Michelle may be the most difficult model to track down for an interview. To follow up our four days of missed calls, her phone goes down for a week. She does, however, get my voicemail - the one where I leave my Instant Messenger screen name. We miss each other on AIM for the next week or so but just last night (at around 11 p.m., 2 a.m. her time) she hits me up and we go at it for the next hour or so. Talking to her on the phone would have been way better, but getting the IMs was just as exciting.
2Nr: AYE!
Michelle Zen: *I'm around here somewhere. Just leave a message and I'llrespond when I get back.*
(10 mins later)
MZ: Hello?
2Nr: WHOA! Can this be?
MZ: WOW. It's actually happening! Haha.
2Nr: Frikkin imposible. IMPOSSIBLE! Ok. When do you go to bed? The answeris "When I'm done with you."
MZ: Hahaha
2Nr: Wanna do this?
MZ: Let's do it.
2Nr: Thought you'd never agree.
MZ: Hahaha
2Nr: D.O.B
MZ: 12/2/82
2Nr: Where were you born?
MZ: Oklahoma City, OK
2Nr: What is your nationality?
MZ: Nationality: American... Ethnicity: My mom is a mixture of Vietnamese,Chinese, Mongolian and Russian, while my father is German, Cherokee Indianand Irish. I grew up speaking, reading and writing Vietnamese.
2Nr: Smart ass. Hence...Oklahoma.
MZ: Haha! Exactly! Only makes sense, doesn't it?
2Nr: Makes perfect sense. I mean...hey..."let's move from an area surroundedby water to dry, unwanted land."
MZ: Exactly. But I guess my mom and her family had to do whatever they could to survive.
2Nr: How was it growing up in the O.K.?
MZ: Actually, I was born in Oklahoma City, but I didn't stay there for too long. My dad is in the broadcasting industry, and we would move around for his job. I started out in OKC, we went to Madison, Wis., back to OKC, then to Indiana, and now I kind of live in Louisville, Ky. I say "kind of" because it's ridiculous how little time I'm actually in town. I'm actually not sure what year my mom came over. I'm thinking about '75. She met and married my father in '80, and I was born in '82.
2Nr: Do you do anything for fun? Clubs? Bars?
MZ: I do so many different things. It's kind of hard to have free time with school and work.
2Nr: Swimming? Tadpole hunting?
MZ: But to tell you the truth, when I do have a free moment, I'm really not all that wild! Don't get me wrong, I like to go out every once in a while... but for the most part, I really like to enjoy any down time in the comfort of my own home. I love to watch a good movie, sew and cross-stitch. Haha.
2Nr: What kind of guys do you date?
MZ: I like motivated, smart, well-educated guys. People I can talk to. Being cute helps, but if there is no substance, it will never last. And never underestimate a sense of humor!! I love to laugh.
2Nr: What is the part of your body that needs the most improvement?
MZ: Hmm... that's a good question. I'm always trying to improve upon myself in some form or another.
2Nr: So you're perfect for now?
MZ: Haha! Nobody's perfect and I'm not going to pick myself apart. I'm happy and comfortable with myself.
2Nr: I dont know about that... have you seen Beyonc lately???
MZ: Well, she is pretty close, isn't she?
2Nr: Damn near. Except at the end of the Deja vu video when she leans backkind of funny then flicks her hand back.