which came first, the chicken or the egg?

the chicken. ask me why? aim - *my name*

why blog?

1. to kill time when i'm bored
2. to update my family and friends
3. to vent my frustration
4. to practice some codes
5. to post pictures that i can look back to
6. to practice my writing
7. to keep me sane
8. to have a creative outlet

are you from sacramento hence the name?

no, and my name is not cynthia either! argh!

what kind of music do you listen to?

see my playlist. mostly modern rock stuff. i also love early 90's alternative, new wave, electronica, indie rock, indie pop, and post-modern stuff. i can also listen to other stuff except country. i also like music with certain pop hooks (shhh) and most definitely heart classical music. i am a frustrated cellist, ya know, for this amazing orchestra in the Philippines (my bad coz i quit after 2 weeks). music is my life! i associate a song that i hear to a certain memory of my life, be it a person or a situation. i also live to see bands play live. and in that world, i am drawn by their music, the story behind it, and the emotions emanating from their instruments and voices. then, like a star-struck dork, i like collecting souvenirs like set lists and autographs.

what was your first MUSIC purchase?

i listen to a lot of my grandma's classical records (i dreamed of being someone involved with musical scoring in films) and when i did listen to radio, i would just record what they play on a cassette tape. so i didn't really buy anything until later on in high school when my allowance in school got a little bigger. at the time, NU107 had a record launch at a record store in Makati for Sinead O'Connor and I was a huge fan of hers (and Midnight Oil). Hey, no laughing! I was a kid then, hehehe. Anyway, going back to the launch, I bought a cassette tape (haha, OG) of I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got and i got a free poster too. woohoo!

in the US, my first purchase were singles of Lush (For Love), Material Issue (Valerie Loves Me) and Social Distortion (Ball and Chains) in 1990. bought them at a college radio sale at my junior college for a dollar. after that, i've been going to rough trade for cds which used to be on haight (but it doesn't exist anymore) and streetlights on market with some friends who were also into the same music.

can i link your site from mine?

sure you can. it would be nice to know as well.

when did you start doing websites?

funny how all this started because originally, i was a political science major because i was very idealistic when i was younger (influenced by politics in the philippines). although i absolutely loved my courses (some people loathe political theory while i loved it), i later realized, since i put myself through college, that i couldn't afford to be a lawyer because of time and money constraints. i shifted to asian american studies, which was another passion of mine because it is more about my community (i have this nature of helping my community) while i was a housewife at the same time. to me, aas is a combination of asian american politics, sociology, literature, women's studies, history, art, media, humanities, urban studies, etc which made it interesting for me. that's when i learned to do websites - when i had free time waiting for my husband to come from work. i started doing it in the late 90's because i wanted to create my own personal site where i can put pictures of me and my family and make it easily accessible to other relatives and friends in other parts of the world. then i started lovin' it. after getting my BA, i got into a multimedia program at Cal State. my first web gig was being a managing editor for an asian american web magazine. it was then followed by freelance gigs with individuals, non-profits, and a corporate law firm in Silicon Valley (which i can't disclose due to signed confidentiality agreements) to name a few. i have also served as a senior consultant for several companies and non-profit organizations.

what do you hate the most?

1. posers and hypocrites
2. one-uppers
3. rude and arrogant people
4. roaring sounds of thunder
5. asthma attacks and allergens
6. war and suffering
7. scary and gory movies
8. cigarette smoke

would you rather have a dog or a cat?

fish. i used to have pet goldfish in a little fish tank but i had to move to a place that won't take pets. so i had my cousin mickey take care of it and they all died. bummer. i can't have a dog or cat coz i get allergic (unfortunately) although i absolutely think they're adorable.

what was your first concert?

my first free concert in the US was EMF at Stanford University's White Plaza. i was 16. my friend peng and i rode the bus (Samtrans) all the way to Stanford too since we both didn't have a car yet. my first real concert at a local venue was Ned's Atomic Dustbin and Jesus Jones at the Warfield. it was also my first moshing experience. my friend's glasses was completely smashed and her blouse's buttons were gone at the end of the concert. good thing she had insurance at lens crafters. but she had so much fun. i did too. we rode the BART going to and from Warfield in SF (my first BART experience, haha). i think both concerts were either in 1990 or 1991. i forgot, hehe. then my third concert, a free concert at Union Square, change my life. The band was Lush.

do you friendster?

yes, and it would be nice if you add me. but i am trying to migrate to myspace although most of my friends are not there yet. then again, i didn't invite that much people yet.

why the blog title?

i thought about what my site was about (me and my thoughts, duh - see my enumerated subtitles). since we live in a crazy world, i made a play with words: crazy=mad=mod. and 'mod' and 'indie' seem to co-relate so i chose those words which also describe my interests. 'mod' also could be associated with both computers and music. i don't declare myself as being the ultimate indie person (especially now that i'm older) but i couldn't think of any other title at the moment, hehehe. oh, and 'indie' rhymes with 'cindy'. Haha!

where do you like to shop?

i hate the mall. i like strolling by small boutique stores by the street but i just window shop. i usually shop online or if i do go out, i usually go to target, best buy, ross, home depot or ikea. i used to shop at buffalo exchange when i was younger. i still love streetlights, amoeba, and rasputin's for CDs. oh, and i like to eat at hole-in-the-wall places in san francisco which i think are the best eats.

why listen to indie music?

although my grandma didn't really care what kind of music i was listening to, i know my mom was probably freaked out every time i played sonic youth when i was a teenager. it kept me calm and collected i guess. i would express myself through that i guess. i even created some collage art because i was inspired by the music. i like the music so much and i wasn't the stereotypical rowdy, drug-addicted, drunken, wanna-be-rocker kind of person (although i did imagine myself playing the drums which i tried). i was calm, quiet, intelligent (so they say), intuitive and passionate. my step dad thought that i always did yoga and meditated in my room all the time coz i was such a good kid. i dunno why i like it. it's different. it's real. it's passionate. it's instrument driven. it's live. it's not noise to me but music to my ears. give it a chance, listen to the lyrics, notice the riffs, feel the passion. it's something that cannot be taken away from me, my music, my memories.

what is your wish list?

1. video iPod
2. magic mic, haha
3. range rover more like land rover
4. plasma or lcd tv more like lcd hdtv
5. we are scientists cd
6. death cab for cutie
6. nikon d70 DSLR
7. european trip
for more wish listings, check out my amazon wish list.

how long have you been married?

my husband and i have been together for ten years and married for eight years. we have no kids yet until now.

how did you guys meet?

he was my younger brother's buddy-buddy. one day, while we were in the process of moving to another apartment, he brought along his friend (now my husband) to help carry my washer and dryer to the new place. i tried to help by carrying this tube connected to the washer and some water in it dripped on his friend's pants (now my husband tells me that i did it on purpose - yeah right). i apologized after my brother told me to 'get out of the way'. so much for helping. then after loading it, we hung out in the backyard which had an awesome elevated view of the city and san bruno mountains. he said something about the amazing view and looked at me. i looked at him and responded - then our eyes met. the rest is history. naks naman!

when did you start listening to indie music?

it's funny coz i can tell you a whole history of why i like music (which will eventually reveal my age group - yes i guess i'm old so get over it, hehe). i guess i was exposed to what was mainstream in the Philippines in the 80's - the new wave era. although i did appreciate the popular new wave songs that came out maybe because of its hooks (e.g. Tears for Fears, Depeche Mode, etc), i didn't fanatically fall in love with it until second year high school (i was too young anyways - it's more of my husband's generation, haha). i remember a funny classmate of mine, who sat next to me as we had assigned seating, scribbling the words 'bizarre love triangle' everywhere. i thought he was referring to his crush (haha high school thoughts) and he was 'bizarre' and the girl was 'triangle'. i kept teasing him and was embarrassed to find out that there was such a song by New Order when i was radio surfing one day which was also his favorite song. and then i stuck with that station where i heard it (NU107) and also listened to this other station (BM) and slept at night after listening to 'Dear God'. Yes, memories. i started listening to The Cure more intently, Echo and the Bunnymen, XTC, Bolshoi and other bands. this station greatly influenced me with my new found musical taste. i always considered myself a classical music lover but new wave was shifting its gear to have more edge which attracted me. but i was absolutely horrified when, being around 14 and was going to Catholic school, i saw this special on the 700 Club on satanism and how The Cure was an instrument of the devil. i was a freaked out little kid then, haha. i was watching the show because there were a few channels then and not a lot of good shows.

when i was 16, i moved to the US to go to college and realized that the stations were playing something else, an emergence of modern rock, even before the Nirvana days. people here were more open and they had a certain beat and indie culture here. yes, i am lucky to have lived here at the time and be a part of it. i started listening to Blake Babies which was my fave at the time (pre-Juliana Hatfield) which Live105 played a lot. i also watched a lot of 120 Minutes, this cool MTV show of college radio before all this commercial reality hoopla took place. Inspiral Carpets, The Wonder Stuff, Billy Bragg, Sonic Youth, Ned's Atomic Dustbin, Trash Can Sinatras, Lush, early Blur, Ride, My Bloody Valentine, Curve, etcetera were at their prime in the city of San Francisco and free concerts were playing left and right. unfortunately, heavy and pop metal was reigning mainstream and i stuck with modern rock and post-modern rock because it had an 'underground' feel to it and the music was absolutely marvelous! i was new in this country and music was all I could relate to at the moment while i was going to junior college. i met a few friends in school who was not particularly into my music (some were) but at the same time wanted to explore the concert scene. of course, we always had a blast. those were good memories. it was just part of being a teenager, i guess. modern rock became alternative music and then became grunge. i hated grunge except for Nirvana (sorry). then the scene broke into electronica in the lare 90's which was still okay (although too much at the time but i loved Air) until the station was taken over by hard rock enthusiasts which killed the SF music indie scene for a while. i got married, had different priorities and stopped listening to stations because there were just not enough good bands out there. and Live105 was dead. but around 2000, the scene was back with new Live105 management and explosive new bands which made me happy, happy, joy, joy. hence the blog influence. the so-called *noise* is good for *my* soul, hehe.

tell me more about yourself?

hmm, about me... i think and worry too much. i am a minimalist. i am usually quiet. i love creating stuff and i love writing. i love eating. i also like watching plays and shows, from small school or community productions to broadway plays. i don't think i could live without a computer. i like visual art and the idea of new media and interactivity...i like trying things at least once, and am very curious about everything. i like constant learning and sharing what i learn to educate others. i am a big kid. i always crave for cheesecake or ice cream. i love discovering new things. i like traveling and exploring different sites and others. i love cold weather. my favorite color is baby blue, black, silver and charcoal gray! i am a very organized person. i am a perfectionist. i could drive long distances as long as i have my soundz. i love San Francisco, the people and the SF scene. my husband loves the city so much that he wants to name our daughter with a variation of the city's name. it is an area of intelligent minds and where a lot of technology and trends are being discovered and developed. it is also a multicultural city with diverse communities. i just think its the coolest city! i am idealistic but a bit realistic. i support civil rights and my community and encourage everyone to do the same. i would love to teach in the future when i retire. oh, and carpe diem!