I don't remember Illinois. Supposedly, that was where I was born. Darien, Illinois. Doesn't that city sound kinda fake? I always imagined that my parents just picked me up from an adoption agency somewhere en route to California. But then people have told me recently that my sister and I look alike... and I'm still not quite sure which one of us should be more insulted.

Eh. With a name like Kim, there's bound to be some gender confusion.

So I don't remember Illinois at all. I don't remember snow, even though my parents claim that I used to go out and laugh as I sank waist deep in it. I just remember banging on a lot of pots and pans. And taking the cushions out of the couch, sheets off the bed to build mazes.

But still, my parents claim that I was a really quiet kid.

Yup! Me! The industrial-strength power-punk noise fanatic. Nickname: cacophony.

I guess I consider myself as a counterpart to all the closeted extroverts out there (greggo). I declare myself a wannabe introvert. But maybe this is a recent development. SpaceCoyote remembers me as a lot more reserved. I think I was just trying to fake moodiness and discontent back then. You know, the whole repressed teen angst thing.

Anyway, as far as I'm concerned, life began in California. We lived in a house in Pomona while my dad went to school in Cal Poly. And we've moved up a lot since then. My dad doesn't go around chasing the rats around the house at night like he did back then. Now, in boo-tee-full Altadena, we just flush the little field mice that come into the house down the toilet. (EW! nasty experience! we live in a small house on a big lot, which means my backyard is like a jungle! and it doesn't help that my parents are into planting, but not architectural horticulture. I mean, they have plants and trees growing all over the place quite randomly placed. so anyway, this summer, we left the back door open to cool down the house. which the mice took as an invitation to go in and search for water. one ended up in the toilet bowl. ew! horrifying flashbacks of Pomona and the squealing rats...)

After school, dad landed a job at Kodak in Pasadena (which I don't think I there anymore). and we've been bumping around the area ever since. always to areas of UN-concentrated asian populations. I mean, most of my friends have been African American, and Latino... and in high school, Caucasian. I think the Asian Club in high school that I headed was comprised of 35 students, five of which were Asian. Hmm...

Anyway, my sister is six years older than me. So I grew up with early eighties music even though I was under ten years old. And since then, I've been trying to keep up with all the latest trends. Except the late 80s where music was kinda in a state of limbo... and lately because UCLA sucked up so much of my spare time.

But I still have a couple of old favs... and am making new favs as their tunes fill the abyss in my head! =P