#I’ve made like 2 full trip itineraries

[wynco]

Wish my ADHD would focus on important things like studying for the genetics exam I have this week that I’m not at all prepared for instead of focusing on trout like it currently is

#native California trout #specifically #I’ve made like 2 full trip itineraries #girl you are going to fail

[tiramisiyu]

【未定事件簿】 Tears of Themis: “Romantic Rail Getaway” Zuo Ran Route, Day 1

Translation Masterlist | Themis Event Masterlist

Zuo Ran Route: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5

Videos, where applicable, are hyperlinked on the headings in the post.

See under cut!

Part 1 – Vacation Invitation

Street

Today, Zuo Ran and I went to Jinlan District together to deal with a legal aid case, finishing it very smoothly.

After busily working, my mood was great and I couldn’t help imagining how I’d happily spend the rest days off after.

MC: Lawyer Zuo, didn’t Big Sister Zhai Xing say that she’d give us a break after this case…

MC: Have you thought about how you’re going to spend the days off?

Zuo Ran: I haven’t decided yet. What about you?

MC: … I’ll probably find somewhere with great scenery to hang out at for a few days.

Zuo Ran: You want to… travel on your own?

MC: Mhmm, because Yao Yu – the friend that works at the geographic magazine publishing company – sought me out for help again…

MC: She wants me to take a few sets of pictures with the theme “the most beautiful sceneries” when traveling.

Zuo Ran: Where are you thinking about traveling to?

MC: I’ve thought about it, although… I haven’t made a final decision yet.

MC: Right, Lawyer Zuo, do you have any recommendations?

Zuo Ran sank into silence for a bit, seeming to consider my question seriously.

Zuo Ran: I recommend Rumbaliya. The cultural attractions and natural sceneries there are all very good.

Zuo Ran: Plus, they’ve recently opened a new train trip route, on which you can see multiple popular attractions.

Zuo Ran: If you want to travel, Rumbaliya should be a decent choice.

MC: Ah…

Zuo Ran: What’s the matter, did I say something wrong?

It wasn’t wrong – instead, it was a major coincidence.

When I was looking up trip guides before, I developed an interest in Rumbaliya. It was just that I hadn’t made a decision yet…

I didn’t think that Zuo Ran would end up recommending this place. Could you call this the work of the heavens’ will?

Zuo Ran: Of course, I’m only stating some suggestions, and you can just listen to them. What’s important is choosing somewhere you like…

MC: Hm, I like Rumbaliya, so I’ve decided that it’ll be Rumbaliya!

MC: The places recommended by Lawyer Zuo will definitely not be wrong.

Zuo Ran: … How about we travel together?

MC: Eh?

Zuo Ran: I was thinking… if you’re taking trip photos, it might not be easy to do so yourself.

Zuo Ran: Plus, having a companion when traveling might be better…

MC: That’s great – I was just planning to ask you if you wanted to go together.

MC: So it’s decided then?

Zuo Ran: Yes – after I get back tonight, I’ll look up the trip routes again.

A distinct smile revealed itself on Zuo Ran’s face, the light in his eyes entrancing me for a moment.

--

Very soon, we finished arranging our itinerary, ordered the pain tickets, and stepped towards the Rumbaliya trip together.

Circulating Trip Train Start Station

MC: The sunlight feels so warm! The weather today is great – it suits a day spent heading out on a trip.

The sunlight cast in through the glass ceiling, shining warmly on each guest that was preparing to board the train.

Standing in the starting train station situated in the city on the border of Rumbaliya, looking all around…

It felt like I was far away from the clamor of the modern city scene, and I’d walked into the past century.

Zuo Ran: MC, it might be quite busy at the ticket gate later, so it might be better to hold your train ticket.

MC: I’m holding it.

I waved the train ticket in my hand, indicating that I’d prepared appropriately.

Zuo Ran: The train is almost in the station – let’s wait at the platform.

Zuo Ran: There’s a large glass window beside the seats I booked, so we can enjoy the sceneries on the route.

MC: Awesome, I can take some short videos for Yao Yu through the train window on the way.

Zuo Ran: Mhmm. Before the train arrives at the first stop, it will pass by a flower field, and the scenery there should be quite good.

Zuo Ran considerately introduced the sceneries that could be seen on the train trip for me, as well as some suitable photo-taking attractions…

It was so detailed that it was like he had personally seen those flower fields and little towns.

MC: Lawyer Zuo, have you gone before?

Zuo Ran: I haven’t… it’s also my first time going.

MC: Eh?! But your introductions are so detailed…

Zuo Ran: When I was making the trip guide, I also checked them.

He saw it online when making the guide?!

My god, how many little bits of materials would he have needed to check to do this?

MC: Lawyer Zuo, you’re way too amazing!

Zuo Ran: I just… wanted to prepare more thoroughly so you could have peace of mind.

MC: Mhmm, I feel particularly at peace when coming out with you.  

Zuo Ran: … That’s good.

It seemed like Zuo Ran’s mood was very good when he heard my answer, with an evident smile on his expression.

Zuo Ran: Right, when the train arrives at Rumba City, where do you want to go to first?

Zuo Ran: I originally booked tickets for a musical and wanted to invite you to see it together…

Zuo Ran: Although when I was looking at the guides, I noticed that the central plaza has a street performance that’s very popular.

Zuo Ran: So I thought… it would be better to have you decide.

MC: Hm…

A brilliant musical was definitely worth enjoying, but a street performance must definitely also be very interesting.

Both sound pretty good… which should I choose?

>See musical >See street performance

MC: Let’s go see the musical – wouldn’t it be such a pity if we don’t go when the tickets have been bought?

MC: After we finish seeing the musical, we can walk down the street if there’s time, so we might be able to see other street performances.

Zuo Ran: Then we’ll follow the original plan and see the musical first.

MC: Sure.

Zuo Ran: I’m looking forward to our trip very much.

MC: Mhmm, same here!

  >See musical >See street performance

MC: I want to see the street performance… but would this waste the tickets that you ordered with a lot of difficulty?

Zuo Ran: It’s alright – the tickets can be returned, so you don’t need to worry.

MC: Thank you Lawyer Zuo – as long as it’s not too much trouble for you…

Zuo Ran: You… don’t need to worry too much. When traveling, you should go based on what you like when choosing an event to visit.

MC: Lawyer Zuo…

Zuo Ran: Let’s go, the train’s almost here. I’m looking forward to our trip very much.

--

“Toot”… The long sound of the whistle grew closer, drawing the gazes of all travelers on the platform.

MC: The train is already here, so let’s go.

Perhaps my cheerful tone was too evident, as Zuo Ran also smiled with me.

Zuo Ran: Alright.

  Part 2 – Rumba Commerce Street – “Exploring the Capital of Literature and Art”

Rumba City

Rumbaliya, the “Capital of Literature and Art”, was a famous trip destination due to its beautiful surroundings, buildings, and art collections.

Only when I stood on the foreign streets for real did I get a deep understanding of this phrase.

Right after I walked out of the train station, the buildings on the two sides of the street, with their combinations of art and classic atmosphere, caught my gaze.

MC: So beautiful… I feel like it was right to come here.

Zuo Ran: We can board the trip bus to head to the city commerce street. I’m sure that the street views there will be even better.

MC: Mhmm, I’ve got a feeling that… I’ll be able to finish Yao Yu’s photo-taking mission today.

As we talked, we arrived at the trip bus stand, preparing to board the bus visit the city centre. However…

MC: Huh, why isn’t there even a single vehicle…

--

As we waited for around half an hour, not a single vehicle passed by.

Many of the travelers waiting with us were already restless, complaining unceasingly.

Zuo Ran: Perhaps something unexpected happened so that the vehicle is temporarily late.

MC: Mhmm, Lawyer Zuo, how about we go ask the staff about the situation?

Zuo Ran: Alright.

When we walked into the travel service area, a staff member greeted us as soon as she saw us.

Staff: My apologies, did you come to ask about the trip bus being late?

--

INTERROGATION START

Trip Bus

MC: Did the bus encounter some sort of situation?

Staff: Ah, I’m truly sorry.

Staff: They’ve been doing construction near the trip station. Because the road is under construction, it’s very easy for the vehicles to run into traffic congestion.

Staff: Please wait a little more – the trip bus might still require around 15 minutes to arrive.

The staff member dealt with our confusion in a skilled manner – looks like she has been asked this question many times in the past while.

MC: So this was why… no wonder it hasn’t come yet…

Staff: I’m very sorry. We will also send this feedback to the road construction workers as soon as possible.

MC: No problem, it’s understandable.

Staff: Thank you for understanding. Is there anything else you need help with?

Recommended Attractions

MC: Could you recommend some popular attractions for us?

Though I’d already established the trip plan with Zuo Ran before, I still wanted to listen to a professional’s recommendations.

Staff: I recommend that you two see the Golden Church, Yati Bell Tower, and Rumba Opera House.

Staff: These places are full of an artistic and romantic atmosphere, and visitors can experience the grace of Rumbaliya right away from these.

Gold Church

MC: Mhmm, I saw an intro to the Golden Church when looking up guides. It seems like it’s the oldest church in Rumbaliya…

Staff: Yes, the Golden Church is a sacred location from ancient Rumbaliya. There are even many prized artworks kept in the church, left by past dynasties.

Staff: Since the church’s outer wall and ramified dome is decorated with gold leaf, it looks dazzling under the sun…

Staff: So it was grandly named the “Golden Church”.

MC: (I feel like if we visit there… I’ll definitely take very beautiful trip photos!)

MC: Lawyer Zuo, if we have time, how about we go see the Golden Church?

Zuo Ran: There aren’t many things scheduled for today and we have lots of free time. You can go anywhere you want.

MC: Awesome!

Yati Bell Tower

MC: Where is Yati Bell Tower?

Staff: The Yati Bell Tower is near the Rumba central square. It’s one of the landmark buildings in Rumba City.

Staff: The bell tower is around 100 metres tall, and each wall is carved with the golden lion of Rumbaliya’s ancient legends as decoration.

Staff: The highest level of the bell tower overlooks the attractions in all the city.

MC: (A photo from a bird’s eye view must be spectacular! When there’s time later, we’ll go see.)

Rumba Opera House

MC: Lawyer Zuo, the opera house you wanted to see before was Rumba Opera House, right?

Zuo Ran: Mhmm, many masterpieces handed down from the past have been performed at Rumba Opera House, and the building itself is an extremely good display of Rumbaliya’s characteristic charm. It’s one of the landmark buildings in the city.

Staff: This mister sure is professional – you can tell that he prepared a trip guide carefully.

Staff: The Rumba Opera House combines the best of the Baroque and Gothic styles in its building style.

Staff: Simultaneously, it incorporates local Rumbaliya classic characteristics, so the entire opera house looks richly elegant and very artistic.

Staff: Visitors who’ve gone to the opera house are completely enchanted by its beauty.

MC: (Hm, I’ll go see with Lawyer Zuo later.)

INTERROGATION END

Staff: Is there anything else you would like to ask?

MC: Nothing else, thank you.

Staff: No problem, this is what I should do.

Staff: Right, this is our Rumbaliya travel recommendation handbook…

Smiling, the staff member handed a booklet to me from in front of the counter.

Staff: Some popular attractions and routes are marked on the handbook. You can refer to this map for sightseeing.

MC: Thank you, I feel like it really will be a lot easier with this.

Staff: Then, I hope you two have fun.

 Part 3 – Rumba Art Street

[Gameplay]

Part 4 – Rumba Cuisine Plaza

[Gameplay]

 Part 5 – Golden Church Area

[Gameplay]

 Part 6 – Yati Bell Tower

[Gameplay]

 Part 7 – The Issue Illuminated by Scenery

Rumba Characteristic Restaurant

After the day’s itinerary ended, Zuo Ran and I chose a restaurant that was famous in Rumba City to dine at.

The restaurant wasn’t large, and the ancient decoration style amid the simplicity gave me a very comforting feeling.

The one downside was that there weren’t enough waiters in the restaurant, so guests needed to come to the counter to order themselves.

Zuo Ran: What do you want to eat?

MC: You decide – I trust you!

Zuo Ran: Then you can take a seat and relax for a bit. I’ll order the dishes.

MC: Mhmm!

As I waited for Zuo Ran to order, I turned on my tablet, choosing the scenic photos that I was planning to send to Yao Yu.

MC: The photo of the riverside reflecting the street is pretty good. Hm, the full picture of the opera house under sunset is also decent…

I selected a few sets of photos that I was satisfied with, compressing, packing, and sending the email in one go.

MC: Done!

Right then, I heard some conflict in the neighbouring booth… it seemed like a guest was criticizing something.

???: How do you calculate the cash amounts? What a fraud! Refund me!

???: From what I see, you just bully foreign visitors!

MC: (There are… people fighting over there?)

As we were separated by a door, I could only faintly hear a few sentences, and couldn’t tell what had happened.

After, there were a few more indistinct sounds of fighting from the booth, but the sound was quickly squashed… everything returned to peace again.

MC: (There’s no sound again. I’m guessing that it was just a little conflict…)

I was just hesitating about whether to go to the booth and look. Right then, the sound of familiar footsteps neared… Zuo Ran had returned.

Zuo Ran: MC, what’s the matter?

If I told Zuo Ran, wouldn’t I seem too gossipy? Might as well not bother…

Thus, I turned the topic away with a smile.

MC: Nothing… right, Lawyer Zuo, what did you order?

Zuo Ran: I ordered some characteristic dishes with relatively high ratings. I hope it’ll suit your tastes.

MC: I’m looking forward to it!

--

Very soon, the dishes Zuo Ran ordered arrived. The dishes were placed all over the table, the fragrance making my appetite increase.

Zuo Ran: You need to drink this milk sauce-braised fish soup while hot.

Zuo Ran placed a fish soup that had been braised until milky-white in front of me.

The fresh, sweet fragrance provoked my sense of smell. I placed down the camera and picked up the soup spoon… when the mouthful of fish soup entered my stomach, it dispelled a day’s worth of exhaustion.

MC: Delicious! I originally thought that cream paired with fish might be a bit greasy, but it’s actually this freshly sweet and tasty!

The soft, tender fish meet with the fish bones removed had already melted in the soup, and each mouthful was enjoyable.

As if displaying a treasure, I filled a bowl of fish soup and pushed it in front of Zuo Ran, looking at him earnestly.

MC: You try it too – it’s really delicious!

Zuo Ran: Mm, they seem to directly put the raw fish meat here in the cream soup to stew here…

Zuo Ran: I originally thought that this method would leave a fishy taste. I didn’t think that the taste would be so surprisingly good.

MC: Then are you going to consider stealing some methods?

Zuo Ran: I’ll try.

As we spoke, we tasted the characteristic delicacies of Rumbaliya, enjoying the satisfying comfort of vacation.

Suddenly, the vibration of my phone broke this moment of happiness. I turned on my phone – it was a reply from Yao Yu.

“These scenic pictures haven’t reached the “most beautiful”. What I want is the most beautiful scenery you experience in your trip.”

MC: Ah, this…

Zuo Ran: What’s the matter?

MC: Looks like I’ve failed…

I showed Zuo Ran Yao Yu’s message and the package of photos I just sent.

Only after Zuo Ran looked several times over at each photo and returned the tablet back at me did he continue speaking.

Zuo Ran: I actually think that the photos you’ve taken have no problems themselves.

Zuo Ran: The atmosphere of this one, with the church under the sun, as well as these ones of the lighting on the lake surface, are all very good.

MC: Lawyer Zuo, don’t bother consoling me… these photos have been completely “returned”.

Zuo Ran: It’s not consolation. You taking beautiful photos is the truth.

Zuo Ran: I just think that… what your friend wants aren’t these photos with exquisite lighting and composition. Rather, it’s something else…

MC: Something else?

Zuo Ran’s words were like a clear spring pouring in my mind, washing away the frustration that had accumulated in my mind.

I tried to grasp at some important message, but I kept feeing like I was missing something, and I couldn’t push aside the fog that had enshrouded my eyes.

Zuo Ran: Don’t rush, take it slow. The train will arrive at Dilly Square tomorrow…

Zuo Ran: It’s said that Rumbaliya’s art centre is there, and the scenery there is outstandingly beautiful. Perhaps you will get new inspiration when we get there.

MC: True, there’s still several days’ worth of itineraries after this! I’m sure that there will definitely be even more beautiful sceneries awaiting us.

Zuo Ran’s gentle voice dispersed the confusion and commiseration in my heart.

It was as he said – perhaps it was a bit early for me to define “the most beautiful sceneries” right at the beginning of the trip.

I might as well patiently discover and appreciate these things in the upcoming trip itinerary.

#Tears of Themis #tears of themis translations #未定事件簿 #zuo ran #artem wing #mihoyo #tot translation #weiding shijian bu

[927roses-and-stuff]

Miracles in Gotham: Chapter 4: Unwelcome Discoveries (Part 2)

Hey, guys! This fic is inspired by @ozmav’s Maribat AU. Shoutout to @mystery-5-5 for brainstorming ideas with me for this fic. 

Woah, updating twice within the same week? It’s like I finally learned how to manage my time!... Not. Honestly this is my stress relief right now because I have two papers due tomorrow and those subjects are not as much fun to write about. On another note, I just finished my midterm and passed! So, yay! Anyways, hope you guys enjoy and have a little bit of luck come your way too. 

Btw, after you’re reading this can you guys please tell me if I’m writing too much angst after reading through this chapter??? I am writing what I think would logically happen in this type of scenario, but I also tend to be really pessimistic. 

If you want to see more, follow: #miraclesingotham or ask to be added to the tag list.

Tag list: @northernbluetongue @zerotosiki @spicybelladonna @my-name-is-michell @legendaryneckjudgestudent @lokiifriggasonn

First Previous Next Fanfic

By the time Marinette entered the classroom, her mood had lifted considerably from moments before. She sat at her usual seat and prepared her things as the rest of the class filed in. Her mood was slightly disrupted by a disgruntled Lila who roughly swept past her, but otherwise it seemed like today was finally going to be a normal day; well as normal as one could get in Paris, anyway. As the last remaining students settled in, Mme. Bustier walked into the room with a huge stack of papers. She settled them on her desk before addressing everyone. 

“Good morning, everyone!” 

“Good morning, Mme. Bustier,” the class parroted back in varying degrees of enthusiasm. Mme. Bustier smiled in satisfaction. 

“Now before we begin our usual morning exercise, I would like to call up Marinette and Alya to help me distribute these packages for you. I will give you a few minutes to look through it before discussing it further,” she said, as she split the pile of papers in half and handed one half to each girl. Marinette’s eyes bulged. The stack of papers consisted of multiple stacks of paper about twenty pages long each. She and Alya shared a glance before obeying Mme. Bustier’s orders. She started at Chloe and Sabrina’s desk and ended with Rose and Juleka at the back. Then, she returned to her seat, analyzing the stack of papers in front of her.

“Wayne Enterprises Sponsored International Connections Program in Gotham City, USA Information Package and Permission Forms”

After that was a bunch of paragraphs that Marinette skimmed over. The first few pages detailed what the program was for, their accommodations, costs for travel along with what necessary documents were needed, and all sorts of other details that made Marinette dizzy. The next few pages after that outlined the risks specific to Gotham and resources that students and their guardians were strongly recommended to review before even stepping onto Gotham grounds. The pages after that were permission forms asking for the legal guardian’s consent, her personal info, insurance, etc. 

Needless to say, the whole class was baffled. In fact, some of them were downright lost, considering they didn’t even know a Gotham City existed in the US. Or what Wayne Enterprises was supposed to be and why they were offered to join this program. Only Max and Alya seemed excited at the prospect of the field trip, judging on the excited murmurs that Marinette could hear. She picked up on the word “vigilantes” from Alya and “greatest detective” from somewhere behind her  and suddenly it all made sense. She wasn’t sure if she heard correctly, but she was pretty sure she heard Lila talking in self-assured whispers to the confused people around her. She held in a scoff, before returning her attention to the papers in front of her.

Marinette frowned, closing the package and pushing it away from her. She waited for Mme. Bustier to explain the details more clearly. Unfortunately, Marinette already knew there was no way she could go, at least, not without risking Paris’ safety. 

“If you have finished, please bring your attention to me. I will explain everything. Please leave all your questions till the end,” Mme. Bustier said, clapping her hands to get everyone’s attention. “As you may have noticed, this opportunity has been given to us by M. Bruce Wayne of Wayne Enterprises. He has chosen our school as a trial school for a program that he wants to implement next year to help expand student achievement nationally and internationally. As well as to encourage young students like yourselves to make connections with students from other countries. In fact, I believe it was Mayor Bourgeois who sent M. Wayne a glowing recommendation of our class from fundraising events to everyone’s extracurriculars and achievements! I am so proud of all of you.” 

At the front, Chloé straightened in her seat and smiled smugly. Beside her, Sabrina was looking from Chloé to the stack of papers in front of her in disbelief. The class was in a similar state of shock, and soon whispers erupted excitedly from most people in the class before Mme. Bustier silenced them all. 

Oh, that made sense, Marinette thought. Despite the sense of pride she felt for herself and the class (their hard work deserved some reward after all, especially with all the akumas recently), she knew Mayor Bourgeois was not the type of person to recommend just anyone from the goodness of his heart. He had recommended this class to M. Wayne for Chloé’s own success. Which was a bit of a shame, Marinette thought, since Chloé had more than enough resources to find opportunities for herself. However, she couldn’t help but feel grateful to whatever deity convinced Mayor Bourgeois to include the class, anyway.

“Anyways,” Mme. Bustier said when the class had calmed down. “I expect everyone here to listen to what I have to say and take it to heart.” Mme. Bustier’s voice settled lowered, her tone becoming dangerously low. “This program is a huge opportunity however, Gotham City is full of many risks and I am making it absolutely mandatory for everyone in this room, as well as their legal guardians to use the sources outlined under “Risks to be Aware of While in Gotham City” Section. While M. Wayne has assured the supervisors for the trip as well as M. Damocles that our accommodations will be in Gotham’s financial district, there is still going to be danger; more than what we’re accustomed to in Paris.” 

At the end of her spiel, the atmosphere in the room weighed heavy on Marinette. She had never seen Mme. Bustier so strict before, her teal eyes piercing through everybody in the room. 

“Um, Mme. Bustier?” Lila spoke and stood up. The class swivelled their attention to her. “I’ve actually been to Gotham City and have met M. Wayne before for a humanitarian project. I’m sure M. Wayne will make sure to do everything to keep us safe.” 

“That may be, Lila, but I assure you, these instructions were given to me by M. Wayne himself via email. He will do his best to make sure our trip is as safe as possible, but that means we need to do our part in keeping ourselves safe.” 

Blinking owlishly, Lila faltered. “Yes, of course, Mme. Bustier.” She forced a smile. “I was just saying so because it would be an absolute shame for anyone to miss out on such a great opportunity!” 

Marinette rolled her eyes. Sure, she thought. That, or she just wanted everyone to know that she knew Bruce Wayne- whoever he was- and be impressed.  At least she didn’t claim that she saved Bruce Wayne’s horse or something similar. Or claim to be friends with the vigilantes Alya had been fangirling about earlier.

The rest of the morning was spent going through the rest of the package from how to ensure that everyone had their visa, to what they should bring and how they should behave while they were there. Marinette frowned; there was something off about this trip. She wasn’t sure whether it was the duration of the trip ( which had a minimum of one month, with extra time being granted in case of any future interruptions), or why an American company would choose this specific French class for the trial program instead of a class in say, London, or any other country that spoke English. It seemed that Max was thinking along the same lines as her, because the moment Mme. Bustier finished, his hand shot up in the air. 

“Yes, Max?” 

“I have a few questions concerning this program. Why is there a minimum allotted time for our stay? Would our parents need to agree to any extension of staying? And how are we supposed to communicate or even understand anything when most of us don’t speak English?” 

Mme. Bustier smiled. “Those are all excellent questions. As I have said before, Gotham City is dangerous so there might be trips that are part of the program that will need to be rescheduled or we may need to take a later flight in case anything happens at the airport. Therefore, we need to be aware that our trip may last longer than the required month. Next, while we are there, you will be put in remedial English classes along with any classes you choose to take at Gotham Academy for the duration of our stay. This way, you will have the opportunity to brush up your English skills.” 

Alya was quick to stand up and shoot her hand in the air. “Will we be going on any field trips outside of Gotham City? Like Metropolis?” 

Mme. Bustier stared at her. “Maybe, but as for now, all details of the trip are included in the itinerary in your packages.” 

Alya deflated, slumping in her seat. Marinette turned toward her and whispered, “What’s so special about Metropolis?”

She perked up and whispered excitedly. “It’s the home of Superman, Booster Gold and Blue Beetle!” Marinette had absolutely no clue -nor any real desire to know- who those were. It didn’t seem to matter as Alya rambled on. “And, and, and, it’s also the home to Pulwitzer prize-winning journalist Lois freaking Lane  from the Daily Planet. I love her. I think I told Nino once that I would leave him for her (Nino gave an affirmative “uh huh”) if the opportunity ever arose and he said he wouldn’t mind as long as he could be with Superman. But that’s alright because Lois Lane is a badass and I love her; she is a genius-” 

“Ahem.” Mme. Bustier coughed. Alya stopped mid-speech and laughed sheepishly. Her voice must have been louder than she realized.

“Sorry Mme. Bustier.” 

“No problem, Alya. Just keep your excitement until the end of class.” She smiled softly. “And, I will see if I can mention your love for Lois Lane to M. Wayne.”

The way Alya froze in her seat, her jaw unhinged and wide eyes, Marinette wasn’t sure if she was in normal shock or if Mme. Bustier had actually managed to kill her with words. She chuckled before nudging her side to bring her back to reality. Shaken out of her stupor, Alya thanked Mme. Bustier and sat in her seat. Her smile was record-breakingly wide and she seemed to vibrate in place. 

Letting out a giggle, Marinette was ecstatic for her best friend. Sure, she may not know the superheroes she mentioned, and still wasn’t too sure of who Lois Lane was, but Alya looked like she won a million euros and meeting her idol would be a great opportunity. As Alya continued to freak out however, she shared glances between Adrien and Nino in front of her and had to stifle their laughter. 

Maybe if Alya did meet Lois Lane and Superman, and Gotham vigilantes, she could share her excitement with Marinette when the class returned to Paris. 

The rest of the day had been pretty normal, with the addition of excitement in the air as her class discussed the trip to Gotham. Students from other classes seemed to be split between being jealous of the class for the opportunity, or relieved at the foreseeable absence of what they dubbed as “the akuma class.” Students from her own class huddled together in their small groups, already planning on what they wanted to do, what they thought Gotham would be like, and how they were excited to meet any cute Americans. Marinette couldn’t help but let their excitement affect her as well. Not only was going abroad always a cause for excitement but surely it was a relief to be able to leave Paris in the foreseeable future. It was exhausting being targeted by stupid demonic butterflies and sucking up your feelings like they didn’t exist (Unless you were Lila, then you cried and let everyone worry about your emotional state and any akumas that could come from it, that is). However, Marinette had a feeling that this trip to Gotham would stir a lot of drama within their class, when everyone had the chance to reveal any negative emotions without the consequence of an akuma around. 

Well, that was that, she supposed as she went home for the lunch break, the permission forms tucked under her arm. She had been half tempted to chuck them in a bin somewhere, but knew her parents would be pissed if she didn’t tell them. Thus, she entered the bakery and once there was a lull in the orders, asked both of her parents if they could talk. 

She led them upstairs in the living room and placed the bundle of papers on the dining room table. Marinette briefly explained the program and let them read through the package carefully. By the time they finished, Marinette only had an hour left of her two hour lunch break. 

“So?” She prompted, trying to gauge their reactions. 

Her maman and dad exchanged a glance and nodded, before turning back to her. 

“You’re definitely going.” Her maman said, putting the package back on the table. 

Marinette’s jaw dropped. “Wait, Maman, don’t you need some more time to think about this?” She couldn’t believe it. She should’ve chucked the package in a bin. 

Her dad frowned. “Marinette, we don’t like it either, and it’s not...ideal, but we believe it’s for the best if you stay away from Paris for now.” 

Marinette’s eyes widened, glancing back and forth between her maman and dad. “What do you mean?” 

Her maman sighed. “Ever since we almost got akumatized on the day you were expelled, me and your father have been talking, and well, Paris isn’t safe for you anymore. It hasn’t been for a long time.”

Her dad nodded in agreement. Marinette felt befuddled. She felt like she definitely lost a few brain cells. 

“Gotham City isn’t safe either, Maman, Papa. Didn’t you see the risks listed?” Marinette asked, grabbing the package and desperately scouring through the package. This was so not happening; she couldn’t afford to leave Paris. 

She heard a sigh coming from her maman, before her hands settled on Marinette’s own. Marinette glanced up to stare at her maman’s cloudy grey gaze. “It’s definitely not ideal, and we wish you were somewhere safer, but I trust that M. Wayne and the school administration would never have allowed this to happen if it was too risky.” 

“But-” 

“And, “ her dad interjected before Marinette could continue. “If this hadn’t come up, we would’ve sent you away with your grandmère and you would’ve had to pause your schooling and travel around Europe with her until it was safe to come back home.” 

“Or,” her maman added, giving Tom a small glare. “We would’ve sent you to Shanghai with your uncle Wang. At least this way, you can continue with your schooling and still be with your friends under the maximum amount of protection.” 

Her breathing turned heavy at her words. Her heart was beating faster, was it just her imagination or did it feel like the room was stuffier than before. She didn’t understand. Why now? They had been planning to send her away. She pressed a hand against her chest to try to control her breathing. In through the nose, out through the mouth. It had been a calming trick Master Fu had shown her when she had been at the edge of getting an anxiety attack. 

Not for the first time, Marinette wished she could just tell her parents she was Ladybug. Then again, maybe that would’ve motivated them further to get her out of Paris. 

No, her maman and papa loved her. They just wanted her to be safe. They weren’t aware she’d been taking care of Paris all this time. 

She felt her maman’s warm presence beside her as her papa engulfed them both. She barely registered the apologies her maman whispered as she stroked her hair. She was too busy pushing down all her anxieties. 

She couldn’t risk getting akumatized. 

Her lunch break had been long over by the time she had calmed down. By then, both her maman and papa had returned to the bakery with promises that they would talk about this tomorrow and that they would call the school to report her absence for the afternoon. 

Marinette barely registered them as she trudged up to her bedroom. Then her bathroom. Shower. Dry hair. Change of clothes. Bed. 

She didn’t know what to feel. She didn’t notice the kwamis flying towards her and snuggling with her, in her hair and the crook of her neck. 

“What do I do?” She asked listlessly. 

Tikki floated to her field of vision. “Marinette. It’ll be okay.” 

“How?” 

Tikki didn’t give an answer. She sighed and sat up. She was going to write in her diary until she read her last entry. Right. Marianne. She sighed. She’d call her and then go on an early patrol of the city. 

She didn’t want the helplessness that came with being Marinette.

Taking a long, deep breath, she grabbed her tablet and called Marianne through video chat. Surprisingly, despite her age, Marianne adapted to technology pretty well. She and Master Fu were living somewhere in London, enjoying their retirement together. Marinette liked to keep up with them regularly, since she missed Master Fu, and their present now gave her hope for her own future. 

She waited for the screen to load, and smiled widely when Marianne’s face entered the screen. She looked like she had just gotten home; the makeup she was wearing was starting to fade, and her hair was tied in a slightly wet updo bun.

“Marinette! Bonjour! How have you been, darling?” Marinette noticed that she had adopted a slight British accent when she talked. It hadn’t been that long since they last talked, so maybe her and Master Fu had been going out more. 

“Bonjour Marianne.” She softly waved her hand. “Everything’s fine actually. How are you and Master Fu?”

Marianne smiled, re-focusing her own screen so Marinette could see her more clearly. “Everything’s been great. Wang has taken to liking massage parlors again. We just visited one yesterday.” 

Marinette smiled fondly. She could feel Wayzz’s presence on her shoulder as he listened intently. If anyone had been more devastated than Marinette about Master Fu’s amnesia and departure, it would have been Wayzz. It had taken a long time for him to open up to Marinette and the other kwamis, often leaving the Oolong tea she brewed for him to run cold. Fortunately, he was getting better and opening up more. Their love for Master Fu had been what helped he and Marinette bond together as a new Guardian and kwami. 

“I’m glad. It seems like you two are really happy.” 

Marianne squinted her eyes; she could feel her gaze through the screen. “Why did you call, Marinette?”

“I, ah, had a question about the Miraculous actually. I was wondering if your time with Master Fu before had given you any insight to them.” 

Marianne frowned slightly, rubbing her chin. “I’ve picked up on a few things, but Wang was really secretive. I’ll give it my best shot for you, dear.” 

“Thank you! I was wondering if you had any clue as to why the Miracle Box turned into an egg when Master Fu renounced his Guardianship to me?” 

Marianne sighed. “I wish I could tell you, but I’m as lost as you are.” 

She deflated. Her hands gripped the tablet tighter. She knew there was only a miniscule chance that Marianne would’ve known anything, but a tiny part of her had hoped that luck would be on her side. Exhaling, Marinette thanked her. 

On the other side of the screen, Marianne’s frown deepened. As happy as she was with Wang Fu, it was cruel for destiny to hand such a young child the enormous and numerous responsibilities that the Guardian had to bear. She glanced at Wang, who was sleeping on the couch contentedly. She was happy they could now spend the rest of their lives together in peace when most of it had been previously spent in war. 

Speaking of war… 

“Marinette, darling! I think I might know of someone who can help you!” 

Marinette perked up. She had been about to change the subject or close the call, but maybe she had a bit of luck on her side after all. 

“Who?” 

“During the war, when Wang and I escaped to Paris, we were aided by someone who would become one of our closest friends. When he was recruited to battle in the war, he was very young, so Wang had lent him the Snake Miraculous for its powers of Intuition, at least until the war was over.” 

Marinette felt Wayzz stiffen on her shoulder. 

“She doesn’t mean…”

“Unfortunately,” Marianne continued. “When he returned home, he had an argument with Wang and almost didn’t return the Miraculous. It was only a month later that he left it on our doorstep. We haven’t heard from him since, but maybe he might know something. He was always a genius and intuitive beyond his years.” 

Marinette frowned. “Do you know where he might be now?” 

“His name is Alfred Pennyworth. He mentioned once that his family had a tradition of serving a family called the Waynes.” 

Marinette’s frown deepened. There was the name Wayne again. Which meant Gotham. It felt like the universe really wanted her to go there. She sighed. At least she’d have an objective while she was there- if she did go in the first place. She smiled again, once she saw Marianne’s worried stare. 

“Thank you so much, Marianne. I need to go now and plan what to do. I hope you and Master Fu stay well.” 

Marianne smiled. “You too, Marinette. Don’t hesitate to call me for anything, dear.” 

She merely nodded, and they both logged off. She set aside her tablet and turned to face Sass, who was already in front of her. 

“Tell me everything you know about this Alfred Pennyworth and your time with him, Sass. I need to know if he can help before considering everything.” 

The snake kwami merely nodded. “Of course, my Guardian.”

#and of course by universe i mean me #miraclesingotham #mlb x dc #maribat au #maribat #yall im really gonna add trauma to this already traumatized butler huh #i am so sorry #this arc was not supposed to be three chapters long #even i want them to go to gotham already but the set up ugh #ml x dc

[lovesaadiqa]

BBL Costs, Prep + Recovery

Im booked!!  I talked to a few friends who I know either got this surgery or is getting this done.  I wanted one since forever but I wanted my teeth done first.  The deciding factor came down to my birthday plans.  

Originally I was going to do a birthday tour.  First weekend of October in Miami for carnival, 2nd weekend in Atl for Freak Nik, 3rd weekend in Bahamas and finally Nola for the finale.  Well Nola was just hit with a storm so yeah that’s out. Once I totaled up the flights, hotels, food and spending money.. I was like hmm, I can get a fat ass and started this process.  Immediately looked into surgeon and Dr. Pena was my favorite, his bodies come out so mf snatched, he’s located in Columbia.  Columbian surgeons can take out way more fat than American doctors however, the fatality rate is stupid and ultimately the factor that made me choose an American doctor.  

The next step was choosing the surgeon for the body I have and the one I want.  I weigh 151 and im 5′6″ I’m considered a “skinny bbl”.  I started researching doctors in Atlanta (so I could recover at home) and Miami (like duh).  I chose to go with Dr. Desouza in Miami with CG Cosmetics for a few reasons.  First, I love the look of his skinny bbl’s on other women with the same body type, weight and height as me.  Secondly, he was having a special for the end of the year (lipo 360, bbl, jplasma for $6500 for the surgeon I wanted) this almost sold me but it was the surgery date!!  Jplasma is skin tightening procedure to help with loose skin, you can only get this with lipo.  When they perform lipo they created canals under your skin to remove the fat.. well those same canals are essential when getting Jplasma.

Ok so I decided on the surgeon, contacted the cosmetic group and had a consultation which is pretty much just front, side and back view pictures.. I think they use this to make sure you don’t need a tummy tuck prior to surgery.  They also asked me questions about previous surgeries and if i’ve ever had anesthesia.  The next step went pretty quickly, we talked about what would be lipo’d (abs, waist, back.. I wanted inner thighs, an additional 2k, but was advised to wait on my pre-op to decide), when I wanted to book and how I'd pay.  My consult was on August 30th.. I bitched up when she attempted to take my payment.  I am a money hoarder and spending that much money made me feel like I was being financially irresponsible.  I called one of my Aunt’s who I felt wouldn’t judge me and also give me sound advise.  We talked about my fears, why I was getting the procedure and of course money.  My Aunt gave me excellent advice, reassured me and is a professional CNA who offered to accompany me so yeah I dare not turn that down, lol.  August 31, 2021, I called my coordinator (the contact between me and my surgeon) and told her I wanted to book, she asked me when I’d be ready and I requested first available which was 9/20/21!! Excited is an understatement.. I'd be 24 days post op on my birthday.  After I calmed down I paid in full for multiple reasons:  had to in order to secure the date, all surgeries book in this year had to be paid in full, it was the only way to get the discount.. My coordinator gave me so much information I couldn’t see straight (I was also high as shit off life thinking about a fat ass and me in the same sentence).. she emailed + texted everything, congratulated me and we hung up.

I get the emails:  “raise you hemoglobin with these vitamins” I purchased vitamin C $2, folic acid $2, iron $3 and floradix $35 - amazon, I take them as directed on the bottle and start eating my ass off (just to give my surgeon more to work with, lol).  Talking to one of my gf’s I realize I have to be cleared for surgery?!?!  What?  I open my email and sure enough I have to have blood work done 15-20 prior to surgery, it was 9/3 and a Friday.. SHIT!! I fly over to an Piedmont Wellstreet urgent care facility as recommended by my friend (she started this process as well so I was crazy grateful for her experience and that she shared it with me).  Urgent care was full but opened the next day, my ass was in that line at 7:32 am, I was the 13th person in line and they opened at 8.  I get to the desk and my appointment is at 10:30 and I'd have to pay the office visit fee to be seen, it was $155.  I came back at my allotted time and was told how much all of my labs would be.. $302.  My labs were to be processed and faxed to my surgeon by 9/9 because Labor Day weekend so.. yeah.  

I discuss accommodations with my Aunt and realize it’s cheaper, safer and more beneficial for me to go to a recovery house.  I search high and low baby and most of them were booked.. found one regardless with lymphatic massages included called Flawless Recovery House.  This wasn’t my 1st-6th option but the one with availability on my surgery date so I paid a deposit to hold onto my spot.  Total was $1312 for 5 days with 5 massages, I paid a $200 deposit.  Next, I booked my flight, round trip $116 with Delta.  My surgery date is on a Monday, I have to have my pre-op done on the Saturday prior so I booked a hostel from the 18th-20th on booking.com for $66.  I know I could have gotten an airbnb or hotel room but I wanted this experience.  I want to go to Amsterdam and stay in a hostel so I need to know what to expect.  Also I cannot party, smoke, drink or eat before surgery so fuck it.. a hostel will do, lol. 

I smoke big fucking weed and watched someone else’s bbl journey today and realize if I fail the drug test, my surgery will be cancelled and it’ll cost me $1500 to reschedule.  Boy the shit sent me into panic mode like I've never experienced before, only to find out the weed isn’t the issue nicotine is, it slows down your heart rate.  I can smoke weed just not out of a wood or a rillo and nicotine takes 3-4 days to get out of your system so a bitch barely made it.  I just won't be smoking until I get back home lol.  Just to be super informative no alcohol, diabetic meds, cocaine, pcp or anything that will fool with your heart or makes your bleed.  Today is 9/11 and im one week out from my pre-op... my body is a joke cause I haven’t gained a single pound and normally it’s nothing for me to put on weight.  I took my acrylics off, when you’re put to sleep they monitor your oxygen levels with those clamps they put on your fingers and they aren't the most accurate when you have on dark polish or acrylics.  I also cannot wear lashes cause when they go to fill this ass in I'll be laying flat on my face.  I mean my hair didn’t have requirements but I figure since im naked I might as well be bald.. y'all should see me rn, I look very much like a young man but im hype.  I’ll be back later to tell y'all what I pack and purchase prior to my flight.  Imma put the dates at the end of each update.. today is 9/11/21

My surgery group send me list of supplies  that I would need and the cost came to roughly $1100.  Naive me was definitely going to purchase everything on the list from them until I saw Leslie’s (@prettyhaute - on ig) bbl vlog.  I went on amazon and got away with murder.  Below I’ll list what I purchased and the price I paid versus what the surgery center was quoting me.

Faja - I paid $74.69 - Quoted $160.50 || BBL Pillow - $26.99 - Qouted $42.80 || Arnica pills - $8.95 - Quoted $37.45 || Compression socks - $13.99 for 3 - Quoted $10.70 for 1 || Foams - $17.99 for 3 - Quoted $64.20 for 3 || Scar Cream  $$29.82 - Quoted $80.25 || Arnica Gel - $7.92 - Quoted $21.40 || 

There a shit ton of items on the suggested list that I didn't purchase but way more items that wasn’t on the list I still need for instance:

Crocs, benadryll, robe, adult diapers, straws, earplugs, liquid iv, stool softener, antiseptic body wash, avocado float, back board, urinal, pineapple juice, throat calm, 3 moo-moo’s and a massage roller (the crocs are the only thing on this list that cost more than $20).  My flight is at 7:15a tomorrow and im so damn nervous but excited.  I will spend Saturday and Sunday gallivanting around Miami and then body , ody, ody, ody, ody, ody.  I still have to send my entire itinerary to my aunt but I think im all set.  9/17/21

Pre-op was packed but I went on Saturday and was in and out in an hour.  I was charged for a covid $80, 3 post-op massages $150 and a drug test $20.  I went over my clearance paper work with a medical assistant who also took 9 before pics of me.  Keep in mind, your surgery can be cancelled or reschedule if all of you labs aren’t at the surgery center on pre-op day.  I cannot stress how important it is to take your labs with you!!!  Mine were faxed over from urgent care but I was also provided copies which I took with me.  The photos were sent directly to my surgeon to analyze before surgery.  From my knowledge, I was also to be fitted for my faja but that never happened, do NOT leave pre-op without a faja!!! I paid for 3 massages from CG totaling $150 which I regret badly.  I do NOT recommend getting massages from the surgery center.  There are 4-5 different surgeons performing surgeries on any given day and they do at minimum 4 surgeries per day, that’s at least 15-20 different girls with the same surgery and post-op date.  CG had 2 massage therapists to drain 15-20 girls.  I was drained for 9 mins, your drain massages should last at least 45 mins for maximum drainage.  I only used 1 of the 3 massages I paid for and was denied a refund.  That is a huge downside to CG once they have your money good fucking luck getting it back! Ps. Ellie was a royal fucking cunt!!!!!  She told my medical assistant that I didn’t need a faja so I was never fitted for one and woke up out of surgery with a binder on versus a faja like I should have.  I wanted to slap the shit out of her and took the charge on the chin but I wanted my surgery so I refrained.. I was put on a 12 hour fast and contacted an hour after pre-op with my surgery address and time.  My fast started at 7pm the day before surgery and my surgery time wa at 6:30a, there was a $300 for showing up to surgery late.  All I could bring to surgery was compression socks and a faja (that I didn’t have), I was instructed to bathe with dial (the orange one) before surgery to make sure my incisions weren’t infected, no lotion, perfume, deodorant, makeup, nails, lashes, no jewelry/piercing or hair products and no personals ie, purse money, wallet also you will need a companion or surgery will be cancelled.  I’ll upload all my paperwork at the end.   Surgery day arrive at the surgery center at 6:15 am how about the entire fucking staff was late!  Bitch I was outside in Miami alone with compression socks on and a moo moo, LIVID.  No one arrived until 7:10 am, baby I wanted to kill everyone but fuck it, it was go time.  I’m escorted to a room, changed into a paper gown, piss tested, my labs were reviewed again and finally my surgeon comes in!  We were in the exam room alone which was weird cause I was asshole naked but he kept it 1000% professional, he asked me what I wanted and I say “the fattest ass” he looked me dead in my eyes without a single hesitation and said “it’ll heal like a diaper”  LMAO.  I showed him areas that I wanted lipo’d to death and he marked me up, I didn’t aka e picture of my mark ups but shit was rolling by then, he walked out I put my paper gown back on and the anesthesiologist walked in.  I expressed my biggest concerns to him, I didn’t want to die and I didn’t want to wake up during surgery.  He explain why the drug test was so important because certain street drugs will have adverse effect with the anesthesia.  My anesthesiologist walked me up to the surgery room and I hopped on the table, they put massage boots on both of my feet and inserted an iv, the mask was put on my face and my heart rate went to heaven, I wanted to shit myself bro.  The anesthesiologist told me to make a tight fist, I asked what time it was, 8:08am.. I woke up to a nurse helping me into a wheelchair with a binder around my waist and I was scream crying because my entire body ached, I didn't know where I was and the anesthesia is no hoe.  I was escorted to my recovery house’s transportation van and taken to my damn bed.  

I chose Flawlesss Recovery House with Ms. Opal.  I paid a $200 deposit before 2 weeks before surgery and the balance the day I left.  I opted for a 5 day stay.  I loved it there bro and couldn’t imagine trying to recover at a hotel or air bnb!  There were nurses there 24-7, I was roomed with one other girl but the house had a total of 4 bedrooms, one of which no one occupied and the door was always shut but my room was the only room with 2 beds, the others had 3 beds.  I had a call button, it was love, the nurses came expeditiously when I rang it.  They made 3 home cooked meals per day and I don’t eat meat, they accommodated me with no hesitation.  I loved it man.  So couple hours after surgery I attempted to use the bathroom on my own and blacked out, the anesthesia is really fucking strong and took an entire day to wear off (for me), the nurses helped me pee in a cup until then.  Post op day 9/21/21, I went in to make sure I looked good, got a faja finally and received that lousy as drain.  Back to the recovery house I was able to walk finally w/o passing out and in went my foams, I also could pee by myself with the use of a urinal.  I was constipated for 2 days, first bowel movement was on post op day 2. I paid for an independent massage therapist named Tatiana, she used a ultrasound machine to massage me so I cancelled her.  When I took my faja off for my massage it was washed and dried by the time I was done, I took a shower and put my faja on with my foams.  I cancelled Tatiana because don’t let nobody use no machine on you until you are at least 2 weeks post op, hand massages only.  All the girls were getting massaged by the literal best massage therapist (in my opinion) her name is Brittany, I could cry she was EVERYTHING, I was tender but she put the painful massage theory to bed!  She taught me how to drain myself and how to open my incisions without the q-tip looking thing.  In 45 mins she drained 5 of those doggy pad things worth of fluid off of me.  I received 4 massages in 5 days.  I left on Saturday 9/25/2021 on Sunday, back in Atlanta, I received my 5th massage and that when I was told I have not one but 2 seromas.  I swear on everything I love it was because everyone wakes up from surgery with a faja on but not me (Fuck you Ellie, lil bitch) I had on a binder (its what they use for tummy tucks).  The lady who did my 1st massage in Atlanta was Bri, not gone post her ig cause she did a damn good massage but when I asked her to syringe drain me the good sis stuck this long ass needle in my seroma but could get the fluid out, cancelled her too (the massage was good asf tho but nah).  Tired and tried I bit the bullet and booked a packed with Dream Body ($455 for 5 massage, I think, don’t quote me look it up on there site and follow them on ig)  because they are the biggest name in Atlanta, Jayda Wayda goes to them.  The  most painful massage yet, yes Michelle lil ass is so strong but she will get the fluid up off you.  She made me tear up bad and no matter how much I screamed or even tried to push her off of me she understood the assignment, Michelle helped me get back into my faja after my massage and told me my faja was too big and to have it altered.  She recommended a lady on ig @siri2sir but to know me is to know I altered my shit myself.  Allow me to tell y'all, I look good asf!!!!!!! 10/4/2021 

[joon-ipersgirl]

O5 - “airplane pt. 2″

O5 - “airplane pt. 2″

genre: strangers to lovers!au, angst, fluff

pairing: jimin x reader (f)

summary: they say home is where the heart is. you’re convinced yours was taken the day your father died. until you meet jimin. 

you believe in love but after watching men cycle through your mother’s arms, rocky relations with ex-boyfriends, and broken friendships, you no longer see it in your future. so much so, you never settle in one place long enough to call it home, choosing a job where you’re always on the go and on your own. 

on a chance encounter on a flight from new york city to bali, indonesia, you meet. flustered by jimin’s flirty advances but understanding and good-natured tendencies, you start to fall. what starts off as a work-trip soon blossoms into a budding romance, but will jimin’s secret destroy the relationship before it’s had the chance to truly begin?

word count: 5.4k

warnings: cursing, mentions of anxiety, talks of heartbreak

a/n: i thought i should post this while i had the motivation lol. this has a lot of background for their past relationships with a lil twist so i hope you enjoy it. this is the last part i have completed so updates for this story might be a while but winter break is coming up so i should have more time. i just really want to do the next part justice you know? anywhoo. as always, thank you vi for reading this beforehand and pls leave any comments and thoughts in an ask. i’m curious to the reactions of jimin’s relationship history. enjoy everyone and think you for reading!

full masterlist // series masterlist // previous // next

There were no thoughts of Tiago when you woke up that morning. Your cheek was pressed against Jimin’s back as your arm was draped over his upper body and your leg slung over his lower back. His breathing was deep and even as he slept peacefully beside you. You realized you’d technically only taken a nap as no sunlight peeked under the curtain, only the artificial lights from the street signs gently illuminating the room.

The events of last night came rushing back to you and you pulled away from Jimin, surprised at just how bold you’d become.You’d truly felt comfortable enough to share a deep part of your life story with a man that you’d known for two days. A man that you had a crush on. A man that had almost kissed you in the middle of a dive bar in the middle of Hong Kong. Jimin was encroaching on dangerous territory.

A ping! came through on your phone which you realized was across the room with the rest of your things. You groaned at the thought of having to leave the comfortable confines of the bed. Another loud ping! dragged you from the warmth of the sheets, choosing to crawl over Jimin’s legs instead of his lap, remembering the previous morning’s antics. Checking your phone, you saw three unread messages from Michael.

Michael: Good afternoon Y/N! Have you any word on when you’ll arrive in Bali? [1:09]

Michael: So I haven’t received a call or text from you. I assume everything is fine, or Park Jimin has killed you. I hope it’s the former [4:17]

Michael: So clearly he’s killed you. I’ll be sending his name and social security number off to the authorities [4:19]

You snorted at Michael’s messages as you inched your way back into your spot though Jimin had claimed the majority of your space in his sleep. He didn’t stir as you slipped under the covers, but rested his head against your chest as you laid on your back; you didn’t have the heart to move him as you responded to Michael.

You don’t have his social security number Michael. I’m fine. We just had a long night. And our flight is leaving some time this afternoon. I’ll get the details from Jimin and send them to you

[4:22]

Michael: You don’t know that. And a long night? Y/N, don’t tell me you were in the arms of this man when you’ve only known him for at most 2 days [4:24]

So what if I was? You’ve definitely done worse

[4:25]

Michael: You’re right. But this is one of the areas where I don’t lead by example. Please tell me you used protection at least [4:26]

Gross, Michael. Nothing happened. We just went to the museum (I saw Garland Sans) and then went for dinner and some drinks

[4:27]

Michael: A museum, dinner, AND drinks? In ONE night? Sounds like a date. A classy one at that since you said there was no fucking [4:29]

Michael: AND YOU SAW GARLAND SANS WITHOUT ME?! WITH HIM?! HOW DARE YOU! [4:30]

You’re honestly so crude. There was no fucking. It was just a casual hangout, nothing crazy. Also, I didn’t know his work was going to be there. I don’t think it’ll be the same exhibit in New York so we’re fine

[4:33]

Michael: A casual hangout where you forget to text me back? I beg to differ. Spill [4:34]

You chewed on your lip as you stared at Michael’s message. It wasn’t that you didn’t want to tell him what happened; Michael was more than just a manager, he was also like a best friend. The problem was you didn’t really know how to describe last night. You barely understood what had transpired yourself. Throwing caution to the wind, you laid out all the details of the previous night.

Michael: … [4:53]

Michael: Y/N, this man did NOT wine and dine you and you left him hanging out to dry! Have I taught you nothing? [4:54]

Michael: I just - I cannot believe you got lucky like this. Well, not that kind of lucky. Either way, he didn’t actually kiss you so maybe he deserved that. An art curator at that. And he lives in NYC? You really are living in the moment. I’m so happy to hear after that S.O.B. [4:55]

Michael: Wait, does this mean you’re in bed together now?! [4:55]

It wasn’t that type of night! Like you said, I’ve known him for TWO DAYS. We can’t just have sex. And

I guess so; Tiago hasn’t been on my mind as much lately. Yes, Michael. We’re currently still in bed. Jimin’s sleeping

[4:58]

Michael: It’s the 21st century, Y/N. Live a little. You’re a modern-day woman. It’s been a year and a half love, I would hope he wasn’t. Not when you have a man that sounds like he’s sex on legs wrapped around your finger. [5:01]

Michael: Please send a pic. Thanks! [5:02]

He is not wrapped around my finger! And I’m definitely not just going to send you a picture of him sleeping! That’s weird!

[5:05]

Michael: Booo! This would be for the authorities Y/N. Think about your safety [5:07]

I am. So safe from you and your antics when I’m on the other side of the world. I’m going to shower, I’ll text you later

[5:09]

Michael: Oh you’re a dirty girl! Ask Jimin to join you. Remember to text me the flight details [5:12]

You chuckled at Michael’s attempt to make you uncomfortable. There was no way in hell you would do that. Jimin wasn’t wrong when he said you could barely look at him with clothes on and you blushed as the increasingly inappropriate thoughts tried to break through the barrier of unconsciousness and consciousness. You felt Jimin tug you closer as you tried to slip out of his grip again.

“Where are you going?” he mumbled, still half asleep.

“To go take a shower,” you said while trying to push him off you.

“No,” he whined. “Don’t leave me.” He snuggled closer and you laughed.

“Let go, Jimin. I smell gross; I’m basically leaking alcohol from my pores at this point.”

“I don’t care. You’re warm and I want to sleep more.”

“You can still sleep while I go and shower.” You pinched his side and he jerked away from you. His glare was comical as he struggled to locate you with sleep-heavy eyes. “So you’re ticklish? Good to know.”

“You’re mean,” he pouted as he rolled over onto his stomach after you’d successfully vacated the bed. “And it’s early as fuck. Wake me up when it’s a reasonable hour to be a human being.”

“You don’t even know what time it is,” you mumbled as you closed the door on any reply Jimin could make.

You welcomed the sting of the hot water against your shoulders, soothing the knots in the back of your neck. Letting the water run through your hair, you smoothed it out of your face. Massaging your scalp was therapeutic nowadays, especially since it was so much shorter. You hadn’t grown it out in a year and a half, now enjoying the short dry time and the new woman you were; Tiago would have hated it. You sighed as he resurfaced and you washed him away again with the simple smelling body wash. By the time you were dressed in your last clean emergency clothing, your hair was already drying.

The smell of coffee welcomed you as you sat down to add the final touches to your Saipan video. It wasn’t hard to get lost in editing, your brain working overtime to adjust the exposure of the film, fade out the titles, and sync up the music. You relished the peacefulness of the early morning quiet, your life seeming to return to its normal rhythm even if just for a few moments. Your moleskine journal with edited itinerary notes sat next to the steaming second cup of black coffee just as the breakfast rush started to roll in and along with them an extremely flustered Jimin.  

“Y/N!” he crashed into the seat opposite you. “I thought you left!” His backpack sat beside yours on the floor as you stared at him confused.

“Where could I have possibly gone, Jimin?”

“I don’t know. You weren’t there when I woke up and neither was your stuff. I thought I overstepped last night and made you uncomfortable,” he said. Droplets of water fell from his hair and onto his white t-shirt. Your face softened.

“I needed some coffee. And to get some work done. You really thought I would have left you?” you asked curiously.

He shrugged and pushed his hand through his damp hair. “What reason would you have to stay?”

You opened your mouth and closed it. Jimin was right. You didn’t have to stay. It was possible that you could have just gone to the airport, given them your name, and be set - though that would have made for an awkward conversation whenever Jimin arrived as your seats were next to one another. You watched him head over to grab some food, greeting Sonia in passing, as he piled his plate high. He returned shortly after with Sonia and handed you a plate of fruit.

“She says you’ve been down here for hours and haven’t touched a thing; you need to eat. And she wanted to know if you enjoyed yesterday.” Sonia stood at the end of the table expectantly.

“It was really great. The museum was incredible. I really can’t thank you enough. And Jimin was a great tour guide. Did she see the pictures?” Jimin shook his head, his mouth stuffed with food as usual, before he thumbed the polaroids out of his wallet. Sonia cooed and the two of them chatted again, a slight blush overtaking the tips of Jimin’s ears.

“She said you look really beautiful and she’s happy you enjoyed yourself so much.” You thanked her as you chewed on a grape, wondering what else Jimin had left out of his translation. Too much was said for it to be condensed into a two-part sentence.

“What time is our flight leaving, Jimin? Michael wants me to send him the details.”

“So flight leaves at 1:40 pm and we board at 1:10 ish -“

“Holy fuck Jimin!” You slammed your laptop shut. “It’s 12:17! We have to go. Now. Fuck!” You shoved your journal into your backpack, the chair almost tipping back as you shot up from your seat. It took a few seconds for Jimin to realize just how far away from the airport you were before he too was out of his chair and shoving the last piece of pastry into his mouth. Sonia looked alarmed as you tried to return your dirty dishes until Jimin explained and she grabbed the plates out of your hands and yelled for William.

You bounced your leg as you watched William weave through the midday traffic. The leather of the seat bench stuck to the underside of your thighs. Lunch hour traffic in Hong Kong was just as bad as in New York and you willed yourself to remain calm as you cruised down the highway. The wind roared through the open windows and whipped your hair around your face. It was torture leaving the fate of your on-time arrival in the hands of a man you had literally met yesterday in a pickup truck that you were sure was a few years older than you. You envied Jimin’s ability to look peacefully out of the window at the bustling city while the coil of nerves bundled tight in your belly rolling like the waves of the deep sea.

Michael had not texted you back and you worried that somehow your phone service had been cut off again. An irrational thought because it was nearing 1 am in New York, but your brain had seemed to have left rationale back with Sonia. The comfort that your early morning wake up had given you in addition to the previous night’s adventures had been ripped away from you. It was no longer only you and Jimin in the back seat; anxiety had squeezed in beside you. Tears pricked your eyes in frustration as you prayed you wouldn’t have another delay in finally getting to Bali.

“Don’t worry, Shutterfly. We’re going to make it. You’re not missing this flight. I promise,” Jimin said to you as William followed the signs for the departure terminal. You could barely offer him a smile as the looming structure that was Hong Kong International Airport grew closer.

William pulled his truck over to the sidewalk between a Kia and a Buick, the vehicle looking extremely ancient compared to the other two. “Have a safe flight. And Sonia expects to see you both again soon okay?” William declared. Jimin hopped down and turned to help you out of the truck.

“We’ll do our best,” Jimin muttered, glancing at you. “Thank you for everything, William. I’ll let you know when we land.”

“Thank you, William. It really meant a lot, you taking me in and stuff,” you added and he gave your shoulder a squeeze through the open window as Jimin shut the door.

“You two should hurry. Go,” he shooed you towards the terminal doors. Jimin said goodbye once more and then was pulling you through the automatic doors.

The two of you breezed through the other passengers checking their luggage as you used the machine kiosks bypassing any potential cheery airline workers. Jimin trailed behind you as you zipped through the slow-moving passengers, your eyes focused on the glass doors leading towards the security checkpoint.

“Hey! Slow down, Shutterfly. We’re going to make it, even if we have to run,” Jimin said as he picked up his pace to catch up with you. You did not want to have to run. You had never run for a flight in your entire life and you did not want to start now. You bounced from side to side as you moved painstakingly slow towards the immigration officer perched on her high chair. It was already 1 pm, but no one else seemed concerned, probably actually on time for their flight. You rolled your shoulders, trying to loosen the tension nestled between them.

“It’s okay, Y/N. It’s okay.” Jimin slipped his hand under your hair, his thumb rubbing gentle circles between the base of your neck and shoulders. You sighed and removed his hand, turning to face him.

“It’s not okay, Jimin. I don’t even know if they have my bag,” you huffed. You stepped forward to hand your passport and boarding pass to the officer.

“I’m sure they do, darling. As long as you have your -”

“I remember what you said about the tag, Jimin. That doesn’t change the fact that I could land in Bali without my bag. I don’t even have enough time to ask someone about it,” you snapped while placing your camera bags into the grey bins, your shoes following after. Jimin said nothing further as he emptied his own backpack, the book he had been reading more dog-eared than when you first saw it along with a leatherbound book.

Just as you were passing through the body scanner, an announcement blared through the terminal. “This is the last boarding call for passengers Park Jimin and Y/N Y/LN on flight 7860 with services to Bali, Indonesia at Gate C9. Again, would passengers Park Jimin and Y/N Y/L/N please report to Gate C9 for flight 7860 to Bali, Indonesia? Thank you.”

“Shit,” you exclaimed, shoving your hands through your hair as another TSA officer looked over your scan. “Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!”

“Alright, you’re good.” You didn’t wait for the last word to spill from his mouth before you were back in front of the conveyor belt waiting for your stuff to pass through its own scanner. Quickly and as carefully as you could, you zipped your cameras back up and tucked them into your backpack. Your hands were shaking.

“Don’t worry, Y/N! I got you!” Jimin called out as he moved around you. He was already packed up and taking off by the time you’d secured your things. You stared in disbelief as you watched him run through the departure terminal, not caring how many people stared at him. It looked like you would be doing the same.

You chased after him, clutching your passport and phone in your hand, chest heaving as you watched Jimin’s head disappear further into the crowd. Fuck, he was fast. You dodged the small children that waddled along with their parents and the elderly couples that squinted up at the screens to find their correct gates. Your legs burned as you pushed through the pain, the hallways of the airport being much longer than you remembered. You couldn’t afford to miss this flight.

Rounding the corner to gate C9, the seats were empty. The rest of the passengers had already boarded the plane. A few of the airline employees milled around getting ready to close the gate. One was arguing with Jimin who refused to walk through the doors so they couldn’t close it.

“Look! There she is. I told you!” Jimin was standing in the doorway leading down the aircraft gangway, blocking the airline employees from closing the door. They looked highly irritated.

“Miss Y/L/N?”

“Yes, that’s me. I’m so sorry!” you apologized while handing over your boarding pass for it to be scanned. Your face felt hot from all the attention but you pushed it down. There was nothing else to worry about.

“Have a safe flight,” the employee mumbled as he handed you back the pass. You smiled, relieved.

Jimin grinned at you as he jogged towards the plane, his hair bouncing with every step. “I told you we wouldn’t miss the flight, Shutterfly.”

Ignoring all the nasty looks you received as you walked down the aisle of the plane, you and Jimin flopped down into your respective seats, tired from your sprint to the gate. The usual airplane routine started up as the plane left the gate and you relaxed in your seat as you watched the tarmac roll by through the window. Running was not your forte and you wondered if you should have considered Michael’s offer to be his plus one at Planet Fitness more seriously. You could feel the sweat bead around your hairline. A shower would be great once you reached your accommodations. You sat up abruptly.

“Fuck,” you whispered, grabbing your phone.

“What’s wrong?” Jimin asked, fastening his seatbelt.

Scrolling through your numerous email notifications, you saw the one you were praying wouldn’t be there. Airbnb reservation canceled in the subject line. Fuck.

“Ma’am, could you please turn off your cell phone or switch it to airplane mode? The plane is getting ready for departure,” a stewardess chided you. You nodded and tucked it back into your pocket, dazed. In 5 hours and 5 minutes, you would be landing in Ngurah Rai International Airport with nowhere to stay for 9 days. Shit.

“You’re chewing your lip again.”

“Huh?” You looked over at Jimin who was still reading The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, his body feigning disinterest but you knew he was paying attention to you.

“You were chewing your lip. It’s your tell-tale sign that something’s wrong,” he replied as he turned the page. You opened your mouth to protest but closed it quickly. He was right.

“How did you know though?” you asked, tucking your hair behind your ear, now extremely conscious that he had been observing you.

“What are you worrying about? Your project? Y/N, it’s going to be amazing. This is what you love doing, right? You can do it,” Jimin encouraged, bookmarking his page and looking at you.

“I don’t know, Jimin. A romantic getaway? That displays passion and love? Those are things I haven’t felt in a very long time,” you noted. The memories of Tiago swirled at the corners of youe mind and you sighed in frustration that you thought about him again.

“Bullshit,” he said. Jimin tucked his book into the seatback pocket in front of him. “Love doesn’t have to only be romantic, Y/N. There are so many incredible forms of love out there. The love people have for their families, for their jobs, for their - I don’t know - neighbors they only see on Sundays because they do laundry at the same time. We love just because. There really doesn’t have to be a reason,” he finished. You stared at him. His brown eyes were bright with passion and his face was set in determination to convince you what he was saying was true. You were amazed at his belief in his own words.

“Do you think you could say that again? On film, though.” He laughed at you as you went to pull out your camera but he stopped you.

“I keep telling you, Y/N. If you want me to be your muse, all you have to do is ask,” he said with a smirk. You rolled your eyes as you rested the camera in your lap. “But if you really do want my help, I’ll be happy to work with you on your project.”

“Seriously?”

He nodded and smiled. “Seriously. This is important to you. I want to help.”

You tried to hide your smile. Though it was something simple, Jimin supporting your craft was something you hadn’t experienced in years. People didn’t believe in the arts as much as they liked to consume it. “Thank you, Jimin. That really means a lot to me.”

“Remember I told you I’d show you what love is? This is a great way to do it.” Jimin grinned as you laughed at him.

“And what do you know about love, Mr. Park?” you asked jokingly. Jimin averted his eyes, his smile less vibrant than before.

“You’d be surprised,” he said with a shrug.

“More lessons from Mr. Park Sr.?” you joked again, poking his shoulder, trying to lighten his sudden change of mood. He chuckled lowly.

“Some. A lot I learned on my own.”

“A lot? What’s your favorite one?” you posed. You were intrigued about a Jimin who had seen these many sides of love. Who was he beforehand? How had he changed? “Have you ever had your heart broken?”

“Yep,” he said, popping the ‘p’. “A few times. I guess you could say the last one was the worst,” he commented.

“Would you like to share?” you asked gently, not wanting to overstep your boundaries.

“I can. Especially if it’ll help you believe in love.” He wiggled his eyebrows and you shoved his shoulder gently. “I assume you’ve also had your heart broken?” You nodded. “Hmm. Well, Shutterfly. Sit back, relax, and let me tell you the story of Alexandria.” Jimin eased his seat back and turned his head to face you, his fingers laced and resting in his lap. He looked as though he was in a therapist’s office to talk about his trauma and the feelings associated with them. Depending on the nature of the story, he might need to go and see one.

“Lexa and I met during my Freshman year of college. She was tall, slim figure, very ‘plain Jane’ except for her copper-colored hair. She was really a brunette, but in certain lighting, it looked red. Then she started toning it - it doesn’t matter. Anyway, I was hanging out with a bunch of friends in the library studying for this major test when she walked by and that was it; I was a goner. We ended up having a class together the following semester where I found out she was a Sophomore -”

“Ooh! An older woman?!” You perked up in your chair at the new detail. “I never would have -”

“Pegged me for the type? We’re back on that, Y/N?” he asked with a wry grin. You blushed at the memory and sank back down.

“Continue,” you whispered sheepishly.

“So she was a Sophomore studying Psychology with a minor in Creative Writing. She was a force to be reckoned with and I thought I had no chance with her until she asked me to hang out. I honestly couldn’t believe she was interested in me. We didn’t start dating until my Junior year of college, both of us traveling abroad the previous year, and we were really happy together.” Jimin smiled fondly as he recalled the memories and your heart fluttered in anticipation of what went wrong. “I proposed at my graduation while she was -”

“Excuse me? What?!” you exclaimed, staring at him in shock. “You proposed?!” He laughed at your reaction.

“Of course. I loved her and it was the right thing for me to do at the time,” he replied. That couldn’t be it.

“You got her pregnant, didn’t you?” He laughed again, this one vibrating through his entire body as he clutched his stomach; he didn’t seem concerned about the noise level.

“No, Y/N. I proposed because I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.”

“Wow,” you breathed, amazed at his level of commitment at such a young age. To know who you wanted to spend the rest of your life with and be ready to take that risk? He had to be crazy. “Wait. How old are you?”

“I’m 26. This happened around 2 and a half years ago, I think. Well, it’s been 2 and a half years since she called off our engagement,” he added matter-of-factly.

“Fuck,” you grimaced. “What happened?”

“She fell out of love. She wasn’t there when I woke up the following morning - we had moved in together while she worked on her thesis and I started grad school. The ring was placed on a neatly written note and all of her things were gone. Said she needed a man that had a little more - she ‘couldn’t put her finger on it’. Less stoic, more spontaneous. Something like that.” Jimin shrugged, the smile no longer reaching his eyes.

“But she knew how you were when you first got together. That’s some bullshit,” you muttered. Anger flared deep in your gut as you thought about this Alexandria stealing away in the middle of the night leaving Jimin alone to deal with the consequences of her actions as the sun rose.

“No need to crucify her, Shutterfly. She made the best choice for her -”

“But she hurt you,” you interrupted, frowning.

“I don’t disagree, but she taught me my favorite lesson: love freely and without expectations. I lost myself trying to prove that I could be this manly man. That I was man enough to deserve a woman as incredible as her. I lost her because of impossible expectations I placed on myself. We were both at fault; she could have said something sooner. I just wrestle with my own transgressions more. At the end of the day, it made me a better man.”

Love freely and without expectations. How could he say that when the woman who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with left him? Alexandria was foolish to leave someone as admirable as Jimin behind. Your heart ached at him waking up and her no longer being there, having to read that she no longer wanted him. You guessed some explanation was better than having the door closed right in your face.

“And you survived all of this?”

“I’m here, aren’t I? Broken hearts aren’t as bad as they seem, Shutterfly.”

“To you, Jimin. Though I don’t know how you got through that,” you said shaking your head in disbelief.

“The same way you got through yours,” he replied seriously. “Tell me about him. Why don’t you believe in love anymore?”

“It’s not that I don’t believe in love anymore. I just don’t expect it to happen to me for a very long time,” you said pushing your hands through your hair. Jimin waited for you to continue expectantly. You sighed and threw your head back against the seat. “Alright, fine. His name was Tiago. I met him when I moved to California with my best friend. He was a TA in one of her classes and she introduced us. He was tall, Hispanic, with the tight ringlet curls. They were sun-bleached because he spent so much time at the beach. He had the most beautiful hazel eyes too,” you added. You don’t think there was a woman alive who could deny how attractive Tiago was.

“He was smart too, attending law school - Gould School of Law at USC to be exact. I was working as a photography assistant in a studio downtown and he seemed interested in my work. We started hanging out and after a few months, we started dating. Things were really good for a while. I thought I had found my home in him, especially after leaving Milo back in New York. I thought he understood what I was going through. He didn’t.” You closed your eyes as you breathed through the memory of the pain.

“After a year of good times, things started to get weird. Some random phone calls he started taking in other rooms, less planned dates, less attention overall. I ignored it, especially after we had a conversation about possibly moving in together. That was a little too far for me so I was thinking of giving him a key to my apartment - I had gotten a promotion at the studio I was working at and could finally afford my own place,” you said with a grin. “I went to his apartment with the key in a little box and when I knocked on the door, a woman answered.”

“Shit,” Jimin whispered. He rested his hand on your knee and you looked at him with a small smile.

“Yeah. She asked who I was - if she could help me, and before I could answer, Tiago appeared looking fresh out the shower and said I wasn’t ‘anyone important. Just a friend of a friend’s who was supposed to take their anniversary portraits’ and closed the -”

“What the fuck, Y/N?! Please don’t tell me that he closed the door in your face.” Jimin’s grip tightened as his jaw clenched. You nodded with another small smile. “That fucking asshole!” he roared. The lady in front of you turned to hush him. He ignored her.

“Mhm, he closed the door in my face. I think I stood there for 2 minutes before I called an Uber and headed home. A few days later, he texted me and told me that we couldn’t be together anymore - like no shit, dumbass. I found out through the grapevine that she had been his girlfriend for 2 and a half years on and off. They were very much on when we were dating. Remember that friend I told you I moved to Cali with? Apparently she knew but didn’t know how to break it to me. I packed up and moved to San Diego which is where I met Michael. He had seen some of my short films from a little exhibit we had on campus and thought he could help me get more work. That was a year and a half ago,” you finished.

“Y/N, I’m so sorry. He was a fucking dickhead to do that to you.” You waved Jimin off.

“Michael says the same thing - actually he calls him a son of a bitch. It’s fine though. But that’s the story. I’m still healing and building up trust with people. So I believe in love, I’ve just had some bad luck with it,” you said with a shrug. “I try not to dwell on it because -”

“It makes you anxious?” Jimin suggested. You gave him a tight lipped smile. His thumb stroked over your knee in soft brushes. “Well, we won’t talk about him then. Fuck him,” he grinned.

“Thanks, Jimin,” I laughed.

“And we’ll get this project done, yeah? Together?”

You looked at Jimin. He was smiling at you, his front tooth a little crooked but gleaming nonetheless. Tiny dimples appeared around the corners of his mouth - something you hadn’t noticed before. The little sun you had been in while in Hong Kong had started to turn his skin a caramel brown and you remembered the smoothness of his skin as you laid in bed. As the corners of his eyes wrinkled with warm affection and you smiled.

“Together.”

full masterlist // series masterlist // previous // next

joon-ipersgirl, 2020

#jimin fanfic #jimin x reader #bts fanfiction #jimin fluff #bts fanfic #fic: bitter and beloved

[menswearmusings]

Refined Style or Simply Farce? Refining Your Style While Broadening Your Base

I joked to a friend who leans socialist that his new circular, metal glasses made him look like Lenin. He quipped, “We all devolve into farce as we get older, so why not embrace it?”

Spend a decade being interested in any subject or hobby and if it still holds a grip on you, that interest goes one of two ways: 1. You expand your horizons ever broader seeking the novel, reinventing your interest, or 2. You double down on the parts that excite you the most, whittling away the extraneous as you try to find its pure core. In other words, you either get into weird proportions and cropped pleated drop crotch pants, or you buy 7 pairs of identical shoes so you can wear one every day of the week.

I’ve never understood the guys who completely change lanes and get into wildly different clothes (no condemnation, I just don’t understand it). You won’t catch me dressing in hype sneakers and cargo pants or whatever for 2-3 years before switching again completely. Maybe I’m just slower and more risk-averse than others, so trying out totally different styles is off the table for me. I’m more the hone-in type of guy.

However, there is a balance between the two paths, and that is the different modes of life we all live in. As an example, I’m a tailoring guy through and through, and that’s my default mode of dressing for normal adult life. But as life has changed for me, it’s forced me to address those new circumstances in my wardrobe. In 2015, my wife and I took a trip to Italy, and I wore a blazer every single day. Then in 2019 when we returned, we had a 1-year-old in tow and we had a good deal of walking/hiking on the itinerary. I carried him in a backpack on those hikes. So instead of blazers everyday I had a lightweight M65 style jacket from Corridor, light sweaters, polo shirts, etc. Everything I wore was still within the realm of “my style,” but just more in tune with the activities we were doing and the reality of a small child.

I’ll admit it took me a long time to land on that Corridor M65. I’ve spent so long pursuing the Neapolitan + modern Ivy tailored look I love so much that I had trouble finding a lightweight, casual outer layer that I liked and would be functional. I tried chore coats, looked at weird skater kimonos from 18 East, considered Filson at one point; nothing was doing it for me. I found that M65 and was so thankful for it.

So how do you broaden your horizons for the different modes of life while still staying true to your style? Here are some ideas.

1. Broaden the list of inspirational, stylish people you follow

I have a fairly focused Instagram feed because my tolerance for crappy-looking menswear is very low. So I follow lots of tailoring houses and style-focused accounts, not many of whom post many fits outside that range. That means it’s hard to find inspiration for other modes of dressing. So break out of your rut and look for new accounts, blogs and YouTube videos to follow. Instagram’s Discover tab can help a certain amount (though boy oh boy do they really want you to watch their TikToks—I mean Reels). Following some hashtags can work, too, though again those can lead to crappy menswear photos so choose wisely. You can also just do it manually and look at the “following” list of other menswear accounts you follow to see if you like any that are different from the ones you already follow.

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  A post shared by Peter Zottolo (@urbancomposition)

2. Don’t be afraid to experiment and possibly fail, publicly if you’re comfortable

Try that bomber with the tailored trouser look. See if the hiking boots look cool with the denim and blazer. Order that weird kimono thing and try it on to see if it’s as cool as you think. If you post online somewhere (like Styleforum, the Reddit male fashion advice place, or Instagram), don’t be afraid to put it up and ask for honest input. Outside opinions can really be helpful, and sometimes failing provides for a better teachable moment than posting something fine or safe.

3. Write down certain situations and specific types of clothing you’re looking for to guide you down the path

It’s kind of overwhelming to think about expanding your wardrobe to new clothes for new circumstances. It can seem like you’ll need a whole new wardrobe. So my suggestion is simply to focus on the individual pieces you keep thinking to yourself “Ah, I wish I had something like ___ right now” and look just for that. That Corridor M65 I mentioned earlier was actually a jacket type I had been looking for for months and months: a lightweight outer layer with easily accessible pockets that I could put random stuff in when having bonfires or doing house projects, that I wouldn’t worry about getting dirty and which could be washed easily, but which was also designed to be a little dressier so that it wouldn’t look so out of place with a button-up shirt. The Corridor jacket’s hidden buttons, navy fabric and contemporary fit all make it fit those criteria well.

As life changes for you personally (and collectively in how we work and travel due to the pandemic), allow the changes to explore new facets of your style, whittling away the extraneous in each mode of life to be the most well rounded, stylish and on-target guy you know. In the end, we all devolve into farce as we get older, so why not embrace it?

Just bury me in navy on top and white jeans with suede shoes. That’s the pure core of my style.

(Help support this site! If you buy stuff through my links, your clicks and purchases earn me a commission from many of the retailers I feature, and it helps me sustain this site—as well as my menswear habit ;-)  Thanks!)

If you’re just getting into tailored menswear and want a single helpful guide to building a trend-proof wardrobe, buy my eBook. It’s only $5 and covers wardrobe essentials for any guy who wants to look cool, feel cool and make a good impression. Formatted for your phone or computer/iPad so it’s not annoying to read, and it’s full of pretty pictures, not just boring prose. Buy it here.

Read more at Menswear Musings

[aahsokaatano]

ITALY????

Y’all I spent one whole week in Italy in 2017 and it was one of the most bizarre fucking weeks of my life

let’s break it down from the beginning

[under a read more for length]

So, fall of 2017 I was studying abroad in London. One of the classes I was taking was specifically for study abroad students, designed to get us engaging in the culture of London or whatever i dont really remember the class itself but my god do i remember the people i met in it

two in particular were these girls, also American. We shall call them Molly and Ally. They had quickly made friends with each other, and after one of the class trips into London, i was friendly with them as well. The “reading week” or fall break was coming up, and they mentioned that they were going to Italy and asked if I wanted to go. I had booked a short tour to Dover, but thought “oh my god Italy???? Fuck yes!” and so I bought my plane tickets then asked them where they had booked hotel rooms so that I could add myself to their itinerary

“Oh,” Molly said, “we haven’t, don’t worry about it”

Me, a seasoned traveler “?????? uh”

I bugged them about this for at LEAST a week and finally, about THREE DAYS from when we were supposed to leave, I just went ahead and booked an assortment of hostels and airbnbs for us in all the cities they wanted to go to and told them to pay me back later

they actually admitted afterwards that that had been a smart move on my part which like????? no SHIT its a smart move to have a plan where you’re gonna sleep every night while in a foreign country. god.

So, lets go through this day by day

Day 1 - London to Milan

we flew from London to Milan in the evening, getting there pretty late at night. and it was only once we were actually IN Italy that I learned that 1) none of us spoke Italian and 2) despite having grown up in two areas with large Hispanic populations, neither Molly or Ally spoke a lick of Spanish, which is close enough to Italian that you can kind of limp through a conversation of one if you know the other.

so, somehow, I ended up being our Italian translator for the week, armed with nothing but a translator website, a handful of Italian music terms, and the ability to roll my r’s fairly well for a white person. Literally, i figured out where the bus stop was outside of the airport because I saw the word “fermata” painted on the pavement and I knew that meant “long pause” in sheet music terms so I hazarded a guess it meant stop or similar in regular Italian

(sidenote I almost got in a fight with some random Italian dude on the bus because Molly was going on about how excited she was to try the pizza and I told her it wasn’t going to be the same because “the pizza you’re used to is an American invention” and he turned around and started going on about the tradition of pizza in Italy and I was like I just mean that American pizza is different from real Italian pizza i did not mean to offend i’m sorry!!!!!! anyways)

the bus dropped us in a square in the middle of Milan and we got out and i’m lookin at my airbnb app trying to figure out where we need to go and i said “okay we need to get a cab” and Molly and Ally are arguing about something and this RANDOM ASS DUDE walks up to us and is like “you need taxi?” and i said yes to he leads us back to his REGULAR ASS CAR, NOT A TAXI and tells us to get in, and for some unknown fucking reason I do and Molly and Ally follow me and shut up real fast because this is sketchy as fuck but the guy did take us to the airbnb without murdering us so thats a win i guess

The airbnb by the way was more like a mini hostel - it was this apartment where pretty much every room except the bathroom had been converted into a bedroom and so probably not entirely legal but whatever. whatever. 

Day 2 - Milan to Venice

i woke up early the next morning and went to take a shower at the bathroom at the end of the hall and found out that the lights didn’t work. Whatever, I’m mostly blind without my glasses anyways so i just showered in the dark, no biggie

we had an early bus to catch from Milan to Venice, so we headed out to the bus station. I’ll be honest, I do not remember how we got there. I think we walked, because I ended up with a coffee at some point so I probably got it from some cafe on the way? But idk. I was so tired.

We get on the bus, I found two empty seats far away from Molly and Ally, and immediately stretched out and fell asleep.

Ally woke me a little later and said “c’mon, we’re here!”

I was confused as all hell because it had not been nearly long enough for us to get all the way to Venice, but I got off the bus and was greeted by Molly stretching her arms out and proclaiming “Welcome to Venice!” underneath a sign that said we were at the Verona bus station.

They did not believe me when I said Verona and Venice were two different places. “Venice has canals, Verona is where Romeo & Juliet is set. There are no canals in R&J, they’re two different places!” I literally had to pull out my phone, go to google maps, and zoom out until they could see that Venice was still several hours away before they believed me.

The bus driver almost didn’t let us back on but I was able to show him on the tickets that our end destination was, in fact, Venice.

Venice itself was pretty neat. We got to go on a gondola ride and I ate an entire pizza by myself at dinner lmao.

Day 3 - Venice to Florence

we took a train from Venice to Florence the next morning, and that’s when I discovered that Italian train stations have lovely little cafes with AMAZING coffee and really good pastries. The other two didn’t drink coffee but like, their loss. it was fantastic. 

Florence was great, we found a little shop that sold really yummy gelato for only 1 Euro a scoop - Geletaria La Carraia. If you ever end up in Florence, definitely check it out!

We wandered around for a while, took a lot of pictures. There was some famous church that was undergoing some renovations, but as we walked up to it Molly gasped and said “I’ve climbed that in Assassin’s Creed!” which was pretty funny. 

We went to a museum that had made a bunch of models of some of Leonardo DaVinci’s inventions. We went to an art museum and stumbled across Michaelangelo’s David on accident, so that was the big “wtf” moment of the day. Also that night Molly decided to buy a bottle of wine to take home to a friend of her’s back in America, but realized after buying it that her backpack wasn’t big enough to cart it around for the rest of the week so I ended up carrying an entire fucking bottle of wine for the rest of the trip because I was the only one smart enough to bring a proper backpacking backpack and not just my school bag.

Also the hostel we were in had actual skeleton keys for their rooms and actual goddamn keyholes that one could clearly see through so i left the key in the lock all night AND hung my sweatshirt from the door handle so that no one could peek in at us

Day 4 - Florence to Pisa

once again, I woke up early, went into the bathroom attached to our room (the hostel had had a cancellation and so we ended up in a private room instead of a dorm style) and discovered that the lights didn’t work so I had a second shower in the dark

we took another train from Florence to Pisa, and there we ran into our only bit of bad weather

What’s the big draw in Pisa? The Leaning Tower, right?

What was the only day it rained, non-fucking-stop, the entire time we were in Italy? THE DAY WE WERE IN PISA

I got so soaked that I actually bought a new sweatshirt because the one I was wearing was DRIPPING

anyways, after we had taken several dumb touristy pictures and grabbed an early dinner at a nearby restaurant, we decided to head over to the room I had booked. The cheapest place I could find was a tiny cabin at a campground nearby. According to the map on my phone, it was a short walk away.

A solid hour later, we finally trudged up to the main office of the campground, shivering and soaked, and got the keys to our cabin. We set our stuff down, and Ally and Molly decided to go back out to the grocery store we had passed coming in. I waved them off and went to take a shower in the bathroom with fully functioning lights! hooray!

Day 5 - Pisa to Rome

another morning, another train station with excellent coffee. We got into Rome and, at this point, we were all so tired from travelling that I was finally able to take charge. up until this point, Molly had been railroading us, even sort of bullying Ally in the process, but now she was exhausted and I, through a combination of practice in functioning while dead on my feet, lots of travel experience, and Mom Friend Instincts, took the reins. We got to Rome and I said “we’re going to the church with the big hole in the roof (its a thing, look it up) and then we’re going to eat.... at this place around the corner and then we’re going to to go our hostel and check in”

they didn’t argue, and that’s a true testament to how fucking tired the two of them were, especially Molly, because she would argue about anything and everything given half a chance. We also went to the military museum that day, mostly because it was free and also air conditioned

(also while looking through my pictures of this trip i just discovered that i still have the picture i took of the Rome hostel FAQ page that had by the front desk, which i now remember i did because it had the wifi password on it and we weren’t in our room for 30 seconds before one of the other two asked what the wifi password was so, once again, i show that i am a very good traveler/travelling buddy)

Day 6 - Rome

so we had the next full day in Rome, and we got up early to get in line for the Vatican. I wanted to be there by 7am, Molly was like “it doesn’t even open until 9!” and we compromised at 8 and it was STILL an enormous line so i was like “see? this is why i wanted to get here early”

Oh, but before we went to the Vatican, i took a shower. IN. THE. DARK. BECAUSE ALL OF ITALY EXCEPT FOR PISA DECIDED THAT I DIDN’T DESERVE TO HAVE A SHOWER WHERE I DIDN’T HAVE TO FUMBLE AROUND BLINDLY LIKE AN ASSHOLE

ALSO on the way to the Vatican, I asked if the two of them had their passports. Ally said yes. Molly said yes, why?

And I had to then explain to Molly, a 20 year old RELIGIOUS STUDIES MAJOR, who was RAISED CATHOLIC and who had FAMILY IN THE CLERGY, that the Vatican, THE CENTER OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, is it’s own country. 

she, again, did not believe me until i pulled it up on google for her

turned out that we didn’t need our passports stamped to enter the Vatican but still! still!!!!!

so it turned out that whatever day we were there on, the Sistine Chapel isn’t open that day, so we just walked through the cathedral and then headed out to the Colosseum and the ruins of the Senate behind it, both of which were very cool

Day 7 - Rome to Milan to London

we got up even EARLIER on our last day, I took another shower in the dark, and we rushed over to the Vatican, speedwalked through most of the museum, and finally got into the Sistine Chapel, which was absolutely breathtaking. Then we hauled ass back to the train station to catch our train back to Milan.

At this point in the trip, I was so fucking done with the two of them, but especially Molly. Ally was sweet and naive, but she was also willing to listen to new information. Molly was just a stubborn ass with a mean streak a mile wide and I was COMPLETELY done associating with her.

Luckily, since I had booked my flights separately, while we had flown into Milan on the same plane, I had a completely different flight back to London - to a different airport, even. They were going back to London City, but I was heading to London Gatwick. Both planes were set to depart around the same time, from two gates that were next to each other though, so i couldn’t really escape them until - uh oh! My flight was delayed. 

Molly and Ally were fretting about it but i was like “it’s fine. it’s fine. I’ve been flying since i was literally 3 months old and I s o m e h o w know more Italian AND Spanish than the two of you combined, even though I would never say that I speak EITHER of those languages. Just go.”

The flight ended up being delayed like 5 hours due to mechanical issues. They finally just got another plane for us, and we finally took off from Milan. When we went over Paris, the captain, obviously feeling bad about the delay, made sure to tilt the plane in both directions so that everyone could see the Eiffel Tower lit up, it was really neat.

We finally got back to London at literally like 230 in the morning. The busses and some of the trains weren’t even running at that point - certainly not all the way out to the fancy little liberal arts college I was going to. I went up to some security guard at the airport and said “just tell me how close I can get to the University of Roehampton on the trains” and he told me to take the train to Black Friars so I got out there and there was a bus, but it was like 40 minutes out. It’s now pass 3am, I am exhausted after a long, weird week in Italy, I texted my dad and he said “just get an Uber i’ll pay for it”

The Uber driver was very nice and as soon as I got in he said “you look really cold! do you want the heat on?” i could have fucking kissed him. he was super nice. actually made sure that I was still texting my dad (i had mentioned it when I got in because I almost dropped my bag while trying to text and maneuver at the same time) every few minutes. offered to let me take and send a picture of him to my dad. otherwise didn’t really speak and just let the music play. I tipped him literally whatever was in my pocket at that time, i don’t remember how much it was, but it was at least 20% and probably more. Really great guy. 

Random London Uber driver from 2017, you remain the best Uber driver and I love you

i finally crawled into my shitty little dorm bed at about 4am, exhausted and utterly bewildered by the past week

honestly??? I’m still bewildered by my week in Italy.

wtf even happened in all that mess.

#italy #venice #florence #rome #pisa #tales from the hill #chris #thebubbledragon

[tiramisiyu]

【未定事件簿】 Tears of Themis: “Romantic Rail Getaway” Zuo Ran Route, Day 4

Translation Masterlist | Themis Event Masterlist

Zuo Ran Route: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5

Videos, where applicable, are hyperlinked on the headings in the post.

See under cut!

Part 1 – Waterbus Scenic Location – “Visiting James River”

After deciding we would report the random fee collection cases in Rumbaliya…

Zuo Ran and my itinerary had an additional sense of mission tacked on.

We recorded every cost during our trip and diligently inspected the amount indicated on each electronic receipt.

MC: Sure enough, there’s an issue! Lawyer Zuo, look…

MC: On the bill for the waterbus we were just on, there’s an additional 30% service fee.

MC: There are also additional costs of unknown sources on the speedboat receipt.

Zuo Ran: And there are additional costs on the waterside restaurant receipt.

MC: If we didn’t check, we wouldn’t have known…

In fact, not only the receipts we received today had issues. Last night, Zuo Ran and I carefully checked the bills from the past few days…

On the first day of our trip, we had been charged with additional service fees. We simply had not noticed back then.

MC: I feel like these are sufficient to indicate problems.

Zuo Ran: Mhmm, I’ll look up the route to the police station…

We hadn’t finished talking when a furious voice cut Zuo Ran’s voice short.

???: You’re bullying others too much – I’m going to sue you!

A man whose hand was wrapped in bandages furiously walked out of the water bus station.

From time to time, he would point into the air and swear, seeming to be severely resentful of some people in the bus station.

However, no one came out of the bus station to respond to him…

Injured Visitor: Don’t hide in there without making a peep. I know you’re there!

Injured Visitor: I don’t care, you better give me an explanation!

Seeing him like this, I couldn’t help walking up and asking him.

--

INTERROGATION START

Issue Reason

MC: Hello, may I ask… what happened?

Injured Visitor: Hmph, I wanted to board the waterbus, but they wanted me to pay for tickets for two!

Injured Visitor: Don’t you think that group is just ridiculous?

MC: Eh? Yeah… that’s so weird, why did they want you to pay double the cost?

Injured Visitor: Because my left hand’s bone is fractured and I’m afraid of accidentally getting my arm bumped into, so I requested the staff to leave a seat empty on my right side.

Injured Visitor: I didn’t force them to give me an empty spot, I was just saying that it would be great if there was a bit more space…

Injured Visitor: But the staff told me that they could give me a single seat, but I had to make up for the cost!

Injured Visitor: They even said that this was their rule, and unless I bought an empty spot, they wouldn’t let me get on the bus!

Injury Situation

MC: Is your injury… alright?

Injured Visitor: Oh, it’s fine. I accidentally fell and injured myself a few days before travelling. It’s already been several days, and it no longer really hurts.

Injured Visitor: The doctor says that it’s regrowing the bone right now, and I can’t jostle it that much.

Bus Rules

Zuo Ran: I remember that… there aren’t rules of this sort when riding waterbuses.

Injured Visitor: Right? I also said, how could there be this sort of rule!

Injured Visitor: After, I told the staff that “I don’t need to pick a seat, I’ll just sit with the other riders.”

Injured Visitor: Who would’ve thought that the staff member would actually say “No can do, this will affect the other riders”!!

MC: (That being so, aren’t they deliberately forcing this visitor to buy another bus ticket?!)

Issue Aftermath

MC: Then… what happened after?

Injured Visitor: What sort of “after” could it be? I straight-up stormed off the waterbus and ran to their office area, demanding they refund the ticket…

Injured Visitor: Hmph, their manager ended up telling me that tickets could not be refunded after sale!

Injured Visitor: Reason this out for me – I didn’t ride the bus… so why shouldn’t they refund me?!

MC: (Looks like, aside from random fee collection cases, Rumbaliya’s attractions have a lot of heartache-inducing problems.)

INTERROGATION END

--

MC: To be honest, we’ve also encountered some bad situations…

I gave a simple explanation of what we’d encountered for this injured visitor.

Injured Visitor: Ugh, so you two have also encountered these things.

Injured Visitor: Actually, same here. When I dined at Kelosi City a few days ago, the restaurant also charged me a lot in service fees.

Injured Visitor: That day I was in a decent mood, so I didn’t make a big deal out of it…

Injured Visitor: Who would’ve thought that they wanted to defraud me today over here! Hmph, I don’t want to endure it anymore!

Zuo Ran: Are you willing to come with us to the police station to account for your situation?

Injured Visitor: Sure, I’ve got to give them a few words and have them give me an explanation!

  Part 2 – James Bridge

[Gameplay]

 Part 3 – James Commerce District

[Gameplay]

 Part 4 – James Plaza – “Governance Program”

James Police Station

MC: The course of events is basically like so.

I gave a systematic, detailed account of the problems we’d encountered for these few days and handed the related evidence to the police officer.

After the police officer who received us finished listening, his brow wrinkled tightly.

Police Officer: I’m very sorry that you had to encounter these things. In the past, though we have received a few visitors’ complaints on the attractions’ price issues…

Police Officer: But as there were few of them, after we finished mediating on scene, we didn’t intervene too much.

Police Officer: Please don’t worry. We will definitely clear this up under pertinent regulations.

Police Officer: For the excess fees at restaurants and scenic locations, we will also supervise the return of those to you all from related persons.

MC: Thank you. It’s just that we hope that there will be a more thorough resolution for this…

I hadn’t finished speaking when that injured visitor started shouting angrily.

Injured Visitor: Hey, so it ends like this?

Injured Visitor: Can’t you properly think up of a way to make sure those people will never defraud visitors again?!

Police Officer: Please don’t worry, please don’t worry, we will definitely bring out a governance program as soon as possible. It’s just…

Zuo Ran: If I may be so presumptuous, is it that you’ve encountered a difficult issue?

Police Officer: Oh, that’s not it. It’s just that a definite implementation plan might require a stretch of time.

Police Officer: Although, please believe us – within the upcoming few months… we definitely will have the ability to completely eliminate the random fee collection cases in the scenic areas.

--

INTERROGATION START

Governance Plan

MC: May I ask… is it alright if you tell us about your governance plan?

Police Officer: Unfortunately, I cannot reveal too much, but I can guarantee…

Police Officer: After we will work with the police stations in all of Rumbaliya to spread rectification work and strictly handle the fee collection cases that already exist.

MC: (It sounds like they’ll probably draw up a very detailed governance plan…)

Visitor Compensation

Zuo Ran: Then, how will the losses that have already been dealt to visitors before be dealt with?

Police Officer: Oh, please don’t worry.

Police Officer: With regards to this, we’ve already prepared a related reimbursement plan.

Police Officer: We will do all we can to guarantee the benefit of each visitor. After verification, we will have related scenic areas carry out compensation according to rules.

Afterwards Handling

MC: I’m sorry, there’s something else I want to ask…

MC: After centralized regulation, do you have other plans to prevent cases of this sort from happening again?

Police Officer: Of course, we will partition out a group of colleagues to manage these affairs.

Police Officer: Also, we will have periodic checkups, as well as irregular spot checks to ensure that staff at scenic locations are cooperating with our work.

INTERROGATION END

--

MC: I hope it’s as you have said… that the fee collection cases can be held back in time.

Police Officer: It definitely will. Please believe in us.

Police Officer: When all of you visit again, you will definitely feel an obvious change.

 Part 5 – Romantic Greenhouse Park

[Gameplay]

 Part 6 – Tenderness in the Greenhouse

James Greenhouse Park

Following James River to the end of a little lane, Zuo Ran and I entered a greenhouse park filled with blooming flowers and wandered in it.

Diverse and splendid flowers, green plants that were full of vitality – everything was filled with life… just like my mood now.

MC: Awesome! Good thing Lawyer Zuo was there for the scenic spot fee collection issue to finally be resolved.

The evidence that Zuo Ran and I collected finally made the relevant people pay attention to the fee collection issue.

The staff repeatedly promised that they would definitely rectify this issue and work on reimbursements for visitors who had blindly suffered losses.

So far, the effort we had expended finally received its harvest in stages.

Zuo Ran: In fact, most of the credit goes to you for how smoothly this issue was resolved. I did not help much.

MC: You clearly helped a lot!

MC: Lawyer Zuo, you helped me organize the information, collect the visitors’ feedback, and helped me obstruct that unreasonable restaurant boss…

MC: If not for you, I definitely wouldn’t have been able to deal with this so well on my own.

Zuo Ran: You’ve already done very well, and good work deserves to be praised. Unless you want me to tell you…

Zuo Ran: Do not be arrogant, and continue doing your best?

MC: They’re all fine. Either way, it’s all praise, and I can accept it all.

Zuo Ran: Ah… I just can’t beat you.

Zuo Ran made a helpless expression, but his eyes revealed a deeper smile.

Zuo Ran: Seeing your mood improve, I can be at ease. For the past few days, you…

MC: Hm? Lawyer Zuo, my mood wasn’t as bad as you imagined.

I sat on a chair in the garden, enjoying the gentle sunlight that shone through the glass of the greenhouse.

MC: We did encounter some troublesome things these past few days and I was indeed annoyed…

MC: But these things won’t affect my mood! I’m even full of confidence that these sorts of things aren’t problems at all.

Zuo Ran sat beside me, his shining eyes fixed on me, seeming to decipher the deep meaning in my words.

MC: Because we’re the best partners. I know that if we’re together, any difficult issues we encounter will be resolved smoothly.

Zuo Ran: You’re right, we are the best partners.

MC: I feel a lot more relaxed! We can finally continue our trip!

MC: In a moment, how about we go see a performance again? Hm… or we could stroll down the riverside?

MC: I saw on the guides that the sunset view at the side of James River is very beautiful. Let’s go take…

The two words “take photos” hadn’t left my mouth when I suddenly froze, and with a “buzz”, it seemed like something was resounding in my head…

MC: Ah! I’m so screwed! I-I completely forgot about taking photos for Yao Yu!

For these few days, I kept feeling like I’d forgotten something, but I didn’t pay it much mind.

I’d completely forgotten about Yao Yu having me take photos!!

MC: I’m done for. Now I won’t be able to finish the task… in the next few days back, I’ll just cling onto Yao Yu’s legs and cry.

Zuo Ran: …

MC: Lawyer Zuo… you’re even laughing at me!

Zuo Ran: I’m not laughing.

Zuo Ran said he wasn’t laughing, but a smile still sprung up in his eyes.

Zuo Ran: Don’t rush, we’ll go now to take a picture of the James River sunset.

Zuo Ran: Also… the train will arrive at Forenlo Palace tomorrow and there are lots of building landscapes there. You’ll definitely be able to take beautiful pictures.

MC: Starting from now, I’m going to take pictures seriously! Lawyer Zuo, you’ve got to supervise me!

Zuo Ran: Okay, I’ll supervise you.

#Tears of Themis #tears of themis translations #artem wing #zuo ran #mihoyo #未定事件簿 #weiding shijian bu #tot translation

[itshardtoactnormal-blog]

Beautiful LGBTQ Proposal Stories

1. Patrick + Matthew

“Patrick and I started dating in July 2016. By September, we had told each other, 'I love you.' Day after that, I bought the ring. He is the most special person I have ever met, and loving him is the best thing I’ll ever do with my life. I proposed on his birthday, Jan. 19. He made me promise not to propose at Disneyland ― Disney’s super special to us. So I didn’t propose at Disneyland. I proposed at Disney California Adventure ― thank God for loopholes! We were married this past August. It was everything; HE’S everything. So thankful for our happily ever after.” ― Matthew Markulis

2. Allie + Sam

"We actually had two proposals! I popped the question back in July, and it was a total shock to Sam. We'd been together 3.5 years and I told her I'd never propose..."

"... Anyways, I've been waiting for a ring ever since. In November, she told me we were going to scope out a wedding venue at our favorite park, so we took our dog Lily and met our wedding planner there. Little did I know, they'd set up a beautiful arbor and candles, and Sam got down on one knee and proposed. To top it all off, she took me out to dinner, and I was stunned that all of my friends were there! It was so exciting to celebrate with everyone! When we got home, our Christmas tree was decorated with photos of us from over the years, and I had so many sweet gifts to unwrap. I can't wait to marry this sweet girl!" ― Allie

  3. Jennie + Joanna

"As cliché as it may sound, Joanna was one in a million, and I knew it from the moment I met her. She was genuine and kind. She came into my life when I wasn't even expecting it. I never thought I would ever date someone with children because I didn't even think I would want children. However, these three little hearts opened mine to a world I never knew: true unconditional love. The way she loved them made me fall in love with her even more. I asked the two oldest boys for their permission to marry their mother. It was important to me they were part of the decision, as they were the men of the house. Without hesitation, they did. We planned the whole thing together! They were the only ones who knew that our family 'Easter' photos were actually a surprise engagement photo shoot. I was extremely nervous, but Tara, a good friend [and the photographer], made everything easier. She captured one of the best moments of my life: my now-wife saying yes to marrying me!" ― Jennie Romano

4. Kayla + Loren

"The photographer Albert and I came up with the idea for me to propose on the Hogwarts Express [at Universal Studios]. My fiancée Loren (who uses they/them pronouns), ever the planner, was furious that we were skipping all the attractions on the itinerary we spent hours planning just to ride the train. They didn’t speak to me the entire time in line! Finally, we sat on the train, and Albert motions for me to sit next to him across from my fiancée. As he is setting up this very obvious and huge camera (Loren still hasn’t caught on!) he sneakily texts me, 'Now.' I lean in slightly and Loren is shaking their head saying that I was in the way of Albert taking his tourist pictures! I couldn’t help but laugh because they didn’t even know the half of it. I finally get down on one knee with the ring in the chocolate frog box and start my proposal with, 'Are you still mad at me?' Loren puts it all together, starts to tear up, and we’ve been happily engaged ever since!" ― Kayla S.

5. Jan-Kristòf + Kellan

"Kellan planned to invite a group of our friends up to Rainbow Mountain Lodge in Pennsylvania to propose to me in front of everyone. However, he changed his mind, thinking that I would probably be upset if I knew that our friends were coming to stay with us during our anniversary weekend. The day after we got there, we hiked up Resort Point Overlook, where Kellan planned to propose at the top of the mountain with the sunset in the background ― except that he forgot the ring! Moments like this honestly remind me how much I love our lives; we just truly keep each other entertained. We went back to the hotel room, where he presented me with this box of photographs, which were a collection of the most memorable places we have been in the last 10 years, and notes, which he had written our story on. He then got on his knees and popped the question with the ring in hand. The picture of him kneeling was for the engagement pictures taken in Central Park in New York." ― Jan-Kristòf Louis-Mansano 

6. Quinn + Evelyn

“June 18, 2018, is the day that will forever be my best. It’s the day that Evelyn sat next to me with a wine glass of lemonade and a mouth full of turkey sandwich while I nervously watched in anticipation of asking the most important question I’ve ever asked in my entire life. My heart was beating 1,000 times a minute and Evelyn was finishing her lunch ― I was way too nervous to eat anything. I finally got on one knee while pulling out my handmade sign and the ring and asked Evelyn, 'Will you marry me?' With a very surprised look and tears coming to both our eyes, Evelyn spoke the most important word that I have longed to hear for so long: 'YES!'" ― Quinn S.

7. Cameron + Maggie

"When Cameron and I met, we had no idea we would end up here. We went from strangers to best friends, roommates to more than friends, and two short months later, we became engaged. He gave me a puppy who was wearing a tag that said, 'Will you marry me?' After a moment, he asked, 'Well?!' So I said, 'If I say no, do I get to keep the puppy?' He said no, I said yes, and when he’s rotten, I tell everyone he tricked me into this marriage with a puppy. 😂..."

8. Jeroen + Amar

"Straight from the start, I knew Amar was the one that I would spend my life with. Amar is an architect and loves special sustainable projects like the High Line in New York City. So I prepared our trip in detail, including a paparazzi photographer to take pictures of the moment that I would propose. On the High Line, I fell to my knees and asked him to become my husband. Even though I knew he would say yes, I still was somewhat nervous. But he did, indeed, say yes, and suddenly a group of people who surrounded us started to applaud. We revisited that specific spot three times that week. It will be always our romantic spot in New York." ― Jeroen W.

9. Jackie + Beth

"Beth and I had both decided that we wanted to propose to each other, but we had no idea that we’d be proposing within 24 hours of each other. I’d been planning for months to propose to her on our anniversary in Tower Grove Park [in St. Louis], where we’d gone for several of our first dates. I planned every detail to be as personal and sentimental as possible – I coordinated a group of her closest friends and family, flew in her best friends from out of town, gathered branches from the park to have turned into a wooden engagement ring for her. And when the date rolled around, I hung string lights from our go-to hammocking trees and rolled out our favorite vintage rug from my grandma. I told Beth I wanted to have an anniversary picnic in the park (which, bless her heart, she agreed to, even though it had been cold and rainy all day). As soon as we turned the corner and Beth saw the string lights, she started crying. She said yes, and all of our friends came out from behind the bushes to surprise Beth (again) and celebrate with us.” ― Jackie P.

“What Jackie didn’t know was that I was planning on proposing to her the very next morning at our favorite farmers market, in the same park where she had proposed to me. I went to the market early, talked to all our favorite vendors, and set up a scavenger hunt through the market for her. I left notes, pictures and our favorite market foods at each booth. My last note asked her to meet me at the stone ruins in the park, just outside the market. As soon as I saw her walking towards me with tears in her eyes and arms full of herbs and veggies, I completely forgot everything I had planned to say — it became the happiest blur that ended with a ring on Jackie’s finger and a celebratory breakfast with friends, featuring all the food Jackie had gathered on her scavenger hunt. It was as close to a perfect weekend as I could imagine. We each got to show the other how deeply known and loved we are, and we celebrated that love surrounded by our friends, family and queer community.” ― Beth W.

10. Amber + Courtney

"Our driver dropped us off on the wrong block so we had to navigate our way through the rainy streets of New York. All the while, I was trying not to give away where we were going. We were lost, jaywalking streets, getting caught in traffic in the rain, until we finally found our way. We rode the elevator to the top of the building, where a gentleman walked us up to a door. Courtney didn't know what was behind it until it opened. Immediately, we were met with candles lit, lining the rooftop floor, leading us out to a terrace that overlooked a beaming Empire State Building. The rain had stopped. As I turned to grab Courtney’s hand and lead her out, she immediately melted into a million happy tears and knew this was the moment we had both been waiting for. I walked her out to the middle of the terrace and made a promise of family, love and happiness. I said, 'My mom used to tell me when I was kid, as we said our prayers at night, to thank God every night for the things you don’t want to wake up tomorrow without. It never made complete sense what that meant until I met you.'" ― Amber P.

11. Alli + Chris

"I proposed to Christiane on our four-year anniversary. We drove up to this great little trail in northwestern Connecticut and hiked up to a quiet vantage point to watch the sunrise. This was a pretty typical way for us to enjoy a day together or celebrate something like a birthday or anniversary. She noticed me fumbling around with a bunch of cameras but I was able to come up with an excuse about wanting to photograph the sunrise. As the sun started to come up over the horizon, I gave Chris her anniversary present: a children’s book I had written that told our story. It all led up to the last page, which read, 'Will you marry me?' She said yes, and we got to watch a beautiful sunrise!..."

"... Later, Chris proposed to me and surprised me with a ring when we were taking some engagement photos with Steph Grant in Yosemite National Park. They planned the whole thing without me knowing, so I got a sunrise proposal too." ― Alli L.

#lgbt pride #pride month #LGBTQ #lgbtg proposals

[missguomeiyun]

I’m back from Korea

I feel like October didn’t happen at all .. but at the same time, it happened & it happened too quickly =/

I was away for 2.5 weeks in Korea, & then when I came back, it was a mini series of night shifts so I practically did nothing. .. & by the time I realized it, it was Halloween & I was working evening shifts so I didn’t go out. O_O it has been 1 crazy month. But November is here now, & things are returning back to normal: my vacation withdrawal is over, & I have some “normal” combo of shifts, & it’s time to say bye-bye to the hot weather. It’s gonna be great~

Okay, let’s be real: I’m never “over” a Korea trip lol the other day, I was really craving that budae jjigae. The struggle was real. So I made it for lunch ^^

For my 1st return post, I’ve decided to keep things simple & just share a brief summary of my 2.5 week-long trip with you!

Day 1-4: I stayed at my usual Seoul home, Namsan Hill Hotel. I was unable to book a longer stay at this place =( These 1st few days, I revisited some places in Seoul: Namdaemun (for hand-cut noodles called “kalguksu”); Sinchon/Ewha Womens Univ area/Hongik Univ area for shopping & ; Gyeongbokgung area for Tongin Market & some art museums; Insadong/Samcheongdong/Bukchon Hanok Village for some relaxing strolls around traditional Korean housing. Some new places I went to include:

- a cafe called “Kopi Han-yak-bang” (lit. trans.: “coffee Korean pharmacy”). Look it up! It’s super cool! The owner believes coffee has a healing power, just like traditional herbal medicine, so the cafe is like a vintage herbal medicine shop/pharmacy. It feels as if you’re entering a movie set rather than a cafe.

- The Skyfarm for brunch! Pretty place with amazing view of Seoul.

- Seongsu area for industrial warehouse cafes. It was a valuable & memorable experience bcos Seongsu used to be an area for large factories (making of leather products & shoes, & car-fixing shops), but it’s revitalizing & the large factory spaces are now being converted to hip coffeeshops. Many of which do collabs with local/emerging artists & fashion designers so there’s lots of artsy things to see in these coffeeshops.

- Seoul Forest. There’s like a picnic area, some basketball & tennis courts, walking trails, etc. .. I had a convenience store goods dinner in the picnic area, & watched the sunset there.

Day 5-8: I moved over to Savoy Hotel located in the heart of Myeongdong. It’s ~15min walk away from Namsan Hill Hotel. Great location but also quite loud. My options were slim when I was booking stuff, & I needed to stay close to Seoul Station bcos I arranged 4x 1-day trips! I didn’t realize it at first but then I was like, “I have 4 back-to-back day trips right now.” I was essentially out every day from like 0700h to 2100h.

Trip 1: Paju~ for Heyri Art Village & Provence. I have been to these places before & really liked it so I went back, esp Heyri Art Village. After the day trip, I met up with 2 of my coworkers for K-BBQ in the Hapjeong area.

Trip 2: Jeonju~ I only went to 1 place in Jeonju & that was the Jeonju Hanok Village. It was raining all day that day. However, it was still very enjoyable. The village was a beautiful place, & under the rain, it looked even more picturesque.

Trip 3: Incheon~ for Incheon Chinatown & Wolmido, which is an island connected to Incheon via a highway. Due to its close proximity to China, Incheon became a major port for trades back in the day, & the Chinese immigrants basically settled here, hence it’s the largest Chinatown in Korea. I met up with my friend Ji Yoon in Chinatown & we spent some time catching up.

Trip 4: Gangneung~ For the annual Gangneung Coffee Festival; its title was “Voices of Coffee” this year! It was held at the Gangneung Olympic Ice Arena. I can’t recall how many shots of coffee samples I had that day, but it was a lot. I also went to the Anmok Coffee Street, which is a line of cafes along Anmok Beach - all the cafes face the beach so the view is pretty. Even more so on the day I went bcos it was cloudy =]

Day 9: remained in Seoul today. Went to the Seoul Botanic Garden, which opened its doors in May 2019. Very pretty displays~ Huuuuuge space too. It was like Telus World x Muttart Conservatory x Devonian Botanic Garden. Lots to see, & if you go, allot more time for yourself here. & then in the evening, I camped out by Yeouido Hangang Park for the annual Seoul International Fireworks Festival, which was named “Life is Colourful” this year. So many ppl! I was expecting that before going but it was beyond my imagination. It was truly an experience- the streets were blocked off for pedestrian traffic & literally, it took like 10mins to move 5meters after the show as over! Then at the subway station nearby, there was a bottleneck, where apparently the capacity inside the underground station was reached so we needed to wait outside the exit.. . still, it was fun!

Day 10-12: 1 way train ticket to Busan. Yes, train to Busan ;) I was safe though hehe Busan was beautiful! In hindsight, I should’ve spent more time here but . .. NEXT TIME! I went to BIFF Square & Gukje Market, which was like across from my hotel, Stanford Inn Busan. Gamcheon Cultural Village was super cute; although I would hate being a resident there =/ The Busan Int’l Film Festival was happening then, & I visited the Expo & Convention Centre for the film market. Can’t go into the exhibition, but that whole area was filled with ads/posters of BIFF - it was a big deal! It was cool to witness such a big event & to experience the sheer scale of it. I then went to Shinsegae Centum City, which is the largest shopping complex in the world.  Haeundae Beach was also cool. I went on a cloudy day & it was awesome! That same evening/night, I checked out the Jagalchi Fish Market, which is the largest seafood market in Korea. It has 7 floors total, with 3 underground parking levels :O On the last day, bcos I only had the morning available to do stuff, I had Busan fish cake for breakfast & strolled in BIFF Square again.

*Note: I actually hit all the things on my itinerary EXCEPT for the Busan Museum of Art, which was closed on Mondays =( but the security guy let me in to see the lobby bcos he knew I was a tourist. Thank you!

Day 13-17: Flew from Busan Airport to Jeju Airport. I used more time than needed for the whole process- turned out foreigners have their own line at the Busan Airport, so it’s faster than locals. There’s also a domestic terminal & international terminal, so from arrival to being checked in & through security.. . it took less than 25mins. It was great! In regards to Jeju, I did the following:

- stayed in Jeju City for the arrival afternoon/evening, with my hotel being Astar Hotel. Had a street food dinner at Dongmun Market; they were having this night market/festival event so a bunch of street food stalls were open from 7pm-midnight. Smelled like heaven haha

- I did my 1st hike ever on Hallasan Mountain, specifically the Gwaneunsa Trail, & I reached the peak. It was.. . hard. I can’t say I particularly enjoyed it; however, it has proven to me that I am a land person, & I belong in museums, cafes, & street walking lol. Look up the details of the trail! Was it ambitious of me to go on this for my 1st hike ever. .. without any hiking gear? I went with what some ppl would consider gym shoes, a hoodie, leggings, & a backpack with water, juice, kimbaps, 2 bananas, 6 mandarins, & some snacks (cheese crisps & pineapple cream-flavoured crackers).

- The day after the hike, my legs were still okay. But it was my glut that was starting to get sore XD I went to Osulloc Tea Museum & Innisfree Jeju House. The aesthetics <3

- Went to Black Pig Street for black pig bbq. I was hoping a restaurant or two was taking solo-diners & thankfully, the 2nd restaurant I asked did! I ordered pork neck instead of pork belly - it was quite tender & kinda chewy, actually. Later that evening, I went to the Tamra Cultural Festival 2019. It was neat~ There was an outdoor night market, as well as a stage for cultural dance/play/music.

- Jeju Island is actually quite small, & it takes approx. an hour from 1 side of the island to the other side. Thus, for my 3rd (full) day, I went to the Jungmun (Jeju City is north of the island; Jungmun is south coast) & visited the Yellow Cafe, Chocolate Land, Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum, & Yeomiji Botanical Garden.

- From Jungmun, I took a local bus to Lee Jong Seop Street in Seogwipo, the next city over. The street is very pleasant & chill, with artwork along the street, coffeeshops & eateries, as well as little gift shops. Totally my thing! It reminds me Bukchon Hanok Village in terms of vibe, but minus the traditional housing look. The Seogwipo Olle Market is nearby, & is a great place to buy Jeju souvenirs. The pricing, I heard/read, is cheaper than Dongmun Market in Jeju City - it is true! There are also less tourists here, which was what made it enjoyable for me, personally.

- Only the morning on my last day was free for activities bcos my flight to Seoul was early afternoon. I visited the area around Jeju City Hall, which was ~20min walk from my hotel. It was a very leisurely morning, where I sat down & enjoyed coffee at Coffee Finder & had a build-your-own-ramen bowl at a place nearby. The architecture of Coffee Finder was unique; it used to be a 2-floor house, with like a driveway/sidewalk. But the ummm first floor ceiling/second floor flooring was knocked down so there’s a “hole” in the middle of the cafe. The cafe has very homely vibes as the placement of tables/chairs are in what was (at one point) rooms of the house. It’s open but also you can get some privacy at the same time.

Day 17-18: Back to Seoul, & stayed at Namsan Hill Hotel~ Itaewon is a must! I need to go to Passion 5 every time lol. & I also revisited the Leeum Samsung Museum of Art bcos I like it. & then I had my last day as a “free” day, where I didn’t plan ANYTHING. I’m a very intense planner & when I go on trips, I literally plan to the minute haha & guess what, I ended up in Hongdae. Honestly, it’s my kinda place. Sadly, the transportation situation there isn’t convenient for the rest of my itinerary, or else I would choose a hotel that’s in the vicinity. I nearly spent 2.5 hrs at Coin Su Noraebang haha I realized that if you score high enough, time gets added to your paid time :O I can’t let that go to waste =P

There ya go, Korea 2019!

PS: I haven’t decided what/how I’m gonna go about posting my trip. .. There are wayyyy too many photos & it will take me a million yrs to write/upload. Perhaps expect unexpected Korea posts scattered between my regular posts :P I will, however, share with you the coffees I’ve had in Korea. I tried diff ones, from franchise to small local cafes, adventurous flavours & the typical black Americano. I didn’t have any poor experiences but there was 1 particular one that I will likely never order again - tbh, I should’ve expected it but I still went for it anyway *shrugs* so I guess it was all my fault haha ok, I’ll ttyl~!

#korea #korea travel #travel korea #korea trip #korea 2019 #solo travel #vacation #seoul #busan #jeju island #paju #incheon #gangneung #jeonju #tourist

[benjaminsblog]

Back to the Future

I don’t use Facebook very much these days, but my undisputed favourite part of it is the ‘On This Day’ feature, which digs up anything/everything you posted in previous years on...y’know...this day..and I’m a sucker for a trip down memory lane.

Some of the earlier posts are especially wince-inducing (and have since been erased from existence), but every so often a gem pops up that I’d forgotten about. Normally it is a blog post, as that is pretty much the only thing I put on the Book of Face these days, and today’s collection of nostalgia featured one entry in particular.

5 years ago - on this day - 24-year-old me was very bored, so he wrote a letter to 29-year-old me, outlining some hopes and goals to be achieved in the ensuing five year period. My “younger, better-looking, dumber self” suggested I write back with details of my progress, and as writing topics are currently in short supply, I gladly took him up on his offer. The link below is the full OG post, but I understand if you are only in the mood for one lengthy, self-indulgent blog post:

My previous letter

And here is my reply:

Dear Master Cook,

Thanks for your letter, I enjoyed reading through it even though the tone was a little demanding. I would recommend you do something about that in future letters, but what would be the point?! I’m glad you’ve given me something to do, as I’m currently holed up in my flat most of the time, due to the coronavirus outbreak. That reminds me, you may want to stock up on loo roll now - I know it sounds strange, just trust me.

In response to your first question, I am not often in a position to be asked for ID, but I can say that the record stands at 27 years old, which I say is a damn good effort! I’ve been joking about my impending 30th since, well, since I was your age, but in all honesty I don’t think I care. I feel like a ‘young 30′, if such a thing exists - partly because I still feel fairly youthful and energetic, and partly because I took a while to get going in my quest to become an adult. Having said that, I think you’ll be pleased with my progress.

Your summarised list read as follows:

Your own place

Better volleys

Enjoyable job

Go travellin’

Keep in contact with friends

Ladyfriend

Car?

You didn’t specify it as a target, but at the time of writing we were about halfway through our degree, and I did indeed pass with a 2:1 as you’d hoped. This was no mean feat and I think you deserve some credit for that! I didn’t quite end up in a graphic design field, but I am most definitely in a job I enjoy, and have some nice colleagues. You haven’t even started working at Asda yet, which made me smile! It won’t always make you smile, but there are some lovely people there, too, and they throw you a nice leaving do (bring a spare change of clothes). 

These days I am a sports graphics operator, and still pinch myself sometimes that I’ve wound up here; I work at live sports events, and have already had the pleasure of attending a number of prestigious tournaments - my very first OB (outside broadcast) was an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, which was pretty special. An added bonus is that our work is not confined to these shores, and as a result I have made huge inroads into my travellin’ itinerary - Ireland, Scotland, and New York have been ticked off your starter list, and I have also visited South Africa, Germany and Japan in less than a year on the job! Italy and Canada are highest on my list now, and had it not been for COVID-19, I would have had those both ticked off by the end of this year. 

After graduation, I spent a couple of years in a flat with Will, your fellow graphic design classmate; I��m not sure if you’ve gotten used to his distinctive behaviour by now, but bear with it, it gets more tolerable (sort of). More recently, I moved into my first solo space when I got this job to be close to the office, and on the whole I’m very pleased with it - though I will admit to occasionally missing some immediate company, even if it came in the shape of strangled noises and shouts from the other room. Another benefit is that work covers travel expenses, so I am less desperate for a car nowadays. Getting home is also easier, and given that you added a ‘?’ to it, I guess this was more of a ‘it would be nice to have it’ kinda thing.

Aside from Will, I have kept in contact with a number of people from Uni, though I will confess that most of it is through Facebook, which I know you told me was not acceptable. In my defence, I did spend two weeks with one of them in Japan, so I think that evens it out a little. I do make use of another Facebook feature - the ‘friendaversary’ - and use them as a reason to send a message to people and ask how they’re doing. On top of that, I also had a girlfriend - yes, really - and even though that sentence reads ‘had’, I think there was a lot to be proud of. Do me a favour and start watching ice hockey now...and remove Blade Runner from your list of movies to watch.

I will admit that the biggest failing on this list has been the tennis, recently, at least. I played regularly in Portsmouth right up until I left (I won’t spoil the ending for you), but since then, court time has been hard to come by. I did find a tennis club in my area not too long ago, but only managed a couple of sessions before lockdown happened. I haven’t yet had any lessons, but I would hope my volleys are a little better than yours, given the copious amounts of doubles you will soon be playing.

There you go, an update 5 years in the making. I would apologise for making it so long, but we both know you’re gonna love reading through it all, even if no one else does! I’m not setting 34-year-old me any targets for the time being, but you can rest easy knowing that I’m in a pretty good place, having ticked off about 80% of the tasks you set me (Mum would probably say that I haven’t changed that much!). I’m sitting in the living room of my flat in my comfy chair - get yourself a bloody sofa! - and as chance would have it, it is also Friday today, so I will sign off in the same way you did, and wish the best for the next 5 years.

Happy Friday!

Your older, wrinklier, wiser self,

Benjamin James Cook

#ON THIS DAY #back to the future #I wrote the letter in 2015! #where's my hoverboard #A for effort

[fortheheavenssake]

Nanny Anon 2

Nanny Anon 2

Sept. 17

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Sept. 18

NANNY ANON, well’ I’ve packed and ready to go ,himself came to say goodbye and thank me for being in the wee-ones early development, It was quite touching. The mistress had the maid drop off a card reference last night and left this morning without a word. ( no surprise there). M and her mistress are looking forward to next week when I move in to the P. And I can’t wait to start a new chapter with a loving family. It sounds wonderful and never again will I have to utter the words ‘ all too…………”

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Sept. 22

NANNY ANON, hello darlings ‘ I’m having a wonderful day with little C&L , M is taking G to see Star Wars so I have the the wee-one and little C. This afternoon we’re going to bake fairy cakes , although little C wants to make Unicorn cookies and take them to school tomorrow … it’s a privilege to be in a loving home with such a wonderful mistress and adorable children, last night I cried with joy. And M and I have such a history of professional duty together. What a joy for a white Lady TTFN 😌😌

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Oct. 3

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, we have been Sooooo busy with the little ones while the mistress and W have been engaged on royal duties. The mistress is such an understanding and compassionate woman she insists on the nannies as being part of the family and treats M and I the same. We have such fun with the little ones , there’s a tree house in the gardens which C seems to have turned into a Unicorn palace with daily visits from her school chums ‘ it’s a hoot ‘life is good for a white Lady TTFN.

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Oct. 5

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, both M and I are getting a program together while the mistress and W are away, we both want to take them on a scavenger hunt at high grove with C&C. Unicorns will probably be involved and G is into Star Wars. So it’s going to be a full itinerary. Little C is platting her hair at the moment and loves the tree house playing with her school chums. It’s a wonderful life for a white Lady. TTFN.

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Oct. 6

NANNY ANON, Hello Darlings, Little G came back from the match with a football signed by the team , and C had a book explaining the women’s World Cup. G is now officially a fully fledged supporter, such a fun day, the children are so exited I can see bed time will be fun. M and I are getting ready for an outing with the little ones as soon as the mistress and W depart for the tour. There off to the in-laws today so M and I are go into F&M for tea …… TTFN.

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Oct. 15

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, M and I have just returned with G&C from Thorpe Park ‘ I’m exhausted!! We went on all the rides, Little C wanted to have another ride on the Big Dipper ‘ o dear I nearly lost my breakfast ……… they had toffee apples and candy floss and G had to have tree rides on the water Shute ‘ I came over all emotional remembering Diana doing the same ride with W&H. O DEAR ‘ all too much for a white Lady 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢 TTFN 😢😢😢😢

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Oct. 19

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, The mistress and himself returned to a rapturous welcome from the children ‘ lizards ,Unicorn costumes and hugs lasted for over an hour , it was a joy, I think the first stop was BP so we waited a while but it was an exiting evening. This weekend M&I have the time to ourselves as the whole family are going to the country. We shall have a spa weekend in Bath and indulge in a lot of R&R. All To much for a white Lady. TTFN

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October 20

NANNY ANON, hello darlings,” O joy and jolly japes”Tonight we all trip over to the in-laws to watch the“ Docudramarama” the mistress has asked her sister to come and himself is off to pick up C&C ! M and myself are busy making savoury and sweet popcorn 🍿 boss baby is having fun strapped in the Bouncer and G&C are playing 🦎and🦄 , it’s a joy to be part of a loving family ‘can’t wait for the fun to begin. God bless the future monarchy. TTFN.

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Oct 27

NANNY ANON … hello darlings, still about ,things are hotting up for Halloween 🤡👹👻 the children are expected to wear their creepy costumes and my darling mistress is taking them and other little ones around the the village with the parents. M and I are going as the Markle Sisters 👯‍♀️ So don’t expect to return without egg 🍳 on my face 🤣🤣🤣all too much for a white Lady TTFN

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Oct 28

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, WELL, WELL, WELL, I’m flabbergasted absolutely stunned darlings, I’ve just received an invitation from my previous mistress and himself to a private meeting in SH London for the opportunity of returning to her employ. Apparently the wee one is missing his nanny!!! and this is causing a lot of headaches for the mistress as she wants to be able to leave the wee one with a nanny she knows will be a bonding influence. I’ll keep you all updated as to my decision darling.

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Oct 29

NANNY ANON, hello darlings ‘ salutations to all who grace the blog of our beloved Skippy. 🐼. WELL , I’ve made the decision I was debating on yesterday. I’ve decided to remain at KP in the employment of the present mistress ( god bless her and himself) because I ‘ much like M have fallen in love with little 🦄🦎And 👶. It’s a constant privileged challenge to be part of this family, The Sunday night gatherings looking at the social media laughing at the ageing train wreck. Love to all. TTFN. 🤣🤣

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Nov. 1

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, Little C is refusing to change out of her Halloween costume 🦄, and we’re all going down to Sainsbury’s to buy some giant marshmallows to roast for the rugby match. When C digs her little feet in there’s no movement. The mistress is having quite a debate with the little one trying to see reason. In the end the RPO got her to change by promising her he’d find a police helmet as a substitute. All too much for a white Lady. TTFN

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Nov 4

NANNY ANON, hello darlings ‘ O joy!! Today M&myself take little C and G (with their poppies) to RP zoo with RPO. ( one of the zoo keepers are going to fix a Unicorn to a zebra 🦄for little C.) and G will gain access to the reptile house to look at all the 🦎🦎 “ what larks pip old chap” the mistress is having some down time back at KP with little L. Afterwards we’re all of to Harrods for 🍨🍦. So much joy for a white Lady. TTFN.

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Nov 9

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Nov 11

NANNY ANON , hello darlings, my day off with M. We are exhausted darlings, absolutely knackered. Little C had a sleepover with four friends (fiendish demons) , OMG it was the sleepover from hell , first’ we put them all in the nursery, made up beds and lots of 🦄🧸🛴🏓🍪🍿🧁🍕👧👧👧👧stuff to play with and favourite eats. Only problem they didn’t want to sleep, himself had a few words to Little C at one in the morning because of the screams. All too much for a white Lady. TTFN. Bless.

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Nov 18 (Royal Variety)

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, tonight M and I had too draw lots as to who went to the RVP. I lost , so I’m looking after the little ones. The mistress spent the afternoon getting ready as the dresser fitted the last tucks to the bodice. My goodness she looked magnificent when she walked down the stairs all the little ones cheered and clapped. Tonight it’s a treat, we’ve ordered 🍕 PIZZA and knickerbocker glory’s such a joy. All too much for a white Lady. TTFN.

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Nov 19

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, a wonderful evening was had by all at the the RVP. The mistress and himself stunned all who met them with there relaxed countenance, early that evening the little ones started to write a present list to Santa. Little C was the most vocal inquiring how Santa arrives on his sled and parks his reindeer on the roof of KP and shimmy’s down the chimney ( she’s now asking to sleep near the fireplace to meet Santa ???? ) all too much for a white Lady,TTFN. 🎄🎄🎄🎅🎅🎅

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Nov 21

NANNY ANON, M and I went to see “ The sound of music “ tonight, we both love the film. We spent the day with the little ones and C had somehow got hold of one of the mistresses cameras 📸 and was ( would you believe it) taking photos of M G boss baby and me. I asked her to give me the camera as it was mummies and all I got was , NO !! later I saw the snaps she took and was surprised. I returned the camera to the mistress who looked amused. Little C been watching mummy. TTFN. 📸📸📸

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Nov 22

NANNY ANON, haddow darlig 😷🤧🤧 I dink I got vlue, my node I’d all blogged up , god a rodden hed and snoddy node. The lidda wonds is so fuddy, lidda C broughd be up bregvast od a tray. Bledd, da midredd called he dogta ad he gave be sum pawasetamol , M Id doig grate. Ib dink I’ll ged sub shudii , ord doo buch for a wide Lady, DDFN.

Ohhhh flu has hit KP! Hope you have a quick recovery 😔❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

————

Nov 23

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, still a bid bunggd up, but I’m sure I’ll be ok within the week, M and I are looking after little G and boss baby today,the mistress has gone to a shopping mall outside London with little C for Christmas shopping. Things are hotting up for the holidays and this weekend they bring the Christmas 🎄. Then we can have real fun dressing it. Back to wee boss baby 👶. TTFN.

—————

Dec 3

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, M&I very exited,tonight is the school nativity play and the mistress and himself has invited us. G is a wise king and little C is an “angel on high” …… M wickedly suggested boss baby could be baby Jesus 😱😱, But I don’t think the school is ready just yet. Little C has to say “and behold ‘ the three wise Kings” can’t wait, it’s going to be a hoot!! We all helped to make the costumes , G wore his this evening and looked very regal ( prophetic), and little C with wings.

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Dec 7

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, is the mistress pregnant ‘ all I can say is little Lottie wants a pony for Christmas and himself has quite rightly affirmed that she’s much to young. I think in a couple of years great auntie Anne would be the first to help her into the saddle. We’re all looking forward to the forthcoming banquet ( I wonder if the mistress will wear the emeralds)’ enough gossip, all too much for a white Lady, TTFN.

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Dec 8

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, Lottie has just returned from a visit to the “stables” at the royal mews. (Enough said) , himself has retired to the lounge after breakfast 🥞, pancakes and crispy bacon 🥓 with maple syrup to laugh at the Sunday tabloids. The mistress is having a “late morning” so M and myself are busy with boss and George who is finishing his homework 📚. Another Sunday joy. TTFN.

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Dec 10

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, it’s manic at KP , in a good way !! the mistress is becoming enthusiastically involved in her tennis lessons, ( several professional players lining up to coach her) my lips are sealed, Little Lottie is on a mission … it’s a day long mantra from the darling girl , anyone who she thinks will have sway with W&K is propositioned about the “pony”. I think some of her older school chums ride out. I bet Gan Gan soon enters the equation. All too much for a white Lady. TTFN.

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Dec 11

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, busy this morning ,decision to choose what C&G will wear for the Christmas walk to the service , winter coats and warm socks are the key. It’s going to be a joy seeing them for the first time at the Sandringham service with W&K. M and I are going home for Christmas M has invited me to Spain with her family, wonderful and the food darlings, I’m in for a real treat. Little Lottie will certainly have a pony ride for Christmas I’m sure, Such joy!! TTFN.

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Dec 13

NANNY ANON, hello darlings , we have cancelled our holiday In Spain 🇪🇸, duty calls darlings, we had a chat with the mistress and himself last night and decided we’re going to accompany the family for Christmas, it’s our love for the children and to help the mistress, a joy really. Also the BP PR are briefing the DOD of C about forthcoming commitments. On a lighter note, tonight’s Blog night 😂😂😂 skippy,pg,and troll the colonial Banshee. All too much for a white Lady. TTFN.

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Dec 16

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, Little Charlotte is Bewildered as to why there are no unicorn pony’s. The answer Zara gave was Unicorns are different , pony’s are special, clever Zara!! Lottie is full of questions, ( that age) it’s a daily challenge of wits. Last night was blog night, such fun ,all the usual suspects, where is @printskylie ? Never miss pg and her interpretations, so clever , the mistress loves skippy and Hunnymae , duty calls!, all too much for a white Lady, TTFN.

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Dec 16

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, O’thank you all so for your messages, the unicorn presents 🎁 look fab. I’ll pass on your message, but I’m sure the the mistress has all information directed to her MPC. ( amazing device). W&K are both very high Tech. My life is full of love and joy, I’ve got Lottie a picture edition of “ The night before Christmas”

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Dec 17

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, the children all sat watching TV, and watching mummy and daddy make cup cakes and roulades. EPIC . The kitchen is now centre of the universe, Lottie and George M and I making cup cakes and roly poly Christmas chocolate logs. Lots of mess and icing sugar. 👦🏼👧👶🧁🍰🍪🎂🍩 it’s boss baby, “ Mary Mary” Christmas 🎄 we are blessed, TTFN

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Dec 18

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, himself is taking C&G ice skating this afternoon, I think this is another diversion from pony’s. It’s a dismal afternoon,raining in London so I think the little ones will enjoy the outing , the mistress is off to play a few sets of tennis with her coach. M and I are going to check online for some new clothes for boss baby, he seems to grow by the day!! This is a busy time leading up to a family Christmas, I think it’s Sandringham this year but arrangements are 

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Dec 29

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, such a busy Christmas, the little ones were so exited with presents and gifts from the public. The mistress had a clearinghouse Of presents 🎁. A large amount of them go to local hospitals. Believe me they are talking thousands!! There’s a pink Flamingo in Little Lotties bedroom though.M and I are going to have a wee holiday over the new year, it’s been a wonderful Christmas. All too much for a white Lady,TTFN. ( sorry for no posts) been V. busy with the little ones.

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Dec 31

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, M&I and a bottle of celebrity plonk, our night off so it’s on with a movie,feet up and relax. All the i are crossed and the Ts are dotted , o dear the drink 🥤 has taken effect ………… we both wish shoo a happy new year and prosperoush , prosperoust, positives, O you get it , we never normally celibate like this , o dear, all too much for a white Lady ,TTFN. 🍹🍷🍾🍸🥂……………☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️

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[itsachels]

Italy; pt. 2

Venice, Florence, & Rome

I have to open my heart up a bit before I post. Midway through writing this, I got hit with the most overwhelming feeling of “Who on earth wants to read all of this?” That’s part of the struggle with writing. I know travel stories are usually a lot more fun for the traveler to tell than it is for the audience to listen to. That’s why it’s so fun for me to write this, because I don’t do much “story telling” after trips for fear of boring people. I can see it on their faces and it’s a little hurtful but that’s okay. I’ve been in their place enough times to not take it personally. So anyways, this is my first opportunity to tell about Italy from front to back. To be frank, no one has to read this. A big part of keeping confidence with this blog is reminding myself that this is all for me, not to please an “audience”. But it’s hard, you know? I always want some kind of approval, even if it’s never spoken…it hurts more than it should, to think someone might read my stuff and think it’s “stupid” or “pointless”. It’s all very dear to my heart so I just want others to appreciate it the way I do. If you do choose to read this…thank you! You are so appreciated, and I hope it inspires you!

Venezia

It has been so hard getting around to typing this story out. My baby is at such a clingy stage right now, which makes it hard to sit down and do this. Normally during his naps, I get housework done, but today I’m just going to ignore the mountain of dirty dishes so I can finally write. If you haven’t read Part 1, you can find it here.

On our last day in the Puglia region of Italy, we meant to go to Alberobello, but there was major confusion with the buses. Sometimes transportation was tricky, since it was all so unfamiliar. At home, if I want to go somewhere, I just jump in my car. I don’t have to worry about reading bus schedules, let alone reading them in a different language. So that left us stranded in Bari with nothing to do. We eventually ended up on a bench outside of McDonald’s, playing Sudoku and listening to music.

When it was finally time to hop on the train to Venice, we had a 7-hour train ride ahead of us. We didn’t get to there until 10 pm, so finding our air b&b was tricky. We eventually found it down a creepy dark alley (my mom’s heart rate probably just quickened). It was a studio apartment with barely any room to walk, incredibly low ceilings, and a broken shower. But it had windows that opened up to the canal and that was honestly all I wanted. We paid $88 a night which is dirt cheap to stay on the canal in Venice. It’s senseless to splurge on hotel rooms, in my opinion, when you’re only sleeping there. The more you spend, the more pressure you feel to stay and get your money’s worth rather than going out to explore the city.

We had one of our few “American” breakfasts the next morning. I say that because breakfast in Italy usually means a pastry with a cappuccino or juice. It’s hard to find places that’ll serve you much more than that. It was delicious, and this cute little café is where I had my first real Italian espresso experience. And you can bet it was my last.

We found our way to St. Mark’s square and basilica and I couldn’t stare at that church long enough! The exterior was amazing. We opted out of Doges Palace because it was expensive. I think its important to be able to let yourself miss out on things…just because it’s on most people’s itinerary, doesn’t mean it has to be on yours. Save the time and money for things you just can’t leave without experiencing. We spent our extra time that day sitting on the edge of a canal, watching gondolas pass by and soaking in the sunshine.

We stumbled into the Galleria dell’ Accademia. It wasn’t originally part of our itinerary (we barely had one to begin with), but we saw a sign saying Leonardo DaVinci’s art was on display, including “Vitruvian Man”. Alex was so excited to see it, which made me enjoy it even more.

One regret I have is not noting the names of some restaurants we liked. Like, I still daydream about the paninis and peach bellini we had that day. Anyways, around that area we saw the Bridge of Sighs. In case you don’t know the backstory, it was the bridge prisoners were led across on the way towards their execution. The little gated windows gifted them with one last view of Venice.

After some souvenir shopping on the Rialto bridge, we napped back at the room. Not to be dramatic, but I almost couldn’t walk anymore. That was followed up with dinner at a cute little restaurant that reminded me of the Lady & the Tramp’s spaghetti & meatballs scene. We pigeon-watched in a small plaza afterwards, listening to the water flow down the canal and talking until sundown. It was pretty romantic, if I do say so myself. If I had to describe Venice in one word, it’d be that: romantic.

Thus, ended our one day there. I wish we had more time. We ate cereal and yogurt in our room the next morning, dropped the key in the box, and rode the vaporetto back to the train station. By afternoon, we would be in Alex’s #1 bucket list city: Florence.

Firenze

When I look back on Florence I mainly think of gelato, drizzling rain, ceilings covered in intricate and vivid paintings, and of course the Renaissance architecture (I’m looking at you, Maria del Fiore).

Our hotel (Hotel Lorena) in Florence was so sweet. It was basically a hole in the wall; we almost didn’t see the entrance when we were walking past. It was owned by the nicest man with the strongest Italian accent I’ve ever heard. His mother was his assistant🥺, and she while she showed me to our room she asked about my pregnancy and said a baby boy is one of the greatest gifts I will ever receive. I wish I could tell her how right she was!

Okay. I have to talk about the Medici Chapelle Ristorante. I will never forget that meal, in all my days. The best part was the cocoli…fried dough drizzled in honey…a Tuscan beignet. That one in a lifetime meal was followed by gelato, on the steps of the Medici chapel, before turning in for the night.

The next day was big because we were setting out for the Duomo. It was only a couple of blocks away from Hotel Lorena; we had a view of it from our bedroom window. It rained a good bit but we still had fun seeing the incredible exterior of the church and the inside, which was also beautiful. We were blessed to be able to attend mass there. Did you know that in 1601, lightning struck the copper sphere on top of the cathedral, and it smashed into the ground? You can not appreciate how far that ball fell until you’re standing in the building’s shadow. There’s a marble circle marking the spot where it landed.

The bell tower had an unforgettable view of the city and goes higher than the church’s dome, which is what people normally choose as their viewpoint. The stairway was so narrow, there were times I seriously wasn’t sure the crowd could get through. At least all the work was well worth the view.I am not ashamed of what we spent as Ditti Artigeniale the next morning because we were desperate for one of those “American” breakfasts I was talking about. It gave us plenty of energy for exploring Pitti Palace and all of its beautiful painted ceilings. Why don’t we decorate like that anymore???? In the backyard were the Boboli gardens, which were by far one of the prettiest sights I saw on our trip. A garden on a hill, in full bloom, with the Tuscan countryside for a backdrop? Yes, please.

No, we didn’t see the statue of David. Remember our conversation about where to put your money? We didn’t want to put it there. I just really didn’t want to spend $50 to see a statue I wasn’t very excited about. We settled for a free viewing of its replica, which happened to be near the Fountain of Neptune. If you stare at any chunk of concrete in Florence, let this fountain be it. It was breathtaking. I feel like this whole paragraph could be very offensive to an art connoisseur. Sorry!!! I’m sure David is very handsome and I am not comparing the fountain to a chunk of concrete.

Florence was a lot like Polignano a mare in the fact that we spent so much time walking around, stumbling into churches and shops and just trying to figure out where to eat next. We had a very slow pace on this trip and didn’t hesitate to stop by our hotel for a nap when we felt a yawn coming on. A nap in Italy is better than a nap at home! Our days were really simple and easy. No pressure, no running to “fit it all in”. It was unhurried strolling, easy conversation, and letting the day unravel however it wanted to.

Rome

A harsh contrast from that last paragraph: Rome was intense. My legs were bruised from all the walking. One evening I tried to wipe off what I though was bluish dirt (?) on my thighs, and when it wouldn’t give, I realized they were bruises! Not from bumping into anything but just from the stress of carrying a baby all over the city. And our b&b was just weird. People didn’t seem to understand “modesty” when walking out of the bathroom, our host was kind of a stick in the mud, and it was down a sketchy/dirty street. I know it sounds like I’m complaining, but I’m not. It was so cheap and steps away from the metro. It was also above a corner shop that sold delicious cappuccinos and pastries for only 2 euros, so that supplied our breakfast every day. We didn’t mind all the little annoyances and it just made for more memories. Believe me, Rome was beyond worth it.

We started with a free walking tour guided by a local college student. He did amazing; these tours are a good way to get your feet wet in a new city. It gives you a feel for the layout and your guide can share little things that you wouldn’t know otherwise. For example, in the Piazza del Popolo, we had sat under a big statue playing i-spy. We just thought it was a nice place to people-watch. As it turns out, we were sitting in the shadow of a 4000+ year old Egyptian obelisk. We never would’ve known! Our guide also took us to the Pantheon; Alex was so cute with how excited he was.

Before the tour, when we saw the Spanish steps (so beautiful in person), we went to the church at the very top. If you paid a euro or two, you could light a prayer candle. We lit one for Noah. It’s really special to me that he was on that trip with us, even though he was obviously still in the womb. Because we want to continue traveling as a family, it felt like the beginning of something exciting.

That was just day one…the rest of our Rome adventure included the Colosseum and surrounding areas, lots of people-watching in different piazzas, an interesting night in the Trastevere neighborhood, a fun little trip to the countryside to tour the Catacombs, and aaaall the glory of the Vatican. Rome deserves a longer piece, but I feel like I’ve exhausted myself sharing what I have so far. I’ll save it for a rainy day. Even then, though, I simply cannot tell all about Rome without writing a whole book. I wish I could share every funny story and mishap and surprise. You just have to see it for yourself.

And that is my story of Italy. If you’re debating a trip, go. It’s a gem you get to carry in your heart for a lifetime after. I hope reading this inspires some ideas!

#italy #rome #florence #venice #polignano #a mare #travel #adventure #cappuccino #pastries #story

[erikismybitch]

Drillmonger:Conclusion part 1

This conclusion will be 2 parts .

_

It was finally happening. After nearly a year of flying as an international crew member , she was finally flying to Africa. And because the universe hated her , as she thought , Candy was running late . In her heels and uniform she ran through the terminals in search for hers . She was at the Heathrow Airport in London, a major connecting hub and a middle ground for overseas flights .

By faith , Candy made it to her gate , spotting the passengers lined up to board the plane . They couldn’t start the process without her .

“I’m so sorry you guys , my Uber driver got lost!” Candy lied to the other crew members . Truth was , she had overslept.

“Girl they are pissed that we are six minutes behind schedule “ she teased . Candy knew her as Maria, a bubbly Mexican girl who she’d flown with before . They weren’t necessarily friends, but they could relate to each other . Candy laughed and dragged her carry-on down the tarp and onto the plane.

This flight was a long one . It would take them eleven hours to fly into the beautiful East African country of Wakanda. Candy began to quickly do her pre flight duties . She stocked food in the rolling carts , made sure the blankets made it to each seat and all entertainment tablets were functional.

“We are now boarding” the head Flight attendant warned to the crew .

Candy stood in economy awaiting the passengers. As soon as the people began to load , she assisted them with their carry-ons and stowaways . There was such a shift in Candy’s work ethic . Usually her smiles and upbeat speech was a part of the act . This time it was genuine . She would be spending three full days in East Africa. On the third she had to head back to work . Her itinerary was already planned , three days full of exploration. The historic museums , hiking through the beautiful mountains and eating everything she could fit in her mouth .

The plane taxied along the runway and awaited take off . Candy stood in the middle of economy and did the safety belt and air passage demonstration . The pilot informed them of take off and the crew took their seats .

Once they reached the correct altitude the pilot turned off the seat belt sign and everyone was free to move about the cabin.

What Candy didn’t know was that her trip plans would soon take a shift . Erik was taking the long journey to visit his family after four years .

Erik was on that very same flight .

Candy had been so distracted by her lateness that she didn’t see him waiting in line to board the plane. But he saw her and it made him happy... it made Erik very happy.

Seeing her was like a light , that lead him from the darkness that had been his life without her . She looked good , he missed her. At first instinct he wanted to walk up to her and hug her. Even if that was too much , he just wanted to feel her body on his. It had been so long, even a handshake would do .

“Alert: B-2”

Flashed across the call screen. It flashed each time a passenger called for assistance.

“B-2, that’s in first class right?” Candy asked the group . They all let out a laugh at her naiveness, even Maria who spoke up first .

“Yeah, you’ve never served first class?”

“Always economy “ she told them .

Maria told her that she was assigned to first class for this flight. And that first class passengers were almost always ass holes. Maria asked if Candy wanted to switch and she complied .

The alert signaled again . Why not, Candy thought . She figured she might meet someone with connections and they could suggest some great places to go on this short trip .

Candy walked carefully to the first class section of the plane . Seeing nothing but a man with headphones and a beanie seated in B-2. The famous smile that was always plastered on her face slowly faded as his face came into view. She couldn’t believe that Erik was before her.

A year had almost passed without any communication on his part . Candy felt that she had finally gotten to a place where she wasn’t affected by his absence. She had blocked his name from her brain. She had even had sex with other men.

Then what was this feeling of silent panic . Erik hadn’t even opened his mouth to speak a single word . He looked up at her and slid his headphones off of his ears. Erik’s dimples imprinted in his cheeks with his small smirk . “Can I get a blanket or somethin’? “ he spoke as if this transaction was platonic . As if he and Candy had no history at all . “Please?” He let off his full blown smile now, after he noticed that Candy wasn’t the least bit amused.

“Sure thing “ Candy gave him an answer just as platonic as his question . She avoided looking into his actual face and walked to the back of the plane. Maria noticed the look on her face upon her return . She just assumed that the first class passenger was rude . “I told ya”

“It’s not that” Candy told her .

“What is it ?”

“Just a familiar face”

Maria asked if it was an ex boyfriend, Candy told her it was . She didn’t want to get into the actual details of their situation . Maria offered to take the blanket to him also . Candy thanked her because she didn’t have to do her that favor .

The flight was five hours in . Candace was off her A-game. Erik’s presence really threw a wrench in it. She dropped a drink on a passenger, she got a food order wrong , she even chipped her nail. Seeing how stressed out she was, the lead attendant advised her to take a quick break . She sat in the back and took a couple sips of cold water. Her hands were shaking . Fuck him for making me feel this way! She screamed out , but only in her head .

“Alert: B-2”

Unfortunately her break was cut short . Candy was the only person in the back who could answer the alert . She looked around for Maria, she was tending to a passenger .

“Do you think you can check on B-2, everyone is busy” the lead attendant called softly to her . She obeyed his order and dragged herself to the front of the plane . The lead had just asked her to take this break. “Fuck” she mouthed and approached his seat . She wasn’t smiling , nor did she say anything .

“How you been?” He asked , Erik had been purposely pressing the call button all flight . He finally reached Candy.

“I’ve been busy Erik, like right now” Candy’s voice cut at him with so much venom , it caught the attention of his seated neighbor .

“You mad at me or something?”

Candy let out a huge breath of frustration . She wanted to scream at him, and release all of the pain he had caused her. This situation wasn’t worth her job, she had worked too hard to get here .

“Do you need anything sir?”

“So I’m sir now?” Erik laughed , and how cute he looked when he laughed angered her . She kneeled down and leaned in close to him. Then spoke only for his ears to hear .

“Don’t press this fucking button anymore ”

“I ain’t mean t-“ he began to speak but Candy stopped him.

“Sir, do you need anything else ?“ Her friendly hand patted against his shoulder.

“Nah, Im good”

————

This wasn’t the first time Erik had seen her. He was in her city not long ago . For the first time since the last time they had spoken.

“Hope you didn’t scratch my shit” Erik has gotten to a point where he was rude with everyone. Especially when thoughts of Candy clouded his brain. He was speaking to the hotel valet .

The gentleman gave him keys to his rental car. Compliments of a night club, a midnight matte Ferrari 458. Erik was scheduled for an appearance that evening . It was moving past midnight and now was the perfect time to go. He and a few other socialites were getting paid for it .

The only thing . Being this close to Candy without seeing her bothered him. Next month would make it month seven since he indirectly broke things off. After he left her house and never spoke to her again.

It came to the point where he was passing her exit , he found it funny that he remembered it . Even only after visiting her once . He remembered everything about her . The way she laughed at everything, even if it wasn’t traditionally funny . How she smacked when she drank out of a cup . Even her hate and sustain for football.

“Because I don’t understand all the rules , it’s so stupid!”

She told him one night as they laid naked in a Las Vegas Hotel . They had sex all night , and in the morning Candy almost missed her flight from exhaustion.

He pulled his phone out and swerved through the lanes , Erik was tempted to call her ... but it would be no use . Especially after she sent those many unanswered texts to his phone .

You unfollowed me , what going on?

Erik , so after everything ... this is it ?

I don’t know what I expected from you .

Fuck you .

Erik had read those texts over and over throughout time, even the ones from the beginning. When they were happy . He couldn’t delete them yet.

Someone’s Horn honked as he sped to the exit and tapped into his mental memory to find her house . Erik knew she was home. He had checked her Instagram story earlier .

Erik parked his car directly across from her house. The lights were off and he didn’t see her car in the drive way either . He glanced at the clock .

It’s 12:46 am. Where the fuck was she at this late?

He wasn’t quite sure what to do , or why he was there. Walking to her door wasn’t an option, Candy made it clear through texts that she hated his very existence. Erik had avoided coming to her city for just this reason

It was 1:03 when her living room light came on. Erik was just about to leave . He spotted London through the thin white curtains. She came into view , in her robe and bonnet . Unknowingly Erik’s face turned at the sight of her. “Wheres my girl?” he said to himself . He tapped impatiently on the steering wheel.

London fiddled around the living room for a couple of moments then cut the lights off again. He gave himself another moment before he pulled off , just incase .

Still nothing .

Erik started his engine with the smack of his teeth and left .

“And what was you gon’ do if you seen her?” He downtalked himself as he sped back to the freeway . He put the club address in his navigation and set off to have a good time tonight . Erik would get drunk off the free bottles of liquor and have a cute girl come with him back to his hotel .

Only he didn’t . He spent his night disconnected from everything in V.I.P. Sulking in the corner. Thinking of how much he missed Candy and how much better he felt with her in his life .

______________

Candy was so happy when the plane landed and all the passengers exited the aircraft . She and the others did a cleaning sweep and de-planed . When Candy walked into the gate, she spotted Erik standing . She knew he was waiting for her . His back was turned and she had the option of not being spotted. She watched him for a second , still looking from behind at his wide back and commanding stance . She thought about a time in the past . Where she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head between his shoulder blades. He pushed her away screaming about how “...he didn’t do shit like that!”. Candy laughed to herself because later on he did the same thing to her . Only, she didn’t push him away. She never did .

Something told Erik to turn around , when he did he saw her . Candy was stuck , he was walking towards her now. She looked around , oddly enough it was just the two of them .

“Can you give me a second?” He finger tipped his hand around her arm so she wouldn’t get away .

“I’ve given you too many seconds “ Candy took her arm back and placed it at her side.

“All I need is one more”

He walked over to a near by seat and sat down. Erik slouched inwardly and spread his legs for comfort . Candy couldnt help but to find his dick . With a straight face she snuck a peak at his print through his pants . That thing was worth listening to , or listening to Erik. Right ?

She sat down directly across from him . “We don’t have much time, we have a shuttle taking us to our hotel “ Candy noted the time , the shuttle would be leaving in twenty six minutes.

“You good, I’ll have my people take you to your hotel”

“You can’t control this situation like you always do, I’m catching my shuttle “ Candy contested with unnecessary attitude , Erik felt it . He clinched his jaw, trying not to scare her away with what he really wanted to say . “And who are your people ?” Candy asked .

“My family, that’s why I’m here”

She had forgotten that he was from here, Erik told her that it had been a long time since he had visited . “What’s the occasion, a funeral or something?” Candy’s expression softened.

“No, nothing like that” he expressed as if he was saddened by something . Erik knew just how to play on Candy’s emotions. She couldn’t help but to get up and take the seat next to him .

“Why did you decide to come back ?” She asked again.

“As corny as it sounds, I’ve been doing some soul searching and it lead me back home “

Erik grazed his fingers along Candy’s hand . It was resting along the armrest , until she allowed Erik to hold it . His gentleness surprised her . In the past she had to show him how to be this way . He leaned his head into her vision, making sure she looked into his eyes.

“Soul searching ?” Candy repeated .

“I been thinking a lot about you “ he tightened his hold , it made her wince .

“After all this time” she glanced at a monitor near by and clocked the time. “I gotta go”

Candy attempted to lift from her seat but Erik pulled her back down. It wasn’t alarming, he was still being gentle .

“Think I can see you , while you’re here?” He asked . Candy hesitated and thought of an answer , that let him know that she would be here longer than overnight.

“I’m only here for three days and I have plans”

She stood up, he let her hand go as he stood with her . Erik let her know that he only needed a small moment of her time . She agreed to call him once she got things settled at her hotel .

“Me being on this plane , it has to serve a higher purpose. Things happen for a reason” Erik stressed , as if he was trying to further convince her to see him .

“I told you I would call you “ she read right into him as she gripped her carry on and began to walk away . She only had a few minutes to catch the shuttle.

“Don’t make me come find you !” He called out , grabbing the attention of strangers around him. He had no shame , because he would .

#whats going to happen #will there be smut #sorry its so short

[jeshikawa]

For my big summer trip, I traveled down to the island of Shikoku to visit one of the least visited prefectures in Japan, Kochi.

At my JET interview 3 years ago, I was asked if I enjoyed history (yes) and if I had a famous Japanese historical figure. I blanked on the spot and blurted out a safe and easy answer-- Sakamoto Ryouma. The Japanese woman at my interview nodded her head approvingly and wrote something down. The former JET asked me to do a demo lesson for elementary school students about him. I fumbled, started over once, and manage to throw something together on the spot. When I left the interview, I joked that if I made it to Japan, I’d go to where ever Ryouma came from as a sort of tribute.

Well, I made it and since then, I’ve been to Kyoto and Nagasaki, two places affiliated with Ryouma’s life. This year, I went to his home prefecture, Kochi for four days. I had a vague itinerary made up. Vague because I had things I definitely wanted to do but some of them depended on the weather (and a typhoon was coming!).

Anyway, below the cut is the details of my trip! 

But the tl;dr version is:

1. Had local food! The specialty ramen is nabe ramen, served in a hot pot with a chicken broth based and sliced chikuwa. The most popular type of ice cream, aisukurin, is a traditional kind based on a recipe from the 1800s. 

2. Katsurahama Beach is easily accessible with a lot of stuff to visit nearby like the Sakamoto Ryouma museum, a cute shrine on a cliff, an aquarium, and places to eat. The Sakamoto Ryouma Museum was A+ super informative and very English friendly.

3. Kochi is the home for some very famous Japanese figures. Sakamoto Ryouma is one of the most famous historical figures in Japan (second only to Nobunaga in some rankings!). The creator for Anpanman is from Kochi and I had the theme song stuck in my head the whole time. The founder for Mitsubishi is from Kochi, too.

4. Kochi is home to the first yosakoi festival in Japan. Naruko, one of the required elements for yosakoi, is traditionally from Kochi and you can make your own at the yosakoi museum.

5. Kochi loves chickens, especially a certain breed. 

6. Kochi Castle was a struggle to climb up to in the summer but the view was amazing. If you go on Sunday, you can visit a 300 year old open market nearby. I saw an 800 yen whole watermelon.

7. Kitagawamura is home to “Monet’s Garden,” a garden inspired by Monet’s paintings and the only place outside France to be allowed to officially use the title.

8. You can get delicious food and eat next to locals at Hirome Market.

9. Not many people spoke much English if at all but oh my god the locals in Kochi were some of the friendliest people I have ever met in Japan and I was so touched by their kindness and willingness to make my trip the best it could be.

Every prefecture has their own style of ramen. Kochi’s is nabe ramen; ramen served in hot pots that simmer when you remove the top. Traditionally, the ramen has a chicken broth base and comes with sliced chikuwa and green onion. I went to one place that specialized on it and they also served the ramen with chicken skin and shredded chicken. 

It was hot so at Katsurahama Beach and Kochi Castle, I had aisukurin. It's ice cream made from eggs, sugar, and powdered skim milk. It’s a little crunchier and lighter tasting than regular ice cream because there’s less fat. I don’t like having dairy in the summer because it feels so heavy in my stomach but I really liked this.

While at Katsurahama, I climbed up a small cliff (which is honestly a lot easier than it sounds!) to visit a small shrine that looked over the beach. The Sakamoto Ryouma museum nearby was extremely informative and very English friendly. When it comes to museums in Japan, I think this one was one of the most English friendly ones with very detailed and comprehensive translations for about 85% of the things on display if you got their audio guide. The only thing that didn’t really have English translations was the new special and temporary exhibit about the women in Ryouma’s life (which was honestly really cool to see). We visited the aquarium that was there and it was okay... I don’t really like a lot of aquariums and zoos and this one didn’t really impress me. But it was close to the shrine and the museum and next to the bus stop so it was convenient. 

Kochi loves their boy, Ryouma. He’s on all of the omiyage, his statue is every where, there are photo op cut outs all over the place, and it’s honestly really cute. Kochi isn’t a very popular prefecture but when your local boy is one of the most famous figures in Japanese history (I’ve seen him ranked as #2 on some lists, second only to Nobunaga!), you run with it. Do you know what else is from Kochi? The creator of Anpanman is from Kochi! The artist designed characters for all of the stations on the train lines and they greet you on all of the signs. Whenever a train leaves Kochi station, you can hear a jingle from the show. In Kochi City, there are statues of the characters every where. The founder for Mitsubishi is also from Kochi and the Mitsubishi logo is based on the crest for the Tosa Clan.

Kochi is home to the first yosakoi festival in Japan. It’s one of the biggest festivals in the prefecture and one of the biggest yosakoi festivals in Japan. At the yosakoi museum in Kochi City, you can make naruko which are a requirement for yosakoi. Naruko originated from Kochi as a tool farmers used to scare off crows.

Kochi Castle was a work out in the summer because it’s up a hill... but the view from the top of the castle was amazing. It was also very informative with a lot of information in English. I learned a lot about Japanese castles. If you go to the castle on Sunday, you can also visit the open air Sunday Market which has been going strong for 300 years. I saw a whole watermelon there for 800 yen. A local told me Kochi is very small and agricultural so things are just cheaper, even in the city.

Near the castle, you can visit the Castle Museum and the Yosakoi Inari Shrine. The Yosakoi Inari Shrine has chickens and roosters running around. Imagine seeing chickens and roosters running around in the middle of a city! People often go to the shrine to pray for a successful Yosakoi festival and season.

Something that was on my Japan Bucket List was visiting Monet’s Garden in Japan. I didn’t realize it was in Kochi until I started planning my trip! It’s the only place outside of France allowed to use the title “Monet’s Garden” and it was designed with cooperation and support from Monet’s Garden in France. If you go in the summer, you can see the lilies on the pond and it really looks like some of Monet’s paintings come to life. It was about a 1.5 hour train ride one way so it was 3 hours all together... and we spent about 2 hours at the garden looking around and eating lunch so this was basically one whole day.

At night, we hit up Hirome Market which is a market place with a ton of food and drink stalls that you can enjoy with locals. You can try tons of delicious food there! Street food like okonomiyaki, karaage, and takoyaki but also full meals like ramen, nabe, sushi, and pizza. I had bonito tataki-- lightly seared bonito. It’s one of the signature dishes in Kochi.

Through out the trip, I hit up a few shrines and temples for goshuin. I didn’t actually do the 88 Temple Tour because those temples are scattered all across Shikoku but I hit up a few temples on the route that were easy to get to. 

It was really a full 4 days! But something that really stuck out to me on the trip were the people. Like I said, Kochi is one of the least visited prefectures in Japan, especially among foreign tourists. While I was traveling with my friend, locals were usually very curious to find out why we were there, especially before the big yosakoi festival. They were always so excited and willing to give us recommendations for places to visit and foods to try. Even if their English wasn’t very good and my Japanese wasn’t great, they were always proud to try and explain things to us. I was in a small mom and pop convenience shop looking for a drink to by and the owner tried very hard to explain the regional juices, sodas, and alcohol for sale. On the train, I saw an interesting building on a mountain and an old man did his best to explain to me it was a temple after I snapped a photo of it. At Katsurahama beach, we ran into a local high school field trip and the teacher invited us to go to the Ryouma museum along with them. One hot day, I went to a restaurant and fanned myself while waiting for food... the restaurant owner gave me a fan. When I tried to return it after dinner, he told me to keep it so I could stay cool on my trip. Even on the plane ride into Kochi, a local woman asked us what we were going to do in Kochi and gave us a few recommendations. it’s really ridiculous how incredibly nice everyone in Kochi was when they spoke to us. It was honestly one of the nicest experiences I’ve ever had dealing with local people.

My trip honestly ended up  being A LOT better than I thought it would go. It’s legit one of my favorite places I’ve visited and a big part of that is just how proud and kind the people were every where I went. It’s very obvious that there are people here proud of their history and culture and they genuinely want to share it with others. This was a great way to celebrate 3 years in Japan!

#jet program #jet programme #visit japan #travel #japan

[carleencl]

Exploring Vietnam: Day 1 in Ancient Town of Hoi An, Vietnam

Vietnam - 7 days, 4 cities, 1 country. Vietnam is known from its coffees and noodles soups which we couldn’t miss during our trip there.

For Vietnam, we decided to visit Da Nang, Hoi An, Hue, and Hanoi. It was a series of transfers either from plane to plane or car to train.

Vietnam blog, same as the first travel blogs, will be divided into series of posts. If you would like to know our itineraries, expenses, and some more information, you may read my blog and hope it helps you planning your trip to Vietnam. Detailed expenses and itinerary will be at the end of each post.

Also, you may also watch my vlogs at the end of each post as some information may be on the video and not in my blog and vice versa. 😊

DAY 1.1 JULY 21, 2019

PHILIPPINE AIRLINES: MANILA >> HANOI

July 21, 2019 - our flight from Manila to Hanoi, Vietnam was at 10:25pm with almost a 3-hour travel time via Philippine Airlines. Our plane fare for a roundtrip was US$ 144.60(PHP 7,519.2) each that includes 25kg of baggage allowance and an inflight meal.

There is a time difference of an hour between Manila and Hanoi.

Meals are always included with PAL. For my meal in the plane, I got Chicken with Java Rice, Macaroni Salad, Dried Pineapple, Butter, and Bread. The chicken was actually good and was made by Aristocrat. 😋

To our surprise, there was an extra dessert! 😍 We were given Avocado Ice Cream. Who doesn’t like ice cream, right?

DAY 1.2 JULY 22, 2019

We arrived at Hanoi, Vietnam at around 12:45am in Terminal 2 and stayed at terminal for a few hours before transferring to Terminal 1 for our next flight to Da Nang, Vietnam.

There were no shuttle service for terminal transfers during that time since it was in the early morning that’s why we booked a Grab instead. We paid for Grab with VND 50,000 (PHP 110) per car plus a toll fee of VND 15,000 (PHP 33.00) upon entry to terminal 1 for each car. We booked 2 separate cars since no one’s accepting our booking for the bigger cars/vans.

VIETNAM AIRLINES: HANOI >> DA NANG

From Hanoi, now boarding to go to Da Nang.

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DA NANG, VIETNAM

We claimed our sim card via Klook in Da Nang International Airport. Originally we are planning to get the unlimited data sim card at Hanoi International Airport, however, the operating hours of the booth conflicts with our arrival time.

Each sim card availed via Klook had 7GB worth of data and is good for 30 days. One sim card costs Php282. For the internet speed, it was actually good enough for watching YouTube smoothly, and fast enough to send and upload of photos.

LE HOUSE BOUTIQUE HOTEL, DA NANG, VIETNAM

Straight from Da Nang airport, we booked a Grab and went to our hotel, Le House Boutique Hotel.

It was so early for our check-in that we decided to leave our luggage, have breakfast, and go to Hoi An and go back in the late afternoon

We booked our room in Le House Boutique Hotel via Agoda that costs us a total of PHP 4,143 which includes a buffet breakfast for all of us. Our room was located at the topmost, the penthouse. It was a 3-bedroom apartment with each room, having its own shower and toilet area. Also, the apartment has a common area such as: living room, kitchen, dining area, and a balcony. You may check my room tour on my vlog at the end of this post.

KA CONG CAFE

We decided to have our breakfast to the cafe beside our hotel, Ka Cong Cafe.

I ordered their Boiled Pork with Steamed Rice that costs VND 80,000 (PHP 176). The meal was exactly what you will get as the name of the food says. It looks plain in a glance but was actually good especially when you eat the pork with their sauce.

Of course when in Vietnam, one must try all the coffee as possible. I tried their Sai Gon Coffee with Milk that costs VND 29,000 (PHP 63.80). The coffee was so amazing! It was a little strong but creamy!

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HOI AN, VIETNAM

KHONG GIAN XANH

Menu of Khong Gian Xanh

Cao Lau on the left for VND 35,000 and Chicken Rice on the right for VND 35,000 too.

I ordered Cao Lau and the taste was amazing! The Cao Lau is Hoi An’s specialty dish. It’s a noodle soup and the water used in the dish must be from the nearby well.

I couldn’t describe what taste resembles to it since the Cao Lau has a very unique taste. It was one of a kind and a must try when vising Hoi An.

Beside the Cao Lau, I also ordered a refreshing drink of Lemon Juice for VND 20,000 and a large bottled water for VND 15,000.

After having our lunch, we went to nearest ticket booth for the entrance to the museums, old houses, etc. within the Ancient Town in Hoi An. A ticket costs VND 120,000/each which included entrance to 5 places.

Hoi An is known for its lanterns hanging everywhere in the ancient town. The lanterns were used before as to light up their homes and since of its beautiful designs, it was also used as decorations.

MUSEUM OF FOLKORE IN HOI AN

The museum includes preserved items used in their daily lives in the past. Artifacts displayed in the museum were at least 100+ years old.

OLD HOUSE OF QUAN THANG

The Qua Thang shop-house is one of the oldest houses in Hoi An. It is built by a Chinese merchant in the late 17th century.

TRAN FAMILY CHAPEL

The Tran Family Chapel was built as a home and a chapel.

We were a little disappointed for both the Old House of Quan Thang and the Tran Family Chapel. We were expecting really old houses with the furniture, and living areas still in their places. Though there were furniture still in their homes, however, bigger sections of the houses were made into shops. Some were even “irritated” that we didn’t buy anything from them.

The two houses were a “nice to see” places however, if given another chance, I would choose the other museums instead.

MADAM KHANH - BANH MI QUEEN

Tried the famous Madam Khanh Banh Mi! While eating, we saw that there were a lot of Grab Food orders for this place - that surely tells that it’s the best Banh Mi.

Since we were still quite full from the Cao Lau, we shared a Banh Mi for two people. We ordered the Mixed Banh Mi which contains vegetables, pork, ham, eggs, egg sauce, papaya, and cucumber. It was the actually the best Banh Mi I’ve tasted and would love to go back to Hoi An for the Madam Khanh’s Bang Mi! One order costs VND 20,000 (PHP44).

HOI AN MUSEUM

Next that we visited was the Hoi An Museum. The whole museum has 4 floors that displays all the relics and some old photos in Hoi An.

After visiting the museum, we decided to explore more of Hoi An.

Here’s the area where tourists floats little lanterns in water. (Which we decided not to do it since it may contribute to more pollution and deforestation since the lanterns were made from papers.)

JAPANESE COVERED BRIDGE

Visited the Japanese Covered Bridge but didn’t go inside since it was crowded.

HAINAN ASSEMBLY HALL

Last ticket was for Hainan Assembly hall. We didn’t know where to spend our last ticket and our friend wants to visit with anything that has dragons in it, thus, our last ticket was for Hainan Assembly hall.

Overall, Hoi An is a good place to visit to experience and taste their specialty dishes. It is place for people who loves lanterns, and collects antics.

If you want to see the other parts for my travel vlog in Vietnam, please do watch the video below:

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Below was our itinerary and expenses for day 1 in Vietnam. Hope this will help you to be able to plan your travels to this country.

ITINERARY

DAY 1.1: July 21, 2019 (Sunday) 07:00 PM - Meet-up at NAIA Terminal 1 10:25 PM - ETD from Manila

DAY 1.2 July 22, 2019 (Monday) 12:45 AM - ETA to Hanoi, Vietnam 01:00 AM - Immigration / Get Luggage 02:00 AM - Stay at Terminal 1 04:00 AM - Transfer to Terminal 2 for Da Nang 04:30 AM - Check in luggage 06:00 AM - ETD from Hanoi 07:20 AM - ETA to Da Nang 07:45 AM - Get luggage / Claim Sim Card via Klook 08:30 AM - Leave for hotel 09:00 AM - Arrival at Le House Boutique 09:30 AM - Breakfast 11:00 AM - Leave for Hoi An 12:00 NN - Arrival at Hoi An 12:30 PM - Lunch 01:00 PM - Explore Ancient Town of Hoi An 05:00 PM - Go back to hotel 05:30 PM - Arrival at hotel 07:00 PM - Dinner 09:00 PM - Sleep

EXPENSES

Plane Fare via Philippine Airlines RT - US$ 144.60 / PHP 7,519.20 each

Travel Tax - PHP 1,620 each

Plane Fare via Vietnam Airlines (HAN - DAN) - US$ 61.50 / PHP 3,198 each

Sim Card via Klook - PHP 282

Le House Boutique Hotel - PHP 4,143 for 5 pax (PHP 828.60/ea)

Transfer from Hanoi Airport Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 ( For 5 - Total: PHP 286; PHP 57.20/ea)

Grab: VND 50,000 / PHP 110 (per car)

Toll Fee: VND 15,000 / PHP 33 (per car)

Transfer from Da Nang Airport to hotel ( For 5 - Total: PHP 259.60; PHP51.92/ea)

Grab: VND 103,000 / PHP 226.60

Toll Fee: VND 15,000 / PHP 33

Breakfast: Ka Cong Cafe (PHP 239.80)

Boiled Pork with Steamed Rice: VND 80,000 / PHP 176

Sai Gon Coffee with Milk: VND 29,000 / PHP 63.80

Grab (Hotel to Hoi An) - VND 308,000 / PHP 677.6 ( For 5 - PHP 135.52/ea)

Ancient Town of Hoi An ticket - VND 120,000 / PHP 264.00

Lunch: Khong Gian Xanh (Total: PHP 154.00)

Cao Lau - VND 35,000 / PHP 77.00

Lemon Juice - VND 20,000 / PHP 44.00

Water (big) - VND 15,000 / PHP 33.00

Madam Kanh - Banh Mi Queen (Total: PHP 99)

Mixed Banh Mi - VND 20,000 / PHP44 (For 2: PHP 22/ea)

Watermelon Smoothie - VND 35,000 / PHP 77

Grab (Hoi An to hotel) - VND 308,000 / PHP 677.6 (For 5 - PHP 135.52/ea)

Dinner: Ka Cong (Total: PHP 149.60)

Spring Rolls - VND 140,000 / PHP 308 (For 5 - PHP 61.60/ea)

Beef Pho - VND 80,000 / PHP 176 (For 2 - PHP 88/ea)

Total: PHP 14,734.36 (Includes RT Plane fare via PAL, Plane fare via Vietnam Airlines, Da Nang hotel, Sim Card via Klook)

*Conversion of VND to PHP are rounded and used VND 1 = PHP 0.0022

#Vietnam #Hanoi #Da Nang #Hoi An #Travel Blog #Blog #PAL #Philippine Airlines #travel guide #vietnam guide #Twice Styled #Travel #Blogger PH #Le House Boutique Hotel #Cao Lau #food #foodie #yummy #lanterns #Ka Cong Cafe #when in vietnam #Carleen Travels #Carleen Diaries