As a kid I read a comic book of Lao-Tzu's Daoist teachings, which suggested a virtuous person is like water. In this metaphor, you should nurture life and give of yourself without expectation of reward; place yourself below others; think deeply and remain calm; reflect the world through honest and undeceiving words and deeds; and flow where nature takes you. Water is the most pliant substance, able to take the shape of any container and essential to all life. Yet it can erode mountains with quiet patience and shatter stone. I've tried to uphold these ideals in my person and actions.

That doesn't mean I'm perfect! Life is a journey, so I've let my feet and thirst for knowledge take me wherever they may. Sometimes my endeavors were successful, sometimes they were failures; each was an opportunity. I'm a wanderer and life long student. I'm sensation seeking. I would like to explode in all directions to see new horizons, taste new flavors, smell different flowers, touch everything, and hear the bustle and silence. Of course, such exploration generally requires time and money... which isn't always possible on a graduate student's schedule. I do what I can, when I'm able. To balance my wanderlust I try to find renewed wonder in my everyday surroundings by taking walks in my neighborhood, sipping my coffee on a park bench, finding a new restaurant or coffee shop, or examining local flora on traffic medians.

I'm working on a doctorate in clinical psychology. My goal is to improve the quality of peoples' lives, decrease the stigma of mental illness, and ultimately change the world. Those are longterm and ambitious goals; in the meantime, I'm working on my clinical skills and surviving school. I also seize every opportunity to learn and grow as a person through the understanding of myself, others, and the world.

remembering names, keeping a straight face, using chopsticks, spelling, school in general, playing badminton, empathizing and listening with an open-mind, public speaking, Scrabble and CatchPhrase, staying calm and objective under pressure, building stuff, surprising people with hidden talents.

Beard, tattoos, dark eyes, ambiguous ethnic features

Things you wouldn't know just looking at me:
1. I'm Japanese-Chinese-Czech mixed. Only speak Japanese and some Spanish.
2. I grew up in California.
3. I was a student sexual health educator for U.C. Berkeley
4. I taught English to high school students in Japan for two years.
5. I have two tattoos and am planning more.
6. Nothing makes me blush. Except alcohol (Asian glow)
7. I have 2 dads.
8. Atheist
9. If I didn't study psychology, I would be a medical doctor, herpetologist, or botantist.
10. I cook well.
11. I also enjoy museums (Musee d'Orsay), aquariums (Monterey Bay), musicals (Les Miserables), concerts, zoos (San Diego), symphonies, and cultural festivals.
12. Animals love me.
13. I'm going to Costa Rica to do volunteer work for two weeks in August.

Hooray for lists!

Books: Life of Pi, Crime and Punishment, Harry Potter, The Vampire Chronicles (Anne Rice), Love in the Time of Cholera, books by Mary Roach, The God Delusion, the Redwall Series (Brian Jacques), The Fountainhead, Pictue of Dorian Gray, 1984, Le Petit Prince, The Giving Tree. I love reading.

Movies: Amelie, Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands, As Good As It Gets, The Shining, Pleasantville, Interview With the Vampire, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Hero, What Dreams May Come, Pan's Labryinth, Anchorman, Seven Samurai, Spirited Away, Fight Club, Coraline, and many more.

Music: Radiohead, Sufjan Stevens, Andrew Bird, Beirut, Johnny Cash, Arcade Fire, Flaming Lips, Gorillaz, RJD2, Miles Davis, The Beatles, Bat for Lashes, Air, Yoshida Brothers, Beck, Weezer, Queen, Eminem, Sublime, Bob Marley, Beethoven/Mozart/Chopin, System of a Down, Bjork, Sigur Ros, Tupac Shakur, Eels, Space, Cake, Bush, Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah!

Food: Sushi, Indian, Thai, Chinese, Mexican, raw oysters, garlic, steak, cheese, Japanese curry. I'll try any food at least once whether it's stir-fried grasshoppers or cow intestines.

1. A brain
2. Any of my senses
3. Sex with the right person... I'm not a man-whore.
4. Friends
5. Imagination
6. Freedom of thought

the universe, existence, life and death, human suffering, the wonder in small and great things, human behavior, what I want to eat for my next meal, where I plan to travel next, the future, homework, being a better person, tattoo ideas, religion and spirituality, psychology, animals, friends and family

having wine or other beverages with a few friends and just relaxing with excellent company. There's likely to be a board game, movie, and/or stimulating conversation.

I do my best to never lie. Seriously, dishonesty creates more problems. Better to be brutally honest and have the sensitivity to be tactful as necessary.

anything I've written makes sense and connects with you on some deeper level.

you're open-minded, intelligent, and don't take yourself/life too seriously

freckles and/or glasses go a long way too

you are introspective and willing to analyze yourself and your behavior in an effort to grow as a person

you have any interest in psychology