Brush(wood) with greatness

It's rare for me to walk away from an interview more energized than I was when it started. That's not to suggest that the people I talk to are boring -- rather, it's just that after so many years and so many interviews, it takes someone (or something) truly engaging to pique my interest.

I am fortunate to have done a few such interviews during my time in Jakarta. I had an extended phone conversation with Therese Shechter on the subject of virginity and its place in society, and I've had several chances to talk with grassroots football expert Tom Byer before, during and after his attempt to bring his technique training program to Indonesia (while that fell through, an even bigger project to secure hosting rights for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup might just succeed in spite of the ongoing infighting).

Today, I had the chance to speak with someone I already knew fairly well (albeit in a one-sided way) but had yet to meet in person: Brian Brushwood, who was in town for Mahakarya Magician 2012, a huge magic show. He was every bit as fun and engaging as I'd hoped, and I'm glad I made the effort meet him before he left Jakarta and flew back to the States. Having the chance to meet people like Brian is one of my favorite aspects of journalism and one of the things I'll miss most when I'm out of the business.

It was so much fun, I even set aside one of my main rules and got a picture with him (it helps that he and my dad are well-acquainted). Tom Osborne? Nope. David Seaman? Sorry. Brian Brushwood? Damn skippy.

In case you're wondering, I'm the fat one.