Born in Jakarta to Indonesian-Chinese parents, I grew up in Singapore feasting on my mother’s yummy home-cooking and reading voraciously. I’ve been reading and writing since I was wee high and was nourished on everything from Enid Blyton to Archie comics. Fairies, magic treehouses and high school angst–what a combo right? As an immigrant twice-over, I’m brimming with stories to tell and hope that children of every creed and color—including my multiracial son—will see themselves reflected in books, whether mine or other #ownvoices authors.
I live in the Washington D.C. metro region with my husband and son where I write children’s stories with heart and work on my other passion—food and cooking.
12 FACTS ABOUT ME THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE TRUE
- I can communicate in 5 languages (English, Indonesian, Mandarin, French, and Pig Latin), as in I can order coffee and ask for directions to the ladies room.
- Put Hello Kitty on anything and I’ll want it.
- My older brother and I are almost Irish twins—we were born only 15 months apart!
- My favorite color is orange, tangerine, vermillion…
- I’m obsessed with ladybirds.
- My favorite ice cream flavor is pistachio. My favorite gelato flavor is banana. Yes, there is a difference!
- Whenever I crave my favorite fruit, durian, my husband makes me eat it outside. It’s that stinky!
- I was a chubby kid because I couldn’t stop eating fried foods, especially shrimp chips.
- My first kitchen jobs were rolling spring rolls and skewering satay.
- I like to sing and dance in public; if only to embarrass my husband
- Ideas strike me everywhere and anywhere—in the car, on a walk, while I’m cooking and yes, even in the shower.
- I probably have over 100 story ideas jotted down on scrap pieces of paper, in notebooks, on my computer etc., but only 15 to 20 have seen the light of day!