Additional info: "I was born to a very surprised couple in Dallas, Texas. They
had been expecting a baby boy, and there I popped out,
screaming my head off and missing a� well, you know what.
My
parents were wise in their ways and instead of giving me a
traditional Asian name that would've tied up anyone's tongue,
they named me Linda on the advice of a friend who said that
the name meant "pretty" in Spanish. Many people confuse me
for being Hawaiian, Filipina, or even half Mexican and half
Japanese (huh?), but I am actually half Vietnamese (mom's
side) and half Chinese (dad's side). I only lived in the Lone
Star State for about a year when my family packed up and
moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, in search of better job
opportunities. It was there in Sin City that I thrived for
the next eighteen years, and despite all the stereotypes, my
life did not revolve around gambling, drinking, smoking
cigars, and going to dollar peep shows - though I must admit
that I've had my great share of fun and adventure on the
infamous casino "Strip!"
My parents split up when I was very young, so I only remember
being raised by my mom and stepdad, though my real dad and I
see each other often. I was an only child in the household
(my half-brother lived in Vietnam with our relatives at the
time), so I was a spoiled brat, to put it bluntly. I was
showered with all sorts of family attention, toys, clothes,
and pets and grew up in nice neighborhoods with lots of
playmates. I was also somewhat of a troublemaking tomboy
until junior high, when I ditched my grass-stained jeans and
high-tops in favor of sundresses and sandals. (Hey, that's
when I learned a few things about boys!) Nevermind the
wardrobe change, though, because I am still a troublemaker at
heart!
My parents are strong believers in education and want me to
have a better life than them, so they pushed me to succeed
all throughout grade school. I was the ultimate goody-goody,
always turning in my homework on time, volunteering for
community service projects, running for student office, and
organizing club fundraisers. I was the type of person who
always juggled a million tasks at once, took on new
challenges everyday, stressed out constantly, and survived on
only four hours of sleep a night, and guess what - I still
do! I was also taught to be extremely independent at an early
age; basically, I was on my own by the time high school
rolled around. There weren't too many teenagers out there
like me� I filed my own taxes, knew how to change a flat
tire, taught myself basic HTML programming, and packed a mean
punch in my kickboxing class. I thank my parents now for
pushing me to exceed what I thought were my limits.
My most life-changing decision to date has been my big solo
move to New York City at age nineteen. When you have to leave
half your life behind to start a new one, it can be a scary
experience, especially in an unsympathetic, fast-paced city
like the Big Apple! I am currently on a full academic
scholarship (yes, even models can be pretty damn smart),
pursuing my first passion (art and design), and live the
typical life of a starving college student. When I'm not
running across campus to my next class or staying up late to
finish last-minute design projects, I'm either on the
computer (checking e-mails, working on my websites) or on the
phone (driving up my long-distance bill) - or even both! If
I'm lucky, I get to fly home on the weekends to see my family
and friends. They are the most amazing people, my infinite
support network. I love each and every single one of them"
Linda
|
