cool!!!!!
i browsed a couple of blogs and stumbled upon Midnight Lily’s interview….so I decided to particpate in it….what’s the worse that could happen.
here’s how interview meme…
1. If you want to participate, leave a comment saying “interview me.”
2. I will respond by asking you five questions - each person’s will be different.
3. You will update your journal with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
so…yeah…um…onto answering Midnight Lily’s questions:
For QueenKV
1. How did you get started DJing with KLAX?
I think you mean KALX (by the way - the link your site doesn’t work - it’s http://kalx.berkeley.edu)
I started off as a news reporter at KALX in Fall 2000. This was my freshman year in college and I wanted some experience in broadcast journalism. Three years later, I decided to take advantage of the DJ training program - I wanted to do something new and I liked the idea of programming music for three hours….KALX is a free-format station - so I could play anything I want - from Mozart to Digweed and all points in between and off this planet. To become a KALX DJ you have to work at the station for three months - in any of the departments. Plus at KALX, since there’s a such a demand for DJ training - students are given priority. KALX is a college station and is required to have at least 50% of on-air programmers as UC Berkeley students. So, I snuck in that way. After the classes and show zero - DJ trainees do 8 (3:30-6:00 AM) shifts. We kept turning in our air checks for final judgement. After show 8 - the DJ trainers and the reviewers decide whether the trainee is ready to graduate to the next level of programming (mid-3:30 AM). We keep submitting airchecks, to move up and down the programming schedule. Ok, 3:30-6:00 AM - was a killer! But I’m glad I stuck with it as a student - as a full-time UC employee…I’m damn exhausted and I need my beauty sleep. I currently DJ every other Saturday from 6-9 AM….My playlists are located here….any music requests? Let me know: dj@queenkv.org. We also stream our music - in real time. So…..that’s pretty darn cool. I’ve had listeners call and email from Japan, Chicago, and Australia…..according to one Australian listener - I don’t sound Californian…whatever that means 
2. Having grown up in the US, how do you relate to your Filipino roots?
One major way I relate to those roots is through food - I learned a few recipes from my dad. Lumpia, adobo, pansit - yummy….We even have JollyBee’s in SF and in the Vallejo area. When I took my parents up to Napa, we stopped by a JollyBees….dude, I was so tickled because the last time I was in one, was in the Philippines, for my cousin’s b-day…..
I also do my best to hang on to the stories passed on through my family. My parents grew up during martial law - under Marcos - a lot of those memories are painful. My dad is willing to share a lot - but my mother, well, it’s tough….I’ve only got a few stories about her side of the family - from my dad and later when I visited the Philippines in summer 1999. I saw my lola (my mom’s mom) - for the first time, since I was a baby. Not like I could remember much back then - my hypothalmus wasn’t fully developed. According to my dad and her sister, my mom’s brother was found to be anti-Marcos. Soldiers came by his house one day, lined him up in front of his family, and executed him. Generally, my parents are terrified when my bother and I visited the Philippines, especially since we don’t speak tagalog. My major project to document my family’s history was during my senior at Cal. I did my thesis on the Filipino experience during World War 2: their stories and what their American Allies thought of them. I interviewed my Aunt and Uncle in San Diego, for this thesis. My uncle was in 6th grade when the Japanese invaded and my aunt was in 4th grade. They were both professors in the Philippines. I also used a history book written by one of my great-uncles. I was also tickled by that. Some of my family managed to get by, after the Americans left. My uncle operated a horse carriage during that time - to bring in food money for the family. He also escorted Japanese soliders around. My aunt remembers traveling at night with her family, to avoid the partols and to reach safe points outside of Manila. My dad wasn’t born during this time. My mom was just a baby. My lola told me she was terrifed when the soliders visited her house. One of them said my mom was such a beautiful baby. He took her from my lola’s arms and held her tight. Tossed her into the air, like a proud father would. He said she reminded him of his own child. According to my lola, she was on the verge of tears when she saw these solider hold my mom. You see, she heard from other mothers how soliders would do the same thing - except, when they tossed the babies in the air - they shot them.
In addition to my family’s stories - I’ve also reviewed books and movies by and about Filipinos. The Debut is the most recent film I saw about the Filipino American experience and it totally touched my heart. I completely relate to that boy’s experience. When it came by the bay area, I had a chance to interview the filmmaker, Gene Cayajon for my newsmagazine at KALX.
3. Do you still ice-skate? Share your most memorable skating experience.
No, not lately. I need to lose some weight first - or else I’m going to screw something up if I attempt any of the moves I use to do. Memorable skating experience? Um…actually, it was during one of the shows I performed in. The Spring Revue was my clubs’ way of showcasing folks who placed in the top four for our Regional Championships (it goes: Regionals, Sectionals, Nationals, Worlds and Olympics). I skated to the music “Sweet Nothing” - it was the first time I skated to a flirty/sexy number. My new cheographer, Rikki Harris - totally believed I could pull it off. Before her, I stuck with either broadway musicals - like MyFair Lady or Cats, or classical pieces - like Offenbach or Mozart…so…yeah - sexy wasn’t my deal. I hate a cute pink dress and my hair was pulled back into a sporty ponytail. I smiled, I flirted, and I attacked those jumps. People were shocked. I went for a double axel (one of the most difficult jumps in my reportoire, at the time) - and I stumbled, fell. I decided to roll out of it and strike a pose. I continued my cheography on the ground for another 2 seconds - until I could prop myself up and about again. People chuckled and cheered. Since it wasn’t a competition - I didn’t have to worry about point deductions - only entertaining the crowd. I ended with a kiss blown out to the audience.
4. If you would star in your own sitcom, what would the show be about?
Let’s see…the queenkv show would be about queenkv and her space station….yeah…cool - we’d have visitors from all over the universe and these blood-sucking vampires lurking in the dark corners - waiting to strike and take over. I’d be the commander of an inter-planetary crew of Rangers - trained by Samurai Vulcans. This is the first collaboration of the Federation of Planets and we’re getting use to traveling in fighter jets at warp speed.
Um…I guess I’m simply incorporating bits and pieces of other shows I watch. Oh yeah! I almost forgot - I would also have drinks every weekend with my girlfriends, alien ambassadors from other planets - we’d talk about work and most importantly, about our sex lives. Think about it - we’d have a lot to discuss when it comes to zero-gravity intercourse. hahaha….my honey said we could call it: Sex and the Cosmos or Sex and the SETI. Oh yeah…how about “Lust in Space” ?
hahahaha…..
5. (Finish this line) “Purple papayas smell like…”
island fruit picked by sweet and sexy island people - yeah…that’s it!
