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 |  My scattered scribblings |
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What have you come across? My pen and keyboard are usually busy with stories and books. Anything that makes it into this journal is something powerful or important enough to have me write it down. If you like any of the following, we can be friends: blue police boxes, world dominating rings, epic journeys with vertically challenged people, dark lords with respirator problems, billionaire superheroes with toys, monster hunting brothers, pointy-eared science officers, FBI agents who investigate supernatural incidences with a crazy scientist, high functioning sociopaths, magic-wielding British adolescents, fairytale amalgamations, 'Thu'ums' +5 points to anyone who can name what all of these are. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only **
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Erotica The writer is just living out their fantasies. True? Sometimes - but not for all erotica writers. Just like some writers might put themselves in the arms of a dashing knight, at the mercy of monsters, or holding the fate of the world in one hand the 1 billion ton nuclear bomb trigger in the other. Every writer puts a little of themselves in each story. We also take something away from it. A good example is my 'I need a break from my other books' book which takes place in a sex club. The entire thing is an exploration of fetishes - an all inclusive representation of desire. Just because I've included knife play, doesn't mean I'm hoping someone's going to slice me. But, my rule is, I will write each one with dedication and care as if it were my fetish. I will write each one to be as valid and acceptable as a kiss. Why? If it's sane, safe, and consensual, who am I to judge what gets people off. My view towards reading smut is the same as any genre - is it well written? Is there character development? Are the steamy scenes put in for a reason rather than just thrown in? Is the writer writing a story? If it meets this check list, pile that thing with the rest of my books. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
Forests I work in a very big city - 8.5 million people. Most of my students grew up in the city and, due to the crazy school schedules in this country and even crazier pressure from parents to get into a good university, most younger students (and some older) have never really been 'in the countryside'. Their version of nature is going to the tourist trap of Baiyun Hill and walking along the asphalt paths where there are slightly more trees. And camping? Forget it! Not having a wifi connection or the ability to go to ktv is enough to put them into the fetal position. Now, here is where it becomes worthy of a full 360 degree eye roll. Many of them want to immigrate into Canada (mostly for school). Then I tell them there are no ktv bars and it's usually too expensive to eat out all the time. "But how will you relax with no ktv?" "How will you not be bored?" I roll my eyes again. God damn city kids. I grew up in the country side - in the middle of nowhere. I had to entertain myself. I would escape to the forest behind my house and build teepees or rickety hobbit holes. I would climb around the waterfalls and walk up the rivers. But mostly, I let my imagination run more wild than the creatures that lived there. In my forest, animals could talk, magic seeped from the sap of trees, monsters lingered in dark holes, and every story I had ever heard, lived within the borders of the trees. No one could see it of course. The invisible door between worlds would only open for me. Cities are crushing - they are the settings for action films, end of the world fiction, and dystopian horrors. Forrests are thriving - they are where rainbows end, the place for dashing heroes to rob from the rich, and misty green seas where fairytales were born. "But how will you relax with no ktv?" "How will you not be bored?" I roll my eyes again. God damn city kids. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
Weather!! The weather in Guangzhou today is completely menopausal. First, it's a sweltering sauna. Then, BOOM!, the sky opens up and pours down one weeks worth of rain in one hour. Buses turn into boats, stores become life boats, and a simple walk to work turns into training for the Olympic swimming team. Then it's cool for an hour. Then it gets muggy as hell! Nine years of this every spring/summer shouldn't surprise me . . . but still. Take some hormones Mother Nature! ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
Vowels I love teaching. And teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) offers a entirely different experience, especially when your students are adults and can talk about a far wider range of topics. But more than anything, I love those accidental mistakes that end up meaning something totally different - and occasionally dirty. One example is mistakes in pronuncation. Different language uses different muscles to form words and, for those of you who don't know, long and short vowels (especially E and I) are really hard for some Chinese speakers. Many of them can't even hear the difference - just like many 'foreigners' can't hear the different tone changes in Chinese. The following conversation took place in one of my beginner level classes. It was allowed to continue because their grammar was fantastic, and sentence structure was the focus of that particular class. If you are sensitive to profanity (even accidental) do not read further. A: I am bored. What would you like to do today? B: I would like to go to the bitch. A: Yes! The bitch sounds great. B: But is the bitch free? A: I think you must pay to go onto the bitch. B: That's ok. I can pay. Is the bitch dirty? A: No. The bitch is very clean. B: Great. Can we take our clothes off on the bitch? A: No! You must wear something. B: What time would you like to leave? A: I am very excited. I would like to go now. What a big difference and I and E can make, huh? This next one was in a different class. It was a higher level class where we less them get away with less.. Teacher: What's your favorite kind of music? Student A: I like jazz. Teacher: Good. What's yours? Student B: I like popular music. Teacher: Good. But it's pop music not popular music. How about you? Student C: I like fuck music. Teacher: Umm. What? Student C: You know, traditional Chinese fuck music. Teacher: (think think think) Oh! Folk music. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
Endurance Person A: "Yeah! I found an agent!" or "Yeah! I got published!" Person B (me): Wow... that's great... (insert mumbled expletive here) Am I really happy for them? Absolutely yes. Because I would want someone to be happy for me if the tables were turned, not grumble. I wait until I get home to grumble. I go home and glare at my screen and wonder, "Agh! When will that happen to me?" When every rejection letter comes back, "This is a great story, it's just not for me. Keep looking." I can't help but wonder, "Okaaaaay . . . If it's good, why isn't one of these damn things a 'yes we would love to represent you'?" Then I take a deep breath and remember three, very important things. 1. Many well known books have been rejected. The most recent (and famous) example being Harry Potter - rejected by eight publishing houses, only accepted because the daughter read it and asked for it, and the first printing was abysmally low because they had very little faith in the project. Chicken Soup for the Soul was rejected 100 times. Let's say that again, 100! 2. I have a book. I've sent out agent letters and continue to do so. It's leagues further than most around me who claim to be writers. (This doesn't work very well on this site, because everyone here is active about their dreams of writing. And I love you all for it!) 3. If I give up, it definitely won't happen. So, for all those who occasionally find themselves in the same slump as me, just remember these simple words: You'll want to give up - don't. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
Sensitivity Ode to the Empath They are the artists who can put the soul onto paper or canvas. They are the kind individuals who go out of their way to do something nice so another can shed their troubles, if only for a moment. They tred carefully and abide by their mother's good advice of "treat others how you would want to be treated". They know there are others in the world who do the same and do not embrace the title, but an empath knows they come from a long, unappreciated line of humanity. They sit in stunned silence when someone says, "God, you're too sensitive." and wonder why that person had happily accepted the best part of them only moments before. They are the few and a dying breed. And they are the emotional deposits of pure gold the rest of the world mines away until there is nothing left. If you know any of these sensitive souls, take a moment to thank them for all that they do or, even better, return a kindness they have given you. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
The Holy Trinity of Henson Movies I've always loved fantasy, even as a kid I would devour any book and movie of the genre - cliche I know, but true. Right now, we're in a giddy golden age thanks to movies like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter - and directors like Peter Jackson who are willing to give themselves ulcers or have nervous breakdowns after realizing the Middle Earth proportions of what they got themselves into. But does anyone remember the lull in the 90s? Ten years of utterly 'meh' fantasy movies. Thankfully there were the gems of the 80s to keep us going and praying things would get better than Macaulay Culkin in cartoon form. In the 80s we still had geniuses like Jim Henson around, puppets were still cool (we can talk about Avenue Q another day), and children's movies could still be disturbingly dark. This is my sacred, dark Henson trinity. Labyrinth - 1986 David...Bowie...in...tights - tights that left nothing to the imagination. Aside from my first movie star crush, the concept art came from Brian Froud, one of my favorite fantasy artists of all time! Why is it dark? Do you remember The Fireys? You know, the lanky creatures that danced around stoned and tried to pull Sarah's head off?! Let's not forget the very ending "Fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave." Not sure if it was right that I swooned. The Dark Crystal - 1982 Completely, well almost completely, puppets. There were a few times we saw a short actor climbing over the mountains, but we'll forgive the puppeteers that one. If you haven't seen this movie, stop reading and go download it now. Right now. I'll wait. Why is it dark? The king of the Skeksis (a decrepit looking vulture) drinks the life force of his slaves to stay young! Not only do they have their souls sucked out, their faces cave in during the process, and they don't die! They walk around like zombies for the rest of the movie. Witches - 1990 Based off the Roald Dahl book, it was the first time I had ever heard Mr. Bean speak. Although Henson died that year, his production company soldiered on and fitted Anjelica Huston with an Anjelica Huston mask she got to peel off and reveal the most disgusting witch a child will ever lay eyes on. I highly recommend binge watching all of these in one go. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
Google it I hate when people say this. Granted I'm a hypocrite and say it too sometimes, but the irk really comes out when it involves writing. Maybe it's also a side effect from being a teacher, but when someone asks another for help and the advice is, "Google it", that equates to "You're not worth the two minutes it takes to answer this question." Now, if the dreaded sentence is preceded by "I'm sorry, I don't know. Maybe you can..." then fine. Aside from feeling brushed off, it grinds my gears for a few other reasons:  Some people don't have the ability to sift through mountains of information and pin point that tiny answer their looking for. What about our audio learners and their struggling brethren? Not everyone takes information the same way. Just because it's in print on a website with good use of fonts and white space that creates a professional and trust worthy feel, doesn't mean the answer is going to be right...or even useful. So much of the advice and answers out there is a horrid mess of conflictAnd the list goes on. Argument: Some people are just lazy and don't want to search for the answer. Rebuttal: True. But then we just have to look at the question - "Where is London?" vs "Has anyone been to London and what restaurants are worth a try?". Then again, we're making assumptions that they are lazy. In my opinion anything from Google, and much of the internet for that matter, needs the sarcastic disclaimer, "Oh you saw it on the internet? It must be true then." A little food for thought - My friend is also a teacher. To make sure his class didn't cheat and wikipedia everything for a certain paper, he went to the relevant pages, changed ALL the dates, left it that way for TWO days, then changed it back. Any student who had the inncorrect dates on their paper received an automatic fail. A teaching win, but fail for anyone who looked at that page for those two day. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
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I dunno. I get all wound up in defining the terms of the discussion, and then forget what I'm supposed to be doin'. 
As for newsi have my other half filter what I want to hear as he knows what I want to here. for instance:3. Husband sues wife after seeing her with no makeup for the first time. It tickled me. I purposely walked about with no makeup and my old slacks and top yesterday I also left my hair untouched. Then asked him would he divorce me if he saw me every day like that. His answer was: You were my queen the day I met you and you will be my queen till the day I divorse you. (We both had a good laugh)
