Name: Merle Elaine Baylin

I was named after Merle Oberon , star of Wuthering Heights. This, according to my mother, was one of the most beautiful and graceful actresses to ever grace the silver screen.

I keep telling all of my friends that my birthday is the infamous, "Day of Death". So many bad things have happened that it overshadows the good. Click the date and find out for yourself...

Despite what my high school said when they assigned me to a guy's gym class... two years in a row.

There's nothing like homemade pasta. The consistancy is just too good to pass up. The nicest thing is that I can control the ingredients. The most interesting flavor that I have ever made is a Caesar Pasta, made with anchovie paste, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Grey is a nice color because it is neither light or dark. It's in between. One of the best ways to describe it is, "...between the candle and the light"

I took a British Literature course with a friend of mine and he really got me into Burns' poetry. There's just something simple in it all. If I could pick one poem that I like, above all others, it would have to be To a Kiss. Reading the poem makes me feel someone's lips on mine.

I have enjoyed this woman's work for years. She has a series dealing with two archaeologists who dig all throughout Egypt and somehow get very involved in murderous plots. Her attention to detail is superb. Want to know more? Visit the Books page.

This one is pretty self explainatory. Though I worked at a job where I had to be sociable and cordial at 6 a.m., this does not make me a morning person by any stretch of the imagination. I don't enjoy waking up. I enjoy sleeping or going to sleep, but not waking up. Besides, most things are accomplished at night for me anyway...

I love to cook and am quite an accomplished chef. I tend to stick with what would be considered "Ethnic" cuisine. When a Chinese-American tells you that your Stir-Fry is exceptional, you know you've done it right. I also bake all of my own bread and refuse to use a "spice packet". Too full of salt.

When I first saw this movie, I was instantly impressed with the scenery and cinematography. David Lean, the director, has done a fabulous job of showing just how vast of an expanse the desert truely is. Another thing that impressed me was Maurice Jarre's music. Most of Jarre's melodies have a haunting quality to them. This is no exception.

In his collaboration with Steven Speilberg, John Williams has scored most of the best movies of the twentieth century. He has also worked with George Lucas, just to name drop... Here are just a few examples:
• Indiana Jones Trilogy
• Jurassic Park
• Star Wars Trilogy
• Schindler's List
• ET- The Extra Terrestrial
• Close Encounters of the Third Kind
• and more.....

I have always been fascinated with ancient cultures. My personal favorite is Egypt. I have been studying it since I was about 6 years old and my mother gave me a book on Egyptian Mythology. I have been hooked on it ever since. I like to consider myself an amateur Egyptologist. One day, I will make it there without fear of being blown up on the process.