Our Diary
est. 2024
A Conversation With...
Ara & Izzie
This was my first time experimenting with an interview format like this, and I couldn't have asked for a better pair to try it with.
I spoke with Ara and Izzie separately, asking each of them questions about the other without revealing what either had said. Later, they met at the beach, where they got to discover each other's answers for the first time. What followed was a lovely, candid conversation about friendship, trust, and the memories they've made together. It was a joy getting to know these two and witnessing a friendship that means so much to them.
The interview begins with a side-by-side look at Ara and Izzie's answers, giving you a chance to see how well they know each other (and where their perspectives differ!). At the very end, you'll find a video of their conversation at the beach, filmed and edited by the two themselves.
Talent: Arathana "Ara" Sureshkumar, Israel "Izzie" Dabankah
Interview & Photography: Kai Oszlai
KO: When did you first realise she was going to be important in your life?
Izzie
Ok, this is an OLD old memory so I hope I’m telling it right but, in 8th grade, the grade where me and her became friends I remember how we would almost beef with each other everyday. There was always something we tended to argue about- of course not all of them were serious of course!! At times it was just us bickering like we still do today. Although this instance was different. I cannot remember fully what I did but I knew I had made Ara upset, causing her to not talk to me for like half a school day. I didn’t push it, I knew space is what she needed. Now here’s another moment I can’t remember fully for the life of me- I was in French class I think with a supply teacher and sitting around other kids (if I remember correctly Ara was in that table group). I was having some sort of panic attack, I think I was triggered by words that someone said to me? Anyway I was literally about to burst into tears in front of the supply teacher, absolutely confused on why I was acting that way, when Ara offered to take me out of class and console me. I remember feeling happy and guilty at the same time because I wronged her and she still showed up for me!! And so, I would definitely say that this is the moment I knew she was gonna stay in my life for a looongg while. •ᴗ•
Ara
I've thought about this question a lot. It's the main reason I procrastinated doing this because I just couldn't come up with an answer. I’ve rewritten my answer three times now and the more I think about it the more I realize I never really thought about it back then, but now when I put my thought into it I realize I have a memory of every single year that made me realize Izzie was going to be important to me.
I’ve known of Izzie since 5th grade but we only became friends in the 8th grade. Every french class we were given 5 minute breaks, Izzie always let me play color by number on her phone.
In 9th grade Izzie always sat with me in the morning, the same place every single day.
In 10th grade me and Izzie got into our first big argument, we didn’t talk to each other for 3 days, but on the morning of the hive fest she was standing in our spot, we looked at each other and went in for a hug and cried at the same time, in that moment I realized that I mattered to Izzie.
In 11th grade we had our first classes together in highschool, and in one of those classes I didn’t particularly like this girl, she just rubbed me the wrong way but obviously I didn’t act or say anything weird to this girl, I mean she did nothing wrong. One day I told Izzie that I didn’t like her and Izzie looked at me and said “Girl I know you’re so obvious,” I remember being shocked because I treated this girl the same way I would my other friends, and when I asked Izzie how it was obvious she couldn’t come up with an answer because in reality it was only obvious to her, Izzie just knew me so well she could read my body language.
In the 12th grade me and Izzie got into another argument, it was most certainly my issue and it just blew out of proportion and our entire friend group got roped into it, but the issue was between me and Izzie the most, right when we sort of settled for the night I started duking it out with another friend and this other friend was venting it out to Izzie, Izzie told me “I kinda glazed you,” and even though I felt so sad because of all these arguments she made me laugh, it made me realize that no matter how bad it gets our friendship is bigger than it all.
KO: What's your favourite memory together that you don't think she’d choose?
Izzie
I think it was our first or second sleepover years ago, or I just went to her house randomly I don’t know- but I remember distinctly how I was teaching her how to do TikTok dances in her room and she was STIFF AS HELL. Ara told me she couldn’t dance but we didn’t give up!! We made TikTok dance videos and many more in the future. ˆᵕˆ Also her dancing skills definitely improved since then. I think I chose this memory because I saw it as her trying to do something she didn’t think she was good at, but still did it for me, AND we had fun!! That meant a lot.
Ara
I was once waiting in the office and didn’t tell anybody. Izzie opened the door and walked right in front of me. I was very surprised and happy because whenever you walk into school you never look in the office but Izzie still somehow found me in my big snow jacket and all. My favourite part about this particular memory is Izzie telling me that when she walked in she saw my eyes genuinely light up and it had made her happy that the simple act of seeing her had made me so happy. It’s my favorite memory because I felt like she realized how important she is to me.
KO: What's something she understands about you that almost nobody else does?
Izzie
I’m a pretty open person, however when it comes to my [...] morals, I know Ara is the first person I’d like to chat to about it. We commonly have random conversations about certain events in the world to random discourse online, and we make fairly intellectual rants out of it!! I enjoy speaking about those topics with her not only because we usually share the same view, but because she also thinks about said topics thoughtfully in ways I haven’t seen in others around me. Which I appreciate!! Our friendship is mainly goofy but it’s nice to have a trusted friend you can talk to about certain important things. I think my favourite topics that have come up in our DMs are cheating, cultural appropriation, racism, etc. TLDR; I love socially/emotionally intelligent people.
Ara
I am not very good at showing people I care for them, in the sense that I basically never answer texts. Most of my friendships need to be maintained online as I live far from all my friends, sometimes I feel like people see that I’m so unresponsive that they don’t reach out because they think I don’t like them very much. I just get tired, texting people is too hard, and Izzie understands that even if I leave her on read, I’m always there for her.
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KO: Has your friendship with her changed who you are? If so, how?
Izzie
I can’t even remember who I really was in 8th grade, it's been that long! But I can confidently say with her I learned to manage my emotions better (Due to Ara being a voice of reason lol) And also I think my fashion choices evolved with her! She lends me many of her clothes so I really do think her aesthetic rubbed off on me lol.
Ara
I used to think I deserved nothing, for over half of Izzie and I's friendship I thought that I didn't deserve her. I truly believe this was a direct cause of moving around all my life, I never really considered people my friends because my family would just move us away a second later. As a kid this was terrible for my mental health. I used to cope and joke around that I was cursed to never have a friendship that lasted a year. Growing up without someone I considered a best friend was truly the most lonely thing I ever experienced. One day Izzie just randomly told me that I deserved every good thing I had and more, after that day I stopped making attempts on my life, a couple months after I started talking to my now boyfriend, I spent more money and bought things I liked, I started eating again, I made birthday wishes that were selfish, I did whatever I wanted with my time. Izzie’s words that she most likely doesn’t remember saying, and were probably random thoughts she blurted out, were words that saved me at the lowest point in my life. My friendship with Izzie has changed me because after spending the majority of my time planning my end, Izzie paved the way for me to start looking forward to the day.
KO: What's a moment in your friendship that she probably doesn't realise meant a lot to you?
Izzie
Literally last week seeing Spider-Man: Brand New Day movie in theatres!! HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR. She booked tickets with her boyfriend and I think I said I really wanted to see it? She invited me right then and there and I was like WAIT- I don’t wanna intrude on you two but she didn’t have an issue!! We booked the tickets super early too so like every day until the movie I had something to look forward to. I was SO excited and it was just a simple invite to the movies lmao.
Ara
When she showed me her old tiktoks. Back in the day you couldn’t waterboard that information out of me, you could take my dog and eat her right in front of me and I’ll let it happen if it meant my old tiktoks being hidden. This meant a lot to me because Izzie very obviously trusted me with her cringe things when I clearly did not reciprocate, she furthered our friendship when I probably would’ve pulled away.
KO: If you had to describe her using something other than personality trait, what comes to mind, and why? This could be a place, a season, a colour, or something else.
Izzie
Colour: Yellow, she loves yellow!
Character: Princess Twilight Sparkle, she loves Twilight Sparkle! Basically anything she loves or even shows slight interest in, it registers in my mind as something that describes Ara. But if I had to think of something original… I’d describe her as a Mayawinky clone! This may be a niche answer. ;-;
Ara
Galaxy leggings, this was Izzie’s staple when we first became friends, the girl can take off the pants but the pants can’t take off the girl. Izzie is galaxy leggings because she’s my 2018 niche find that will never become lost vintage valued at 10,000. I am keeping her niche.
KO: Talk about a time your friendship was tested. How did you get through it?
Izzie
We’ve had our differences but I don’t think there is a moment where I’m like “I don’t wanna be friends with this girl”- maybe besides the moment Ara realized I was becoming a Dottore fan… and she’s a Scaramouche fan. If you know you know!!
Ara
In our 5 years of being friends me and Izzie have only argued twice, they were big arguments but never once did I think that she wouldn’t be my friend anymore.
KO: What's something you're afraid of losing as the two of you grow older?
Izzie
Time!! For me it's always time, never having enough time to do what we want and not being able to use some of our time to interact and hang out.
Ara
Nothing. From when we were 13 to now, our relationship has grown but I’ve always had Izzie and I truly forever will.
KO: What’s something only the two of you would find funny?
Izzie
Apple Cider Vinegar
Ara
Apple Cider Vinegar
KO: What's one quality she has that you wish you had a little more of yourself?
Izzie
I believe Ara is a very strong willed person! She’s one of the most determined people I know and she truly deserves to achieve every goal she works towards. I’ve seen what she can do and her hard work and honestly- I need some of that drive too lmao. >_<
Ara
Izzie is so extremely mindful, she always thinks about everything before actually doing it and I wish and wish and wish I had this quality as I always just say or do things and I sometimes regret it very much. She’s also the most hardworking person ever, genuinely and [I'm] the laziest person to exist on Earth. Whenever Izzie texts me about her day and it’s just straight productivity it encourages me to get up out of bed and do things!!
KO: When you're struggling, what does she do that actually helps?
Izzie
I ask for advice, she listens, she lets me know her thoughts and how she thinks I could handle the situation. We made some sort of silent pact that anytime we have something we wanna talk about, no warning, we just say it and have the other person listen. It’s comforting and possibly one of the factors of our friendship that made us closer!!
Ara
Izzie just talks, she’s so unintentionally funny it’s insane. I have always found references funny and all but Izzie doesn’t even need to make references; she just makes me laugh with the dumb things she says. Another thing is Izzie never pushes me to vent, she never really asks me whats wrong she just waits for me to come to her, and I always do come to her with issues. I struggle with talking about serious things, it has never been my forte, everytime I speak on my issues, Izzie always lets me make them lighthearted conversations, it never makes me feel trapped, I can tell Izzie anything.
KO: What's one question you're secretly hoping she answered the same way you did?
Izzie
I hope she answered the “What’s something only the two of you would find funny?” Question the same because if not that might be a little embarrassing for me! Only she’d know!! °ᜊ°
Ara
I suppose the question about being afraid of losing something in our friendship as time passes, I hope she knows our friendship will always be the same.
Ara & Izzie's reactions to their answers
