Date: Sun, 1 Feb 1998 14:48:23 +0800 From: Raymond McDowell Subject: Fill: Bio: The Return of Rqy(and Xiao) To: WRITERS@mitvma.mit.edu One great thing about these bios is that they force us to claim an identity. Mind you, we tend to embellish them with carefully chosen detail to engender a preferred image. Still, they force us to look into a mirror and acknowledge ourselves. The person I see now differs a great deal from the last time I looked. I'm smooth-shaven, pot bellied, happily married and living in one country/two systems. I have to fight for time to write, and the writing itself does not come easy. The place I live, a flat in Kennedy Town on Hong Kong Island, has a nice view of Victoria Harbor. The place I work, Baker & McKenzie law firm, is arguably the largest international law firm in the world. The girl I'm married to is a good, traditional, Chinese girl. I have traveled a bit. I work in the computer department of B&M--I still think that's a great name for a law firm. My job title is Client Marketing Database Coordinator. The title is misleading. Although I do lead a small team in the administration of a centralized database, my major responsibility is formulating reports, memorandums, newsletters and the odd letter of complaint. I am unpublished under my own name. I want to be a creative writer. I want to be published regularly. I want to be acknowledged. There's more, of course. I've lived almost 47 years and have accumulated my share of stories and changes. But this is about writing and who I am now, and this short synopsis just about covers it. Ray McDowell(Rqy) Hmmmmph, so that's how he sees himself, is it? I've wondered how the re-unification with China, a major economic crisis, writer's block, a new bride and sobriety would effect him. It's not a pretty sight. Me, I'm Rqy's adopted son, cyber-familiar and primary Interactive character, Xiao Da Shing Shing. Translated from Mandarin, that means little gorilla. I used to be a stuffed monkey, but thanks to the Internet I've been animated, shaved bald and given full anatomical endowments(with one exception) from various WRITERs of yore. For the past several months I've been in hibernation. I'm back. Xiao Da Shing Shing