This much I know

Linda Evangelista, model, 40, London

I get told a lot that I look like Linda Evangelista. Then we have this little argument. I say, 'Well I am,' and they go, 'You can't be, because she's taller.' And I say, 'No, she's this height,' and they say, 'No, she's taller,' and so it continues. I have that little discussion about two or three times a week.

These days I get out of bed for much better reasons than $10,000. I don't necessarily regret saying that, but I was a different person then. Today I would hope that something like that wouldn't come out of my mouth. With age comes some wisdom.

Why would I be embarrassed about being Canadian? I'm very proud. We're just the nicest people. Everyone likes us. We're very progressive - like we have same-sex marriages - and we have super-talented people. Those kind of South Park jibes are just entertainment. Not to be taken seriously.

God help anyone who disobeys my recycling system. I have all the separated bins. I'm very adamant about it because I try to be a good citizen of the world, I really do. I even use eco-friendly cleaning products, but sometimes you just have to break open the disinfectant. Some jobs require it.

Fashion faux pas should be celebrated. I enjoy them because it means we're not all clones. I'm certain I've made quite a few myself, but I like to experiment. Hair is the greatest thing to experiment with because it's not permanent. If I didn't like my colour, I'd just change it.

I'm not a supermodel. That's just a category other people choose to put me in.

The camera lies pretty much all the time. The finished product has nothing to do with the honest-to-goodness truth of the situation. This is unfortunate, because what the public gets to see is not a true indication of what models look like in real life, and then women stress out because they don't have the same physical qualities. But, you know, we don't either, because it's been enhanced, retouched or altered.

These days I know what I'd like from a relationship. I also know what I need, and that's an improvement.

The French have every right to act a bit superior. I would be happy living anywhere, but if I had to choose just one country - and the British aren't going to like me saying this - it would be France. I love France and love the French people. I'm crazy about them. I think they're the greatest. There. I've said it.

My father taught me not to complain. I always had holiday jobs because I wanted money for fashion, and I'll never forget, I was bitching about my fruit-picking job when I was 16 because it cost me too much in gas to get to the farm. Right away, dad made me quit. He had worked 20 years on the factory floor at General Motors without complaint so he didn't appreciate it from me. When you end up with one of the most privileged jobs in the world, it's a good lesson to learn.

I'm always surprised things are named after me. In my home town, St Catherine's, Ontario, there's even the Evangelista Adams clinic - named after me and Bryan Adams. I've also had a rose, and next year there'll be a presidential suite in a hotel in Ireland, designed by Philip Treacy. How cool is that?

I despise surprises. They just freak me out. I hate presents, too, that I don't know about, so I submit lists to my family before my birthday and Christmas. It's usually a kitchen item, but that's problematic because now I've got every gadget known to humankind. But I do need new bathroom scales.

Nobody dresses well any more. It's all too casual and too little effort. Except for Singapore Airlines. I love that uniform.

· Linda Evangelista is a MAC VIVA GLAM V ambassador - 100 per cent of the sales of VIVA GLAM V lipstick are donated to people living with HIV/Aids. Available at all MAC locations, 020 7534 9222