Why Púrpura?

  My webpage, as you know, is titled 'Púrpura'. For those that don't know, 'púrpura' means purple in Spanish. Since I am Hispanic, I chose to use the word in Spanish (besides, I thought it sounded better that way ^_^)
Purple is my favorite color, and since I love finding what things symbolize, I learned that purple stood for royalty, strength, wisdom and energy. I'd like to be described by the color purple. As strange as it might sound, it is my inspiration. I want my writing to reflect that in some way or other.

 My name:

  My real name isn't Aria. I adopted it as soon as I got Internet a year ago. Why Aria? Well at first I just liked the way it sounded, but a couple of months ago I found out it really means 'an operatic solo'. That was jus fine with me. I have actually heard a song of Yanni's called 'Aria'. I can't understand a word of it, but it's beautiful. For those who know who Yanni is--you'll find it in his 'Dare to Dream' album--good stuff.

 What I like (music):

  Yes! I am into Yanni. I like his music, I consider it very inspiring, that along with Vanessa Mae's violin music (VERY good stuff)--no joke! Still that doesn't mean that I don't like other music as well. I am a big Sarah McLachlan fan,I like Paula Cole, Fiona Apple, Tori Amos, Sheryl Crow, Republica, Cranberries. If I were to say the type of music I am most partial to, it would be pop/rock/alternative. Still I like some rap ('Special Rendition to the Benjamins' comes to mind with other select few songs), but generally it isn't my fave genre. I'm not particularly into country music, but if I rack my mind hard enough I'll think of a song I like. Still, my favorite music comes from the eighties. My Dad played Cindy Lauper, Duran Duran, David Bowie, Tears For Fears, Pet Shop Boys, Bangles, Human League, and so many other eighties songs so much that he ended up corrupting me. I remember playing with Barbies (tm) to the soundtrack of Top Gun (the love scene having Berlin's 'Take My Breath Away) < g >

What I like (movies):

  Knowing this its must come to no surprise to you to find out my fave movies come from that decade (hey can I help if I get nostalgic for my childhood?)< g > Molly Ringwald is one of my fave movie stars I loved Sixteen Candles, For Keeps, Pretty In Pink and most of all The Breakfast Club--call me sick but I can't get tired of that movie no matter how many times TBS gives it!! Among other movie faves I like Mannequin, Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead, Point of No Return and definitely Heathers. Heathers ranks right up there with The Breakfast Club. Speaking of which, Winona Ryder is another of my fave actresses. I used to like the Star Wars Trilogy, but I saw it so many times that now I hate it. Anyway I'm not TOTALLY warped. Fave RECENT movies include: The Saint, Sphere, Air Force One, Smila's Sense of Snow, ect.

What I like (books):

  I read a lot. So much actually that my parents want me to stop reading--ain't that a kicker?< g > Like music I've read books from all genres--I can't name my fave book (don't have one!), but I can name books that I *really* like. This is a bit longer that the music I like:

Sci-Fi: 'Nemesis' by Isaac Asimov
Fantasy: 'Arrows Of the Queen' by Mercedes Lackey
Horror: Weekend by Christopher Pike
Suspense: 'Third Eye' by Lois Duncan
Romance: 'Gone With The Wind' by Margarete Mitchell, 'Scarlett' by Alexandra Ripley, 'As Sure as The Dawn' by Francine Rivers, 'Phantom' by Susan Kay (VERY good stuff)
Classic: hmm does 'Classic French Fairy Tales' translated by Jack Zipes (VERY good stuff) count? No? Oh well, jot down a Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare then.

I didn't put in mysteries, I can't remember one that I really liked--but hey I might stumble into one soon! Also humor books rarely get to me. Most of them seriously annoy me. The only 'humor' books I like is the Far Side Books by Gary Larson (but they are more comics than anything else) and this cool more 'self-help' type book called:
'Men: Some Assembly Required' by Chuck Snyder< g >
which I stole from my mom a year ago (and she STILL hasn't noticed its missing)< g > . Another belonging to the VERY good stuff category. Hmm I might make a category in my (our...whatever) page for that.

What I like (anime):

  Yeah, I'm also an anime freak and thanks to me so are almost all my friends

peer pressure:

can't live with it--so instigate it< g >

Anyway I started watching anime when I was just a kid and years later (3 years ago) came across it again. I got hooked on Sailor Moon (the Japanese version is soo much better!), moved on to Magic Knight Rayearth, to Lady Oscar, to Shojo Kakumei Utena, to Wedding Peach, to Slayers--and still on the move for more anime. Preferably anime with a strong female charcter that has a cool transformation and/or kick serious ass.

Feminist?

  Why yes--how did you know?< g > The really serious kind. No, I'm not a lesbian (though some guys make me wish I were) but I have strong opinions on the role of women. To sum it up--

Women can do whatever they want--they should not be held down by stereotypes of a foolish, bigoted society.

I could elaborate, but I figure that should go in my "Thoughts On" portfolio, besides this introduction is about me.
(ONLY ME mua-ha-ha-ha, ok I'm done with the ego-boost)

Further Background:

  What else can I say? I speak both English (DUH!) and Spanish (duh! if you were paying attention). I generally suck at math, but am trying furiously to improve that and get other wise decent grades in school. Personality-wise, I'm reserved in front of people I don't know. I am constantly described as moody and gloomy (and admonished to 'smile!')--compared to Jane of MTV's Daria.

I'd like to clear this up.

That's the way PEOPLE perceive me. I don't consider myself gloomy and moody...well gloomy yes. Still that doesn't have to do with my mood--not to sound hostile, but excuse me if I don't wear pigtails and squeak like a a bimbo wearing a cheerleading smile. That's just the way I am. I usually tell those people, "deal with it". I've been raised Christian all my life, which is why I'm not really allowed to do a lot of normal stuff, but don't carry around this mental image of me wearing a Puritan dress--believe me that's only in my parents' dreams!< g > During the years my faith is something that has acquired a lot of importance, and yet I still participate in secular activities. I deem this as having a balanced life. This is balanced to me.

My Ethnic Background:

  Like I said I come from Puerto Rico (You don't know where that it? Find yourself a map Einstein!). Both my parents are native Puertoricans. I am 100% PR-ican. From my honey colored skin (here called 'light') to my petite stature of barely 5'0 (but I'm hopeful--thank God for heels!) I realize that I have made no mention of my likes in Hispanic music and books, very well then:

Books in Spanish that I like:

'La casa de los espìritus' by Isabel Allende (she is from Chile)
'La casa en la laguna' by Rosario Ferrè (a Puertorican yay! oh and pardon if the title's wrong I'll get my copy later and correct it)

Music:

Shakira (from Colombia her singing style is much like Alanis Morrissette's)
Selena (I have nothing to say except*sniff*)
Juan Luis Guerra (from Santo Domingo VERY good stuff)
Fei (have NO idea where she's from--I think its Mexico)
Kabah (from Mexico)

The reason I have so little stuff in these categories is:

(1) Books--its much harder to read Spanish than English even if Spanish is you native tongue--there aren't 'young adult' books so there was no transition when reading. In eighth grade I jumped right in to adult books and many of then dealt with politics and a variety of subjects hard for a 13-year-old to understand. Its this year that I'm finally enjoying reading in Spanish (maybe its the effect from having to read Don Quixote--echh!) and the irony of it is that what I'm doing is merely re-reading books I bought in eighth grade!

(2) Music--I was raised like I said with music from the 80s in *English* I only listened to few songs in Spanish that I liked. I wasn't raised listening to 'merengue' --consequence--its not THAT familiar to me same goes to the genre 'salsa'. But I'm hopeful and hey! I learn everyday < g >

My Writing History (a.k.a. go screaming, running to the hills coz this one's a lo-o-ong one ^_^):

  I began writing in third grade with a crossover between 'Snow White' and 'Peter Pan'. The plot was fairly simple and idiotic, Peter Pan flying from Nevernever Land to wake Snow White from her doom. Yet to an eight-year-old girl it was five pages of pure wonder.
I threw that story out a few months later, coming to the conclusion that it was a sappy piece of crap. I was right, but sometimes I get nostalgic and wish I hadn't done that…
Either way from third grade to eighth grade, I wrote an immense collection of unfinished stories. I'd start them, get bored, and end up throwing all of them away only to start the vicious cycle again when my muse got freaky.
I am shamed to admit that all my stories at the time were a lot of sappy romances. I look back and think, 'gee I wrote really bad', that definitely accounts for my aversion to writing love stories now--I find there is a very thin line between what is a good romance and sappy sh*t and would hate crossing it.
A lot of things changed in eighth grade and one of them was my writing. I began growing up, I guess. Not that I became a perfect writer, but I began writing about what was real to me. By this year, I was completely gone. I look back on all that I had written and see that it is so different from what I write now. I love writing more that ever. I love everything about it--how you can create characters and have them take a life of their own, how you can express yourself freely, even the feel of pen on paper is magic to me.

In Conclusion (ha! I HAVE one):  

the chicken crossed the road, coz it was greener on the other side.

Excuse me, butI think I hear my sugar level rising, I better end this:
I hope you enjoyed drifting through my long winded paths here.
I always say:

"I may be nuts--but I swear I'm harmless!"

Enjoy the page, find surprises, feel free to point and laugh (hell I won't see it!) and email me I never turn away a potential/buddy/writer/critic! I love to hear from people ( and would love for people to submit to me their stuff--anything! I ALWAYS reply! Remember email me

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