View source for Meirah Zaïde

{{RedHeader1}} Meirah {{RedAS}}.
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|TowerName=Meirah Zaïde
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|Affiliation={{Red2}}
|TowerRank={{as}}
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=={{RedHeader2}}Tower History==
*Joined {{TV}}: July 19, 2006
*Joined {{Tower}}: February 25, 2009
*Raised {{Accepted}}: August 2, 2009<!--
Aspired date?-->
*Raised {{As}}: March 4, 2011

=={{RedHeader2}}Tower Involvement ==
===Current===
===Previous===
*{{heart}} of the {{red2}}: July 1, 2013 - January 4, 2014
*{{TVTStaff}}: January 1, 2012 - June 30, 2012
**{{author|Meirah Zaïde}}
*{{sitter}} for the {{red2}}: {{fall11hall}}
*Community Development Liaison: December 2008 - December 2009{{Verify|what is this??}}
===Awards===
===Merits===
{{Checked|201610}}{{Attendance1}}{{Mentor1}}{{StaffWorking|12}}{{Ladder-Staff}}{{Group-Sitter-Heart}}
====Gold====
{{MembershipGold}}{{MembershipGold}}{{MembershipGold}}{{SM-Gold}}{{SM-Gold}}

====Silver====

===Avendesora===
{{lightgreen}}

=={{RedHeader2}}Tower Relationships==

===Mentoring===
;Mentor
*[[Ilissa al'Nari]], {{as}} of the {{blue2}}
;Mentees
*[[Lithiel Morn]], {{as}} of the {{yellow2}}

===Other Tower Relationships===

=={{RedHeader2}}Official Event Attendance==
{{anni2011}}

=={{RedHeader2}}Tower Sworn Interview==
''October 4, 2011''
*;Why did you choose Red? 
I just really felt at home with the women in the Ajah. They are funny, witty, intelligent, playful, willful, steadfast, and so much more - everything about them was attractive to me. Once I started guesting with them, I never left. Then, one day I met Leora and Elia at the Cheesecake Factory for lunch, and we had so much fun - I was so energized and uplifted by my interaction with them, and that was the afternoon I really started thinking of myself as Red. It was a very joyous discovery and experience, to recognize the kinship I have with the women of the Ajah.

*;Are you like the Red in the Books? 
I suppose I am, in some ways - but I think I'm like all the Ajahs in some ways. The book Reds get a bad rap because we see them first mostly through the eyes of Thom and Rand, to whom they are monstrous and dangerous. And then there's Elaida. It is only later in the series that we see a softer side of the Red Ajah. I see the Reds as sort of the guardians of the world against the Dark One's legacy - the taint on Saidin; where the Greens stand ready for the Last Battle, the Reds sort of make sure the world gets there intact, keeping the taint of Saidin in check by keeping male channelers in check. And now, with Saidin cleansed, my current working theory about the future of the Reds is that their purpose will shift to bonding men who can channel and learning to completely understand Saidin and the way men use it. I don't really see myself as a guardian, but I do see myself as following a purpose. The book Reds are pretty purposeful, but then so were all Aes Sedai? So, I don't know. Yes, and no.

*;Do you dislike men? 
This question makes me giggle. This is the trait from the books that somehow gets transferred onto the Tower Reds, but it's a mystery as to why... Many of us are married to men (myself included), and I can't see anything in our Tower interactions as a group or as individuals that would indicate that we hate men. It's possible that people (incorrectly) infer this about us because we do not have Warders in our halls? I don't know. But, short answer: no, I do not hate men. :P

*;Are you a driven woman with her own goals in life?
Most definitely.

*;Do you have a favorite Red Ajah character from the novels?
I really like Pevara. She was living this fairly quiet, uneventful existence until Seaine tapped her to search for the Black Ajah, and then she stepped up to the task and followed it through even when it was scary. I'm hoping she will have lots more screen time in the final novel.

*;How long have you been a fan of the Wheel of Time series?
About 12 years, I think.

*;How did you first get into the series?
Somewhere in the late 90s or early 00s (I can't remember when this happened), I joined a MUSH called Tales of Ta'veren. At that time, I had no knowledge of the Wheel of Time, and when I joined the MUSH, I thought it was just a fantasy-themed shared world - I didn't know it was based on a book series. I played for months before I realized it, just working my character off the extensive information database the MUSH maintained about the various areas opened for play. It wasn't until someone asked me something - it might have been, "Have you read the new book yet?" - and I stopped and said, "Wait, there are books?" And, although facepalming was years in the future, my fellow MUSHer facepalmed and told me to go to a library and not come back until I'd read the first book. So, I got the book, and the rest is history. 

*;Who is your favorite "hero"?
I love Egwene. Her journey from wide-eyed, arrogant girl to driven young woman to the Amyrlin Seat is such a powerful story. It's what we all dream of, isn't it? She got swept away by what she thought would be a magnificent adventure, a small part in a very large story, and then suddenly she had the power to change the story, put her hand on it and shape it according to her views. I don't think Egwene's choices have all been right or wise, and sometimes she is willfully blinded to facts, but she's got this unbreakable spirit that I can't help but admire. Plus, the battle scene of her in the White Tower? That was pure awesome. Blockbuster movie awesome.

*;Favorite bad guy/gal?
I think I'll have to go with Lanfear. She's complicated. Padan Fain/Mordeth is another favorite because he's so completely insane. I'm waiting to see if he bites off Rand's other hand at the Last Battle, thus enabling Rand to save the world, because Fain/Mordeth is so totally Gollum.

*;Favorite book and scene?
Oh good grief, I can't pick one out of thousands... <br>
The Gathering Storm: Egwene's battle against the Seanchan in the Tower.

*;If you were set down in Randland, who/what would you see yourself as? An Aes Sedai? Innkeeper? Seanchan Captain?
Definitely Aes Sedai.

*;What do you do in "real life"?
I'm currently a full-time student. I'm finishing a MA in digital media while also taking classes in physics and mathematics to prepare for an Astronomy PhD program.

*;Do you have any hobbies?
Games: video games, tabletop games, etc. <br>
Writing: working on a bunch of novels in various stages, also working on some interactive fiction stories. <br>
Fandom: fan fiction, keeping up with various media (television is my main thing), participating in or reading fandom discussions and dissections of media and stories. 
Astronomy: local astronomy clubs, star parties, stargazing, telescope, astrophotography <br>
Photography: best hobby ever. 

*;What kind of music do you enjoy listening to?
Just about anything. I like flowing, melodic sounds and up-beat, bouncy rhythms and chaotic, dissonant soundscapes. Rock, alternative rock, classic rock, classical, new wave, pop, glam, 80s, 90s - my Pandora is pretty eclectic.

*;What are some of your favorite movies / television shows?
Television is a big hobby for me. I love long-format storytelling (hello, WoT fan), and the tv genre is evolving at an exciting pace right now. <br>
List of Favorites: Twin Peaks, Veronica Mars, Stargate Atlantis, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Star Trek DS9, Babylon 5, Leverage, White Collar, Pan Am, Hellcats, Sanctuary, Medium, Merlin, Castle, Big Love, Carnivale, and I'm probably forgetting some...

*;Aside from ''The Wheel of Time'', what are a few of your favorite books/series?
I love just about everything Madeleine L'Engle ever wrote. Same for Robin McKinley and Jane Austen. Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kaye. The Cygnet series by Patricia McKillip. Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam. The Pillow Book by Sei Shonagon. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. The Woman in White by Wilke Collins. 

*;What profession did you want to have when you were a kid?
I wanted to be an astronaut. That was before I saw The Right Stuff (ZOMG NEEDLES, NEEDLES EVERYWHERE), after which I decided astronomy was quite a respectable (needle-less) profession that I could do right here on the ground.

[[Category:Red Ajah Interviews]]
[[Category:Senior Member Interviews]]
[[Category:Absent Red Ajah Aes Sedai]]
[[Category:Absent TarValon.Net Aes Sedai]]
[[Category:Who's Who Members]]
[[Category:Red Ajah Community|Z]]
[[Category:US Members]]
[[Category:North American Members]]