The Goodluck Cat

While Chinese culture does not include cat as a favorite pet, Japanese does. I never understand it until I took the Children Literature class at CSULA two years ago. In this class, part of my projects, I had to search for fifty books with author name, title of book, year of publishing and the summary of the book.
I went to the South Pasadena library, spent two hours in the children section, sitting on the tiny, wooden chair, and table. I felt like a kid myself going over shelves and shelves of books. There I found the book called "Manekineko".
The author wrote a story about the boy who loved to draw cats. His parent was very upset and told him to leave. So, he took all his drawings and walked miles and miles away from home. One night, he stopped at ruined temple and went in for some rest. He found none around. Hw started to draw pictures and pictures of cats everywhere on the wall, rooms to rooms ... Hungry and tired, he hid himself in one of closet to sleep. At night, he heard so much noise of animals fighting and screaming. The next day, when he woke up, he saw so many blood stains everywhere. At the time, the monks came out to thank him. The boy knew that the cats from his drawings had become alive and helped to save the temple from the gremlins.

That's why I choose Manekineko for my blog's name!

The Chinese Tale

The Chinese tales were like Greek or Roman myths. Most of the stories originated from an unknown factor, fairy tale like. The most bizarre one related to destiny. Husband and wife relationship was believed to be fated by Mr. "To" and Mrs. "Nguyet"
Sorry, I cannot translate it into English. But the story I am going to tell you might explain it better.

Years ago, there was a brother and a sister whose parents were both deceased. They were very poor. The young boy earned some living by going to the wood, collected branches to sell at the market. The sister helped work in the field with the farmers to have some food. One day, after his work, the boy saw an old man sitting by the road absorbing in his work that drew the youngster's attention. The man without looking at the basket, pulled out a piece of red thread with one hand; and another red thread in another basket with the other hand. He then tied them together and he put it in another basket.
-What are you doing, Sir?
-I match husband and wife.
The boy was so curious, still he asked without the intention to know. He was so poor, how could he afford to marry someone.
-So, who is my future wife?
The old man pulled out the red thread in one hand, another red thread in the other hand, tied it together and said:
-You will marry to your sister.
The boy stood up, mad and said:
-It will never happen.

The boy went home. While he was approaching the door, his sister was sitting by the well, preparing dinner. He walked over her, and hit real strong on her head wit his ax. Without looking back, he fled. His sister fell on the ground, dead.

Time went by, the boy became a young, hard working officer for the China King. He got married to his wife who was a daughter of the China governor. One day, coming form work ,he saw his wife was combing her beautiful, long, black hair; looking over her, he saw a big scar on her scalp. He asked for the reason and she answered that the incident happened when she was very young. She did not understand why her brother got mad at her and hit her with the ax that almost killed her. Her parents now were not her biological as she was adopted to this rich family after their daughter died from an illness.

Do not ask me why but almost every Asian countries who are influenced by the Chinese culture, believes that marriage is not a simple matter, it is tied by an inexplicable destiny.

In the next blog, I will explain how you can find your match by following the five basic elements (Water, Fire, Wood, Metal and Earth.)

So long!

Frankenstein by Mary Shelly

I never like Frankenstein until I read Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, a British novelist in 1831. It was a summer vacation, the group of writers spent time at Lord Byron's villa, reading ghost stories. Inspiring by Lord Byron's suggestion, she wrote a supernatural tale, Frankenstein.

Hollywood destroyed the real side of Frankenstein. I think Frankenstein was a little bit like an ESL student who tried to learn to speak the target language, to adapt to the multicultural society. Because of his hideous appearance, he was pushed away by human who thought that he were a monster while he actually was a nice person with soft spoken words and acted like a real gentleman. This was opposite when comparing to the ESL learners. The language barrier make their existence invisible.

The was a chapter when Frankenstein first encountered with a blind, old man. The conversation was engaged between them because the old man did not judge with his eyes. All he heard was the soft spoken voice; and Frankenstein believed human behaved like that man.

That is why Antoine de St. Exupery had a famous quote : "And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

Le Petit Prince, My favorite book

"And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye. "

This is the quote from Antoine de Saint Exupery's famous book "Le Petit Prince" He is one of my favorite writer. He was born in Lyon, Francein 1900, became a writer and a successful commercial pilot. He went missing on a reconnaissance flight over the Mediterranean in July 1944. He was forty four.

Le Petit Prince reflects human relationship and loneliness. Le Petit Prince has no name because he represents all children in the world who was eager to leave his own planet to enter to the grown-ups'. Le Petit Prince is also very sentimental. In chapter VI, he reveals his melancholy whenever he sees the sunset. One time, he watched the sunset forty three times.

If you have the chance to read the book, hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Garrison Keillor

Mr. Keillor is my favorite story teller. Have you ever listened to his voice? His shows is on every Saturday from 6-8pm on PCC, FM89.3. He perform live on the Prairie Home Companion, the American Public Media's in Minnesota. Mr. Keillor sings and acts. My favorite show is "Guy Noir, Private Eyes".

Mr. Keillor will be in the Greek theater, Griffith Park in June 5, 2009.

I also listen to his Almanac on KUSC, FM91.5, every weekday at 5pm, and replay at 7pm. Mr. Keillor will honor every writer, poet's birthday. Then, he will read a poem. His voice is warm, soft and you can hear every sound and syllable that he says. He speaks the perfect English.

It does not take a special character to like Mr. Keillor. I like him because he touches my soul!