my mom had just returned from a trip
to taiwan, and brought an old foto album
for me. so old that the front cover had torn
off. the first page contained two fotos : my
grandparents on their wedding day, and
the above picture.

i’m guessing it was taken in china,
before the entire family fled from the
communists to taiwan. before there
even was a family. they both look so
young and so beautiful.

with our elders, parents, grandparents…
we tend to forget that they too were young
once, with dreams and passions.
it’s almost as if they were strangers,
if you think about them with a past all
their own. before you even existed.

my grandfather is nearly unrecognizable
to me in this foto. not only because
he looks so dashing and young–but because
he is smiling so happily. i’ve always known
him as a reserved, stern and serious man.
not a young one in love.

but that foto was taken before he lost
his country, his wife, his only son…

this is more of the grandfather i knew.
still handsome, but not given to easy
laughter or smiles. he was a
virgo by western astrology, and an oxen
by the chinese one–exactly like me.

i was born when he was sixty years old.
my mom said he refused to be anywhere
close to the delivery room. the chinese
believe that some people are born with
“hard” lives, so cutting that it can even harm
those you love. given the tragedies that
my grandfather had lived through, he didn’t
want to bring any of that near his
newborn granddaughter.

that’s my mom in the foto.
i’ve always thought of her as very
elegant and beautiful. it surprises me
when people say i look like her. (as some
of you have said.) i simply don’t see it.

so yes, i do hope to one day write a novel
based on my grandparent’s lives. their story.
there were letters written and journal entries.
but it’s not anything i can tackle very soon.
i’m simply not ready.

i’m very much looking forward to the challenge
of my sequel next–and my picture book.
pandas are my latest muse.
zai jian (goodbye!) for now!

edited to add : you can click on the foto
to get a much larger image. i love the
pose in that first. they don’t have their
arms around each other, they aren’t holding
hands. but can’t you tell that they are in
love, the way she’s a step behind him,
with her shoulder pressed close to his?
and their smiles say it all…

read an excellent article about a ming
dynasty junk replica sailing into san francisco.
(link from 6togo) :

The Princess Taiping, 54 feet long, powered at sea by cotton sails on three masts, was designed to ancient specifications “to reveal the magnificence of the Chinese sailing heritage,” according to the Chinese Maritime Development Society, which helped organize the voyage.

There are two other reasons for the voyage: pride and passion. “Without passion this would not be possible,” said Nelson Liu, the skipper of the Princess Taiping.

Pride was built into the voyage from the start, when Liu and others tracked down traditional designs, built the boat to specifications of a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) war junk, and set sail from Hong Kong this summer.

i love what the skipper says about
passion. and that foto is so evocative
for me–adventure, danger, challenge,
exploration, history and culture. does
it speak to you, too?

i did buy an excellent book on junks
a while back which cost me over $50
(from an academic press). not many
junks exist today. this one is supposed to sail
down to san diego, and i do hope so.
i would love to see it with my own eyes!

it’s going to be another hectic busy
weekend! wish me luck on revisions.
i hope you have a great one!! xo

when i began writing my novel,
i didn’t know the ending (tho i
knew my climax almost from
the start). i think deep down,
i always suspected there was
a sequel. but i’m strange with
my writing revelations. i never
take them for face value.
instead, the idea will simmer for
days–months even–then i finally
concede that yes, this is where the
story / character wants to go.
and i’m along for the ride.

novel 2 will be both challenging
and interesting. it’s like starting
all over again. spirit bound was
the first novel i wrote and its sequel
will be the first novel i write
under contract. *crawls under a
rock and hides* haha! really tho,
there is a certain stress accompanied
with writing under contract, but
as usual, i’m looking forward to
the journey–to grow as a writer!
(remind me of this when i whinge
during the rough draft stage!)

while i diligently polished my
manuscript here in cali, my fellow
greenwillowites were working just
as hard on the east coast on the
cover shoot for my heroine.
i thought about it often yesterday
and sent good vibes.

my old college roomie who is a
doctor in pathology answered a
question regarding a crucial,
much discussed scene between
virginia and me, and it was so helpful.
i just about jumped up and down
when she said what i wrote was
plausible (since i know nothing
about anatomy, pathology, etc.)
i googled for some info and was
a bit ill from the images i pulled up. =X

i’m afraid i’m completely immersed
in revisions and have nothing
interesting to say. hope you all
had a lovely weekend! more revising
for me tonight–after the bubs
go to bed. 8)

oh, i’m considering buying a mac
laptop. anyone a mac user?

*my writing nook. it’s really just
a laptop desk (which was a sewing
table), squished into my bedroom’s
reading nook. i dream to have my
own artist / writing studio one day…

munchkin had discovered another
large spider in our front garden this
week. i didn’t get a chance to take a peek
until this weekend–near dusk.
and ivy (named for where she perches
and preys) is even more gorgeous than
daisy. probably one and a half times the
size of daisy (maybe near two inches long?)
with a striking gold design on her black
belly.

the ivy is set within a low wall and
ivy’s web was expansive! i wanted
to get a good foto of her from the other
side and stepped onto the wall, when
something fluttered into her web!
you should have seen the spider scamper
to its prey. a large cricket, we believe?
tho i always thought crickets were green?

ivy already had a little something wrapped
up, too!

i was very excited about ivy’s large
catch! and so was ivy. the love said there
should be a saying : as patient as a spider.
it’s awe inspiring how fast she is.
i wanted to stay and watch her spin the
cricket’s silken tomb, but we were on our
way to dinner.

another busy yet fun weekend.
went to a baby shower for twin girls!
had delicious mexican food with great
company and a virgin pina colada to boot.
worked out for 90 minutes at the gym
and burned 789 calories! (the love
gave me a heart rate monitor for
my bday. =)

virginia’s second set of revision notes
arrived on saturday. i’m percolating.
and trying not to panic! i think the issues
virginia brings up can make the novel much
more interesting / stronger. i want to
be able to do it right. wish me luck!!

currently reading :

lavinia
by ursula le guin

i’m hoping to channel le guin while
revising. haha! i so admire her
sparse, quiet storytelling style.
tho i’m not sure i’ll do much reading
in the coming weeks.

sailing alone around the world
by capt. joshua slocum

for novel 2 research. first printed
in 1899.

it was a compelling and enjoyable
read, with interesting characters and
a just as intriguing premise. i hear that
faeries are “hot” right now? i have noticed
quite a few YA books coming out featuring
them?

i felt that marr did an excellent job
of making every character in her book
unique and multi-dimensional to me.

never even heard of the book or
the author until i saw the film.
after seeing the movie, i just had
to read the book!

as i mentioned before, leonard marcus
spoke at the scbwi conference. when i
wanted to buy this book, they were already
sold out. but a friend was kind enough to
buy it for me off my wishlist! i’ve started
reading–but i do tend to be slower with
non-fiction books. i don’t “cheat” when
i read fiction–i read one at a time. but i can
double up on non-fiction.

i think i first heard this book mentioned
on kristen nelson’s blog. how epic fantasy
is back since rothfuss’ debut hit the nyt
bestsellers list. i’ve only heard glowing
reviews from bloggers and forum folk.
i know jkb enjoyed this book tremendously.
i’m curious and looking foward to this read.

julianne interviewed gortner on her
blog and it certainly piqued my interest.
i’m a big fan of historical fiction. this one
is about princess juana of spain. monarchs,
kingdoms, betrayal, madness–all that
good stuff. we couldn’t make up anything
more interesting than what has actually
happened in history, i believe–at least as
far as human interaction / relationships go.

this was recommended by a blogger.
i just can’t remember who. she said
it was something good to read after twilight.
i’ve only read twilight (which i did love).
vampires are still hot, i think, as far as
trends go.

jennifer jackson mentioned this on her
blog, i believe. a historical fantasy based
during elizabeth I’s reign, with a court of
fey involved. interestingly, i had just recently
read midnight never come by marie brennan.
i liked that novel and we’ll see how this one differs.

someone from absolutewrite listed this as
their favorite novel. i’d never read. it’s
something different that i’d like to try.

my favorite fantasy author.
incredibly, i had never heard of
le guin until i saw the earthseas
mini-series on the sci-fi channel.
altho i understand she wasn’t happy
with the mini-series, it prompted me
to buy her books. and i’ve been reading
her ever since. lavinia is her newest novel.
writing through her 70’s–how fantastic!

my friend s actually recommended this
novel and of course, the author is our
beloved moonie’s writer boyfriend. =D
i had no idea it’s…sci fi? or alternate history?
either way, it sounds very intriguing. and
everyone i know seems to have loved it.

saw random foto of chabon recently
and didn’t know he was, like, hot? wow.

and finally, for novel two research.
i also have a very old (1920’s) non-fiction
novel from a writing friend on loan about
sailing around the world.

can you believe how many books i got?
i’m giddy as can be that my to be read
pile is so big filled with so many fantastic
stories. hurrah!

currently reading :

i’m at a loss. can’t decide!
i thought perhaps brideshead
revisited–but we’ll see what my
mood is like…

i was able to find something for 3
days a week and am much relieved.
i think august will prove to be a very
busy month for me. and i’ll NOT go into
how difficult it is to find good affordable
childcare here in the states.

we’re all booked for our trip to the
uk this christmas time. christmas
is an espcially stressful time to go
abroad, but the love’s family is traditional
in their celebrations (christmas pud
and queen’s speech after dinner!)
so it’s always nice to share
that with them. i’m also looking forward
to visiting london, my favorite city,
for a few days. harrods here i come!
(i’m addicted to their turkish delights.)

i ran across an interesting myth during
my research on water creatures and folklore :

Ondine was a water nymph in German mythology. She was very beautiful and (like all nymphs) immortal. However, should she fall in love with a mortal man and bear his child – she will lose her “gift” of everlasting life.

Ondine fell in love with a dashing knight – Sir Lawrence – and they were married. When they exchanged vows, Lawrence said, “My every waking breath shall be my pledge of love and faithfulness to you.” A year after their marriage Ondine gave birth to Lawrence’s child. From that moment on she began to age. As Ondine’s physical attractiveness diminished, Lawrence lost interest in his wife.

One afternoon Ondine was walking near the stables when she heard the familiar snoring of her husband. When she entered the stable, however, she saw Lawrence lying in the arms of another woman. Ondine pointed her finger at him, which he felt as a kick, waking up with a start. Ondine uttered a curse: “You swore faithfulness to me with every waking breath, and I accepted your oath. So be it. As long as you are awake, you shall have your breath, but should you ever fall asleep, then that breath will be taken from you and you will die!”

…

what’s interesting is that there is an actual
medical condition where breathing is not
autonomic:

Ondine’s curse is now a medical term applied to a rare syndrome where the autonomic (involuntary) control of breathing is lost, resulting in the need to initiate every breath consciously. Untreated, patients with Ondine’s curse supposedly will – like Ondine’s unfaithful spouse – die if they fall asleep.

…

how long would you last if you had to
remember to take each breath? i’m not
sure if i’d make it past 5 minutes.

*walking along the estuary in england
last september.