| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | While it may not be my happiest childhood memory, the one that definitely sticks out in my head was from 3rd grade. We took a class field trip to a Japanese Hibachi restaurant as part of a Japanese culture curriculum. My parents knew the owner, so I felt like I had the run of the place. I remember being excited on the bus at the prospect of sitting next to my crush, M. I was all butterflies on the bus. We get there, and what do you know, she sits next to me. I'm ecstatic and nervous, but trying to play it super cool. The whole class ordered, everything was going well, when I noticed M. didn't have any water. Well, not on my watch! I waved down the waiter, you know, like any third grader might, and went to gesture at M.'s empty glass. Unfortunately, I was a little too enthusiastic, and ended up knocking my full glass of water over and right on her. I immediately threw every napkin I had at her, but of course, it wasn't enough. I was so embarrassed, and learned an important lesson about bravado. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | I guess that depends on what is meant by identify. In terms of identifying with someone because of similarities, I'd pick my dad. We both have the same goals, don't sweat the small stuff, laugh at dumb jokes, love science and learning, and have curious minds. He is my role model, and if I'm half as successful as he has been in life, I'll be thrilled. In terms of relationships, probably my brother. We are very different. I'm the rational, scientific mind; he is the artistic, creative mind. We both share a love of cooking, but our approaches in the kitchen really highlight our differences. I think mostly about how flavors go together, and how chemical reactions and physics play into getting food cooked right. My brother focuses on making ingredients do things you never thought they could. Savory ingredients as the star of desserts, for instance. He's also obnoxiously good at making food look appealing. We have all these differences, and we embrace them in each other, and I think it's that yin-yang aspect of our relationship that really makes me identify with him. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | Intelligence and rationalism are generally at the top of the list, because I think they are traits that can improve many other traits. And I don't really mean book smarts, more of that overarching "general intelligence" that we aren't very good at quantifying. High general intelligence can help a person figure out what their weaknesses are and improve on them, resulting in what I often feel is a more well-rounded person. Beyond that, I value perseverance. Nothing good ever came easy, and the ability to dig in and endure through tough times...those times when quitting would be so easy. That's something that I truly admire and strive for in myself every day. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | I used to work at a residential treatment center for children in a very, very rural area. Some of the kids would go home on the weekends, and on Sundays, I would have to drive down to the city to pick those kids up for the week. I think it was sometime in October, right around 7 pm as the sun started setting. I was about an hour into my drive back with the kids, and they had all fallen asleep. I'm on a very small two lane highway and Freebird by Lynyrd Skynyrd comes on the radio. It's not my favorite song by any means, but it was the only good thing on the radio, so I turned it up a little. I'm getting into it, drumming on the steering wheel and quietly singing along. The guitar solo is coming up, and right before the solo starts, the singer goes, WON'T YOU FLYYYYYY FREEEBIRRDDD! Well, right as he says that, a bird crashed right into our windshield with a huge thud. Thank goodness I saw him fly away seemingly and inexplicably unharmed, because I was cracking up. I have always thought the juxtaposition of that lyric from the song with a bird collision was just too funny. Astronomical odds. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | My main criterion for travel is food. Italy and France come to mind, as their cultures are titans in the culinary world, but I think Japan outshines them. And not just for the sushi, it's for their dedication to quality. The wide varieties of beef they raise are the most prized in the world. It's not uncommon for a chef to be famous for one dish that they have made thousands of times until it is absolutely perfect. I also love that you can find so many different types of cuisine in the different cities. Osaka is so different from Tokyo. On top of that, the high adoption of technology would be a plus for me, but knowing there is also a lot of natural beauty to be seen in the more rural areas is very appealing. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | More so than any possession or wealth, I want my kids to realize the importance of care. Caring for those you love and those that are in need, both people and animals. There is so much suffering in the world, that helping any being that could use a hand is an opportunity to make an impact. This was instilled in me by my parents, from volunteering at soup kitchens, to taking in just about every stray animal that wandered across our path (yes, we tried to find the owners first). I've never felt like it was an obligation, it's just something that feels right and good. And that feeling is what I want my kids to have. |
