Post by umika kavitha aislin on Apr 11, 2012 23:55:52 GMT -5
UMIKA KAVITHA AISLIN
Dancing all alone, singing dum-dee-do
Listening to the music on the radio
| B A S I C S |
Name Umika Kavitha Aislin
Nicknames N/A
PB Tamannaah Bhatia (Tamannaah)
Age 31 (born 4/1)
Sex Female
Occupation Photography Professor / Freelance Photographer
Location Chicago, IL USA| P E R S O N A L I T Y |
Umika's personality can be summed up in one word: Odd. 90% of the time, Umika is in her own happy little world. She will often address people only if she is behind a camera lens. If something or someone piques her interest, she will obsess over them until they become boring and ignore all else. When she is in “artistic mode,” don’t expect to get much conversation out of her. She has a serious side, but it is exceptionally rare to see it, especially because she has trouble focusing on things. If something responsible requires her attention, but she can put it off, she will until it is absolutely necessary and she often needs help organizing herself to do certain things, like tax returns - or organizing herself in general.
As a teacher, Umika believes in a “grade yourself” approach. She only cares about exposing her students to the magic of art, photography in particular. Some students get it, some don’t; why penalize those that don’t? You can expect to receive odd assignments and an even stranger lecture provided Umika remembers to show up to her classes. Despite this being her third year at OIU, Umika has managed to stay aloof from most of her fellow teachers and quite a few of her students as well. This isn't because she's unfriendly or because she hates people, just because she's so focused on her obsessions and art that she doesn't really think to interact. She's very nice and friendly, if you can get her to stop for a conversation, but she's bad at keeping up with acquaintances. A lot of times, she just forgets that she should be spending time with friends - it takes a lot of effort if you want to make a relationship with her work.
When she's not "teaching" Umika can usually be found wandering Orange Island, looking for something. She's never quite sure what, and it changes daily, but she knows when she finds it. Her searching often involves hanging upside down from various objects or people. While not as enthusiastic about drinking as some of her coworkers are, Umika is a frequent patron of 2020. She likes the energy of parties and the energy of loud music and being around everyone there is thrilling. Drinking is, of course, always a plus, but even if that weren't a factor, she would still frequent the party areas. Sometimes she dances, but a lot of times, she goes just to soak up the atmosphere. It really depends on her level of enthusiasm that night - and her blood alcohol level, of course.
Strengths:
Helpfulness: Provided you can find her, Umika is always willing to help a friend, student, or student friend in need. She may not be willing to help an enemy, but it doesn't hurt to ask.
Resourcefulness: Umika will do whatever it takes in the pursuit of a perfect shot: climb trees, scale buildings, "motivate" people to move, etc. Most of the time her methods are legal...
Attention to detail: Given a task to do, or a subject to photograph, Umika will exhaust every effort to meet the requirements as best as she possibly can. Sometimes her interpretation of the task may differ from the intended, though.
Weaknesses:
Aloofness: Umika likes to let her mind wander and doesn't always pay attention to her surroundings should she become fixated. This has led to more than a few accidents and injuries. It also doesn't make Umika the easiest person to talk too.
Forgetfulness: Umika has a bad memory. She's found that writing things down helps, but then she needs to remember where she wrote them down.
Curiosity: While not strictly a weakness, Umika's curiosity has gotten her into trouble on multiple occasions. She has spent more than one night in prison for trespassing or causing a public disturbance.
Likes: Kiwis, Photography, Mystery Novels, Storms (even more so if there is lightning), Vodka, Trance Music
Dislikes: Sunrises, Mornings in general, Romance Novels, Rum, Rap, Driving
| H I S T O R Y |
Father: Paul Aislin, 67 - Writer, Artist
Mother: Latangi Aislin, 59 - Photographer, Artist
Siblings (in law, Paul's son): Connor Aislin, 39 - Journalist
HISTORY
Birth & Early Life
For as long as she could remember, Umika had been surrounded by art in one form or another. Her father, Paul, writes nonfiction books on historical locations throughout the world, specializing on the Middle Ages through the Renaissance. His books feature beautiful photographs courtesy of his wife, Latangi. The two also collaborate on the drawings and diagrams within his books.
While the Aislin family owned a condo in Chicago, they spent more time traveling the world. As a result, Umika and her half brother, Connor, were both homeschooled until they were able to attend college. Connor chose to follow in his father's footsteps. He focused on journalism during college and went on to become a mildly successful columnist.
Umika, on the other hand, favored her mother's profession and artistic vision. From an early age, she fell in love with photography. She loved being able to capture moments in time, to display emotions on film, and to be able to show visions of the world to anyone who wanted to see them. It came as little surprise that Umika would want to attend a college where she could nurture her love of film.
Orange Island University
Umika's first choice for college was the Art Institute of Chicago. She had a difficult time adjusting to college life in a large city after her years of homeschooling, though, and her grades and social life suffered. She dropped out after her freshman year and took a semester off to recover. When she was ready to try again, Umika applied and was accepted to Orange Island University.
Umika preferred the more laid back, "we're a medium sized city and we like it that way" feel to Orange Island and was able to quickly adjust and make friends. She loved everything about the city, the college, and, in particular, being surrounded by teachers and peers who shared her feelings about art. Umika flourished and took as many classes as she could cram into her schedule. Three years later, she graduated with a double major in Photography and Film Studies.
The In-Between Years
Still not quite sure what she wanted to do with herself after graduation, Umika decided to take a year off and ponder. While she enjoyed life on the go like her parents, she knew that, unlike her parents, she wanted to eventually settle down. Granted, there were multiple options that would allow her to do this; she could open a studio, work for a newspaper, or something else along those lines. Due mostly to a lack of funds, Umika returned to Chicago and spent time working various jobs, not quite finding the satisfaction she had hoped.
Umika was slowly becoming resigned to the fact that she would probably never find the "thing she wanted to do for the rest of her life" that people kept talking about. It came as a welcome surprise when she, almost by accident, did. A friend who worked at the Art Institute of Chicago invited Umika to accompany her class on a weeklong excursion. Umika acted as a TA of sorts, helping students learn about various photographic techniques. She enjoyed the experience so much that Umika worked as a TA for the class for the rest of the semester, then enrolled herself. She finished two years later with a Masters in Art Education and followed up by enrolling at Loyolla University for a Higher Education Ph.D.
While studying for her PHD, Umika resumed traveling. Sometimes she would accompany her parents on their excursions, although they tended to be more for relaxation rather than work now. Other times, she would provide a photographic eye for Connor's articles. While this did effect her grades somewhat, Umika was at least able to sell some of her works to help pay off her schooling. You may have seen them in magazines or galleries.
Orange Island University - Part 2
Umika obtained her Ph.D. just after her 29th birthday. While she applied to multiple art schools across the country, and even some overseas, her ideal job was to return to Orange Island. It seemed like a fitting way for her to pass her love of photography onto the next generation in an environment she knew and loved. Luckily, a position opened and Umika jumped on the opportunity. This will be her second year teaching at OUI.| A P P E A R A N C E |
Umika has long, black hair usually worn down and grey colored eyes. She is slim 5’2” on a good day. She makes sure to keep in shape, not for appearance sake, but to aid in her explorations. It's hard to scale the side of a building or shimmy up a light post if one is out of shape after all.
Umika has a few distinguishing features. While she may not seem the type, Umika has two tattoos. The first is a mad hatter hat on her left outer thigh and the second is a design on her back. She also has a vertical scar on her right calf from when she fell out of a tree.
Umika's outfits tend to reflect what she is pursuing on any given day. Her default outfit is usually a sundress or a bright colored blouse and long dress regardless of the weather. She always has at least one camera on her person at all times.
| E X T R A S |
Umika's Camera: Nikon F6 with an attachable AF-S Nikkor zoom lens.
Umika's condo layout: Fifth, top floor of her building.
Umika's pet Bettas: Cat & Dog
Umika doesn't own a car; she prefers to walk or take public transportation. When she's not spending time at the university, Umika takes on photography jobs for various companies around Orange Island. Some of her projects include pictures featured in the Orange Island travel brochure and website; 2020's advertising campaigns; and various OIU publications. Her frequent run-ins with Orange Island's finest (albeit for mostly harmless reasons) has led to her becoming friends with several of the more lenient officers as well as a criminal record.
| S K I L L S |
*ignores*
| P L A Y E R |
Name Sapphire
Age How old are you?
Gender *flips a coin*
How you found us Fell out of a window
Who else do you play? Kyle, Logan
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