Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "ann dupire"

Author Alex G. Paman Gives Us the Word on Asian Supernatural

2010-09-07T02:33:24Z

By Ann Olson-Dupire, Staff Writer - www.jazmaonline.com
Senior Lead Investigator - www.hpiparanormal.net

Q. Tell me about yourself, where are you from?

A. I am originally from Quezon City in the Philippines, and I currently reside in Sacramento, California.

Q. What are some of your hobbies?

A. I am a graphic designer and illustrator. I’ve also been a freelance journalist for several Filipino-American publications. I enjoy practicing martial arts, staying fit, and researching world culture and cuisine.

Q. Where did you go to school?

A. While in the Philippines, I attended the University of Santo Tomas up to the second grade. This particular school had students from kindergarten all the way through college. Here in Sacramento, I attended Sacramento High School, Sac City Community College, and Sacramento State University. I earned an AA and a BA, respectively

Q. Why are you interested in the paranormal?

A. Mainly because I’m fascinated with the unknown. The paranormal touches upon events and reactions that, in most cases, can be explained rationally, but only in the comfort of a brightly lit room. But things aren’t so clear when one is alone in the dark, and our natural instincts of fear and survival take over. It’s also a curious study on how different cultures create, define, and adapt their belief systems to their environment.

Q. What role does your cultural background play in your writings?

A. I was first exposed to the supernatural specifically because of my cultural background. Filipinos are generally superstitious, and our houses in the city and in the province were said to be haunted. I’ve been hearing ghost stories my whole life.

Q. Tell me about your first book, Asian Supernatural.

A. It is a country-by-country encyclopedia of the various ghost, witch, and demon-types found throughout the Asian/Pacific cultural sphere. Not only does it give an overview of the supernatural phenomena there, it also has a cross-cultural appendix that lists all the similar ghost types that occur in the various countries listed.

Q. What inspired you to write it?

A. Ever since my college days, I’ve purchased every single book I could find that had a shred of information on Asian ghost beliefs, to use as a reference. Having never found one that listed all the Asian/Pacific ghost-types, I decided to write one myself using my collection.

Q. What is your favorite legend or story in this book?
A. I’m particularly pleased with the Philippines’ supernatural section. It is the first time the entire Filipino supernatural pantheon has been detailed in an American publication, and its’ pretty thorough.

Q. When will it become available?

A. It should be available in September.

Q. You have another book on its way?

A. Yes, it is a collection of eerie tales from both sides of my family that spans nearly a hundred years.

Q. What is the title?

A. Filipino Ghost Stories, from Tuttle Press.

Q. What it the subject matter in this next book?

A. It’s about the supernatural again, but specifically Filipino and specific to my family.

Q. When can we expect to see it?

A. It’s being edited now, and it should be available early next year.

Q. I am a Fortean Investigator, I investigate all things paranormal. What is your opinion UFOs, Bigfoot and other more well known creatures?

A. To be honest, I don’t know if they exist or not. Humanity as a species has a natural curiosity to discover, define, and then catalog what it doesn’t know. It’s arrogant to think that we know everything there is to know about the world. It would be great if these entities did exist, but people don’t stop to think what would happen when they finally do capture a Bigfoot or a Loch Ness Monster. It’s kind of like when Westerners first discovered mountain gorillas, okapis, or the Komodo dragon. Once the mystery has been taken away, then interest in these creatures becomes blasé. Researchers move on to the next puzzle.

Are there creatures and phenomena we’ve yet to discover or explain? Absolutely, without a doubt. Just imagine if aliens from a different planet really were among us right now! But it’s always good to approach this subject with a skeptical or scientific mind. There are way too many people who take advantage of false perception to make a profit, or to build themselves a career. It’s also important to note that just because we can’t explain something doesn’t necessarily mean that any explanation goes in defining it. Too many so-called “experts” justify their findings with this mindset, and it’s just plain silly.

Q. Have you had any paranormal experiences yourself?

A. I thought I saw an apparition once after spending a few hours doing watercolors inside a cemetery. I’ve had a few other minor experiences, but I think it was more of the anticipation of something happening that got me nervous.

Q. What are your favorite books, movies, TV shows?

A. I’m that cliché, eclectic-type person who likes different subjects across the spectrum. I’m a huge fan of world mythology and the works of Joseph Campbell. The music from the Pacific Moon record label out of Japan is also out of this world. I try to find common threads that link subjects to science fiction, fantasy, and horror, and gain interest from there. I’ll watch any movie or TV show done well in those genres. Family Guy totally rocks, too.

Q. What advice would you give to aspiring writers out there?

A. Write about a subject that you’re passionate about, and develop a thick skin when it comes to rejection letters. There is literally no formula for literary success, so just keep plugging away. There are many talented writers who have yet to be published, and there are many printed authors who aren’t very good. It pretty much depends on the market and your particular field of interest. The only thing you can control is yourself, and that means you have to be solid when it comes to grammar, punctuation, and storytelling. Being a good editor helps a lot, too.

For more information on Asian Supernatural by Alex G. Paman go to:

http://www.amazon.com/Asian-Supernatural-Alex-G-Paman/dp/156647924X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1280463514&sr=1-1

Sam Morishima, Sacramento Paranormal Experiencer/Iceland Del Paso Heights

2010-04-10T20:58:27Z

Interviewed by Ann Olson-Dupire, HPI Journalist
Distributed by Paul Dale Roberts, HPI General Manager
www.hpiparanormal.net

Question: Hello Sam, first off, tell me a little about yourself. You have your own business here in Sacramento, yes?

Answer: Yes, I am the owner of “SnoZone Endless Slope” at 3701 Stockton Blvd. I am conveniently located in the same building as “Mighty Kong Muffins”, formerly known as the “Capital Boxing Gym”. That was one of the original boxing gyms in Sacramento. Don Chargin, a once prominent boxing promoter was affiliated with the gym. You may have seen his name in the papers recently as his wife just passed away. Many well known professional boxers of the 50’s through the 80’s got their start here.

Question: So tell me about your business.

Answer: It is an indoor ski and snow board school, also indoor/outdoor surfing. My website is www.endlesslope.com. You “ski” or “snowboard” on a slant, and a revolving deck moves up. You don’t actually go anywhere, but still use the same set of skills when skiing down a hill.

Question: How long have you been involved in this business?

Answer: I have had my ski school for ten years. I originally ran it out of my garage. I have had this location for two years now. I have been teaching since junior high. Some of my pupils have moved on to become famous; I can’t mention names as it is confidential. My most unique students were a trio of chimpanzees. I trained them for the Disney movie MXP: Most Extreme Primate. It was produced by the same people who produced Air Bud.

I like condensing several seasons of skiing and snowboarding into one. All they have to do is put in the passion and motivation and I provide the environment for the best practice.

Question: How long have you lived in Sacramento, and what have you come to love about the city?

Answer: I have lived here for 18 years. I lived in San Diego, which was like living in Hawaii, or a holiday every day. You can ski in the morning and surf in the evening. The problem is it lacks a “Homey” feel. If you need a plumber and the surf’s up, you aren’t going to get anyone. I wanted to raise my child in a place where people are down to earth. Here I have real neighbors who watch over the neighborhood, people get together in the evenings, and they don’t have to get dressed up. People are just so much down to earth, and that’s why I moved here. I also love the history of the city. Plus I am still really close to Tahoe, and can still go surfing in Santa Cruz.

Question: Tell me about your paranormal experience. Where did this event take place?

Answer: It was called Ice Land, located in the Del Paso area of Sacramento. It was an old ice skating rink.

Question: Is there a local ghost story associated with Ice Land?

Answer: Well, it’s interesting. It was right next to another old building. It was called the Sacramento Ice Co. That place was definitely known to have ghosts there. I didn’t know anything about these stories when I went there. After my experience I asked the man who let me in through the Sacramento Ice Co if this place was haunted and he said that it was haunted and it was documented. I did not ask how, I was more interested on getting on the ice.

Question: What was your own personal experience?

Answer: I was appealed to Ice Land because it was such an old building. I am always drawn to old buildings, I love the architecture. Ice Land fit me perfectly. They never had a lot of people staying there when I wanted to skate, so I would have to gain access through the Sacramento Ice Co. I would have the whole place to myself. There was a glass window in front of a snack bar, I imagine on the west end of the building. There were tables set up like a diner. I would skate around that corner, and I saw a man sitting at one of the tables in the corner of the snack bar.

Question: What did he look like?

Answer: He looked like he was wearing a fedora hat. He appeared as a dark shadowy figure, or a silhouette. He looked like he was looking down reading a newspaper or something. I got the impression he was a father waiting for his child to finish their skating. I saw it many times; always when I would least expect it. I would be skating around and catch him out of the corner of my eye. But if I tried to look for him I wouldn’t see him. He appeared no different from a parent today waiting for their child to finish their skating lessons. It just reminds me of that and I can imagine that was the way it was in an era that was a bit more formal.

Question: So he was always in the same place, doing the same thing?

Answer: Yes, I saw him often. I never felt anything, like a chill or “creepy” feelings. I only saw him. I just took that image and melted it into a little story that suited me, trying to make it blend in with something I could not explain.

Question: When did these events occur?

Answer: I just started ice skating this last summer. I would show up about 12:00 pm. For at least a half an hour or so there would be no one else around. I skated until around 2:00 pm. I usually saw him in that first half hour when I was on my own.

Question: Do you know anyone else who has a similar story?

Answer: I know a ski student of mine, who was once a professional skater, alluded to having seen the same image. When I told her about it she didn’t seem surprised. After the building burnt down she asked me “I wonder where the spirits will go now.”

Question: You told me that you are not what one would consider to be a believer. That being said, what paranormal theories most intrigue you?

Answer: I liked Houdini, so I liked magic. It requires skill, both physical and mental. I love science fiction books, and mixing magic and science, but only for entertainment value.

This is what I think: people can imagine about spirits and stuff, but there is so much mystery about humans in general, why do we want to go beyond looking and the living. Unless looking beyond helps us to understand humans and why we do the things we do. To me, just seeing the behavior of human beings is a mystery.

Question: On that note, do you have any words of wisdom you would like to share?

Answer: It’s like walking through meadow field near the woods. Some people would like to stomp right through it. Others would take time to see the life and beauty in the field, learn how the meadow relates to the world, and how it associates to us and life in general.

Below are links to two related articles that are very recent regarding two things mentioned in the interview, the death of Lorraine Chargin and the burning down of the Iceland rink.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/afterword/2010/04/lorraine-chargin-fight-promoter-with-husband-don-dies-at-79.html

http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/23851/Historic_North_Sacramento_skating_rink_burns_down

Interview with Ann Dupire, Paranormal Experiencer

2009-11-23T01:22:58Z

Interviewed by Paul Dale Roberts, HPI General Manager/Ghostwriter
Location of Interview: It’s a Grind – 9620 Bruceville Road, Suite 100, Elk Grove, Ca
Date: November 22, 2009, Sunday
Time: 1300 Hours

Question: Hi Ann, can you tell us something personal about yourself. Perhaps about your family life, where you were raised and a little bird told me that you are pregnant?

Answer: Well I just got married 10/17/09 to a wonderful man. Both he and I have children from previous marriages, he has a daughter that is 4 years old and I have a son that is 8 years old. We just moved to this area in June from the bay area. I grew up going between Antioch in the bay, to a little mountain town called Berry Creek in the Sierra Nevada foothills. It’s nice to be settled with my family now, and of course we are all very excited to learn about our upcoming addition to our family.

Question: Hey Ann, welcome to Sacramento! What brings you to Sacramento? What are some of the things you have seen in the Sacramento area?

Answer: My family and I moved here because my husband was promoted in his company this past summer. It has been a welcome change from our last community. I have enjoyed exploring the historical down town Sacramento, including the train museum. We also enjoyed the rides and exhibits at the state fair. I didn’t think my children would ever let me and my husband drag them away. We also had a chance to go to the Strauss festival in Elk Grove. It was lovely, and the little ones loved the fireworks at the end.

Question: Ann, you have an unusual story to tell, it appears that some of your family members may be intuitive and you may be intuitive. Let’s talk about this later. Right now I want to ask you…..what was your first paranormal experience?

Answer: My first personal paranormal experience was in my home in the mountains. I was about 16 or so. My boyfriend was staying over that night; he lived in the bay area at the time. My parents had fallen asleep in the living room, and he was supposed to be in the guest house by then. We took advantage of my sleeping parents and stayed up late in my room. We were sitting on the floor talking. My bedroom windows were open and it was a well lit night. I happened to look out my window and saw a man standing in our large circular driveway. I thought that it was my father and told my boyfriend. He looked and saw the same figure. As we watched it we realized we didn’t know who it was. The man just stood there, looking from left to right. We watched him for a good minute or so. The figure finally began to walk, however he took three steps and faded away.

Question: As an experienced ghost hunter, that story kind of gave me the chills. Did you ever find out who the ghost was? Did you ever see this ghost again? Can you describe him? What kind of clothes was he wearing?

Answer: We never did find out who it was, nor did we see the figure again. We have however found many Native American artifacts on our property, such as grinding stones, arrowheads and the like. I wonder if that has anything to do with my sighting…. But I digress. The figure truly did remind me of my father. He appeared to be about 6’0”, he had short hair. It’s hard to come up with a detailed description because of the lighting of the night. It was a full or near full moon that night, which provided great illumination, but color distortion. It was like he was the color of the light itself, however was not transparent.

Question: You say that the ghost looked like your father. Do you think it was possible he astral projected to your driveway or you were seeing the doppelganger of your father?

Answer: I don’t know enough about astral projection to be certain if that was the case, much less whether or not it’s something that my father is even capable of doing. But it has indeed been one of my theories. I don’t feel that it was a doppelganger, as nothing of real negative consequence happened in the days that followed.

Question: You had another paranormal experience, please explain.

Answer: I had married my previously mentioned boyfriend, and we were living on a military base in southern California. We had made friends with another married couple, who had an infant at the time. The two men were in the same battalion. When they went on deployment, she and I were each others’ support group. One night, I was at her house and she told me a family ghost story. She said that her husband’s family had a male ghost by the name of Peter that followed the male descendants of his family. Apparently his great grandfather was working in a mine somewhere on the east coast with the living Peter, and they were best friends. There friendship ran so deep that when a disaster struck the mine, Peter sacrificed himself to protect his friend, ultimately dying. So Peter has since followed the men as a guardian. So my friend told me this story, and said that Peter really did not like her. He didn’t approve of her lifestyle. At first I didn’t believe the story, but did find it amusing. A few months or so after she told me, my phone rang at around 2:00am. It was my friend, and she was absolutely frantic. She said “Ann I need you, Peter won’t let me into the house.” I hung up and drove straight over. When I got there she was in her driveway crying. I asked her, “Where’s the baby?” She told me that the baby was in her room but that she herself could not get into the house. I walked to the front door and saw a hanging plant in the corner of her living room swaying back and forth as if someone was pushing and pulling it. There were a few of the baby’s electronic toys sounding off, the thermostat in the hall was clicking, and the smoke alarm kept sounding off and on. All of this was accompanied by an intense feeling of fear and dread. I didn’t know what to do, so I just stood there in the doorway, said an Our Father prayer, and went to the baby’s room. I tried to turn the light on in her room, but it wouldn’t turn on. I picked her up out of her crib, carried her out of the house and brought both of them to my house. They stayed at my house for the next couple of nights until she could figure out what to do. From what she told me, she contacted a paranormal group and they performed a house cleansing by burning sage. I never heard anything more about it, but I did find out a possible motive for the attack. She was having an affair while her husband was away.

Question: Ann, I want to welcome you on my investigative team. With your police background, this will be very beneficial for our investigations. Can you please elaborate about this background?

Answer: I put myself through the police academy in ’04, and had a blast. I really liked both the physical aspect of the training, as well as the knowledge gained. I ended up working for the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department in ’07. I’d like to tell you that I stopped criminals and saved countless lives, but it really wasn’t as glorious as all that. I worked the county jails, and sadly my career was cut short. I didn’t quite fit in with the department, and then one night my house was broken into and my duty weapon was stolen. Those two facts combined was a good mix to have my dismissal from the department. I have taken away some very useful tools from my experience though. For one, I am a human lie detector (it drives my children nuts). It takes a lot to pull the wool over my eyes. I also have a tendency to be very aware of what is going on around me, which is great when you catch someone doing something that they think no one sees.

Question: Ann, you really did have some paranormal experiences. I can actually visualize the events in my mind. Let’s get away from these experiences and talk about a few things on the personal level, or maybe not so personal, but just fun. Are you ready? Okay, if you had 6 dinner guests at the table, 3 fictional and 3 real, who would they be and why?

Answer: I would love to meet Ridley Scott, the director of Alien, Gladiator, etc. I love his creative vision. For the same reason I would love to meet Trent Reznor, the singer/songwriter. He has such a talent for music; I wish I could hear sounds the way he does. And I would love to meet William Shatner, the immortal Capt. Kirk! As far as fictional characters, I would invite Sherlock Holmes, just to pick his brain and pick up some more investigative techniques, Tinkerbell (oh come on, who doesn’t want to fly around by mere happy thought?), and my childhood hero, She-Ra.

Question: You said you went to Puerto Rico. Did you know this a UFO hotspot and that the Chupacabra supposingly originated there? Did you go there for this reason, or just wanted to go through the infamous Bermuda Triangle? Pray tell.

Answer: I wish I went there for such exotic and exciting reasons! I followed my (at the time) husband there when he was still in the Navy. I didn’t know about the UFO sightings or the Chupacabra at the time. I learned the story of the Chupacabra while I was there. To be honest, yes I did go on a little midnight expedition through El Yunque to try and find it, with little success. I heard a few creepy sounds, but what would one expect to hear in the rain forest at night? I would love to go back some day and do a more thorough search.

Question: As you know, I am a Fortean Investigator, I investigate all things paranormal. Are you also ready to investigate UFOs, Bigfoot and anything else that may go bump in the night?

Answer: Oh absolutely! I know there are things in this world that no one has ever seen. I would love to be a part of bringing something like Bigfoot, or extraterrestrial life to the lime light. If there are still species of insects and fish and things that are more easily believable, why not the more outstanding things as well?

Question: What are you hobbies and recreational activities, besides ghosthunting in the near future?

Answer: I LOVE Hockey. I watch the San Jose Sharks play every game that is aired. You can almost always see me wearing teal. Aside from that I love to read, watch movies, and do special things with my husband and children. I try to get them out of the house to create memories as much as possible.

Question: What are your favorite books, movies, TV shows?

Answer: I’ll admit I am a Harry Potter fan. I have read them all, and I read them to my children. When I feel like reading what you would call grown up stories I love the writings of Dean Koontz and Christopher Golden. I am a big time horror fan. The same holds true for movies. I love scary movies, but only genuinely scary flicks. Not the gory snuff films that pass for horror these days. When it comes to TV, I’m sure you could guess…. Ghost Hunters, Paranormal State, Monster Quest…. But I also like Fringe, Dexter, and Supernatural. I guess you could say I have a bit of a dark streak when it comes to entertainment.

Question: What is your favorite song?

Answer: That varies from day to day. Right now it is Moonlight Sonata. My son and I seem to be hearing it all over the place recently.

Question: Why are you so fascinated with the paranormal?

Answer: Well, as you stated earlier, my family has a few sensitive people in it. The women in my family all seem to have intuitive traits. My oldest sister dreamt about a terrible earthquake that would kill hundreds of people in 1989. She dreamt it the evening before the quake hit San Francisco. My mother lived in a house in Arizona a couple of years ago in which she admitted to seeing the deceased previous owner in the kitchen with her multiple times. And one of my other sisters actually called to tell me I was pregnant the night before I found out for myself. We just all kind of have our ears to the earth and hear things that most people would miss, metaphorically speaking of course.

Question: If people have questions about your interview, is there a way to contact you?

Answer: I can most easily be reached via Facebook. I check my messages several times a day.

Question: This ends the interview, any last words of wisdom to your newfound fans?

Answer: If someone hands you a breath mint, take it.

Paul Dale Roberts, HPI General Manager, Paranormal Investigator & Ghostwriter
Shannon McCabe's HPI
Haunted and Paranormal Investigations International
www.HPIparanormal.net
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7H-zBcb0Qk
Part 1: HPI 2009 Halloween Vampire Ball
http://www.youtube.com/user/jalapeno1a#p/u/0/JHxm8pETx3w
Part 2: HPI 2009 Halloween Vampire Ball.
http://www.shannonmccabe.com/home.html
Behind the Scenes: Michael Jackson: In Search of his Spirit.
Email: Pauld5606@comcast.net
Paranormal Cellular Hotline: 916 203 7503 (for comments on this
story).