Paragraph 2

Outside, the hot orb of the sun was inching above the Taipei horizon. A thick veil of 5:00 am smog dispersed the light into an even whiteness across the sky, protecting those still loitering half-asleep on the benches from any hazardous natural UV rays. Angel was arranging the banner across the front of the reception desk. Although by any physical or metaphysical definition, the Taipei fitness center seemed a million miles from the Caribbean, the banner cheerfully advertised: 7 Days Free Trial at Barbados! Not one to be discouraged by the lack of sea, sand or blue sky, Angel slipped on her Caribbean inpired floral print shirt and pretended not to watch her boss slink out of the suntanning area to start his daily workout.

Only 2 paragraphs done, and I already don't know where to go from here... I was planning just to work for 1 paragraph a day until I had more time to devote to this project. But dividing up the time breaks my train of thought. .. and I can't guess where the reader wants to go.From here, do I fill in more about the club, more about Javed, more about Angel, or more about thier employer-employee relationship? Or do I leave these things to be filled in later and make something happen?

Opening Paragraph Rewrite

Seems likely that the opening paragraph will have to be rewritten several times. I am thinking I am more of a stream-of-consciousness type than a plan-it-out type. Can I just write from beginning to end and then go back and smooth out the transitions?

Here is my first offering:

With a metallic click, both silence and darkness joined forces and yanked Javed off of his artificial beach and out of his past. It was probably just imagined, but there seemed to be a bristling in the back of his consciousness and a prickling on the surface of his inner left forearm every time he subjected himself to those 12 minutes of metered ultraviolet radiation. It was as though a draining of life, a sapping of brilliancy was being inflicted on the pair of Chinese characters, the 26th hexagram of the I-Ching, adorning his flexor carpi radialis. He rubbed the inky spot while contemplating how to exit the tiny darkened room dominated by the Sun Up Gold state-of-the-art skin cancer bed undetected.

The Prophesy

Javed's fortune-teller experience: Although I don't quite know when and where it will be introduced yet, it happened in the back room of the Chinese medicine shop on Pandora Street, that red and gold lacquered street posing as Victoria's Chinatown. A waitress in a restaurant where he has been having lunch dragged him there on her break. The I-Ching was consulted and a prophecy given. The next stop was the tattoo parlor where he received his first, but not last tattoo- the hexagram governing his prophesy:

大 畜 Ta Ch'u / The Taming Power of the Great

HERE IS ANOTHER SPOT WHERE I NEED YOUR HELP. THE JUDGEMENT AND THE IMAGE ARE FINE, BUT I HOPE TO FASHION 6 PREDICTIONS FROM THE 6 LINES OF THE HEXAGRAM. ANY IDEAS HOW TO INTERPRET THEM INTO MEANINGFUL PREDICTIONS?

The Judgement: Perseverance furthers.
Not eating at home brings good fortune.
It furthers one to cross the great water.

To hold firmly to great creative powers and store them up, as set forth in this hexagram, there is need of a strong, clear-headed man who is honored by the ruler. The trigram Ch'ein points to strong creative power; Kên indicates firmness and truth. Both point to light and clarity and to the daily renewal of character. Only through such daily self-renewal can a man continue at the height of his powers. Force of habit helps to keep order in quiet times; but in periods when there is a great storing up of energy, everything depends on the power of the personality. However, since the worthy are honored, as in the case of the strong personality entrusted with leadership by the ruler, it is an advantage not to eat at home but rather to earn one's bread by entering upon public office. Such a man is in harmony with heaven; therefore even great and difficult undertakings, such as crossing the great water, succeed.

The Image:Thus the superior man acquaints himself with many sayings of antiquity
And many deeds of the past,
In order to strengthen his character thereby.

Heaven within the mountain points to hidden treasures. In the words and deeds of the past there lies hidden a treasure that men may use to strengthen and elevate their own characters. The way to study the past is not to confine oneself to mere knowledge of history but, through application of this knowledge, to give actuality to the past.

THE HEXAGRAM:

1. Nine at the beginning means:Danger is at hand. It furthers one to desist.

A man wishes to make vigorous advance, but circumstances present an obstacle. He sees himself held back firmly. If he should attempt to force an advance, it would lead him into misfortune. Therefore it is better for him to compose himself and to wait until an outlet is offered for release of his stored-up energies.

2. Nine in the second place means:The axletrees are taken from the wagon.

Here advance is checked just as in the third line of THE TAMING POWER OF THE SMALL (9 ). However, in the later the restraining force is slight; thus a conflict arises between the propulsive and the restraining movement, as a result of which the spokes fall out of the wagon wheels, while here the restraining force is absolutely superior; hence no struggle takes place. One submits and removes the axletrees from the wagon–in other words, contents himself with waiting. In this way energy accumulates for a vigorous advance later on.

3. Nine in the third place means. A good horse that follows others. Awareness of danger,With perseverance, furthers. Practice chariot driving and armed defense daily. It furthers one to have somewhere to go.

The way opens; the hindrance has been cleared away. A man is in contact with a strong will acting in the same direction as his own, and goes forward like one good horse following another. But danger still threatens, and he must remain aware of it, or he will be robbed of his firmness. Thus he must acquire skill on the one hand in what will take him forward, and on the other in what will protect him against unforeseen attacks. It is good in such a pass to have a goal toward which to strive.

4. Six in the fourth place means:The headboard of a young bull. Great good fortune.

This line and the one following it are the two that tame the forward-pushing lower lines. Before a bull's horns grow out, a headboard is fastened to its forehead, so that later when the horns appear they cannot do harm. A good way to restrain wild force is to forestall it. By so doing one achieves an easy and great success.

5. Six in the fifth place means:The tusk of a gelded boar. Good fortune.

Here the restraining of the impetuous forward drive is achieved in an indirect way. A boar's tusk is in itself dangerous, but if the boar's nature is altered, the tusk is no longer a menace. Thus also where men are concerned, wild force should not be combated directly; instead, its roots should be eradicated.

6. Nine at the top means:One attains the way of heaven. Success.

The time of obstruction is past. The energy long dammed up by inhibition forces its way out and achieves great success. This refers to a man who is honored by the ruler and whose principles now prevail and shape the world.

More News on Lan Cho

I think I erred earlier... Lan Cho cannot possibly be Taiwanese? Why would a modern Taiwanese girl live in Korea? It doesn't make sense. I believe that Lan Cho is actually a shortened form of her real name, which is Cheongran Cho. (Ran, Lan... It's all the same. From a Chinese characher than means Orchid... funnily enough, if you want to buy orchids in TAiwan, you can ask for Lan Cho).

Anyway, there are lots of reasons for Korean girls to want to go to Taiwan every now and then... better opportunities for women in the workplace... the chance to learn Chinese (and make more money - take advantage of the economic growth of China), etc. A Korean girl in escaping to Taiwan every so often can also escape the constant nagging of her parents, "When, but really... WHEN are you going to get married?" "You really must stop visiting Dunkin Doughnuts... Let's put you on a diet and schedule you for double eyelid surgery... else how else are you going to attract a top-notch suitor?"

I think Lan (in the end) is going to give up her high heels, seek out a distant relative (Could one of her grandfathers have been an officer in the US military?) and move to LA to pursue a career in the LAPD. She will also find peace in a relationship... but I won't tell you more about her lover yet.

Azeeza

There is to be another female leading character (aside from Lan Cho), but I am not sure about her name yet.... I like the middle name "Bilquis", but need help with the others. I will tell you a bit about her and then ask your help with the rest:

Azeeza Bilquis Ismay: An ironic twist as her itinerant philandering father chose her names. Her mother, who had no idea as to the origins of the name Biquis often said to Azeeza, “Who do you think you are – the Queen of Sheeba?” (The irony is that Bilquis actually means "Queen of Sheeba"!) Azeeza grew up near Magnetic Hill (Oh, wonder of wonders!) in Moncton, NB and is and is in fact, Javed’s half sister (on the father’s side – don’t ask about the last names) but neither of them know it… or each other for that matter. At least in the beginning phase of the story.

She is an English teacher in South Korea … a job which is not easy as she must first convince all that she can actually speak English. She is a bit scattered, but has a principles and goals… if only she could just choose one of them to follow.

If you want to help choose a better first and last name, please do. Here are some I was considering:

First Names:
Azeezah – precious
Nathifa – clean pure
Nadia – the first
Karida- untouched

Last Names: Something Non-Muslim, Non-Arabic
For now, I have chosen Ismay... It is some older UK name meaning Island, but I like it as it sort of sounds like Pig Latin, a point I am sure to make. But ???? Bilquis could also have a really typical last name like Smith... or Parker or Baker... or even Roberts.. Did you know that Barbie has a full name? It was Barbara Millicent Roberts?

What do you think of Nadia Bilquis Roberts? Or Natifa Bilquis Roberts? (Nickname Barbie?)

Supporting Male character

Javed’s best friend is a French guy: The kind of city guy that was born to live in the country. He is eclectic... and a little crude, but with a warm heart and simple needs. For now, his name is Bruce. Bruce looks more like he should belong to a Harley club (or the band: Red Hot Chili Peppers) than be the owner of a fashionable nightclub serving up the trendiest martinis in the city. This is due to the sheer area or skin which is decorated with inky tatttoos (mind you only a couple of the older ones are the bluish bleeding types).

I am thinking that Bruce should live in Victoria, BC. At some point in the story, I think Bruce becomes infatuated with Lan Cho... putting a chill on his relationship with Javed. Javed could care less about how involved Bruce is with Lan, but Bruce hates that she talks about Javed frequently. Lan, for her part, simply finds it amuing. Like Javed, she also doesn't really care so much...

After Javed has met his half-sister, Bruce will go to jail for illegal possession of firearms (Did I mention he has a rifle/handgun collection? Some of them very pretty!). Javed will send a proxy (half-sister) to visit him (in order to protect his reputation- he can't be associated with such jailbird types). Why does Javed need to protect his reputation if he doesn't even live in BC? I am thinking he will maintain some (legitimate) business connections in Victoria - perhaps a software company that provides the club it's high tech system... and maybe also sister clubs. He also has several small other money making ventures from Taiwan in Victoria... maybe selling cash registers and ATM machines?

What do you think?

Main Character -Recent Developments

Still trying out names for him. I am not thinking: Javed Nadim Faiz. This name is actually comprised of 3 first names… all of them Muslim, although he himself is not a good Muslim. In fact, he doesn’t know the first thing about Islam… His background is not entirely clear, but it would seem half his family is from Pakistan. Although he has heard he has some uncles there, he has never been – it would be too… too Pakistani! (Other possible names include Kahil-meaning lover... and Omar- meaning first son).

Javed (named so for now) is from Victoria, Canada, where several of his acquaintances call him Bob. We are not really sure why, but it seems the day he first met them, he was testing their gullibility and entertaining them with a variety of tall tales and to avoid embarrassment, introduced himself as Bob. The name stuck. Some of his closer friends in Canada call him Nad… The reader doesn’t necessarily need to know that however.

Before I said he ran a nightclub/restaurant named Barbados. Now I am considering changing this to a fitness club in Taiwan (still called Barbados). It is a shiny modern ship of a club sailing in somewhat murky waters of the business district in the city center. The resturant/nightclub I am considering giving to his best freind - Bruce (for lack of a better name for now)... See next entry.

The plot

Can the plot thicken without there being a plot yet?

Anyway, I would just like to note that there should be a fortune teller... and that fortune tellers prophesy should run throughout the book. Perhaps the book can start with the prophesy and the backround can be filled in later. All the prophesies should come true (although not at all in any literal sense, but in a way that has to be arrived at only with much stretching and redescribing of events)... except for the very last one.

The story should also contain a little bit of history... ancient history. I am thinking the city of sybaris, but as this is in Greece - a place I have never been to, I could change this... or I could add a Greek-Australian pilot flying for some obscure Middle Eastern airline to the melange.

Lan Cho

Ms. Lan Cho is another character. She should be considerably taller than most other women in her ethnic group ( Maybe Taiwanese living in South Korea?), yet she is never to be found slouching nor does she sport heels less than 3 inches high! Her bearing is cool and confident and her voice is low. She has a roundish face, and eyes that look like little blackened soy beans. Although she is not what her compatriots would consider beautiful (not having big eyes and a small face), she turns heads wherever she goes.... She is one of those enviable few who almost always gets what she wants... ALMOST!

Her charm point could be in part her skin, the whiteness of which rivals the translucent blanchedness of the Russian "juicy girls" dancing in the nightclubs fringing the Osan military base in Pyeongtaek. But it is more the the fact that she never hesitates. Her self-asuredness is complete. (The men she doesn't attract, she frightens).

She also has several jobs . She works part time in a little Taiwanese food stand (helping out her mom)... but the rest of the time, she arranges travel. She doesn't work at a travel agency, but has a computer tucked away somewhere and solicits customers from the Internet. A sexy site called GoLanCho.com with herself pictured as the travel guide. (No one would ever know she also does the bookings and everything else).

Her favorite place in the world is Brazil, to which destination she flies regularly, but not as a a guide. These trips are purely for pleasure. This is not to say that Ms. Cho is a 100% hedonist, an epicurean, a sybarite, a debauchee... but she is not without some libertine qualities. However, at some point in the story, we will have to switch Brazil with Barbados... or rename the story. She has a man there (she has a number of men actually - mostly well manicured- of the type that can keep her living the kind of lifestyle that she likes to live, but can't afford)... but this one is an unexpected match: a grungy, but handsome guy with mini-dreadlocks who is an resentful, surly worker aboard one of the catamaran that takes tourists out on trips to swim with the fishes... think Finding Nemo. He, however, is smarter than he lets on.

No More Excuses

I'm too busy. I'm too tired. I'm brain dead. It's a stupid idea. It's a waste of time. I don't really know how to do get started. There are always 1027 or more reasons not to get started on any given new project.

The project I have been putting off forever is the novel! I have always wanted to write one. I know it will likely never get published, but now that there is a place where I can post and get feeedback from friends, I think I should start. I also have a personal motivation now which people I know might realize once they start reading.

The novel I want to write is temporarily called Barbados. I would like one of the central characters to be a young charismatic guy who runs a restaurant/night club called Barbados in an Asian metropolis... Maybe Hong Kong, maybe Seoul or Taipei.... certainly those cities will be involved in the story... as will the real Barbados be!

Another character (secondary) is to be a older gay horticulturalist who lives a hermit-like life in the mountains, running a plant nursery and sundry other questionable enterprises. He has a non-American accent, but I don't know if he is from Australia, South Africa or the UK as yet. Although he is discerning, he is rather more non-judmental than we might think. He makes the BEST rum punch, loves classical music and has a pet of some sort -a small dog that thinks it is a big dog (or vice versa).

Please write and give me ideas for characters and names for the ones I have.