Photo by Jannes Jacobs on Unsplash

entering the garden of love . . .

becoming an angel of light, . . .
feeling my wings of the greatest might . . . .
laughing, flying, gliding higher with happiness. .
repeating the mantra of the luminous freedom:

. . . . . . . . . . free at last . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . free at last . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . free at last . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

becoming an angel of luminous love . . .
feeling my wings expanding wider and wider . . . .
smiling, rising higher and higher into the clouds.

repeating the mantra of the grandest liberation:

. . . . . . . . . . free at last lord. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . free at last lord. . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . free at last lord . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

◢╱╱╱P╲╲╲◣ possessing less to gain more!◥╲╲╲E╱╱╱◤ drinking less to laugh more!

◢╱╱╱ I╲╲╲◣ investigating less to see more!◥╲╲╲S╱╱╱◤ seeing less to hear more!

◢╱╱╱D╲╲╲◣ doping less to be more!◥╲╲╲O╱╱╱◤ opening less to hear more!

◢╱╱╱P╲╲╲◣ pointing less to see more!◥╲╲╲E╱╱╱◤ dancing less to smile more!

3

Respecting and approaching the dead remains an important cultural aspect for the Japanese and Asian people in general. Many films and stories examine death and near death phenomenon. What happens when one dies or when one comes back to life? Cat Soup is about the near death and rebirth of a girl. By understanding such tales of near death, we will be better able to interpret tales of Japanese zombies, the other undead.

Tasuo Sato directed this strange short film based on manga series by Nekojiro (Hashiguchi Chiyomi1967-1998), who committed suicide perhaps because of an unfaithful husband.

The film examines the near death of Nyatta as told through the eyes of her younger brother Nyako. Basically, Nyatta drowns and almost dies. Much of the film is about her journey into the land of the dead. Nyako is brave enough to follow his sister to the land of the dead and bring her back.

At one point, a Jizo figure appears and escorts her to the pure land or paradise.

In one sense, Cat Soup is about the mythological figure in Buddhism, Mokuren, another person who visited the land of the dead. Mokuren was the disciple of Buddha who loved his dead mother, but found out she became a hungry ghost living in hell. Buddha suggested that Mokuren give offerings to his mother while chanting as a way to give her peace. However, Mokuren did more than that and actually entered hell to retrieve his mother.

The O-Bon festival is a celebration of the love a son has for his mother. Indeed, it is a celebration of life where family members must remember the dead, all of the dead people. Even those without living family members must be respected and remembered.

O’Bon remains one of the most important holidays in Japan. Cat Soup is about the sacrifice a sibling is willing to make for another sibling.

Almost every country possesses stories of vampires, making it a transnational phenomenon. However, not all matters translate well from one culture from one culture to another. Though the presence of the vampire worldwide may make it a truly multicultural occurrence, not all vampires are equal in signifying the same cultural sense of fear, shock, and morality.

Specifically, horror as a genre presents a strong case in point where cultural transparencies can fail. The cultural subtexts provide ample problems for Asian audiences trying to decode Western horror.

Welcome to Japanese Cinematic Vampires. If you completed my Chinese Cinematic Vampires, you examined kung fu vampires from Hong Kong. For those of you who took that class with me, you are in for a surprise in this course because Japanese vampires are different and have more similarities with Western vampires than with Asian ones, well at least to a point. If you are not familiar with Chinese Vampires, I will post some notes so you can compare.

Some of the initial attempts to merge the Western narratives of Dracula into an Eastern horror genre, i.e., Michio Yamamoto’s Noroi no yakata: Chi o su me (1971) or Lake of Dracula and Roy Ward Baker’s The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires (1974) in Japan and Hong Kong respectively, met with critical and financial failure. Indeed, something more complex, more imaginative, or more aesthetically frightening for Asian audiences was missing in those initial cinematic concoctions.

Such cultural (mis)transnational mishaps have characterized the evolution of the Western vampire effect that tried to relocate on Eastern soils. Something is missing. A lack of moral authenticity is missing in such Western/Eastern narratives. Basically, the Judeo/Christian religious underpinnings did not translate well with Asian audiences raised within a non-Western context: the metaphysics of Buddhism and Confucianism and their local traditions of Taoism (Hong Kong) and Shintoism (Japanese).

Such films created conflicting and competing metaphysical internal oppositions within Asian audiences, where the basic ideas of terror, shock, and evil revealed in the Dracula narrative did not completely work.

Join us as we decode the cultural messages of horror and hell.

The next section will center on how Japanese cinema and fiction produced a successful new hybridity of horror, science fiction, animation (anime) and samurai films with its vampires: specifically in Trinity Blood, Vampire Princess Miyu, Vampire Hunter D, Vampire Knight, and Blood: The Last Vampire.

Finally, we will examine how the Dracula effect can provoke unique and differing cinematic consequences, conjured up by the regional differences while provoked by metaphysical, psychological, even political stimuli.

[1] A version of these notes entitled “The Blood of Hybridity in Postmodern Cinematic Asian Vampire” was presented at the Popular Culture Conference in Boston, Massachusetts on April 4, 2007. A revised edition of this called “Enter the Dracula” appears in a volume of essays called Dracula, Vampires, and Other Undead Forms.

GRATITUDE IS THE ATTITUDE of Hope🔥🔥🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌖🌺🌻🌻🌚🌺🌸🔥🌈🌈🌈

💙💗💗 .💗💗.💗💗💗 💙💗🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗 💙💙💗💗 .💗

Breathe in: Compassate Caring Consideration. . .

Breathe out: Terroristic Tentionistic Trepidation

. . . .. Sending Out > > The Mantra Vows of Love >

💙💗💗 .💗💗.💗💗💗 💙💗🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗 💙💙💗💗 .💗

Entertaining Love Dragons with Laughter. . .

. . . .Coming from the Happiness from my Heart >

. . . .. . . .Sending Out > > The Mantra Vows of Love

💙💗💗 .💗💗.💗💗💗 💙💗🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗 💙💙💗💗 .💗

Dragon Breathing of Roaring Positivity

Breathe in: Healing Hopeful Happiness. . . . . . . .. . . .

Breathe out: Suffering, Sadening, Suppression!

. . . ...Sending Out > > The Mantra Vows of Love >

💙💗💗 .💗💗.💗💗💗 💙💗🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗 💙💙💗💗 .💗

Laughing Loving Liberation . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . Laughing Loving Liberation . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Laughing Loving Liberation . . . . ..

Sending SOS> Hugs, Humanity, and Happiness !

💙💗💗 .💗💗.💗💗💗 💙💗🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗 💙💙💗💗 .💗

💙💗💗 .💗💗.💗💗💗 💙💗🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗 💙💙💗💗 .💗

🌈🌈practicing zen . . .
breathing deep and deeperinhaling to the count of 1 > 2 > 3 > 4 . . .
holding the mindful breath to the count of 1. . .exhaling to the mindful count of 1 > 2 > 3 > 4 > 5. . .
repeating this musical moon mantra

🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈

🌈🌈. . . . Love Luminous Light . . .🌈🌈
🌈🌈 . . . . .Love Luminous Light . . .🌈🌈
🌈🌈 . . . . . . . . Love Luminous Light . . .🌈🌈

🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈

🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈

🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈

Photo by Gaetano Cessati on Unsplash

Bye Bye Bye> BTS > K POP

It starts with love. .

BTS, most successful band of all time> Bye Bye Bye

BTS > BYE, BYE BYE.

Thank you for reading this. I need to write a screenplay, for a filmmaker is waiting.

Later . . 💗 THANK YOU > >

Contact me at wstein@uco.edu, if you want to help. It is about female children, undead virgins vampires whom visited me as a child as my father beat me to death daily. . .

I am almost finished with the screenplay, I applied for an extention of my taxes so we can invade more countries. JOY

I am moving to Mexico away from Taco King!

💗 💗 💗Bye Bye Bye 💗 💗 💗

finding no place to live,
waving his hands, Doc Samurai Sam,
looking at the thunderoua clouds above,
moving indoor to avoid the rain,
avoiding being wet and cold,
wanting to say thank you. . .
helping me,

💗 💗 💗Bye Bye Bye 💗 💗 💗

being broke,

going to food pantries for food

surviving cancer twice,

finding no place to call home,

saying it has been fun,

having a book deal with a publishers

saying it has been fun,

hoping the best to you

blessings to your life,

seeing a rainbow

of hope and happiness, and

love, love,

love. . .

. .

.

💗 💗 💗Bye Bye Bye 💗 💗 💗

Thank you for reading this, forI need to write a screenplay, for a filmmaker is waiting.

Later . .

Contact me at wstein@uco.edu, if you want to help. It is about female vampires

It starts with love not bombing other countries

💗 💗 💗

💗 💗

💗

It starts with love. . .

🌹🌹being not mutual confusion . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . wanting mutual respect . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. needing not mutuality of chaos!. . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . seeing🌹🌹 thy mutual compassion. . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . being not mutual deception! . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . .hoping of the mutuality of . . .
. . . ……. . . . . .feeling positive peaceful procreation . . .
. . . . .running between the 🌹🌹hearts of lovers who follow . . .
. . . .finding the heart /mind interConnectivity. . . .
. . .smiling of trust and faith of hope. . . . .
. . .praying to Doc Dreamer! . . .

Thank you for reading. . .

It starts with love. . .

‘

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

🌺🌺 Let the EGO > GO GO GO

. . . GO GO GO . . . .

. . . . . . . GO GO GO . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . GO GO GO . . . .

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺Let it🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

. . . GO GO GO . . . .

. . . . . . . GO GO GO . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . GO GO GO . . . .

🌺🌺🌺🌺REPEAT MANTRA 🌺🌺

. . . COOL .…

Read more

“Mu,” the practice of shamanism, is the indigenous religion of Korea, and women make up the majority of its practitioners. It is associated with animism, a belief in spirits in all things. Korea is a land of mountains surrounded by seas. Various goddesses and powers are associated with nature: trees, mountains, and sacred places.

There is a holy mother, “Sungmo,” who was once a divine princess, the original shaman of all shamans. According to some narratives, she gave birth to the first female shaman. Thus, all shamans are descendants of this divine shaman. Such tales are stories of Korean nationalism and help to define Koreans as different from the Chinese with its own version of Shamanism call “Wu.”

The performance of rituals is a key part of Korean Shamanism. A good understanding of shamanism shows that “the performance of the shamanic ritual ultimately is an attempt to bring about harmony among all relationships between human beings, between humans and nature, even between existing and spirit beings” (Kim 72).

During the performance, the shaman enters into possession of spirit or life forces, the “shin-myung” which “originated from the expression “shin na da“ (literally divine wind)” (Kim 73). “They become one with the universe, and at the same time, they ultimately become the universe” (Kim 78).

However, Shamanism is often looked down upon by the public. Indeed, the term, “mishim” is used in association with Shamanism in Korean, which means something similar to superstition (Lee 188). Historically, Shamanism to the Chosun government became associated with practices that were “covetous, deceptive, and licentious” (Lee 191).

The heart plays a special symbol in Shamanism. One who has a broken or suffering heart, “han,” often becomes the best shamans. Thus, some women become Shamans because of the hardships they experienced in society. “On the basis of her own adverse life experiences and the sense of vulnerability that once wounded her heart, the shaman can now heal the wounds of others” (Lee 189).

Korea, like the Philippines, has a large Christian population. Historically, Christianity does not like Shamanism. While some Korean Christians have attacked Shamanism, many have actually absorbed some of its practices into their Christian faith.

In recent years, a change has occurred in Korea, “some shamans are designated as living national treasures, and the governmental institutions sometimes pay them to conduct their shamanic rituals” (Lee 192).

Works Cited

Kim. Jeong-sook. “Humanization and Divinisation: The Theological Dimension of Salvation as Revealed in Korean and Shamanism.” Asia Journal of Theology. (69-81).

Lee, Jonghyun. “Shamanism and Its Emancipatory Power for Korean Woman.” Affilia 2009, 24 (186- 198).

💗💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 💗💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 💗💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 💗💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗

It starts with love. . . .

💗💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 💗💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 💗💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 💗💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗 🌹 LOVE🌹💛💗💙💗

.love, love. .love. .
. .
.

Thank you for reading this. . . .My hero, Carlton Pearson, died of cancer last year for he personifies the compassion because God loves everyone

.

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

It starts with love . .

‘

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

�🌺🌺�Let the EGO > GO GO GO

. . . GO GO GO . . . .

. . . . . . . GO GO GO . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . GO GO GO . . . .

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺Let it🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

. . . GO GO GO . . . .

. . . . . . . GO GO GO . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . GO GO GO . . . .

🌺🌺🌺🌺REPEAT MANTRA 🌺🌺

. . . COOL . . .
. . . . . .COOL . . .
. . . . . . . . COOL . . . .

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

Thank you for reading. .. . .Stay COOL. . .

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

It starts with love. . Love everyone . . BE COOL.

🌺🌺🌺🌺Let it GO🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

. . . GO GO GO . . . .

. . . . . . . GO GO GO . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . GO GO GO . . . .

🌺🌺🌺🌺Let it GROW🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

. . . . . GROW GROW GROW . . .

. .. . . . . GROW GROW GROW . . .

. . . . . . . . . GROW GROW GROW . . .

Freedom not Free DUMB>

. . . . FREE DUMB √ FREE DUMB √ FREE DUMB √

. . . . . . . . FREE DUMB√ FREE DUMB √ FREE DUMB √

. . . . . . . . FREE DUMB √FREE DUMB √FREE DUMB √

❤️ The Art of Healing, the Medicine of Forgiving, Tales from the Shadow Manifesto ❤️

Birth of Self-Love: Art of Mercy, Goddess Kuan Yin> “NEVER GIVE UP” ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

It starts with love. . . .

Beware of what you are about to read, for I grew up in a very violent world, but I refused to become depressed, sad or mean. . .. . I became a warrior of peace. . .

I keep writing about my father because he did terrible things to me. I must confess, I was not a nice person when I was young, but I changed . . . I grew up. . . .

Sorry part of this loops and repeats. I was painful to write.

Screenplay for Shadow Manifesto: Want to Help?

I am working on a Movie Script for Shadow Manifesto

email me at wstein@uco.edu

Growing up Zainichi, Korean Japanese 在日韓国・朝鮮人

I grew up in Japan, but I was part Korean; there, you are bullied, just because you are another race. I was confused.

My mother explained to me one day after I was crying because I had been beaten; she said I was not Japanese.

Shocked, I only remember Japan, and I only speak Japanese.

I only love Japanese food, so she explained that I was a baby when we moved from Korea.

However, the real horror was from my father, who bullied me, tortured me, and made me take off my clothes so no marks could be seen.

Mostly, he beat me with words, bad names and saying I was stupid. My father’s name was Arthur. To me, his name became the Art of Pain, Sir Satan.

One of the greatest Karate masters ever was Mas Oyama; my father went to his dojo and learned this art of killing.

Oyama was a Zainichi, Korean Japanese (在日韓国・朝鮮人). Impossible!

How could a Korean become a legend in Japan?

Movies, comics, and books are written about him, making him a modern day version of Miyamoto Musashi, the greatest samurai ever.

My Father’s Motto: No Pain. No Gain!

My father taught me to worship pain, by practicing Kyokushin (極真) Karate torture techniques by being battered and bruised.

I was told me to get up again and again. Being a small, short weak kid, this made no sense.

I stripped off my clothes as punishment as my Dad would beat me with his leather belt, saying, “This hurts me more than it hurts you.”

No, it didn’t.

However, my father remains drastically wrong about one key factor.

My Path: Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Compassion

A warrior must be able to take a pain. However, a samurai must show compassion too. Guess who often always challenged me to fights?

Full-blooded Koreans. Because I am part White, they hated me. I never backed down. In almost every room of my house is a figure or painting of Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy.

All of the fights were over in seconds. When the antagonist was on the floor, not breathing, I never kicked him in the teeth. Instead, I worried, and made sure he was okay. I would hold him in my arms to gently lift him.

Afterwards, he respected me, and often became my student. I do not teach self-defense. Instead, I teach the art of murdering vampires who try to suck chi. I teach them the purest form of inflicting the “Art of Pain” on your opponent.

However, my mother taught me a more important art: the art of compassion, the art of love, from the greatest artist of all time, the Goddess of Compassion, Kuan Yin.

The True Path of the Heart: No Love! No Gain!

My father was not right. Yes, a warrior must show compassion to fight hatred.

Guess who always challenged me to fights? Full-blooded Koreans.

Because I am part White, they hate me, so I never backed down to a fight.

I never lost.

Hatred Creates Hatred

My father was shocked when I earned a PhD because he thought I was stupid. I didn’t invite him to my graduation. In his last years of life, I never visited him.

My father remarried, and his wife called me one day to ask why I never came to visit, so I explained.

She apologized and said she never knew. She was kind and compassionate.

Finally, I became the teacher I never had. I listen to my students, care about my students, and love my students. Just as I wanted my father to be loving, thoughtful, and caring towards me.

I didn’t go to his funeral. Perhaps, one day, I will go to his grave site to forgive and forget all the pain he caused me.

Part I: Personal Reflections of the Mirrors within the Mirror Mind of Mushin

Welcome to the dueling parallel pandemics. From panicking psychosis to poisoning paranoia, I enter into a slow and long discord of death and doom. However, here is my tale of redemption as I fought my way back out of the cycle of daily doomsday body counts, as I fought to regain my dignity within this land of absurd corruptions, and as I fought the impossible: to regain my sanity during the famous stressful Zombie Pandemic of 2021. I know you have another name for it, but this is how I remember it. Listen well.

Join me as I recount my return to my samurai training, my reconnection to teaching, and my quest to lose all the weight I gained. We are the worlds we travel through, the visions we see, and the pandemics we survive. The samurai must empty the mind of negativity, and enter the mind of mushin, no mind, to be calm within the eye of the storm. Therefore, grab your sword and follow me as zombies begin their final battle to rule the Earth.

Reflections within the House of Mirrors: The Art of Gaining Weight

Like being trapped in some sort of carnival house of mirrors, we do not see what is actually in front of us; instead, we experience a multitude of reflections of reflections. Since we are now in the dark times of the pandemic waiting for this strange imprisonment within our homes to end, we so desire to be released for our good behavior. By eating more, many of us are trying to bury this fear of the silent deadly epidemic, dying from the stupidity of our mutant governments, and finally trying to survive from the prison sentence of boredom.

Addicted to food, I started to consume more and more. Eating became my superpower, my way to fight the evils of this lost world. Captain Superior Fatman is here to save the world. Eat more to be more is my motto. Therefore, I became the heaviest I have ever been in my entire life, and I could no longer fit into some of my clothes.

All this occurred just in time to fight the zombies coming. Basically, I will just sit on the undead and crush them with my weight.

The power of weighted gravity rules. Death to the Undead!

Reflections on the Problematic Rise of Pain Mirroring the Growing Pandemic

I once had a student with a bright, thoughtful, and lucid mind. With her permission, I asked her what happened to place her permanently in a wheelchair. She kindly nodded and gave me permission to ask. She replied and told me that she had once been a gymnast trying to learn to do a double back flip. However, she landed on her neck and has been paralyzed since then. I listened, and paused, and understood. Then I shared with her that I had a similar injury, but I was able to walk away. She replied that I was very lucky in life. Yes, I was . . . I guess.

However, I have struggled with pain in my back ever since that day in high school. Being secluded in this pandemic, the deep levels of pain once again returned. In high school, I thought I would never walk again. I was on the rings trying the learn a double back flip. I completed many preparatory flips, missing my feet and just landing on my back.

I felt very ready, able, and confident, so I went for it. However, I didn’t make the second flip and landed on my neck as my knees hit into my face. Then momentary blackness occurred. When the light returned, people were looking down at me, and I was told to not move. Then I noticed I couldn’t feel my legs. They were about to call an ambulance. However, I insisted that they wait.

No sounds emerged as negative thoughts entered my mind: a life in a wheelchair, the end of my dreams for a scholarship at UCLA, and the end of a normal existence. Then a miracle happened as I felt my legs become attached to my body again. Quickly, I stood up, smiled, and waved at them as volts of pain shot up through my legs.

Within the depts of this pandemic, the pain has returned. Until a few weeks ago, that heightened and amplified sense of pain had remained far, far away in a forgotten memory. Some nights, I was not able to sleep. Basically, this level of constant increasing pain had never happened. Even with this pain, I must prepare for the final battle against the zombie attacks. The struggle continues.

Part II: Transformational Learning Applications of Mind to Mind Combat

The apocalypse started during the fall semester of 2019, when I taught an “Asian Zombie” themed composition course as a simulated last days of survival. The class started to plan for the end of the world by using the Zombie Preparedness site, developed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, which was created to train us for a future pandemic. Basically, in this class, my students were taught the art of fighting against zombies, Asian style. In Japanese zombie films, to reiterate the samurai sword remains the preferred way to destroy undead zombies.

Furthermore, at the same time, the Budo Society, samurai club, of UCO was preparing for the Spring Harvard Invitational Kendo Tournament, the largest intercollegiate Japanese sword competition in the country. Usually, we are preparing to fight zombies. However, somewhere across the globe, a real pandemic erupted, spread, and changed everything. The kendo tournament in Boston was canceled while the death rate in New York started to rise up as in a post-apocalyptic manner. Sadly, we were not able to fight zombies in Boston or in New York.

During the spring semester of the 2020, I offered an “Asian Demons” themed class for composition. Yes, there were zombies too, of course. As part of the class, the students learned about Daoism, the philosophy of yin and yang, which is critical to understanding Asian horror cinema. Within the perimeters of Daoism, the Chinese alchemy or neidan, the metaphysics of the Golden Flower, stands as way to fight the undead.

My students were exposed to this, so that they could become more successful at fighting zombies and the undead within the Asian context. The class was divided into levels of neidan mastery. As they completed assignments, they leveled up and entered each new plateau of quests and battles against new demons. The Golden Flower represents their rise in the mastery of inner powers by combating the stress and sorrows of life so as to transform negativing into positivity.

Then, the University of Central Oklahoma shut down face-to-face contact and went completely online. Unfortunately, we were forced to stop training to fight zombies entering the heartland. The highest level in the course consisted of the mind level or the level of the third eye, where the students reached enlightenment as Golden Flowers shined out of the top of their heads while the students became one with the universe or Tao. Basically, they leave the class and are able to fight zombies and demons on their own.

During the year, I was moved as I watched the national Black Lives Matter protests and as I watched Asian hate crimes rise up in numbers. I felt it was time to transform my classes as I fought back against such contradictions against the American spirit. Indeed, it was time to give birth to a new self and shed this reptilian skin. Ultimately, the Golden Flower is about self-resurrection and a transformational rebirth into an awareness of a fresh life as a new human being.

During the spring of 2021, the theme became “Reparations” for my composition class. Furthermore, I also added a commemoration of the Tulsa Race Massacre which coincided with the one-hundred-year anniversary of that tragedy. The class examined Native American, Latinx, Asian American, and African American histories. The students were asked if reparations were in order for all the tragedies that occurred. I didn’t preach. Instead, they were responsible for learning, researching, and answering questions about reparations, remembrance, and respect.

That is how I always teach. Any transformations should be self-earned and self-learned. I am merely the guide to improving and enhancing their writing skills. They do the difficult work of critical thinking and critical awakening needed to fight zombies and see the issues more clearly.

The undead who drag their feet and look like demons who haven’t sleep in ten years are easy to spot. However, there are the hidden zombies: those who pretend to be human, those who pretend to be our fearless politicians, and those who pretend to be our rich CEOs who suck our brain cells out, who suck our life energies out, and who suck our bank accounts dry. In Asia, these undead demons or hungry ghosts have various names like jianshi, the reanimated zombie-vampires who know kung fu, or the huli-jing, the shapeshifting fox spirits with nine tails who suck our lives dry. Grab your sword, we are going zombie hunting.

Part III: Tips and Tricks for Surviving the Zombie Pandemic

Practice the Art of Mindful Mobility More

While fighting the pandemic blues, we do things that might seem comforting but can be very damaging to our physical and mental health. That donut and that cake might taste yummy while that couch might be comfy, and watching Netflix might seem fulfilling. One might even be watching a zombie series, and that is fine. However, consider doing some dynamic stretching. Consider breathing deeply and stretching slowly. Move more to feel better in life.

During the pandemic, I noticed that my knees and ankles started to hurt from all the added weight. Additionally, I started to become sick, and I usually never become sick with stomach pains. Therefore, I started to radically change my diet: no bread, no noodles, and no rice. I was already a vegetarian. I also avoided oils; instead, I started to cook just using water instead, lightly steaming the food. I even avoided seasoning and just ate the vegetables as is. Some vegetables I ate raw. This was a radical departure for me, but it seemed to help. Don’t try this on your own.

In addition, I started to work out again and going out for long walks in the sun. I lost three pounds, then five pounds, and then fifteen pounds. I continue to lose weight. Slowly, I wasn’t becoming sick anymore. I reintroduced my body to my old type of yoga that I developed when I was a gymnast.

In my cooking, I added back the oil, like perilla oil, a Korean favorite. Happily, I can once again wear some of my old clothes. Finally, I stopped eating anything with sugar in it. That is not easy to avoid sugar, for even healthy processed food has added sugar. You have to read the labels carefully. Instead, I use monk fruit as a sugar substitute. I have never been on a diet in my entire life. Now I know why it isn’t easy. Forget going to restaurants. I don’t see anything healthy for me in those menus. Being lighter, I can fight zombies better, or at least run faster.

This has also affected how I teach. Instead of thinking a class has to be robust or rich, I started to ask these questions. Is this class efficient? It is more focused? Less is more. I want to make sure the course is more effective, and that each lesson supports the major objectives. I am trying to streamline my courses now. I hope they become more to the point, more potent, and more powerful. Fighting zombies and trying to learn at the same time requires the ability to be more mobile. Run!

Practice the Art of Listening More

People need to be heard because of these stressful times. I continue to learn to listen better. I always thought I was a good listener; however, I have discovered that I tend to not listen well as I could. This ability is a key to survival because it is important to hear when the zombies are coming. Though they are slow, if one is quiet, one can hear their feet rubbing against the ground as they walk in masses. Being sensitive is a good way to survive our tough times.

Furthermore, I have become more sensitive to the needs of my students as they also fight their own zombies. Indeed, everyone is dealing with stress during these strange times.

I owe much of this new practice to Dr. Lindsey Churchill, my friend. As the Director of the Women’s Research Center and BGLTQ+ Student Center, she works hard for her students and listens to all their problems every day. She loves her job, the students, and life. I am still learning from her this new art of listening more and better.

The most important aspect of hearing is being open to suggestions on how to improve the design of a class. I now wonder how I can improve my directions. Therefore, I am trying to listen in a new way. I am rethinking my assignments by re-reading and re-adjusting the objectives of the lessons. How do my students view my courses? What do they read and what do they hear as they fight their own zombies or face their own problems? I have become more sensitive during the pandemic.

Practice the Art of Being Patient More

Finally, being more patient is important. I noticed Oklahomans seem to be driving through red lights more frequently and driving more erratically now. Perhaps this has been the norm, but I think it is increasing. I feel most Oklahoman drivers are courteous, kind, and nice. However, something has happened, people have become more impatient during this pandemic.

When I am at the grocery store buying something, I now tend to always talk to the cashiers in a positive tone, showing I appreciate that they are working during this pandemic. The effect is positive as I noticed more smiles. Therefore, I have learned to try to be more patient with my students because of the pandemic. If students are having problems, I give them more time to finish assignments since they might be fighting their own zombies. These are not normal times, so we should become more caring, helpful, and thoughtful. Welcome to the Apocalypse.

Finally, patience remains a vital lesson in life. While in high school, I trained every weekend at UCLA with some of the best gymnasts in the world. One of my teammates was given an athletic scholarship there. After suffering the spinal injury, I started to train my mind, instead, at their library on weekends, where I critically analyzed a lot of books. Though it was a dream deferred of earning an athletic scholarship, I became patient and knew another path would open up. Later in life, as a new Golden Flower of enlightenment blossomed out from my third eye and my skull, I decided to be reborn as a teacher with new purpose to live. It is never too late, for one never knows when an apocalypse of brain-eating zombie hordes might begin World War Z.

Grab your sword and follow me.

“ Life, happens when you’re making plans
Flying high and shaking hands.“
— Marlon Roudette

song: “When the Beat Drops Out”

SMILE MORE Photo by Kadyn Pierce on Unsplash

❤️ Manifestation Mantra: Smiling to the Positive SunShine Nice Ice Cream Sunday. . . ❤️

. . .
becoming . . .
dancing happy when sad . .
knowing the blues will be defeated . . .
rising up in the sunshine of the smiles . . .
floating with angels in the manifestation . . .
becoming ruled by positivity and . . .
hope and . . .
joy . . .
. . .

. . .
saying . . .
singing out loud the mantra . .
smiling, smiling . . .
smiling. ..
. . .
..

. .
. . .
loving life more. . . .

❤️Thank you for reading this. . . I love you all. ❤️

Photo by Mor Shani on Unsplash

“What did I do wrong, papa? I don’t understand why you are beating me. For what? It hurts. I am just 7 years old. . .”

“This hurts me more than it hurts you, my son. You must learn to take pain like a man for that is what life is about. So stop crying. Don’t be a cry baby. Be a man.”

“Wahhhhhhhhhhhahahhahahahhhahah. . . . Noooooooo. Stooooop. I am going to tell mama. “

“If you tell, her, I will kill the entire family. Now take off your cloths, I must best you naked. Take it like a man.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong. I am a good boy.”

“My leather belt is going to beat your ass now, my son. Smile when I hit you. Do not cry. So shut up and smile. I am a black belt in KyoKuShin karate, and you must learn the ways of the samurai warrior.”

“Yes, sir.”

“No pain, no gain. . . .life is about suffering and pain. You will be bullied, spit on and beat up as you grow up, so I am preparing you for the American way. . I am going to spit on you now as I beat you. “

“Yes, sir.”

“ That is a good boy. I am going to leave you alone for a while, for I have Penthouse and Playboy magazines to look at while I must beat and abuse your sister too . So be a good boy and shut up. Later”

“Yes sir. . . . .

“Yes sir. . . .

“Yes sir. . . .

“Yes sir. . . . .

“Yes sir. I am alone. I do not understand why. . . looking at the Shadow on the wall, I wish you would come alive and help me and save me. . . . my father is having sex with my sister now and beating her. I can hear her crying, my dear sister Maria, is in pain. Be strong Maria, and he will not hit you as hard. .

. . . . Maria . . . . you are here.”

“Yes my brother, John, I do not understang why papa is so mean to us.”

“ I agree Maria. “

“John, you must promise me something . . “

“Okay, Maria. . . “

“Never, tell mama who works graveyard shift, or tell anyone, my brother. Do not call the police, because papa will kill all of us. Promise?”

“ I promise my sister!”

“I must go now, my brother, tell your Shadow, I said hi”

“Will do, my sister. “

“Is she gone?”

“Yes, Shadow, Maria is gone, and Papa, or Satan is sleeping now.”

“This must stop, John, for he has no right to beat and abuse you both.”

“I agree Shadow, but what can we do?”

“Follow me, John, my friend!”

“Where to Shadow?”

“We are going to my home, the underground world. Because Satan cannot come to my part of hell, John.”

“ Is it safe there?”

“Yes, my friends are all party animals of the night and love to have fun. We all get along well and have signed peace agreements. Ready to come with me?”

“I am following you, Shadow, into my closet, down the stairs into the basement, deeper and deeper into the lower depts of the underworld”

“It smells here, John, because some dead bodies are being sent to hell and they are decomposing.. .So pinch your nose. “

“Do you have some sort of perfume to kill the stink, Shadow? Do you have a name?”

“I am Gabi. Here, I have this, so spray it around your body and the smell will not be as strong, John.”

“I hear the music, the dancing must be starting. Ready to Party?”

“Ready! I am shaking it. Dancing in Hell is fun...”

“ Your Papa, Satan cannot come to my part of hell, John.”

“ Is it safe in the underworld, Gabi?”

“Yes, there are no wars, no jobs, no marriages, no divorces, no poverty, no tears, no beatings, no crimes, no ICE, no IRS, and no tears, for we party all the time. We never get sick, John. We never file bankruptsy. We never die. No one has cancer. . . In the underworld, we live in peace and have an attitude of positivity. We love each other. and hug each other. We do yoga, lift weights, stay in shape, never diet, and never die and live forever. . . .”

“Gabi! Why is the earth above like Hell and Hell below like Heaven?”

“Because I am not a demon, I am a saint, while your father is a demon of the night and those in the church and Boy Scouts who sexually abused boys and children are the real demons, and presidents or Taco Kings who have sex with children are also demons of the night.”

“Oh, Is the underworld Heaven, Gabi?”

“Yes, I have a confession, John. you were buried yesterday, because your father killed everyone in your family, your mother was also buried and Maria is buried too. You are now dead, John”

“Why are you crying, Gabi? Why?I should be crying.”

“I am not your shadow, I am not Gabi, I am your father. . . I shot myself in the head after I killed the entire family. Please forgive me, my son. Forgive me for being a demon.

“Wait. What, dad?

“You will be reborn into a family of love and light. I promise, John. . .”

“What, I am dead?

“Forgive me”

“Dead?”

“Please, forgive me my son!”

“What the hell?”

“My own father, your grandfather Art, beat me and abused me daily as a child. So I repeated it to you and Maria.”

“Really?

“Yes, my son!”

“That is terrible!”

“Forgive me . . “

“. . .I . . . I. . . .I do . . . “

“What, my son? You do what?”

“I forgive you. Go in peace, my father. . I love you. “

“I love you, too my son, John. Rest in Peace,

“Thank you, dad.”

“Oh John, a baby is being born in Mexico City. You will be reborn into a loving family. Ready to learn Spanish? Amen!”

“Wahhhhhhhhhhhahahhahahahhhahah. . . . “

• Thank you for reading this. . . . This was written when I had cancer about the pains I lived through and remembering the pains of my father beating me as a kid.

  
  It start with love . . love everyone. . . I forgive my father.

青春を切り裂く波動 EISHUN WO KIRISAKU HADO

It starts with love. .

Listen to “Atarashi” as you read. . .

Tokyo Calling

Photo by Daniel Thomas on Unsplash

青春を切り裂く波動

🌅🌅A wave that cuts through my youth. 🌅🌅

此処は戦場 涙のレインボウ

🌅🌅This is a battlefield, a rainbow of tear 🌅🌅

— Atarashi, Japanese Song

🌅🌅 Manifestation Mantra for Reincarnation: Explosion of Empowerments of Positivity

being . .
becoming sad at times
feeling lost, and dizzy from the pressures of life
wondering if, overthinking about,
worrying too much
wishing
for
.

healing
becoming reborn at times ..
feeling whole and complete, rebooted
smiling, dancing, and
singing for redemption
being alive again
releasing
let it
go
.

breathing. .
filling the lungs up
taking in a deep breath
holding
it
.

breathing.. .
letting the air out
releasing
stress
now
oh
. .

repeating. . .
we are love, love
love
. .

🌅🌅 Thank you for reading this. . . . I love you all, if you feel pain or stress, mindful meditation can help.🌅🌅

It starts with love. . .

🌅🌅 Dance 1 billion times, highlight everything in the world , forever sing loud love songs for 1 billion times, be sure to stay 77 years ,

. . . and I will feed you chocolate cheese kimchi donut tacos, and comment about my Buffalo butter butt as being giganic if you want. . .

Thank you so much for being you!

I love life and being cancer free.

Dance your Blues Away Photo by Renzo Alarco on Unsplash

I taught Jackie Chan Cinema for years. Loyalty is an important trait for kung fu films. I so love Bruce Lee films, but the humor of Jackie Chan makes me joyous. I have broken many bones in my body including my spine training in gymnastics and during street fights. Therefore, some days I am in hell. I know Jackie Chan who can barely walk now, saffrificed his body for our entertainment. Thank you Jackie.

For Jackie Chan films, loyalty remain so important. One remain loyal to friends and to teachers. Kuan Ti, a real life general, is perhaps known more for his Confucian values of loyalty towards his friends.

Walk into a Chinese restaurant (even in Oklahoma), a Chinese police station, a kung fu martial arts studio or even a Chinese temple and you often see a red faced warrior often holding a heavy quan-do (spear like weapon). He was known as Kuan Yu, a man that became a god. He came from a humble background, selling bean-curds.

Kuan Ti is based a real person who was loved during the Ching Dynasty. He also had a great sense of memory, being able to recite long poems. He was from the Han Dynasty (3rd century AD). He became the patron saint for all martial artists, good and bad, police and Triad. His story became a legend in the famous novel, some 120 chapters long by Guanzhong Luo: Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Brotherhood of the Peach Orchard

He, known for his red face, teamed up with Lui Pei, elder, from a once royal family, and Chang Fei, known for his black face, a butcher and the younger one, as sworn brothers under a peach tree and became a famous warrior. This was a period of the revolt of the Yellow Turbans. The three helped to end the rebellion. Liu Pei would later found the Han Dynasty.

Once Kuan Yu was captured with Liu Pei’s wife and concubines but remained faithful to his friend. Another rebellion would be led by General Tsao Tsao, who captured Liu Pei and then Kuan Yu. Kuan Yu surrendered because he wanted to see his friend Liu Pei again. The General captured him to try to convince him to join his side. He tried to bribe and even tempt Kuan Yu by keeping him with Liu Pei’s wife and concubines. Instead, Kuan Yu resisted the money and the women. His country, integrity, and friendship meant more to him than fame and wealth. His deeds of kindness and honesty that made him a warrior saint in addition to upholding his Confucian values, where loyalty is so valued.

After his death many people would pray to him, and he would help them. They would see him in visions as his fame continued to grow century and century. It is this mystique that transformed him into a deity.

A couple of centuries later an emperor promoted him to Prince, another to Duke and so on. Much later in 1594, he was elevated to godhood by the Ming Emperor Wan Li and was given the title: Ti. He is also the guardian of business or another god of wealth.

The fact that a common Chinese man who sold bean curd became a god makes him even more valuable to the Chinese. Thus, who wouldn’t want to grow up to be a god? Kuan Yu did. Kuan Ti temples abound throughout Asia.

In the world of Jian Hu, martial arts fantasy, anyone of any background can become an important figure. Kuan Ti is evident of that.

Sources

Three Kingdom Site.

China on Site

Buddha Net