Guilin and Taiwan

Shui Ying and Liang are back in Shanghai, working and saving money for a trip to Guilin, one of China's most beautiful places.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guilin
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBEl4RsnoCU

They take a cruise on River Li.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbLw15gUnN0


A singer from the province of Guangxi
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqjgLbKZ1h0


Many people are searching for Shui Ying and her story connects to a family living in Taipei, Taiwan's largest city.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz5rT84QWjY

They travel to Baishawan Beach on the nortern coast of Taiwan where they find a message from Shui Ying.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nzm-ZVxOytY
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQHhbF_NJAo


Ang Lee from Taiwan won the Oscar for best film director twice.
www.imdb.com/name/nm0000487/

And I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with this author from Taiwan
http://web.mit.edu/ccw/li-ang/biography.shtml

Some of the great Chinese singers were born in Taiwan, like Teresa Teng
www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1IqrSsouRs&list=HL1393269147
www.youtube.com/watch?v=N72dsXD2GdM
Jay Chou
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ1-ITdNqKg
S.H.E.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr5fNKK2FaA
Rene Liu
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gy-3I2odt8
www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1ZUCRq88ss
Rainie Yang
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mebzXfWi87E
and Tsai Chin
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Owt09C8OUGA

A two songs from Malaysian by Chinese singers
www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2L0d31BvZ8
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YERQJroBaNU
appearing in the storyline.

Mexico and Chiapas

My third novel is set in Mexico. It's the story of Selena, a young woman from the state of Chiapas, and her journey to find love  The novel travels to places in Mexico, introducing readers to Mexican food, songs and literature, folklore and history. It also travels to North America, South America and East Asia. This novel is written also for the 120 million Mexicans and 35 million American Mexicans. Welcome to Mexico.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico
www.youtube.com/watch?v=91Q6a1ACYUc

There are many flights in the novel, many on AeroMexico
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUuH3KOUDGU

Selena lives with her family in Chiapas, the southernmost state in Mexico. Welcome to Chiapas, part of the Maya homeland.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiapas
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDg3axrjtpU
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxqnPi73aME

She is from the Maya people 
www.youtube.com/watch?v=86F10IrvVus
and in my mind she can look like this young woman from Chiapas
http://nvi.mx/miss-earth-chiapas-2014/
http://nvi.mx/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/SOCIEDAD-2_redimensionar10.jpg

and has the picture of Juana Ines de la Crus on her desk
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV7-lkJTnoU
www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_e48zsTURI

Chiapas is home to the famous Maya ruins, Palenque.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA2EeLHy6jA
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GGzCBmQ91c
Watch the beautiful dresses and women in Palenque Festival
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvjZr1s1C-8

And it is known for its coffee. Here is the route of Cafe.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXoyyLXNU_Y

and for its Marimba Music
www.youtube.com/watch?v=suoTnCejMAo
www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1w47_DR2kY

She lives near the city of Tapachula.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapachula,_Chiapas
watch below Scotiabank at 0.20, it's part of the story
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXV_un9wV9Y
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzY2pcBN50o
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc2sEN8d_3U

Selena  is a Chiapanecas dancer.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVeSNLkmbGs

And she reads poems and novels by Mexican authors like Octavio Paz, Carlos Fuentes,  Laura Esquivel and Jennifer Clement. She follows the quotes "Deserve your Dream" by Octavio Paz, and "For me, love is the most important force. It moves the universe" by Laura Esquivel. Famous poets who were born and grew up in Chiapas are Jamie Sabines and Rosario Castellanos.

And she likes to eat the Chicatanas (flying ants).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWyR5UETH9g

She goes to the beach of Puerto Madero (Puerto Chiapas) which is walking distance to her home, and watches the cruise ships coming and going
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfKJkD02-Qs

She takes her guests to visit the Aqua Azul Waterfalls
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKGrCElqD5k
the city of San Cristobal
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAzJ2lSHj8E
and Chiapa's biggest city, Tuxtla Gutierrez
www.youtube.com/watch?v=va_PWI13WVo

She goes to the Suchiate River running between Chiapas and Guatemala. Guatemala is also part of the Maya homeland.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryYwNbtesoE
and listens to this song from Guatemala
www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9cCPQVPv8o
and to the song by Reyli Barba who was born in Chiapas.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUinZg5MC5U

Meet the dogs of Mexico in my novel
http://dogingtonpost.com/meet-the-dogs-of-mexico/#.UrI_NVfNmSp

Great mexicans and Mexican-American singers are

Priscila Romero from Los Angeles
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rnyNIhOMZk
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7j2HH2A1pH8
Jesus Adrian Romero (that's how Selena celebrated her Quinceanera of being 15) from Sonora and currently in Monterrey
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMATl0X3mMI
and Yuridia and Yahir are also from Sonora
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hyw_lWRjSM
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kt1DAfbDXus
www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9_fIOkHYaM
www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5oOkhUMFCs

Carla Morrison from Baja Califorina, grew up in the US
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdfik2FRhck
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH4UNbIGviQ
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Bru23vud_c
Zoe modren version to the most famous Mexican song, written in 1940 by teenager Consuelo Velazquez.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSELNSslBVk
and Reik the band from Baja California
www.youtube.com/watch?v=snFhcHHdzT0
Ana Gabriel from the Mexican state of Sinaloa, now in Miami
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP2q3tiSXyk
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeW20PiI5XU
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvE-VABrTyk
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMa7y-7iFYM
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kb0Z5pxtd7w
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr6RzMi4L3o
and the late American-Mexican Selena who inspired the name of the heroine.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCczNyVXRZ8
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUJHGC6PQ9w

New York City

My novels are partly set in New York City.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PezYKRuQgjw
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA3OuEd4e1c

Petra from Germany appear in  the U.S. District Court in Lower Manhattan.
www.panoramio.com/photo/19809656
She visits this Barnes & Noble book store, but for different reasons
www.visit5thavenue.com/barnes-and-noble/
and visit the Empire States Building to view the city.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dqvb1SoOZQ

The life of Petra changes after shopping in Macy's and finding magical sunglasses.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DS2FJZIzV8Y
She and her high school friends make unfriendly visits to banks.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-uhRZVciFM

Petra spends time in Central Park
www.youtube.com/watch?v=V49_5JZrQxU
and Bryant Park.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIKf7UX6Arw
She writes her blogs from here
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXtATRFhw3w
and she visits the MOMA.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZLbaZiKw4M

Famous songs about New York are by Frank Sinatra and Alicia Keys
www.youtube.com/watch?v=btFfXgUdIzY
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX17BOqEWK

Baden-Baden and Dresden

After finding the last clue in Vienna, Helga is going to Baden-Baden to find the Capsule that will connect her to our heroine, Petra. Welcome to Baden-Baden in southwest Germany.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baden-Baden
www.baden-baden.de/en/
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=rANmUqhdIGw

Baden-Baden is famous for many years for its spas and natural hot springs.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3QiZOdV4P8
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnSBWClGN04
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-_MTGoRmsk
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWy2r9AqC1w

It's also famous for its Casino.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mokuyZYZHZ0

On her way home to Jena, she stops at Ulm with the tallest church in the world and where Albert Einstein was born
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxjyCynUrzQ
And where the German alternative metal band Die Happy is located.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCoGeZ2fid8

Helga visits Dresden to meet a man who offers her to work for his company from her home in Jena. That company will help her to locate Petra in New York City. Welcome to Dresden in central east Germany.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dresden
www.dresden.de/index_en.php
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAKikj55XIk
www.youtube.com/watch?v=upY9mK7zeSo

Dresden is famous for its Semper Opera.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZwa3H12z0M
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOGmdd9dVow
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VPIip-sbuo
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kphUBWjZ05Q

A famous rock band from a town near Dresden is Silbermond.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6Zttyedlp4
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sfknBJlmoo
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOlq8roR6Tg

And more nice songs from Germany.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJavLHODspI
and Juli
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad8ukI7Z-b8
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ft8DwXUxaB8
 
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrYYg_atdtk
www.youtube.com/watch?v=llxt1iLUK6c

Some classic rock songs from the DDR.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uheb1zVHLr4
www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsJGA-H9qNc
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DOwDQ4q5i0
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP0vn9PZ3kU
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJNRkLn5xc8



And Clueso  who, just like Helga, was born in the state of Thuringen during the DDR (the former East Germany).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dR4tNS7ox4

Beijing

Liang gets a job in construction for the Beijing 2008 Olympic, so Shui Ying travels with him  to Beijing, the capital and political center of China.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beijing
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkLWWnKcW28
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsg4cxrGWys
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp2IToV4f4c

Liang builds the Olympic Stadium called Bird's Nest.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0ZiJrcfrAo

They visit China's national library.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkTN5vdn4pM

They join a dance in a Beijing Park
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysFyVNl8_zw

To the music of this song.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MY9bHI9CSM

And Shui Ying gets a little Shin Tzu dog, naming him Bao Bao.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bg2HbD6W9Lk

They hang out at Hou Hai Lake.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNFfi1EbWDo

And then they go to Beijing Railway Station to travel back to Shanghai.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fBR4gqD9B0

But they come back to attend the Beijing Olympic.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xj8R7bEGK4w
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMsSBBaFlbY
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKe9uMbE-BY 

Living in Beijing is Na Ying
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLkLzYGTd7g
and born in Beijijng is Faye Wong.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYcEsagN6ss

And China's First Lady, Peng Liyuan.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2V3zJVO01k
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gMqMFm5YFE

Vienna + Schlager Music

Helga travels to places to find clues about the past of Petra. From Berlin she travels to  Schonhausen to find the third clue which sends her to Vienna, the capital and largest city in Austria.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna
www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-M_A0xNRVs
www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9Khe6SviGk

Some of the famous German composers wrote their music in Vienna. Just like Petra, Brahms was born in Hamburg.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X9LvC9WkkQ
Beethoven composed Erotica in Vienna and is buried there. And some singers born in Germany (Munich) live now in Vienna.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqNX635v6y0

In the streets of Vienna, Helga and her boyfriend dance the Waltz.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1AkeBpyDsY

They take a ride in the red Faxi Taxi.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4idn063YJo

Helga finds the fourth clue in this building
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHFUVtk3rls/
and they take the train back home, to Jena.
 
Petra likes different styles of music including Schlager music, which is popular in Germany and Austria. Her mom likes it too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schlager

From the young generation she likes Yvette and Sarah-Stephanie from Austria and Franziska, Oxana  and Sarah Carina from Germany.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI_gHjIvg00
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJYRSnzcIK4
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6krItuegy8Y
www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6B34omO8E0
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFXpJFTyQuw

Popular singers are
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fTA5l6Gpq4
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNPVv0gLwxY
www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1a3uxCRmAI
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KJ9xybPhqQ
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeZiZ9DKmfY
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDuiMphUgnw
 
Every year in Hamburg there is the Schlager Music Festival.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RsQRnmwDhw

And there is  a Schlager Radio station in Hamburg.
http://tunein.com/radio/Radio-Schlager-s157002/

More current Schlager songs
www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7swevO37XM  
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNHamTwxJ6Q
www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5fQSIFhlSc
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTF-bq9538Q
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCDsm_dt1cI