#I think about the line used as the caption and the ‘Shut up Simon you know how I felt about her’ ALL THE TIME

[acedetectiveskye]

“Enough for today?!“ Today is all there is when there’s no tomorrow!

#ace attorney #aura blackquill #HNNN AURA ILY #I think about the line used as the caption and the ‘Shut up Simon you know how I felt about her’ ALL THE TIME #I think about Space Fam and start crying #my posts

[blackfemmecharacterdependency]

28. After the Morning After

Word Count: 3742 Previous

Guiltless Grace was the Grace that Grace liked the best. Nothing would convince her that she was wrong, because even if she was, she's human and allowed to make mistakes. Perfection plagued her a long time and she wouldn't be bringing any of that into her 23rd year. 

She woke up early, only a couple of hours after sleeping and called Hazel. 

"Hello!"

"Morning! How was your first night away?"

" I can handle it. I've slept in crazy places before. Lucy's is nice. They have an elevator!" 

"They live in a penthouse, so yeah. What are you having for breakfast?"

"Sugary cereal!" Hazel cheered. "It's GREAT!" Grace had to choke down getting upset about that. Sugary cereal wasn't great, but it wasn't going to kill Hazel to have a couple of days of it, even though that's not something that Grace ever bought.

"I stayed awake most of the night, so I'm going to get back to sleep soon."

"But you missed me?" Hazel asked.

"Yes."

Hazel laughed, "Get a life, Lady!" She joked. She and Grace laughed. "I'll bet I miss you tomorrow. I'm still enjoying myself… Are you enjoying yourself?"

Grace glanced around the unfamiliar room and looked where her swan goddess gown had been tossed onto the floor... It was gone now. Simon must've moved it.  Meanwhile, she was in nothing but an oversized MIT hoodie that Simon let her borrow. She supposed she was enjoying herself, but truth be told, she didn't feel like the pay off for letting loose last night was worth all of the self doubt of today. She had allowed Simon to be near her again… "I'm allowing myself to be imperfect," Grace said. She didn't lie to Hazel, ever. She just… tried to figure out ways not to potentially scar her with whole truths. She wasn't going to tell her details about Simon, but if it came up, she would be honest that she was there. It came up.

"Your presents from Simon look really nice… I want to see that Idol Princess doll ASAP!" Grace had forgotten about letting Simon take photos. He must’ve posted them to his social media already. Of course Hazel wanted to see that doll. Hell, she could HAVE it… "I've been bragging to Lucy how my mom is gonna be a doll now. She's jealous, of course." 

They talked until it was time for the girls to head to school. Grace sadly let Hazel off of the phone and finally climbed out of the bed. Simon stirred on the couch when she peeked into the living room. He seemed to be having a nightmare. He was curled up with Samantha at his feet and Grace's fur coat over him presumably for warmth. He still looked to be freezing though and she realized that maybe the rental didn't have extra blankets. She felt bad as she went to pull the one off of the bed to cover him with, setting her coat aside first. He snuggled into the blanket, but didn't wake up. He also appeared to be sleeping a little better with it.

Grace studied him for a moment. He looked so different than he used to, in terms of scars and age, but here, sleeping, he was like the little boy that she met and fell for very quickly. That is, if the little boy's hair was starting to gray and his worries had caused deep lines in his face. Still. He looked at peace. She leaned over to give him a kiss on the temple and ordered a ride to come pick her up. 

Her dress had been folded and placed on the trolley with her gifts. She peeked outside and it was pretty cool out there. Enough that she wanted to keep the socks that Simon had given her after her foot rub. They were really comfy and soft. Perfect. She was gonna take them. But, she removed his sweatshirt and got back into her dress. Her hair was.. a mess… nothing she could do about it at the moment. 

Whenever she got the alert for the car, she pushed the trolley outside and gave the driver a tip to pack it for her. She went to grab her purse and coat, brought the trolley back inside, gave Simon another kiss and left.

He heard the door shut and his eyes flew open. Simon jumped up and went to the door to look out. He saw a car down the road, but didn’t recognize it. He locked the door, wondering if he’d left it unlocked last night by accident. After a quick bathroom visit, he peeked into the bedroom and… Grace was gone. She left his sweatshirt on the bed, had changed back into her dress and was just gone. That must’ve been the door. 

He frowned, but she HAD told him that it wasn’t going to mean anything, and he agreed to proceed anyway. Her panties were still on the floor… He picked them up and tucked them into his pocket, unsure if she would want those back or not. He shot her a quick text: “Left in a hurry. Forgot your panties.”

“Lol. Thanks. I’ll grab them later.” 

He sighed and looked at his desk. He had work to do, but he was still sleepy, and now depressed, to boot. He set an alarm for later in the day and went to bed. It was more comfortable than the couch and it smelled like Grace. He wasn’t sure if that would make it harder to sleep or be more comforting. His jaw was killing him, and he knew that was a combination of Shana’s fists and Grace’s thrusts… but it was totally worth the discomfort this morning of having had Grace seemingly satisfied with his oral ministrations a few hours ago. 

He wanted more, of course he did. But, he hoped that she was at least minimally impressed by the fact that he graciously accepted what she was willing to give him. 

It was amazing, for him, actually. Simon hadn’t done that with her before. He chuckled to himself. If he had, maybe he would’ve turned his life around much sooner. He frowned at that joke, even though it only existed inside of his head. But, now he was back to thinking about the reason that she didn’t trust him with her body again. The way he had handled her the first time…

Simon had been selfish. Honestly, he simply used her body to get himself off, bending and moving her in whatever way seemed pleasing to him and because she loved him, she did whatever it took to make him happy… then he just stabbed her in the back. He hated feeling like a broken record, but he could never let go of who he had been back then, and she definitely couldn’t either. If he even seemed to be too close to her face she flinched and moved back. If his hands touched her, no matter how gently, she became irate as she flung them away. She didn’t want anything to do with him, but he was probably very convenient for her. He knew that he had to be fine with that. He had to be fine with her limits, her boundaries, her rules. He wasn’t, but he had to be and he was going to make sure that he seemed to be. “Thank you for allowing me to give you some attention this morning,” he texted. 

She took a moment thinking before eventually just replying, “Welcome.” In another text, she said, “I’m going to be sleeping last night off today. I’ll text you whenever I’m available to swing by.”

“Okay. Sweet dreams.”

“Thanx. Bye.”

.

Grace woke up around 1 pm. That was the latest that she had woken up in years, and not something that she ever did very often. She had several missed calls and texts from her friends. No more from Simon, thankfully, and sadly, none from Hazel. She had numerous notifications from her social media accounts. Most likely birthday wishes. She ordered some food and got ready for the day while she waited for it to arrive. Her legs felt a little bit sore. She had been dancing longer and harder than she did in her day to day last night. And had definitely used muscles she didn't usually at Simon's. So, she rubbed some oils into her muscles and stretched everything out.

While she ate, she checked all of her messages. All the girls wanted to know how she was today and Chapa was especially concerned (her friend from Julliard), so she messaged her first, since she hadn’t been there for the end of the night, then she decided to just go live, as it was easier than addressing everyone individually. 

“Hey, everybody. Forgive me for looking homely today. I traded in the beauty rest for an amazing time last night. I just wanted to show everyone my face and give thanks for all of the birthday wishes, as well as all of the concerned messages of friends who saw me get a little wilder than normal last night. Special thank you to my friends who celebrated with me and to those who wanted to celebrate with me but just couldn't. You’re all so very amazing…” She read a few of the incoming comments basically reassuring her that she was indeed still exceptionally beautiful, congratulations on having a fun birthday, and belated birthday wishes. Then, someone asked, "Did you see Simon for your birthday?" 

“As a matter of fact, I DID see Simon on my birthday. He was a total gentleman and got me some really nice gifts.” 

Then, the comments became a sea of interest in Simon, her relationship status with Simon, questions about his gifts, thoughts on whether or not she should entertain gifts or visits from him, and she ignored them to conclude, “Well, I just wanted to check in with everybody. I will be seeing the people that I planned on seeing today and I hope all of you have a wonderful rest of your day. Quote of the Day: I will hold myself to a standard of Grace, not perfection.” She winked and ended the video.

She noticed that Simon “loved” it, and she continued eating and went to scroll his page. He did one birthday post that had all of the photos of her receiving her gifts from him, but it also had this LONG ASS caption that she only skimmed through, seeing it was basically more of his groveling - claiming that she was the most perfect person in the world and that he didn’t deserve her to ever forgive him nor did he expect them to ever be on good terms again, but he was really grateful that they could be the way that they are and every pinch of her energy given to him was more than he had earned, etc. 

She avoided the comments, but accidentally saw one person say something along the lines of, “She might as well just forgive you and take you back if she’s going to be around you at all.” There was a long thread beneath it and she was curious, but didn’t check. She willed herself not to check. 

She went to check Hazel’s page and saw the video of Hazel preparing birthday breakfast, a post of selfies of the two of them before school that day and one that she snapped of Grace about to cry with the caption, “This is the face of a person with no life. It’s just a few days, Mother!” Grace sniffled even looking at the photos of them. 

“I miss my baby,” she whimpered, before calling Lucy’s mother to ascertain that there had been no problems or needs to be discussed. After she was done, and tossed her trash out, she sat on her patio, looking at her neighborhood and being reminded very much that she indeed did not have a life, as Hazel had suggested twice in two days.

She called Simon. “Hello.” He sounded… not well.

“Hey. When’s a good time for me to stop by?”

“I’ll be here all day. I don’t have anything to do, as I don’t know anything about the city yet.”

“Okay. Well, I’m gonna leave right now, and depending on traffic, shouldn’t take too long, since I’m…” She paused. “Not too far away right now,” she said. He scoffed or laughed. She couldn’t tell, but it annoyed her. “There a problem, Simon?”

“Nope.” She squinted her eyes and sighed. “See you,” he said and hung up on her. 

“There’s a fucking problem,” she said, shaking her head. Maybe she could go to Brooklyn and grab Shana and/or Iza. Damita lived in the Bronx… that was closer to where Simon currently was, but she was at school right now. Tulip was at work and Mikayla was likely doing something else, because she was always busy with something… And if she told Chapa that she slept there, lord… the backlash… Ugh. She got up and just sent a message to the group text that she was going to go pick up something from Simon’s and that he was acting funny on the phone. If anything did happen, they all knew his information. But, she hated that she was sexual with someone just hours ago that made her feel the need to even take such precautions, and she hated that she decided to do that. Nobody forced her to, or pressured her to.. UGH! 

.

The front door was open whenever she pulled up to the house, but she still rang the doorbell. Who knew what might set him off today? Simon came to the door with Samantha in one hand and her underwear in the other. He sort of shoved it towards her, and whenever she took it, he offered the fakest ass smile that she had ever seen him make. “You’re in a bad mood,” she said, accusatory. 

He furrowed his eyebrows, then slumped his shoulders, “Is it obvious? Sorry. It’s been a bad day.”

“You gonna be alright?” 

“Of course. I always am.”

She started to leave, but paused and turned around, “Does it have anything to do with me?”

“No!” he answered quickly and shook his head. 

“Okay… well… I feel like you’re taking it out on me, whatever it is and I don’t like that.”

He looked absolutely devastated by that. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to take anything out on you… He set Samantha down and came outside, closing the door behind him. “I know that what happened between us was a one time thing and we’re not lovers or friends, so the last thing I wanted to do was bother you with my problems. I tried to just not say anything about them.”

“It’s fine to say that you don’t want to talk about something, instead of these short answers and moody tone, making me rethink even a one time casual engagement with you.”

He sighed again, “Okay. I’m sorry.” He sat down on the steps and she sighed and sat next to him. 

“What is it?”

“I didn’t sleep well. I haven’t heard back from the company about the position. I was denied a grant that I need for a really important project, and I spent more than a reasonable amount of time arguing with people on the internet.” He rocked his legs. “And now, I’ve let my day affect yours… which is just… the thing I hate the most of everything that I just said.”

She reached out for his hand and he looked down at their fingers, intertwined. She didn’t say anything or even look at him. They both were just looking at their hands, woven together, saying nothing. Eventually, she got up, said, “Hope you feel better,” and left. And… he did. He felt inexplicably better. 

.

Grace barely let Hazel breathe when she got back home. She was asking about how much fun she had (updates that she had been given daily), seeing if Hazel wanted to do a lot of other stuff (despite the fact that they had a very full weekend ahead of them), and Thursday evening, whenever Hazel appeared in her doorway while she was at the vanity oiling her scalp, Grace smiled, eager to see what Hazel wanted to do with her right now.

“Hey… So… Is it just gonna be you and me this weekend?”

“Yes! We’re gonna have so much fun!” Grace cheered. “I can’t WAIT for corn dogs at the amusement park.” Hazel came in and sat beside Grace on the little bench in front of her vanity. “Are you okay, Hazel?”

“Are you?” Hazel wondered. Grace was confused. “It was my first time away and I guess I thought it would be a good break for both of us, but you spent a lot of time checking up on me and… aside from your birthday, did you have any fun? Did you even have any fun on your birthday?”

“Yes, I had fun. I had more fun than should’ve been allowed.”

“I keep thinking about the tour you and Simon gave me and the stuff you two told me. I’m the same age that you were when you met. You were having so much fun and doing so many things with your friend… now, all you do is take care of me, and barely give me the chance to take care of myself.”

“Hazel, you have to understand, the stuff that Simon and I were doing was because we were both highly neglected. We were retelling stories of how we came together to make bad situations a little bit better. I don’t ever want you to feel neglected, so I make sure that I’m here for you, whenever you need me.”

Hazel nodded, and clasped her hands together, “I get that. But, also… before we lived together, I used to see you on social media having a great time and living so carefree. You had activities and friends. I feel like I’ve taken a lot of that away from you and…"

"It's my job. It's my job to take care of you. Not the other way around, Hazel. Don't worry about what things I don't do anymore." 

"I wouldn't, but it's hard not to think about it whenever you're being all… I don't know…" she didn't want to say the wrong thing. She wasn't trying to hurt Grace's feelings, but Grace was perhaps putting way more into this than Hazel needed.

"Ok. I get it. Just try to understand, I didn't have a good example of how much time a mom should give. I had faceless nanny after faceless nanny. Driver after driver whose names I've forgotten completely. Detached professional instructors and private school staff who could care less about my well-being. I'm trying to be the opposite of what I had and I guess in my quest to be a good mom I wound up not being one…"

"You ARE a good mom. You just need to also be good by yourself." Hazel twiddled her fingers, "I wanted to see if Lucy could come to the amusement park with us, but I didn't want you to feel bad."

"I won't. Call her up and see if she can come," Grace said, smiling but literally feeling horrible. Hazel rushed to go do that and Grace looked at an alert from her phone. It was artwork that someone did and tagged her and Simon to. "Grace as the Idol Princess." Really nice artwork. She liked it and continued her hair.

Lucy wouldn't be able to come this weekend. Hazel was upset, but still excited for the outings. Grace felt like her secondary plan, but brushed that aside. Whenever she went to bed, she saw a notification that Simon had gone live. She laid down and tuned in, catching him in the middle of a point about never being good enough to be forgiven. "And, I understand perfectly in instances nowhere I was completely in the wrong, for instance, everyone who follows me knows everything I did to Grace, but I didn't do shit like that to my mother, and even what I did do… how is that not her fault? How is she mad at me for something I did when she left me unattended? That was thirteen years ago. So… no. Don't tell me that I should be forgiving of her because she's sick or because of her problems or whatever else. My mother is part of the reason I became a person who could hurt Grace. My parents were majority stockholders in me being an unforgivable piece of shit to her. I don't care about what they were going through and I'm not going to explain that again."

She typed into the comments, "Wtf is going on?" 

He noticed it and ran a hand through his hair, "Hey, Grace. Just… still arguing with people on the internet. Explaining myself like a peasant," he joked, laughing. 

"CALL. ME." She typed. 

He stared at the screen for a while, then just cut off the video. But, seconds later, he was calling. "Simon… what happened?"

He groaned, "There was this entire debate about how you should just forgive me instead of us going back and forth, so I said that you're not obligated to trust me and it became this entire thing and somehow devolved into me forgiving my mom, especially because she's dying."

"What the fu… your mom is dying?"

"Yeah," he said casually. "She has very late stage cancer from a brain tumor." 

"WHAT? Since when?"

"I think she found out a couple of months ago? She told me in Belize, but my dad had made this post about it before then. I’m not sure why I thought you knew.”

“If I had known, I would have said something nice to you… or something.”

He chuckled, “I don’t need something nice… unless it’s you.” He smiled. She could hear the smile.

“Well, if you want that, it would take a whole lot more than you eating me out one night. You’ve got things to atone for, Buddy.” She laughed, but he was quiet for a moment. So quiet that she thought he might have gotten disconnected. But, he eventually spoke again.

“I’ll do anything.”

She smiled as wide as her face would allow and she simply whispered, “Worship me.”

Next

#If They Didn't Get on the Train #AU Infinity Train #Infinity Train #Nesha Fanfiction #Infinity Train Fanfiction #fics

[tsc-living]

“We need to go shopping.” Simon said, closing the pantry door. The institute was usually so carefully stocked, but with Jace and Clary planning their wedding and running most of the external affairs, the budgeting and stocking of food had been extremely neglected. Simon was sick to death of takeaway food from Taki’s, and god forbid Isabelle try to cook something. There wasn’t even anything really to cook.

“Sure, do you want to go to Atlas Park?” Izzy asked, hopping up onto the kitchen counter. Simon smiled at her and rolled his eyes affectionately.

“I didn’t mean shopping at a mall; I meant food shopping at a supermarket.” Simon explained and her nose wrinkled adorably.

“I thought we would just have pizza, we haven’t had that all week.” She said, leaning back on her palms and her skirt riding up her thighs. Simon was much better than he used to be at ignoring her wiles and sexuality, but he was only human and he took an involuntary step towards her so that he had his hands on her knees. She smirked at him.

“We had pizza on Friday.” He told her and she nodded as if he had just confirmed what she had said, “Today is Tuesday…” He reminded her.

“Exactly, and the new week started yesterday. We haven’t had pizza all week.” She said agreeably. Simon shook his head and pulled her towards him off the counter. She slid down his body until her feet the ground and wrapped her arms around his neck looking genuinely unsure. “Do we really need to go food shopping?” She asked and he hugged her close.

“Yes we really do.” He confirmed and gently lifted her chin to look him directly in the eye, “My girl can kill a demon with her bare hands, she can come to a supermarket with me.” He added. Her expression steeled and she stepped out of his embrace.

“Of course I can.” She agreed and then looked down at herself, “But first I need to change.” She said and dashed out of the kitchen after kissing him on the cheek. Simon checked his pockets and confirmed he had his wallet, keys and phone, and waited near the institute front doors for her. She emerged moments later in the same jeans and heeled boots, but with a clean black top on and her hair brushed and braided like a halo around her head.

“Beautiful.” He murmured and she posed for him and he pulled her in for a kiss. She giggled, a sound only he heard often, and then let him go so he could open the door. Isabelle tried to swipe the keys so that she could drive, but she didn’t have a mundane licence and drove like she had no reason to live.

“I don’t think so,” He said, holding the keys out of her reach, “I’d like to get there alive.” He added. She looked insulted, but Simon could see the smile in her eyes as he unlocked the car and climbed behind the wheel. Isabelle climbed into the passenger side and tucked her legs up in front of her before turning on the stereo.

“Phone?” She asked, holding her hand out, but he was already pulling it out of his pocket for her. While he put the car in reverse, Isabelle queued some music. Her taste in music had been influenced heavily by Simon since she had known him and he always liked when one of his old favourite songs from his teenage years popped up. He put the car in gear and she put her hand on his leg like she often did when he was driving. It made him feel warm and safe, and even comforted though he had nothing to be comforted for. He could see her out of the corner of his eye, watching him and mouthing the lyrics to the song, and when they pulled up at a red light he turned to look at her.

“What?” He asked and her lips quirked up in a smile.

“Nothing,” She mused and he raised his eyebrows at her, turning his attention back to the road as the light turned green. “I love you.” She said quietly and he smiled, squeezing her hand gently before changing gears. Izzy said those words to him infrequently and he knew how hard it was even still for her to say them. Whenever she did say that she loved him, he didn’t make a big deal out of it, he just acknowledged it gently and he knew she appreciated that.

“I love you too Iz.” He confirmed and turned left into the carpark of the nearest supermarket. When he parked he glanced at Izzy who was looking around like she had never been there before. Although, to be fair, she probably hadn’t…

He took her hand when they got out of the car and she walked beside him and when she saw the shopping carts that lined up outside her eyes widened a little bit. Simon swallowed his urge to laugh at her because he knew she really wouldn’t appreciate it, and pulled one of the carts out of the line.

“Do you want to push?” He asked and she crossed her arms across her chest with her lips firmly pressed together. He waited for her to have her a moment and her lips twitched upwards.

“I’m not allowed to drive, but I am allowed to push the cart?” She asked ad he shrugged with one shoulder.

“That makes it sound sexist. You do not have a licence and could kill us. The worst you can do here is knock over a display of toilet paper or something.” He pointed out and her eyes widened again and she shook her head. He smiled and pushed the cart ahead of him with her falling into step beside him.

“What are we getting?” She asked and he shrugged.

“What do you feel like for dinner?” He asked and she paused beside a big poster of homemade pizza and a caption boasting that this supermarket sells the best pre-made bases in all of America.

“Pizza.” She said and he rolled his eyes.

“How about we have pizza later this week? We can have tacos tonight and perhaps a stir-fry tomorrow?” He decided and she smiled, nodding in agreement.

“We can have pizza and stew Thursday and Friday?” She asked and he felt a bubble of affection for her getting into the spirit of it.

“Perfect. What about this weekend?” He asked, pushing the cart out of someone’s way and she angled her body to face him again.

“Pie?” She asked and Simon laughed.

“I can’t make pie.” He said and when she opened her mouth to reply he rushed on, “And no, you can’t either.” He added and she shut her mouth again.

“What about spaghetti?” She asked after a minute and then a smile grew on her face, “Can we go to Alec and Magus’s on Sunday? We can take a salad and be like old-school family!” She said and her excitement at the idea made him agree immediately.

“Absolutely.” He said and she kissed his cheek, her excitement bubbling through him.

“So… let’s shop then.” She said and turned to face the fruit and vegetable section of the supermarket. “What is this?” She asked, holding up a mango. Simon was thrown backwards I time to the first and last time he had shopped with her brother Jace.

“It’s a mango.” He said and she put in the cart.

“I like mangoes.” She said and he choked on a laugh as she wandered away, picking up things and putting them in the trolley. A lot of it they didn’t need and he discretely put it back as he passed them again.

“Why do you keep taking things out? That isn’t how you shop.” She said accusingly, turning around to see him putting a guava back in its crate.

“We do not need this.” He said carefully and her face fell.

“What do we need?” She asked after a moment and Simon rattled off a list of items that would be needed to make dinner for the rest of the week. She did a slow circle, looking around and Simon felt the familiar feeling of his heart racing and then slowing with love for her.

“That sign says meat products are that way.” She said and pointed, he smiled encouragingly and gestured for her to lead the way. She picked up beef mince straight away and she looked really proud of herself when he confirmed that that was what they needed. He rarely saw Isabelle like this; it was rare for anyone to see Isabelle like this. She was so vulnerable in a new environment, unsure and learning. He knew it made her feel weak, but she trusted him not to tease her, to help her, to love her even when she picks up an orange and asks if that would be nice in a salad to take to her brother’s house.

When they shut the car doors with the shopping safely stored in the backseat she took his hand and he turned to look at her. “What is it?” He asked gently, pushing an escaping lock of hair from her cheek.

“Can we go shopping again next week?” She asked and he frowned, a smile tugging its way across his lips.

“Yeah of course, why?” He replied and she let his hand go, looking down at her hands.

“Because… I felt like a normal couple. It was like… a glimpse into married life with you and I-“ She broke off and blushed. Simon kissed her cheek and took her hand again, waiting for her to finish. “And I liked it. I can’t wait to be married to you.” She finished. Simon felt warmth flood his body and he tilted her face up.

“I can’t wait to be married to you too.” He agreed and kissed her, she smiled into the kiss and he didn’t want to pull away to drive home.

Bless this was my otp in middle school :’) I hope you like @bookenthusiast-mermaidwannabe <3 the tsc ships doing mundane things will always make me so happy. 

#tsc #tid #tda #tmi #sizzy #simon lovelace #isabelle lightwood #simon x izzy #requested #fanfic #one shot #head canon

[ruinedthatfriendship]

Heart Attack

A/N: I fully acknowledge that this is kind of dumb but oh well. I promised to post my old fanfics, I did not promise that they would be good. 

In which Demi writes a song, Simon has feelings, and it gets very fluffy. 

“Demi! Demi!” Marissa was holding her phone up, clearly taking a video as she tried to get her best friend’s attention. “Are you excited to get back to the X Factor?”

Demi rolled her eyes, lying down across her bed with her head propped on one hand. “No,” she returned, turning her face into a pillow to muffle a theatrical screech.

Marissa laughed and ended the video, both of the girls falling silent for several minutes as they focused on their respective phones. They’d decided to spend the day together before Demi caught a flight out to do some pre-taping for the new X Factor season. Auditions wouldn’t start for a few more months, but it was time to get things started.

Demi scrolled through her Twitter absently, noting first the number of random tweets at her about how hot she looked, and then one from Simon Cowell a few weeks ago, a picture of her sticking her tongue out in the dressing rooms captioned, “Brat”. She’d considered replying, but then thought better of it.

“It’s not fair,” she pouted, not really noticing that she’d spoken aloud.

“What’s not?” Marissa asked, sitting up fully to look at her.

Demi rolled her eyes. “I haven’t washed my hair in...like a week. I’m wearing a sweatshirt that I’m pretty sure used to be Mom’s, which she probably stole from Eddie. But I bet I could walk outside right now and get some guy to give me his number.”

Marissa huffed teasingly. “Yeah, Demi, I get it. You’re gorgeous.”

Demi lunged forward and smacked her with a pillow, earning a loud peal of laughter. “Shut up! The point is,” she emphasized with mock annoyance, “that’s all fine if I want some lame guy I don’t care about. But you put me in a room with someone I actually like and I completely turn into…” she trailed off and stuck her tongue out with a gagging noise, using her hand gesture to illustrate her brain turning to mush. “It’s pathetic!”

Marissa looked at her strangely for a few seconds. “Does this have anything to do with Simon Cowell?”

Demi’s reaction might have been comical, if she wasn’t suddenly panicked. She scrambled upright chaotically, sitting up in bed and shoving a pillow out of her way. “What?”

Marissa just shrugged. “I did watch the season, Demi. I would hope you’re aware that you definitely act a little stupid around him sometimes.”

“Jesus Christ!” Demi almost shouted. “That was not--I wasn’t talking about anyone specific! He’s an old man, Marissa! And anyway I’d like to see you do the...stupid auditions cycle and not get stupid after a while.”

Marissa was just watching her with a vaguely amused expression on her face. “Uh huh. Yep, okay, whatever you say, Dems.”

Demi laughed incredulously, hoping the heat she felt in her face wasn’t showing. “What?” she demanded, and shook her head. Nope, nope, nope. “It was a general statement, get your mind out of the gutter!”

Marissa arched a challenging eyebrow. “Sure,” she said disbelievingly, but, mercifully, dropped the subject.

It didn’t matter that her friend was right. It didn’t matter that Simon did make her stupid, that she was forever looking at him and hearing things fall out of her own mouth that she hadn’t given permission. That she’d never much felt a need to dress up for Wilmer unless they went out, but he could make her go through four or five outfits in her dressing room before shows.

It didn’t matter. Nothing could ever happen, not least because he certainly didn’t think much of her. She was a younger sibling, a daughter or niece, a pest bothering him and boosting ratings with her antics. Little brat. And he was so much older than she was. Which Demi didn’t mind whatsoever; age was just a number. But the world would flip, both of their careers could go down in flames, all for the sake of something that would probably never last. Would never start, she reminded herself firmly.

No, when it came to Simon Cowell, her walls would stay firmly up.

Demi quickly forced her brain into professional mode as her phone rang, and she stood up as she answered, walking over to her desk and looking through papers for a list she’d written a few days ago.

“Hello, Demi. Just wanted to check in,” Her producer. She was set to drop a new album soon, and they were just putting the finishing touches on the final songs. “I wanted to confirm that you’re on board with Neon Lights as the first track on the album. I know we’d talked about it, but I don’t know that we got to a consensus?”

Demi sighed, biting her bottom lip as she considered. It was a fine song, there was nothing wrong with setting it to open the album. But something about it didn’t sit right. “I am so sorry,” she sighed into the phone. “I’m gonna be a complete brat right now,” and damn Simon for creeping into her speech patterns, “but I think it needs to go farther down the track list.”

“So what do you want to start with? That’s going to be the first single we release, most likely, so…”

“Ask me tomorrow.” Demi said breathlessly, struck by a sudden inspiration.

“What? Why? If you need some time, that’s fine…”

“I’m going to write it tomorrow,” she replied with conviction that scared even her. “I’m going to write it tomorrow and record it for you when I fly back. Trust me.”

“Demi, I’m not going to say you’re not a brilliant artist, but--”

“Just let me try this! Trust me. If it doesn’t work out, you can put Made In The USA at the top, okay?”

When she got off of the phone, making a face at herself as she hung up, Marissa was staring at her. “Demi, what did you just do?”

“Something stupid,” the singer sighed, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. And maybe it was, but she didn’t like any of her other options. She liked all of the other songs set for the album, but not enough. And she knew she could do this; more than half of them had already been written on her notepad at the judges’ table. Something about the atmosphere was...inspiring. Or someone, her brain whispered helpfully, in a voice that sounded suspiciously like Marissa’s. 

***

Demi had no intention of breaking the promise she’d made to her team, but it was proving harder than she’d initially thought. Sure, she had plenty of down time on the plane, and in the makeup chair in her dressing room before she was due on the X Factor set, but her brain was stubbornly refusing to get into a song-writing headspace. She’d much rather laugh with Kelly and her makeup artist, scrolling through her phone. She liked Kelly, it was going to be a fun season sitting with her on the panel. But nothing was going to be much fun if she couldn’t figure this out.

It was like a school project, procrastinated on for too long and now with a fearsome deadline looming. She was chewing on the inside of her lip when she finally made it to the set for sound checks, taking her seat next to Simon with a pouting expression. They’d be doing a few promo shots at the judges’ desk, as well as individual backstage interviews, so they had to be lined up and in position.

“What’s wrong, brat?” he asked immediately, noticing her face.

Demi shook her head quickly. “Nothing, I’m just stuck.”

“Stuck?” he queried back, arching an eyebrow in her direction. “What on earth are you talking about?”

She shrugged back, turning away from him as a producer called her name. “Songwriting,” she hissed under her breath as one last explanation before testing out her mic for the video.

She felt Simon lean over, his arm on the back of her chair as usual, and pinch her nose with his other hand. Demi scowled at him, turning the sentence for her sound check into a nasally, “Damn it, Simon!”

She shook her head at him, taking advantage of the lack of cameras and audience watching them to jokingly flip him off. How she’d managed to survive an entire season next to this idiot, she had no idea. And now she was going to do it again.

He was kind of her best friend, sure. And they made fun of one another constantly, always in a contest to one-up the other. But she loved his stupid jokes all the same, his frankly obsessive need to touch her, the warmth of his hugs. The way he always seemed to understand her better than anyone else. She loved him, but there was no way she’d ever tell him that. They flirted, sure, and they’d had their moments, enough that her tape at the finals last year was a compilation of the two of them, but it meant nothing. Walls up, Demi.

She turned her chair slightly, looking at him. Damn it.

He chose that moment to notice her gaze, turning to look at her with an amused expression. “What?” When she didn’t immediately reply, he smirked. “You’re staring, darling.”

Demi smacked his chest, laughing, and made a point of redirecting her attention. Still, she felt a pang. I don’t want to fall for you. I don’t want to fall in love,  she thought wildly, and then, too late.

This was just a fast track to a broken heart and she knew it. I don’t need this right now.

But he was right there, whether she wanted him to be or not, and they were about to do this whole thing again for a new season. There would be no escaping, she’d definitely be sitting right up next to him again after the ratings of the past season, and some dramatic part of her wondered if her heart could take it.

Because she was Simon’s best friend, too, she was pretty sure. He had an awful habit of treating her like a sort of ‘guy best friend’, frequently regaling her with stories of his latest womanizing escapades and occasionally poking at her for advice. It made her want to scream, sometimes. I don’t want to tell you how to make that skinny, beautiful blonde fall in love with you. I want it to be me. But it’s never going to be me.

At some point, Simon had stood up and wandered off to chat with the producers, leaving Demi at the desk lost in her thoughts and Paulina on the end, similarly quiet. Demi was tracing her finger absently across her notepad, her thoughts flitting wildly between the pressure she’d put on herself to write a number-one single by tonight, and Simon. He was always in the back of her brain, and sometimes she hated him for it. Hated herself, for not being able to put up an effective wall. Or maybe it was just that nothing worked on him. He could always strip away whatever she tried to use for a front, in every situation.

You make me stupid, she thought, remembering Marissa’s words. I don’t want to fall in love with you. But he killed her every time he took her hand. Gave her some unidentified ‘glow’ her sisters had even commented on, though they hadn’t named him as a cause. Demi knew.

Why am I not good enough? I’m right in front of you…

“Demi!” A pair of familiar hands landed on her shoulders, shaking her, and Demi jumped wildly in her seat, yelping, as Simon burst out laughing behind her.

“Oh my god!”

“I’m sorry,” he chuckled, not sounding very sorry at all. “But you looked so focused while I was coming back over here...I couldn’t help it.” He subsided into laughter again.

Demi’s heart was still racing from the adrenaline, but she still couldn’t silence the track in the back of her brain, quietly pointing out that she loved seeing him laughing. “Damn it, Simon, you almost gave me a heart attack.” Gave me a heart attack. I’m going to have a heart attack. Heart attack.

“Demi? Demi?”

Demi blinked, shaking herself back into the present. “What?”

Simon smirked at her, turning his chair to face her on the panel. “Look, I know I’m gorgeous, but you were staring again, brat.”

Demi blinked at him, still not really listening. He’d just given her the perfect metaphor.  “Uh-huh. Hey, give me that pen!”

Startled by the non sequitur, Simon allowed her to pull the pen he was holding away from him. He watched as she uncapped it hastily and started writing something on her pad, the scrawl messy and frenzied. Putting my defense...he made out before she squealed and covered it with her hand.

“No!”

“What are you doing, brat?”

She shrugged. “Writing.”

Simon made a dive for the pad, only for her to yank it to her chest, squeaking her protests.

“Simon! Stop! It’s not ready yet.”

“What do you mean, not ready?” he demanded, laughing at her.

Her dark eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint. “Wait and see! It’ll be released soon, anyway.”

She wasn’t sure if she’d imagined Simon’s eyes lighting up. “New song?” he asked her, relaxing back into his seat. “Okay, brat, I can be patient. For you.”

***

Written in one night and recorded in one take, the song dropped as a single just before they were set to start the first round of auditions. Of course, episodes wouldn’t start airing until later, and Demi imagined there would be some mention of her new album made when they cut together the packages to introduce the judges. For now, though, she was just in her dressing room backstage, getting the finishing touches to her makeup put on. Brand new season, clean slate. New talent, new groupings, and this time she wouldn’t be the first mentor out of the competition.

There was still almost a half hour before they needed to be on the set, so Demi buckled on her shoes and walked out into the hallway, finding first Kelly, and then Paulina in the green room. They made small talk for a little while to kill the time, Demi becoming more and more comfortable with the women. It was going to be fun working with them, she thought. They’d certainly make for an exciting panel.

“Where’s Simon?” Kelly asked suddenly. “He should be here.”

“In his dressing room, I think,” Paulina replied in her accented voice. “I can--”

“I’ll go get him,” Demi offered quickly, not entirely sure why she’d just spoken. Barriers, Demi. Or not.

She didn’t notice the look her two fellow judges shared as she stood and made her way out of the green room, involuntarily smoothing imaginary lint off of her dress. She knocked a few times on his door, getting no response. She could hear something getting knocked over inside, though, and figured she may as well let herself in.

Simon didn’t notice her at first. His back was to her, righting a water bottle on his desk, and he was wearing a pair of headphones.

“Simon!” she called loudly, finally forcing him to turn around. Laughing at him a little, she pointed to his phone. “What were you listening to?” Her eyebrows waggled, suggestively teasing. 

“Nothing,” he returned quickly, sliding the headphones off and standing, a bit hastily, Demi thought. “What do you need, brat?”

Demi pouted at him. “Now you have to tell me!”

“No,” Simon returned briskly. “Now--Demi!”

She made a dive toward him for his phone, still laughing, and pouted helplessly when he held it above her head. “But Simon, I’m short.”

“Precisely.” He said dryly. “And nosy. And gobby. And--”

She jumped, grabbing at his arm and stealing the phone before he could react.

“Demi!” he groaned in dismay, his hand dropping to his side as he watched her with his cell phone in her hands. 

She turned it on, suddenly not quite sure what to do with the information confronting her. Simon stood in front of her almost awkwardly, crossing his arms over his chest, while she blinked rapidly at his phone in her hands. “Aw, Simon. You were listening to my music?”

He shrugged, holding his hand out for the phone. “That’s your new single, isn’t it? I do have to keep on top of these things.”

“Uh-huh.” Demi nodded, relinquishing the phone back to him. “Well? Worth the wait?”

He looked puzzled for a moment, before his expression cleared. “Oh, was that what you were writing at the promo taping? After…” he trailed off suddenly.

“After what?” Demi prompted, curious again. “After what, Simon?”

“Nothing,” he shook his head abruptly.

“Simon,” Demi countered sternly. “Come on, tell me!”

He narrowed his eyes, studying her, almost calculating. She shifted nervously under his gaze, trying to guess at what he was thinking. He looked like he was debating something, mixed with a glimmer of...hope? Demi wondered suddenly if he’d managed to arrive at the conclusion that she’d written it about him, nerves twisting her stomach. God, she hoped not. The inevitable polite rejection would be horrifyingly awkward.

“After I scared you,” he murmured, looking suddenly uncertain and somehow smaller than the Simon Cowell she was familiar with. “And you said…”

She could hear her own voice echoing in her head, sounding far-off like an old playback tape. Damn it, Simon, you almost gave me a heart attack! Demi raised an eyebrow. She should have known he’d figure her out. Still, she wasn’t going to help him toward the painful conclusion.

“This is stupid,” Simon muttered suddenly, turning away from her with his hands on his hips. “Was someone looking for me? Is that why you came in here?”

Demi blinked. That wasn’t exactly the reaction she’d been expecting. And he sounded hurt, somehow, and it was breaking her heart. And even if she was about to help him break it further, she couldn’t let it go. Not now. “What’s stupid? I don’t know what you mean.”

Simon huffed and rolled his eyes, walking to the door. “Forget about it, brat.”

“No!” she burst out, planting her feet and standing obstinately in the middle of his dressing room. “You can’t just leave. Come on, Simon, tell me what you were going to say!”

“Actually I can, darling,” he returned, amused. “It’s my dressing room.” And with that, the obstinate British judge left her standing alone in the middle of the room.

***

“Do you live alone?” Simon was asking an unfortunately tone deaf contestant. “No one around to tell you to stop?”

“Simon!” Demi hissed in reprimand, but it was half hearted. Not only was he right, but she was preoccupied. She wasn’t going to let him get away with just shutting her out, and if she had to revert to elementary school note passing, so be it.

She slipped a sheet of her notepad under the edge of his hand, meeting his eyes with a shrug while the contestant slinked off in defeat. What were you going to say????

“Never you mind, brat,” he muttered back.

She turned her chair to face him, stubbornly staring at him. “I’m not going to let it go, Simon, you know that. I will make your life hell until you just tell me… oh, seriously, Simon! It’s obviously bothering you, come on, talk to me!”

“Fine,” he said briskly, turning back to her with a completely closed off expression. “Here you go, Demi: what inspired you to write that song? And now will you forget about it?”

Insecurity. All at once, she had a name for the unreadable expression that was always flashing across his face. Doubt, like he didn’t know what she was doing with him any more than she knew why he bothered with her.

And it gave her enough of a fool’s hope to lean over toward him again while they waited for the next contestant to enter the stage. Beside her, Kelly was giving her a strange look, but Demi ignored her. She had her hands braced, one on the desk and one on the back of Simon’s chair, and put her lips next to his ear. “I wrote it for you,” she whispered, feeling her heart racing in her throat as she made her confession.

Her own insecurities were wiped away in an instant, Simon turning to face her so quickly that he almost hit her head. He was wearing one of the brightest smiles she’d ever seen on his face, and she gave up on nervously biting her lips to return the gesture. “Really?” he whispered back to her, completely ignoring the woman on stage answering Paulina’s questions.

Demi gestured pointedly with her head to the stage once, but nodded at him once more before refocusing her attentions, still wearing a brilliant smile. Nothing was properly set yet, but it was a start. And when Simon carefully took her hand under the table, carrying on his critiques smoothly all the while, she knew her split-second decision to rewrite the single had been worth it.

And when she opened her phone later to a text from Marissa, it was a link to a slightly-blurry photo of the two of them, smiling at each other stupidly, making very obvious heart eyes at one another. Girl, what did you do?????????

Damn. She’d completely forgotten how many eyes, and cell phone cameras, would have been on them all day. .

Sitting on the couch in Simon’s dressing room, heels kicked off and waiting for him so they could leave together, she smiled again. Something stupid, she texted back first, as per the old joke. Then, but worth it.

#dimon #demi lovato #simon cowell #fanfiction #really fucking old fanfiction #gotta love my 2013 dumbass self writing dimon

[duncanbarker-blog]

Japan is a bewildering, beautiful country that is like nowhere else. There are so many amazing things to do in Japan that one trip is never enough—it has stolen our hearts and we can’t stop returning.

From ancient temples to futuristic skyscrapers, tranquil tea ceremonies to over-the-top arcades, relaxing hot springs to cosplay go-kart rides, Japan has so much to offer everyone.

In this post I share the best things to do in Japan divided into the categories Culture (for unique things you can only do in Japan), Fun (for all the quirky and futuristic stuff), Food (because the food is extraordinary and you must eat as much as possible), Spiritual (for all those wonderful temples and shrines) and Beautiful (for the gorgeous natural scenery).

Even on a short visit to Japan, you can choose a few experiences from each category for an unforgettable trip.

Cultural Things to Do in Japan

These unique things to do in Japan are activities you don’t find elsewhere and are the best ways of experiencing Japanese culture.

1) Spend a Night in a Ryokan

Our room at Hotel Mushashiya ryokan overlooking Lake Ashi in Hakone

For at least one night of your trip, I highly recommend staying in a ryokan, which is a traditional Japanese inn. Tatami mat rooms are elegant, minimalist spaces, usually with just a table and low chairs where you can enjoy green tea on arrival. Breakfast and dinner are often included in the price and served in your room.

The epic, multi-course meals are a highlight of a stay in a ryokan and have been some of our best meals in Japan. Ryokans can often cater to vegetarians and vegans, but let them know any dietary requirements in advance (you don’t get a choice of dishes).

After dinner, futons will be set up on the floor and can be surprisingly comfortable to sleep on.

Ryokans range from simple (such as guesthouses called minshuku) to ultra-luxurious, sometimes with private baths and views overlooking exquisite Japanese gardens. They are more expensive than regular hotels but are well worth it for the experience.

We loved our stay at Hotel Musashiya in Hakone (a top spot for seeing Mount Fuji) where our room and the public Japanese bath overlooked Lake Ashi. It’s reasonably priced, friendly, and the food was wonderful. 

You can find many other ryokans all over Japan—search on Booking.com. 

2) Soak in an Onsen

The classic Japanese experience is soaking in the steaming hot waters of an onsen (hot spring bath)—it’s a must for your Japan bucket list. Onsens come in many forms—indoor and outdoor, simple and luxurious, small and large. Most of them are shared, but some ryokans have private baths you can reserve.

Onsens can be a challenge for foreigners (they were for us at first!), as you must be completely naked (most are divided by gender). Make sure you shower thoroughly before you get in the bath too. It’s worth getting over your fears as they are such a relaxing experience.

3) Wander Around an Onsen Town in a Kimono

In winter kimonos at Kinosaki Onsen

If you want the full onsen experience, head to an onsen town. These small resort towns are usually in rural settings and feature many different onsens. They are popular destinations for the Japanese for relaxing getaways.

The best way to experience one is to stay in a ryokan. Some have their own onsens and usually include a pass to visit the other onsens in town. After putting on the provided yukata (cotton kimono) and geta (wooden sandals), you head out to hop from one onsen to another and relax in the steaming waters.

There are many onsen towns in Japan. We loved Kinosaki Onsen, which is easily accessible from Kyoto and Osaka and is particularly pretty in the spring when the canals are lined with cherry blossoms.

We stayed at the friendly Morizuya Ryokan which has two small onsens available for private use in the afternoon—perfect for your first time. 

Read more about Kinosaki Onsen and onsen etiquette.

4) Watch a Geisha Dance

Geishas are one of the most fascinating aspects of Japan, especially if you’ve read Arthur Golden’s popular novel Memoirs of a Geisha about these highly-skilled women who entertain using traditional arts. 

It’s hard to believe they still exist, but when we spent a month living on a traditional street in Miyagawacho in Kyoto (near the more well-known Gion area), we often saw them in brightly coloured kimonos emerging from wooden teahouses.

Rather than stalking geisha on the streets of Gion, I recommend watching them perform at one of the annual dances that take place every spring and autumn. The most famous is the Miyako Odori in April, but we went to the Kyo Odori instead, which doesn’t attract many foreign guests.

The performance was spectacular, and it was fascinating to get a closer look at the extravagant kimono, ornate hairstyles, and iconic white makeup these graceful women wear.

Top tip: Miyagawacho is the perfect area to stay in Kyoto for spotting geisha without the crowds of Gion. We rented a studio on VRBO that’s no longer available, but this three-bedroom townhouse was above us. Other options in this area are this traditional machiya with outdoor bath and a stylish machiya formerly owned by a geiko.

5) Admire Ukiyo-e Prints

Ukiyo-e or Japanese woodblock prints are uniquely Japanese and flourished during the Edo Period from the 17th to 19th centuries. The prints depict landscapes, regular life of ordinary people, and popular kabuki actors, sumo wrestlers, and geisha from the world of entertainment or “floating world”.

You can see ukiyo-e in many cities in Japan. We enjoyed the small Ota Memorial Museum in Harajuku, Tokyo which displays rotating exhibitions—we were lucky enough to see the 36 Views of Mount Fuji by Hokusai including the famous Great Wave off Kanagawa.

6) See Sumo Wrestlers in Action

Sumo is serious in Japan and the national sport is steeped in tradition. Matches still include rituals that date back to its ancient origins as part of the Shinto religion such as purifying the ring with salt.

You can see sumo wrestling at one of the sumo tournaments that happen a few times a year (book tickets in advance on Voyagin) or take a tour to a sumo stable in Tokyo or Osaka to see the wrestlers’ morning training session. Tournaments happen in Tokyo in January, May and September and Osaka in March.

I loved the novel The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama, which gave me a greater insight into sumo culture. 

7) Watch a Kabuki Performance

Kabuki is a form of traditional Japanese theatre that dates back to the Edo Period. It includes drama, dance and music and the all-male performers wear elaborate makeup.

The best place to see a Kabuki performance is the Kabukiza Theatre in Ginza, Tokyo (English captions are available), but you might find performances in other major cities.

9) Dress Up as a Geisha

Hiring a kimono for the day and wandering the historic streets of Gion and Higashiyama is a popular activity in Kyoto with both Japanese and foreigners. There are many shops in Gion and the surrounding areas to rent them (the Yasaka Shrine area is a convenient place to start).

Although Kyoto’s ancient streets are the most common place to rent a kimono, you can find rental shops throughout Japan.

10) Gaze at Itchiku Kubota’s Stunning Kimonos

On a cloudy day at Kawaguchiko (when Mt Fuji did not emerge), we came across the Itchiku Kubota Art Museum on the shores of the lake. We didn’t expect much from a kimono museum, but Itchiku Kubota’s oversize kimonos are exquisite works of art and we were blown away.

Kubota made it his life’s mission to recreate a lost textile dyeing technique from the 16th century and the results are stunning. His kimonos are full of colour and texture and depict nature such as the changes in Mount Fuji through the seasons.

This museum isn’t on many things to do in Japan lists, but I think it’s a hidden gem, especially if you visit the beautiful onsite teahouse too.

11) Pay Your Respects at the Hiroshima Peace Museum

Head to Hiroshima to pay your respects to the victims of the atomic bombing at Hiroshima’s moving Peace Memorial Park. The park is beautiful and the museum is heartbreaking, riveting, and vitally important. Afterwards, explore the modern city that was almost entirely rebuilt after World War II.

Recommended Reading: 10 Unmissable Places to Visit in Japan

Fun Things to Do in Japan

12) Ride a Shinkansen (Bullet Train)

We adore train travel in Japan. The network is extensive and the trains are comfortable, clean, quiet, safe, and always on time (to the minute!).

Best of all are the shinkansen or bullet trains which travel at ultra-high speeds of up to 320 km/h (199 mph). They make travelling between major cities very fast—Tokyo to Kyoto, a distance of 450km (280 miles) can be covered in 2 hours 15 minutes by the fastest shinkansen Nozomi.

You can even ride fun themed bullet trains such as the Hello Kitty shinkansen which runs from Osaka to Fukuoka.

Shinkansen are expensive, but a Japan Rail Pass makes them more affordable as you can hop on as many as you’d like without a reservation.

Recommended Reading: Is a Japan Rail Pass Worth it?

13) Go-Kart Around Tokyo

Simon dressed up as Yoshi while go-karting in Tokyo

Go-karting is our pick for the most fun thing to do in Japan! Where else in the world can you dress up as your favourite character and drive go-karts on the real streets of a major city?

We went go-karting in Tokyo, but you can also do it in Osaka and Kyoto. I was terrified at first as we drove alongside buses and cars but ended up having so much fun! You used to be able to dress up as Mario characters but Nintendo shut that down. 

Make sure you get an international driving permit from your home country before you come to Japan as they are strict about this requirement.

14) Enjoy a Day at DisneySea

DisneySea is one of the best Disney parks in the world with a unique nautical theme featuring ports like Mysterious Island with an erupting volcano and Mediterranean Harbor which looks just like Italy.

There are many fun rides at DisneySea as well as more adult-orientated attractions like seeing a Broadway show or drinking a cocktail in a 1920s lounge aboard a cruise liner.

Disney is easily accessible from central Tokyo in about 30 minutes, but on our third visit we stayed a short walk away at the inexpensive Hotel Mystays Maihama and loved avoiding rush hour travel and being able to take a break during the day.

I definitely recommend staying nearby if you want to visit the neighbouring Disneyland Tokyo park as well as you’ll need two full days. 

15) Head up High for a City View

View from Harukas 300 in Osaka at night

Japanese cities are vast and impressive with towering skyscrapers and neon signs. I think they are best admired from above at night, so head up to an observatory in one of the tall buildings.

My favourite observatory is Harukas 300 in Osaka which has 360º views from the floor to ceiling windows and a cool open-air garden bar.

In Tokyo you can get a free view from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku or enjoy VR rides along with the city skyline at the Sky Circus Sunshine 60 Observation Deck in Ikebukuro. Tokyo Tower is another popular viewpoint and looks like a red Eiffel Tower.

16) Rent a Karaoke Booth

Karaoke is one of the most typical Japan activities—everyone from teenagers to businessmen loves it here.

But don’t worry if you are shy—there’s no need to sing in public as in Japan you rent a private booth in one of the many huge karaoke buildings. The rooms are equipped with comfy seating, microphones, TV, and a tablet which you use to choose from a wide selection of songs. You can even order drinks and food.

We went to a branch of the budget Karaoke no Tetsujin chain in Tokyo and were surprised that the cost included a drink—it makes an affordable night out.

17) Be Spirited Away at the Studio Ghibli Museum

If you are a fan of Studio Ghibli films like Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro, don’t miss this whimsical museum in Tokyo where you can see props and drawings from the animations in a quirky building.

You must buy your tickets at least a month in advance—see the Ghibli website for details. If you miss out, Voyagin has more expensive last-minute tickets. 

Recommended Reading: 17 Cool Things to Do in Tokyo

18) Enter the World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Japan

Harry Potter World at Universal Studios Japan

Universal Studios Japan in Osaka is a must for Harry Potter and theme park fans.

The highlight is the immersive Wizarding World of Harry Potter where you can wander the snowy cobbled streets, stroll through Hogwarts, drink butterbeer, shop for sweets in Honeydukes, and even cast your own spells if you buy a magic wand.

Elsewhere in the park, there are plenty of rides for thrill-seekers including Hollywood Dream and The Flying Dinosaur—the scariest rollercoaster I’ve ever been on!

See our favourite Universal Studios Japan rides.

The park gets extremely busy, so avoid weekends and buy your tickets in advance. Consider purchasing an Express Pass to skip the queues.

19) Experience Sensory Overload at the Robot Restaurant

The Robot Restaurant is one of the weirdest things to do in Japan. It’s not actually a restaurant but is a bizarre, high-energy show featuring robots, dragons, ninjas, blue-haired dancers, creepy clowns, guitarists on swings, drummers, and lots of flashing neon lights. It’s incredibly loud, obnoxious, and hilarious.

Don’t pay full price on the door for the Robot Restaurant—buy discounted tickets in advance from Voyagin.

20) Ride the Don Quixote Ferris Wheel in Dotonburi

Don Quixote Ferris wheel in Dotonburi, Osaka

A nighttime visit to Osaka’s Dotonbori neighbourhood is a must-do in Japan with its overwhelming display of neon, giant food models, and many restaurants and food stalls.

Overlooking the river you can ride a unique Ferris wheel in the building of the massive Don Quixote store (great for cheap souvenirs). It’s the strangest looking Ferris wheel as it’s built onto the facade of the store and you ride in a capsule that follows an oval shape up to 77 metres high with views of the river and city.

Top tip: We recommend this spacious Airbnb apartment in the Shinsaibashi neighbourhood of Osaka. It’s walkable to Dotonburi but is in a much quieter area with some great shops and restaurants nearby.

21) Play Taiko Drums in an Arcade

There are so many video game arcades in Japan that you won’t be able to miss them (they are loud and neon!). There’s a wide array of games, and one of the most fun is playing the huge Japanese taiko drums.

The most unique arcade we visited in Japan was the Anato No Warehouse in Kawasaki near Tokyo, which is themed like a seedy back alley in Hong Kong’s Kowloon walled city.

If you want to play real Taiko drums, you can take a class in Tokyo. 

22) Get Lost in the Colourful TeamLab Borderless Museum

TeamLab Borderless is a unique digital art museum in Tokyo. It’s an immersive experience where you walk around in the dark (there’s no map) and interact with a series of colourful exhibitions of light and sound displays.

It’s like no museum I’ve ever been to and is worth braving the crowds for. Make sure you book tickets in advance as it usually sells out, and arrive just before opening. 

23) Brave the Shibuya Crossing

One of the most famous sights in Tokyo is the insane Shibuya Crossing, the world’s busiest pedestrian crossing. Outside Shibuya Station as many as 2500 people cross the road every time the light changes, somehow managing to avoid bumping into each other.

You can head into the crowd yourself or view the action from above in one of the neighbouring buildings (Starbucks is the most popular spot). It looks best at night when all the neon signs are lit up.

Best Japan Activities for Foodies

Food in Japan is an adventure and an art form. Japanese cuisine is universally delicious and beautifully presented whether you pick up a snack from a 7-Eleven (yes, this is the only country I recommend this) or indulge in multi-course fine dining.

Being a vegetarian can be a challenge if you don’t plan in advance, but follow our vegetarian in Japan tips and you’ll eat some of the best meals of your life.

We love eating in Japan and there are many fun and tasty culinary experiences to enjoy.

24) Order Ramen from a Vending Machine

Ramen, or noodle soup, may have its origins in China, but there’s now a no more classic Japanese food experience than enjoying a steaming bowl of ramen. Not only is it utterly delicious, but it’s also one of the quickest and cheapest meals you can find.

In the simplest ramen joints, you make your selection and pay at a vending machine at the entrance and then hand over your ticket to the chef behind the counter who will cook the soup of your choice.

Most ramen is made with meat (or occasionally fish) broth and topped with pork, but vegetarian ramen is becoming more common. Read our vegetarian Tokyo guide for our favourite veggie ramen joints and look out for the chains Kyushu Jangara Ramen and Chabuton.

25) Make Your Own Takoyaki

Iduco Self Tacoyaki bar in Osaka

Takoyaki is a street food from Osaka that consists of batter cooked in ball shapes on an iron plate and stuffed with octopus. It’s not something vegetarians can usually eat, so we were ecstatic to find a tiny takoyaki stand in Osaka that not only does a vegetarian version but also lets you make your own.

The owner of Self Tacoyaki Bar Iduco is a friendly guy, and it was fun making our messy takoyaki and filling them with green onion, pickled ginger, mushroom, konnyaku, puffed rice, and dried seaweed.

26) Try Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is another classic Japanese dish found all over the country but especially in Osaka and Hiroshima. It’s a thick savoury pancake made with a batter of flour and eggs and filled with cabbage and whatever else you want. Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki also contains noodles.

In some okonomiyaki restaurants, you make your own, while in others it’s made on an iron griddle in front of you. It’s a hearty and inexpensive meal.

27) Take a Cooking Class

A cooking class is one of the best things to do in Japan for foodies as you can learn more about Japanese food culture and take home recipes for your favourite dishes.

There’s a wide variety of cooking classes available in Japan where you can learn to make okonomiyaki, sushi, tempura or regional dishes. On our next trip I want to take this vegan ramen making class near Osaka. 

We loved our class with Emi at Uzuki Cooking Class who teaches home-style Japanese cooking in her kitchen in Kyoto. We made a series of beautiful vegetarian dishes using local ingredients. 

28) Indulge in a Kaiseki Meal

One of the 12 courses of our vegan feast at Bon in Tokyo

If ramen is one of the cheapest Japanese meals, kaiseki is the most expensive. Kaiseki is a traditional multi-course meal of the highest quality. A series of small, exquisitely presented dishes are served to guests, usually in beautiful tatami mat rooms. Ingredients are always in season and the presentation enhances the seasonal theme.

Kaiseki meals can be very expensive, but they are a unique experience. Lunch is more affordable than dinner.

If you are vegetarian, look out for the meat-free alternative shojin ryori instead—our favourite place for this is Bon in Tokyo.

29) Drink Matcha with Wagashi

Matcha is a powdered green tea that has a richer flavour than regular tea. A classic Japanese activity is enjoying a bowl of matcha in a traditional tea house accompanied by wagashi, beautiful sweets typically made from rice, red beans, and sugar.

There are many tea houses in Kyoto—we had a great experience at Ippodo Tea Shop. We also loved the view from the tea house at Itchiku Kubota Art Museum in Kawaguchiko.

30) Learn the Art of the Tea Ceremony

Tea ceremony at Gyokusen-en gardens in Kanazawa

Tea isn’t just a drink in Japan and I highly recommend experiencing a traditional tea ceremony to learn more about this important part of Japanese culture.

Kyoto is the home of the tea ceremony, so there are many options such as this authentic tea ceremony near the Golden Temple or this tea ceremony in a traditional townhouse. In Tokyo you can do a tea ceremony at the Bonsai Museum. Some have the option of wearing a kimono which adds to the atmosphere.

We did a tea ceremony at the gorgeous Gyokusen-en Gardens in Kanazawa, which is harder to book than the suggestions above. Ms Nishida, who is from the fifth generation of the family who owns the gardens, took us through the ritual and we learnt the appropriate phrases, how to appreciate the tea bowl, and the concept of “ichi-go ichi-e” which means cherishing the moment as it will never happen again.

Recommended Reading: Our 2 week Japan itinerary includes Kanazawa.

31) Drink Sake at an Izakaya

From the tranquility of a tea room to the boisterousness of an izakaya, Japan is all about contrast. An izakaya is a Japanese pub where you can drink sake (rice wine), beer and other alcoholic drinks accompanied by small tapas-like plates of food.

If you don’t feel brave enough to venture into an izakaya yourself, you can take a tour in Tokyo or Osaka.

32) Eat Sushi

Our vegetarian sushi feast in our room at Morizuya Ryokan in Kinosaki Onsen

Sushi is Japan’s most famous dish so, of course, you’ll want to try it in its homeland. Eating sushi in Japan is different from elsewhere and there are strict rules—see this sushi in Japan guide for tips. 

Sushi comes in many forms. While it all involves rice prepared with sushi vinegar, it doesn’t all include raw fish. Vegetarian sushi made with tofu, cucumber, or other vegetables is harder to find, but you can read our vegetarian Japan guide for ideas.

You can eat sushi everywhere from convenience stores to fine dining restaurants. The most famous (and exceedingly expensive) restaurant is Sukiyabashi Jiro in Tokyo—you can learn more about the revered chef in the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi (also available on Netflix).

It’s a difficult restaurant to get a reservation for, and you can’t just call yourself, but Voyagin can make a reservation for you. A more affordable option is Sukiyabashi Jiro Roppongi, which is run by his son.

Another popular place to try sushi is the Toyosu Fish Market—you can take a private tour or visit yourself (but you’ll need to apply in advance to see the early morning tuna auction).

33) Enjoy a Bento Box on a Train

A bento box is a Japanese lunchbox featuring a range of small dishes with a balance of flavours, textures, and food groups. You can find them in train stations (where they are called ekiben and use local ingredients), convenience stores, and department store food halls.

This being Japan, they are works of art and very tasty. They are ideal for long train rides and picnics in the park.

A typical bento features rice, meat or fish, and pickled vegetables. Vegetarian bentos are not easy to find, but we did get one at Matsumoto in the Isetan department store near Shinjuku Station in Tokyo.

34) Hanami Under the Cherry Blossoms

Locals enjoying hanami at Himeji Castle

Hanami is a Japanese custom of viewing the transient sakura (cherry blossoms) that bloom for a few weeks in spring (usually late March to mid-April in Tokyo and Kyoto). 

The most popular way to enjoy the blossoms is with a picnic under the trees. The Japanese gather in large groups with food and drinks for parties that often last all day and into the night.

To enjoy your own hanami, you can pick up a bento box from a department store or there are many picnic options in convenience stores as well as beers and sake. Look out for sakura-themed items like mochi, kitkats, and even beer.

Our favourite hanami spots were Handayama Botanical Garden in Okayama and Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden in Tokyo where we enjoyed three picnics in a week under the late-blooming cherry trees.

Top Tip: Airbnbs are an affordable option in Tokyo and Shinjuku is our favourite area to stay. We recommend this affordable Airbnb studio that’s a short walk from Shinjuku Gyoen. 

35) Order Hot Coffee or Soup from a Vending Machine

In Japan you’ll find vending machines everywhere—in train stations, on almost every street corner, and even on hiking paths. They are very convenient as you’ll never go thirsty.

Most vending machines sell drinks—cold green tea, milk tea, soft drinks, energy drinks, juice (some with jelly chunks), and water. It’s not just cold drinks, though—in the colder months you can buy a can of hot coffee, tea, and even corn soup to go! You can tell they are hot as they’ll have a red label (rather than blue for cold drinks). You can also find vending machines that sell alcohol.

It may not be the best coffee in the world, but Simon loved the convenience of being able to pick up a can of hot coffee anywhere, especially on cold mornings when we had a train to catch. His favourite was Tully’s—he found the more common Boss coffee (randomly advertised by Tommy Lee Jones) rather gross.

Spiritual Things to Do in Japan

Visiting a Buddhist temple or Shinto shrine is a must do in Japan even if you aren’t religious (we’re not). They are diverse, beautiful, peaceful (sometimes), and fascinating with many rituals to observe. They are often set amongst lovely natural settings in forests or on mountainsides.

The best places to visit temples and shrines are Kyoto (Japan’s capital for 1000 years until 1868) and Nikko (a UNESCO World Heritage Site a few hours north of Tokyo), but you can find them all over the country even in modern Tokyo and Osaka.

Read our Kyoto temples guide for more on the differences between temples and shrines.

36) Stay in a Temple at Koya-San

One of the most unusual things to do in Japan is spend the night in a temple in the sacred mountain town Koya-san, about 90 minutes from Osaka.

Many temples offer shukubo or temple lodging where you can sleep in tatami mat rooms, soak in communal onsen baths, and enjoy delicious shojin ryori vegetarian Buddhist meals. Early in the morning you can join the monks for their chanting and fire ceremony.

We stayed in the cheapest temple accommodation, Haryo-in, but it’s quite basic and not available to book online. Next time I’d pay more for one of the more traditional temples like 1000-year-old Eko-in. 

37) Hike Through Torii Gates at Fushimi Inari

My favourite shrine in Japan and one of the most popular things to do in Kyoto is the unique Fushimi Inari. Thousands of bright orange torii gates snake up through a forest on the side of a mountain and it takes about 90 minutes to complete the full circuit (which I recommend as it’s much quieter at the top).

Fushimi Inari is one of the top tourist attractions in Japan and gets incredibly busy, so I highly recommend arriving before 7 am or after 8 pm to avoid the worst of the crowds.

Although I prefer it early in the morning, hiking it at night feels more adventurous with a slightly spooky atmosphere (watch out for wild boars!). The shrine is free and open 24 hours.

38) Visit the Golden Temple

Another Kyoto highlight is Kinkaku-ji or the Golden Temple. We expected it to be overrated (and it is very crowded), but the shimmering gold pavilion reflected in a pond amongst leafy gardens lived up to the hype.

39) Get Your Fortune Told at a Temple or Shrine

Omikuji are fortune-telling paper strips that can be bought at Japanese temples and shrines. The fortunes range from great good luck to great bad luck (luckily the worst we’ve got is “pretty good”). Some of the more popular temples like the Golden Temple in Kyoto have fortunes in English.

If you get a bad fortune, make sure you leave it at the temple to avert the bad luck—there are dedicated areas to tie them. If it’s a good fortune you should carry it with you.

40) Meditate at a Zen Garden

Zen Buddhist temples usually feature kare-sansui or dry landscape gardens made from rocks and gravel carefully raked into patterns that suggest rippling water. They are simple, elegant, and the perfect place to meditate.

Kyoto is the best place to find Zen temples. Ryoan-ji Temple is the most famous (and crowded), and we enjoyed the gardens at Kennin-ji and Kodai-ji (especially when the cherry tree is in bloom). At Entoku-in we had the chance to create our own miniature garden.

41) Visit a Temple at Night

Night illuminations at Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto

In the spring cherry blossom and autumn leaf seasons some temples open at night. They are beautifully illuminated, sometimes feature special light shows, and it feels like a different experience visiting in the dark. We especially enjoyed night visits to Kiyomizu-dera and Kodai-ji in Kyoto.

42) See the Giant Buddha at Nara

Nara is a wonderful day trip from Kyoto. It was Japan’s first permanent capital and is full of historic treasures including many UNESCO world heritage sites.

The highlight is the immense Daibutsu-den (Hall of the Great Buddha) at Todaiji. It’s the largest wooden building in the world and houses the 15-metre tall gold and bronze statue of Buddha that dates back to 751.

43) Explore the Temples at Nikko

Temple fans shouldn’t miss Nikko, a mountain town full of UNESCO World Heritage temples a few hours north of Tokyo. Many people visit on a day trip, but it’s worth staying overnight to get an early start and avoid the crowds.

Toshogu Shrine is the main attraction and features more than a dozen lavishly decorated red and gold buildings amongst huge, ancient cedar trees. I also recommend playing games at atmospheric Futarasan-jinja and hiking up the mountain to the tranquil Takino shrine.

44) Get Off the Beaten Track at Otagi Nenbutsuji

Otagi Nenbutsuji

My favourite temple in Kyoto is the quirky Otagi Nenbutsuji in the lovely Arashiyama neighbourhood. It’s much quieter than other temples in the area, and the shady temple complex features 1200 stone sculptures of the Buddha’s disciples all with different facial expressions and poses from scary to serene.

Best Beautiful Japan Attractions

There’s so much more to Japan than the cities. You’ll find many gorgeous mountains, lakes, islands, waterfalls, rivers, rice fields, and forests. Temples and shrines are also often in beautiful natural settings, so see the section above as well.

Here are just some of the top things to do in Japan in nature. There are many other options to experience Japan on foot, bike, boat, and skis.

45) Attempt to See Mount Fuji

Mount Fuji just after sunrise at Lake Kawaguchi

For many people the iconic Mount Fuji is a top Japan sightseeing spot. The perfectly shaped volcano is Japan’s highest mountain at 3776 metres, and it’s especially lovely in the winter and spring when it is snow-capped.

The best towns to see Mount Fuji from are the hot spring resort Hakone or the Fuji Five Lakes area (especially the lakeside town Kawaguchiko)—we’ve enjoyed visits to both. Mount Fuji is elusive, though, and is often obscured by cloud. It’s best to allow a few days in the area to increase your chances of seeing the peak.

You can also climb Mount Fuji but only in July and August and it’s a challenging climb.

In Kawaguchiko we stayed at Kawaguchiko Lakeside Hotel, which is close to the lake and has Mount Fuji views. It’s not fancy, but it’s reasonably priced for the area, and our room (with separate living room) was our largest in Japan.

46) Loop Around Hakone

While Hakone is a great place to see Mount Fuji, it also has a lot to offer when the mountain is hiding behind clouds. With the Hakone Freepass you get unlimited rides on transport in the area and can follow a fun loop which includes a pirate ship cruise across Lake Ashi, ropeway (cable car) up a mountain to Owakudani, an active volcanic valley, and a train through the mountains.

We loved staying at the modern ryokan Hotel Musashiya on the shores of Lake Ashi in Moto Hakone where we had fantastic views of the lake from our room and the onsen. It’s close to Hakone-jinja shrine where a large red torii gate overlooks the lake. 

47) Go Cherry Blossom Viewing

Cherry blossoms by the canal in Kinosaki Onsen

Japan in spring lives up to the hype. The fleeting sakura (cherry blossoms) are truly spectacular, and they are everywhere, not just limited to a certain park or canal. It’s a joyous time of year when locals hit the parks for hanami picnics and eat cherry-blossom themed food.

Kyoto and Tokyo are excellent famous cherry blossom spots, but we also enjoyed Okayama where it wasn’t as crowded. Early April is usually the peak sakura season, but it is never guaranteed.

48) Cycle the Countryside

A fantastic way to experience rural Japan is by bike. We really enjoyed a group cycling tour with Satoyama Experience from the adorable town of Hida-Furukawa near Takayama. We learnt about local traditions and cycled past rice fields, rivers, mountains, and idyllic villages.

We also did a DIY half day trip along the Kibi Plain Bike Path past beautiful off-the-beaten-path temples, rice fields, and cherry blossoms. From Okayama take the train to Bizen-Ichinomiya where you can hire a bike one-way to Soja then hop on the train back from there.

49) Walk Through a Bamboo Forest (But Not in Arashiyama)

Bamboo forest at Kodai-ji temple on a rainy night

There’s something magical and very Japanese about a bamboo forest with its towering green stalks swaying in the breeze. By far the most popular bamboo forest in Japan is in Arashiyama in Kyoto, which is considered one of the top things to see in Japan.

Honestly, it’s so crowded that I much prefer the smaller bamboo groves that you find in temples such as Kodai-ji. I encourage you to seek out a more peaceful bamboo forest for yourself.

50) Visit the Art Island of Naoshima

The famous yellow pumpkin on Naoshima island

Naoshima is a rural island in the Seto Inland Sea that has been transformed into a hub of contemporary art. We visited as a day trip from Okayama and hired e-bikes to cycle the island (it’s not very big).

As well as enjoying beautiful coastal views we saw Yayoi Kusama’s famous yellow and red pumpkins and visited several art museums and the unique Art House Project with installations spread over abandoned houses.

51) Stroll a Japanese Garden

You can’t visit Japan and not take a stroll through a traditional garden. There are many styles of Japanese gardens and they all highlight the beauty of nature and avoid artificial components where possible.

Classic elements include moss-covered rocks, carp-filled ponds, stone lanterns, wooden teahouses, maple trees, and cherry blossoms. Many are found at temples.

There are so many to choose from, but some of my favourites are the tiny but exquisite Gyokusen-en Gardens in Kanazawa, Shinjuku Gyoen in Tokyo, and the grounds of Jojakko-ji Temple in Arashiyama, Kyoto.

52) Hike the Historic Nakasendo Trail

The Nakasendo Trail connected Tokyo and Kyoto during the Edo period. Along the journey through the mountains there were many “post towns” where lords and samurai could stop to rest at traditional inns and soak in hot springs.

You can still do a half-day hike on the most scenic part of the trail from Tsumago to Magome (5 miles/ 3 hours). A typhoon prevented us from doing the walk, but we still enjoyed our stay in the picture-perfect traditional Japanese village of Tsumago, which is well-preserved with many wooden buildings.

53) See Traditional Thatched Houses at Hida Folk Village

Traditional grass roof houses at the Hida Folk Village

We thought the Hida Folk Village near Takayama would be too touristy, but the open-air museum is a beautiful place, especially in the autumn. It features traditional thatched houses from across the Hida region that were moved to the museum in 1971. It was fascinating to see what life was like for rural Japanese in the Edo period.

Another option if you have more time is to stay in one of the Gassho-style thatched houses in the village of Shirakawa-go (50 minutes by bus from Takayama).

54) Walk from Kibune to Kurama

A worthwhile half-day trip from Kyoto is to take a 30-minute train ride to the village of Kibune in the Kitayama Mountains. From there you can walk through the forest over the mountain to Kurama-dera, a temple with fantastic views.

Continue to the village of Kurama where you can have a tasty vegetarian lunch at Yoshuji or soak in an onsen before hopping on the train back to Kyoto. Or in the summer you can hike it in the opposite direction and finish with a meal on a platform over the river in Kibune.

It’s an easy, peaceful, and beautiful escape from the city.

Planning Your Japan Itinerary

See our post on the best places to visit in Japan for our top recommendations.

Kyoto and Tokyo are the most popular destinations for first-time visitors and are a good combination for seeing the traditional and modern sides of the country.

I also recommend spending at least one night (more if you have time) in more rural locations such as Hakone (for Mount Fuji), Takayama (for traditional wooden houses), Nikko (for temples), or Koya-san (for an overnight temple stay).

Here’s our recommended Japan 2 week itinerary.

Japan Travel Tips

See our other Japan blog posts for more tips:

Planning a Trip to Japan: Dos and Don’ts

17 Cool Things to Do in Tokyo

Is a Japan Rail Pass Worth it?

Where to Stay in Japan: A Guide to Accommodation Options

15 Fascinating Books to Read Before Visiting Japan

Vegetarian Survival Guide to Japan

I hope this post has given you plenty of ideas for what to do in Japan. Enjoy exploring this weird and wonderful country!

[synnefo-nefeli]

Holiday/ Winter Fic Drabbles: Day 10!!!

Prompt: “P/E, Strange Days Universe, Thanksgiving”

An anon asked for some Omegaverse lawyer dads at thanksgiving during the events of Strange Days.  This story kinda went its own way, anon, but it explains WHY Miles was being so cuddly and snuggly at Thanksgiving, considering that Miles is incredibly reserved for an Omega.  This story takes place about two months before the events of Strange Days occur, so this story is more of an Omegaverse AU of AA5 between AA5-3 and AA5-4/5.

Hope you like it!!

You can read my Ace Attorney Omegaverse AU, Strange Days, over at AO3: http://archiveofourown.org/works/3588921

He found Miles standing by the kitchen door that lead out to the living room, with that wistful far-away look in his eyes.  If he angled himself the right way by the kitchen’s island, Phoenix could follow Miles’ gaze without disturbing his mate.

Just beyond the door, the dining room table, and the opening to the living room he could barely see Trucy and Apollo’s heads bobbing as they talked on the couch.

Snippets of their conversation and soft laughter floated into the kitchen.  He saw Miles lips quirk momentarily for a smile before Phoenix saw the oft expression of melancholy settle upon his mate’s face, punctuated by a hard swallow.

Around this time of the year- barely recovered from the emotions from the autumn mating season before it all mixed with the beginnings of the holiday stress, culminating in the anniversary of both his father’s death and Miles’ own near miss of self-damnation, Miles’ anxieties tended to flare.  Phoenix, however, could sense more anxiety than usual about his mate.

Time for a distraction, “You’re back already?”  Phoenix broached, stepping quietly behind Miles so that his mate wouldn’t panic, pretending that Phoenix hadn’t sensed that his mate had returned from the detention center minutes ago.  That he hadn’t heard the front gate of their new home and Miles’ car enter the garage and the carport door open and close.

Miles back stiffened in response to being caught off-guard, but when he saw Phoenix he quietly nodded, allowing the folded jacket draped on his arm fall onto the stools of the island,

“Yes. The hours were shortened today.”

Phoenix could tell there was something bothering Miles but he instead wrapped his arms about his mate and drew him into a kiss,

“ It’s the holidays- usually people visit. They couldn’t make an exception for the Chief Prosecutor?”

Miles huffed, “More that <i>she</i> couldn’t make an exception for anyone- Chief Prosecutor or not-”

Phoenix caught a whiff of Alpha- female, lesser weight than himself...but similar to Blackquill’s-

“I ran afoul of Simon Blackquill’s older sister,” Miles clarified, “she isn’t kind towards attorneys-”

“Even those who are trying to get her brother out?” Phoenix felt himself bristle, “define ‘afoul’-”

He could feel Miles roll his eyes at him in his repose toward someone being nasty towards his mate, but did not comment, 

“She’s extremely frustrated that’s all, Wright...time is running out. We have less than a month and she feels that I am not doing enough to bring her brother’s case to a retrial.”

“And you just let her cut into you?”  Phoenix asked.

“The beta who is assigned to protect Simon, Fulbright, came to my rescue.”

“I doubt that another Blackquill (Fulbright can barely control him in court and that’s *with* a shock-collar) would take kindly to a Beta detective telling them how to act.”

Miles shrugged, “Better him than me.  Fortunately, Simon distracted both of them with his, ‘shut up and let me hang’ speech, so their attention was off of me.  I like to think Simon was doing me a favor in allowing me to escape at least...however-”

Phoenix felt the long tired sigh spread through Miles body, “I am growing worried that soon it will no longer be just bravado and gallows humor- the reality is, no matter how I review the evidence, no matter which angle of logic I line up, everything points to Simon being the culprit and Simon will be executed,”  the scent of anxiety was rising in Miles,

“and yet there are pieces missing, pieces he is keeping from me, that I know will prove his innocence and end this dark age, but I just...cannot-,” a frustrated swallow.  Miles was burrowing his neck into Phoenix’s own.  Agitation rolling off his mate in this waves.

Momentarily, Phoenix was grateful for Trucy and Apollo being Betas, or else they would both be alerted to Miles’ distress.

Instinctively, he felt himself croon...a deep rumble that usually worked in easing Miles’ stresses.  He rubbed his mate’s back, gently murmuring “it’s okays” and “don’t worries”, before,

“We’ll turn this around, Miles.  Somehow we always do.”

Miles swallowed against Phoenix’s shoulder, resting his head more securely and wrapping himself firmly in his Phoenix’s hold.  

Phoenix just held them there.  Miles anxieties and melancholy rarely reared their head outside of the privacy of their bedroom or the small private nest (but completely un-nest-like) study Miles holed himself within during the season when Phoenix wasn’t around.  Miles was incredibly good at swallowing and concealing his feelings, but sometimes they bubbled forth and his mate spiraled in a way where he needed days to recover.

Miles could not afford to lose his head so close to end, especially if this gambit involving Simon and Phantom was hurtling towards an end- either Simon’s or some other.

“Hey,” Phoenix purred, “everything is going to be fine.  You’re going to be fine.”

Miles shifted in his hold, “You sound like Justice-”

“Yeah, I hear it every day, but after a time it starts to help,” Phoenix rubbed at Miles’ back, “you just need to tell yourself that...and then clear your head.  If only for a few hours.”

Miles made another long sigh, but did not lift his head from Phoenix’s shoulder,

“C’mon.  Apollo came over for dessert and after-dinner games; don’t you want to see Trucy kick my ass at charades? You look forward to that-”

There was a soft laugh against the fabric of his hoodie.  Phoenix pulled against the collar of Miles shirt to expose the back of his mate’s neck.  He found the scarred spot at the juncture with his thumb and gently rubbed it; relishing in the soft relieved noise Miles made,

“Just shut your brain off for a few hours and relax- it’s Thanksgiving, you and I are alive and well, Fran’s going to be here tomorrow with Adrian and your nephew...and we’ve got Trucy and Apollo here ready to have some family fun, okay?”

There was a dither at the word ‘family’, and Phoenix rubbed the spot some more until he felt Miles visibly relax,

“Okay?”

Miles nodded.  Phoenix leaned down and kissed the spot where he’d claimed Miles as his own nearly ten years ago.  He felt the rest of Miles’ anxieties fall away beneath his lips.

“C’mon,” he purred, “go and change into something less stuffy and meet me on the couch-”

“Will it bother your subordinate, if I am more,” Miles searched for a moment, “‘Omega’ this evening?”  

Phoenix wanted to laugh, of course Miles would ask if it was alright to show affection and for physical reassurance,

“I think you’re allowed to be comfortable in your own home, Miles,” Phoenix couldn’t hold back his grin.  It wasn’t everyday that Miles wanted to be cuddly outside of their bedroom, and Phoenix wasn’t about to pass up an opportunity to snuggle his husband, 

“and Apollo won’t judge you or think little of you because you decided to be affectionate to me, your husband- he’s a Beta, Miles, he doesn’t get a lot of the hangups people have about Omegas in power-”

“Are you certain?”

Phoenix sighed and kissed Miles again, “Positive.  If anything, you’ll have to worry more about Trucy snapping pictures of us and texting them to Pearl and Maya with captions that say ‘ooommg they’re so cuuute’, than you eroding any respect Apollo has for you.”

Miles nodded, “Alright.  Let me go and change-” he moved to pick up his jacket, presumably to hang it in the hall closet on his way to their bedroom.

“No cravats,” Phoenix teased, as he coaxed his mate towards the hall.

Miles’ hand shot out and caught his own, linking them before pulling Phoenix towards his mate for another kiss,

“I love you,” Miles breathed when they broke, “I don’t know what I’d do without you to set me straight.”

Phoenix smiled, “I could say the same to you too-” he kissed Miles once more, “I guess that’s the reason you and I make such a great team- we ground one another.”

Miles drew away with a quiet hum of approval and made his way down the hall.  Phoenix wouldn’t lie to himself that Miles melancholy had been cured, it was there, still lurking beneath the surface of all the stresses that swirled within Miles.  However, as he watched his mate walk away, perfect and rigid postured as always, Phoenix noted that Miles shoulders were certainly more relaxed.

The kitchen door swung open to reveal Trucy, “Is Papa home, Daddy?”  Trucy beamed, “I’m getting bored and Apollo refuses to be my target for my knife trick-”

Behind her Apollo yelped, “I am pretty sure your dad doesn’t want you throwing knives in the house...or at people.”

Don’t throw knives at your brother-  Is what he wanted to say, but he bit his tongue for the hundredth time since he had learned the truth that Thalassa had entrusted him with.  He bit down his annoyance of being forced to keep such a secret from two people he cherished, especially knowing how much Apollo desired a family.  

He kissed his daughter on the head as he passed, “I thought you told me that Aunt Fran wasn’t teaching you how to throw knives, Trucy-” his tone was teasing.

“You said that she couldn’t teach me how to throw knives when I was under 16, Daddy,” she chirped following him back into the family room.  

He settled into the couch opposite of Apollo, refreshing his junior associate’s cup of coffee. Trucy bounced into the seat next to Apollo, and he watched them banter for a few moments.

Miles entered minutes later, exchanging pleasantries with Apollo, and receiving an exuberant hug from Trucy, before he settled next to Phoenix; leaning against Phoenix’s side.

It took a few rounds of charades before Miles’ posture totally relaxed against him, and another hour before he was happy to have Phoenix’s arm around him. 

The evening was comfortable and happy.  

The four of them a family.

#omegaverse #ace attorney #Phoenix wright #miles edgeworth #apollo justice #trucy wright #wrightworth #narumitsu #a/b/o #a/b/o dynamics #a/b/o verse

[areswriting]

a x e : xxxi

“Elise… Elise I know you’re out there,” I say, eyes narrowing on the crack between the door and the wall. It opens until I can see her peeking in, and after a few seconds of hesitation, she sighs and opens the door completely. 

“I was only trying to keep Cerise out,” she says, hands up in surrender.

“What are you doing here?” I ask. “I thought you left days ago.”

She shuts the door behind her and slowly makes her way to the chair beside my bed. “There’s no way I could leave you here like this.” She reaches for my hand. “Abram, I love you.”

“That isn’t fair, Elise,” I say, my fingers curling and uncurling before I retract from her touch. “You don’t get to lie to me for months then tell me that you love me.”

“None of this is fair, Abram!” she says. “None of it, ok? I know that, and I know it isn’t fair to sit here and tell you, but, Abram, I have to, because for so long I couldn’t—or wouldn’t. It all seems so stupid now, being afraid to let myself love you, because all along, I’ve loved you so much.”

“You don’t get it, do you? You played mind games with me, not just as one person but as two, and you did it so eloquently,” I say with a curt shake of my head. “What makes you think I could ever trust you again?”

“I’ll prove it to you,” she says, gripping the rail on my bed. “Every day, for as long as it takes. I’ll prove that you can trust me and that I love you, and that I never meant to hurt you.”

“But you won’t—”  

“—I will. I’ll do whatever it takes—”

“Elise,” I raise my voice over hers, “you won’t. You can’t. When they let me out of the hospital, I’m going to live with Gigi.”

Her mouth falls open and her grip on the rail loosens. “In…California?”

I nod.

“For the summer?” she says, eyes hopeful. “Right? Just for the summer.”

“Forever,” I say, then press my lips together. “I’m finishing school there.”

“But…but what about Middlebury, and hockey and your friends and—me and Jason?”

My eyes well will tears and I look away. “There’s nothing for me in Middlebury expect for bad memories.”

△ △ △

A p r i l

It doesn’t storm in Los Angeles—but there’s enough thunder in my heart to shake the whole damn city.

M a y

Nothing comes to bloom here. In this dirt, things only come to die.

J u n e  

I bloodied my knuckles in Her name.

J u l y

We were a firework. We faded faster than we burned bright, exploding all the same.

A u g u s t

My skin feels too tight for my body as I stand in front of the small class that consists mostly of freshmen and sophomores, our too-tall, too-friendly teacher Mr. Parsons introducing me. I know my wounds have healed (the physical ones), but all I see is a disfigured face and an eye swollen shut.

“So, tell us about yourself, Abram,” says Mr. Parsons. “Where are you from?”

“Je vais voir combien de temps je peux me permettre de prétendre que je ne connais pas l'anglais,” I say flatly. “Parce que je préférerais ne parler à personne.”

“Uh…Just go have a seat,” he says, patting me on the shoulder and gesturing to the back of the room.

I slide onto a stool next to a girl with long, curly, blonde hair, and pull my phone out, diligently going back to my Sudoku puzzle as Mr. Parsons continues to the next student.

“Sean O’Brien?”

“Nastassia Scott?”

I glance to my right. The girl nervously shuffles to her feet and I watch the stool teeter. Knowing what was about to happen, I grab the girl by the waist just as her stool begins falls out from under her.

She lets out a squeal that’s drowned out by metal clanking against the tiled floor, and the room erupts with laughter. With a red face, she uses my weight to stand, picks up her stool and hurries head down to the front of the room.

“Well, that’s one way to introduce yourself, Nastassia,” says Mr. Parsons. “Tell us something about yourself, other than your gracefulness.”

“Um, hi,” she says, pushing a curl behind her ear. “I’m Nastassia Scott, but I go by Stassi. I’m fifteen and I just moved here from Nashville, Tennessee.”

“Well, Stassi, welcome to Palisades High,” claps Mr. Parsons, and she stiffly makes her way back to our table.

“Abram, right?” she says once the next student starts speaking.

I look at her and nod.

“Merci, for, um, not letting me fall,” she says each word slowly and uses her hands to help her talk.

I don’t say that I understand her, or that I almost didn’t catch her, or anything at all. I simply shrug.

△ △ △

“I’m glad to hear that you survived your first day of your senior year,” says Gigi as she checks the mirror and switches lanes.

“I still think it’s stupid to start school on a Friday,” I say over the sound of wind whipping through the convertible.  

“It helps to acclimate you, darling,” she replies. “So, Simon called, he’s back from his trip to Italy and wants to see you.”

My spine straightens and I pull my sunglasses up. “Really?”

Gigi glances at me. “Really, but I have reason to believe he won’t be alone.”

“I’m sure Anais will be with him,” I say. “He told me he was planning on proposing.”

“I don’t think she’ll be the only Allaire with him,” says Gigi. “Elise was on the trip as well.”

I wince at the five letters that make up her name—a name I haven’t heard in five months.

“I didn’t say to keep her away from you,” she goes on. “I will, if you ask, though.”

I swallow hard, trying not to choke on my own bitterness. “It doesn’t matter to me—she doesn’t matter to me.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.”

I take to Instagram to see if she’s in towen, only needing to type L-I for lislaire to pop up. I gingerly tap her name, taking care not to hit the follow button, and enlarge the first picture on her account. An In-N-Out burger stares back at me, captioned, when in LA, even if it’s 10:30 in the morning. Posted four hours ago.

△ △ △

Simon being who he is, rented ice time at Toyota’s Sport’s Center and eagerly greets me by the boards. While it isn’t my first time back in skates, I’m still deconditioned. My ankles wobble with poor balance that I haven’t had since I was a kid, and I can’t help the frustration that bubbles from not being as fast as I was before.

“You’re doing a lot better now,” he says as he skates ahead of me.

I pull my mouth guard out, but before I can speak, I lose my footing and fall on my ass. Simon stops and offers his hand, but I choose to pick myself back up with the help of my stick.

“What was that about me doing better?” I ask.

“You’ll get there,” he says as he dusts the back of my Boston jersey off. “You really are doing a lot better. A few months ago you could barely skate.”

I nod instead of arguing and shove my mouth guard back in. Simon drops a puck and shoots it to me, and I manage to get the tip of my stick on it before it passes by. I move it back and forth as I skate forward; movements that used to be fluid and as easy are now mechanic and difficult. On Simon’s command, I shoot the puck into the empty net and try skating backwards.

I make it to the blue line before I miss-skate and flop onto my stomach. I lay there in defeat, unmoving for a moment too long.  

“Abram! I think he’s hurt!” I hear a voice I haven’t heard in five months shout.

God, couldn’t I just have my moment?

I push myself onto all fours, hollering, “I’m fine,” at Simon as he rushes toward me. I stand myself back up and look at the rows of bleachers beside me. Elise stands at the end of them, her hands on the boards.

She stares at me, wide-eyed, and I look back with a scowl before turning and skating away.

“I couldn’t tell her not to come,” says Simon with sadness in my eyes. “She’s my daughter—and things are finally ok between us…So I couldn’t tell her I didn’t want her here.”

“I’m more annoyed that I didn’t notice her in the first place,” I say. “I used to be able to skate without thinking about it, and now I can barely skate without looking and move the puck at the same time.”

We practice for another hour before Simon suggests that we go to dinner. We being all five of us. He chooses a place called Islands by Manhattan Beach, and as luck would have it, we are seated on the patio, three to a table.

Gigi and Anais sit on either side of Simon, leaving Elise and I at our own table beside theirs.

I hide behind my menu, and then behind my phone, until I’m tired of hiding.

“You know, if you’re going to sit there and invade my life, you could at least have the decency to say something,” I say.

Elise’s eyes go wide, and I’m sure I’ve shocked her.

“What? You don’t have anything to say?” I go on, arms folding. “Because you used to have a lot to say. So much that you made up a second person so you could say shit through them, too.”

#ae #my writing

[ultrasfcb-blog]

Meet the one English referee on the World Cup

Meet the one English referee on the World Cup

Meet the one English referee on the World Cup

Picture copyright Getty Photos

Picture caption “I used to be by no means that good as a participant,” says Simon Lount, seen right here on the Rio Olympics in 2016

There are no British referees at the 2018 World Cup, in line with Fifa. However one official was born and raised in Leicester – till a coincidence took him to the opposite aspect of the world.

If Simon Lount hadn’t acquired misplaced 14 years in the past, he might not have discovered himself on the World Cup finals in Russia.

It was 2004 and Simon, then 23, was travelling by Australia and New Zealand.

After spending three days on the Bay of Islands, he dropped his rent automobile in Auckland and went to search out the ferry to Waiheke Island, the place he was staying.

The issue was, he could not discover the terminal. “It was the times earlier than Google maps,” he says.

It was darkish, it was late, and Simon was hundreds of miles from dwelling. After which, as evening drew in, he regarded up and noticed a girl strolling a canine.

Simon was born and raised in Thurnby, a village simply outdoors Leicester. His dad died of coronary heart failure when Simon was 9; he and his older brother, Anthony, have been introduced up by their mum.

He grew up watching soccer – as a season ticket holder at Leicester Metropolis – and taking part in it, for native aspect Houghton Rangers and in school.

“I used to be a centre again,” the 36-year-old says. “Not all the time the most well-liked with referees.”

Whereas finding out for A-Ranges, he labored part-time at Sainsbury’s. “Stacking cabinets, fish counter, meat counter, you title it. As a lot extra time as I may get.”

Can he keep in mind how a lot he earned? “I can truly,” he says. “£3.09 an hour.”

Picture copyright Reuters

Picture caption Simon made it again for one sport of Leicester Metropolis’s against-the-odds Premier League win in 2016 – the 2-2 dwelling draw towards West Ham

Simon went to school, finding out geography at Portsmouth (whereas working part-time at Asda), however dropped out in his second 12 months. “I needed to journey, needed to begin working, needed to do different stuff,” he says.

He went dwelling, labored in gross sales and advertising and marketing along with his brother for 3 years, after which, in 2004, headed for journey Down Underneath.

After three months working for Travelodge in Sydney, he travelled spherical Australia with a good friend, then headed south to New Zealand. And that is when he acquired misplaced in Auckland.

“I noticed this lady coming in direction of me, strolling a canine,” he says. “I finished her and mentioned ‘Excuse me, have you learnt the best way to the ferry terminal?’

“She mentioned ‘It is this fashion – however you will not get the subsequent ferry. You may have to attend till 10 o’clock [for the next one].’ I believed, ‘Oh effectively, there’s nothing else I can do.’

“I walked off and thought: ‘She was very good.’ Inside a minute, she had turned up subsequent to me in her automobile – she felt actually dangerous leaving this poor, susceptible, easy English fellow strolling the streets of Auckland at nighttime!”

Earlier than being dropped off, Simon requested for her quantity. He and Sarah began courting, and have been married the next 12 months.

“I made the ferry and acquired a spouse on the identical time,” he says.

Picture copyright Simon Lount

Picture caption Simon Lount, his spouse Sarah, and sons Benjamin (8) and Alexander (5)

Earlier than assembly Sarah, Simon’s plan was to go again to Sydney for Christmas 2004, then return to England.

As a substitute, he stayed in New Zealand for Christmas, and went again to England for 10 days in January. He acquired his visas, then broke the information to his mum: sorry, I am shifting to the opposite aspect of the world.

“She was fairly shocked,” he says. “However joyful on the identical time.”

Simon was already a professional referee – he did the course as a part of his Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme in England – however hadn’t refereed a senior sport. Whereas taking part in native soccer in New Zealand, Sarah urged he began once more.

He refereed 70 matches in his first 12 months, incomes $25 or $26 a time (round £13). He was observed by assessors and, by the top of that first season, was refereeing the highest division’s reserve crew video games.

In 2008, he turned a linesman – often known as an assistant referee – within the nation’s high division. After two seasons, he had a trial sport to turn out to be a referee in the identical league. He was an excellent referee, he was advised, however a greater linesman.

“No-one watches refereeing and thinks, ‘I might like to run up and down that line with a flag in my hand,'” admits Simon.

“Individuals get into refereeing to be within the center. To be a part of the sport, up shut and private, making the choices. I used to be no totally different.”

However even in 2010, Simon was fascinated with the World Cup in Russia. He had extra likelihood of constructing it as a linesman, so he made the decision – he would deal with that.

Sadly, calling offsides would not pay the payments.

In New Zealand – and nearly each different nation – referees and their assistants will not be full-time. They earn modest quantities, and should steadiness refereeing with “regular” jobs.

Since 2005, Simon has labored for Hafele, which provides furnishings fittings and architectural hardware. The corporate is “unbelievably supportive”, and he can work remotely. However, he says, it’s “very, very arduous” having two careers.

“You ask any referee around the globe,” he says. “For the fellows in England [Premier League referees are full-time] it’s their occupation. For me, my occupation was working for my firm.”

Simon and Sarah additionally had a rising household, with their second son born in July 2012. Six weeks earlier than, Simon was 2,000 miles away within the Solomon Islands, officiating on the Oceania equal of the European Championships.

Was he nervous about lacking the start? “It wasn’t contact and go,” he says. “Nevertheless it was attending to that stage.”

Picture copyright Getty Photos

Picture caption Simon (left) along with his crew – referee Matthew Conger (centre) and assistant Tevita Makasini. The participant is Juan Sebastian Quintero Fletcher of Colombia

As Simon’s status grew, so did his air miles. After the Solomon Islands, his tournaments included the Rio Olympics in 2016, and the Underneath-20 World Cup in South Korea a 12 months later.

Simon was a part of a refereeing “crew”, alongside New Zealand referee Matthew Conger, and fellow linesman Tevita Makasini from Tonga. With the intention to construct understanding, they labored the identical matches.

In November final 12 months, Conger realized he had been chosen for the World Cup – however that did not imply his assistants have been.

Referees may be picked with their crew, or on their very own. In March, Simon was in a lodge room in New Zealand, after a piece operate, when he acquired a missed name from Conger, who was within the US (the place he’s from).

Simon checked his e-mail and noticed the information – he had earned a spot on the World Cup.

“I used to be sharing a room [with a colleague],” he says. “I simply rolled over and mentioned ‘Oh mate – I’ve acquired it! I’ve acquired it!”

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Though Simon has a British passport, and retains a semi-English accent, he’s a New Zealand citizen. “It is the place my kids have been born, it is the place my spouse’s from, it is dwelling,” he says.

And whereas New Zealand did not qualify, he would not anticipate to get any England video games, both. This, in spite of everything, is a person who remembers cheering on Paul Gascoigne and firm within the 1990 World Cup.

Simon arrived in Russia on Sunday, after a piece journey to Germany. The coaching is tough, the stress is large, however he is thrilled to be there.

“It has been an extended journey, plenty of tournaments, plenty of coaching,” he says. “However this was the last word objective.”

It is a great distance from the fish counter at Sainsbury’s, is not it? “It actually is,” he says.

How totally different it may have been, if, 14 years in the past, he had discovered the ferry terminal first time spherical.

BBC Sport – Football ultras_FC_Barcelona

ultras FC Barcelona - https://ultrasfcb.com/football/5484/

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[shakeel786blog]

Eight times celebrities messed up on social media

Image copyright BBC/Getty Images/ITV

Roseanne Barr has had her sitcom axed after posting a racist tweet about a former aide to President Obama.

Within just a few short hours of the offensive remark made about Valerie Jarrett, Roseanne’s recently-revived (and hugely popular) show had been cancelled.

In a statement, ABC confirmed the cancellation, calling Barr’s tweet “abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values”.

But Roseanne isn’t the first celebrity to have damaged her career via comments made on social media.

Here’s a look at eight other stars who have suffered serious consequences:

1. Jack Maynard

Image copyright ITV/REX/Shutterstock

Image caption Jack Maynard said he was “young” and “careless” when he posted racial and homophobic tweets

Jack Maynard pulled out of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2017 after just three days in the jungle.

The YouTube star, who has 1.4 million followers, left after a series of tweets – most of which dated from 2011 to 2013 – were published in the Sun while he was in Australia.

It emerged that as well as racist and homophobic tweets, Jack had also asked a 14-year-old fan to send him nude pictures on his Facebook account.

Maynard later apologised saying he was “young” and “careless” when he sent the posts, adding: “Don’t put anything online you wouldn’t say to your mum.”

2. James Arthur

Image caption James Arthur had to cede control of his social media to his management in 2013

The pop star had to cancel his engagements in November 2013 after suffering a Twitter meltdown.

The Say You Won’t Let Go singer used abusive language to One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson and former X Factor winner Matt Cardle.

Things came to a head when he unveiled a rap song in which he used a homophobic slur against musician Micky Worthless and advised him to shoot himself.

The star apologised on Twitter saying he was “deeply deeply sorry to any gay or lesbian people out there”.

A few months later Arthur was officially dropped from Simon Cowell’s record label Syco, with Cowell commenting: “I think James, unfortunately, has had so many issues with what he has done publicly – which is a real issue with me. Somebody should have told him to shut up and just put the records out.”

3. Azealia Banks

Image copyright AFP/Getty Images

Image caption “Words hurt…”

The 212 rapper was dropped from her UK booking agency and axed from her headline slot at grime and hip-hop festival Born & Bred following racist and homophobic tweets to Zayn Malik.

Her Twitter account was also blocked after the string of aggressive tweets aimed at the Pillowtalk singer.

The row started when Banks claimed Malik had copied her work for his new video, Like I Would.

Banks also posted a string of derogatory comments about the UK rap scene, saying that British rappers “never have swag” and British rap music was a “disgrace” to the genre.

The US rapper later apologised for using homophobic language in a Facebook post saying: “Words hurt. And while I may be immune to every word and be thicker skinned than most, it doesn’t mean that I get to go around treating people with the same toughness that made my skin so thick.

“Because, that IS how people get thick skin… by being subjected to name calling/belittlement/abuse and it’s not fair.”

4. PewDiePie

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption YouTube cancelled the release of the Swedish star’s series Scare PewDiePie 2

The Swedish YouTube star used the N-word in one of his videos in January 2017 and was accused of anti-Semitism later in the same month.

As a result, Disney announced in February 2017 they would cut cut ties with PewDiePie – real name Felix Kjellberg – who at the time was the world’s highest-paid YouTuber.

He was also dropped from the Google Preferred advertising programme, and his YouTube Red series was cancelled.

The Swede later apologised for using the racial slur during a video live stream, saying he was an “idiot”, but defended himself against claims of anti-Semitism, saying the comments had been taken out of context.

5. Kathy Griffin

Image copyright CNN

Image caption Kathy Griffin and Anderson Cooper had co-hosted CNN’s New Year programme for years

US broadcaster CNN ditched comedian Kathy Griffin from its New Year programme after she posed with a fake decapitated head of President Donald Trump.

Griffin apologised after it provoked outrage – her New Year’s Eve co-host Anderson Cooper said he was appalled.

In addition, Griffin lost a number of other jobs as a consequence of the joke.

Trump said it was “sick” and his wife Melania called the photo “disturbing”.

“Kathy Griffin should be ashamed of herself,” said the president. “My children, especially my 11-year-old son, Barron, are having a hard time with this.”

In a video message posted on Twitter, Griffin “begged” for forgiveness and said she had “crossed a line” – however she later retracted the apology telling ABC’s The View: “I’m not holding back on this family. This family is different.”

6. Josh Rivers

Image copyright Gay Times

Image caption Josh Rivers lasted as Gay Times Editor for just a few weeks

The Gay Times editor was sacked in 2017 just weeks after taking up the role when anti-Semitic and sexist tweets were discovered on his account.

Rivers sent a series of tweets between 2010 and 2015 making offensive comments about women, Jewish people, Chinese people, lesbians, transgender people, and people he thought were overweight or ugly.

Gay Times issued a statement saying it “does not tolerate such views”, adding that all articles written by Rivers had been removed.

Following the termination of his post, Josh Rivers apologised, telling the BBC he was “appalled” by his posts.

7. Ten Walls

The DJ and producer was dropped from major festivals including Creamfields and Sonar as well as being axed from the books of his UK agency following homophobic comments on Facebook.

The Walking with Elephants star compared gay people to paedophiles in a post that’s now been removed.

He also described the LGBT community as a “different breed”.

The Lithuanian musician, whose real name is Marijus Adomaitis, apologised for his post: “I’m really sorry about its insulting content which does not reflect my true opinion. I hope this misunderstanding will not provoke any more thoughts and opinions. Peace.”

Read more:

8. Katie Hopkins

Image copyright PA

Image caption LBC staff “cheered and applauded” when it was announced Hopkins had been sacked, according to BBC media editor Amol Rajan

The presenter was sacked from her LBC phone-in show after a tweet that called for a “final solution” to Islamic terrorism.

She posted the tweet – which has since been deleted – in the wake of the Manchester terror attack, and some suggested it was a reference to the Nazi extermination of the Jews.

Hopkins later altered the post to read “true solution”, describing the earlier version as a “mis-type”.

Several high-profile personalities had vowed not to appear on the station until she was removed.

Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected].

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Meet the one English referee on the World Cup

Meet the one English referee on the World Cup

Meet the one English referee on the World Cup

Picture copyright Getty Photos

Picture caption “I used to be by no means that good as a participant,” says Simon Lount, seen right here on the Rio Olympics in 2016

There are no British referees at the 2018 World Cup, in line with Fifa. However one official was born and raised in Leicester – till a coincidence took him to the opposite aspect of the world.

If Simon Lount hadn’t acquired misplaced 14 years in the past, he might not have discovered himself on the World Cup finals in Russia.

It was 2004 and Simon, then 23, was travelling by Australia and New Zealand.

After spending three days on the Bay of Islands, he dropped his rent automobile in Auckland and went to search out the ferry to Waiheke Island, the place he was staying.

The issue was, he could not discover the terminal. “It was the times earlier than Google maps,” he says.

It was darkish, it was late, and Simon was hundreds of miles from dwelling. After which, as evening drew in, he regarded up and noticed a girl strolling a canine.

Simon was born and raised in Thurnby, a village simply outdoors Leicester. His dad died of coronary heart failure when Simon was 9; he and his older brother, Anthony, have been introduced up by their mum.

He grew up watching soccer – as a season ticket holder at Leicester Metropolis – and taking part in it, for native aspect Houghton Rangers and in school.

“I used to be a centre again,” the 36-year-old says. “Not all the time the most well-liked with referees.”

Whereas finding out for A-Ranges, he labored part-time at Sainsbury’s. “Stacking cabinets, fish counter, meat counter, you title it. As a lot extra time as I may get.”

Can he keep in mind how a lot he earned? “I can truly,” he says. “£3.09 an hour.”

Picture copyright Reuters

Picture caption Simon made it again for one sport of Leicester Metropolis’s against-the-odds Premier League win in 2016 – the 2-2 dwelling draw towards West Ham

Simon went to school, finding out geography at Portsmouth (whereas working part-time at Asda), however dropped out in his second 12 months. “I needed to journey, needed to begin working, needed to do different stuff,” he says.

He went dwelling, labored in gross sales and advertising and marketing along with his brother for 3 years, after which, in 2004, headed for journey Down Underneath.

After three months working for Travelodge in Sydney, he travelled spherical Australia with a good friend, then headed south to New Zealand. And that is when he acquired misplaced in Auckland.

“I noticed this lady coming in direction of me, strolling a canine,” he says. “I finished her and mentioned ‘Excuse me, have you learnt the best way to the ferry terminal?’

“She mentioned ‘It is this fashion – however you will not get the subsequent ferry. You may have to attend till 10 o’clock [for the next one].’ I believed, ‘Oh effectively, there’s nothing else I can do.’

“I walked off and thought: ‘She was very good.’ Inside a minute, she had turned up subsequent to me in her automobile – she felt actually dangerous leaving this poor, susceptible, easy English fellow strolling the streets of Auckland at nighttime!”

Earlier than being dropped off, Simon requested for her quantity. He and Sarah began courting, and have been married the next 12 months.

“I made the ferry and acquired a spouse on the identical time,” he says.

Picture copyright Simon Lount

Picture caption Simon Lount, his spouse Sarah, and sons Benjamin (8) and Alexander (5)

Earlier than assembly Sarah, Simon’s plan was to go again to Sydney for Christmas 2004, then return to England.

As a substitute, he stayed in New Zealand for Christmas, and went again to England for 10 days in January. He acquired his visas, then broke the information to his mum: sorry, I am shifting to the opposite aspect of the world.

“She was fairly shocked,” he says. “However joyful on the identical time.”

Simon was already a professional referee – he did the course as a part of his Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme in England – however hadn’t refereed a senior sport. Whereas taking part in native soccer in New Zealand, Sarah urged he began once more.

He refereed 70 matches in his first 12 months, incomes $25 or $26 a time (round £13). He was observed by assessors and, by the top of that first season, was refereeing the highest division’s reserve crew video games.

In 2008, he turned a linesman – often known as an assistant referee – within the nation’s high division. After two seasons, he had a trial sport to turn out to be a referee in the identical league. He was an excellent referee, he was advised, however a greater linesman.

“No-one watches refereeing and thinks, ‘I might like to run up and down that line with a flag in my hand,'” admits Simon.

“Individuals get into refereeing to be within the center. To be a part of the sport, up shut and private, making the choices. I used to be no totally different.”

However even in 2010, Simon was fascinated with the World Cup in Russia. He had extra likelihood of constructing it as a linesman, so he made the decision – he would deal with that.

Sadly, calling offsides would not pay the payments.

In New Zealand – and nearly each different nation – referees and their assistants will not be full-time. They earn modest quantities, and should steadiness refereeing with “regular” jobs.

Since 2005, Simon has labored for Hafele, which provides furnishings fittings and architectural hardware. The corporate is “unbelievably supportive”, and he can work remotely. However, he says, it’s “very, very arduous” having two careers.

“You ask any referee around the globe,” he says. “For the fellows in England [Premier League referees are full-time] it’s their occupation. For me, my occupation was working for my firm.”

Simon and Sarah additionally had a rising household, with their second son born in July 2012. Six weeks earlier than, Simon was 2,000 miles away within the Solomon Islands, officiating on the Oceania equal of the European Championships.

Was he nervous about lacking the start? “It wasn’t contact and go,” he says. “Nevertheless it was attending to that stage.”

Picture copyright Getty Photos

Picture caption Simon (left) along with his crew – referee Matthew Conger (centre) and assistant Tevita Makasini. The participant is Juan Sebastian Quintero Fletcher of Colombia

As Simon’s status grew, so did his air miles. After the Solomon Islands, his tournaments included the Rio Olympics in 2016, and the Underneath-20 World Cup in South Korea a 12 months later.

Simon was a part of a refereeing “crew”, alongside New Zealand referee Matthew Conger, and fellow linesman Tevita Makasini from Tonga. With the intention to construct understanding, they labored the identical matches.

In November final 12 months, Conger realized he had been chosen for the World Cup – however that did not imply his assistants have been.

Referees may be picked with their crew, or on their very own. In March, Simon was in a lodge room in New Zealand, after a piece operate, when he acquired a missed name from Conger, who was within the US (the place he’s from).

Simon checked his e-mail and noticed the information – he had earned a spot on the World Cup.

“I used to be sharing a room [with a colleague],” he says. “I simply rolled over and mentioned ‘Oh mate – I’ve acquired it! I’ve acquired it!”

You might also like:

Though Simon has a British passport, and retains a semi-English accent, he’s a New Zealand citizen. “It is the place my kids have been born, it is the place my spouse’s from, it is dwelling,” he says.

And whereas New Zealand did not qualify, he would not anticipate to get any England video games, both. This, in spite of everything, is a person who remembers cheering on Paul Gascoigne and firm within the 1990 World Cup.

Simon arrived in Russia on Sunday, after a piece journey to Germany. The coaching is tough, the stress is large, however he is thrilled to be there.

“It has been an extended journey, plenty of tournaments, plenty of coaching,” he says. “However this was the last word objective.”

It is a great distance from the fish counter at Sainsbury’s, is not it? “It actually is,” he says.

How totally different it may have been, if, 14 years in the past, he had discovered the ferry terminal first time spherical.

BBC Sport – Football ultras_FC_Barcelona

ultras FC Barcelona - https://ultrasfcb.com/football/5484/

#Barcelona

#Football

[ultrasfcb-blog]

Meet the one English referee on the World Cup

Meet the one English referee on the World Cup

Meet the one English referee on the World Cup

Picture copyright Getty Photos

Picture caption “I used to be by no means that good as a participant,” says Simon Lount, seen right here on the Rio Olympics in 2016

There are no British referees at the 2018 World Cup, in line with Fifa. However one official was born and raised in Leicester – till a coincidence took him to the opposite aspect of the world.

If Simon Lount hadn’t acquired misplaced 14 years in the past, he might not have discovered himself on the World Cup finals in Russia.

It was 2004 and Simon, then 23, was travelling by Australia and New Zealand.

After spending three days on the Bay of Islands, he dropped his rent automobile in Auckland and went to search out the ferry to Waiheke Island, the place he was staying.

The issue was, he could not discover the terminal. “It was the times earlier than Google maps,” he says.

It was darkish, it was late, and Simon was hundreds of miles from dwelling. After which, as evening drew in, he regarded up and noticed a girl strolling a canine.

Simon was born and raised in Thurnby, a village simply outdoors Leicester. His dad died of coronary heart failure when Simon was 9; he and his older brother, Anthony, have been introduced up by their mum.

He grew up watching soccer – as a season ticket holder at Leicester Metropolis – and taking part in it, for native aspect Houghton Rangers and in school.

“I used to be a centre again,” the 36-year-old says. “Not all the time the most well-liked with referees.”

Whereas finding out for A-Ranges, he labored part-time at Sainsbury’s. “Stacking cabinets, fish counter, meat counter, you title it. As a lot extra time as I may get.”

Can he keep in mind how a lot he earned? “I can truly,” he says. “£3.09 an hour.”

Picture copyright Reuters

Picture caption Simon made it again for one sport of Leicester Metropolis’s against-the-odds Premier League win in 2016 – the 2-2 dwelling draw towards West Ham

Simon went to school, finding out geography at Portsmouth (whereas working part-time at Asda), however dropped out in his second 12 months. “I needed to journey, needed to begin working, needed to do different stuff,” he says.

He went dwelling, labored in gross sales and advertising and marketing along with his brother for 3 years, after which, in 2004, headed for journey Down Underneath.

After three months working for Travelodge in Sydney, he travelled spherical Australia with a good friend, then headed south to New Zealand. And that is when he acquired misplaced in Auckland.

“I noticed this lady coming in direction of me, strolling a canine,” he says. “I finished her and mentioned ‘Excuse me, have you learnt the best way to the ferry terminal?’

“She mentioned ‘It is this fashion – however you will not get the subsequent ferry. You may have to attend till 10 o’clock [for the next one].’ I believed, ‘Oh effectively, there’s nothing else I can do.’

“I walked off and thought: ‘She was very good.’ Inside a minute, she had turned up subsequent to me in her automobile – she felt actually dangerous leaving this poor, susceptible, easy English fellow strolling the streets of Auckland at nighttime!”

Earlier than being dropped off, Simon requested for her quantity. He and Sarah began courting, and have been married the next 12 months.

“I made the ferry and acquired a spouse on the identical time,” he says.

Picture copyright Simon Lount

Picture caption Simon Lount, his spouse Sarah, and sons Benjamin (8) and Alexander (5)

Earlier than assembly Sarah, Simon’s plan was to go again to Sydney for Christmas 2004, then return to England.

As a substitute, he stayed in New Zealand for Christmas, and went again to England for 10 days in January. He acquired his visas, then broke the information to his mum: sorry, I am shifting to the opposite aspect of the world.

“She was fairly shocked,” he says. “However joyful on the identical time.”

Simon was already a professional referee – he did the course as a part of his Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme in England – however hadn’t refereed a senior sport. Whereas taking part in native soccer in New Zealand, Sarah urged he began once more.

He refereed 70 matches in his first 12 months, incomes $25 or $26 a time (round £13). He was observed by assessors and, by the top of that first season, was refereeing the highest division’s reserve crew video games.

In 2008, he turned a linesman – often known as an assistant referee – within the nation’s high division. After two seasons, he had a trial sport to turn out to be a referee in the identical league. He was an excellent referee, he was advised, however a greater linesman.

“No-one watches refereeing and thinks, ‘I might like to run up and down that line with a flag in my hand,'” admits Simon.

“Individuals get into refereeing to be within the center. To be a part of the sport, up shut and private, making the choices. I used to be no totally different.”

However even in 2010, Simon was fascinated with the World Cup in Russia. He had extra likelihood of constructing it as a linesman, so he made the decision – he would deal with that.

Sadly, calling offsides would not pay the payments.

In New Zealand – and nearly each different nation – referees and their assistants will not be full-time. They earn modest quantities, and should steadiness refereeing with “regular” jobs.

Since 2005, Simon has labored for Hafele, which provides furnishings fittings and architectural hardware. The corporate is “unbelievably supportive”, and he can work remotely. However, he says, it’s “very, very arduous” having two careers.

“You ask any referee around the globe,” he says. “For the fellows in England [Premier League referees are full-time] it’s their occupation. For me, my occupation was working for my firm.”

Simon and Sarah additionally had a rising household, with their second son born in July 2012. Six weeks earlier than, Simon was 2,000 miles away within the Solomon Islands, officiating on the Oceania equal of the European Championships.

Was he nervous about lacking the start? “It wasn’t contact and go,” he says. “Nevertheless it was attending to that stage.”

Picture copyright Getty Photos

Picture caption Simon (left) along with his crew – referee Matthew Conger (centre) and assistant Tevita Makasini. The participant is Juan Sebastian Quintero Fletcher of Colombia

As Simon’s status grew, so did his air miles. After the Solomon Islands, his tournaments included the Rio Olympics in 2016, and the Underneath-20 World Cup in South Korea a 12 months later.

Simon was a part of a refereeing “crew”, alongside New Zealand referee Matthew Conger, and fellow linesman Tevita Makasini from Tonga. With the intention to construct understanding, they labored the identical matches.

In November final 12 months, Conger realized he had been chosen for the World Cup – however that did not imply his assistants have been.

Referees may be picked with their crew, or on their very own. In March, Simon was in a lodge room in New Zealand, after a piece operate, when he acquired a missed name from Conger, who was within the US (the place he’s from).

Simon checked his e-mail and noticed the information – he had earned a spot on the World Cup.

“I used to be sharing a room [with a colleague],” he says. “I simply rolled over and mentioned ‘Oh mate – I’ve acquired it! I’ve acquired it!”

You might also like:

Though Simon has a British passport, and retains a semi-English accent, he’s a New Zealand citizen. “It is the place my kids have been born, it is the place my spouse’s from, it is dwelling,” he says.

And whereas New Zealand did not qualify, he would not anticipate to get any England video games, both. This, in spite of everything, is a person who remembers cheering on Paul Gascoigne and firm within the 1990 World Cup.

Simon arrived in Russia on Sunday, after a piece journey to Germany. The coaching is tough, the stress is large, however he is thrilled to be there.

“It has been an extended journey, plenty of tournaments, plenty of coaching,” he says. “However this was the last word objective.”

It is a great distance from the fish counter at Sainsbury’s, is not it? “It actually is,” he says.

How totally different it may have been, if, 14 years in the past, he had discovered the ferry terminal first time spherical.

BBC Sport – Football ultras_FC_Barcelona

ultras FC Barcelona - https://ultrasfcb.com/football/5484/

#Barcelona

#Football

[ultrasfcb-blog]

Meet the one English referee on the World Cup

Meet the one English referee on the World Cup

Meet the one English referee on the World Cup

Picture copyright Getty Photos

Picture caption “I used to be by no means that good as a participant,” says Simon Lount, seen right here on the Rio Olympics in 2016

There are no British referees at the 2018 World Cup, in line with Fifa. However one official was born and raised in Leicester – till a coincidence took him to the opposite aspect of the world.

If Simon Lount hadn’t acquired misplaced 14 years in the past, he might not have discovered himself on the World Cup finals in Russia.

It was 2004 and Simon, then 23, was travelling by Australia and New Zealand.

After spending three days on the Bay of Islands, he dropped his rent automobile in Auckland and went to search out the ferry to Waiheke Island, the place he was staying.

The issue was, he could not discover the terminal. “It was the times earlier than Google maps,” he says.

It was darkish, it was late, and Simon was hundreds of miles from dwelling. After which, as evening drew in, he regarded up and noticed a girl strolling a canine.

Simon was born and raised in Thurnby, a village simply outdoors Leicester. His dad died of coronary heart failure when Simon was 9; he and his older brother, Anthony, have been introduced up by their mum.

He grew up watching soccer – as a season ticket holder at Leicester Metropolis – and taking part in it, for native aspect Houghton Rangers and in school.

“I used to be a centre again,” the 36-year-old says. “Not all the time the most well-liked with referees.”

Whereas finding out for A-Ranges, he labored part-time at Sainsbury’s. “Stacking cabinets, fish counter, meat counter, you title it. As a lot extra time as I may get.”

Can he keep in mind how a lot he earned? “I can truly,” he says. “£3.09 an hour.”

Picture copyright Reuters

Picture caption Simon made it again for one sport of Leicester Metropolis’s against-the-odds Premier League win in 2016 – the 2-2 dwelling draw towards West Ham

Simon went to school, finding out geography at Portsmouth (whereas working part-time at Asda), however dropped out in his second 12 months. “I needed to journey, needed to begin working, needed to do different stuff,” he says.

He went dwelling, labored in gross sales and advertising and marketing along with his brother for 3 years, after which, in 2004, headed for journey Down Underneath.

After three months working for Travelodge in Sydney, he travelled spherical Australia with a good friend, then headed south to New Zealand. And that is when he acquired misplaced in Auckland.

“I noticed this lady coming in direction of me, strolling a canine,” he says. “I finished her and mentioned ‘Excuse me, have you learnt the best way to the ferry terminal?’

“She mentioned ‘It is this fashion – however you will not get the subsequent ferry. You may have to attend till 10 o’clock [for the next one].’ I believed, ‘Oh effectively, there’s nothing else I can do.’

“I walked off and thought: ‘She was very good.’ Inside a minute, she had turned up subsequent to me in her automobile – she felt actually dangerous leaving this poor, susceptible, easy English fellow strolling the streets of Auckland at nighttime!”

Earlier than being dropped off, Simon requested for her quantity. He and Sarah began courting, and have been married the next 12 months.

“I made the ferry and acquired a spouse on the identical time,” he says.

Picture copyright Simon Lount

Picture caption Simon Lount, his spouse Sarah, and sons Benjamin (8) and Alexander (5)

Earlier than assembly Sarah, Simon’s plan was to go again to Sydney for Christmas 2004, then return to England.

As a substitute, he stayed in New Zealand for Christmas, and went again to England for 10 days in January. He acquired his visas, then broke the information to his mum: sorry, I am shifting to the opposite aspect of the world.

“She was fairly shocked,” he says. “However joyful on the identical time.”

Simon was already a professional referee – he did the course as a part of his Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme in England – however hadn’t refereed a senior sport. Whereas taking part in native soccer in New Zealand, Sarah urged he began once more.

He refereed 70 matches in his first 12 months, incomes $25 or $26 a time (round £13). He was observed by assessors and, by the top of that first season, was refereeing the highest division’s reserve crew video games.

In 2008, he turned a linesman – often known as an assistant referee – within the nation’s high division. After two seasons, he had a trial sport to turn out to be a referee in the identical league. He was an excellent referee, he was advised, however a greater linesman.

“No-one watches refereeing and thinks, ‘I might like to run up and down that line with a flag in my hand,'” admits Simon.

“Individuals get into refereeing to be within the center. To be a part of the sport, up shut and private, making the choices. I used to be no totally different.”

However even in 2010, Simon was fascinated with the World Cup in Russia. He had extra likelihood of constructing it as a linesman, so he made the decision – he would deal with that.

Sadly, calling offsides would not pay the payments.

In New Zealand – and nearly each different nation – referees and their assistants will not be full-time. They earn modest quantities, and should steadiness refereeing with “regular” jobs.

Since 2005, Simon has labored for Hafele, which provides furnishings fittings and architectural hardware. The corporate is “unbelievably supportive”, and he can work remotely. However, he says, it’s “very, very arduous” having two careers.

“You ask any referee around the globe,” he says. “For the fellows in England [Premier League referees are full-time] it’s their occupation. For me, my occupation was working for my firm.”

Simon and Sarah additionally had a rising household, with their second son born in July 2012. Six weeks earlier than, Simon was 2,000 miles away within the Solomon Islands, officiating on the Oceania equal of the European Championships.

Was he nervous about lacking the start? “It wasn’t contact and go,” he says. “Nevertheless it was attending to that stage.”

Picture copyright Getty Photos

Picture caption Simon (left) along with his crew – referee Matthew Conger (centre) and assistant Tevita Makasini. The participant is Juan Sebastian Quintero Fletcher of Colombia

As Simon’s status grew, so did his air miles. After the Solomon Islands, his tournaments included the Rio Olympics in 2016, and the Underneath-20 World Cup in South Korea a 12 months later.

Simon was a part of a refereeing “crew”, alongside New Zealand referee Matthew Conger, and fellow linesman Tevita Makasini from Tonga. With the intention to construct understanding, they labored the identical matches.

In November final 12 months, Conger realized he had been chosen for the World Cup – however that did not imply his assistants have been.

Referees may be picked with their crew, or on their very own. In March, Simon was in a lodge room in New Zealand, after a piece operate, when he acquired a missed name from Conger, who was within the US (the place he’s from).

Simon checked his e-mail and noticed the information – he had earned a spot on the World Cup.

“I used to be sharing a room [with a colleague],” he says. “I simply rolled over and mentioned ‘Oh mate – I’ve acquired it! I’ve acquired it!”

You might also like:

Though Simon has a British passport, and retains a semi-English accent, he’s a New Zealand citizen. “It is the place my kids have been born, it is the place my spouse’s from, it is dwelling,” he says.

And whereas New Zealand did not qualify, he would not anticipate to get any England video games, both. This, in spite of everything, is a person who remembers cheering on Paul Gascoigne and firm within the 1990 World Cup.

Simon arrived in Russia on Sunday, after a piece journey to Germany. The coaching is tough, the stress is large, however he is thrilled to be there.

“It has been an extended journey, plenty of tournaments, plenty of coaching,” he says. “However this was the last word objective.”

It is a great distance from the fish counter at Sainsbury’s, is not it? “It actually is,” he says.

How totally different it may have been, if, 14 years in the past, he had discovered the ferry terminal first time spherical.

BBC Sport – Football ultras_FC_Barcelona

ultras FC Barcelona - https://ultrasfcb.com/football/5484/

#Barcelona

#Football