Meet the character - An interview with Cleo - PART 1

Yesterday I found a great post on Crystal J. Stranaghan's blog with a interview sheet for characters. I loved it. I thought the idea was very interesting and this interview could be very useful.
Have you ever interviewed your character? Do you really know who she or he is? If you’re going to be meddling into their lives and spreading every bit of them in a page for the world to read, you should at least have the decency of knowing them well.
So I decided to call up my character, Cleo, and have a chat with her. I chose to call the Cleo you’ll meet at the beginning of the novel, before she goes through all the crazy stuff I have planned for her. So I actually had to go back in time a little to interview Cleo in January 2009, right before I start telling her story.
There were lots of great questions on Crystal Stranaghan's interview sheet, so I'm posting it in two parts. Here is the first half of my talk with Cleo. Tomorrow I'll post the rest.
Hope you love her!

Interview with Cleo – January 1st, 2009

Gabriela: Hi Cleo! Thanks for agreeing to do this. It’s great talking to you.
Cleo: Oh, no problem. I’m a journalist, so I know what it’s like to desperately need an interview.
G: Okay, let’s start with the basics. What is your full name?
C: Oh, here we go. My name is Cleonice Souza Bianchi Oliveira. You see, in Brazil we usually have two or three last names, no middle names. So Souza, Bianchi and Oliveira are all last names. As for the first name, no, it’s not a common Brazilian name. It’s an old lady’s name. My mom is insane and… Oh, sorry, I should stick to the question. Just call me Cleo, that’s how everyone calls me.
G: Okay… Sex?
C: Well, I’ve been going through a little bit of a dry-spell but… Oh, you meant gender? Right. Well, female, obviously.
G: And how old are you?
C: I’ll be 23 on February 28th (2009). You’re living in 2010 now, right? So, what happens in the future? I mean, I really want to know if…
G: I can’t tell you anything! And don’t go saying everything that has been bothering you, you’ll give away the story.
C: Sorry. I’ll try to keep quiet.
G: So, let’s go into the physical description. Eyes?
C: Hazel
G: Hair?
C: Oh, well, that’s a bit complicated. It’s kind of honey-colored. So in Brazil I’m considered a blond. But I remember that in Canada people used to consider me a brunette, I think it’s the same in the US.
G: Body type?
C: Hourglass-shaped. That’s a good thing in Brazil. They call it violão, a guitar-shaped body. It’s a great compliment. Although I will admit I’ve been a bit closer to a cello than a guitar these days…
G: Facial features?
Let me see… Thin face, full lips… My eyes are quite beautiful, even though they’re always framed by dark circles…
G: Skin type/tone?
C: White. Way too white for a Brazilian. People make fun of me because of that. I wish I could get just a little tan…
G: Ears?
C: Ears? That’s an odd question. They’re just normal looking, I guess. Although not too great on the hearing part. It’s a genetic impairment, I tend to inherit all of those little genetic problems…
G: Interesting physical characteristics?
C: Interesting? How interesting? Interesting as in “a scientist would love to see this freak”? Because I can list my health issues if you can find me a real version of Dr. House!
G: Hum… That is interesting. But what about physical traits that people can actually see when they look at you?
C: You want more visible physical characteristics? Oh, great. You’re going to tell everyone that I’m fat. I’m really not that fat, you know. I’m a size 10. That’s normal.
G: Well, maybe we should just move on from the physical descriptions. Let’s talk about your background. Where and when were you born?
C: I was born in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on February 28th, 1986. My mom says I’m lucky that wasn’t a leap year, or I would’ve been born on February 29th.
G: Where have you lived?
C: I have lived my whole life in Belo Horizonte, one of the biggest cities in Brazil (and the one with highest rate of women per man). When I was 16, I spent six months in Canada as an exchange student and loved it. I still want ot live abroad again sometime. If I don’t get a job soon, moving away somewhere is definitely a good idea.
G: And who are your family members?
C: You mean everyone? (loud laughs) How much time do you have? This is Brazil, darling. And I come from an Italian background. I have 31 first cousins, 13 uncles and aunts plus their husbands and wives, and one grandmother. Talking about my family will take ages.
G: Immediate family then.
C: Mom, dad, older brother. Still live at my parents’ house, which is very common in Brazil. Most people my age do.
G: What about schooling?
C: I went to a private catholic school. That’s very common in Brazil. Catholic schools here aren’t as strict as in the US. They just tend to be the best ones, so most middle class and upper class parents send their kids to those schools. Then I went to journalism school. I went to college in my hometown, stayed at home and graduated last month (December 2008). I'm now oficially an unemployed journalist.

Well, after this the interview really got more personal, so I'll save it for tomorrow. Cleo is against putting out on the first date.