I recently had the opportunity to become a storyteller for “Behind the Bagua,” a Chinese Ghost Month experience at Flora and Fauna—and what an experience it was.
It was my first time doing live storytelling continuously for 25 minutes, and honestly, it was both incredibly fun and exhausting – when I arrive home, I slept right away. haha. Unlike casual storytelling, I didn’t have the luxury of stopping, stumbling, or losing momentum. I had to keep the story flowing and maintain that eerie, mysterious atmosphere from beginning to end. Every pause, expression, and change in my voice had to help keep everyone hooked.
I also prepared quite a lot for the night, from my costume and props to the little details that helped bring the story to life. Seeing everything come together was incredibly satisfying. Thank you to my friend, Jolu Escano, for helping me with sound effects! and to Trisha, Zyle and Kristel, my interns, for assisting me for the night!
But the best part? The audience had fun too! Their reactions, laughter, screams, and curiosity made all the preparation worth it. Some even asked if I had more stories to tell. Hehe!
And then came an unexpected and exciting surprise. The restaurant owner told me that she would be booking me again this October for two nights, plus two more nights at another hotel!
From one storytelling night to potentially four more—what a wonderful way to start the coming Halloween this October!
