Profile

About: I'm the product of a diverse cultural mix. Born in Texas to parents who emigrated from Malaysia to India to Britain to the US, I spent five years of my childhood in New Orleans - ahem, N'awlins - and picked up a drawl that inexplicably intensifies anytime I leave Texas. Add this to the odd Britishisms I use regularly - "I popped round to HEB today. The carpark was packed! The boot is absolutely chock full of groceries!" - and it can be hard to figure out where I'm from. But as much as I complain about the humidity, hot weather, and mosquitoes, Texas is home.

Some people find that hard to believe, as I happen to be a vegetarian with no interest in football, but I've found that grilled tofu and mushrooms are just as good as the best barbecue! Or so I've been trying to convince people...

I enjoy challenging myself in different ways. For instance, I've been learning German and French for five years, and I've just begun to learn Malay. I have been doing the MS150 for the past four years, and each year it means more and more to me to see MS patients cheering us on along the way - nothing is more inspiring. I have worked as a volunteer teacher in Malaysia, teaching orphans who had never been to school how to count to ten and write their names. Hearing them sing the alphabet without any help was, I can honestly say, one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. From these experiences, I've realized that I truly value communicating with people and helping people in an active way.

I'm currently pursuing a double major in Plan II and Architectural Engineering at UT. Eventually, I plan to work as an architect. It's the ideal combination of art and science! In my free time, I enjoy looking at buildings (nerdy, I know), photography, catching up on Top Gear and Sherlock episodes, watching "foreign" films, torturing the piano, and getting way too emotional watching soccer and rugby matches. And when I've got a lot of free time, I love to travel! I've had the chance to go to Malaysia, India, Canada, France, the Netherlands, the UK, and all over the US. Next on my list are Turkey, Greece, Germany, and Morocco.

Oh, and Alaska. :)

Why I Ride

I ride for the unseen and unheard, those who fall victim to cancer without ever having had a decent shot at fighting it. My father is a physician but can't type very fast, so I often help him type his patient notes. I have, from a distance, witnessed people's gradual declines as they fall victim to metastasizing cancers; I've talked to my dad and heard his patients' stories and felt the rage born of frustration at not being able to help them. If they can't afford food, how can they afford quality treatment? Their stories sadden me as much as survivors' stories inspire me. If by doing this ride I can contribute to making treatments for cancer better and more affordable, and if I can help to educate people about simple preventative measures they can take to decrease their risk of getting cancer, I will feel that I've made a difference.