I was born 4 days early on December 30, 2007. My mom told me it was so I'd be marked as a dependent on her taxes that year, saving her a cool $10k. In the Stamford Hospital, I was christened Jinfan Frank Hu (胡近凡), meaning Close To Ordinary. Or Close To Mundane. Or Close To Whatever. I know, I know, what a cruel joke.
Don't worry though, they thought the name through. They weren't calling me a 凡人 (commoner), they named me Jinfan because they hoped I'd aspire to be ordinary. A.K.A, I was born extraordinary. A.K.A, I'm built different. And, you know, it's easy to say that you're built different when you beat someone in a 1on1 in hockey, but it's real difficult to say that you're built different when your eye prescription is -475 in both eyes. Yup, I'm extraordinarily nearsighted.
I’m also extraordinarily allergic to dogs. As a kid, our family had two dogs, both very cute. I’d spend hours snuggled up next to them, rubbing my face in their fur and wondering, hey, why can’t I breathe out of my nose? Waking up congested and choking, I genuinely thought I had tuberculosis or something. I found out that I was allergic when I was ten, three years after our last dog passed away. It’s funny though, just like how lactose intolerant people seem to love dairy the most, I really, really, like dogs. And cats. Even though I’m allergic to them too.