Interview with Solena Chaniago

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Solena Chaniago, an Indonesian celebrity, actress, model, and hairstylist based in New York, USA. Hello Solena! How are you doing?

Solena: Hi Monika, I've been very busy nowadays, going back and forth every 3 weeks between New York City and Jakarta. I still have my job in the US as a Master Barber for Paul Labrecque Salon, on the Upper East Side of NYC. Currently, I'm working on a movie that is being filmed in Jakarta.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Solena: I'm a dreamer! I always try to think positively. I am very fortunate to have been surrounded by such great family and friends throughout my life.

Interview with Jennifer Maidman

Monika: Today it is my pleasure to interview Jennifer Maidman, a talented British musician, songwriter, actress, music producer, humanistic counselor, and writer. Hello Jennifer!

Jennifer: Hi Monika. Thanks for getting in touch.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Jennifer: Well you've covered quite a few things with your introduction. I suppose it seems like I’m someone who wears ‘different hats’, but I think of everything as belonging under one creative umbrella. Being human is about creativity, and I think any activity can be approached with an artistic perspective. I’m also fond of a term that is used in the world of counseling, the idea of the ‘reflective practitioner’. It’s an approach that can be applied to almost any field. That seems like a good place to start a conversation!

Interview with Samantha Collins

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Samantha Collins, a British criminal lawyer, happy wife, and mother. Hello Samantha!

Samantha: Hello, thank you for wanting to speak with me.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Samantha: Well, what is there to say. I'm in my mid-forties, I've six children from two marriages. I'm with a lovely caring woman who I have been 2ith mow for fifteen years, I'm a lawyer and a lecturer in law, and oh I'm transsexual. Sorry, I don't really let that define me.

I'm a person, a parent and a partner first being trans to me is no real difference to being blond or having blue eyes. It's a part of me but it's not ME. That said I transitioned a year ago, everything went fantastically, home life was superb work, was really supportive, and my friends and family were absolute rocks.

Interview with Simone Whitlow

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Simone Whitlow, a singer, guitar player, transgender activist, former member of the Ishtar hard rock group from New Zealand. Hello Simone!

Simone: Heya Monika lovely to meet you.

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?

Simone: Hmm let’s see, I work a day job I don’t like to define myself. Music runs through my veins though I don’t have the time at present to do much with it. I am passionate, creative, and intellectual and in fledgling steps towards entrepreneurship at the moment. I’m very happily post-transition and in the process of achieving my ideal life unencumbered, however, I have more pieces to the jigsaw than space to lay it down right now.

Interview with Joann Prinzivalli

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Joann Prinzivalli, a transgender activist, title insurance lawyer, blogger. Hello Joann!

Joann: Cześć Monika!

Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Joann: Certainly! The problem with me saying a few words is not always knowing when to stop. But I’ll try. I’m a lifelong resident of the New York metropolitan area. I was the child of working-class parents of Italian-American extraction (half Sicilian, a quarter Napolitana, and a quarter Abruzzeze).
When I was four years old, I knew I did not fit in with the boys, but by the time I was six, I realized that if I wanted to live, I had to hide the real me from everyone. As a teen, I read Christine Jorgensen’s autobiography and realized that I was not the only person in the world like me.

Interview with Imanni da Silva

Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Imanni da Silva, an Angolan model, painter, and beauty pageant queen. Hello Imanni!

Imanni: Hi Monika. Thank you for the opportunity and is a pleasure to take part in this interview.

Monika: Imanni, you look absolutely stunning! What is the secret of your everlasting beauty?

Imanni: Thank you for the compliment. I always find it important to have a healthy lifestyle. I take care with what I eat, I drink a lot of water and homemade fruit juices I also take good care of my skin, and from time to time I do pay a visit to a beauty clinic. But the most important thing also is to have a good mind and positive attitude towards everything around you as it truly helps you glow.