My name is Allan Paolo Barazon, and I live in a town 10 miles from suburban Manila (in the Philippines). I'm a sophomore computer science student, and on the side I'm also a freelance graphic artist. When I'm not busy with school and work, I keep a diary, sometimes creating short poems, stories and essays; I've also edited school and community newsletters. When not writing, I'm into music---whether pounding chords on the piano or strumming some tunes on the guitar.

I'm also a cineaste, and I usually watch classic and art films (whether foreign movies or Filipino films). My biggest showbiz crush is the Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi; it was from her that I derived my on-line pseudonym, "ziyiManiac", and it was on a fan site that I first posted my poems under that alias. It was also from her movie "The Road Home" (directed by Zhang Yimou) where I derived inspiration for some of my poems, including those that I have submitted.