Wednesday, June 30, 2010

My new beginnings.

I have started this blog as a writer's blog, but I've decided to change it to a blog about the stuff I love about East Asia. I have a new writer's blog at live journal. Go to http://gary-feather1.livejournal.com

Who am I?

I have a BS in Journalism, a BA in English and a minor in East Asian Civilization from Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

I love writing stories. I also love reading. I have read a lot of nonfiction books on East Asia, especially China and Japan.

I love the martial arts. I first got into it in 1990. I learned a martial art called Tae Kwon Do from 2nd degree blackbelt Ed Prince. I quit in 1991 when I transfered from a local college to SIUC. There I took Aikido for two semesters and Yang style Tai Chi Chuan for one semester. After this I quit martial arts and SIUC. I became very depressed. Later in 1999 I got counseling. I even started taking a few class at the local college for fun. In 2002 I took a Karate class for 3 months, but the class closed. I then started learning Kung Fu San So from blackbelt Jerome Eckleberry. I took his class for 11 months. I then returned to SIUC. I got learned Wing Chun Kung Fu from Marty Davis for 2 1/2 years. I also took two semesters of Kendo, semester of Yang style Tai Chi Chuan and a semester of Aikido. It was a lot of fun. After I graduated in May 2006. I found a school in Salem, Illinois taught by Ed Daniels. He teaches Goju Kempo and Ketsugo Ryu Jujitsu. I started in Novemeber 2006. I currently have a brown belt 3rd kyu. I sill want to learn more.

In Fall 1991 and spring 1992 at SIUC I took a year of Chinese Mandarian. I am no language expert, but I learned a little. I still want to learn more.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Review of Rosario + Vampire 1

Rosario + Vampire 1
Story and Art by Akihisa Ikeda translated by Kaori Inoue
2004/USA 1st printing June 2008

This is a funny manga. I loved it. I can't wait for the next one.
Tsukune is a boring average student, who gets into an odd high school
called Yokai. On the way to it he gets run into by a beautiful girl
on a bicycle. He tries to help her up and she bites him on the neck.
She is a vampire!

Later he learns that Yokai is a school for monsters and he is the only
human. Luckily the monsters kids are there to learn how to fit in with
humans. The big school rule is that the monster boys and girls are to
stay in their human form for practice.

All the boy monsters are crazy for the cute girl vampire, Moka. But
she is madly in love with Tsukune. He is confused. Does he want to
run away from her? If he dosn't then she'll bite him again. If he
does then the monster boys will kill him.

Tsukune is constantly terrified and confused. He likes Moka and she
keeps chasing him and wanting to suck his blood. Then later things
get more complicated when a werewolf has the hots for Moka and a
succubus has the hots for Tsukune.

The artwork is pretty cool too. I highly recommend.