Alek Wek: This Much I Know

Someone shared this with me and I felt I had to post it here. It's an old interview with Alek Wek by The Guardian.

Alek Wek

This much I know

Alek Wek, supermodel, 30, London

Growing up in an African tribe is no different from growing up in Chelsea. It's just about a sense of community. My tribe - the Dinka - values people and family. I wish I'd had more opportunity to understand their traditions before the civil war forced me to leave.

The African bush is hardcore. My hometown of Wau in southern Sudan had no running water or electricity, but when civil war broke out in 1983, we soon fled to relatives in a remote village. They thought we were spoilt. 

Powdered okra is my comfort food. I never thought I'd crave it - I ate it every other day in Sudan - but I love the taste. Now I buy it from an organic store in Manhattan. 

Michael Jackson really is the king of pop. When my friends talk about childhood, I've never heard of any cartoons or TV they remember. The only thing we share is Michael Jackson. That's how far his music travelled - to a remote village on the other side of the world. When the militias came to Wau, they would blast out 'Thriller' as they moved down the dirt streets. 

There's no feeling sorry for yourself in a family of nine. I'm the seventh of nine children - it makes you understand it's not all about you. 

Witch doctors don't work. I had serious psoriasis as a child - it's strange that I make my living off my looks after years of looking like a monster. My mum tried everything to cure it, even the local witch doctor. I looked at him and knew he was a charlatan, but bless mum for trying. 

There's no phrase for 'I love you' in Dinka. The language is all about extremes which can be changed with gestures and expressions. You say 'I adore you' instead. 

Wherever there's conflict, you get bad apples. The militias in the Sudanese civil war were young guys who didn't understand what they were fighting for or that they were killing innocent people. They just felt great because they had guns. 

People mistake me for Naomi Campbell. They recognise my face, but the name Alek Wek isn't well known so they presume I'm Naomi. It's so stupid you have to think it's funny. 

I don't mind cleaning toilets. But cleaning other people's toilets is bad. I had jobs from the age of 14, when I arrived in London as a refugee. Aged 17, I'd get up at 4am to work as a cleaner before school. It wasn't pleasant. 

There's no such thing as a perfect model. It all comes down to whether you're right for a particular job. You have to understand going into fashion that no one will admire you for your abilities, they're not looking for a heart surgeon. You can't take it personally. 

I've taught myself DIY. I can cut wood, put up shelves, plaster walls and do basic wiring. 

I'm good at waiting. You sit around a lot at photo shoots and shows. I sketch or read. I've just finished Gandhi's autobiography and I like studying flower encyclopaedias. 

Lancome makes the best cleanser. It works for most of the girls I know. 

Politics is a dirty game. I work with charities to raise awareness of the war in Sudan and I  believe people in the western world would do more if they truly knew what was going on. Leaders put forward different agendas. 

Do something you believe in and you won't have any regrets. My father told me that was the way to be happy. And he was right. 

· Alek Wek's autobiography Alek is published by Little, Brown on 8 November, priced £12.99