When I was a little kid, my dream was to become a movie director. Not because I had any particular passion for film -- I just wanted to win an Oscar so I could make an acceptance speech. I would spend hours just sitting in front of a mirror rehearsing what I'd say. The idea of having what I figured must be the whole world listening to me then, if only for just 30 seconds was always so captivating.

Also, I am not Chinese or Catholic. The username comes from a song by Aikawa Nanase.

I am currently a sophomore at Stony Brook University, majoring in Linguistics and taking as many language courses as I can. I'd like to become a high school teacher, though I'm keeping my options open.

I speak Japanese fluently. I lived in Handa, Aichi Prefecture for seven months when I was a junior in high school. I am also learning Spanish, German, and Arabic, and I can read Latin. Languages are pretty much my life. I am also a pretty creative person, though I can't draw to save my life. I love making cards, fiddling around in Photoshop, and writing. Anything that requires more than an afternoon's worth of work is apt not to get finished, though. I have more short stories and novels sitting unfinished on my harddrive than I can even begin to count.

I'm a pretty fun, bubbly person. I have a lot of energy, but I know when to slow down and be serious. I can be a little shy at times when I first meet someone, but it doesn't take me long to warm up to them.

I was quite the bookworm when I was a little kid, but recently I haven't been reading nearly as much as I would like. Some of my favorite books past and present include: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown, The Shadow Of The Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Kushiel's Legacy series by Jacqueline Carey, The Animorphs series by K.A. Applegate, The Exiles series by Melanie Rawn, Areas of My Expertise by John Hodgeman, The Myst Books by Rand & Robyn Miller, and just about anything by Dave Barry, Chuck Klosterman, David Sedaris, Chuck Palahniuk, Bret Easton Ellis, Christopher Brookmyre, Miyabe Miyuki, or Mishima Yukio.

I am a pretty big movie buff. My tastes are pretty varied, and I like movies from just about every genre except B horror. Some of my favorite movies are: The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, Casablanca, Breathless, The Usual Suspects, Easy Virtue, Shimotsuma Monogatari (a.k.a. Kamikaze Girls), Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Lord of War, Se7en, Little Miss Sunshine, A Beautiful Mind, The Boondock Saints, Office Space, New Waterford Girl, Snatch, The Rules of Attraction, UHF, Rachel Getting Married, Gran Torino, Persepolis, The Lucky Ones, Waitress, Conversations with Other Women, Gattaca, Cashback, Moonlight Mile, and American Splendor.

I also watch a lot of TV. Like a lot. Not "random channel surfing will watch whatever is on" a lot, but I do follow a lot of shows. I am/have been in love with Veronica Mars, Dollhouse, Fringe, 30 Rock, Arrested Development, FlashForward, Community, Torchwood, Doctor Who, Battlestar Galactica, Dexter, Californication, True Blood, Nurse Jackie, Psych, and Burn Notice

As far as music goes, my tastes are so varied and all over the place that I always feel awkward writing about it. I can find something to appreciate in just about every genre, but my favorites are probably alt-country, twee, folk, and indie rock. I suggest looking at my last.fm (henkaku) to get the best idea of my musical tastes (though look at the last 3/6 months to get the most up-to-date picture).

And finally, the food. I love just about everything, and I'm always looking to try new things. I am especially partial to Indian, Italian, Mexican, and Japanese (both authentic and Americanized) food, though.

People's phonetic patterns. You might think I'm joking, but if you're talking to me and you notice that I'm staring at your mouth a lot, I may very well be mentally transcribing what you're saying into IPA. It's an occupational hazard.

In all seriousness, however, I just spend a lot of time thinking about anything and everything. I joke that I am a permanent resident of my own head.

I am something of a homebody. I like going out to eat or to the movies, but I will choose to rent a movie with some friends long before I choose to go out clubbing. I am always willing to try new things, though.

One of my goals is to sleep with a professor before I get my bachelor's degree. It's not so much that I find it hot or anything, I just want to be able to tell the story about it. Maybe it's a bit slutty, but no one would ever be able to say I didn't do anything worthwhile in college. :p

...you see anything on my profile that interests you, or if you just want someone to talk to. I love talking to people whether it's just small talk or exchanging life stories.