Member Spotlight: Taika Vinh

Author: Marivea al'Corriyi, February 2014

This month, a quieter, but interesting personage has graciously consented to being interviewed for the edification of the general population of TarValon.Net.

A big round of applause (but not too loud if you’re in a library, of course) for Taika Vinh, Brown Aes Sedai!

Taika first read a Wheel of Time book in 2001, although at the time she did not enjoy it whatsoever. “I found the Finnish translations of the first WoT books in the Gothenburg public library. I read half of the first and quit because it was so bad.” she told me. “Honestly. I thought Robert Jordan was a bad writer. Of course it turned out just the translations were crap. I found the first WoT book a couple of years later in English, and devoured the rest of the series (I don't remember which was the latest published book back then, maybe Crossroads of Twilight) during 2 months.”

She discovered TarValon.Net while looking online for information on Knife of Dream’s release date, but did not join the site at that point. Later, after the book was released, she returned and lurked briefly before deciding to join – an action that wasn't typical for her. “I have never been a member in other online fan communities, so this place is very special,” she said, adding that – as a fan of organization and structured things – the rules and structure are initially what drew her, while later it was the friends she made, and then her Sisters, that have influenced her decision to stay.

And speaking of her Sisters, Taika was one of the first people to go through the Guesting system to find her home. “I was very happy about it because I couldn't really sense the feel of the Ajahs from their Hallways, Tavern and Courtyard threads. I really enjoyed the experience but there were Ajahs that I knew right away weren't my place. It wasn't a crystal-clear thing either, though. I thought a lot about White vs. Brown, decided on Brown in the end, and have never regretted it. Now I couldn't imagine any other Ajah being my home.”

Her future Sisters knew before Taika that Brown was her home: "When I decided to Aspire Brown," she told me, "the Sisters all went well glad you realized it too. "

And what a home she has personally contributed to it becoming! In her tenure as a Senior Member, Taika has served her Ajah in nearly every conceivable position: Pulse, Sitter, Heart, Head, and Editor of the Brown Bulletin, Taika has done it all. In fact, her current position as a moderator of the Olde Warder and Hen forum is one of the first positions she’s held outside her Ajah. And she still makes time to travel!

Taika is quite a fan of Real Life events – to which her Globetrotter Merit testifies. She’s attended three Europarties in The Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium, as well as the 2009 Anni in Washington state, USA. “Next time I get to a US party I'll definitely plan two days before the party to get rid of the jet lag,” I was told, but despite that, she still enjoyed herself in America. “I really liked all the parties, but maybe the Anni one is favorite (jet lag and all) because it was very exotic and there were so many people there!” she said.

Nowadays, Taika lives in Germany, although only until next summer when she and her family – consisting of her husband, 6 year old “special needs” son, and 2 year old daughter – return to Finland. Currently she is working on her doctoral dissertation on musicology, and someone give this woman an award, because she’s doing it for the sake of having a mental diversion while living abroad.

In addition to pursuing higher education for the fun of it, Taika is also multi-lingual, and studies languages regularly. “So I can honestly say I speak 4 languages well enough (Finnish, English, German, Swedish), a little bit of Spanish and have the basics of French and Russian,” she told me, as well as adding that she’s still planning on picking up Italian one day.

Honestly, I think that she just likes to keep busy, since she has also played flute since she was ten years old, and as an adult played for various orchestras, in addition to teaching flute lessons. She also enjoys running, and used to dance “a lot”; specifically classical ballet as well as Irish folk dancing. And - like most of us - Taika enjoys reading.

Of course, I had to ask about her thoughts on the books: When asked about her favorite character, she responded with one of my long-admired WoT heroes: “Favorite character is Verin, for many reasons. The breathtaking revelation aside, she was also one of the most intriguing and multilayered characters from the start.” Revealing her own nature, Taika elaborated on other elements of the series which she enjoys – the cultures. “I think it was most interesting to read about the Seanchan, because they had some really alien concepts.” she said, although added that she personally identified most with the Shienarans.

“It was also great,” she added, “to discover the other free channeling cultures (Aiel Wise Ones, the Kin, Seafolk Windfinders), and how the Aes Sedai, who so far had thought themselves so superior to everybody else, had to accept them - and that they were better in some things!” I had to agree with her concise statement.

Taika is happy that the series is finally complete, referring to it as the “End of an era”. While she says her tastes in books has moved on from fantasy, the Wheel of Time series will forever hold a special place in heart, “even though I probably won't re-read it anymore, or at least not anytime soon,” she added.

I asked her what her favorite thing about TarValon.Net was and she responded with “Friends. Sisters. Chance to meet people from different cultures and backgrounds. Interesting discussions.”

Ladies and Gentlemen: Taika Vinh.