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Think you have the academic know-how to answer 50 questions on Answers.com and win money for school next year?

People from all over the world take time out of their days to participate on Answers.com. And one of our largest participating regions happens to be the land down under – Australia! Australia has given us our wonderful Senior Supervisor, Grevillea; our seasoned answer machine, Dick Harfield; our lovely leading lady On the Wallaby; our teen queen LauraFrog; and countless other Wiki Idols! This week’s featured contributor is yet another gem from Oz, HorseLoverJazzie. Read on peeps!

What is your WikiAnswers user name and the history behind it?

My WA user name is HorseLoverJazzie. The history behind is pretty simple: I play on a wonderful game called HorseIsle which I love, (hence thesupervising of it!). My user,name for that is HorseCrazyJaz. I wanted to use that name for here, but decided to change it a little to make it slightly different. So I thought about it, and came up with HorseLoverJazzie. Also, I love Horses and my nickname is Jazzie, so -HorseLover + Jazzie = HorseLoverJazzie; Simple!

Are you a Floating or Category Supervisor?

I am a Category Supervisor. I am currently Supervising the categories: HorseIsle, Twilight Book Series, The Sims and The Sims 2.

What other badges do you have or programs do you participate in on WikiAnswers?

I am also a member of Community Outreach, a Wiki Guide and a WIT Trailblazer.

Do you have any pets?

Yes, I do. I have the most beautiful Cocker Spaniel. Her name is Button. She is 5 and a half, and we bought her when she was 6 months; so we’ve had her for most of her life.

Where do you live, how long have you lived there and why do you like the area?

I live in the Hills in South Australia. We have a four-acre property and, I don’t think I could live anywhere else.

Where did you grow up and would you like to share any special memories of your childhood?

We actually moved to England when I was 6 months old, and I lived there ’til I was 6. I do remember going to Greece, Germany and America as a young child, probably from ages 3 to 5. So, I have travelled a fair bit.

What is your key area(s) of knowledge, interests or expertise?

Mainly HorseIsle, some video games. For a girl I get on pretty well with all the video game stuff! The Sims is also another game I enjoy. Also, as I read a lot, I come across some pretty good books, too.

Do you have any collections or hobbies?

I don’t know if people have heard of them, but I like collecting those little Schliech Animals.

What do you like to do for recreation?

Singing, horse riding, reading, WikiAnswers or playing video games.

What are a few random facts about yourself?

- I once read New Moon in 5 and a half hours.
- I think I can sing very well, even if I do say so myself.
- I can play the piano.
- My favourite singer is Avril Lavigne, and my favourite band is Evanescence.

Do you have any special talents you’d like to share?

Mainly just singing.

What accomplishments are you proud of?

Getting the best Lan Test Result in the school in year 7. (Year 7 was the last year of that school though)

What are your special goals or dreams?

To either become a Professional Singer or Actress, or become a vet.

How would you describe yourself or personality?

Funny, Kind, Smart…I guess you’ll have to ask my friends!

What brought you to WikiAnswers?

I asked a question for HorseIsle, and saw how great it was. I got to school, so I decided to look some more at the site. However, the school firewall prevented me from asking and answering, so I joined up and then I could.

What keeps you coming back to WikiAnswers?

An invisible rope tied to me and the computer…Ha Ha. No, I guess it is just the fact that I can share what I know with the world I guess. Also, all the extra things like Supervisors and WIT, make it 10 times more interesting.

What is your favorite WikiAnswers activity?

Answering Questions and updating my Bio Page!

What loves anime, is as busy as a beaver and can simultaneously sing a song in Makassarnese while recategorizing hundreds of misplaced Loch Ness Monster questions? It’s not a what! It’s a WHO! (And not the kind you’ll find on the pages of a Dr. Seuss classic.) This who happens to be one of WikiAnswers’ amazing teen Supervisors and dedicated WIT Team Leader, Vandal Patrol Generalist, WikiGuide, WikiReviewer and sleek Silver Contributor. To whom do we refer? The one and only wondrous phenomenon known as RosaMistica!

Dive in to find out more about this Indonesian powerhouse:

Where do you live?

I live in Indonesia in a town called Sungguminasa, which is in the Province of South Sulawesi. It’s a pretty quiet place to live. I have lived here for 11 years of my life. When I was at Elementary School, I moved to Australia to accompany my dad who got a scholarship to take his master’s there. I lived in Adelaide for three years and moved back to Indonesia in 2001. For high school I attended a boarding school, so I spent the last three years of my life there, occasionally coming back home. Now that I’ve graduated and going to college in August, I live back at my house in the small town of Sungguminasa.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up here in Indonesia, but like I explained, I spent three years of my life in Adelaide. I realized that living in Australia turned me from a shy girl to a talkative girl. I like that change. Special memories, well, attending a boarding school was a very special memory. My friends there were more like family. I remember my last night sleeping at the dorm. We couldn’t sleep because we were too busy crying and hugging each other! Even the boys cried, which is a rare sight. I would never forget my three years at high school.

What is your current occupation?

I currently tutor English and also ‘teach’ the Indonesian language on this blog I made: http://learnindo.tumblr.com/ Come by and visit sometime!

What is your key area of knowledge or expertise?

It’s not only me, but others do think I’m great at teaching. And I think this is a great advantage for me since I want to be a lecturer like my dad. Other than that, I’m a pretty good writer. I have finished my first novel (the title is Hutan Kegelapan – Dark Forest). When I have let friends and family read it, they always say it is worth being published! I have enjoyed writing since I was eight years old. In fact, you won’t find me without a pen and paper nearby!

Do you have any special interests or hobbies?

My hobby is photography and interests (which people find kind of weird for a teenager) are ufology, cryptozoology and Egyptology (my favorite ologies). I know it’s weird, but there you go. That’s me!

What do you like to do for recreation?

Watching anime! I’m a very big anime fan. Some of my favorites are Kyo Kara Maoh, Hunter X Hunter and Fullmetal Alchemist. I also write loads for recreation, read fantasy books and manga. Oh, I nearly forgot! Contributing at WikiAnswers is something I do for recreation too!

What has your schooling been like?

The education in Indonesia is very different I guess. I spent two years at kindergarten, six years at Sekolah Dasar (Elementary School), three years at Sekolah Menengah Pertama (Junior Primary) and three years at Sekolah Menengah Atas (High School). I’ve graduated, and now waiting for the first term at college to start. The major I’m taking is English at Universitas Hasanuddin.

Please share some random facts about yourself, special thoughts, etc.

I can speak a native language from my area, Makassarnese. For example, “Kungai sikali WikiAnswers ka baji-bajiki taunna, nampa tampa’ paling baji tongi akbage-bage pangissengang!” means “I really like WikiAnswers because the people are nice and it’s also a great place to share your knowledge!”

Do you own any collections?

I collect fossils and rocks. I have been collecting since I found my very first fossil (the jaw of a bat) in a cave at Maros. My rock collection started when my uncle gave me some after he saw my fossil collection. I also have a very big collection of books which includes fantasy, horror, romance, science and history.

Do you have any special talents?

I guess writing is my special talent.

What are some accomplishments you are proud of?

Graduating from high school with very good marks! I was so afraid I would fail my national exams, but I passed!

Do you have any special goals or dreams?

I have a few. I would like to work in the United Nations. It is a very big dream, but I’m going to try to reach it. My second biggest dream is to have a WikiAnswers site in Indonesian language! Just like the Tagalog site.

What brought you to WikiAnswers.com?

WikiAnswers popped up on Google’s search engine when I was looking for information on my favorite anime, Kyo Kara Maoh! I opened it and found that the question hadn’t been answered yet. I knew the answer so I took about one minute… and a few minutes more to open other questions… I got hooked in less than an hour! The next day I sent Brave3 an email to apply to be a Supervisor.

What keeps you coming back to WikiAnswers.com?

My categories, the Supers, my WIT team members and also a saying that I read from a book. It said, “Knowledge is nothing without sharing it with others.” I agree with that. WikiAnswers is a major part of my life now.

What is your favorite WikiAnswers.com activity?

Recategorizing, answering (especially the English to Indonesian questions) and deleting nonsense answers.

How would you describe yourself or personality?

I’m a very cheerful, outgoing person. I love to make friends! I can’t stand to be “not busy” and to be “too quiet.” My friends call me “Ms. Overly-energetic.” Yep, that’s me!

Over at WikiAnswers.com, we are extremely proud of our large and growing community of folks who hail from Down Under. For all you young ‘uns out there, Down Under is a colloquialism affectionately used to refer to Australia. One of the brightest shining stars from this land of magic and beauty is our very own On the Wallaby, who watches over a gazillion unique categories including Platypuses and Echidnas; Possums; Ludwig van Beethoven; and Bass and Flinders. She also happens to be the Category Supervisor of all things Australia and New Zealand.

If you’re curious how this amazing lady thunk up the name On the Wallaby, wonder no more. Direct from her bio: “In 1891, Australian poet Henry Lawson penned a now-famous poem entitled ‘Freedom on the Wallaby.’ ‘On the wallaby track’ is an Australian term meaning someone is out wandering and exploring the country. One of my favourite pastimes is driving and exploring with my husband (and my dog).” Dying to know more? Read on!

Where do you hail from?

I live in Australia and have always lived there. I grew up in Queensland, but was born in South Australia, living in small country towns until I was five. I now live in the southeastern region of Queensland near beautiful Moreton Bay, where there are hundreds of islands.

What is your current occupation and what have you done in the past?

I am a teacher and have been for over twenty years. My favorite past job was spending time on my uncle’s native fauna park on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, cleaning out the pens of the native animals. (The Tasmanian devils were a bit scary when it came to feeding time.) I learnt a lot about Australian native animals during that time, but I have learnt a lot more since, and am constantly amazed by how much more there is to learn. My uncle used to regularly come to Queensland to trade Australian native fauna with other fauna sanctuaries. I distinctly remember how careful he had to be the day he released a wedgetail eagle.

Another favourite job was being a cleaner at a motel at the base of Ayers Rock-Uluru. The motels are no longer there, having all been replaced by the Yulara resort, but in my spare time I was free to climb the Rock whenever I wanted, and I explored right around the circumference of Uluru. I was there in summer, though – very hot for cleaning and because the motel operated on generators, we weren’t allowed to put on the air conditioners while we cleaned.

I have also picked oranges in Mildura – also in summer and forty-degree heat! (That’s Celsius.)

What is your key area of knowledge or expertise?

I just love anything to do with Australiana. I grew up with my father’s passion for Australian history and geography, and many childhood trips through Australia’s outback gave ample opportunity to learn more.

Do you have any special interests or hobbies?

Walking and exploring. I love to explore, whether on foot or in the car. Even my dog has become an explorer. When we’re out walking, if she sees an area of bushland or a pathway diverting off the main footpath, she heads straight for it. When I’m driving with my husband, we rarely go straight from “A” to “B”, but divert to “X,Y and Z” along the way. A simple excursion to the other side of town invariably ends up taking all day.

What do you like to do for recreation?

Walk. Drive. Read. Play a variety of musical instruments. Answer questions on WikiAnswers!

Please share a few random facts about yourself, special thoughts, etc.

Nothing exceptional. I am annoyingly pedantic when it comes to spelling, grammar and punctuation, so I get especially annoyed when I make “typos” myself!

What are some accomplishments that you are proud of?

Although Americans are probably not familiar with the Australian author Colin Thiele – “Storm Boy”, “Blue Fin”, etc, – he was my second cousin. I’m proud of that. Some years ago I contacted an American author – Bonnie Leon – regarding a book she had written, set in Australia. One thing led to another, and she asked for my assistance in researching for her new “Sydney Cove” series, a project I enjoyed immensely. I am especially proud of the personal mention and acknowledgment she gave me in the published copy of her first book in the series.

Do you have any special goals or dreams?

I would love to have time to spend traveling wherever I wanted to in Australia, in a motorhome; to explore places I haven’t yet seen. Then I’d like to do the same thing over in New Zealand! And after that, I’d like to explore the United Kingdom, and see some real history, because my husband’s roots go back to England.

What brought you to WikiAnswers.com?

I was looking for an answer for the students I teach, and when I asked a question in WA, I came across an unpleasant answer submitted by a vandal which I did not want my students to experience. I signed in to fix it, and that was it – I was hooked! I found numerous Australian questions which needed fixing and editing, so my interest just developed from there. Now, I keep getting caught up with all the new categories that appear. There’s usually something there that piques my interest and spurs me to learn!

What keeps you coming back to WikiAnswers.com?

WikiAnswers was a platform from which I could indulge my passion for all things Australian, and it was good to know my work was appreciated by others.

What is your favorite WikiAnswers.com activity?

Probably just answering questions. I like recategorizing; I like fixing alternates; I need to fix people’s spelling and punctuation (!) but I especially like answering questions.

How would you describe yourself or your personality?

A positive thinker! I can find the good in any situation, no matter how inconvenient the circumstances may seem at the time. I love knowledge and learning, and I love to convey that knowledge to the students I teach. I love to encourage creative thinking in my students. And I loathe hearing anyone describe something as “boring,” because I figure that there is always something of interest to be found – you just have to be prepared to look for it.

Today is Anzac Day, a national holiday in Australia and New Zealand, honouring members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at Gallipoli, Turkey, during World War I. Both countries commemorate it on April 25th every year. It is also observed in the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tonga, with a dawn service held in Gallipoli in Turkey.

Here are some more facts and Q&As about Anzac Day:

• ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.
• How is Anzac Day commemorated?
• The date is April 25th, the day in 1915 when ANZAC soldiers landed at Gallipoli, where over 10,000 Anzacs were killed.
• Why are poppies associated with Anzac Day?
• Anzac Day is also an unusual case of two sovereign countries sharing the same national day and making reference to both countries in the day’s name.
• Why do you make Anzac biscuits on Anzac Day?

Lest we forget…

Today we’d like to wish everyone a very festive Chinese New Year and a very happy Australia Day! Oh sure, even if you aren’t Chinese or Australian, you can still have fun learning about these two holidays and even attempting to answer a question or two once you’ve read up about them.

Below are some trivia facts and popular Q&As about each of today’s Eastern hemisphere celebrations.

In China…

• The Chinese New Year is traditionally celebrated with dragon dances, fireworks, family gatherings with festive meals, and giving out red envelopes.
• Chinese New Year is actually celebrated all over the world, wherever there are large groups of ethnic Chinese folks living together. It’s become a tradition for other Asian countries with large Chinese populations as well, including Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand.
• Find out which foods are served during the Chinese New Year holiday.
• Learn how to say ‘happy holidays’ in Chinese!
• Check out more Chinese New Year Q&A.

Meanwhile, over in Australia…

• Today is the national day chosen to commemorate the establishment of the first British settlement on the continent of Australia. January 26th is actually the date when the first penal colony was founded in New South Wales in 1788. So that’s where all those Australian ex-con jokes come from…
• Bake your own Lamingtons! The spongy, buttery cake is an Australian treat traditionally handed out on Australia Day. Here’s a recipe.
• Barbecues, citizenship ceremonies and the beach: This is how Australians celebrate the day.

Everyone, attention please! Let’s all give a warm welcome to Cobber43, who not only joined WikiAnswers recently and became a Bronze Contributor, but then proceeded to win in the latest AnswerThon and become a Supervisor! More specifically, he’s a Category Supervisor for Environmental Issues.

Living in Australia, Cobber43 finds WikiAnswers a great way to relax, especially after he’s recently retired from working in a governmental department in Sydney.

How did you originally hear about WikiAnswers?

I was searching for something on Google, and it threw up the link to WikiAnswers… can’t remember what… that fateful day!

Explain your username.

Cobber is an affectionate greeting in Australia. It’s a bit old fashioned now and fallen out of use, probably replaced by the word ‘mate’, as in “G’day, mate”. Maybe 50 years ago they would have said “G’day, Cobber”.

43, well, hmm… that was a good year, wasn’t it?

What motivates you to volunteer your time to the WikiAnswers community?

I’m hoping to keep my brain active. My mother is almost 91 and has a touch of Alzheimer’s, but she did crosswords and jigsaw puzzles right up to a couple of years ago.

So, is WikiAnswers the answer… Now, what was the question again??

What are your areas of expertise?

Jack of all trades, that’s me… and master of none. Replace a VW Kombi fanbelt with pantyhose… no problem. Find the right belt and fit it. That’s a bit harder. I’m interested in the future, so I’ve a rainwater tank, and solar hot water and a recently acquired worm farm with 2000 worms… But no, no expertise…

What is your favorite WikiAnswers feature?

I like splitting questions! Batch split is nice too, but needs much more concentration! I’m waiting for the Ctrl-Z to work, for an instant revert after I just split a great bunch and realise they are ALL in the wrong category (I did it this morning with “How will God deal with global warming?”)

What has been the funniest question you’ve seen or your funniest experience on WikiAnswers?

Nothing much yet, I’ve only been here a few weeks. I may do something stupid soon…

Share a random fact (or two) about yourself.

I once rescued a swarm of bees that had moved into a ventilation grill in my wall. Well, I got a beekeeper to put a funnel over the entrance and a new hive and queen outside, so all the bees had to go into the new hive. And only the old queen died. Sweet! So I was a beekeeper for a couple of years. All my friends got honey for Christmas! Considering how little I knew I was surprised to be called out to move a swarm from a bush outside a factory. Basically you get a big cardboard box under the swarm. Give the branch a sharp downward blow, and all the bees fall into the box and you close the lid. Before the bees swarm they all stock up on honey, so they are all fat and contented, which is why they don’t get too excited. It went very well!

Do you want to be interviewed for the Contributor corner? Just leave a comment below and we’ll get to work.