tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71308856273987068762024-02-06T22:46:22.161-05:00Wuxia Novelist: A Writer's BlogWuxia Novelist: A Writer's Blog looks at the broad range of issues encountered by me as a novelist working in the Chinese wuxia (heroic fiction) genre. I have, however, a very broad background and this blog will not narrowly focus on one genre of literature, rather I will consider books, movies, and ideas that relate to my life as a writer. For more information about my background please visit my author's website: www.thedragongateinn.com or www.facebook.com/WuxiaNovelistThe Innkeeperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13285052496666836738noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130885627398706876.post-37701571062124361582012-02-19T22:37:00.001-05:002012-02-19T22:40:49.891-05:00New FaceBook Site!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As part of the promotion of my new novel, I've started a Facebook site and would love you have you all visit. I've been thinking of moving from my website, which is presently giving me technical problems - that's why there are no images or mention of the new novel - to this Facebook site. I think I can handle changes and interact with readers much more adroitly via Facebook than via a website. It's an experiment and I hope you'll put up with my rather slow learning curve on that site. However, I will keep up with this blog site. Oh, and the address: <a href="http://facebook.com/WuxiaNovelist">facebook.com/WuxiaNovelist</a> And I do appreciate your suggestions on how to make that Facebook page better!<br />
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Hope to see you there!<br />
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<i><b>Zaijian!</b></i><br />
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<b>The Innkeeper</b>The Innkeeperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13285052496666836738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130885627398706876.post-33649488708513750272012-02-19T10:27:00.000-05:002012-02-19T10:34:24.753-05:00Tanzong, Scroll 1 - The Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i style="text-align: left;">Listening to Rain</i><span style="text-align: left;"> is the first "scroll" in a planed trilogy featuring the historical character, Tanzong, a warrior monk from the Shaolin Buddhist Monastery. This first volume is centered on the Isle of Pearls, present day Hainan Island. The subsequent volumes will follow Tanzong's adventures across the Tang dynasty empire, which stretched from the east China coast westward along the famed Silk Road into Central Asia. This first volume will be published at the end of February, 2012 - if all goes as expected. It will be available on </span><span style="text-align: left;">Amazon as a paperback and in Kindle eBook format.</span></div>
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China, 627 C.E. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Tang dynasty’s rule remains
tentative after a decade of civil war. The rise of a new uncertainty in the far
south thrusts the fledgling dynasty between its most powerful enemies in the
north and the possible revolt of the southern aborigines. The emperor and his
grand minister delegate a two-man assessment team – the Shaolin Blade, Tanzong
and the Imperial Commissioner, Li Wei to travel into the southern regions and
negotiate with the aboriginal leader.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The first volume of this epic <i>wuxia
</i>adventure tale follows the duo to the mysterious Isle of Pearls. To get
there, they must use secret Taoist underground waterways, fight off the
airborne attacks of the Thunder Lords, cross storm-tossed seas in a shaman’s
bronze ship, and then sail aboard the <i>Dragonfly</i>,
with the female aboriginal pirate captain, Byung Nhak, as she engages the local
warlord, the Iron Shaman and his fleet of <i>Seahawks.
</i>Their heroic journey continues into the center of the island through the
unexplored “Land of Drifting Ghosts” mountain range in search of a legendary lost
Buddhist monastery. While the long hidden Celestial Masters sect of Taoism and an
enigmatic Tibetan princess pose an immediate threat, Tanzong’s internal
conflicts offer the greater danger.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The series will follow Tanzong’s adventures throughout the medieval Chinese
empire. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Author’s website: www.aadalia.com<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i><b>Ziajian!</b></i></div>
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<b>The Innkeeper</b></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtD3Vfr_egroZdOHdgkl_8EhyE4Xv2gaHYx55JvyLc_3WhZeWb8AAEAHGYq2Ls5_q073SrRLI5NEUfj8Mviq2DTWXaWsSkD7m1-P9edDgVUX9j_fJXrE6fXjMjmDrOVapObkhKn8gLpyw/s1600/ColorLogo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtD3Vfr_egroZdOHdgkl_8EhyE4Xv2gaHYx55JvyLc_3WhZeWb8AAEAHGYq2Ls5_q073SrRLI5NEUfj8Mviq2DTWXaWsSkD7m1-P9edDgVUX9j_fJXrE6fXjMjmDrOVapObkhKn8gLpyw/s1600/ColorLogo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a>The Innkeeperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13285052496666836738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130885627398706876.post-20638357751200915402012-02-15T11:24:00.004-05:002012-02-15T11:33:32.537-05:00Tanzong is Arriving Soon!<span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 90px; height: 96px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8jRtw2xTbCYLrzJsOqeqIfd_316EI86LOY8HGqXoWavcXClcJFeto_O5XB0QsNBtR9EUCrscc5jWcOpqzuH3onYHAT8zZbipP8QXf-YZzPPcR0nOCEZZ7VTkMNbq3HYYodGUHukZN5Ic/s200/ColorLogo.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709399586529043522" /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvmWt3eFyZkqqKwzvofasSOosQ5d6ZaBiCiQqwJ9O6v2shB8quy3mFGbP29E8T3C8bipreOFP5vJAK9oAsG8lb3EO0BXVI-CTTs_j39Lu4hI-EwDwZE-J64Iqa0hUgD4Zcngz77SCve8U/s200/TZ1Front.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709399986792550418" />The Innkeeperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13285052496666836738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130885627398706876.post-51016703212868187872011-10-15T17:29:00.005-04:002011-10-15T17:52:41.626-04:00Wuxia at Boston University - continued<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Wp1CqCqyh3mSEiz1_U3Lydh-z4F5zQv0SqtCIut22J4FS-gymIHm8meCynetddvUh8WlbuyirC613P4JPYJqD9t_u0pbbGBf-ojujW3FIp9JR1BMXHXO6MERiHYMh4WN32L798Jn-QI/s1600/ColorLogo.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Wp1CqCqyh3mSEiz1_U3Lydh-z4F5zQv0SqtCIut22J4FS-gymIHm8meCynetddvUh8WlbuyirC613P4JPYJqD9t_u0pbbGBf-ojujW3FIp9JR1BMXHXO6MERiHYMh4WN32L798Jn-QI/s200/ColorLogo.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663835096309657474" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal">A few blogs back, I wrote about my Boston University Writing Program course, “Paradox of the Hero/Heroine in East Asian Cinema and Fiction.” At that time, the movie list was in the process of being finalized for this Fall, 2011 semester and I wrote that I would reveal it in this blog once the semester was underway. Well we’ve been underway since the first week in September and I’ve had few chances to come up for air! But now I have a moment or two and would enjoy discussing my choices. However, I must first preface any discussion with an explanation of my criteria for choosing these films.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">My course is in the Writing Program, thus it is first a writing course. We teach students how to write academic articles. We use an array of primary and secondary sources for them to construct academic essays. These are not opinion pieces, blogs, or movie reviews. In my course, the primary sources are the movies. We treat them as historical artifacts, statements of particular viewpoints, understandings, and interpretations of the heroic fiction tradition in East Asia. Since everything must be limited by the length of one semester, East Asia is represented in the course by Chinese and Japanese cinema; though I hope in the future to expand into Korean cinema. Further, given the time constrictions and the nature of the course – as a writing course – the number of films I can show as primary source materials is also extremely limited. The students are required to write three formal papers. The first paper has one draft and the other two have two drafts each. Thus there is a lot of time spend on writing, as it should be in a writing course. Over the years, I’ve found that seven is the maximum number of films I can fit into that one semester time slot. The greatest difficulty for me is choosing ONLY seven movies that can represent the cinema tradition of the East Asian hero. On the Chinese side, I focus on the indigenous <i>wuxia</i> tradition to furnish the heroes/heroines. And on the Japanese side, the samurai tradition.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The films are not primarily chosen for their cinematic qualities – this is not a film course – or for their spectacular fighting scenes - naturally, if those aspects exist along with my more immediate criteria, all the better. My main selection criterion is simple: the films must represent some aspect of the heroic tradition, as they are being presented as primary source statements of this genre, and it should have some appeal to an audience that might for the first time be seeing this film genre. With all of that in mind, here are my selections for this semester in order of viewing (I juggle the list every semester):<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span><i>Hero/Yingxiong</i> (2002) Zhang Yimou. Not only is <i>Hero</i> a visually gorgeous film, but it is also the director’s attempt to redirect the genre away from its often simple revenge theme toward a higher ideal – nonviolence. This makes it an interesting source in that we must first understand the traditional <i>wuxia</i> genre before we can consider Zhang’s attempt to redefine it. Most students fall in love with both the visuals and the ideals put forth. Further, in the classroom and in their essays, they never cease to debate the heroic characteristics of its various characters.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span> <i>Swordsman/Xiaoaojianghu</i> (1990). I like this film because it deals with a number of <i>wuxia</i> themes: the carefree “Daoist” swordsman, the relationships between male and female, between master and disciple, between the Han Chinese and the Miao minorities, and the nature of friendship among a number of themes. My students, however, tend not to like the movie, complaining that it is hard to follow and thus confusing. This is the second time I’ve tried it and since I’m getting the same thumbs down on it, probably the last time.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span><i>36<sup>th</sup> Chamber of Shaolin </i>(1978). This choice was the result of a friend’s urging. His point was that the movie does a fine job of showing how a <i>xia</i> (hero) is actually developed. It has proved popular with my students.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span><!--[endif]--><i>Zu Warriors</i>/<i>Legend of Zu</i> (2001). This represents the idea of the <i>xia</i> taken to the height of the Chinese fantasy tradition. I was very uneasy about using this as it is really all over the place when it comes to the plot. But it has held up well among my students and has made for some interesting comparisons between mortal and “immortal” heroes in the East Asian tradition.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]-->5.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span><i>Seven Samurai </i>(1954). For me, this is the top of the East Asian heroic film genre. I can’t say enough about this film. Kurosawa was a genius and the film is a product of that genius. It is also a favorite among my students, many of whom have never seen it before. I consider it one of the greatest expressions of heroism ever filmed!<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]-->6.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span><i>Bride with White Hair</i> (1993). Even though most classes don’t like this movie – all over the place plot-wise and poor film editing – I find it remains the best expression of a type of <i>wuxia</i> heroine that is rarely, if ever, filmed – I call her the Tang dynasty swordswoman as opposed to the Confucian swordswoman, who is the norm for the genre. During the Tang dynasty (specifically the 9<sup>th</sup> century), there arose a literature that prefigures the <i>wuxia</i> literary tradition. The Tang <i>chuanqi</i> (“tales of wonder”) literature presented fantastic (as in fantasy) swordswomen who could fly, had magical powers, and had no need or dependence on men. Later in this literary tradition, the Confucian swordswoman arose – (think <i>Mulan</i>) and became the norm. She did her heroics and then returned to the proper Confucian mold for a woman – a wife or other form of dependency on or subservience to men. In this movie, however, the “white-haired demoness” needs no man!<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]-->7.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span><i>Princess Mononoke</i> (1997). This film continues our consideration of the female side of this East Asian heroic tradition. The movie is usually a big hit with my students for both its beauty and its complexity of characterization.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In addition to these seven movies, the students also have a number of secondary source readings (316 pages to be exact). Not all of the readings deal with the movies or themes in this genre, as some also deal with writing skills and techniques – remember, this is a writing course! The students are being taught how to weave a secondary-source supported argument/thesis/claim about one or more of the primary sources (the films). <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Naturally, I am open to further suggestions on movie titles to include in future editions of the course. But to be considered, the films have to follow the criteria that I laid out above. At this point, I will replace <i>Swordsman</i> and maybe another one, but at the end of the course, we have our “academy awards” celebration where the students (there are fifty-five students divided among three sections) vote on their favorite movies. This voting also figures in my considerations. Look forward to your suggestions.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Zaijian!<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>The Innkeeper<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>The Innkeeperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13285052496666836738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130885627398706876.post-22324983189340318242011-08-19T15:49:00.004-04:002011-08-19T16:05:30.992-04:00Wu Xia (2011) Film Review<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSn4XEU2_R1pkT8yW23M0n8eY1_c3zbvVJqzvpB_ESMEkOC2p4SOg-kFAia7di3t-xGnv8x9ZdEELtFWWbZ6VKoxL-PeB44lr1D9X7EI0w1OABgyhIKoq_HnrQA41XrOGEc1_xCNXfBA/s1600/ColorLogo.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSn4XEU2_R1pkT8yW23M0n8eY1_c3zbvVJqzvpB_ESMEkOC2p4SOg-kFAia7di3t-xGnv8x9ZdEELtFWWbZ6VKoxL-PeB44lr1D9X7EI0w1OABgyhIKoq_HnrQA41XrOGEc1_xCNXfBA/s200/ColorLogo.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642656567685569794" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b>How “Wuxia” is <i>Wu Xia</i> (2011)?<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Director Peter Chan’s new movie, <i>Wu Xia</i>, was invited to this year’s Cannes Film Festival and has been touted by some reviewers as the revival of the <i>wuxia</i> film genre. Brad Brevet, in his “Cannes Movie Review,” however, is one of the few reviewers to question the genre of this genre titled movie:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""></span></p><blockquote>Wuxia is actually a genre of Chinese fiction centered on martial arts with a hero at the center of its story that "fights for righteousness and seeks to remove an oppressor, redress wrongs, or to bring retribution for past misdeeds." You'd never guess that based on the detective story that makes up the first half of this film.</blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">He goes on to point out that the, “The foundations of wuxia, however, are set in the early goings with references to such skills as Qinggong, Neijin and Dianxue…” But Brevet doesn’t look any deeper. And why should he, as he doesn’t have a background in the genre, citing Wikipedia as the source for his understanding. I would like to look at that issue in my consideration of Chan’s movie.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">If you title your movie with the name of a film genre, then you would seem to be making a statement about the content of your movie. Does <i>Wu Xia</i> live up to its title? Not really.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">While Wikipedia’s definition is fine for causal browsing – I don’t allow Wikipedia for formal references in my university course on this genre – we can drill down a little further. Most of my readers know that the genre name <i>wuxia</i> is broken down into two Chinese characters: <i>wu</i>, which relates to martial activities and <i>xia, </i>which is generally recognized to represent “chivalry.” But let’s be more specific, as in the West, “chivalry” brings to mind medieval European knighthood, damsels in distress, Christianity, and “courtly love” – none of which was present in the ancient Chinese concept of <i>xia</i>.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Note that I write “ancient,” for modern Chinese filmmakers have changed that – but that’s a rant for another blog. So what would work better than “chivalry” as a tentative translation for<i>xia</i> in the compound <i>wuxia</i>? I would offer “altruism,” which I understand in this context to be the opposite of “selfishness,” in the sense of “thinking first of the self.” Thus, a possible translation of <i>wuxia</i> could be “martial altruism.” Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it! But it is easy to understand in a global cultural context if we think of heroes like Robin Hood and, perhaps, today’s “superheroes” who use their powers in defense of justice, etc. They are all altruistic heroes who “fight” for the “good” of humankind. With this little linguistic exercise in hand, let’s turn back to the movie <i>Wu Xia</i>.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">There is little question that the hero, Liu Jinxi (Donnie Yen’s character), is “martial,” but is he altruistic? I would suggest that besides protecting his family (which we could understand as “selfish”) there are, at most, only two instances in the movie where he places himself in harm’s way for others: 1. In the paper shop robbery (and even here, some reviewers claim that Liu is only acting out of self-defense); 2. In the village square when it is being attacked by some of the “72 Demons” gang (which was brought on by his presence in the village). So the question for me is whether the Liu Jinxi character lives up to the appellation of <i>xia</i> – same character as in<i>wuxia</i>, but used as a proper noun to describe a “hero.” If he is not a <i>xia</i>, then where’s the <i>wuxia </i>in <i>Wu Xia</i>?<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I’m not completely trying to be silly here, but am serious about how we define this genre. In the Chinese historical origins of this class of heroes, they were understood as personalities who “seeing an injustice on the road, pulls out his sword to help.” Further, early Confucian philosophers disdained them for valuing “personal freedom above family solidarity.” In other words, in the early <i>xia</i> tradition altruism was an equal opportunity value – you would help anyone regardless of family ties, and sometimes, in spite of those ties. How far we’ve come story-wise where the <i>xia</i> are frequently involved in love affairs and family matters – sells more tickets, and keeps those Confucian values of social stability well entrenched. There was a time in the 20<sup>th</sup> century when both the Republican and Communist governments banded <i>wuxia</i> movies as being dangerous for the country’s morals – but in those days the film industry was partly to blame for introducing blatant sexuality into the <i>wuxia</i> genre – to sell more tickets.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Back to our movie. I don’t find much <i>wuxia</i> in <i>Wu Xia</i>. The character with the most appeal – storytelling-wise – is not the main character, Liu, who is rather flat, but Takeshi Kaneshiro’s intriguing constable/detective, Xu Baijiu. And he is not a <i>xia</i> in the sense that he uses martial techniques to help others. Rather, he uses his brains to solve crimes and sort out his own life. In this, he actually has a character arc – rare in most “<i>wuxia”</i> movies that tend to obsess with the martial aspect. Detective Xu, rightfully so, is the most interesting character in this noir mystery tale.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">As for the plot, a number of reviewers have pointed to David Cronenberg’s brilliant, <i>A History of Violence</i> as the template for the <i>Wu Xia</i> screenwriters. I made the “mistake” of following that clue and watching the movies back to back. It is clear that <i>Wu Xia</i> has <i>A History</i> <i>of Violence </i>as a model, but it is equally clear that in terms of storytelling the former can’t hold a candle to the latter. Cronenberg gives us a man and his family torn apart and stitched back together by a terrible “history of violence.” <i>Wu Xia</i> attempts and fails to give us the same. It fails at the storytelling level because the main character has little character, he is easily upstaged by the supporting character (detective Xu), the Lu family only gives us a shallow sense of the horror they are going through (compared to the family in <i>A History of Violence</i>), and the plot is so poorly conceived as to end, as reviewer James Marsh writes, “in one of the most staggeringly unnecessary examples of <i>deus ex machina</i> in recent memory.” Usually, when a writer has to resort to the <i>deus ex machina</i> “device,” it signals a lack of imagination. And that is what is so sad about such a beautifully shot movie.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The camera work and genuine Yunnan settings are fresh, new, and vibrant. The idea of introducing traditional Chinese medical understandings via detective Xu (who is miles beyond Tsui Hark’s Detective Dee) is innovative, but not original – see Guy Ritchie’s <i>Sherlock Holmes</i>(2009), which is probably not the first to use this interior body view technique. Donnie Yen’s fight choreography is great, especially the amazing scene with Kara Hui! The use of Jimmy Wang Yu as the villain (here’s where <i>Wu Xia </i>has one up on <i>A History of Violence</i>) is brilliant – he’s also far beyond the “hero” as a vibrant character. But once again, <i>wuxia</i> cinema is unable to sustain an overall coherent story – the villain seems to prove too much for the writer’s imagination. <i>Wu Xia</i> is not a <i>wuxia</i> genre movie. Rather, I see it as a stylish noir mystery.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">No doubt, my understanding of the genre is fairly idealistic as I feel that the fighting should express some sense of altruism, a sense of forgetting the self in the support of others – not just one’s family, which is natural to most people. And, no doubt, this is drawn from both my study and teaching in my Boston University Writing Program course, “Paradox of the Hero/Heroine in East Asian Cinema and Fiction.” Where’s the paradox? As I understand it, these <i>wuxia</i> heroes represent the values of selfless equality in cultures that place the family before a sense of social equality. Traditional <i>xia</i> values transcend the local and the familiar for the universal and the other. In this sense, the traditional <i>xia</i> are still relevant to our globalized world. Now all we need are writers who can give this ancient tradition a contemporary appeal – or at least, film companies that can properly title their films!<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Zaijian!</i><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>The Innkeeper</b><o:p></o:p></p>The Innkeeperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13285052496666836738noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130885627398706876.post-17403559307765268902011-08-16T13:38:00.003-04:002011-08-17T06:27:38.228-04:00Cowboys & Aliens - SEE IT!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzx7Wj9bwLoJKIcvJOdZKEz5zsbp2b4ltxBIKeYXpMfXEzNIYwuYQOdDWpSFim-z9W6eL7sFmg3yp96JPWLvNYuXkAUsWrrh3lsQAkGKfVu2Im66AjYcw6CiLIuDmae8L09F9VN6jqdEs/s1600/ColorLogo.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzx7Wj9bwLoJKIcvJOdZKEz5zsbp2b4ltxBIKeYXpMfXEzNIYwuYQOdDWpSFim-z9W6eL7sFmg3yp96JPWLvNYuXkAUsWrrh3lsQAkGKfVu2Im66AjYcw6CiLIuDmae8L09F9VN6jqdEs/s200/ColorLogo.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641509974242768882" /></a>I've seen a lot of negative reviews on this movie, and there are a good number of positive ones. Don't bother reading either! JUST GO SEE IT! It is TOO much fun to miss. Can you imagine James Bond and Indiana Jones in the same movie! But I mean when they're really on their game. Daniel Craig brings his steely 007 persona to his cowboy role, as Harrison Ford does his Indiana Jones persona, but with a more potent weapon than his bullwhip - his curmudgeon-ness! They are great as cowboys!<div>
<br /></div><div>Also don't think you know what happens in the movie based on reviewers and teasers - the film makers have done a good job of hiding all the nooks and crannies to this movie. So you're in for some nice surprises.
<br /><div>
<br /><div>This movie is sheer entertainment and I don't find it necessary to intellectualize or pick it apart in terms of storytelling. It's too much fun to do that. But if I had to, I suppose that the aliens kind of leave you flat - certainly no sense of humor among that bunch. And I suppose I could say that the heroes are only as good as the villains...BUT it's Harrison Ford & Daniel Craig!!!! Who cares about the villains when you're having this much fun! </div><div>
<br /></div><div>And if I have to be "serious," I do think that the SciFi aspect works with the Western side if you see the aliens as the "savages" vs. civilization - which in <i>Cowboys & Aliens</i> means both white and Native American defending a common home, which is kind of nice to see.</div></div><div>
<br /></div><div>However, if you compare the movie to "pure" Westerns, then the Coen Brothers <i>True Grit</i> is way beyond it, as is the movie it is supposedly patterned after, <i>The Searchers</i>. But that wouldn't be a "fair" comparison since <i>Cowboys & Aliens</i> is a cross-genre movie, not a "pure" Western. And underscoring my main point here, the movie is sheer entertainment - go to see it for the fun of it and not to analyze it! You will not be disappointed! </div></div><div>
<br /></div><div>I know I'm "cheer leading" here, but I just had so much fun with this movie, it's hard not to!</div><div>
<br /></div><div>I hope to put up a review of the new Chinese movie, <i>Wu Xia</i>, in the next installment of this blog - I want to watch it one more time before I write.</div><div>
<br /></div><div><i>Zaijian!</i></div><div><i>
<br /></i></div><div><b>The Innkeeper</b></div>The Innkeeperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13285052496666836738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130885627398706876.post-19109189135075789492011-07-13T16:54:00.003-04:002011-07-13T17:17:48.787-04:00And Up We Go! And a few Movie Comments<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixrvWCHH6_JQ4zoVeZb4t1p73Tkw9VklwcANQ62TPdhHlOoLhYAdk7Gm3RMjaf5ztRL6UJ8ZTTxCCaz4gtEgQNIl8nYMJVoMev5qMJ_g-JbNf5-It0-jJ_kcJI-XGZD67GB5cqZecQsSk/s1600/ColorLogo.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 194px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixrvWCHH6_JQ4zoVeZb4t1p73Tkw9VklwcANQ62TPdhHlOoLhYAdk7Gm3RMjaf5ztRL6UJ8ZTTxCCaz4gtEgQNIl8nYMJVoMev5qMJ_g-JbNf5-It0-jJ_kcJI-XGZD67GB5cqZecQsSk/s200/ColorLogo.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628943791059679282" /></a>It's a bumpy ride to the top (I hope). In May, the Chinese edition of <b><i>Dream of the Dragon Pool</i></b> fell to #29 on the publisher's best seller list. However, the great news for June is that it has risen to #17 on that same best seller list! Fingers crossed for the July number, which will appear at the beginning of August.<div><br /></div><div>I've been going through movies for my upcoming Fall East Asian Heroes class at Boston University and am closing in on a final list of movies, which will be revealed on the first day of class. I enjoyed <i>13 Assassins</i>, but will not be using it in class. I also enjoyed an oldie, <i>The Fate of Lee Kuan</i>, a King Hu classic - I won't be using that one either. <i>Samurai Spy</i> (1965) is amazing for its cinematography and story, but not for my class. And <i>Reign of Assassins</i> is cool, but also not for my class.</div><div><br /></div><div>This might leave you wondering, "Well, what are his standards for his class?" Since the class is first and foremost a writing class and the movies are our primary source material to consider the nature of the East Asian hero, I'm picking movies that exemplify some aspect of that type of heroism. If I was giving a class in East Asian heroic cinema in a film department, then probably all the movies I mentioned above would be candidates. But I'm not. </div><div><br /></div><div>I teach within the Boston University Writing Program and our objective is to teach well composed, intelligible forms of academic writing. So the movies I show are the primary source materials that my students use to investigate the nature of the East Asian hero/heroine. Along with each film, there are readings (our secondary sources) that the students will use to support their arguments/theories/claims regarding those primary sources (the movies). Thus when I pick a movie to use within the course it has to represent some aspect of the East Asian heroic tradition and be supported by secondary source materials to assist in the student analysis of the movie.</div><div><br /></div><div>In early September, when the course starts, I will post my film list on this blog.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Zaijian!</i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>The Innkeeper</b></div>The Innkeeperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13285052496666836738noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130885627398706876.post-45500028336672703972011-05-06T20:09:00.003-04:002011-05-06T20:13:53.959-04:00Down We Go!!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsfJOSkBmvdGctFb2Xr43v6h4yeUijXt_MuG69zJTw19NV-XGyCMX0MToe9mc6t8P1Oc2DaJEcFMilGxf6D2vU5WH-b3cw8BWcu7AHv5Jbf_fJF5yqGD5Gqr5xgJ446PYwaCbQ7_WM9hk/s1600/ColorLogo.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 122px; height: 129px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsfJOSkBmvdGctFb2Xr43v6h4yeUijXt_MuG69zJTw19NV-XGyCMX0MToe9mc6t8P1Oc2DaJEcFMilGxf6D2vU5WH-b3cw8BWcu7AHv5Jbf_fJF5yqGD5Gqr5xgJ446PYwaCbQ7_WM9hk/s320/ColorLogo.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603759798753834050" /></a>I just checked again at the Taiwan Commercial Press website and<i> Dream of the Dragon Pool</i>, Chinese edition, has dropped to #21 on their Best Seller list for April. I don't know how that works, since the list is supposed to be April and when it first went up I was #2. Oh well - everything is subject to change - another life lesson! Who knows where it will be next week!<div><br /></div><div><i>Zaijian</i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>The Innkeeper</b></div>The Innkeeperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13285052496666836738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130885627398706876.post-87444712757477744842011-05-04T12:03:00.002-04:002011-05-04T12:39:03.561-04:00Dragon Pool Chinese Edition Hits Best Seller List!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwmSMPpyaNQlXz-01L-WzB8LO0gkzXsjf45t-Icig43_2aaLw25g-oiptbNJMJWZWD1_mJIAMswfFSmYuha8bG6n2Rkn5xFW_oxKteL1yEJKIJZeNplfI2i12qgzHsVwBEeo8On8ZX-Vc/s1600/ColorLogo.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 122px; height: 129px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwmSMPpyaNQlXz-01L-WzB8LO0gkzXsjf45t-Icig43_2aaLw25g-oiptbNJMJWZWD1_mJIAMswfFSmYuha8bG6n2Rkn5xFW_oxKteL1yEJKIJZeNplfI2i12qgzHsVwBEeo8On8ZX-Vc/s320/ColorLogo.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602892545365744018" /></a>The Chinese edition of Dream of the Dragon Pool debuts at Number 2 on the publisher's April Best Seller List!<div><br /></div><div>Taiwan Commercial Press has just put up its April Best Seller List and its Chinese translation of my wuxia novel: Dream of the Dragon Pool debuted at number 2. If you read Chinese, here is the link <a href="http://www.cptw.com.tw/default.aspx">http://www.cptw.com.tw/default.aspx</a></div><div><br /></div><div>If you can't read Chinese and are interested, then get Google to translate the page. The best seller list is on the lower left corner of the page and my novel title translates as: Longquan a dream.</div><div><br /></div><div>And if you want to read it in English, we've dropped the prices on Amazon for all my books.</div><div><br /></div><div>Fingers crossed for next month!!!</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Zaijian</i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>The Innkeeper</b></div>The Innkeeperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13285052496666836738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130885627398706876.post-25537082019021961382011-04-12T16:04:00.003-04:002011-04-12T16:19:46.665-04:00Hanna<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4opiRYdAY4tOoCmZQD-JlfVsVDYV2k6d1YKBGrOdAdlvF2dJIxHr3ROHVOr5hooVJFsy5SyG-NNmQWbLzanAuT-d9_Yt8GbOdhrCt_1cfuBp1RyFsWKUYYfNFulrgvqrpz10nMzCZOFI/s1600/ColorLogo.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 122px; height: 129px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4opiRYdAY4tOoCmZQD-JlfVsVDYV2k6d1YKBGrOdAdlvF2dJIxHr3ROHVOr5hooVJFsy5SyG-NNmQWbLzanAuT-d9_Yt8GbOdhrCt_1cfuBp1RyFsWKUYYfNFulrgvqrpz10nMzCZOFI/s320/ColorLogo.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594791229582040722" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Movie Recommendation:</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> Over the weekend, I saw <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Hanna</i> a taunt action flick staring a 16-year old female assassin! Amazing action and even more amazing protagonist, the Irish actress </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:#222222;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold;mso-bidi-font-style:italic">Saoirse Ronan</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> plays Hana. She is chilling, intense, and human – a very interesting combination given the usual action fare. The plot is the usual “modern” rogue CIA ops type story, but it’s really all about the character here. And Hanna is an amazing character, definitely worth the price of admission - click on the title above for an interesting review. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"">In thinking about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">wuxia</i> stories, it’s too bad that such interesting characters can’t be found in our genre, at least on screen. But let’s look for a moment behind the scenes of this movie. The director, Joe Wright, has done <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Soloist</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Atonement</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Pride & Prejudice</i>, a number of TV serials, and a few shorts – NO action movies. What did he have Saoirse watch to prepare her for the role of Hanna, an action character? The actress reports that she was asked only to watch the Peter Seller’s movie, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Being There</i> (1979)! Certainly NOT an action movie. Why? To ground her in Hanna’s quirky character. Wright did have Saoirse do a lot of physical training, which included martial arts, but no “schooling” in martial arts/action movies.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"">Wright is coming at the action genre from a fresh perspective. He’s drilling down into the character. And low and behold, the character is giving expression to the martial art. So we have a fully dimensional action character. Hanna is the heart and soul of the movie and what makes it so amazing. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"">For those of us engaged in working in this genre, there is a lesson here. We can tell stories set in our favorite settings, but should populate those stories with genuine characters by pushing the envelope when it comes to creating characters. As I’ve been advocating in this blog, the globalization of our genre allows us to create characters that appeal to a world-wide audience. It will be interesting to see how <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Hanna</i> does in the international market.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i>Zaijian!</i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b>The Innkeeper</b></span></span></p>The Innkeeperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13285052496666836738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130885627398706876.post-74589693304219038022011-03-27T10:25:00.002-04:002011-03-27T10:29:45.448-04:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXMVLu71nJzcB2lut817AYcbH7Eit8R5NXiU3dIf9LY3mlPfe_be9RemsHTXT_6b0EynZl55KLvp4m2253PG4gigsYoFPH-_HwfpVtX4bUy4WHC-cDQAA0P7qdsVpznipeVxQ2eOBSFnI/s1600/ColorLogo.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100px; height: 129px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXMVLu71nJzcB2lut817AYcbH7Eit8R5NXiU3dIf9LY3mlPfe_be9RemsHTXT_6b0EynZl55KLvp4m2253PG4gigsYoFPH-_HwfpVtX4bUy4WHC-cDQAA0P7qdsVpznipeVxQ2eOBSFnI/s320/ColorLogo.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588765782073611010" /></a>Some nice things are beginning to appear regarding the Chinese publication of my <i>wuxia</i> novel, <b style="font-style: italic; ">Dream of the Dragon Pool. </b>Here's one of the best from the Kunlun Journal:<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://kunlunjournal.blogspot.com/2011/03/dream-of-dragon-pool-now-in-chinese.html">http://kunlunjournal.blogspot.com/2011/03/dream-of-dragon-pool-now-in-chinese.html</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Enjoy!</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Zaijian!</i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>The Innkeeper</b></div>The Innkeeperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13285052496666836738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130885627398706876.post-38190861951576593562011-03-18T15:36:00.006-04:002011-03-19T01:19:44.345-04:00Chinese Edition of Dream of the Dragon Pool<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbY-lT4KXqgRpS6rxAI9aoGSJgUgk0noQUyDy_glbP5IA9tKDxqyhwuZjHkYtGcDZTQg6RHPw-N7AcjaXSKPMcZfvw4W4rdouDie3mW4Wkz6OAALqF-EGjeo-W6KSdsI2RYGlpGFBKeI/s1600/ColorLogo.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 185px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbY-lT4KXqgRpS6rxAI9aoGSJgUgk0noQUyDy_glbP5IA9tKDxqyhwuZjHkYtGcDZTQg6RHPw-N7AcjaXSKPMcZfvw4W4rdouDie3mW4Wkz6OAALqF-EGjeo-W6KSdsI2RYGlpGFBKeI/s320/ColorLogo.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585507957771511106" /></a><br /><div>The Chinese edition of my wuxia novel, Dream of the Dragon Pool is due to be published by the Taiwan Commercial Press on April 1, 2011!<div><br /></div>The Taiwan Commercial Press has done a beautiful job of translating my novel, creating a Chinese cover, and providing a place for it on their website: <a href="http://www.cptw.com.tw/BookDetail.aspx?BOKNO=02140020">http://www.cptw.com.tw/BookDetail.aspx?BOKNO=02140020</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Here's the cover:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDw17Jt2mZjsre-R1bMR_JsBnVcQ7H1EulNzWH1oyPxC0NorEQmAlZ7tcKUkz3EyEsFnNp4dsKm9fiNgHtGIGGyBtLuQsRa4ANHO7uWEwrpm4ys7oM-xUHKEjOotgbNX-HByLUKokvdl4/s1600/DP-COVER.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 275px; height: 350px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDw17Jt2mZjsre-R1bMR_JsBnVcQ7H1EulNzWH1oyPxC0NorEQmAlZ7tcKUkz3EyEsFnNp4dsKm9fiNgHtGIGGyBtLuQsRa4ANHO7uWEwrpm4ys7oM-xUHKEjOotgbNX-HByLUKokvdl4/s320/DP-COVER.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585507819556696946" /></a><div><br /></div><div><i>Zaijian</i>!</div><div><br /></div><div><b>The Innkeeper</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>The Innkeeperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13285052496666836738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130885627398706876.post-26020478569341338072010-09-05T10:17:00.004-04:002010-09-08T13:02:12.600-04:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Slqbv8aPIO9gGZtOzMl715NNnNdifeLb2ztIAqc2jQijEbmrLwA0mpvu9OlQ8S1ujtd2sc5KELbtmqz84xKmOLbB9r4aXqjh1yGePsfmfiyz4OL1vyp04mkZV2CkHFBbwRMj2O1VYNk/s1600/ColorLogo.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 194px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Slqbv8aPIO9gGZtOzMl715NNnNdifeLb2ztIAqc2jQijEbmrLwA0mpvu9OlQ8S1ujtd2sc5KELbtmqz84xKmOLbB9r4aXqjh1yGePsfmfiyz4OL1vyp04mkZV2CkHFBbwRMj2O1VYNk/s200/ColorLogo.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513433784563241522" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41F8qyMZDwL._SL500_AA300_.jpg"></a><div>It's out!!! My collection of short stories, <i><b>Strange Tales from The Dragon Gate Inn</b> </i>has hit Amazon -</div><div> </div><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Strange-Tales-Dragon-Gate-Inn/dp/1452808481/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1283696437&sr=8-1">http://www.amazon.com/Strange-Tales-Dragon-Gate-Inn/dp/1452808481/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1283696437&sr=8-1</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This is a collection of the short stories that I wrote between time I recieved my doctorate in Chinese history and when I began the novel-length fiction writing that led to the publication of <i>Dream of the Dragon Pool - A Daoist Quest</i>. The stories are fantasy, ghost, horror tales dedicated to and inspired by the great 18th century Chinese fantasy writer, Pu Songling and his <i>Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio.</i> </div><div><br /></div><div>Perfect for late night reading!</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Zaijian</i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>The Innkeeper</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41F8qyMZDwL._SL500_AA300_.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px; " src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41F8qyMZDwL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /></div>The Innkeeperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13285052496666836738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130885627398706876.post-48267730936384018032010-06-27T13:44:00.005-04:002010-06-27T14:02:20.253-04:00Wuxia returns to Boston University, Taiwan, and Beyond!<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaQ1DEGNJYiKajdE_bksm7sDRLamn6ZOKpibpx05XhQRLYwL0FNduiXNyKJ9_W8HkgLpA28O0CThf6k-P9O4evb6UGWfi2rUCRJW1-qqzCLgPzsOJKl4aUWqRHwtA5lRG37y3bOryJ984/s1600/ColorLogo.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 194px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaQ1DEGNJYiKajdE_bksm7sDRLamn6ZOKpibpx05XhQRLYwL0FNduiXNyKJ9_W8HkgLpA28O0CThf6k-P9O4evb6UGWfi2rUCRJW1-qqzCLgPzsOJKl4aUWqRHwtA5lRG37y3bOryJ984/s200/ColorLogo.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487511061296540834" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Things at the Dragon Gate Inn are moving right along – for once! My seminar in Taiwan, “Wandering the World: A Wuxia Writer’s Path,” seems to have been a big hit. I, once again, immensely enjoyed teaching in Taiwan. I presented a look at the western idea of the hero through several movies and showed some Chinese movies that had a great influence on the writing of my wuxia novel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Dream of the Dragon Pool</i>.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Apparently, my writing seems to have impressed Taiwan’s largest and oldest publisher, Taiwan Commercial Press. They have bought the Chinese translation rights from my New York publisher to publish <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Dream of the Dragon Pool</i> in traditional Chinese characters book and eBook format. We expect the Taiwan edition to be out sometime next year. The Press has also offered to help find a Mainland Chinese publisher for my novel. I had a wonderful time visiting Taiwan Commercial Press - as you can see in the accompanying photo - and look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with them.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzLpom6Qn5sp_-pyudxWBrfCh6X4VWrHHMSb9JCcr0GWfebGR4ie_auyXIfdWkxGNl49GvTITbBUlGh3x3_zKh7Wv7xcSLES7esGAYVQCmEvSQ2pRuDJIqq8JLhz4ra3qA5cu2vEejoo/s200/Visit+to+TCPress+006.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487511817381833106" /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Taiwan Commercial Press Building in Downtown Taipei</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgez320jyQGGncbYGuvcOHuPFUqGwo07qgyT5II6ok18LD7BB0gY4d274PZMOkyR2lXzC2oZ8bbt3X4K0Yoc3vOpI__R9CIJaiwx22QObHYmkndXY9uC7FpZxsftCMLSJ75o0G13gwAd0/s200/Visit+to+TCPress+009.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487513523993475970" /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Mr. Lee, Managing Editor, the author, Dr. Fang, Editor-in-Chief</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">More good news! Boston University has invited me back to teach my East Asian heroes Cinema/Fiction course and this time they have opened two sections! I’m working on revising my film list based on my previous offering of the class – it is VERY hard when you are only limited to seven movies, since this is a writing course. Let’s hope if we “build it, they will come”!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">AND…I have collected together eight of my published or accepted for publication short stories – basically, traditional style Chinese tales of the “strange”- and I’m publishing them through Amazon’s CreateSpace publishing service. Entitled, “Strange Tales from the Dragon Gate Inn,” I’m expecting to have book in hand in about two months. I’ll keep you updated as to its progress.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Zaijian</i>!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">The Innkeeper<o:p></o:p></b></p>The Innkeeperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13285052496666836738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130885627398706876.post-42090741188830127022010-04-26T11:16:00.004-04:002010-04-26T11:25:46.752-04:00Wuxia Class Flies to Taiwan!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGi8GEQM6dOOV13RPJRrAAyx9gXVf4e7ooluuG660a4LrrfO-idGWTBVckYzjztYvyqB-liky-dLJGTM9RIGbuIgHnOocutmOVDw0s1nEGPksawkeDgMknBbDA1RvvC9g7h9VntUnfhUk/s1600/ColorLogo.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 194px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGi8GEQM6dOOV13RPJRrAAyx9gXVf4e7ooluuG660a4LrrfO-idGWTBVckYzjztYvyqB-liky-dLJGTM9RIGbuIgHnOocutmOVDw0s1nEGPksawkeDgMknBbDA1RvvC9g7h9VntUnfhUk/s200/ColorLogo.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464465813732542754" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-background:white;mso-highlight:white; mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:Calibri;">Hello! It has been awhile since I've posted, but things at the Inn have gotten really busy and with Spring breaking out all over up here, the roads are calling to us cyclists! The big news is that my <i>wuxia</i> class is literally flying to Taiwan for most of May! <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-background:white;mso-highlight:white; mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-background:white;mso-highlight:white; mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:Calibri;">Due to the generosity of Huafan University, I have been invited to give a two-week seminar/film festival on my <i>wuxia</i> writing. It won't be the Boston University course, as I certainly won't be teaching <i>wuxia</i> to the Chinese, who invited it! It seems that Huafan is interested in my interpretation of that tradition through my writing and my academic background in Chinese history. So for this version of the class, which I've entitled, “Wandering the World: A Wuxia Writer's Path”, I have thought to present the Western ideal of the hero/heroine and contrast it to the traditional East Asian ideal. The four-night film festival that will accompany the 18-hour seminar features : <i>Seven Samurai</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic">,</span> to represent the East Asian cinematic standard; <i>Lord of the Rings - Return of the King</i>, to illustrate the classic Western take on the heroic ideal; <i>Unforgiven</i>, to represent the classic American hero and idea of the anti-hero; and <i>The Dark Knight,</i> to show a Western interpretation of the hero, as civilization, verses chaos and all that opposes an ordered society. Of course, there are many more films to choose from, but the festival is limited to four films. I will be showing <i>A Chinese Ghost Story</i> and <i>Princesss Mononoke</i> in class to illustrate points about what cinema has influenced my writing and the role of women in this genre of cinema, respectively. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-background:white;mso-highlight:white; mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-background:white;mso-highlight:white; mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:Calibri;">In my own writing, I've always considered the story-telling skill of Akira Kurosawa and Patrick O'Brian as my guiding lights. I used <i>Seven Samurai</i> in my Boston University course to good effect, though I remember on one Internet discussion board someone brought up the question as why I would use a Japanese samurai movie to discuss Chinese <i>wuxia</i>. I take a broader view on these things seeing the ideal of the hero/heroine rather than narrow genre typing. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-background:white;mso-highlight:white; mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-background:white;mso-highlight:white; mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:Calibri;">Further, it is this broader view that informs my style of <i>wuxia</i> where I place the emphasis more on the “<i>xia</i>” aspect, the “chivalry” or, “heroic” aspect than the martial or “<i>wu</i>” aspect of the <i>wuxia</i> genre. I think Kurosawa's movie is extremely successful in illustrating this heroic aspect - so much so, that if you look at lists of the top action/adventure movies ever made, <i>Seven Samurai</i> seems universally respected. And that's another aspect of <i>wuxia</i> storytelling that I'm interested in - how to make this genre accessible to a global English language audience. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-background:white;mso-highlight:white; mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-background:white;mso-highlight:white; mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:Calibri;">Having taught in Taiwan for over a decade, it will be great getting back. Hopefully, I will once again be able to stimulate my Taiwanese students into reflecting on these global storytelling issues. If I have a chance, I might write here about the seminar as it progresses, but will definitely write a wrap-up of my experience after I get back to the Inn. There are some other exciting things going on with my writing, but I will wait until it all matures before I comment on it.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-background:white;mso-highlight:white; mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-background:white;mso-highlight:white; mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:Calibri;">I'm also greatly looking forward to seeing how the writers conclude the great TV epic, LOST!!! I am a long-time fan of their storytelling skills.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-background:white;mso-highlight:white; mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-background:white;mso-highlight:white; mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:Calibri;">Hope Spring is proving to be as fruitful for all of your writing!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-background:white;mso-highlight:white; mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><i><span style="mso-bidi-background:white;mso-highlight:white; mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:Calibri;">Zaijian!<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-background:white;mso-highlight:white; mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="mso-bidi- background:white;mso-highlight:white;mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:Calibri;">The Innkeeper</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="Times New Roman","serif"; background:white;mso-highlight:white;mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><b><span style="Arial","sans-serif";background:white; mso-highlight:white;mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:";color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>The Innkeeperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13285052496666836738noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130885627398706876.post-40758736501001731342010-02-26T08:25:00.003-05:002010-02-26T08:37:08.487-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWLtJFRUbfnru3xhA-v2bCVRtAq6tclyjBPamOqZPLgAcKz8hQFhm4xxFqIllG7j5nt04TZ8CAtffFqH1wLZOGQ0TuiJ6-pB-JHW9IXiFW81I9siz5TP6IVgX5odyZFAJ9U3DW7nMtPY/s1600-h/ColorLogo.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 80px; height: 80px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWLtJFRUbfnru3xhA-v2bCVRtAq6tclyjBPamOqZPLgAcKz8hQFhm4xxFqIllG7j5nt04TZ8CAtffFqH1wLZOGQ0TuiJ6-pB-JHW9IXiFW81I9siz5TP6IVgX5odyZFAJ9U3DW7nMtPY/s200/ColorLogo.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442543702595000242" /></a>Hello! Hope your Year of the Tiger is going well. Up here the weather has been having a good time giving full expression to its wintery nature. But change is on the way as the days lengthen and every now and then it gets "warm" enough to sneak in a bike ride!<div><br /></div><div>I had a pleasant surprise this morning with a very nice review of my novel, <i>Dream of the Dragon Pool. </i>Coupled with that review are reviews of the poetry translations of my good friend, Bill Porter (aka, Red Pine). Here's the link for you to enjoy:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.telluridewatch.com/pages/full_story/push?article--UP+BEAR+CREEK-Learning+the+Tao+of+T%E2%80%99ang+Poetry%20&id=6464800&instance=opinion">http://www.telluridewatch.com/pages/full_story/push?article--UP+BEAR+CREEK-Learning+the+Tao+of+T’ang+Poetry%20&id=6464800&instance=opinion</a></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Zaijian!</i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>The Innkeeper</b></div>The Innkeeperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13285052496666836738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130885627398706876.post-54606498715304238812010-01-18T21:30:00.006-05:002010-01-19T07:25:36.542-05:00Historical Novel Society Interview<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghaFMljFKtYJPGip9pwV_yaYzGWT7gAAuqPu1sSO88S6I6s8gy_13-gfou_Ep35CFwn2Ab287F3ZYH1seehaAgQ6oEItsXKJdJlAP3V8BGYAUrQF9m72ds8tI-COo434P9NJf5ytKzIuM/s1600-h/ColorLogo.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 104px; height: 107px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghaFMljFKtYJPGip9pwV_yaYzGWT7gAAuqPu1sSO88S6I6s8gy_13-gfou_Ep35CFwn2Ab287F3ZYH1seehaAgQ6oEItsXKJdJlAP3V8BGYAUrQF9m72ds8tI-COo434P9NJf5ytKzIuM/s200/ColorLogo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428273081251315922" border="0" /></a>Last year, I had an interesting online interview with Ms. Cindy Vallar of <span style="font-style: italic;">Solander</span> magazine, which is the Historical Fiction Society's magazine. Cindy asked a number of intriguing questions regarding how I go about "world-building" medieval China. She regularly writes "The Red Pencil" column which looks at how writers do their thing, so to speak. So if you're interested in how I developed a particular aspect of the historical background to my novel, <span style="font-style: italic;">Dream of the Dragon Pool - A Daoist Quest</span>, just go to <a href="http://www.aadalia.com/SolanderNov09.pdf"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">http://www.aadalia.com/SolanderNov09.pdf</span></a><br /><br />Enjoy!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Zaijian!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Innkeeper</span>The Innkeeperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13285052496666836738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130885627398706876.post-8578545774027629312010-01-11T16:58:00.001-05:002010-01-11T17:00:52.185-05:00Wuxia at Boston University – An Assessment<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKW8M5BksWStCL6FX9A4gZbXJLsb6Hs48G6aG135HpI3ARd7g_sq7r9QKI0Dtc4Zvkr4yTQDqKOKxgo8T0qLRpsH8OOLooShpW4ZO5hnU6dkpDTcauEqE7AxY1ubgfxhM3istMiQQ8m1g/s1600-h/ColorLogo.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 103px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKW8M5BksWStCL6FX9A4gZbXJLsb6Hs48G6aG135HpI3ARd7g_sq7r9QKI0Dtc4Zvkr4yTQDqKOKxgo8T0qLRpsH8OOLooShpW4ZO5hnU6dkpDTcauEqE7AxY1ubgfxhM3istMiQQ8m1g/s200/ColorLogo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425605334413294226" border="0" /></a>
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class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>Happy New Year!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">For my first 2010 blog, I want to relate my teaching experience at Boston University (BU). I mentioned in the previous blog that I taught a <i style="">wuxia</i> (Chinese heroic fiction) class in the BU Writing Program, in addition to an ESL writing course in that same program. The BU catalog description of the course was:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Paradox of the Hero/Heroine in East Asian Cinema and Fiction</b>
<br />Using the Chinese <i style="">wuxia</i> (“heroic”) fiction genre, we will explore individualism in a cultural region where none was assumed to exist, non-conformity where conformity was assumed to rule, and a sense of equality where Confucian hierarchy was assumed the norm. Tracing the genre’s development across a 2,000-year arc, we will read primary source materials in translation as we consider how heroes reflect their cultures. Secondary readings will help us understand how a culture creates and views its heroes. For the modern era, our primary source materials include selections from Chinese and Japanese martial arts films and Japanese Anime. In our writing, we will examine these “wandering heroes” and address the question of why after 2,000 years they attract a global following.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I selected seven films for the course:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="postbody">Battle of the Warriors (formerly, Battle of Wits) </span>
<br /><span class="postbody">Bride with White Hair </span>
<br /><span class="postbody">Princess Mononoke </span>
<br /><span class="postbody">Swordsman (with Sam Hui) </span>
<br /><span class="postbody">Zatoichi, Festival of Fire </span>
<br /><span class="postbody">Seven Samurai </span>
<br /><span class="postbody">Ashes of Time<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="postbody">I had originally picked ten films, but since the course was essentially a writing course and not a film course, I had to cut back on the film showings to allow for more emphasis on the writing instruction. The Writing Program courses allow the instructors to use topics that they are familiar with as the materials to teaching college writing – essentially, academic research paper writing.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="postbody">My students were great. They were very enthusiastic and very open minded – admittedly, a number of them were already fans of this genre, but few had any idea about the long held cultural traditions behind these films and its literary genre. Yet, once my students began to gain insight into the genre, they brought to it fresh thinking and an enthusiasm to learn more that would gladden the heart of any teacher. The primary and secondary written source materials that I supplied came from my background as an academic and as a historical fiction writer.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="postbody">I had been initially hired to teach an ESL writing course because of my extensive overseas teaching experience in East Asia. However, twelve days before classes were to begin, I got a call from the program’s assistant director asking if I would be interested in also teaching the <i style="">wuxia</i> course that I had proposed in my initial application. While that “course” was outlined on paper, it had never been taught or even fleshed out with movies and reading materials. Nonetheless, realizing the opportunity this presented – to get <i style="">wuxia</i> into the curriculum of a major world-class university – I said yes. The rest, I guess, is history.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="postbody">My students looked at the role of women in the East Asian heroic tradition, the role of the individual, the idea of heroism, the role of romantic love, the East Asian hero as a tragic hero, and other fascinating aspects of this heroic tradition. Most of the writing was very good and some of it was truly innovative and insightful. As a result, both teacher and student broadened their perspectives on the genre.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="postbody">At the final class meeting, we held an “academy awards” ceremony in which the students voted a “best picture” award. And the best picture of the course went to…<i style="">Princess Mononoke</i> – a marvelous Hayao Miyazaki anime film that can easily put to shame James Cameron’s <i style="">Avatar, </i>which shares the same basic theme of humanity vs. nature, but which will, regrettably, never get the viewership of that corporate behemoth.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="postbody">However, due to historically low enrollments at BU for the spring semester, none of the part time instructors were continued for the next semester. And while I will truly miss the interaction with students, I can now turn back to my own writing with renewed vigor and fresh perspectives. While many publishers in the West have yet to realize the interest and attractiveness of this genre, my interaction with both the students and faculty at BU have further confirmed my belief that there is a large, untapped audience for an English language <i style="">wuxia</i> genre.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="postbody">I’m thinking of designing an anime course, but since this film genre has grown into such a broad field, I’ll have wrestle with which films to show. That was also a problem with designing the heroes course. The East Asian heroic tradition has a very broad range and although my seven films worked well in the course, I had constantly to remind my students and myself that we were being exposed to a very limited range of material. But we have to start somewhere and hopefully we will all continue enjoying and exploring this exciting realm of cinema and fiction.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="postbody"><i style="">Zaijian</i>!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="postbody"><b style="">The Innkeeper<o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<br />The Innkeeperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13285052496666836738noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130885627398706876.post-88537626558191698092009-11-01T16:29:00.003-05:002009-11-01T16:40:30.741-05:00Wuxia at Boston University<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4fqz-lTcvSu7UMbemFBUGDm3myB3GaUMSGmaHpUv01HGB6wVwLMjagda3LqfA5vEzDPgpVhyphenhypheniof0aEMMkOj5_a83S53z7KjnCZCP31lNBoODEzUR6V-OAuFRSfouNAoSl0ZhkHyEhdE/s1600-h/ColorLogo.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 96px; height: 98px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4fqz-lTcvSu7UMbemFBUGDm3myB3GaUMSGmaHpUv01HGB6wVwLMjagda3LqfA5vEzDPgpVhyphenhypheniof0aEMMkOj5_a83S53z7KjnCZCP31lNBoODEzUR6V-OAuFRSfouNAoSl0ZhkHyEhdE/s200/ColorLogo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399251092879792098" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Wuxia </span>has now made it to Boston University. I'm teaching a writing course there, "Paradox of the Hero/Heroine in East Asian Cinema and Fiction." Check out the details and the reaction from the world-wide <span style="font-style: italic;">wuxia</span> community here on Wuxiahui:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.wuxiasociety.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4557">www.wuxiasociety.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4557</a><br /><br />Enjoy!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Zaijian!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The Innkeeper</span>The Innkeeperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13285052496666836738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130885627398706876.post-85796247623684401032009-08-11T19:31:00.003-04:002009-08-11T19:43:57.857-04:00E-Booked!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq37hBqO1qF1y41dir5Oeu2i8as6-XdWyMexVVAFLcU4BzOQb68var760aSnHFqYU4JmcL6M2yZWDRRX-cvnDV3a8cVadbRqnOvttz1j1pVbDrmn_v6cTCsnuJ3rxmZSQpO_l4N__1giQ/s1600-h/ColorLogo.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 93px; height: 96px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq37hBqO1qF1y41dir5Oeu2i8as6-XdWyMexVVAFLcU4BzOQb68var760aSnHFqYU4JmcL6M2yZWDRRX-cvnDV3a8cVadbRqnOvttz1j1pVbDrmn_v6cTCsnuJ3rxmZSQpO_l4N__1giQ/s200/ColorLogo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368853745854197394" border="0" /></a><br /><span>In addition to its paperback form,</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span>Dream of the Dragon Pool - A Daoist Quest</span> is NOW available as a multi-format ebook at Smashwords, where you can sample the first 50% (!) of the book for FREE! So for all of you out there who thought <span style="font-style: italic;">wuxia</span>, Chinese heroic fiction, might not be your...cup of tea ;-}, here's your chance to find out, for FREE!<br /><br />Just imagine, now you can carry your <span style="font-style: italic;">wuxia</span> in your iPhone (!) whenever, wherever you need it!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br />Here's the link: <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/3311" send="true">http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/3311</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />ENJOY!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Zaijian</span>!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Innkeeper</span><br /></div></div>The Innkeeperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13285052496666836738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130885627398706876.post-71445392902525645102009-07-10T15:48:00.002-04:002009-07-10T15:59:23.756-04:00Another Wuxia Book Review!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuSDUnsSAGftKtJ-JBaSO_q5ZHRsAnRzph28xKQMEURpNOMUrN8u3tP-q0rq9r18KO0sAdqkLqiH29Fy-vKbiIFwJUV3aKtqKfdQIbDgJbPTr8WRjZE57J0aW91o7BQsrLVjsarDKQWWQ/s1600-h/ColorLogo.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 104px; height: 107px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuSDUnsSAGftKtJ-JBaSO_q5ZHRsAnRzph28xKQMEURpNOMUrN8u3tP-q0rq9r18KO0sAdqkLqiH29Fy-vKbiIFwJUV3aKtqKfdQIbDgJbPTr8WRjZE57J0aW91o7BQsrLVjsarDKQWWQ/s200/ColorLogo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356921059320802818" border="0" /></a>Summer is more or less here and between the rain storms, the riding is faster than ever and longer - all aimed at the century ride in September! Don't miss the Tour de France - GO LANCE!!!!!!<br /><br />Great review just in today - many thanks to Wuxiadaddy for this one!<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">>Dream of the Dragon Pool is a wuxia novel written by American China scholar Albert A. Dalia and it has all the hallmarks of great wuxia. Tragedy, action and humor combine as a cast of non-to predictable characters journey down the Yangtze river. Li Bo, an exiled poet is on a personal quest to find his lost inspiration that becomes a mission to save the ruling dynasty and maintain the spiritual balance of the great river. The cast includes swordsmen, ghosts, drunken ship captains, drunken monkeys, shamans, spirits and gods. Dalia has lots of wonderful little details that add up to a feeling of viewing a great Shaw film or reading a Louis Cha novel. If you have been missing Barry Hughart and are tired of waiting for the rest of the West to realize how great wuxia is and get with the translating or are looking for something fresh in the fantasy genre, check out</span> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dream-Dragon-Pool-Albert-Dalia/dp/1929355343" target="new"><span style="color:blue;">Dream of the Dragon Pool</span></a>.<o:p></o:p><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://wuxiadaddy.livejournal.com/">http://wuxiadaddy.livejournal.com/</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Zaijian!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Innkeeper</span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://wuxiadaddy.livejournal.com/"><br /><br /></a></p>The Innkeeperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13285052496666836738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130885627398706876.post-52055323534697398342009-06-01T17:58:00.003-04:002009-06-01T18:04:36.750-04:00Pleasant Surprises<a 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mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >Summer is slowly beginning to creep over the mountains here at the Inn. Yet, I went out for bike ride this morning and “froze”! Hope some of you had a chance to catch the Giro d’Italia – 100<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the classic Italian bicycle race that takes three weeks to cover over 2000 miles of always beautiful Italy! Lance was there getting in shape for the Tour de France – things should be getting very interesting once he’s back up to speed in a couple of months.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >I had a pleasant surprise yesterday when I got a Publisher’s Weekly news email. The Book Expo of America has just wound up in New York City and there was actually mention of my publisher, Jack Estes, and his press – it is a very small literary press and to get mentioned among the “big boys” of publishing is great for all of us associated with Pleasure Boat Studio. So here’s the “mention” and please do visit their website at <a href="http://www.pleasureboatstudio.com/">www.pleasureboatstudio.com</a> for some of the very interesting books they publish. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >Zaijian!<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><span style=";font-family:";font-size:24;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><span style=";font-family:";font-size:24;" >BookExpo America 2009: Indie Buzz Panel -- Big Range<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><span style=";font-family:";font-size:13;" >By Michael Coffey -- Publishers Weekly, 5/30/2009 3:21:00 PM<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Pleasure Boat Studio is a press that few have heard of, but Shaw, in her post at <em><span style=";font-family:";" >Foreword</span></em>, has been extremely impressed by the list from this “tiny” New York press. Publisher Jack Estes was on hand to pitch a debut mystery, <em><span style=";font-family:";" >Swan Dive</span></em> by Michael Burke. The mystery is based on the myth of Leda and the Swan—that is, Zeus transforming himself into a swan in order to seduce the beautiful Leda, generating several children—“loosely based,” Estes hastened to add, in this “extremely intelligent” mystery by the son of famed literary critic and philosopher Kenneth Burke. The detective at the heart of the story is one John “Blue” Heron—none too smart, innocent, naïve, with an eye for women and enough ambition to get the next month’s rent, barely. Estes said the narrative techniques are sophisticated but that he considers Swan Dive a “blue-collar mystery—earthy, thought-provoking and very, very smart.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6661805.html?industryid=49050">http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6661805.html?industryid=49050</a></p> The Innkeeperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13285052496666836738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130885627398706876.post-18567297018422305132009-03-25T17:32:00.001-04:002009-03-25T17:35:12.492-04:00New Pricing & New Connection!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8FvxHDMwzwNZUXqOFBD2BkkJZcqlXfKM7E0jb5YIVVInkjkOrBWxWzLsr5LCxsGFoz3K62Gqc7CrmEWGdJXzTig2FCclJz17vY2UGLCrAnbQhQMCMcBPNH8keuDcokJuEZW93uYRGd4o/s1600-h/ColorLogo.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 111px; height: 114px;" 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<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Hello! Spring is finally here. I’ve been out on the bike a number of times even though there is still a chill in the air – I don’t have the proper cold weather gear, so I have to be “selective” about my riding temperatures; okay, I’m a wimp when it comes to the cold.</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But there is some good news to warm everyone pocketbook - my wonderful publisher, Pleasure Boat Studio, has lowered the price on my novel, <i style="">Dream of the Dragon Pool – A Daoist Quest</i>. So now you can have more fun for less money! So far his site, <a href="http://www.pleasureboatstudio.com/">www.pleasureboatstudio.com</a> , and Amazon both reflect the new $13.95 US price. Hope this helps.</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">As for the new connection, Nan Hawthorne runs a REALLY beautiful website, <b style="">Medieval-Novels</b>, for fiction dealing with the medieval period of any country. She has kindly included <i style="">Dream of the Dragon Pool</i> on her China page, which you can find here: <a href="http://www.medieval-novels.com/locations/china.htm">http://www.medieval-novels.com/locations/china.htm</a> . Do check out the rest of the website and Nan’s blog. Good stuff! Thanks, Nan!</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I’ll have some big news coming at the beginning of next month regarding future projects and my writing career, but announcements will have to wait till then.</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">And how about that Battlestar Galactica ending!!!! Amazing stuff! Can our <i style="">wuxia</i> genre match it and go beyond? There’s a lot in the medieval Chinese tradition that has yet to be explored - we’ll see.</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt; line-height: normal;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:12pt;">Zaijian!<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:12pt;" >THE INNKEEPER</span></b>The Innkeeperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13285052496666836738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130885627398706876.post-4419177726331757572009-01-25T20:28:00.002-05:002009-01-25T20:33:16.370-05:00Slumdog, Zen, the Arts, and the OX<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyVM-euPF0oebuD1HCAND9G62ILwMNlCxxzoLkFImstT9fRgEnzr70QpzAy6TlqQ5KflqHSSnHWgzPoc0fyYbLGfk0H79d22Y1wy41G9AYHZSpcC9LZ4coRWL2IBurWi3FU5nXtmcArCQ/s1600-h/ColorLogo.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 96px; height: 98px;" 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mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >The mountains around the Dragon Gate Inn are frozen white, but the fire is warm. It’s time for more updates on what’s going on in this writer’s life.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >Movies seen: <i style="">Slumdog Millionaire<o:p></o:p></i></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >Wow! Director Danny Boyle has done it again, created another marvelous movie, but this time he’s topped all his previous efforts. Slumdog Millionaire, filmed in Mumbai (Bombay), India in the exuberant “Bollywood” fashion, is an incredible experience. It’s what old time Hollywood movies used to be like before special effects took the place of solid storytelling. You can bet my heart is with the great screenplay writer, Simon Beaufoy, who adapted the movie from Vikas Swarup’s novel, <i style="">Q and A</i>. This is a movie that is what movies should be like, emotional experiences!<span style=""> </span><i style="">Slumdog</i> runs them all, from real horror – that is, from real life not something calculated merely for its gross out effect – to incredible joy and sorrow, from overwhelming sadness to overwhelming hope. Clearly, I was OVERWHELMED! It’s one of the best movies I’ve ever seen and I hope to see it again, soon. See it!
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >Books Read: <i style="">Zen Baggage<span style="">: A Pilgrimage to China</span></i><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >Amazing! My old friend, Bill Porter, has done it again, written a wonderful book about China’s ancient religious tradition; this time its China’s Zen tradition. Previously, in case you didn’t know,<span style=""> </span>Bill went wandering off into the hills outside of the old Tang capital at Xian and documented China’s ancient tradition of religious hermits – a tradition that many people thought was long gone – turning it into the fascinating book, <i style="">Road to Heaven: Encounters with Chinese Hermits</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >This time Bill went on a pilgrimage to the six monasteries of the first six patriarchs of the Chinese Zen (<i style="">Chan</i>) tradition. His trip took him from Beijing down through Hong Kong and he visited more than the six monasteries. Here’s the review I summated to the Amazon.com book site:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" ><blockquote>Bill Porter’s <i>Zen Baggage</i> is a remarkable work that’s satisfying at multiple levels. Bill knows the spiritual landscape of modern China better than any author alive today traversing its sacred mountains, valleys, and waterways. And that’s the special attraction of Bill’s book – he’s been there! And being there, he’s got a lot of friends in those monasteries and sacred sites and each time he travels, he not only renews those friendships but also makes a raft of new ones. As a result, you, the lucky reader, get to make new friends, visit new places, have new experiences, and gain new insights. Old “Zennist” or total neophyte, Bill’s trip will surprise you in the depth and extent of China’s Zen Renaissance. And while it is one thing to build a lot of buildings and call them “Buddhist monasteries,” it’s quite another to populate them with sincere, intelligent Buddhists. Bill’s book introduces us to a new generation of remarkable Chinese Buddhist monks and nuns. At another level, if you enjoy traveling, you’ll enjoy Bill’s extensive knowledge of Chinese history and geography combined with his love of good tea and gastronomical adventures. Most of all, <i>Zen Baggage</i> let’s you check “your baggage” at the opening of the cover and join a remarkable traveler in a great modern day adventure!</blockquote><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >If you’re up for a remarkable journey through a China most people never see, read it!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<br /><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >Things Joined: Arts in America<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >In a recent interview, Quincy Jones put forth the idea for a Secretary of the Arts. He says he’s going to bring it up with President Obama. As a result, a petition for just such a cabinet post has also sprung up. <span style=""> </span>I think it’s a great idea and urge all writers and fellow artists of all genres and medias to sign the petition. You can find it here:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" ><a href="http://www.petitiononline.com/esnyc/petition.html">http://www.petitiononline.com/esnyc/petition.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >
<br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >Things Celebrated:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >YEAR OF THE OX – May it bring prosperity, tranquility, and joy to the world!<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt; line-height: normal;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:12;">
<br /></span></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt; line-height: normal;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:12;">Zaijian!<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt; line-height: normal;"><b style=""><span style="font-size:12;">THE INNKEEPER<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> The Innkeeperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13285052496666836738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130885627398706876.post-68941838872320505592008-11-25T10:46:00.001-05:002008-11-25T10:49:45.122-05:00An 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</style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">The trees are bare and cold weather is with us up here at the Dragon Gate Inn. So are the mists that accompany the cold, rainy weather. Good time for visitors from other realms, strange music, and other “natural” phenomenon that might seem “strange” to visitors from the lowlands. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">Very much in harmony with these autumn turnings, I thought it would be appropriate to put up another of my recently revised short stories. “Natural Harmony” considers nature and its harmonies – natural and human – in the context of my take on the <i style="">wuxia</i> genre. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">In addition, once upon a time, when I was an active researcher in the lives of medieval Chinese Buddhist monks, I read through a 10<sup>th</sup> century Buddhist collection of biographies of eminent monks. In those fascinating stories, there were recorded many strange incidents and phenomena. Those readings have happily influenced my storytelling.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">Hope you enjoy the trip!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">Zaijian</span></i></b><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">!<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">The Innkeeper<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; line-height: 200%;" align="center"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; line-height: 200%;" align="center"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; line-height: 200%;" align="center"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; line-height: 200%;" align="center"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">NATURAL HARMONY<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; line-height: 200%;" align="center"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; line-height: 200%;" align="center"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">by<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; line-height: 200%;" align="center"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">Albert A. Dalia<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">
<br /> </span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">It was probably the fishermen who first noticed the wind, if not the difference. Blowing low across the strait that separated the island from the mainland of <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">China</st1:country-region></st1:place>, it rushed toward the mountains that sheltered the northern part of the island. Caressing the mountain range, it came in off the sea, across the beaches, and scaled the once lush heights.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>The mountain forests were more sensitive. One could see it in their leaves, the way they immediately turned over and upward entreating the dark night sky as the wind passed over them.<span style=""> </span>Over the mountain ridges, it plunged down into the valleys. It was the Meditation master Hui-sheng who was first alerted. Up valley from the Flying Dragon Monastery, his meditation hut was shaken by the first draft of wind rushing down toward the lowlands.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>No ordinary wind would have brought Hui-sheng out of his meditation. He had lived in the hut for over ten years, ever since the original monastery had been destroyed. Hui-sheng loved the higher regions of the mountain and soon left the relocated monastery farther down the valley. He had moved back up the mountain and built his hut. It was a compromise. There was no going back to the first Flying Dragon Monastery. The forces up there were too strong for its re-establishment. So Hui-sheng had found a place that was as close to his old home as the mountain would permit.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>Farther down the mountain, the abbot of the current Flying Dragon Monastery was the next human being to sense the change in the wind. When it blew through the monastery flapping altar hangings, swaying bells, flickering candles and lamps, and swirling dry dust up from the ground, the abbot Ming-jing stood up from his meditation cushion and beat the assembly gong.<span style=""> </span>The wind left the waking monastery behind and continued downward to the farmlands below.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>A young stranger, who was on the way up the mountain, caught scent of the wind as it reached the lowlands. He stopped and stared up at the mountain range that rose before him in the moonlight. <i style="">So</i>, he thought, <i style="">this is the place of my dreams</i>. Then he felt the wind on his face. It was warm and moist. He closed his eyes. Dried bamboo leaves, tossed up from the ground, gently patted his face. He smiled and continued up the road that led into the mountains.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>No doubt it was again the fisherman who first noticed the frosty white mist that was soon borne along by the wind. They hauled up their sails and headed for the nearest landfall. The mist, however, did not cloak the sea but made straight for the mountains. The mountain peaks disappeared in frosty film. As the mist grew denser, it seemed less and less interested in leaving the mountain top. It didn't proceed any further down the mountain than the ruins of the old Flying Dragon Monastery. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">In the morning, everyone on the leeward side of the mountain would say that the sky had lowered itself and began just below the old monastery. The farmer folk down in the villages would rejoice believing that the prayers being said at the monastery had succeeded in entreating the spirits to break the drought, which had gripped the island for several months. The monks Hui-sheng and Ming-jing knew better.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"We must redouble our efforts my brothers in the Dharma, for a new situation has arisen that will require all our fortitude," said the abbot. The thirty monks below the abbot's lecture chair remained attentive. Light danced wildly over the large assembly room as the wind played with the candles and oil lamps.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Soon there will be rain," continued the abbot. There was a stir amongst the monks.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"But, this is not the rain we have been praying for. Our prayers have attracted something that we must be cautious about." The murmuring from the monks grew more audible.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Please. This is not the time for ignorant speculation. We must begin right now to ask for the Buddha's protection of this whole island. There is little time to lose." These words had barely cleared the abbot's lips when a tremendous clap of thunder let loose from the mountain peak. A brilliant lightning flash illuminated thirty faces peering up from below the abbot's seat.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">From the peak, rain crashed down the valley. Hui-sheng felt the rush of air pushed by the impending torrent and ran for the cave behind his hut. The hut had little chance; the tremendous force of the gathering rain reduced it to broken thatch and bamboo. <i style="">Perhaps</i>, thought Hui-sheng as he watched the water sweep away his home, <i style="">this time it would get what it wanted</i>. He lit a small fire and took up a meditation position. Around him the earth shook from the roar of the rain and the morning gloom was torn by lightning flashes and peals of thunder.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>The early morning light appeared to have worked a great transformation on the mountain.<span style=""> </span>The peak had disappeared into the thick mist that clung to upper regions of the mountain. Here and there, the white, frosty vapor made forays down the mountain along the valleys that spread out from the top. The withered browns that once formed a patchy network over the mountain flanks were now shining with new rain. Even the great pine forests, which were the mountain's prime color and immune to seasonal change, had become pale ghostly shadows haunting the upland regions.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>A gray figure wafted out of the mists and approached the main gate of the Flying Dragon Monastery. There were no attendants at the open gate so the young man walked through it to the main Buddha hall, which lay straight ahead. The rising and falling cadences of the monks chant filled the courtyard in front of the hall. The monastery was small and, by Chinese standards, young.<span style=""> </span>As he approached the main hall, just for a moment, the young man heard another melody.<span style=""> </span>Higher up above the chant, there was something. But when he noticed it and tried to discern its rhythm he found only the sound of the wind.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>The abbot left his raised seat and stood outside the hall watching the young man.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Have you heard something, young layman?"<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">The young man turned to the abbot. "Old monk," the young man bowed. "So the tune has also touched your ears!"<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">He shifted his blue shoulder bag, walked across the courtyard, and up the wooden steps to the raised platform that the hall stood upon. The abbot saluted him with a Buddhist greeting:<span style=""> </span>placing the palms of the hands together chest high while chanting "<i style="">Namo-o-mi-tuo-Fo</i>" and bowing. The young man returned the greeting.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"I am the abbot Ming-jing. What brings you to our small community?" asked the abbot.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Nothing in particular. I'm a wandering musician seeking the inspiration of Nature."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"A musician?" the abbot reflected aloud as he stroked his wispy white beard. "What is your honorable name, sir?"<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"I have many names, old monk. Some know me as Wu Fei, others as ‘Red Flute.’"<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Red Flute!" The abbot's moth white eye brows hovered over his soft brown eyes, which darted to the long slim cloth bag slung over the young man's shoulder.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"In the courtyard a moment ago, did you hear anything?"<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Yes, of course, the chanting of your monks."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Beyond that? If you are truly the one known as Red Flute, then you heard something else."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>The young man smiled and drew the <i style="">dizi</i> (bamboo transverse flute) out of its bag. It was a long slender piece of bamboo, polished to a warm dark hue; around the far end hung a red tassel. He placed it to his lips and blew lightly across the mouth hole. A faint tune issued forth.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Yes! Yes! That's it. We are honored to have you amongst us, Master Red Flute."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>The monks who had taken a break from their chanting were listening to the conversation between their abbot and the young musician. The abbot invited Red Flute to the midday meal and had some of his disciples escort the young man to the guest quarters. The monastery's supervisor approached the abbot.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Old master, my hearing is not what it used to be, as I am advancing in years, but neither I nor my fellow younger monks heard any sound issue from that fellow's flute. Yet, it seemed as if you and he heard something. We are puzzled by this."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>The old abbot laughed and then turned his kindly countenance to his eldest disciple.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"I heard very little. We must all work harder to first become more attuned to the Way before we can hear clearly what he plays."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Master?" the supervisor asked as the group of monks who were listening grew larger and closer to the abbot.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Let us continue our meditation practice and seek from within ourselves the source of all sound, and you will gradually begin to hear the music of Master Red Flute," responded the abbot. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>Higher up the mountain, there were flood barriers of pounded earth and bamboo that, given the fate of the former Flying Dragon Monastery, had been built to protect the new monastery. But the rain had worked furiously overnight to undermine the barrier's foundation.<span style=""> </span>When the materials from Hui-sheng's former hut finally slid into the protective earthen walls they completely collapsed.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>Just as the abbot had finished his admonition a great mud slide struck the monastery's back bamboo wall. The woven bamboo snapped and burst as the mud rushed through the rear courtyard racing for the front wall. Several wooden structures were washed away as the mass of debris smashed into the front wall. The wall held but the mud began to pile up as the water flowed over and around the gooey mess. The main gate and wall were being undermined by the constant work of the water. The rain was increasing. Soon, the whole monastery would be swept from the face of the mountain.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>Monks were running here and there within the monastery trying to divert the water's flow.<span style=""> </span>The abbot left the flood control work to his monastery supervisor and sought out Red Flute.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>Red Flute was standing outside the guest rooms looking up at the mist hidden mountain peak. The abbot stopped and watched from across the courtyard to see what the young man would do. After studying the mountain peak for a while, Red Flute took up his flute and began to play. The abbot could barely make out the tune, but he could immediately see the reaction on the mountain top - the storm’s intensity relaxed. The mist that was boiling around the summit became tranquil. The thunder and lightning grew to a faint whisper. <i style="">It was</i>, thought the abbot, <i style="">as if the mountain peak was trying to listen to Red Flute's tune.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>By the time the abbot had crossed the courtyard, Red Flute had already packed away his flute.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Ah, old monk, no need to see about me, I won't be here long."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Please, I must have a word with you, our monastery is in grave danger and we need your help."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"I know. I'm preparing to climb the mountain and deal with your problem."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Sir, I can't presume upon your goodness without giving you a complete explanation of what is going on here."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">The musician smiled. "Just tell me when and how all this started."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>The abbot and the flute player sat inside the guest quarters. The pause in the rain gave the monks a chance to repair part of the damage and prepare for a further onslaught.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Ten years ago," the abbot began. "I was the monastery supervisor at the original Flying Dragon Monastery higher up on this mountain. At that time, our abbot enjoyed meditating outside next to a natural pool behind the main hall. The monastery was built up against the mountain side near a pool that was fed by a beautiful waterfall."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">Red Flute sipped the tea that had been served. A faint smile drew across his lips when the waterfall was mentioned.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"One night something happened between the abbot and that pool," continued Ming-jing.<span style=""> </span>"To this day we don't know what it was. The abbot would never tell us. But he ordered us to abandon the monastery and build another one down below at this location." The abbot was very downcast as he recounted those moments.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"The day after we left a great storm arose. The original monastery was destroyed by the ensuing floods." The abbot paused for a moment and gazed up at the dark black clouds that were continuing to gather around the mountain peak. He moved closer to Red Flute and in a low voice said, "The source of these storms is the same – and it remains unrequited." <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"And the abbot?" asked Red Flute.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"He still lives up on the mountain. Not at the old site but below it in a meditation hut as a hermit. He is practicing asceticism and seems to be atoning for some sort of wrong."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Has anyone tried to find out from him what he is doing?"<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"I was his chief disciple and at first approached him everyday. But alas he has taken a solemn vow of silence and does not respond to our supplications," the old monk sighed. "I fear he will not survive this storm."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Fear not," smiled Red Flute, "he is still alive, and I will see him tonight."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"You must not venture up there. Whatever spirit dwells there is evil and delights in the destruction of humankind."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Do not worry. It is not evil."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>The abbot's eyebrows took flight again. "How do you know this!?"<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>Red Flute smiled. "Evil does not respond to music."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>After taking a few supplies, Red Flute began the long climb toward the summit. Ten years ago, there had been a trail up the mountain that serviced the original Flying Dragon Monastery.<span style=""> </span>But time, the disaster at the original monastery, and this new storm had obliterated the track.<span style=""> </span>Red Flute made his own path, following the natural inclinations of the mountain. Sometimes, he walked along the banks of the raging torrents created by the storm. At other times, he followed the high ground along ridge lines. By evening, he had reached Hui-sheng's cave.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>The fire was still burning, and Hui-sheng was still in a meditative state. Red Flute needed to speak with him as soon as possible, but he knew it was dangerous to wake someone from deep <i>samadhi</i>. He sat down with his flute. A soft melody that sounded much like the nightingale's call drifted from the instrument toward the cave. Hui-sheng began to stir. When he had fully returned to the state of mundane consciousness, he saw Red Flute sitting outside the cave entrance.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"So you are the one who soothed the spirit's temper."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>Red Flute smiled and bowed giving a Buddhist salute which Hui-sheng returned. The old monk bid the young musician enter and the two sat around the fire. Red Flute laid out the supplies he had brought and told Hui-sheng about the damage to the monastery.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Then no one was injured?" asked the old monk.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>Red Flute assured him that the only physical damage was to the monastery. The storm's darkness seemed to cross the monk's weathered face. "I fear she is out to wipe every trace of human spirituality off the face of this mountain. I have offered my life in exchange for allowing my brother's to live in peace with her, but each time she refuses."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Old monk, I can help you, but I must know what happened ten years ago between you and her."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"I have already ended a ten year vow of silence by talking to you." Red Flute nodded. "I have done so because I heard a little of the tune you played for her. You are no ordinary flute player."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Old monk, tell me what happened."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>For a moment, the old monk sat watching the fire. "I used to meditate near the pool that was behind the main hall of the original Flying Dragon Monastery. It received that name because of the legend that a dragon lived at the bottom of the pool. No one, in my generation at least, had ever seen the fabulous beast. At least, until I began my meditation practice there. One night, as I was meditating a stray thought entered my mind. That thought, I later realized, was one of my former lives. I had once served an eminent master of the Way of Lao-ze, and he had taught me a spell for making dragons rise to the sky. Once this thought entered my mind, I could not prevent the spell from rising into consciousness. Unfortunately, the spell was genuine. The dragon was suddenly expelled from the pool. It rose on high and mounted a cloud passing the mountain peak that night." <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">The old monk stopped for a moment and took the cup of tea that Red Flute had brewed.<span style=""> </span>After a sip he continued. "The dragon transformed into the form of a beautiful maiden. She was furious that I had forced her from the pond where she had abided peacefully for a thousand years. <span style=""> </span>She vowed to destroy the monastery and any attempts by humans to live on the mountain. Her weapon further startled me," the old monk paused.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Yes, please go on – this is crucial if I am to deal with her."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Her weapon was the <i>erh-hu</i> (the two stringed bowed fretless Chinese fiddle). When she played of her sorrow at being disturbed after a millennia, none of us could hold back our tears.<span style=""> </span>She made us experience her suffering. Several of my disciples went mad at the depth of her sorrow. Then she vented her rage and turned Nature against us. The monastery was swept away by a massive storm. Of course none of my disciples understood what happened for I was the only one who could see her. They unwittingly suffered for my inability to control my wandering mind.<span style=""> </span>So for these ten years I have stayed here to discipline my mind." He laughed and said, "And even with all this practice, look how easy it was for you to distract me."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Old monk you are too hard on yourself. There are few men on this earth who would not be ‘distracted,’ as you put it, by my flute. This is no ordinary instrument, and I am no ordinary player. I will deal with the <i>erh-hu</i> maiden."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">Suddenly the cave was empty, only the old monk and the fire remained.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>Near the mountain peak, the ruins of the original Flying Dragon Monastery were deeply bounded by the mist. Red Flute appeared by the pool. The area was grown wild with weeds, but he found it by following the roar of the waterfalls that plunged into it.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>As Red Flute moved toward it in the dark, the moon suddenly filtered down through the mist and bathed the whole area in a ghostly pale light. It was then, for the first time clearly, that he heard the <i>erh-hu</i> music – a lonely, thin sound that perfectly complimented the moonlight. He reached the side of the pond and gazed upon the splendor of the waterfalls. It looked like a white silk robe tossed by the wind as its pearly froth flew every which way. But it was the sound that attracted him the most – the waterfalls was the source of the <i>erh-hu</i> music. The flow of the water matched the flow of the music. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>Red Flute raised his flute and began to play. At first he followed the lead of the waterfalls, gently laying his notes along her melody line. Then he began developing his own line and intertwined it with hers. Sometimes he would follow her, and sometimes, only briefly at first, she would follow him.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>The music suddenly stopped. A beautiful maiden appeared on the other side of the pool from Red Flute. She was tall with long silken hair as black as the deepest night and eyes that burnt like the very stars in the heavens. Her gown was opalescent as if she was cloaked in a rainbow with the moon as its source.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Who are you?" she called to him.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"I am who ever you would like me to be."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Don't toy with me. I could destroy you with one pluck of my string that is how insignificant you are to me."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Yes that could be, but then where could you ever find anyone who could accompany you?"<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"I need no one to accompany me. Have you no ears! My playing is superb."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"It is, and I am in awe of it. But think for a moment the music that could be made were two superb instruments such as the <i>dizi</i> and the <i>erh-hu</i> joined by two such superb players as ourselves? Are the instruments not made for each other?"<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Yes, but are the players?"<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Well, then we must have a match!"<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"You are good, but don't presume you are my equal."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"My dear rain maiden, so far I've merely followed and that has been rather simple."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"How dare you!" She picked up her instrument and drew the bow across its two strings.<span style=""> </span>Lightning struck near Red Flute. He then took up his flute and blew just one note. The very ground that held the pool quaked. The maiden stopped.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"You are no mere mortal. Then it is possible we could have an interesting match. What do you propose musician?"<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"We accompany each other until one cannot match the other. At that point, the leader is declared winner."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"Yes, but what does the winner win and the loser lose?" the maiden said, a smile played across her lips.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"If I lose I will destroy my flute and leave the mountain to you. You can destroy the humans as is your present inclination. But if you lose then you must marry me, and become my dutiful wife."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>Lightning flashed and thunder roared at the word "wife."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>"If it were not for your flute playing, this would be a test of martial ability instead!" blazed the rain maiden. "I agree to your terms and look forward to sweeping the humans off this mountain." With that she took up her instrument and began to play.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>Her playing was intense. The waterfalls raged on and on. So forceful was the water that it split some of the boulders below. But the <i>dizi</i> managed to hang on and stayed with the roller coaster ride that she provided.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>The pace, however, proved too fast for the rain maiden, and she had to slow down.<span style=""> </span>When this happen Red Flute, who had been conserving his strength, took command and played out a bright rippling melody that danced merrily along. She had to struggle to keep up with him but soon became lost in the merriment of his melody. To her surprise she found she could not only stay with him, but was quickly weaving a bright air of her own within his.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>Back and forth the playing went. At one moment, he led, at another she. The music picked up pace and then relaxed, gathering strength. Then another surge took them higher and again, exhausted, they fell back down into the valleys – the music mellowed and touched the sweetness of their exhaustion. Up and down the mountain and all across the island the music ranged. For a week the islanders enjoyed the most heavenly music ever to dance in mortal ears.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>Then it stopped. The storm dissipated and the weather resumed its normal patterns over the island. Hui-sheng climbed to the ruins and the pool with his fellow monks. Master Red Flute was no where to be found.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>In time, the original monastery was rebuilt and named the Upper Flying Dragon Monastery, while the one below had "Lower" added to its name. Near the pool they dedicated a shrine to Red Flute and one to the rain maiden.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><span style=""> </span>However, there was one curious discovery. Near the edge of the pool a new stand of bamboos flourished – they were red bamboos, a type never native to the island. The local people claim that on misty moonlit nights, if one listens very carefully, <i>erh-hu</i> music can be heard coming from the waterfalls, and, as the wind blows through the stand of red bamboos, the sound of <i>dizi</i> music is also heard. The music of the two instruments is always in perfect, natural harmony.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; line-height: 200%;" align="center"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">THE END</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Tms Rmn 12pt","serif"; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> The Innkeeperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13285052496666836738noreply@blogger.com0