Investigators of MMHESS are themselves migrant super species that have mutated to survive the global urban terrains. Cultural, social, biological "purity" is bound for extinction and only those who constantly adjust and mutate can survive. Places of origin of current and past generations, and first, second and sometimes third, fourth languages and cultural backgrounds crisscross and mutate to create sub-species of languages, mannerisms, and culture.
We are Super Species.
Yehre Suh, Director
Yehre Suh was born in Pusan, Republic of Korea and grew up as a sheltered species in Seoul for 10 years. The trans-global mutation began with the migration to Pennsylvania for 3 years then back to Seoul for 3 years, Hong Kong for 3 years then Seoul for 7 years and to Boston for 3.5 years then to New York for 8 years. Yehre speaks english with an unidentifiable international mongrel accent and speaks korean with identifiable yet awkward vocabulary. She reads a tiny bit of chinese and speaks a tiny bit of japanese and french, remnants of diverse educational ideologies that are emblematic of international history; Korea's subservient history to China, Hong Kong as a British colony with a flair for the French, and the love, hate relationship Korea has with Japan and the USA. She is a Korean citizen but with American mannerisms, and although not able to pin point one specific place as "home", she feels right at home really in any international global city.
Germain Chan, Investigator
Germain was born in Manhattan and grew up in Macau and Canada, speaks/writes 2.5 (broken) languages, likes to eat, play, read, and play tennis.
Alex Chuan Hao Chen, Investigator
Alex is a product of two cultures at their most eccentric: 50% Taiwanese and 50% NYC affluent suburbia. He speaks Mandarin and English but likes to jabber bits of Spanish (and apparently, bits of Japanese). An avid foodie, Mr. Chen looks forward to the day when he can blow unlimited amounts of cash on the haute cuisine of any country. At school, he studies architecture and biology (pre-med). In his spare time, he sleeps, cooks, and reads. He is proficient at doing resume critiques and reading quickly but is terrible at sports involving hand-eye coordination and finishing projects. You may find him in various places doing various things.
Stephanie Young Choe, Investigator
Stephanie was born in a small town in Florida, USA and lived in Korea for about thirteen years before moving back to a cute suburban town near Chicago, USA. Technically a 1.5 generation immigrant, she speaks fluent Korean and English, with tiny bits of French, Chinese, and Italian. She likes to collect random books (paper copies), read classic & seemingly boring novels (steinbeck & vonnegut anyone?), play table tennis & badminton and attempt to play tennis. Although nobody seems to know, she is in love with lavender ice cream and earl grey tea, and is on the lookout for earl grey lavender ice cream.
Ujijji Davis, Investigator
Ujijji Davis is first-generation Jamaican American (BULLET BULLET) was born and raised in Brooklyn (Holla Back), but as most Cornell students, has relocated to snowy, confusing-weather, skinisalwaysdrybuti'vecometolovethisplace Ithaca NY. She is the ONLY Landscape Architecture student on the trip, so CALS-we outta here baby. She volunteers way too much in foreign countries, so she's quite worldly and quite broke. This is her first time in Asia and she is having a pretty amazing time. In her spare time, or really anytime, Ujijji likes to dance crazily to her music: she has often been spotted on the Arts Quad strutting as if in a music video. She writes poems sometimes, but she can't sing, so Karaoke is always fun with her. Also, her BK accent is really strong and people tease the way she says "door" and "talk" and "frog." C'est la vie.
Juan David Grisales, Investigator
Juan David Grisales was born in Pereira, Colombia. Juan David studies architecture and urban regional studies at Cornell University. He speaks 4 languages. He loves to play soccer and chess and he has won several tournaments of both activities in Colombia. He loves nature especially mountains; and likes hiking from his hometown which is at 1600 meters above sea level to mountains' picks about 5000 meters above sea level; a journey that takes an entire weekend to do (a total of 16 hours average). He hates technology although he uses it all the time. He loves Spanish literature specially Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Jorge Luis Borges. He loves coffee. When it comes to his architecture design he does everything by hand and refuses to use auto cad and laser cutter machines.
Alice Huang, Investigator
Hometown: Troy, MI (I'm a Midwest girl)
Ithaca's basically like Michigan, where sometimes the weather is actually better and the land is thankfully flat. At Cornell, I'm in CUSD: SRF (Cornell University Sustainable Design: Sustainability Research Facility) on the Modular Design Subteam. I'm researching modularity to use in this student space that will (hopefully) begin construction at Cornell by the time I graduate. I'm also president of Art Club and work at the Cornell Store. This is my first in China, Japan, and Korea, and while I only know English, Latin, and a little bit of Chinese, I've managed to survive. I consider myself Taiwanese (after being American, since I was born there), but technically I'm half Chinese, a quarter Japanese, and a quarter Taiwanese.Calvin Liu, Investigator
Taiwanese (Not Chinese)
Language: Mandarin, Taiwanese, English, Japanese
Interest: PuliKura XD, Karaoke, Asian FoodS, Shop in Japan XD, Hairstyling, Clothes, Surf, Swim & Parties XD
Raised and lived in Taipei for the first 18 years of his life, Calvin went to the wonderful Ithaca for college and is gradually getting use to the suburban living style, and, of course, the extremely brutal winter. Taipei is a big melting pot of all the Asian cultures due to its geographical location. Colonized by Japan for more than 50 years, and ruled by Chinese Nationalists after Japanese colonization, Taipei city developed through out the history as an interesting mix of Japanese and Chinese living style and ideology. Being exposed to the melting Asian culture, Calvin is back to Asia again to explore the root of his heritage and culture background. He is really interested in comparing the difference between China, Japan and Korea, and how the Asian culture influenced each other.
Language: Mandarin, Taiwanese, English, Japanese
Interest: PuliKura XD, Karaoke, Asian FoodS, Shop in Japan XD, Hairstyling, Clothes, Surf, Swim & Parties XD
Raised and lived in Taipei for the first 18 years of his life, Calvin went to the wonderful Ithaca for college and is gradually getting use to the suburban living style, and, of course, the extremely brutal winter. Taipei is a big melting pot of all the Asian cultures due to its geographical location. Colonized by Japan for more than 50 years, and ruled by Chinese Nationalists after Japanese colonization, Taipei city developed through out the history as an interesting mix of Japanese and Chinese living style and ideology. Being exposed to the melting Asian culture, Calvin is back to Asia again to explore the root of his heritage and culture background. He is really interested in comparing the difference between China, Japan and Korea, and how the Asian culture influenced each other.
Jeffrey Chengduan Lu, Investigator
This rare genus of homo sapiens originates from the remote farmlands of western Shaanxi. He is often verbose (and often snarkish), stylish (but certainly not fashionable) and well-mannered (or, polite, if you must), but never humble.
Proficient in flute, piano, classical and electric guitar, he is somewhat of a musical maestro. He can communicate in han yu, english, francais, and italiano, and is able to decipher brief verbiage of latin or ancient greek. He has a strong penchant for nourishment prepared in the italian or chinese styles, and can easily consume over 10 kilograms of sustenance in any one sitting (a truly remarkable feat, considering that his weight has thus far never exceeded 60 kilograms). A truly international beast - he has travelled to over 30 countries spread over 4 continents, and has never remained in one habitat for more than 5 years. he currently resides in Ithaca, United States; Cambridge, United Kingdom; and Xi'an, People's Republic of China.
Matthew A. Sweets, Investigator
Matthew was born in the Vale of Fairfax. Squire to Lady Suh and Lord Mirin while travelling through the Orient, he is to be a Knight of the 'Nell, House AAP, with specialties in architecture and photographic alchemy, class of 2012. While he is not exploring new surroundings, or reading required scrolls for class, he often is found reading Game of Thrones. He hopes to visit the birthplace of his late, great jindo gae when he travels to Korea.
Matthew was born in the Vale of Fairfax. Squire to Lady Suh and Lord Mirin while travelling through the Orient, he is to be a Knight of the 'Nell, House AAP, with specialties in architecture and photographic alchemy, class of 2012. While he is not exploring new surroundings, or reading required scrolls for class, he often is found reading Game of Thrones. He hopes to visit the birthplace of his late, great jindo gae when he travels to Korea.
Sean S. Wen, Investigator
Born and raised suburban Angeleno of Chinese heritage with a rapidly deteriorating ability to speak 1.5 languages.
Due to a nearly uninterrupted inhabitance in Los Angeles:
- has no capacity to withstand or cope with changes in weather that exceed the range of 60 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit, a maximum of 55% daytime atmospheric humidity, or extended precipitation of any form
- cannot survive without a personal vehicle
- believes that cursing at incompetent drivers is a necessary social input
- despises the use of the Northern Californian and East Coast slang in any and all contexts
- believes that In 'N Out is the only legitimate burger
Due to a nearly uninterrupted inhabitance in Los Angeles:
- has no capacity to withstand or cope with changes in weather that exceed the range of 60 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit, a maximum of 55% daytime atmospheric humidity, or extended precipitation of any form
- cannot survive without a personal vehicle
- believes that cursing at incompetent drivers is a necessary social input
- despises the use of the Northern Californian and East Coast slang in any and all contexts
- believes that In 'N Out is the only legitimate burger
