Unfortunately many of my pictures were destroyed or lost on a Chinese cell phone so these are mostly pictures of pictures.... But here are some of my first two trips.
One of my first trips I went to Mt. Fuji. My love had business so I hooked into a tour group because it was actually the cheapest way to go (which was odd).
I visited Nagano in the middle of winter. It was FREEZING! We had to hike into our ryokan. My love and I hung out with the monkeys for several hours (until I couldn't feel my feet). Part of The Temple of Heaven takes place at Jigkudani.
I spent about six years living in China. It was amazing (the people I met, the bargains I struck while shopping, $8 massages, and seeing incredible places) and terrible (being completely in a foreign place, no clue how things worked, not speaking the language) all at once.
I wanted to share the apartment I designed, built, and lived it. The Made in China currently live in the apartment. Made in China 1: The Great Wall
The apartment was on the corner of Ling Long Lu > which meant many of the places I shopped called me Ling Long Laura LOL.
I loved my time in China and still miss it. I keep in touch with several of my friends from Suzhou.
Sometimes someone will say something
or show me something and it gets stuck in my brain. I saw a video on Turkish
Oil wrestling and was enthralled. I was fascinated by how such a masculine
culture could add such a homoerotic component to their favorite sport.
My librarian in The Librarian’s
Rake is trying to explain the ins and outs Turkish wrestling which is a
centuries old tradition in Turkey. The men rub themselves down with olive oil
and wear special slippery pants. One of the ways to win is to control your
opponent by sticking your hand down their pants… (think on that… then ask
yourself why Turkish oil wrestling isn’t a subgenre in romance?)
Just kidding! It’s a serious sport
and looks incredibly difficult. Take a look at this video:
Excerpt from The Librarian’s
Rake:
“I’m telling you, Turkish oil
wrestling is a real sport.” Tristan locked the library and chuckled at
Phillip’s reaction.
“Right! But come on, they stick
their thumbs up the other guy’s ass to win.” Phillip shook his head.
“It’s called hooking.” Tristan
supplied him with an easy setup.
“Maybe I can get into sports after
all.” Phillip batted his eyelashes.
The Librarian’s Rake
Opposites might attract, but is acting on that
attraction wise?
Librarian Tristan Cooper can’t steer clear of
sexy, motorcycle-riding bad boy Phillip—the man is hot—but Phillip is bound to
find quiet, bookish Tristan boring, like all Tristan’s boyfriends. Tristan
yearns to explore his wild side, the part of himself he’s only allowed into his
fantasies, and maybe rakish Phillip is just what he needs to feel free.
Sexperienced hairdresser Phillip is more of a
believer in happy endings than happily ever afters. Experience has taught him
not to hope for more—until he meets sweet, vulnerable Tristan, who seems
genuinely interested in his heart. But Phillip can’t trust enough to see
himself as a man Tristan might want for more than a night.
With the help of a pair of matchmaking
grandfathers, Tristan and Phillip might find the courage to step beyond their
comfort zones and discover what has been missing from their lives.
The
Librarian’s Rake Blurb
Opposites might attract, but
is acting on that attraction wise?
Librarian Tristan Cooper
can’t steer clear of sexy, motorcycle-riding bad boy Phillip—the man is hot—but
Phillip is bound to and quiet, bookish Tristan boring, like all Tristan’s
boyfriends. Tristan yearns to explore his wild side, the part of himself he’s
only allowed into his fantasies, and maybe rakish Phillip is just what he needs
to feel free.
Sexperienced hairdresser
Phillip is more of a believer in happy endings than happily ever afters.
Experience has taught him not to hope for more— until he meets sweet,
vulnerable Tristan, who seems genuinely interested in his heart. But Phillip
can’t trust enough to see himself as a man Tristan might want for more than a
night.
With the help of a pair of matchmaking grandfathers, Tristan and
Phillip might and the courage to step beyond their comfort zones and discover
what has been missing from their lives....
Any positive or negative expectation about circumstances, events or people that affects the person's behavior toward them in a way that causes the expectations to be fulfilled." (Business Dictionary).
My definition is belief so strong it becomes a barrier preventing any other outcome. Our beliefs cause us to act in certain ways reinforcing what we think will happen.
Any positive or
negative expectation about circumstances, events, or people that may
affect a person's behavior toward them in a manner that causes those
expectations to be fulfilled.
Any positive or
negative expectation about circumstances, events, or people that may
affect a person's behavior toward them in a manner that causes those
expectations to be fulfilled.
The Librarian’s Rake is a perfect example of self-fulfilling prophecies at work.
Tristan (the librarian) sees himself as boring and lives down to that
expectation quietly living his lonely life. Philip (the rake) doesn’t believe
in happily ever after only happy endings that are done right after he swallows.
Both men are in a rut. When they meet, Tristan
decides he’s ready for a change and asks Phillip for assistance. Phillip starts
with superficial changes: hair, clothing, glasses. As a hairdresser, Phillip
knows physical makeovers change how people see themselves. Once Tristan begins
to view himself as no longer bookish and boring, he can take other risks he may
have been too timid to try.
Phillip knows how the world works and doesn’t
expect much out of life. Guys are for getting off and having fun with but
companionship comes from his friends. When Tristan treats Phillip like a friend
rather than a fuckbuddy, Phillip’s world view is turned upside down. Tristan
makes him want things he never thought he could have… and that’s bad, right?
The
Librarian’s Rake Blurb
Opposites might attract, but
is acting on that attraction wise?
Librarian Tristan Cooper
can’t steer clear of sexy, motorcycle-riding bad boy Phillip—the man is hot—but
Phillip is bound to and quiet, bookish Tristan boring, like all Tristan’s
boyfriends. Tristan yearns to explore his wild side, the part of himself he’s
only allowed into his fantasies, and maybe rakish Phillip is just what he needs
to feel free.
Sexperienced hairdresser
Phillip is more of a believer in happy endings than happily ever afters.
Experience has taught him not to hope for more— until he meets sweet,
vulnerable Tristan, who seems genuinely interested in his heart. But Phillip
can’t trust enough to see himself as a man Tristan might want for more than a
night.
With the help of a pair of matchmaking grandfathers, Tristan and
Phillip might and the courage to step beyond their comfort zones and discover
what has been missing from their lives....
10) Don't drink the
water, rinse dishes without sanitizing them, or brush your teeth with the
water.
9) Prior to the
Beijing Olympics, protestors and concerned citizens were told to fill out forms
so they could protest legally. A few days before the Olympics the people who
filled out these forms were picked up and detained for questioning. When the
foreign camera crews were taken to the protest area empty. They were stunned to
find no protestors in China.
8) Many decisions
are based on will it give face or not. Face is the avoidance of
embarrassment (perceived or real) at any cost and to give face is to give
status to another (allowing them to help you, praise them in public, showing
respect, etc.)
7) When toasting in
China: Ganbei!!!! Make sure you put the rim of your glass lower then
than the other people you clink glasses as a sign of respect. Sometimes, a game
is made out of it this practice and friends will toast down at floor level.
6) Power, gas and
water need to be purchased before you use it and you don't receive a bill. And
if the prepaid amount runs out the service will just stop. You can't send a
check, and as of a year ago, you couldn't pay with online banking. A member of
your family or your maid needs to go down to the offices with a stack of cash
to put money on your card, then your card must be put into your meter
(gas/electric & water) so the credit for the payment can be registered.
5) While dining out,
most Chinese would never take home the left overs because that would suggest
you were poor. (I've horrified more than one Chinese friend by requesting the
leftovers be packed up).
4) Recycling of leftover
food in local restaurants isn't unheard of... meaning food served and passed
over by other customers could arrive at your table after it was reheated.
3) There's no social
security. Your child and grandchildren are your family's security, that's why
it's very rare to find an unmarried Chinese person. Usually women are married
by the time they are twenty-five and men maybe a little bit older. There are
still active marriage markets where the parents take the picture of their
children, along with a resume of talents and jobs, to share with potential
in-laws.
2) The word for
question in Mandarin is the same for problem, so to have a question is to have
a problem. Many people won't ask questions so work can be done wrong or not
done at all.
1) There is no gay
in China…. it's one of the reasons I chose to write Made in China: The Great
Wall. I wanted give some Chinese men a happily ever after even if they are only
characters in my series.
The Great Wall Blurb:
Destiny will be
decided by a battle between heart and mind….
Jun Tai “Styx” Wong
loves two things: playing the drums and his best friend, Jin. But being a good
Chinese son means he can’t have either—he’ll have to marry a girl of his
parents’ choosing and settle into a traditional job. His move to the bigger city
of Suzhou is both a blessing and curse, as living with Jin makes it harder for
Styx to suppress his desires. Nearly dying while trying to eradicate his
feelings serves as a wake-up call for Jin, who takes extreme measures to keep
Styx safe from harm.
When given a second
chance at life and happiness, will Styx be able to claim the future he wants
with Jin, his bandmates, and his music? Can love and hope grow with the
constantly looming threat of Styx’s parents ordering him home? Great things
await—if Styx finds the courage to break down the wall that stands between him
and everything he wants.
Yaoified Love
is my gift to readers who want to explore something new. I usually
write in a more yaoified style so I thought I'd share a story that
begins at YaoiCon. YaoiCon is a convention that takes places each Fall
in San Francisco. Bishie Boys, artists, writers, readers and publishers
meet and share their fascination of yaoi. One of the reasons I found m/m
romance was through Yamane Ayano, who penned the Viewfinder series. I
was so overwhelmed I traveled from China to go to my 1st YaoiCon to met
her in 2010. It was a highlight but the convention was like walking in a
living yaoi... to be with so many incredible people who loved yaoi as
much as me >>>I was hooked. Yaoified Love is my way of sharing my love of yaoi and YaoiCon with you. Big hugs, Z. Allora
