So, here’s a little bit about myself that you may not know already.
I was born on January 6th, which makes me a Capricorn. For those interested in astrology, my rising is in Sagittarius. I was born in the lovely city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. My mother, Kim, is Japanese and my father was of Swiss-German and German descent. His name was Milton. I didn’t get to know him very well as my parents divorced when I was very young. My mother later remarried. I have an older brother named Michael who was a police detective but has since retired.
He has 6 (six!) wonderful children. Before my mother met her second husband, Karl, the three of us lived in Parklawn housing projects in Milwaukee and, contrary to what one may imagine, I have exceptional memories of my childhood in ‘the hood’.
I love the mountains. They enliven and rejuvenate me. I am an assiduous mountain climber, rock-climber, ice-climber, skier (downhill and cross-country), mountain biker, and trekker. Living in the mountains is not just about doing sports; they give me great peace of mind. I live in Chamonix Mont Blanc.
Another very important part of my life is yoga. I do my practice every morning and I often take classes with a teacher. I was born into a family of Buddhists and Lutheran Christians, and as much as I respect the teachings of Buddha and Jesus, I do not follow any dogma. I am a spiritual person. I greatly appreciate the writings of Jiddu Krishnamurti and Osho.
I adore traveling, especially to faraway places where I can encounter peoples and cultures different from my own. One country that never ceases to amaze me is India. I spend 5 months every year in Rishikesh, on the banks of Mother Ganga. As far as Europe is cVoncerned - which is where I have lived all of my adult life - there are too many places to mention! However, I have lived and/or worked in Italy, Spain, and more recently
in Chamonix, France.
Since I am a writer and a journalist, of course I love to read. Some of my favorite authors are: Fyodor Dostoevsky, Gabriel García Marquez, John Steinbeck, Victor Hugo, Oscar Wilde, Edgar Allen Poe, Tennessee Williams, Philip Roth, Kafka, and Cormac McCarthy.
As far as movies are concerned, my favorite directors are: Stanley Kubrick, The Coen Brothers, Akira Kurosawa, Woody Allen, Ang Lee, and Martin Scorsese.
I love all animals but my favorite is, without a doubt, the cat.
I have always liked good wine and healthy foods; in fact, I became a professional sommelier in 1990.
I was never much of a drinker, at the most a glass of fine wine every once in a while however, recently I have totally stopped drinking.
In 2011, I became a vegetarian. (That’s right, no more sushi!)
Music and the music industry have given me a lot. I began working as a deejay in Italian clubs when I was very young. You can get more information about my career in the work section of my website.
Amongst the musicians, composers, and singers that I almost always enjoy listening to are: Donny Hathaway, Marvin Gaye, India Aire, Miles Davis, Fabrizio De Andrè, Van Morrison, Aretha Franklin, Angie Stone, and Notorious B.I.G.. I also love Indian tabla music and chants, and of course soulful and deep house.
Here are some things that I don’t like: intolerance, racism, prejudice, aggressive behavior, the word of God being manipulated, the ostracism of women for any reason and especially in religions. I do not like dogma, censuring, those who complain about futile things, those who complain about important things and don’t react, incivility, impoliteness, and those who judge others by their outside appearance or dress.
Things I don’t like on a lighter note: garlic (I am allergic to it), humidity, temperatures that exceed 25 degrees (75° F), dust (I am allergic), people who raise their voices unnecessarily, loud noise, perfume, nostalgia, big (black) dogs not kept on leashes.
Well, that’s it for the moment.