Q&A

 

1. Who are you and what do you do for a living?

Coworkers call me Krispy Kims. Friends from home call me Lil Kim. 

But, frankly, I’m just your a*typical 20something girl-next-door, always in pursuit of what makes her happiest: friends, love, and family. During the day (and sometimes through the late evening), I work for a Los Angeles accounting firm, but you and I both know that I’m a writer 24/7/365. It’s an addiction, a passion that I can’t shake off. Through writing, I can visualize the past/present/future with a couple taps here and there on this overused/overtyped keypad. It’s an amazing process resulting in a finished product that is always outstanding.

 

2. Who inspires you?

This is a toughie. As much as I hate to admit it, I would say my mother. Hands down, she is probably the craziest woman that walks on the face of the earth and lately it’s become excruciatingly painful to hold back from lashing at her unreasonableness. But she raised three fine children at a very young age during a time of war, poverty, and loss. I don’t know how she held herself together. These days, I feel like shooting myself if I push 12 hours at work. Her strength is what I admire most. She is stubborn, but she has strength. I cannot ask for anything else as a young woman.

I should give some credit to my high school friends. Without their support, I would’ve given up writing a long time ago. When I am with all of you, there’s no stopping me. And for that, I am forever grateful for your lasting friendships. : )

 

3. Where are you from? I mean, really, where are you from?

I get this question a lot. It’s a bit of a story.

Facts:

• I have a Korean last name. 
• I was born in the Philippines. My brothers were born in Thailand and the US. We look nothing alike … it’s quite funny, actually.
• My parents and grandparents were born and raised in Cambodia. My great grandparents immigrated from China to Cambodia.
• I speak TeoChew and Mandarin. I understand conversational Khmer and a little bit of Cantonese.
• I love Vietnamese food.

To indirectly answer your question, I am Chinese-Cambodian-American. I am greatly influenced by Chinese and Khmer cultures and I trace my heritage to both; I can’t tell you whether I’m a sixteenth of this or a quarter of that. There is no line that I can draw; I am simply a blend of all three. Although much of my immediate family still lives in Cambodia, I still find myself drawn towards revisiting China. While I studied abroad during the summer of 2005, China opened myself to a happiness that I’ve never felt before. I guess there will always be a part of me that wants to return to that reawakened spirit. 

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4. When and why did you start writing?

I’ve been documenting all my life.

I had my first pen pal in second grade. I’ve accumulated hundreds, possibly thousands of letters since. One day, I’ll need to find a way to archive all of these.

My mom gave me my first diary (purchased from Sanrio, of course) in 4th grade on my 10th birthday. Today, I am on the verge of purchasing my 8th diary.

Answer to be continued …

 

 

 

 

I can’t come up with anymore questions to pretend to answer so if you’d like to ask me something, please feel welcomed to leave your question as a comment. Thank you!