Michelle Wie’s parents first recognized the athletic prowess in their four-year-old when she picked up a golf club, swung and hit a ball airborne. After a couple months of practicing in 100-yard baseball fields, one ball flew over the fence and into a house. From then on, practice was held exclusively at golf courses.

Maybe it was my parents’ compulsive need to pack educational experiences into every ounce of my childhood. Or maybe it was a desperate attempt to salvage their sanity by getting my brother and I out of the house as much as possible. But as far back as when I was 10 years old, I was flying across the ocean with a bright green “Unaccompanied Minor” button on my hoodie —spending summers at my aunt’s house in Los Angeles, studying pre-calculus at nerd camp or visiting dilapidated castles in England.

No one wants to go through life known as “the Asian dude.” But for Harry Shum, Jr., it’s a dream come true. The 27-year-old plays football player and show-choir member Mike Chang on the hit show “Glee,” but he’s much better known for being “the other Asian,” a nickname dubbed by Jane Lynch’s scary cheerleading coach character, Sue Sylvester.

I remember the college application process like it was yesterday. From applying early decision in November to finishing the rest of my applications late December (like any good procrastinator, I hit the “submit” button five minutes before heading out to ring in the new year); to the breathless refreshing of my email in the school computer labs in March. I’ll never forget the disappointment of being deferred, then rejected from my first-choice college and months later, the rush of relief that came with accepting a spot at my now alma-mater, New York University.

Mochi interviews Chris, this issue’s cute guy of the moment.

On a cold December night, Marié Digby is perched on the piano bench of a small performance space in New York City, about to launch into “Feel,” a song she says is about the low moments of being in love. As the subway momentarily roars past, Marié pauses her set to ask if anyone else in the audience “felt their ass vibrating.” The crowd laughs along as she quickly quips, “I have that effect sometimes.”

Dear Readers,

How do you feel about Mochi’s new look? For our winter body-themed issue, we’ve given ourselves a makeover as well. This season, with the cold weather making us sluggish and a little lazier than usual, we’ve turned our minds to all things body- and health-related. We talked to a range of celebrities to weigh in on body image—singer-songwriter Marie Digby, “So You Think You Can Dance” contestant Karla Garcia and “Fame” actress Anna Maria Perez de Tagle.

On Gossip Girl, Nelly Yuki is perhaps the most complex character in the it-girl group. We’ve seen her buried behind her books, acting in a fat suit during the school play, using the girls against one another to climb the social ladder, and, in the finale, hitting on our dream boy Dan Humphrey after one too many drinks. Mochi meets Yin Chang, the actress behind Nelly Yuki, for the scoop on what goes on behind the scenes, from the casting office to the infamous fashion closet.

Disney star Brenda Song on her favorite things: acting, taekwondo, and Hmong chicken drumsticks.