Six Degrees Around---> Me

This blog type with be a new feature. It will highlight six crossovers that center around a specific person, place, or thing. As I stated above, this one is about the fictional me.  So, without further ado


Jesse Eng

1. Spiritwalker: Messages from the Future by Hank Wesselman

Summary: Hank Wesselman, while in Hawaii, began having visions where he was seeing a future America through the eyes of Nainoa. It took place in the 1980s and 5000 years in the future after the "Great Age" of technology.
Connection: During a few of the summers during the 1980s, I also visited Hawaii. While Dr. Wesselman believes that his trips through time came from being able to access a certain frequency easier than others, I think it might caused by atmospheric conditions because after one of summer trips, I found that I had a similar talent. And there may be others. I finally met Hank Wesselman in the early in the 2000s.

2. Turandot by Giacomo Puccini

Summary: Prince Calaf fell in love with the cold Princess of Turandat of 12th century China. To marry her, Calaf had to answer three riddles, but even when he does- Turandot refused to go through with the marriage. The Prince gave her a way out. He told her that if she could figure out his name by morning, she didn't have to marry him. And he would die. But if she couldn't figure out his name- the two would marry.
Connection: During one of my trips through time, I got to see through the eyes of an ancestor who was there when the Prince was courting Turandot.  My ancestor got knocked into the ground by the Royal Guards, but luckily wasn't hurt very much.

3. Don Giovani by Mozart

Summary: Don Giovanni was a nobleman. And like most nobleman of his day and age, he was arrogant and egotistical. He was also sexually promiscuous. He finally was dragged down to Hell for his mistakes.
Connection: Another one of my ancestors lived in the village where Don Giovanni lived and died. She had a picnic with some friends during one of his attempts at seduction.

4. Dracula by Bram Stoker

Summary:  Jonathan Harker traveled to Transylvania to help Count Dracula with moving to England. He was accosted by a trio of female vampires called "The Sisters" and to be rescued by Dracula. Later on, Dracula left abandoning Jonathan to the Sisters. Jonathan barely escaped with his life. Dracula tracked down Harker's fiancee- Wilhelmina Murray and her friend Lucy Westenra (she has three suitors John Seward, Quincey Morris, and Arthur Holmwood). He decided to snack on Mina's friend Lucy. Eventually she died and came back as a vampire. Realizing what was going on, Van Helsing and Lucy's suitors track her down to kill her and plot against Dracula. Meanwhile, Jonathan and Mina married. The Harkers become allies in the fight against Dracula.
Connection: In 1991, it was rumored that Alucard was at our high school. I never got to meet him but now realize that it could have been one of his body doubles or clones.

5. Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan

Summary: In short, a bunch of deities from Greek mythology had children. These children are being gathered together and sent to camp to train. One of these kids was a boy named Percy Jackson.
Connection: In 2013, I was travelling by Amtrak with my daughter to visit relatives. Our seat mate was a young man who was going to camp to be a camp counselor. His name was Percy Jackson.

6. Starship Troopers film directed by Paul Verhoeven

Summary: In the future, humanity was being attacked by a race of aliens known as the bugs. The citizens of Earth were being trained as quickly as possible to fight against them.
Connection: During my travels through time, I found that one of my descendants was at a football game in which Johnny Rico scored big points.

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