Amazing people in Vegas do exist!

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>> I.K.= Hey Manya !!!! How are you? I love your name. What does it mean ?
>>
>> M.S.= “Manya” is a little girl’s version of Maria or Mary. Depending on
ethnicity, could mean either “bitter” or “star of the sea.” Although
the “bitter” version has a closer link to my nationality.
>>
>> I.K.= What is your nationality?
>>
>> M.S.= I’m half Korean, half Russian, but 100% Californian. *grin*
>>
>> I.K.= Do you have any nick names? How did you get them?
>>
>> M.S.= I’ve had several along the way, but none that have stuck more
than a few years. They’ve all either been plays on my name, or
references to my gothic tendencies. Soy Sauce, Mañana Manya, Black
Magic, Gothic Princess, Daria, Gloomy Doom, etc etc. Nothing all that
exciting.
>>
>> I.K.=How long have you lived in Vegas? Where did you live before?
>>
>> M.S.= I’ve been in Vegas nearly nine years, and was in San Francisco
before that.
>>
>> I.K.= If you could live any where where would it be an why?
>>
>> M.S.= New York City. Like many, I fell in love with the concrete
jungle. It’s the energy. It’s something that cannot be described unless
you’ve visited. There’s a certain energy you can feel the second you
step into the city. But beyond that, it’s the grit, the hustle, the
access, the lifestyle. All of it. From the crowded trains to the steam
rising from sewer vents, from the hole-in-the-wall ethnic eateries to
the five star dining. The walkability, the clusters of people, the
frustrations and glamour, and the extreme diversity. I’m a city girl at
heart, and always will be, I think. I’d like to retire in my home town
of San Francisco, but if I could live anywhere right this second, it’d
be New York City.
>>
>> I.K.=Why did you come here and what city did you like better?
>>
>> M.S.= I ended up in Vegas on a job transfer, initially. Same story as
many have, I hated it at first. I had a hard time adjusting from urban
to suburban style of living. I still struggle with it, but Vegas has
finally started to grow on me. I am happy to see urban influence
starting to shape some parts of Vegas. Obviously San Francisco is home,
and there’s a bit of pride associated with that. As such, San Francisco
will always play favorite.
>>
>> I.K.=If there was one thing you could change about this city what would
it be?
>>
>> M.S.= Downtown Vegas seems to be on its way to a walkable, urban styled
future, but we still need some solid public transportation here. I’d
love to see a lightrail system instead of more busses. I also wish
Vegas wasn’t so much of a sprawl. I wish for less emphasis on cars,
more emphasis on bikes and walking, and less big box stores, chain
restaurants and strip malls.
>>
>> I.K.= What do you think about the music / art culture in Vegas?
>>
>> M.S.= Art culture is very strong here, at least on a local level. As
for music, Vegas sees a lot of great musical acts come through, and
locally there’s a lot of places for bands to play. But there seems to
be a bit of a void for medium-sized venues. There’s places for smaller
bands starting out, both local and touring, and of course, the bigger
venues like HOB, and the arenas, but not a lot of places for the
signed, somewhat successful band with a sizable following who isn’t
quite HOB status, yet. Aruba shows some promise here, but would like to
see more of that level. Vegas gets skipped over a lot because of that
void, and I end up traveling to either Arizona or California to see
bands that can’t book here.
>>
>> I.K.= What could make it better?
>>
>> M.S.=Aruba is booking some interesting shows, but maybe another
medium-sized venue (800-1000 people) that’s in between a LVCS and a HOB
that can attract more bands to add a tour stop here, and allow smaller
local bands that have outgrown the Beauty Bars and Cheyenne Saloons to
continue playing Vegas.
>>
>> I.K.= I met you during an event that you were part of, Can you tell us
a little
about that event?
>>
>> M.S.= That event was Ignite Vegas. It’s an event that takes place in
over 100 cities worldwide. Presenters get five minutes, with twenty
slides that auto-advance every 15 seconds. They can talk about anything
that they’re passionate about. The whole premise behind Ignite is
sharing of ideas, in a fun, fast-paced way. Crystal Chang was the one
who brought it to Vegas, so we have her to thank! You can also check
out more about Ignite at igniteshow.com or ignitevegas.com.
>>
>> I.K.=Will there be another? If so when?
>>
>> M.S.=The one we met at was the inaugural Ignite Vegas, and there has
been another since then. There will be more, but at this time there
isn’t a date announced yet.
>>
>> I.K.=You are a strong, beautiful, and successful woman, Is there any
advice you
would want to tell any girls out there that could help them get to this
level as
well?
>>
>> M.S.=Wow, thank you! Well, I’d say more than anything, your immediate
network matters. And by immediate network, I mean your closest friends,
family, mentors, etc. The people that you immediately associate with
matter because they’re the ones that support you. Even when you doubt
yourself, or think you can’t accomplish something, they’re the ones
that will be there to show you and convince you otherwise. If you have
weeds in your garden, get rid of them.
>>
>> I.K.= I seriously love your style and look. Tell us what influences it
>>
>> M.S.= Thanks! As a gothy, rivethead teenager, a leaning towards all
black, leather and studded things will probably always stick with me.
But I’m mostly influenced by late 70s / early 80s punk and Japanese
street fashion. Everything from big hair, to again, leather and studs,
to loud accessories and accents of fun colors and patterns catches my
eye. My every day wear usually consists of something black with a bit
of rocker flair, but I like to change it up more when I go out and can
put in a bit more effort.
>>
>> I.K.= What are your favorite bands?
>>
>> M.S.= Ah, geez. I usually hate these questions since my taste is always
changing, and I go through phases. I’ll listen to electro for a while,
then switch to indie for a bit, then to punk, to industrial, to 80s,
and so on. It really depends on my mood, but I guess bands that I’ve
listended to consistently over the years, or have some sort of
sentimental significance are VNV Nation, KMFDM, Frontline Assembly,
Pigface, Skinny Puppy, Nine Inch Nails, The Cure, Depeche Mode, The
Smiths, Pennywise, Opy Ivy, Rancid, Green Day, Bad Religion, old AFI,
Link 80, Tiger Army, The Clash, The Cramps, The Misfits, T.S.O.L., Joy
Division, The Eagles, Pink Floyd, Rabbit in the Moon, Siouxsie and the
Banshees, Nick Cave, Sisters of Mercy, Cocteau Twins, Echo and the
Bunnymen, Kraftwerk, Toy Dolls, Le Tigre, Danny Elfman, New Order, Joan
Jett, Iggy Pop. And I am probably forgetting a lot. Actually, I know
I’m forgetting a lot. It’s too hard to pick only a few favorites!
>>
>> I.K.= What about these bands keep you interested?
>>
>> M.S.= For some it’s sentimental, a certain band that was constant
during a notable time of my life, for others its lyrics that hit home,
and for the rest its some sort of sounds that’s either never changed,
or was instrumental in introducing me to a genre. Aside from a couple
that have changed their sound, and as a result I don’t listen to much
of the new stuff, they’ve all stayed mostly consistent, and matured
over time rather than changed.
>>
>> I.K.= What are your favorite things to do in your free time?
>>
>> M.S.=What free time? Kidding. ~_^ I love to dine out, go for walks,
take weekend trips when I can swing it, work on crafty projects, poke
around the internet, read, play games, play with pets, watch an
animated series or movie, or cook.
>>
>> I.K.= Do you have a blog, instagram, or twitter page?
>>
>> M.S.=I haven’t blogged in years, heh. My blog has been on
semi-permanent maintenance mode forever it seems! I really should get
back on that. Otherwise, I can be found on tumblr at manya.mobi
(manya.tumblr.com) or on Twitter @manyas. Thanks so much for the chat.
It’s been fun!