ABOUT ME

My friends would probably say I'm a lot taller for my height. I'm a formidable loud-mouth in first impressions but oddly very much so a keep-to-myself introvert when in new places. My favorite way to get to know a city is by walking it. It's how I discovered Chicago and London and grew to love them.

I was debating whether or not I should list this--but in case you truly cannot handle being an adult about sexuality, I'm gay. And no, that doesn't mean I'm going to gay you up or put the gay on you. If it were possible to convert anyone, Kate Winslet would have been turned ages ago by the legions of lesbians that love her.

However, for yours & my sake, IF you have issues with how I present myself gender-wise (I an out masculine-dyke) and don't want to be seen with a woman who wears sweater vests & ties off and on, then we might have a problem.

PHILOSOPHY

Kindess goes a long way. And being assertive is an invaluable tool in communicating with others. Knowing when to be kind and when to be assertive is the balance I am still trying to find.

兴趣

I love walking cities. I love hiking, although by no means am I a skilled hiker. I want to walk the Cliffs of Moher. I want to walk as much of Paris as possible until I give up, tired of running around in circles and never getting to the damned Eiffel Tower. I want to walk through London again and this time get bored of it. I want to actually walk alongside the remnants of the Berlin wall, and not just see it from a tour bus.

On a personal level I'm interested in people who are willing to try. I've grown up with gorgeous landscapes being a California native and have had the fortune to travel a lot as a child. But, what really gets my attention are the people in the communities I visit that MAKE them a community.

• running
• walking
• traveling
• hiking
• biology
• mountains

音乐、电影和书籍

I don't read much (shocker) and I don't go to see many movies.

I love the TV show Futurama, one of the last movies I saw *and I say this proudly because it was recent and I enjoyed it completely* was Frozen.

I have a sort of visceral relationship to music; I'm a musician and sound designer so when I'm experiencing music happily it's usually when I'm playing an instrument (I play guitar, piano, mandolin, ukulele, clarinet, recorder, a little bit of drums and am currently learning violin) or mixing something together. But, if you know of an amazing violinist & guitarist playing down at the local pub I'd be there in a heartbeat.

I take my inspiration from Paul Simon, Lisa Hannigan, Joan Baez, Pink Martini, Shakey Graves, Shaina Taub Trio, Adele, Victor Borge and The Beatles.

You can see videos of me with my instruments here:
https://myspace.com/berylb

我做过的一件不可思议的事情

First night in London while studying abroad seeing an amazing production of theatre by the Kneehigh Theatre troupe.

Seeing the city lights off the Moselle River in Germany at night somewhere buried in the country (I've no idea where--my parents were driving at the time and I was 16 and annoyed at everything--but the lights that night got me out of my head).

The view of the San Francisco/Bay Area from the Berkeley Hills. Can't be beat.

教，学，和分享

I love weird facts. Most of which I've discovered from watching that British quiz show, Q.i. But, I also just love to learn about the natural world/random biology know-how.

I love telling people weird facts. I love explaining things. For example, the speed of an average alligator (as measured by the Flora & Fauna Institute of the Everglades) is 10 mph, although it is assumed it can go faster in short spurts. Why in the hell would I need to know that? I don't know. But, I get joy out of telling people it.

我游览过的国家

Germany, Ireland, United Kingdom, United States

我居住过的国家

United Kingdom, United States