About

Personality

In-person, Rai is a happy fellow, often described by his friends as charming and even somewhat flirtatious — not his intention, but that's what he gets for always smiling and being "too nice." He has lots of compliments for his friends, though often embarrasses himself with his own forthrightness. However, this outgoing personality of his is sometimes merely a ruse to hide his anxiety, which flares up around newcomers and in unfamiliar situations. This just means that Rai can definitely handle himself in group settings, but would rather there not be any... surprises.

Despite being communicative in real life, Rai is incredibly sporadic online, generally preferring to stay away from the "social" part of media. He may disappear for days or even weeks on end with no warning, which understandably causes his online-only friends to worry. He is a voracious reader and writer, resulting in the use of proper grammar and syntax in casual texts, which can be off-putting to those who find it intimidating; this, coupled with his elusive personality can turn people away, but it rarely bothers him. This otter isn't one to hold grudges nor is he quick to anger, so he can hold an aloof but respectful tone when needed. He's not quick to cast judgment, and largely avoids Internet drama, which is both a blessing and a curse in this digital age, where everyone is so "aware."

Overall, he pivots between extrovert and ambivert, able to thrive in social situations, but also perfectly content to be alone. Fiercely independent, Rai won't put his life in anyone's hands but his own, which is difficult in this world of checks and balances, but doesn't stop him from doing what he wants. In his spare time, the hybrid can often be found partaking in group workouts, reading fanfiction on his phone, doodling on his iPad, or chilling with friends. Don't hesitate to say hi!

History

Rai was born in Taiwan but moved to California at the age of five. The first language he learned to speak was Taiwanese, then Mandarin, and finally English. However, due to his upbringing, English has become his dominant language; he can still hold full conversations in Mandarin but can only understand Taiwanese, not speak it (outside of a few key phrases). Overall, he identifies as Taiwanese, and holds a dual-citizenship of both countries. Rai visits his home country every few years, as most of his family is there, but does not particularly enjoy the humid weather of the mosquito-infested island.

He doesn't remember much of his high school years, only that it was filled with stress. Most of his peers were also Asian, resulting in a very competitive environment; basically, if you didn't go to any additional tutoring programs, you were an outlier. Despite earning mostly As, a few Bs, and nothing below a C, he probably wasn't considered a "good student" by the school's standards (#ModelMinorityProblems). Nonetheless, he got into all three of the universities he applied to.

In the end, Rai chose to attend a private university because it had an accelerated education course, which allowed him to earn a single-subject teaching credential alongside his Bachelor of Arts: English. During his four years in undergrad, he also obtained a minor in Teaching Professions and TESOL (Teaching English to Students of Other Languages) certification, all while working as a high-school student teacher and an on-campus writing mentor. He continued his education at the same private university for an additional year, going on to acquire a Master of Arts in Education: Curriculum & Instruction, as well as adding a Mandarin certification to his credentials.

With his college education, Rai currently works as an ESL (English as a Second Language) instructor at an adult school where he teaches mostly immigrant parents English that they can use in their daily lives; he's also in the substitute pool for a couple public and private schools near his area. In addition, he is freelance illustrator who takes commissions from online clients. He is a "self-taught artist taking the creative route in life," who works mainly with digital media but dabbles in many other forms; he'd love for art to become his main source of income someday!

Trivia

• longest-running fandom is Pokémon
• prefers consuming written works over visual art
• likes both coffee and tea but doesn't drink either regularly
• watches a lot of mystery, fantasy, sci-fi, and superhero series
• big enjoyer of Indian war movies (minus the nationalism)
• loves mechas and robots but can't draw them to save his life
• dislikes getting wet but can't resist a splash in the rain
• uncomfortable around pregnant people and babies
• high alcohol tolerance for someone of his size and stature
• old accent (British-Chinese) comes out when under the influence
• sometimes slips over to Neutral Evil in terms of alignment
• Myers-Briggs personality type is ENFP-A
• Pisces Sun, Leo Moon, Taurus Rising, and Capricorn Medium Coeli
• Chinese zodiac is a wood boar
• selectively affectionate in terms of physical gestures
• insists that honeydew is orange and cantaloupe is green