Buddhism is really, one of its main practices is understanding and experiencing compassion, and how that ultimately is a road to happiness.

I've been practicing Buddhism for a while. So, I call myself a Jew-Bu, because my tribe is still Jew. But my philosophy and my practice is really Buddhist.

So curiosity, I think, is a really important aspect of staying young or youthful.

A body smiles, like, 72 times a day. Where does that smile go? That's what I want to know.

It is my greatest wish to teach children what I now believe: that writing is not a burden but a joy.

I've always been quite mature because of the way my parents brought me up. They were very good at talking to me like a person rather than a baby, and I was around so many actors and directors from such a young age because my dad is an actor. I was more comfortable with adults rather than actually being an adult child.

My father, a math professor in Hong Kong, worked as an electrical engineer here. My mother was an art teacher, but once we came to the United States, she went back to school and became certified as a special-education teacher.

Also, my mom and family are very important to me and I know that this is not expected.