Novemberly

I was born on November 20, 1976 to a Redneck man from Arkansas and a crazy Asian lady from the Philippines. I was the second of two children, my brother being almost four years my senior. We lived in Fontana, a relative unknown city where you could taste the weather as well as peel it off your body.

The summer before my third grade year (I was six at the time) my parents finalized their divorce, and my mother, brother and I moved to Fresno – a bigger unknown that actually had a TV mini-series done about it called “Fresno”. (I actually watched it… it was incredibly cheesy but funny.)

During the middle of my third grade year due to the stresses and time constraints on being a single parent, my mother decided to chop off my lengthy curly locks (which went down to my tailbone) and gave me a rather short ‘do (if you stretched out a single curl, it was probably no longer than an inch). I didn’t think much of it until the questions of “Are you a boy or a girl?” started (which was years before the Goddess Puberty flew into my life, waved about her wand, and blessed me mockingly with my “two scoops of raisins” (aka my small breasts). It was after the questions that I refused my mother any access to scissors or to touch my hair.

Eventually when my hair started to grow out, it did just that… GROW OUT! I looked like a shrubbery on crack. I could have auditioned to become a member of the Jackson 5. It was during my sixth grade year a boy started calling me names that were bad hair puns (Afro, Hair Bear Bunch, etc.) At one point he called me “aphrodisiac”, and I had to put him in his place. After that, he didn’t pick on me as much… but that was the birth of my nickname, a moniker that has stuck with me since my semi-traumatic adolescent years: Fro!

Fortunately I was blessed with a thick mane as well as curly so when it grew long enough, it started grow down. Granted it took FOREVER, but it grew. I had NO idea about hair care so I just wore it in a ponytail all the time. Sometimes, I even braided it.

I graduated high-school in 1994 at the age sparkling age of 17. After the ceremony, my then boyfriend of many dysfunctional years proposed so then I was engaged… indefinitely. We eventually moved in together and then later trekked out to the East Coast (Pennsylvania to be exact). We agreed that I’d give it a year, and if I didn’t like it, I’d move home. (I moved back to California seven months later.)

Back in Fresno and happy to be someplace where I had family and friends and knew my surroundings, I stayed with my mother and her husband. Personalities clashed almost instantly (my mother treats me like I’m a child and made of glass, her husband is terribly old-fashioned and uncompromising, and I’m very open and a free-spirit… yeah, you can imagine what it was like within the four walls of that condo.) Seven months or so after I had moved back, I moved in with the guy I was seeing and his family (mother and her man… his sister had moved to Fresno around the time I moved to the Silicon Valley/Bay Area).

I’ve lived in the Silicon Valley/Bay Area since 1997, and I rather like it here. Sure the heat can be a real bitch (a different heat altogether from Fontana and Fresno), but I feel like I fit here… so I think I’ll stay. *wink*

I love road trips (especially if the car has air-conditioning, heating a good CD-player/stereo) and going places but actually haven’t traveled much outside California. I’ve visited Nevada for a renaissance faire as well as offering up my duties as a chaperone for my friend’s high school trip to the Shakespeare Festival in Oregon. A year or so ago, I flew back to the ever-so-memorable state of Pennsylvania to accompany my homeboy Beau to his cousin’s wedding. (As a payoff, we took the train to New York to the lust of my life Hugh Jackman on Broadway as The Boy From Oz. (To see Hugh live on stage is definitely high up on the list of things that make me squeefully happy.) The show was wonderful and so was my date. *g*

Eventually when I get my ass in gear and travel outside of my poor little bubble there are many places I would like to visit. One place that is a must is, of course, the Philippines.

I wouldn’t go without my mother (seeing as I would need a translator in addition to the fact that it’s been ages since my mother has seen or spoken to her family back there) and my brother (seeing as we have never met any of our family from the islands save our mother’s parents and one sister and her immediate family).

Scotland’s also on the list (*drool* Scotsmen *drool*) as is Ireland and England. I’d also like to visit Australia (and not just because of Hugh Jackman) and perhaps Italy. After that, I’ll make it up as I go along.

Writing is my passion. One day I will complete my great novel and it will be published and I will become a famous, best-selling, published author. Until I reach that dream, I work little by little toward my goal.

I guess you can say I write fiction although lately it’s been waxing science-fiction/fantasy. And most of my poetry (if not all) is usually on the dark and depressing side. Everything I write, whether it be poetry or prose, is somehow loosely based on me and my life… from something as involved as an event that actually happened to me to something as simple as the color of someone’s eyes or something I heard someone say.

In recent years, my interest in voice-acting has grown. I took an introductory course some years ago, and it was a blast. (I even have the tape of the recorded skit that I volunteered to do. I’ve played it for people, and they have nothing but nice things to say.) I fantasize about doing work for Pixar. Who knows? Maybe if I camp outside their building and make cute Asian-puppy-dog-eyes, they’ll feel sorry for me and hire me. (A girl can dream, can’t she?) I’ve entertained the idea of making a demo, but it’s more a matter of funds and material than actually doing it. (Any ideas/suggestions/connections?)

Other loves of my life include books, movies, games... anything entertainment oriented really. Some of my friends refer to me as the *Media Whore*. (It's meant in a fun and loving way I assure you.)

My tastes (whether it be movies, music, books, people, or even food) are rather eclectic, sometimes bordering on odd and original. I love trying new things. (I believe you can't truly say you don't like something unless you try it at least once.)

I'm a bloodthirsty whore when it comes to movies (but then I guess that's also can be applied to games and books, too) so I like action movies with explosions and car chases and fight scenes that are original and well choreographed and executed. I also enjoy comedies (I'm a sap for romantic comedies), and I also like good drama, suspense movies, and a great animated feature. Just like with my music tastes, I'm open to all sorts of movie.

I'm not really shy unless it has to do with really personal, intimate stuff about me (and then it takes a bit of time for me to get comfortable enough to talk about that stuff so patience is appreciated). For the most part, I can (and will) talk about anything and will say whatever the hell is on my mind at the time no matter how crude/cruel/silly/etc it may be, no matter where I am, or who I'm with. (Filter? What filter?) *g*

I'm a bit obsessive-compulsive when it comes to my stuff and my surroundings. I like my things organized and clean. Ive been known to tidy an area of a store Im shopping in if its a little messy. (I used to work at a bookstore so if Im in one, and I notice somethings out of place or out of order yeah, I know, I'm sick. Deal with it.)

I LOVE TO DANCE!

I love to sing (although I usually don't involve an audience).... I love drums and fiddles and saxaphones... I love turtles and dragons... I love sweetened raspberry iced tea and horchata.

I LOVE HUGH JACKMAN & ADAM LEVINE!!!

I prefer blue ink to black... I'm a Scorpio (Dragon in the Chinese Zodiac)... I'm protective of my friends, family and loved-ones... I hate narrow-minded people...

My Life Philosophy?: "This is me. I make no excuses for who I am. If you don't like it, you can get the fuck out!"

[You can't please everyone (so don't even try), and not everyone is going to like you (so don't try to get them to and don't worry if they don't).]

...

Um, that enough? *smirk*