Justin Pyfrom's Blog, page 25

Meet Me Halfway

Rather I’m meeting myself halfway. I took an extended break from my Short Stories Project because I managed to write twenty-two short stories before the beginning of May. Plus, I have been neglecting the other projects that I was working on. So, I took the first full and half week of May paying catchup. Now, I’m back to work on my Short Stories Project with a few updates on everything – both in and outside my life.

First and foremost, I finally got my gym membership. Haven’t used it, yet, because I’m the only International teacher left at my campus due to the active travel ban. Still, I’m happy that I have it because I’ve been aiming for it since I got here so I’ll get there. Actually…I can get there today because it’s my day off and I wanted to my workout at night, anyway. Fewer people, you know?

Mother’s Day was a day of work, too, but it was beautiful, nonetheless. I sent my mom and grandma a message before going to work. Again, until the travel ban is lifted, I’m the only teacher so I had to teach numerous classes on Mother’s Day. However, I didn’t mind it because of what I was doing: We were teaching the kids to say “I love Mommy!” or “I love you, Mommy!” It was so wonderful because not only was the kids being taught English, they were being taught how to express positive emotions. I still can’t stop smiling even though I was tired as all holy hell when I got home.

I also took a moment to work with my best friend – and future ex-husband – Maarten Olaya (click for his IMDb page) on a passion project of his. A film for the QFlix Festival. He called in a favor, gave me the pitch and I said, “Yes!” We literally just got finished with the script and gave it to the director, who said “Yes!” before we even got started on the script. Full closure! I initially said “No” because I want nothing to do with the film industry but he managed to convince me by promising to keep me out of the limelight. I hate politics of all forms.

[image error]Oh! Before I forgot, did you all manage to guess who’s the next adult entertainer I just got done interviewing? He’s going to be the focus on Book 3 of the Sexy Entertainer Sitdown series. And his name is….wait for it…AARON SAAVY!! We actually became good friends in the process which is even cooler.  He was an absolute delight to hang out with and the most difficult to interview because of the drastic changes that were happening in both of our lives i.e. COVID-19, my moving to [image error]China, and things like that. You guys are going to love this interview because – like Jaxton Wheeler’s – there’s wisdom with his age. I had so much fun hanging out with him and I pray we continue to be friends in the foreseeable future. Finally, I suggest following Mr. Saavy on his social media platform (OnlyFans, Twitter, and Instagram). Oh! I should probably mention that this interview isn’t going to be released until much later in the year.

I’m getting a nice steamroll going for 2020-2021 book lineup…and it’s absolutely delicious!! I’m going to spin my chair in a celebratory fashion.

Now, please, don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads) which are on the right side of my web page. Also, I do love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2020. My goal is to read 100 books this year and I’m already at 55. Probably end up reading 120 before the year is out.

Also, buy Not Afraid of Dick: A Sitdown with Dante Drackis, which is out on Amazon and Kindle.

With Friend Like These

You know, I’m not usually one for giving myself praise but I am really proud of myself for so many things. This week has brought me in and out of my comfort zone with such lovely outcomes. There’s three I want to talk about, specifically, because it made me the happiest.

The first one was a really big one for me. I climbed my first mountain. It happened on Friday and I did it with my friends from work. See, the last time, I ever hike a trail was during my middle school years and it was nice but not very memorable. I should mention that I hated everything about my middle school. Yes, everything! Anyway, I was invited to climb the mountain with a name I can’t pronounce (the pictures are here).

It took us three and a half hours to complete the hike and my legs were begging me to stop. No, seriously, I had to stop every now and again to collect myself because my legs kept tensing up and I was having a hard time breathing. Confession time! I’ve never done any type of exercise that was meant for incline. Plus, I rarely had to walk up hills. I can only remember doing that in San Fransisco. So, I was getting a beautiful beating. Luckily, the scene from the top was truly worth it.

Afterward, we went to Blue Frog, a very popular burger restaurant for the ex-pat crew (foreigners) where we treated ourselves to a job well done. Despite how much I felt I suck, my friends assured me that some did a lot worse than me – some even quit. It made me feel better to know that I didn’t give up and I made it my brothers and friends back home very proud. However, I did nothing for the rest of the night. I counted that as my day off. Haha!

Earlier that week, I finally completed transcribing the Jaxton Wheeler interview for the second installment of the Sexy Entertainer series. I am so happy because I know people are going to love this man’s bluntness and honesty about his time in the industry. Why did it take me so long? Because I had to find all of the audio files. Yeah, some of them got lost in the datastream and I had to hunt for them all. Now, the only thing that has to be done is the Photo Gallery and Introduction and it will be ready to print.

Speaking of the Sexy Entertainer series, I also got done with the third interview for this series. I’m not going to tell you who it is, yet, because I want to make sure that I don’t lose any of these audios. I’ve learned my lesson. I need to take better care of my data. However, I will give you three hints and I’ll let you on my next blog post:

He was the first adult entertainer to be an Andrew Christian model
Speaking of Andrew Christian, it was his idea to use videos to promote the brand.
He was one of the few adult entertainers to have MMA experience.

Don’t worry, I’ll tell you on the next blog post. You have my word.

Now, please, don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads) which are on the right side of my web page. Also, I do love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2020. My goal is to read 100 books this year and I’m already at 50. Probably end up reading 120 before the year is out.

Also, buy Not Afraid of Dick: A Sitdown with Dante Drackis, which is out on Amazon and Kindle.

This Is Me…This Is Me

My goodness, this has been a marvelous week for me. My colleagues and I had the opportunity to go to an authentic Chinese buffet which leads to some interesting discovery about myself. I mean, quite a few interesting discoveries, actually.

First, I learned that I’m actually a pretty good wingman. Well, honestly, I’ve been told that I’m a decent wingman but I never noticed because I wasn’t actually trying at those times. THIS time around I was actually trying and let’s just say that I’m only a good wingman when you really a push, not a nudge. My good friend, Nikki, came to understand that about me.

See, there was this really sexy teacher that she fancied and was moving too much for my taste. So, I gave her a push but giving her a time limit. “You have until the end of the night to tell him or I’m going to take matters into my hands.” That got her into flirting spirit and it got the job done.

Clubs are still not my thing. They get too crowded and I become hypervigilant when that happens. Usually, it revolves around me constantly checking my person and my surroundings which caused me to lose my nerves. Bars are my thing, hands down. It’s quieter and I can have a much better conversation without competing against the music. Much better for the conversationalist like me.

Finally, I realize that I’m going to be just fine. Everything is going to be just fine because I’m making more friends but not forgetting the ones back home. I’m learning and growing as an individual. I think – no, I know – I’m going to continue to grow and evolve as a person and writer. I blessed that with all my heart.

Now, please, don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads) which are on the right side of my web page. Also, I do love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2020. My goal is to read 100 books this year and I’m already at 50. Probably end up reading 120 before the year is out.

Also, buy Not Afraid of Dick: A Sitdown with Dante Drackis, which is out on Amazon and Kindle.

Turn, Turn, Turn

My brother has been checking up on me ever since I moved to China. And ever since both of us have been dealing with the COVID-19, we’ve been checking in with each other almost daily. And last week was no different especially given the recent development around the world.

We talked about how everybody has been playing the blame game with this virus is the deadliest of ways. At the request of my family and friends, I’m not going to get into specifics so I won’t get into too much trouble at my job. Let’s just say that a quick Google search will reveal enough to make your heartache in sadness. I don’t want to talk about it too much because it’s going to make me sound like a broken record.

Instead, I want to talk about the fact that I finally got my bank card and, now, I can finally get Final Draft. Now, I can actually fund my Audible Project properly and efficiently. And since I’m on SS #22, I need to get this project ready for August financially and all that.  But this also means I’m going to have to understand the importance of budgeting. Haha!

On a lighter side of things, I’m coming along quite nicely with my short stories for my Audible project. Even better, I’ve been working on expanding a few of them to other genres and well as turning them into other media. For example, I’m planning on turning one of my short stories into an Audible Original Play. Still trying to figure when and what order I want to release the short stories in.

Now, please, don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads) which are on the right side of my web page. Also, I do love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2020. My goal is to read 100 books this year and I’m already at 49. Probably end up reading 120 before the year is out.

Also, buy Not Afraid of Dick: A Sitdown with Dante Drackis, which is out on Amazon and Kindle.

There’s Something More Intellect Than Humanity

Fear is a very powerful entity. It’s quiet, subtle and smart. It’s actually much smarter than us and more precise. It knows how to divide and conquer and it always brings out the ugly side of everybody it comes into contact with. The worst part about it all is that, unlike its targets, it doesn’t discriminate. Doesn’t have to. We do that to ourselves.
The reason why I’m saying this is because I’ve been reading about so many different things that have been being on because of the COVID-19. And there has been an ongoing theme of fear and prejudice that makes me really sad about it all. Even my brother has no shortage of bad news to tell me about my own country and the non-sense that they have come accustomed to taking part in. The most common thing is the fact that they have been harassing and attacking anybody of Asian descent. Why?

Why let fear, hatred, and prejudice take over your logic and reasoning? Why let that fuel your actions? This is the time for everybody to come together and be there for each other. It is so much more simpler to just help people. Do you know how much energy it takes to hate someone? I do. It takes a lot out of you. It’s fucking draining for me. That’s why I try my hardest not to. The idea of allowing my heart to be filled with such an emotion is actually soul-crushing and mind-numbing. I don’t like it.

On the lighter side of things in my life, my brother and I have been enjoying watching our younger cousin lose his freaking mind about the fact that he can’t go outside or go to school. All his homework and assignment has been mailed to him and he’s not having any of it. He wants to be able to socialize with his friends and interact with life but can’t because of the quarantine. I mean, we try to calm down and explain the situation but there’s only so much you can explain to a sixteen-year-old without insulting his intelligence. He can’t wait for everything to go back to normal and I can’t agree more. 

I managed to get refused entry to a few establishments despite having a mask and my resident card on me. I even had a health code put onto my phone and that didn’t help me on a few occasions. As I said, fear is a powerful entity and it knows how to do its job effectively and efficiently. But I’m praying that everything does back to the way it was soon.

Now, please, don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads) which are on the right side of my web page. Also, I do love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2020. My goal is to read 100 books this year and I’m already at 49. Probably end up reading 120 before the year is out.

Also, buy Not Afraid of Dick: A Sitdown with Dante Drackis, which is out on Amazon and Kindle.

 

This Virus Is Bringing The Ugly

Insomnia is really starting to become a reoccurring theme for this week. Even as we speak, I can’t seem to get a proper sleep pattern going. Only two days out of this week, I have been able to sleep and rise at a proper time. But, oddly enough, that’s not the only thing that is bothering me.

I was almost stopped by the cops this week. Well, I can’t be sure if I was going to be stopped or not because I’m not fluent in Cantonese. However, it was one of the things that I could found the meaning and purpose through context. But, let me start from the beginning.

It was Friday and I was going to spend the day working on my friend’s project that I owed a favour to. Long story. Anyway, I wanted to make a quiet run to the grocery store to replenish some provisions. Simple, right? Well, that’s how it was supposed to be until I felt that I didn’t need my mask.

The assumption was actually well-meaning since I saw so many people without it. First, I was rejected entry by a prejudice manager who let other people – Chinese citizens – without their masks but refuse to let me. I had to call my principal to sort out only for her to strengthen her stance of refusing me entry thus forcing me to go a little further to Wal-Mart. But wait…it gets better.

While walking back, I was stopped and blocked by another Chinese native who didn’t like the fact I wasn’t a mask. Moreover, he further didn’t like the fact that ideas of being ignore by a foreigner. So, he got in front of me and began yelling at me. However, this native didn’t count on me being…well…me.

See, one thing people need to know about me that my silence isn’t a weakness of mine. I’m quiet because I’m thinking and observing. And in my observation, I saw a cop that I called over and explained, through my phone, that I’m fond of strangers yelling at me and blocking my path. After asking if they plan on treating all foreigners like this, the cop let me go with an apology and a friendly reminder that I still need to wear my mask. Not the best way to proceed in the week but, hey, that’s life.

But, other than that, I’m doing great. Got 28 short stories to go. Plus, Jaxton Wheeler and I are almost done with his installment to my Sexy Entertainer Book Series. See, bright side. Always looking on the bright side.

Now, please, don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads) which are on the right side of my web page. Also, I do love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2020. My goal is to read 100 books this year and I’m already at 47. Probably end up reading 120 before the year is out.

Also, buy Not Afraid of Dick: A Sitdown with Dante Drackis, which is out on Amazon and Kindle.

First Gathering To Normal

I have 29 short stories to complete before the end of August but my colleagues made it very clear that I need a break. So, we decided to celebrate the fact that most of the businesses are open again. Mainly the bars because that’s what we cared about.

I met some more of my colleagues for a hotpot. It was my first one and they took it easy on me by telling me to start with what I know. But then…they pushed me to try other things. I didn’t know what was which but I found myself enjoying everything single food that I put in my mouth. I wanted to take a picture of it but I’m trying to be more at the moment than the typical foreigner. No need to be a cliche.

However, I did notice something I didn’t think I would encounter here: fear and prejudice. At first, I was looked at with intrigue and amazement. Now, I’m being looked at as if I’m the walking plague. Think Worldkiller from Season 3 of Supergirl. More specifically, Pestilence. It’s a powerfully painful wound but I pray that it passes. China is too beautiful to be subjected to such evil.

In the meantime, I was given my birthday wishes from my family and friends back in the States. My grandma was first and made sure that I got her messages in Google Voice and WhatsApp. Then, my brother called me while my mom grabbed me on Instagram. Everybody else did the Facebook thing and I felt blessed thought and thought. I’m truly blessed to be loved.

Now, please, don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads) which are on the right side of my web page. Also, I do love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2020. My goal is to read 100 books this year and I’m already at 41. Probably end up reading 120 before the year is out.

Also, buy Not Afraid of Dick: A Sitdown with Dante Drackis, which is out on Amazon and Kindle.

Things Are Getting Better

Chongqing is starting to return to normal. I see the usual hustle and bustle of the working class and it’s putting a smile on my face. Though we (teachers) are not able to get back to work yet, it’s a good step forward to get back to our regularly scheduled life. In the meantime, I managed to have some fun with the local and my family in my own fabulous way.

There’s a local coffee shop that I like to go to when I’m heading into work with a woman who has been really kind to me. The very moment I saw she was open I went and got my usual black coffee. She was so happy to see me and we spent a whole talk about how much of a nightmare not working and being under self-quarantine has been for both of us. But she was more sympathetic to me because she didn’t want me to have a negative opinion of China and it took a while to put her at ease. China is still beautiful despite what it had to endure.

She wanted to give me the coffee for free but I told her that I’m a huge fan of handouts. And this is where I learn about Asian hospitality because, apparently, it’s rude to turn down a gift. I thought that was only valid in Japan after meeting Yoshitaka Amano at NYCC a few years back. Yes! I got meet the brilliant artist behind Final Fantasy and I rejected a gift because I was working and he didn’t take it too well. Soooo, apparently, you’re not supposed to reject a gift from any Asian culture. I really need to work on that.

An added bonus was the guys at the fruit smoothie stand who always smiling at me. I was told that Chongqing is the LGBTQ+ city of China which is holding true for the most time. So, when a guy smiles at me, one of three things run through my mind:

They are amazed by my height,
They are amazed by my color,
They’re gay and amazed by my arse.

I even got to meet up with the owner of my favorite noodle place. Unlike the owner of the coffee shop, he doesn’t speak English but that doesn’t stop him from trying to talk to me. I can’t wait to get my Chinese lessons going so I can have an actual conversation with him. I bet he has a plethora of stories to tell me. A lot of wisdom to share with me.

The only thing that’s left for me to do – outside of getting back to work – is to hang out at the bar with my colleagues/friends like usual. Baby steps, though. Baby steps. Telling my brother all of this was the best part because he can’t seem to understand how I made so many friends so fast. It like I always tell him: “You’ll be surprised how I can get with a genuine smile and a simple hello.”

Now, please, don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads) which are on the right side of my web page. Also, I do love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2020. My goal is to read 100 books this year and I’m already at 39. Probably end up reading 120 before the year is out.

Also, buy Not Afraid of Dick: A Sitdown with Dante Drackis, which is out on Amazon and Kindle.

Now, I’m A Bit Worried

This coronavirus is really putting a damper in my life as well as my friends and family. Well, more their lives than mine because I’m still getting paid and I’m still able to write, which is my other source of income. So, I’m fine but my friends and family aren’t really doing so hot. Well…some of them, anyway.

My friends at the bar I used to work at (Toasted Walnut) and drink at (Jocks and BarX) are working with what they got. As long as they are vigilant in spotting flu-like symptoms and follow precautionary measures, they are allowed to remain open to the public. Luckily, it hasn’t put a dent in their business and I’m happy about that. It makes me feel a lot better to know that people are still trying to have a good time during such a crisis.

Unfortunately for me, I can’t go to a bar because they are all closed until the end of April. For China, last I checked, no one is allowed to go back to work until the end of April and teachers aren’t allowed until the end of May. But I’m hearing a lot of things so I’m praying that it’s not accurate. I would really like to get back to work. My brother and I were joking about the fact that I picked a marvelous time to come to China. He also made me promise him that I would talk to him every day to show him that I’m okay.

“You do know I’m the big brother, right,” I said.

“I can still worry, can’t I,” he said.

Well, that’s brotherly love for you. It’s funny, really. He’s more worried about me than I am about myself. Guess that’s the great thing about having siblings. They know how to show your worth. Plus, they know how to motivate you with your writing. He was on the phone with me when I was finishing up my 13th short story. Basically, I have a 24/7 cheerleader by my side. Haha!

Now, please, don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads) which are on the right side of my web page. Also, I do love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2020. My goal is to read 100 books this year and I’m already at 37. Probably end up reading 120 before the year is out.

Also, buy Not Afraid of Dick: A Sitdown with Dante Drackis, which is out on Amazon and Kindle.

It’s Been A Long Week…

This coronavirus is no joke. Let me tell you…

I haven’t been infected, thank God. However, it is affecting me because I can’t work and, since I’m an educator, my whereabouts are being monitored by my principal to a certain degree. And this had led me to come interesting ordeals.

Before I get into what I have been doing, let me explain the rules that have been put on me and the other citizens:

I can only go out of my apartment every three days and I have to show my hall pass in order to do so. And if I leave beforehand, I’ll get a call from my principal (my boss) to explain myself.
I can’t go anywhere or be allowed anywhere without my mask…and that thing is annoying to wear.
I have to get my temperature checked before I can enter any building including my apartment

It seems trivial until I tell you that it’s been like that for about two months now. I haven’t been able to move freely around the city for about two months and I am slowly losing my mind. So, I’ve been working really hard to keep myself busy so I can handle my growing cabin fever.

As of now, I have completed the first draft of twelve short stories with 33 more to go. That has always been my focus for 2020 because of the business endeavor that I’ve been building for the last year and a half. But also, I have been working on the backstory and such on my best friend’s debut game for his indie game development company which I’m equally excited about. I told him that I wouldn’t be writing the script for any of it until I buy Final Draft because I want it to look professional. Also, I wanted to the program so I can use it for other projects that require a script.

Finally, I’ve been dedicating myself to a strict writing work schedule for myself. I wake up and eat a hearty breakfast with coffee (I need my coffee) and quickly start writing. With breaks in between, I work until 9 or 10 o’clock at night and play some games on my Switch until around 1 or 2 o’clock in the morning. Usually, I found myself clocking out around midnight or so but you know…

Oh! I have been talking to my family and friends back at the States and such. Along with my brother and grandmother, I have one friend in Lebanon that keeps me grounded. They all call to check up on me and make sure that I’m alive and healthy…and following the rules. It’s no secret to them that I have a little issue with being impulsive. Some say it’s because I’m an Aries (whatever that means), others say it because I’m my father’s son. Either way, it warrants the right for them to keep tabs on me.

Let’s just pray that everybody gets and stays well, alright.

Now, please, don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads) which are on the right side of my web page. Also, I do love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2020. My goal is to read 100 books this year and I’m already at 35. Probably end up reading 120 before the year is out.

Also, buy Not Afraid of Dick: A Sitdown with Dante Drackis, which is out now on Amazon and Kindle.