybe mermaids lay eggs, and once the eggs hatch, they breast feed and whatnot. Happy compromise, right?

[Ayla of Duluth]

Why 'mermaid'? Why not 'fairy' or 'ballerina' or 'dinosaur'?
Who are your role models?
What do you want to achieve with your mermaid persona?
Can I poke your tail?
Why do you have legs sometimes?
What does being a mermaid entail?
What is your favorite thing to eat as a mermaid?
What is your biggest dream/goal?

IDK I was trying to come up with questions that might be helpful for your website.
I think mermaid because out of all the mythical creatures, they were the first that caught my eye in the sense of dressing up. I was always into Pegasi and unicorns, but you can't dress up like them. And I don't think I was aware that anything else existed that was as unique as mermaids. Fairies were nothing special to me, they were just people with plastic or mesh wings. And dinosaurs? You couldn't dress up as one until just recently, and that costume costs around ten grand. And definately no ballerina because every time I danced, my brother made fun of me. (still want to learn how to Irish dance though...)

My two biggest role models are Raven and AniaR. I almost see them as sisters. They've both turned mermaiding into something so beautiful and unique. I look up to Raven and hope to one day have a tank like hers. And I very much admire how easily AniaR can communicate with other people. I can't even make a webcam video in my own ro because my mind shuts down from nervousness. And in my entertainer journey, I hope to take snips and tidbits from both of them and created own unique mermaid hobby. Thing.

I love seeing people smile. It absolutely brightens my day. I also really like attention from random passerbys that I'll probably never see again. My main goal as Ayla is to inspire people of all ages to follow their dreams, no matter how silly they may seem. I mean for gods sake, a man walked a tightrope across niagra falls just because he wanted to. It was his dream. And people got behind that. I want to show everyone that nothing is too extraordinary to achieve. Just never give up.

If we ever meet up, you are welcome to poke and prod at my tail all you want. Just don't take any sharp utensils to it. ;)

Oh, hi. I'm Ayla's human twin sister, Lilly. Would you believe we're two years apart? No, Ayla is in the lake as usual, collecting pretty rocks off the lake bed. Really, they're just rocks, I don't see what's so special about them. Personally, I prefer mood jewelry. If you ever think you see Ayla, but for some reason she has legs, it's just me. But anyways, it's nice to meet you, and I'll tell Ayla you said hi. :)

Being a mermaid entails many things. Having help available whenever I need it, seeing as I can't walk. At events like the Tall Ships next year, all I have to do is sit in the shade and look pretty while kids poke and prod at my tail and all the male adults take flirtatious pictures of me. Every mermaid event will be different, I think. I'm going to need things to keep kids busy, I'm thinking beads for indoor parties and toy dinosaurs for the boys who like cars more than mermaids. It's going to be a huge learning experience for me in ways I couldn't even imagine. Business management for example. I'm pretty much my own boss and have to act as such. I hope I don't fire me...and now I'm rambling.

My favorite thing to eat as a mermaid is pasta. Mostly Alfredo and phad Thai, but I also love Mac n cheese and pasta salad. Subway is also on my top five favorites. I eat it almost every day. Chicken teriyaki on flatbread with olives and vinegar oh yum! We even have cute little underwater subways here.

Right now as a 19 year old adult, becoming a mermaid is my biggest dream/goal. I've never worked so hard to achieve anything in my life. (that I recall) in the future I hope to settle down witha partner and buy a house. Until then, I'm perfectly content driving horse carriages for money.

[Spindrift]

I mean for gods sake, a man walked a tightrope across niagra falls just because he wanted to. It was his dream. And people got behind that. I want to show everyone that nothing is too extraordinary to achieve. Just never give up.

If you're talking about the guy who did that in June, I totally know him. He's a friend of a friend.

Cute answers! :)

[Ayla of Duluth]

If you're talking about the guy who did that in June, I totally know him. He's a friend of a friend.
Really? That's...wow...what are the odds? :)

[Lyna]

where are you going to be performing? more details please?

[Mermaid Saphira]

What activities do you do to encourage the childeren to learn about the ____ (ocean, sea, lake, etc)?

[Mermaid Saphira]

I was always into Pegasi and unicorns, but you can't dress up like them.

O yes you can! Look at Little Orca's awesome unicor costume! If you want a Pegasi, just add wings ;) http://mernetwork.com/index/album.php?albumid=38&attachmentid=396

[Ayla of Duluth]

where are you going to be performing? more details please?

well i'm not really going to be "performing" i don't think. If my local aquarium will let me swim in a tank for a show, i figure i can just swim around the glass and interact with the kids through it, waving to them, taking pictures, drawing heart scherades, etc. for the tall ships next year, i'm just going to be sitting on a towel in the shade while people talk to me and take pictures. I was never good at performing, but i am good at sitting and looking pretty and drawing attention. for birthday parties, figure i can just play with the kids like i would normally do, except now i can't chase them and run around. i'll keep them busy by reading them stories, playing interactive games, doing hands on activities, etc. For photoshoots and commercials, its up to the photo/videographer to figure out what they want me to be doing. and for corporate events, i'll probably just have a nice little chair to sit on while people come up and take pictures and talk to me. Honestly, i'm not quite sure what to expect. there's not many people with pools around here, actually, i don't think anyone in this city has a pool, aside from the hotels. so if this thing never takes off and people don't want to hire me, i'll just go down to the beach in my tail and interact with people for free. maybe volunteer for city cleanup events or environmental awareness events.

[Ayla of Duluth]

oh, wait, you said WHERE. wow, i'm tired.

I hope to perform mainly at my local aquarium, i figure i could become some sort of attraction there to help draw more people in. they're really needing the money. water bills aren't cheap.
other than that, i'll be performing wherever the people who hire me want. I'm not sure if i'm going to travel much, I can go to minneapolis, but that's about it. i don't have a car and i don't think you can rent a hotel room until you're 21. so i'd have to go there and back in the same day. so i hope to stay here around the city mainly.

I'll do performances down by the waterfront wherever people need me, i can go anywhere in the city that i get called to. but yeah, as for travel, i hope to steer clear of that. I have to figure out how i'm going to work on that, especially with a website going up. people in florida are going to want to hire me and i definately can't get to them.

[Ayla of Duluth]

What activities do you do to encourage the childeren to learn about the ____ (ocean, sea, lake, etc)?
I'm not a good teacher, i don't know if i can be a very educational mermaid. i'm not good at talking to kids, because i'm used to the more sophisticated adult speak. so when i try to talk in terms that kids will understand, i just sound downright stupid and they lose interest in me anyways.

which is actually another good reason to work at the aquarium. that is basically a huge educational facility. We sit right on the edge of the largest freshwater lake in the world, and we let people know about it. instead of our aquarium being about fish and dolphin shows, [we have no captive whales or dolphins or things like that, no fun shows with performing animals] it bases itself around teaching people about the lake. facts about the water, fish that live in it, the locks system, the ships that go through, water pressure, lake effect weather, how waves work, etc. i really don't know how much there is there about fish, but i know its a great place for kids to learn. so i hope that that will be my way of teaching kids about water. other than that, i was just planning on being a mermaid for entertainment purposes.