Quotes about "Youth & Coming of Age"

I started my teenage years singing in churches across America, and finally wound up on a big stage. ”

The most successful hyperpowers are the ones where there was actual intermixing. Tang dynasty China was China's golden age, and contrary to what I was told when I was growing up, Tang China was founded by a man who by today's standards was no more than half Chinese. It was a mixed-blood dynasty that pulled in 'barbarians' from the steppe. ”

I saw my parents come over. They were immigrants, they had no money. My dad wore the same pair of shoes, I had some ugly clothes growing up, and I never had any privileges. In some ways, I think the person that I am now, I think it's good that I had that kind of tough upbringing. ”

Growing up in San Antonio, I was the dork at the Friday night football games with my head buried in a book - Jack Kerouac or Oscar Wilde, years before I really understood them. ”

On the one hand, I always get the young ingenue, pretty parts. But I don't think of myself that way because I was an ugly duckling when I was growing up. I have to be reminded when I play a part sometimes that I'm playing the pretty girl. ”

I don't know where things are going wrong. I refused 22 offers for lavani numbers and five films. I was not happy with the kind of offers coming my way. Even for the lavani number 'Vajale Ki Bara' in 'Natarang,' I was the last option. I was finalised one day before the shoot was to begin. ”

I love when people are coming up and they're working hard and you can see that they're really focused on the process to their music. I really dig that. As a musician, it's nice to see people who really care about the process. ”

Growing up, I didn't come from a musical family. Neither of my parents played an instrument, sang out loud, or listened to the radio with frequency. The record collection in the living room was only about 2 feet long - and that included 4 solid inches of Neil Diamond and Herb Alpert. ”

As a youth, I always did a good deal of reading in the summer months, having suffered since birth from an allergy to athletic activity. ”

I was pretty aimless as a youth, especially in Patna. I think reading saved me. ”