Writing Style: Short Stories

About the Author: Alexandria Lu

Once upon a time, there was a very beautiful princess named Emma Evans. She wanted to marry Jodi Jones, prince of Alexandria Country. But, before the wedding started, Jodi’s Mom decided she liked being a queen, so she sneered at Emma and kicked her out of the huge, imposing castle.

Emma Evans ran into the forest and cried very loudly. Suddenly, a lovable numen showed up and asked her,“What happened, pretty girl? May I help you?”

“Who are you? Oh my god! You can ……fly?” Emma Evans said wonderingly. 

“Ha! Ha! I am a magical numen, and I can help you do everything. Um……You can call me Cathy.” The numen replied.     

Emma asked,“Are you sure? I want to have a vacation on an island. Can you help me?”

“Of course, where do you want to go?”Cathy said, smiling. Then, everything started shaking. It felt like an earthquake.  Suddenly, they were on an island.

“Where are we?” the princess asked.

“Taiwan.” Cathy replied. The numen changed into a small cat and leaped up on Emma’s shoulder.

“Where should we live?” Emma asked.

“I will use my magic to make a house.” Cathy answered. Then, she used her magic to build a large construction on a ground.

Just as they stepped inside, a terrible thing happened. The doorbell rang. When Emma opened the door, she saw a handsome and very well dressed man standing outside. He didn’t say anything. He just walked straight to the big old couch and lay down on it.

“Who are you? This is my house!” Emma Evans cried.

The man said,“My name is Garner Green, and this land belongs to me. Although the house was built by you, I can prove it’s mine, because I have the deed to the house.” Being one of the most famous fashion designers in the world, Garner wanted to use the land to build a wide structure. It would be his new company in Taiwan.

“So, where can my cat and I live?” Emma asked loudly. 

“Um…… You can live here before you find a new house.” Garner replied sleepily.     

“Thanks.” she said disappointedly.

A short time later, the evil queen discovered Emma hadn’t died. In fact, the queen was actually a terrible witch. She used her magic to go to Taiwan to find the princess’ house. Then, the queen changed into an ugly rat and put some medication in Emma’s dinner to make her fall asleep. Finally, she caught her.

The little numen thought,“The queen’s magic is greater than mine. I must find someone to help.” She leaped out the window and changed into a girl. She went to find the fashion designer, Garner Green, to see if he could help. Cathy found him on the street near the house. He looked very confused when he saw her, but Cathy brushed it off and said,“Can you help me? Emma has been caught by an evil witch. She is in danger!”

Garner didn’t say anything. He rushed to the house, rescued Emma and killed the bad queen.

Emma was so happy, she told him everything about herself, including the fact that the bad witch was a queen, Emma was a real princess and Cathy was a cute magical numen. Garner and Emma realized they had fallen in love with each other. They decided to get married, and that is how the fashion designer, the pretty princess and the lovely numen live happily ever after.

Here’s something a little different.  The same subject shot from a slightly different angle against two completely different backdrops.  The first photo is shot against the pale sky and I used the dark forest as a dark backdrop for the second photo.  Two completely different effects and a completely different look for each.  My personal favorite is the dark photo.  Which one do you prefer?

Writing Style: A Descriptive Paragraph

Meet the Author: Oliver Wang

My sister is cute but she is dangerous. If you met my sister for the first time, you would have to bring earplugs, because she shouts all the time. When you make her angry, she will shout at the top of her lungs and start beating you up. Luckily, I’m her brother so I’m used to it. You also have to worry about her taking a bath, because she will run out naked and make funny noises sometimes. She’s the boss in the house, but she hates putting her head in the water and will cry if anyone tells her to do it. She loves to be pretty and that’s why I always have to be careful when opening the closet door, because all of her clothes will fall out and land on me. Gwyneth has big black eyes and she is tall. Her hair is as black as the night sky. I think she should write her name on the closet to tell people to stay out of it but she can’t write her name. Gwyneth is pretty and clever but remember never to go near her without earplugs. Despite all of this Gwyneth is an interesting girl, but I will still beat her up if she tries to shout.

Danshui’s Fisherman’s Wharf is usually teeming with people. In fact, it’s very rare to find a place to be alone if you’re not in the comfort of your own home. I’m sure you can imagine my surprise at seeing an entire area of space completely void of humans on a busy Sunday afternoon. I just about keeled over from the shock! Luckily I had my camera and after I’d snapped a few photos for posterity, John and I happily hunkered down with a blessed private outdoor moment to ourselves.

Well, we’re off.  I’m heading home for Christmas for the first time in six years. I have a wedding coming up in less than a month and I can’t wait to get home!  Wedding planning and work has kept me extra busy this last month and I’m feeling more than a little burnt out from the stress of it all. I’ve been sleepwalking through these last few weeks. I’m looking forward to relaxing with my family and friends in a few short days. However, I’m NOT looking forward to leaving John. We are parting ways in San Francisco. He is heading back to Iowa to spend time with his family while I travel on to Ottawa, Canada. 

I promise you won’t be bored. I’ve written up a few posts in advance and I’ll continue to blog when I can while I’m home. In the meantime, my students from my creative writing course will be taking over My Several Worlds. You’ll be able to enjoy an assortment of different writing styles from students of all ages. I’m really grateful to them for doing this for me. Be sure to check out their profile pages, which are located at the top of this page underneath Student Writers.  Thanks to all of you who have contributed. I’m going to miss you all very much over the next seven weeks!

Verdant green valleys and mountains were the first thing I noticed on our first morning in Xieng Khuang Province.  The numerous bomb craters dotting the land were a close second. Traveling through this northern province of Laos, it was easy to see how it was utterly devastated by the Vietnam War. Between 1964 and 1973, almost every village and town in the province was decimated, including the original capital city of of Xieng Khuang.

The capital was moved to the town of Ponsavon after 1975, but the bare, dusty roads of this town hardly seem fit for a capital city and seem more appropriate in a Wild West movie.  There’s nothing in town that holds any interest. There are a few markets, a bank and several hotels and guesthouses.  Its biggest drawcard is the enigmatic Plain of Jars. 

The rolling green meadows lying just outside of town are home to hundreds of giant stone jars of various shapes and sizes, apparently carved from solid boulders.  There are three sites. Site 1 is the biggest and it boasts 250 jars weighing between 600kg and a tonne each. The largest jar weighs over six tonnes.  Sites 2 and 3 are also quite picturesque. There is a even a large cave in the area which was used by the locals as a bomb shelter during the war. Local families would hide out in the cave and wait for the planes to stop flying over their heads.

There are several stories surrounding the origins of these magnificent artifacts of history.  One legend tells of a race of giants who inhabited the area 1500 to 2000 years ago, and were ruled by a king by the name of Khun Cheung. Supposedly, the king had the jars created to brew wine. Archaelogists also speculate that the jars could have been used for food storage or sarcophagi. It has also been suggested that the jars were used to collect water during monsoon season for caravan travelers passing through the area. There is still no firm explanation as to what purpose these jars served.

This amazing archaelogical site has remained one of the most dangerous in the world because it is studded with unexploded bombs. Further studies have been slow to progress because of this. The peaceful hills of these fields don’t speak of the dangers laying beneath the soil.  Efforts are being made to rid the area of these bombs and walking trails are clearly marked by white stone bricks.  These meter-wide pathways have been cleared of bombs by bomb-removal squads.  The element of danger that surrounds these myseterious sites lends an unexpected thrill. One can’t help but ponder over how these jars have withstood the test of time and the ravages of war.

Blogtoberfest Host: MJ Klein. Blog: The New Hampshire Bushman.

Yes, yes, yes. I’m the last blogger to post about last weekend’s festivities in Hukou. I haven’t had much time to process all my photos from last weekend, but if you’re dying to see more pictures and videos, just click on any of the following links for a full blow-by-blow account of the day’s festivities.

As most of you know by now, MJ and Hui Chen hosted their second annual Blogtoberfest last Saturday. Last year’s party was a great success, and MJ seems to have fallen into the role of our chief party planner with ease and enthusiasm. I enjoyed seeing some old friends again and meeting some new folks as well.

The bloggers who attended this year were: David Reid, Darren Melrose, Andres Yu, Todd Alperovitz, David Edwards, Ashish Ashlin, Mark Wilbur, Michael Turton, Craig Ferguson, Neil Thompson, Wayne and Mei.  

John and I met up with David Edwards and his girlfriend, Catherine, at the Banciao train station. We arrived in Hukou a little over an hour later. We were fashionably late, but nevertheless, arrived just in time to see the party swing into high gear. MJ did a great job introducing everyone. Then he brought in two members from the Fong band to perform for us. Great stuff, MJ. I especially like that number you wrote yourself. You sang it in Miaoli as well, and I meant to tell you that I really dig it!

A-dong kept the food coming all night. We spent $400NT and it was the best money we’ve spent all year. John and I love meals like this! We ate to our heart’s content and washed it all down with copious amounts of SangSom rum. Then, we were ready to dive into some KTV. MJ and I sang a few tunes and then everything became a blur after that. I think I was ‘the KTV hog.’ I just can’t help it (grinning sheepishly). I vaguely remember serenading John later in the evening. For posterity, Andres captured the moment on video and has posted it on his blog. Thanks, Andres!

There were lots of babies in attendance this year, including super-baby, Olivia. Thanks Andres, for letting my have my share of baby time. John and I would also like to extend our congratulations and warm wishes to a few other couples who tied the knot or who are tying the knot this year. Congratulations to Ashish and his lovely wife, Solena. You are both as charming as I knew you’d be. Best wishes to Todd and Cathy, who are getting married 16 days after our own wedding (that’s December 10th in case any of you have forgotten!!) and to David and Catherine, who are still working out the details for their upcoming nuptials.

Todd and his fiance, Cathy. Congratulations to you both on your upcoming nuptials.  NOTE: Todd is famous for this face.  Thanks for humoring me, Todd!  Blog: The Daily Bubble Tea.

Michael Turton. Blog: The View from Taiwan.

Becky.

Mark Wilbur.  Blog: Doubting to Shuo.David Reid. Blog: David on Formosa.

Andres Yu and his daughter, Olivia. Blog: Andres in Taiwan.

MJ and A-dong.

Have you ever Googled yourself? Well, you’re not the only one Googling you. These days, employers spend a lot of time online cruising the Internet for bits and pieces on job candidates. I’ve even been guilty of googling friends just to see what kind of information pops up about them, and I’m always a little shocked by some of the content I find on line. Once it’s on the web, anyone can find it. Everyone is guilty of posting a less than flattering comment or post. I know I have. So what do you do when something crops up on the Internet that could damage your reputation or chances for getting a job? Here are three helpful hints to get you started on your way to having a great online image.

1. Keep up with your online profile. Type your name into several search engines on a regular basis to see what comes up.

2. Ask to be deleted. If you want unflattering content about yourself removed, send a nice message to the site’s webmaster and ask for it to be taken down. Make sure you explain why the content is damaging. This also goes for friends. A large majority of people don’t really give any thought to what they’re putting on the web. Send messages to your contacts on social networking sites to set some guidelines to work within.

3. Create good content. Join online communities like www.LinkedIn.com and be sure to keep your profile updated.

I don’t often participate in group memes, but after Lalla Lydia’s kind and generous nomination, I’ve discovered a whole new group of bloggers.  This time around, I’ve decided to limit this meme to some of the newer bloggers on my blogroll. That means, with the exception of one lovely lady here (Sarah), the bloggers on this list haven’t been mentioned here on My Several Worlds. I hope you enjoy their blogs as much as I do.

THE RULES:

1. The nominated is allowed to put this picture on their blogs.
2. Link to the person that hearted you.
3. Nominate at least 7 people and link to them.
4. Leave a message on those people’s blogs to make them aware that they’ve been nominated.

IT’S OFFICIAL! I LOVE YOUR BLOG!

1. LALLA LYDIA: A link back to you my friend and a heartfelt thank-you for your support and ongoing encouragement. Translator, publishing intern and aspiring author and actress , Lydia believes in form *and* function.  Her blog is quirky and fun to read. 

2. NO PLACE LIKE HERE: Cristine and Felipe are on an adventure of a lifetime. They’re currently traveling through Indonesia and they’re sharing loads of information and gorgeous photos! They are also planning a wedding in December and Cristine still finds time to come and see me here and drop a line or two.  No Place Like Here is one of my favorite all-time blogs. You’ll find it hard to meet two nicer hosts than these two!

3. THE ASIAN TRAVELER:  Travel addict and blogger, June, is doing what she does best. At the moment, her site is featuring a great series on Taiwan.

4. SHOE SMITTEN: No blog list would be complete with sharing a little for my love of fashion. I’ve been tweeting with shoe fashionista, Anna, for several months now. Anna shows her creativity and love for shoes and accessories by blogging about the latest fashions. Best of all, she was kind enough to give me a helping hand with my search for bridesmaid shoes and came up with some real gems at a great price.  Thanks for your help, Anna!

5. TRAVELS WITH SANDY: Sandy just got back from Germany and she has some wonderful photos and commentary on some incredibly picturesque towns.

6. THE LEMON SPANK: Best friend, blogger and soon-Mom-to-be, Sarah Albrecht has one of the most unique blogs I’ve ever laid eyes on. A riot of color, sound, prose and fashion, Sarah manages to keep me guessing all the time. Just when I think I know what to expext, she pulls me in another direction.

7. THE TAIWAN CHRONICLES: I love Holly Harrington’s Taiwan Chronicles. At the moment, Holly is busy with work and preparations for her new show. It’s her third production in Taiwan by the way.  Good luck Holly! I’m sure you’re going to be amazing!

If you’re in Taiwan, you might want to check out her show:

Dates:

• Friday, October 24 at 7:30
• Saturday, October 25 at 2:30
• Saturday, October 25 at 7:30
• Sunday, October 26 at 2:30 

Location: 
國家劇院實驗劇場 - The National Theater’s Experimental Theater (next to CKS Memorial Hall - the building closest to the MRT). For the Experimental Theater, enter through the guard post to the right of the building, facing CKS Memorial Hall. Map he