A Real Legend Story

1. Wellmei the Mermaid By Windy Lee (白鳳) www.windy-lee.com A Real Legend Story Powerpoint design: Background music composer: Piano perform: Windy Lee, TY SiuRaymond ChanGeorge Ng

2. Last Summer, together with a foreign friend from Sweden, occasionally, we touched the topic of mermaid. That evening, I sketched a mermaid for fun during leisure break. Then emailed for friends to share.

3. A friend smiled after seeing the picture, and reminded me that apart from cats, mermaids should also be aware of the predators. I was suggested to have one more sketch.

4. some friends were so surprised to find out that apart from writing poems, I could also did little sketches like these. A Jew friend, with his strong business sense suggested that I should draw more pictures to make them in a series for a book. He said that in countries like America which put creativity in high value should be a big market for such picture books for kids. So, I drew one more!

5. Then some friends said sketches of just black and white colors might not be attractive enough for kids, they suggested me to add into some colors. I did so, unexpectedly, the colored sketches of mermaids attracted little Wan Hin so much that he was unwilling to put the sketch down while picking it up on hands.

6. The colored pictures were so welcomed by friends… Then, I started to think about how the relationships between sea creatures and this lovely mermaid could be. The first one came to my mind is Outopus. Perhaps, her rolling hands could help her to make a different hair style, that way should be both convenient and environmental friendly.

7. The mermaid might also want to travel here and there… apart from swam by herself, what she could be riding on? Oh! It came to me a good idea!

8. If sometimes she also wanted to ride on a horse, but there was no horse in the sea, what could she ride on? Occasionally, the image of a shrimp attracted my eyes!

9. Then I started to think, if this mermaid wanted to take a break after swimming and enjoyed the water massage. Is there any natural way for her to enjoy? Oh! Yes, that should be a very comfortable way. Could also watched birds flying at the same time. Should be a very relaxed experience.

10. While enjoying these pictures, many friends focus their eyes on the naked top of this lovely mermaid. Some men did enjoy very much, however, to make the pictures suitable for kids as well, they suggested that I better covered her top with something! Some friends suggested shell bras for her. But for her good sake, I thought shells were too hard the kind of materials and won’t be comfortable for wearing!

11. Finally, I created the beautiful ribbon leaves in the sea. It was so great that she could now choose whenever she needed to change clothes. She could continued her journey then.

12. The more I thought of, the more I discovered. Actually, the stories in the sea could be so fantastic. Each types of fishes had their own characteristics and strengths, just like human beings. How would be the development of these stories if we could think of better ways to utilize their unique potentials? In deep thought of various interesting situations, I did the sketches one after another!

13. The relationships between the mermaid and different sea creatures were so close. However, if with human beings, how could the relationship be developed? Could there be any special or chemical reactions apart from traditional fairy tales? Some friends no longer could be satisfied with just pictures, they wanted me to write down the whole story!

14. News report from TV showed the discovery of a ‘ walking shark’ in Malaysian Sea…giving me new inspirations. Some more news reports related to stories of the sea flew to my mind… Also, my friends who love diving kept telling me their actual encounters and interesting stories experienced in the sea!

15. The characters I drew, kept floating in my mind… These stories, were actually the epitome of so many interesting real stories I had encountered in society via out the years… The love and friendships ever found in my circle of friends… Oh! Could I let the sea creatures of different types to deduct these touching stories?

16. And the so rich encounters I had came across with during traveling.. The valuable advice I received and the life philosophy I appreciated… Oh! Yes, the sea creatures could help me deduct all these meaningful stories… Some fun in our modern life and the knowledge of the sea of which I had learned by chance…yes, Let’s share all these with readers with the help of this lovely mermaid.

17. With the enormous inspirations I captured, I tried to finish writing the whole story within a few days… A bit touched, it was because this book had almost captured all the most precious love experience, wisdoms and taste in my life; A bit excited, due to its special presentation ways. It is quite an unique book not being found similar to any books I read before! So unexpectedly, while I started telling friends that I had completed such a story, the requests to pre-order such book kept coming. Some friends ordered a lot in wish to share with others. Luckily, I friend who was so familiar with the publication procedure offered help to me. That had saved me lots of time to negotiate the terms with the publishers. Some other friends were so kind to help in book design. In Christmas time, 2006, we were so happy to see the Birth of this little book “Wellmei the Mermaid” to the world!

18. Insert the picture of stamp cover and the front and back image While I started delivering the books to my friends, it was my pleasant surprise that the lively images of this mermaid and other sea creatures had caught the attention of some stamp collectors. Wellmei and some of her friends were being invited to be the main design theme of a local stamp cover which were of very limited editions. Another unexpected happy surprise, I was invited by Radio CMM.HK to share with audience my experience of issuing this book.

19. Insert some of the comments , make them in picture form As I continued to deliver the books to those who had ordered, I received more and more comments and feedbacks from friends who had read it, even some readers I didn’t know before sent me some very positive and encouraging comments. I was so touched with their encouragement and support. Friends of different background, occupations and age had read the book from very different points of view and hence gave very different comments and suggestions. I was so happy to find out that the so many layers of thoughts I had carefully inlaid in the book were separately discovered by different readers from different ways and angles…

20. Friends from different age and backgrounds: The famous poet, writers, artist, teacher, school headmaster, parents, housewives, marketing professionals, environmental protection professionals, architects, students from kindergarten, primary schools, secondary schools, universities, postgraduates, doctorial research students, musician, chief editor of literate magazines, service ambassador of big commercial shopping center, TV film director, landscape photographer, IT professionals, lecturer, managing director of International corporation and one of the ten most outstanding youth last years… They all joined in writing their comments and feelings of reading the book, showing its values in analysis from the angles of literature, commerce, education, environmental protection, love sharing and potential contributions to the tourist industry of Hong Kong,

21. A friend wrote a poem for Wellmei, another friend drew a picture expressing his feelings from the book, one composed a nice song for it. Another one even invited the top sculptor to tailor-make a sculpture for her. The so many special and encouraging feedbacks really made me so touched and excited. Then, I decided to issue another book collecting all these comments, hoping that friends could share their different points of views, thoughts and feelings with others and to all the future readers of this book. Also, I can be always reminded to work hard with all friends’ support and encouragement. That’s the reasons “ How I see Wellmei the Mermaid ” was being published.

22. That moment, I was buried in touching tears: If I tried to line up all my friends’ connections… If I could make good use of the knowledge and experience I gained during these so many years’ work in the commercial field. If I tried to associate the characters of this book into product design of different goods… If this story could become popular in the internet… If the potential of Wellmei could be luckily discovered and well developed… If Hong Kong People all love this special fairy tale belonged to them and recommended to other places of the world together… Then, my hope of set up a Mermaid Charity Fun to help the poor kids to study might really have a chance to come true. How big that force and capability could be finally formed and passed generations after generations? Could all these be not just an empty dream?

23. This unique and special legend had just started… It will continue in the coming book exhibition in Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre ( 18th July – 24th July ) How will this story be further developed? You and your friends and families are most welcomed to visit our booth at the new writers’ corner to witness the effort a lady has put trying her best to make this beautiful dream come true. THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing this true legend story with others via the net…