#based on novel by bao shi

[cartograffiti]

An intro to the historical Zheng Yi Sao

Ruibo Qian's character in Our Flag Means Death is based on a real person, though like all its real pirates, she is a loose interpretation. In particular, the real Zheng Yi Sao wasn't born until 57 years after the real Blackbeard died!

In real life, she lived from 1775 to 1844. She was known by a variety of names; her birth name is usually given as Shi Yang. Zheng Yi Sao is the name most often used, which literally means "the wife of Zheng Yi" (more on him later), and you may also see variations like Ching Shih or Madam Cheng, depending on transliteration. Calling her Zheng, as Oluwande does, is good, or ZYS in fandom chat, but if fic writers crave a more personal connotation for a scene, Yang is a good choice for a given name consistent with the real woman. It's like the difference between Mr. Buttons and Nathaniel.

She was born in the Guangdong province, and many bios of her claim she worked on one of the boat brothels there, but this is speculation only.

When she married Zheng Yi, he was a successful member of a pirating dynasty, working as a privateer for emperors of Vietnam. The couple collaborated to unite six different pirate fleets operating off the Guangdong coast into a confederation, sealed with an agreement signed by the captains of each. Zheng Yi was informally recognized as the overall leader of the confederation until his death in a storm two years after the signing.

Zheng Yi Sao had the respect of other key figures in the alliance, and her smooth assumption of leadership was followed by a period of huge success and expansion for the pirate confederation, driving the Chinese government to desperation. This is where her reputation as a pirate "queen" comes from in real life, though I'm excited to see where the show goes with her fictional conquest of China!

In 1810, Zheng Yi Sao recognized that the confederation faced internal fractures and additional opposition, as Portuguese and British military forces allied with Chinese ships, so she led the confederation to bow out on a high, and use their immense power to bargain for a peaceful retirement, surrendering ships and weapons for pardons, supplies, and money. Although it's fictional that her crew was predominantly women, when Zheng Yi Sao surrendered, she did so accompanied by a delegation wholly composed of women and children who belonged to the confederation. At that time, the confederation consisted of 226 ships, 24 of which personally reported to Zheng Yi Sao.

If you're doing the math, she was only in her mid-thirties, and was far from done with life. She remarried, to one of her former captains, Zhang Bao, and accompanied him to the Penghu Islands, where he commanded a garrison. After his death, she returned to Guangdong and had another career of twenty-odd years, becoming the owner of a casino until her death at age 68 or 69 (nice).

She was one of the most successful pirates in history, both because of her power and her ability to survive it. I think she's neat as hell, and so have a lot of fiction writers! You might have encountered versions of her, or characters inspired by her, before, in things like Pirates of the Caribbean, the Bloody Jack novels, Assassin's Creed, and Doctor Who. It's fun to see a form of her in this! We can expect her arc to progress differently, but I hope having some context will help.

The most helpful things to note for the rest of the season for ofmd fans will be that Zheng is her surname, she wasn't really a contemporary of the other historical figures, and that her connection to sex work should not be treated as a fact, whether you want to include it in this fictional interpretation or not.

[lostgoonie1980]

191. O Caminho Para Casa (我的父亲母亲, 1999), dir. Zhang Yimou

[foralternateuniverses]

I watched SCI, me likes it

AND LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT IT

SCI is based -or heavily inspired if you will, after all that's where the characters came from- a novel written in the Qin Dynasty (1644-1911 more less) in the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1825-1908) attributed to Shi Yukun and Yu Yue.

I won't say much bout it rn, except:

The novel went to several names and hands but ended up with the names '7 heroes and 5 gallants' and '3 heroes and 5 gallants'.

It began as a collection of stories of the real person that was Bao Zheng, Bao Qingtian, a judge of unbreakable character known for being fair to all. It mixes both real things and fiction, tho it's mostly fiction.

In the novel, Bao Zheng shares protagonism with the heroes and gallants, all which are:

The heroes:

Hero of the North, Ouyang Chun.

Hero of the South, Imperial Cat, Zhan Zhao.

Black Fox, Zhi Hua.

Twin heroes, Din Zhaolan and Dong Zhaohui.

Xiao Zhuge, Chen Zhongyuan.

Young Hero, Ai Hu.

And the gallants:

Sky Rat, Lu Fang.

Earth Rat, Han Zhang.

Mountain Rat, Xu Qing.

River Rat, Jiang Ping.

And Sleek Rat, Bai Yutang.

Other characters include:

The four warriors:

Ma Han, Zhang Long, Zhao Hu and Wang Chao.

Bao Xing, Bao Zheng's page boy.

Gongsun Ce, Bao Zheng's secretary, sometimes also doctor.

Zhao Zhen, the Emperor (also a real person, he was an Emperor of the Song dynasty, in which the story takes place)

And, the Prince of Xiangyang, the Emperor's uncle, Zhao Jue.

The novel covers how Bao Zheng became a Judge and the many wacky and not so wacky adventures of those who would end up working for and/or with him. Not all the heores and gallants start working for the government, in fact, those who end up as officials, do so because the Emperor orders so and you can't just say no to the Emperor.

When it comes to Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang... Their relationship goes from one-sided rivalry to rivals to coworkers also maybe friends, and well, there are many reasons (dont expect much tho, better put on the pink tinted glasses to help) why they're a popular ship, not to spoil but the first time Zhan Zhao sees Bai Yutang he finds him to be so handsome that he can't help but put down his wine cup.

I won't go into details but I REALLY TRULY LOVE this novel, is 120 chapters long, divided in 3 volumes. Its stories work both as a whole story and as independent ones, all protagonist get their time to shine and it can be so SO funny.

I may make more posts about it, cuz I LOVE it, but also not just about it, but also in relation to SCI, as one of its MANY adaptations/derivative works.

[thedigitalpresswire]

TAAFI ANNOUNCES AN EXCLUSIVE VIRTUAL BEHIND-THE-SCENES PANEL WITH KRIS PEARN, WRITER AND DIRECTOR OF “THE WILLOUGHBYS”

The panel will also include the Netflix Original animated hit’s crew with co-director Rob Lodermeir, Sebastian Brodin, Fiona Toth, Kyle McQueen, Helén Ahlberg, Aniket Natekar, Mark Stanleigh.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Toronto, ON (July 27, 2020)  – Today, the Toronto Animation Arts Festival International (TAAFI) announced an exclusive virtual behind-the-scenes panel with Canadian writer and director Kris Pearn for the Netflix Original animated feature film The Willoughbys based on the novel by Lois Lowry.

The virtual panel discussion will be held on Thursday, August 6th at 7:00 PM. It will include a discussion on the film’s creative process with never-before-seen art and exclusive storyboards.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to kick-off our monthly programming with this event to celebrate and grow the Canadian animation industry,” said Barnabas Wornoff, co-founder and chair, TAAFI. “Having known Kris for many years, we are honoured and excited for him and his team to join us in showcasing homegrown talent, ultimately reinforcing the importance of Canadian artists and filmmakers in animated storytelling.”

Kris Pearn will be joined by co-director, Rob Lodermeir; director of cinematography, Sebastian Brodin; lead editor, Fiona Toth; production designer, Kyle McQueen; head of FX, Helén Ahlberg; animation lead, Aniket Natekar; and co-writer and storyboard artist, Mark Stanleigh.

Born and raised in Canada, Kris Pearn is an Annie Award™-nominated artist who began making cartoons for both film and television after graduating from Sheridan College. He notably worked on Open Season, Surf’s Up, Arthur Christmas, Shaun the Sheep, Pirates: Band of Misfits, and Home to name a few. He was the Head of Story for Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and co-directed Cloudy Two: Rise of the Leftovers. He has illustrated several books including Edward The Tree Climbing Dog, Project Superhero, and Tales of Spiffing.  

“It’s an honour to be part of TAAFI’s programming and to have this opportunity to talk about an animated feature film made in Canada, celebrating the diverse group of international artists behind the success of the film,” said Kris Pearn, writer and director. “This will not only be a chance for us to share our journey of creating the film and show some never before seen art, but it’ll be a bit of a reunion. A lot has happened since the lockdown, so there’s plenty to talk about.”  

The Willoughbys is available now for streaming only on Netflix. Convinced they’d be better off raising themselves, the Willoughby children hatch a sneaky plan to send their selfish parents on vacation. The siblings then embark on their own high-flying adventure to find the true meaning of family. Starring Will Forte, Maya Rudolph, Alessia Cara, Terry Crews, Martin Short, Jane Krakowski and Ricky Gervais.

The event is sponsored by Switch VFX and Animation.

To register for free tickets and/or make a PWYC donation: bit.ly/TAAFIxTheWilloughbys

Event Details:

Making of The Willoughbys

Behind-Scenes Talk with writer and director Kris Pearn, including Rob Lodermeir,

Sebastian Brodin, Fiona Toth, Kyle McQueen, Helén Ahlberg, Aniket Natekar, Mark Stanleigh.

Date/Time: Thursday, August 6th at 7:00 PM

Location: Online

Register for tickets here: bit.ly/TAAFIxTheWilloughbys

###

About the Toronto Animation Arts Festival International (TAAFI):

Founded in 2012, the Toronto Animation Arts Festival International (TAAFI) is a not-for-profit arts organization whose mission is to make Toronto the premiere international destination for animated arts and entertainment. TAAFI hosts a film festival and a variety of recurring industry and public events throughout the year to create unique opportunities that connect animation artists and enthusiasts, and transform the way people create and view animation of all forms. Past TAAFI guests have included Domee Shi (Disney•Pixar’s Bao), Dean DeBlois(DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon), Elizabeth Ito (Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time), Eric Goldberg (Disney’s Aladdin), Natasha Allegri (Frederator’s Bee and PuppyCat) and Josh Cooley (Disney•Pixar’s Inside Out).

Newsletter: taafi.com/subscribe

Facebook: facebook.com/atthetaafi

Twitter: twitter.com/thetaafi

For more information, please contact:

Matthew Celestial

pr@taafi.com

+1 (289) 387-0917

www.matthewcelestialpr.com

www.statementstrategies.ca 

[insanityclause]

Simu Liu, known for his role as Jung Kim on the CBC sitcom Kim's Convenience, will star in the highly-anticipated superhero film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

The upcoming film marks Marvel's first feature with an Asian lead.

Liu, 30, left China at the age of five and was raised in Mississauga, Ont. He graduated from the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University and began working at an accounting firm. When he was laid off within a year, he opted for a new career path.

He began acting in 2012 with a role on the TV series Nikita. Since then, he has had credits on Fresh Off The Boat, Orphan Black, Slasher and Bad Blood among other series. In 2017, he was nominated for both a Canadian Screen Award and an ACTRA Award for his role on the TV series Blood and Water. He won an ACTRA ensemble award the following year as part of the Kim's Convenience cast.

The character of Shang-Chi, based on the Marvel Comics superhero, is often referred to as a master of Kung-Fu, having been trained in martial arts by his father from a young age. Awkwafina and Tony Leung will co-star in the film, which will be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton.

The announcement took place during Marvel's heavily-attended panel at Comic-Con, in which the studio offered sneak peaks at its upcoming productions. It was also shared on social media by Deadpool creator Robert Liefeld, who said Liu was hired within days of being tested.

Strides for Asian actors

Marvel's news comes on the heels of some major — and long-overdue — strides by Asian actors and creators in Hollywood, who have been historically underrepresented both on screen and behind the camera.

Last year's Crazy Rich Asians, based on the novel of the same name by Kevin Kwan, has become one of the top-grossing romantic comedies of the last several decades, according to Box Office Mojo. It featured a rarely-seen all-Asian cast and included film locations in Malaysia and Singapore (where most of the story is set). It was also nominated for a 2019 Golden Globe Award in the category of best comedy.

Canadian Domee Shi won an Oscar this year for Pixar's animated short film Bao, which tells the story of a dumpling that comes to life in the home of a Chinese empty-nester.

Other recent films such as Always Be My Maybe, starring Ali Wong and Randall Park, and To All The Boys I've Loved Before, starring Lana Condor and Noah Centineo, have featured Asian leads in universally-themed storylines without making ethnicity the central focus.

China, a coveted market for Hollywood, has also become a significant market for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Avengers: Endgame became the top-grossing North American film at the Chinese box office, and the third overall. It smashed records there when it was released in April, earning more than $600 million US — the first foreign film to do so in the country.

The release date for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is slated for February 12, 2021. In addition to the film, Marvel also revealed The Eternals, starring Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden and Kumail Nanjiani, is set for release Nov. 6, 2020. It will also introduce the studio's first deaf hero, played by Lauren Ridloff.

[asianhappinesss]

one and only

Summary

Zhou Sheng Chen was raised by his brother, the Emperor, until the age of thirteen, when he set out to defend the border and establish himself as a loyal and accomplished general. Cui Shi Yi, the well-read daughter of an esteemed family, has been betrothed to the Crown Prince since birth. However, political scheming and tragic events result in Cui Shi Yi falling mute, her former fiance becoming a child Emperor, and Zhou Sheng Chen returning to the capital amidst a cloud of political turmoil. Against the Cui family's protests, the Empress Dowager Regent changes the terms of Cui Shi Yi's betrothal. Her new fiance is the Emperor's sickly, young companion and the future Crown Prince, if he can survive long enough to come of age. Zhou Sheng Chen accepts Cui Shi Yi as his disciple to resolve lingering animosity between the royal family and the Cui family, and Cui Shi Yi suddenly finds herself leaving her sheltered life in the capital for Zhou Manor in the Western State. Despite their differences as a mute and sheltered young noblewoman from the capital and a battle-hardened general, Zhou Sheng Chen and Cui Shi Yi soon form a strong bond as master and disciple. However, their relationship is impeded by their respective principles and responsibilities, while the ongoing power struggle in the palace constantly threatens to entangle them both once more.

Review

I watched the first episode of this with my parents. They backed out due to a little thing called instinct, which informed them that the story would turn out too sad to handle. I inherited this instinct, but proven now and again is how I don’t listen to it as often as I should. Hence, I watched this entire show by myself, fully prepared for it to make me feel like garbage. And what do I get? My own self, dunked in the trash can, accompanied by piles of tissues which have been drenched in my own tears. Aha, so this is the sorrow that is One and Only (周生如故).

What is it?

A Chinese historical drama centered around a young noblewoman, betrothed to the crown prince, who finds herself under the tutelage of a capable general — one who is also the uncle of the newly crowned emperor. At first glance, you might think, tragic historical drama, yeah, I’ve been there before. But it doesn’t matter, because this show will still end up clubbing you over the head and rendering you so. So sad.

Based on the novel, 一生一世美人骨 (One Life, One Incarnation — Beautiful Bones) by Mo Bao Fei Bao. The novel follows a female lead who has retained the memories of her past life, in which she and the male lead both met tragic fates—this drama covers that “past life.” Isn’t it so kind of them to literally tell us beforehand that it’s a tragedy? Not that it helps in mitigating the pain, but you know. At least they tried.

Unlike other historical dramas that continuously outdo one another in terms of episode count, this one spares you with its 24 episodes. It’s long enough to incorporate the inevitable political turmoil without beating that dead horse, while also developing the most satisfying and agonizing slow-burn romance known to man.

Why watch?

Made for masochists – if you’re like me, and you suffer a physical aversion to happy romances (A.K.A., romances that are actually enjoyable to watch), then let us rejoice; for the drama overlords have blessed us this one time. One and Only is the least fun time that has befallen my cardiovascular system. The whole experience is just you deluding yourself into believing that nothing bad will happen to any of the characters, while simultaneously resigning yourself to the fact that whatever’s coming is going to hurt like a mothereffer.

My favorite part is that the drama never feels like it’s trying too hard to be tragic, which I realize sounds ironic when considering how that’s its selling point. But have you ever watched a show where someone gets hit by a truck and you think, oh, I guess that’s the next story arc? This is the exact opposite of that situation, where your immersion is so deep that all the emotions you end up suffering are as genuine as if you are participating in the story itself.

We like good actors – Bai Lu cries, I cry. Bai Lu bawls, I bawl. Bai Lu looks like she’s about to tear her heart out, my chest aches like it did when I went through my first breakup. How dare she.

P.S. Ren Jialun is one of few actors who can perform the classic “stoic” character without coming off as a total plank.

Also must give credit to his character’s voice actor, Bian Jiang, who shows up so frequently in dramas that you’d think he’s the only guy in China who can talk…but he’s got such a smooooooth voice, so who am I to complain?

Good pacing – I have a hunch that the writer was once a musician, because the events in this show fall into place with impeccable timing. Nothing is rushed or draggy. You get to witness the main relationship develop without feeling like the leads are being forced together just because they’re the main characters, but no unnecessary problems are sprinkled in to add “excitement” or “suspense” either. The plot is straightforward in the best way possible.

On…ly…YOUUU – I prefer this show over its sequel (which is basically the redemption arc of the leads’ relationship), if only for how pure, yet heavy, the romance turns out to be. There is nothing that can make you doubt their affection for one another. It almost entirely consists of yearning, and pining; then some more yearning and pining. Maybe the occasional longing glance, if the directors are feeling generous. In other words, it’s the superlative form of romance. Are my genre preferences showing yet?

I despise this drama’s poster. It looks kinda cute, doesn’t it? Yeah, that’s how they get you interested. Then when you see it again after watching the show, it’s suddenly the most gut-wrenching piece of marketing in existence. Why.

Pretty – gotta love looking at gorgeous setups with specific color palettes. It’s very nice, to have something beautiful to look at after the tears clear from your vision.

10 out of 10, provides a solid punch to the heart. Don’t forget to prepare water. Can’t finish the drama and cry your eyes out if you pass out from dehydration, itself caused by crying.

[iansdes9321]

Week 2 submission - Assignment 1 – Blog Post Reflection

https://www.funko.com/blog/article/coming-soon-bao-vinyl-figure/

Pixar’s 2018 short animation Bao directed by Domee Shi is a film about a Canadian Asian mother and her wish to redo bringing up her son. The film explores her changing relationship with her son over time through an anthropomorphised dumpling bun which symbolically; and to certain extent, literally represents their bond.

Bao – Disney Pixar

Pixar story artist Emma Coates has revealed that all Pixar films follow a narrative structure following six sentences. They are:

1.       Once upon a time there was…

2.       Every day…

3.       Until one day…

4.       Because of that…

5.       Because of that…

6.       Until finally…

While the structure appears to be novel, I believe it is ultimately a representation of the three act structure; with sentences 1 and 2 making up act one, sentences 3 to 5 making up act two, and sentence 6 representing act 3. Similarly, the three act structure can also be represented through time vs tension diagrams; which inevitably can be represented by the unofficial Pixar structure. This relationship between these different structures can be seen by my analysis of Bao below.

This is a small demonstration of my personal belief that different narrative structures are actually different ways of representing the same idea and that they are interchangeable. While I won’t go into details here, with a bit of creativity, I think you can see how the hero’s journey can also be represented in these narrative structures.

The relationship between the visuals and narrative is especially highlighted in animations of this style, as there is no dialogue to guide the viewer into the reading of the film. The narrative must be told through visual ques such as gesture. In the making of Bao, Shi explains that the world that they built for this movie is heavily based upon the mother character’s design, the world being quote “chunky” and “what you would find in a Chinese home”. Furthermore, a balance between realism and stylisation was explored through the making of the film.

Bao – Disney Pixar

Ultimately, I think the movie does a good job for what it appears to be intended for; promoting Chinese immigrant culture and the struggles of mother’s with their children. While some might write this movie off as just a kid’s movie, I think that the story structure is sound and that the film is presented in a way that it deals with both kid and adult themes in an ambiguous way. Overall, I think it’s a good watch.

[gaycocksmodels64]

Meili Series - Chen Jun Windsor Heights

SIMPLY AND WELL!

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[owensmovieblog]

Bold Predictions for the 91st Academy Awards

I've seen 10 Oscar-nominated films (so far), so that means I can accurately guess what will win, right?

Picture - Roma (Gabriela Rodriguez, Alfonso Cuarón) Director - Spike Lee (BlacKkKlansman) Actor - Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born as Jackson "Jack" Maine) Actress - Melissa McCarthy (Can You Ever Forgive Me? as Lee Israel) Supporting Actor - Sam Rockwell (Vice as George W. Bush) Supporting Actress - Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk as Sharon Rivers) Original Screenplay - Roma (Alfonso Cuarón) Adapted Screenplay - If Beale Street Could Talk (Barry Jenkins based on the novel by James Baldwin) Animated Feature Film - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller) Foreign Language Film - Roma (Alfonso Cuarón, Mexico) Feature Documentary – Free Solo (Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Evan Hayes, Shannon Dill) Short Documentary – Period. End of Sentence. (Rayka Zehtabchi, Melissa Berton) Live Action Short Film - Marguerite (Marianne Farley, Marie-Hélène Panisset Animated Short Film - Bao (Domee Shi, Becky Neiman-Cobb) Original Score - If Beale Street Could Talk (Nicholas Britell) Original Song - "Shallow" from A Star Is Born (Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt) Sound Editing - A Quiet Place (Ethan Van der Ryn, Erik Aadahl Sound Mixing - First Man (Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, Ai-Ling Lee, Mary H. Ellis Production Design - Black Panther (Hannah Beachler, Jay Hart Cinematography - Cold War (Łukasz Żal) Makeup and Hairstyling - Mary Queen of Scots (Jenny Shircore, Marc Pilcher, Jessica Brooks) Costume Design - Mary Poppins Returns (Sandy Powell) Film Editing - BlacKkKlansman (Barry Alexander Brown) Visual Effects - Avengers: Infinity War (Dan DeLeeuw, Kelly Port, Russell Earl, Dan Sudick)

[boredsingaporean]

Chapter 24: Take a Break, Have a Holiday

Choi, Nicky, Sally, Kah Leng, business development manager from the Singapore Capital Markets team, and I had been talking about making a trip together for quite some time. With the Christmas season break just one month away, we decided to work on a concrete plan. “So where can we go for a week’s break?” Choi asked. “Should we go London?” Nicky asked. “I’ve got some friends there and we can stay at their places and save on accommodation.” “But Nicky, I think most of London will be closed during the Christmas season,” Choi objected. “I’m sure not all places will be closed right?” “Let me check from the Internet.” After a few typing on the keypads and a few clicking and scrolling on the mouse, Choi turned his notebook screen to face us. “Dude, almost all shopping centers will be closed from twenty-fourth to twenty-sixth of December, most of the museums like the National Gallery will be closed, and even the Tower of London will be closed! What are we going to do there? Sit at Hyde Park outside Hard Rock Café and feed the pigeons?” “Maybe even the pigeons are not around,” I added. “I guess not everywhere is going to be closed right?” Nicky was skeptical. “Then how about those tour groups going over from Singapore? The tour guide must bring these tourists to somewhere right?” “Erm… I think in most Europe tour packages that touch on London, our tour agencies only arrange visits to the Big Ben, along the House of Parliament, at the gate outside Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, London Bridge and Tower Bridge. So they’ll never have any opening or closing problem.” I explained. “Anyway, London will be too cold for me,” Sally added. “Okay, fine. Let’s go somewhere else then,” Nicky sulked. “Guys, I read from the newspapers that there is this Icehotel in Sweden where the whole hotel is built using the mountain water from Torneälven River. Every thing there, even the furniture is made of ice. Pretty cool huh?” I suggested avidly. “You meant pretty cold,” Kah Leng commented. “Beng, I know Ms. Xiao Long Niu from Louis Cha’s Chinese wuxia novel, The Return of the Condor Heroes, slept on ice. But she had very powerful inner strength, a.k.a. nei gong, which we commoners don’t have,” Nicky mocked. “Hey, you’ll be provided with a sleeping bag with liner!” I argued. “Erm… if you don’t mind, I’ll prefer to sleep on a white goose feather and down featherbed,” said Kah Leng. “Anyway, it’s not worth going to the Scandinavians in winter, when the days are short and the nights are long. Too much time wasted sleeping,” added Nicky the typical Hong Konger that believed that time is money. “Okay, let’s go somewhere else then,” I gave up. “Since most places in the western countries will be closed for the Christmas season, and their days will be rather short, why don’t we stay in Asia Pacific instead?” I suggested. Besides the issue of having shorter days, we could have problems finding our meals as well. Most restaurants in the western countries will be closed during the holidays. This meant that we would have to either take ridiculously expensive dinners in the hotels, or settle with cheap but almost inedible Chinese food. The hardworking Chinese businessmen do not believe in closing for holidays. In fact, knowing that most western cafes and restaurants will be closed and hungry souls will be awash on the street, most budget Chinese restaurants are happy to remain opened for even longer hours during the holidays. However the problem with these budget Chinese restaurants is that most of them only serve gong bao chicken, sweet and sour chicken or beer or pork, deep fried chicken or beer or pork and fried rice or noodles, and most of these dishes taste, well, funny. “How about Gold Coast or Cairns?” Sally suggested. “Err… Sally, Australia and New Zealand will be having their summers during that period,” Choi said. “And I’m not very keen in getting sunburn.” “You can always put on some sun block lotion what.” “I don’t really like the feeling of perspiring so much under a layer of sun block lotion,” Choi still rejected the idea. “It reminds me of those national service days when I had to wear camouflage face paint and scout around in the hot forest, with houseflies trying to land on my face all the time. Oh, that reminded me. There are tons of houseflies in Australia during their summers.” Okay, our destination should be in Asia and not Asia Pacific. Anyway, it might not be a good idea to walk beside a constantly perspiring Choi for a week. “Let’s go to Taiwan. None of us has ever being to Taiwan right?” Kah Leng suggested. “Hmm… Taiwan sounded good,” I agreed. “There are a couple of scenic national parks in Taiwan, like the Taroko National Park and Yangmingshan National Park.” “Erm… I was thinking more of the shopping areas there,” Kah Leng admitted. “And Taipei 101.” “Yah! I heard that the crystal jewellery there is stunning! And their fashion is also very ahead of us! Wow, so many things to buy!” said Sally, the other shopping queen. “And the night markets there! Like Shi Ling night market!” Choi exclaimed. “I heard they’ve got this super-sized chicken chop there that is simply delicious!” “Err… guys,” Nicky interrupted our excitement. “I’m not really into Taiwan. To me, Taiwan seems to look like another Hong Kong. And I would rather return to Hong Kong since I prefer the food there.” “Oh…” “Hey, you guys can still go ahead without me. It is okay, I don’t mind! I can always return to Hong Kong and spend the holidays with my friends and relatives there.” “No, no, no. We won’t just desert you like that. Let’s think of another destination then,” Kah Leng gave up Taiwan though she seemed to be disappointed. Well, if we said we will travel as a team, we will travel as a team. “How about Japan? Like Hokkaido?” Sally asked. “I’ve just seen Globe Trekker on the Discovery Travel channel introducing Hokkaido and it seems interesting. They have a musical box museum where you can choose the tune that you like and make your own musical box, a white chocolate factory, and the Kitaichi Glass Shop reputed for its unique and elegant hand-blown glassware.” “Good idea! Then we could try their snow crab and king crab which are as big as lobsters! We could have crab sashimi, crab tempura, yaki crab, crab miso soup, baked stuffed crab shells and crab hand rolls! Hahaha…” Choi thrived at the thought of food again. “Erm… Choi, I heard that these crabs are expensive,” said Sally. “Hey girl, you could only get them there. You’ll regret if you don’t try!” “Wait… though the thought of Hokkaido with snow flakes floating down from the sky seems romantic, I must remind you people that Hokkaido is also famous for being very very cold,” I reminded. There was nothing wrong with my language. I had used two ‘very’s intentionally to emphasize on the extreme coldness of Hokkaido. Winter temperatures in Hokkaido are known to remain well below zero and can even drop to as low as minus fifteen degree Celsius. The occurrences of heavy snow and gusty winds are also common. “I’m more worried about you girls. Nicky should still be okay with the cold weather because Hong Kong could be pretty cold sometimes too. Choi, I’m not so worried too because he has got a think insulation layer…” Choi raised an eyebrow at me and folded his arms. I continued: “But are you girls sure that you can stand the harsh weather? Are you aware that the temperature could drop to as low as minus fifteen degree Celsius?” Both gals pondered upon what I had said, looked at each other, and then nodded their heads to indicate that they agreed with me that Hokkaido was a bad idea. “Then how about South Korea? It won’t be as cold as Hokkaido and it’s just as interesting,” Kah Leng suggested. “Oh yes! South Korea! Why didn’t I think of that?” Sally blurted. “Then I can visit the filming sites for Winter Sonata and Jewel in the Palace!” “What’s Jewel in the Palace?” Choi asked. Kah Leng, Sally and Nicky stared at Choi as if he was saying that pigs can climb trees as good as cats. “Jewel in the Palace is the most popular Korean drama in South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and even Malaysia!” the shock Nicky hollered. “What is it about? Some kind of Korean Tomb Raiders show with smart and armed thieves stealing hilariously expensive crown jewellery from the royal palace?” “No!” This time, Sally hollered at Choi. “It is about how Jang-Geum the heroine fought through a feudalistic society with serious sexual discrimination, defeated all the male doctors in the palace and became the first female head physician of the Joseon Dynasty! It is based on a real story!” “Not your type of bimbos kicking action movie,” I nudged Choi. “Okay, fine. But why are we going to those Korean TV serials filming sites?” Choi protested. This time, Kah Leng and Sally stared at Choi as if he was saying that pigs are more intelligent than women. “Err… but I kind of have problem with those spicy Korean kimchis,” said Nicky. “Don’t worry, Nicky. They’ve got other non-spicy food like claypot rice, stew beef, seafood fermented in salt, BBQ beef and ginseng chicken soup,” Kah Leng consoled. “Ginseng chicken soup? I like it!” Nicky grinned. “And we mustn’t forget that South Korea has got a cheap and good skiing resort,” Kah Leng grinned. “And breath-taking scenery at Jeju island,” I grinned. “So do you have any objection to South Korea, Choi?” Kah Leng asked. “Well, with lots of pretty Korean girls surrounding me, and lots of delicious food, I’ve got no problem,” Choi grinned. Gosh, finally the five of us had agreed on our tour destination. Since South Korea was a popular tour destination among Singaporeans, we needed to quickly decide on the tour details. “Should we go on a packaged tour or a free and easy one?” I asked. “Beng, we can’t go on a packaged one. Sally’s Chinese is pretty bad and Kah Leng can’t even write our company name in Chinese,” Nicky commented. “Yah, and most of these packaged tours have Chinese speaking tour guides,” Kah Leng agreed. “Okay, which means that we’re going free and easy…” I agreed, and then suddenly realized that something was amiss. “But which one of you speaks Korean?”