Reader's Guide to I-Hotel by Karen Tei Yamashita

5. Clio & Abra

Overview:
Poetry boys: Jack sung, George Baso, Paul Lin were part of a group on the roof of the I-hotel that were basically a group of scraps that just shot the wind, mooning the moon, passed around the Christian brothers, cursing at the moon…etc. It then switches to Clio and Abra, who talk about their band and how they are looking for a drummer now. They create an analogy of the body in relations with music.

Quotes:
• “When we write poetry, we write about how we love you. Finally we stand up to the white man, and you blame us for your bound feet?”—Pg563

Questions:
• What does the quote above signify?

6. Bar &Huo Lian

Overview:
Starts out on Columbus at the city lights. The story then changes to second person as if you met the author. It transfers to Paul, the editor who wonders a lot about his employee’s health and wellness. Then, a rehearsal appears, and Huo Lian. This story seems to be a dialogue between you and the author. They start talking about South Korean and its wealth standards

Quote:
• “Make love, not war. What does this really mean?”—pg 565

Question:
• The question, how did Bard and Huo Lian live out this quote? Or failed to?

7. Renee & Ken

Overview:
Ken achieves a law degree, passes the California bar, then finds a job in Asian Law Caucus. In the beginning he was a model employee. He then meets Renee. They both get into a huge tussle. Ken believes that Renee did some pretty bad things to him, and so he throws a temper tantrum. This chapter is quite interesting because it talked about how these immigrants deal with such jobs and future. Renee and ken desperately wants a child.

Quote:
• “Through vision of human perfection, she’s the incarnation of a previous existence of passion and loss, and the more she rights her karma, the greater and more bitter her failure.”—Pg. 573-74
• “Full engagement with life. An act of sacrifice to open the heart to love. —Pg. 575

Question:
• What does these quotes above mean?