Unless the man's question was prompted by disbelief that you had experienced the events described in the book he thought you had written, of course. Perhaps he simply wanted to know how a person who had obviously never been tuna fishing was able to write a book involving the activity. Or did the man give you the impression that he expected an affirmative answer to his question?

What if you told him that you actually went for tuna fishing? Just make the world believe in you as a tuna fisher. It can be the start of a new career. I did the same with my job.

Tuna-fishing. That's just marvelous. You don't come across as a fisherman, I think.
I think he was making small-talk.

Last night I had a weird encounter. As I waved my mother and her friend goodbye (they're on a trip to Mexico) I felt weird and apparently fell to the ground.
I woke up with my mother hunched over me in panic, slamming on my chest and shouting my name. I couldn't help but start laughing. My head hurt and I tried to recollect what had happened. Now, I may be an epileptic.

Arnon Grunberg, the new Hemingway.

Next time, tell him that you wrote about your experiences as a gigolo.

Most guest should be most guests I guess.
There's nothing wrong with coming across as a bookish man. I like bookish men although I have never met a tuna fisher.

mieke

do you know arnon personally?

Soiree

On a soiree, my brother, his girlfriend and me were talking. I noticed a nice bearded chap staring at me. After a while, the man carefully approached me and asked: “Are you not the advisor of the ministry of social affairs ?” Before I could deny it, my brothers girlfriend jumped in front of me, fire was in her eyes. Then she addressed herself to that man, who later on turned out to be a professor, and yelled at him: “No, no, no! This is him, the advisor!” Quickly she grasped my brother by the arm and pushed him in front of the amazed little chap.
My brother immediately started a impressive speech and the professor listened to him with a big smile on his face. Yet for a short moment he looked at me and winked. Then he continued listening dutiful to an impressive speech.

Trixi

I have met him personally. Quite a difference if you ask me.

mieke

what difference do you mean?

Trixi

It's not because you have met someone in the flesh - we even mudwrestled- that you actually know him well.
But why do you ask? Is there something in my comments that makes you think I know Arnon very well? Most of my information comes from what he wrote: his novels, columns, this blog,... .

All you people seem to have so interesting, joyfull lifes, mudwrestling with a famous writer, being took for a tuna fisher, going to soirees and have smooth talks with professors, even falling to the ground sounds like more fun comparing to what I experience every day, what should I do?

Veerle

I thought you had a terrific sex life.

I think I only told that I experienced to be good in bed.

Veerle

Are you looking for a companion? Or you just want to vent some anger?

Veerle

Alfred Hitchcock said "what is drama, after all, but life with the dull bits cut out?". Some of us just have to cut out a bit more, because no one invites us for soirees, and no one mistakes us for tuna fishers. I was mistaken for Nancy Ajram, the other day, but it's not quite the same...

@Veerle
Go to any local pub. You will hear far more grandiose stories.

Thanks Batta, and Arnon, it's more sadness than anger I think, for instance since I can't have a companion de route, mainly because I don't know my route....
It's my intention to finally change all that after this summer, I hope I will be able at that time to feel some more alive.

but defenitely the solution can't be a companion.
and no Arnon, no anger,

the last two sentences had to be deleted

Veerle

I think you are right, you have to know what exactly you want from life before you can actually mean something to someone else. I felt lost untill I started following my passions -sculpting, painting,...- , this is my guiding principle and the need for a companion has vanished somehow.

Veerle

To feel more alive, you may simply have a short love affair. There is no need for a long term commitment. Alhought there is , of course, the well-known risk of feeling like a prostitute, but let us not repeat that discussion.

I would love to have a passion but... and Batta, I only had short and passionate love affairs, I think I need the opposite now but I get so bored after a (to short) while. And don't come with the 'wait until you meet the love of your life'- story, I'm a pragmatist, every good looking guy can be him, I just have to find a way to stay in long enough.

Veerle, feeling bored is part of the deal. If you really are a pragmatist and your goal is to stay with the person in question, you will find a way to handle the situation. Tip: have a baby as soon as possible, you won't even have the time to feel bored for some years.

@Veerle
Nothing can really help us trough life, but Mieke’s advice can smoothen the burden, that is for sure.

Batta

Please stop comparing a short love affair with the work of a prostitute.

veerle

from my experience extreme sports helps. and hiccups and sneezing. that is what keeps me going. sneezing can bring a lot of joy.

To Arnon

Can't one buy the illusion of a short lived affair from a prostitute?

Veerle

Try to remember your earliest childhood. What fascinated you? What bewildered you? That are your passions. Live for them. You'll find it very fulfilling .

Thank you all, I will concider the advices (altough I don't like sport and certainly not babies) and next fall there will be a new me, I hope.

Pjötr

Only in the rarest of cases. Do you contemplate becoming a sex worker?

Veerle

Maybe you need to have a long an dull relationship, in order to re-appreciate short and passionate love affairs. I would really advise against looking for a long-term deal. Before you know it, you find yourself married. I hope to be able to protect you from that evil. It's peferable to feel like a prostitute.

Veerle

Keep us updated.

Not by any means. But I have considered on many occasions that I just might find happyness in a brothel.

But I end up being too much of a coward (I am not so sure whether this has the connotation that 'Feigling' has) to find out.

Pjotr

Where did you end up looking for hapiness?

To Batta

Lately my personal life has been quite stable. I am not sure whether this could be translated in terms of happiness.

Or did I misunderstand you?

(I apologise for my typo earlier: as sutbtly pointed out by Batta 'happiness' is the correct spelling)

Pjotr

Apologize... to who?

Anyway, if the answer to my question is that you are looking for happiness in stability, I am sorry to inform you that you are on the wrong track.

To Batta

How would you define happiness?

(I tried to articulate that I am far from sure what really constitutes that sentiment)

Batta

There are many routes to happiness.

That is called 'wisdom'.

Pjotr

The question was not was happiness is, but where you were looking for it. As a response, you said your personal life is stable. My conclusion was that you were looking for happiness (whatever it is) in stability. Is that conclusion correct?

Are you married?

On happiness, to Batta

I am rather confused on what happiness means precisely. I treasure, to some extent, my experience of relative stability the past few months. But I doubt that that is what is generally understood under happiness.

For the time being and presumably to come, I am unwed.
Does this surprise you?

Pjotr

I would advize you to stop trying to define happiness, and start looking for it, blindly.

In this respect, I would also advize you to remain unmarried.

Where do you live?

To Batta

I take your advice more than seriously. Where should I start?

Might I ask you to introduce any random personal information on your behalf in this public conversation, before I let you know my whereabouts?