James Bao

Joined September 2018

20 stories

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Fulfilling my childhood dream of being a “published” author through Vocal Media Plus #gohuskies

Stories (20)

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Four Perspectives
I don't usually use food as a metaphor for decision making, which is ironic given how much of my social media presence revolves around it nowadays. For those of you who are familiar with my Vocal Media presence, you may know that I am fond of Trader Joe's Chili Spiced Dried Mango, to the point of framing my process of self-discovery during my teens and twenties in a story about it, which I have published here on Vocal Media.
By James Bao2 months ago in Humans
The Summit and the Tree
At the ancient Bodhi tree Troops in khaki pour kerosene Take out knives and brandish guns The monks take refuge underground
By James Bao4 months ago in Poets
To Life, Romance, and Friendship
I was originally inspired to write short stories and content in a Parasite (movie)-themed parallel universe during 2020, when the global pandemic started and we were all locked inside and stuck playing Among Us. I spent a good two weeks during March and April 2020 on unpaid sick leave, watching the live-action Aladdin and Parasite movies at home while battling the novel coronavirus. While recovering my respiratory strength from the incident, my mind kept going back to how I could no longer see my classmates or friends in person, and how my plans of moving out of my parents' place that year would be postponed for the foreseeable future— at least until or unless work forced me to physically move to a different city.
By James Bao8 months ago in Journal
Memories of Baklava
My first memory of eating Greek food was during a childhood family road trip through California, at a Daphne franchise location in San Diego. The clear blue summer skies made for ideal outdoor dining weather. There was slow, vaguely operatic vocal music playing in the background. Every bite of golden rice pilaf and zesty Greek salad felt like I had been transported across time and space to an bucholic Ancient Greek meadow. For dessert, we ordered a piece of their baklava, which was refrigerated and wrapped in a cupcake wrapper. The smell of buttery, flaky pastry dough mixed with honey syrup and chopped nuts cemented my memory of Greek food. I've been fascinated with Greek and Mediterranean food ever since.
By James Bao11 months ago in Feast
Spooky Spin Class
There was only one rule: don’t open the door. Yureum's hands brushed against the smooth handle of the door knob. She could feel the tormented spirits of anorexics and bulimics of past sessions vibrating within the metal, begging her not to step inside. It was almost as if the spin class beyond the door was like a real-life manifestation of fWinstagram's algorithm, playing on its members biggest insecurities about their bodies and making them feel like everyone else was fitter and healthier and happier than they could possibly be.
By James Baoabout a year ago in Horror
Rainy Day Oranges
HUNGRY WITH TWO KIDS ANYTHING HELPS GOD BLESS Miguel was wearing a green raincoat and slouched over the sign he was holding, trying not to let the black marker wash away in the chilly rain. It was the first day of November- after the hops harvest season had ended, but before the winter shelters his wife's cousin Yoselin worked at opened for the season. Not that he usually needed the shelters- he typically lived with one of his cousins in Portland during the off-season. But this year, all of his cousins had moved away, and his wife decided to take the kids with her to the Tri-Cities after the incident in September. It was always his wife who asked the family to stay with Yoselin while they sheltered in Portland- he never really got on with Yoselin, and he certainly wasn't going to reach out to her on his own. The voice in his head was telling him her spiky blue hair and tattoos were the mark of the devil.
By James Baoabout a year ago in Psyche
A Reverie of Da-hye's Past
The damp chill of Shirabad in February whipped Ki-woo's skin as he walked across the intersection between the Jinnah statue and the on-campus grocery store. Next to him, Da-hye was clutching her Moonbucks latte in one hand and her bag in the other. Her henna-hued hair was bound in a ponytail, and she was wearing a parka with steel-grey leggings. Ki-woo found the scent of her unwashed hair comforting, as if he'd just woken up in bed next to her after a long night of cramming for Intro-level Biology.
By James Bao2 years ago in Fiction
Just Dance for the Booze Spirits
Izidora, Izidora Nemoj sada da me malo Nemoj sada da me puno Fast-paced brass and vocal music boomed out of the living room speakers at Vineet's sprawling, high-ceilinged house all the way out in far-flung Rafahfeld. Two bespectacled guests were kicking, hopping, and waving their arms about in a coordinated effort to match the mustached sprite on the big screen TV. Beyond the circle of onlookers, there was a cider keg next to the dining table and an indoor basketball hoop arcade game halfway to the front entrance. It was another Saturday game night, and a dozen of the attendees had just finished the latest round of the scintillating board game Poetry with Neanderthals.
By James Bao2 years ago in Fiction
Scorching Sands by the Shivering Seaside
"Min-hyuk, come join this remote raid!" Yureum called out as she gestured to her boyfriend of four years. "lilbabybunnyboo and darkdeath32 are waiting for us at the Bandar Roti Pioneer Mall gym!"
By James Bao2 years ago in Psyche
Winter Voicemail Across the Bridge of Magpies
Armin swallowed as he clicked the "record" button on the RINE app. "Ohayo, Kagari", he began, scared that his nerves would fail him. He continued in Honoguni, "I know we haven't talked much since the last time I saw you in Edo, but it was really nice to see you at-" He switched to his native Sandwichian English, as he forgot the name of Cafe Rumiho Stargate. "da kine, the star-something cafe two blocks away from Kimetsu-no-Yaiba Shrine". He shuffled in his feet as he continued, "It was nice to get to hang out with you one on one this time."
By James Bao2 years ago in Humans
Rebirth
The rabbit awakened inside a new body of cotton stuffing and lambskin painted black and white, ten times larger than the one it knew in life.
By James Bao3 years ago in Fiction
Legend of the Airbender
Suddenly, one day the Fire Nation attacked Disturbed status quo Earth was first to fall to the ravages of war But the kingdom stood
By James Bao3 years ago in Poets

James Bao

Bio

Stories .css-1svwz57-Text{display:inline-block;color:var(--text-default-mute);}(20)

Filter by community

Four Perspectives

The Summit and the Tree

To Life, Romance, and Friendship

Memories of Baklava

Spooky Spin Class

Rainy Day Oranges

A Reverie of Da-hye's Past

Just Dance for the Booze Spirits

Scorching Sands by the Shivering Seaside

Winter Voicemail Across the Bridge of Magpies

Rebirth

Legend of the Airbender

Stories (20)