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middleofnowhere92 · 3 years

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Azulaang for my ATLA Valentine’s Day Rarepair One Shots for @ljf613

Blue Lotus

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Aang/Azula (Avatar), Aang & Azula (Avatar) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Tattoo Parlor, Tattoos, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Modern Era Summary: Azula, Ty lee and Mai decide to get matching tattoos on Valentine's day. Aang ends up being Azula's tattoo artist.

Read on ao3 or below the cut

Ty Lee bounced ahead of Azula into the tattoo shop. Mai and Azula followed her in, with much less enthusiasm.

By the time Mai and Azula made it inside, Ty Lee was flipping through a portfolio and chatting with the girl at the front desk. Ty Lee chirped, "Well we decided fuck valentine's day, let's get tattoos!" "More like you decided," Mai responded in a bored tone. Ty Lee laughed and then the girl at the counter called out, “Jet, Snoozles, Twinkle Toes- your appointments are here.”

A tall lanky guy confidently strode up to the desk and peered over the girl’s shoulder, “Azula?” She recognized him from the video chat when they had first discussed her tattoo. She walked forward and followed him down the small into a room that was painted a nauseating shade of orange.

He sat on a low rolling chair and she hopped up onto the tattoo chair. His wide grey eyes looked up at her, “So I was looking over what you requested, a blue lotus tattoo?” She nodded. He was easy and relaxed, “You’re still wanting it on your inner forearm?”

She flipped her forearm and pointed to the center, “Here.” He nodded, “I think it’ll look perfect. Let me show you what I drew up.” He easily rolled over to his computer and she peeked over from the chair. It was better than what she had expected, but instead she replied, “That’s fine.”

He spun around and looked at her, “Is there something you want me to change? It’s gonna be on you forever.” She brushed a bang behind her ear, “No, it’s fine. We can proceed.” He almost looked like he wanted to ask again, but instead rolled back to the computer. He printed up the design and then pulled on latex gloves.

He smiled up at her and said, “You can sit back and rest your arm on the arm rest, we’re gonna be here for a while.” She did as she was told and watched him roll over to a cabinet and grab supplies.

He rolled back to her, “Alright, so I’m just gonna disinfect you here.” She didn’t flinch as he rubbed down her inner forearm with a cool alcohol swab. She watched closely as he applied the outline to her skin. He looked up at her, “Alright, go look in the mirror and make sure it’s exactly what you want.”

She bounced down from the chair and walked over to the mirror. The flower was centered on her inner forearm and it looked like it was meant to be there. She turned and sat back down. To appease him, she said, “It’s perfect.”

“Great!” He responded. “Let’s get this show on the road.” She settled back into the chair and heard him start up the tattoo gun. He asked, “Is this your first tattoo?” She looked up at the orange ceiling. “Yes, it is.” “Oh, cool, cool.” She bit her lip as she felt the first prick of pain.

He was bent over her arm intently at work, but his voice was carefree as he asked, “So why a blue lotus?” She really would rather sit here in silence, but she answered, “My friends and I always talked about matching tattoos. The lotus has meaning for all of us. I’m getting blue, Ty Lee is getting pink and Mai is getting red.”

He nodded along, “That’s so cool. Me and the other artist Sokka, we have matching tattoos, but you know what- actually we don’t need to talk about that.” A voice called from down the hall called, “Aang, don’t be ashamed of our bro tats!” He looked up at her, “Do you mind if I put some music on. I swear I can’t get any privacy here.”

The girl at the front desk yelled back, “The fuck do you need privacy for?” Aang rolled his eyes and Azula laughed, “Sure, go ahead.” He wiped down what he had done so far and then looked around, “Can you grab my phone and pick something on Spotify? It’s right behind you.”

She reached with her free arm and swiped open his phone, which already had the app open. She clicked on the playlist that said Tattoo Beatz. As she placed it down Lupe Fiasco played in the background. He waited for her to get settled and then went back to work, “Good choice.” She smirked, “You have your playlists pretty easily labeled.”

She watched him intently as he worked on the outline of the lotus flower. She looked around the room she was in to get her mind off of the pain. There was a happy buddha up on a shelf, plants were scattered all over the place and inspirational quotes were on the walls. She looked down at the artist as he was crouched intently working on her tattoo.

He was tall and skinny, but he had enough muscles that they flexed as he moved the tattoo gun. He was wearing a white tank top with the sleeves cut off and orange cargo pants. He was so different from her, in black jeans and a burgundy long sleeve crop top.

The tattoo gun hummed. She studied him as he worked, his face full of concentration and his bottom lip caught between his teeth. His body was covered in tattoos. It wasn’t haphazardly done, but seemed intentional and well thought out. She leaned forward without realizing, to get a better look at the blue pattern that covered him.

She was startled as his chipper voice disrupted her thoughts, “I spent a few years abroad, learning traditional tattoo methods.” “Oh,” she answered. She flushed a bit at being caught looking at him. He looked up at her, about to say something, when Ty Lee bounced into the room and poked her head over Aang’s shoulder, “Ohhh it’s so pretty.”

Aang wiped away excess ink and gently tapped Azula’s arm, “We’ve been at it for a minute. Take a break.” He unfurled himself from his crouched over position, stretching to his full height, his long arms stretching up towards the ceiling. Azula’s eyes scanned over him, until she felt Ty Lee yank her out of her chair, “Let’s go see Mai’s!”

It actually did feel good to get out of the chair. The girls walked into the small room. Mai was flipping her pocket knife with her free hand as the artist intently worked on her piece. Mai’s was the darkest, the lines straighter and more severe than the other two girls, but each of their tattoos were beginning to reflect their personalities.

Ty Lee and Azula each went back to their designated chairs. Aang snapped on a new pair of gloves and got back to work. He said thoughtfully,” You’re a really good canvas. You’ve got a great skin tone for colored work and the forearm is one of my favorite spots- not too much pain for you and I don’t have to be twisted in some awful position.” Azula’s brow furrowed, “Does that happen a lot?” His grey eyes went wide, “Oh yeah. People ask for the weirdest stuff. I’m just glad that you didn’t ask for an infinity symbol or something. Not that I have anything against it- just gets repetitive after awhile.”

She couldn’t hold back as she asked, “What’s the worst tattoo you’ve ever done?” He looked up at her mischievously as he switched to blue ink, “Worst in what way? Like worst design I’ve ever done? Worst thing someone has asked for?” She couldn’t help but be pulled in by him, “All of them.” He laughed easily, “Well, every tat Sokka asks for is easily the worst thing I’ve ever done.” A “HEY!” rang out from down the hall.

She looked around the room, at the decor, then at him and asked, “Do you think a lotus tattoo is offensive? You seem more spiritual than I am.” His brows pulled together, “I wouldn’t tattoo something I thought was offensive. I know some people think it’s crude, but you’re not doing it just because you’re into yoga this week. You’re doing it because it reminds you of who you are and your friends. I think that’s really sweet.”

Azula actually outright laughed, “No one’s called me sweet before.” He looked up at her, “Bullshit. Your friend, the peppy one, I’m sure she has.” Azula smiled at the description, “Nope. Never.” He shrugged and focused as he used the gun to spread white ink, “Well, I think you are. I mean you’re spending Valentine’s day with your friends. Seems pretty sweet to me.”

She rolled her eyes, “I was forced here.” “Oh really? ‘Cause we talked about this tattoo like a week ago. What would you be doing today if you hadn’t been forced here?” She looked down, “Probably watching cheesy movies with Mai and Ty Lee.” “See! You are sweet! Spending Valentine’s day with your friends.”

She sighed in fake annoyance. She really couldn’t be too annoyed when he was giving her a bright lopsided grin. He wiped down her arm for the last time and said, “Go have a look.” She slid out of the chair and when she saw the design in the mirror, she had never seen anything so beautiful, and it was a part of her now.

The flower looked so real, so delicate. The blue, white and yellow hues all blended seamlessly. He did beadwork that hung down from each petal and connected them. He had recommended it during Azula’s consult and she was enthralled by it. He stood behind her in the mirror, “I think a blue lotus suits you.” She was still staring in awe of it, “It means perfection of wisdom.” He added, “Lotus flowers symbolize a lot of things to different cultures. I like the idea that they symbolize the human condition. We can be planted in the dirtiest waters, but still grow to be beautiful. That we can grow past a difficult beginning and make a beautiful life.”

She normally would have made a snide comment, but she was thrown off as she saw the genuine look of interest on his face. Instead she softly replied, “I’ll remember that.”

He blushed and said, “Let’s get you bandaged up.” Azula realized she would miss how delicately he touched her. How good he smelled. This was silly, she had only known him a few hours.

He talked her through the aftercare and she took diligent mental notes. He easily slid back in his chair and scribbled on a post it, “Here’s my number, in case you have any questions or need anything. You can always come by so I can see how you’re doing. I’d be happy to take you to lunch sometime.”

The small paper felt heavy in her hands, but she nodded and slipped it in her pocket, “That would be great.”

Aang watched the group of girls leave the shop. As the door shut behind them, he heard the girl in pink shriek at Azula, “HE GAVE YOU WHAT?”

Toph rolled her eyes as she closed out the register, “You’ve got it bad, don’t you Twinkle Toes?”

#azulaang #aang x azula #please don't hate me #i really tried #mids atla rarepair oneshots #I just suck at writing anything with aang

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miranda-javid · 4 years

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Ikkyu --Crow With No Mouth a well nobody dug filled with no water ripples and a shapeless weightless man drinks oh green green willow wonderfully red flower but I know the colors are not there my gray cat jumped up just as I lifted this spoon we're born we die if there's nowhere to rest at the end how can I get lost along the way? that stone Buddha deserves all the birdshit it gets I wave my skinny arms like a tall flower in the wind I won't die I won't go away I'll always be here no good asking me I won't speak only a kind deadly sincere man can show you the way here in the other world melons eggplants rice rivers the sky I offer them to you on this holiday oh yes things exist like the echo when you yell at the foot of a huge mountain hear the cruel no-answer until blood drips down beat your head against the wall of it the mind is exactly this tree that grass without thought or feeling both disappear not two not one either and the unpainted breeze in the ink painting feels cool go down on your silly knees pray for what? tomorrow is yesterday I found my sparrow Sonrin dead one morning and buried him just as gently as I would my own daughter I hate it I know it's nothing but I suck out the world's sweet juicy plum why is it all so beautiful this fake dream this craziness why? it's logical: if you are not going anywhere any road is the right one know nothing I know nothing nobody does can you face me and know nothing know stare at it until your eyes drop out this desk this wall this unreal page only one koan matters you you stand inside me naked infinite love the dawn bell rips my dreaming heart we're lost where the mind can't find us utterly lost Ikkyu this body isn't yours I say to myself wherever I am I'm there ten fussy days running this temple all red tape look me up if you want to in the bar whorehouse fish market nature's a killer I won't sing to it I hold my breath and listen to the dead singing under the grass suddenly nothing but grief so I put on my father's old ripped raincoat when I was forty-seven everybody came to see me so I walked out forever my monk friend has a weird endearing habit he weaves sandals and leaves them secretly by the roadside a crazy lecher shuttling back and forth between whorehouse and bar this past master paints south north east west with his cock no nothing only those wintry crows bright black in the sun peace isn't luck for six years stand facing a silent wall until the you of your face melts like a candle don't hesitate get laid that's wisdom sitting around chanting what crap life's like climbing knife-tree hills with swords sticking up day and night something stabs you we live in a cage of light an incredible cage animals animals without end sick of it whatever it's called sick of the names I dedicate every pore to what's here inside the koan clear mind gashes the great darkness ten years of whorehouse joy I'm alone now in the mountains the pines are like a jail the wind scratches my skin the wise know nothing at all well maybe one song men are like cows horses fuck poetry look at your hand read it I woke from a dream of death to day's amazing death grass death rice death chairs death death asleep or awake no words sitting alone night in my hut eyes closed hands open wisps of an unknown face my death? who was it anyway always where he was never no not once ever seeing himself an eyeball speaks ~ Ikkyu, from "Crow With No Mouth," translated by Stephen Berg

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kyaada · 6 years

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Marketing Belly Master Bait

by kyaada

Ever since Barrett started working at Chunk’s in the mall, he’d developed a bit of a cult following. Barrett’s collection of too-tight tee shirts never failed to highlight every succulent bump and bulge, and the tops combined with packed skinny jeans never failed to impress. Barrett had the most amazing pair of bubbled buns sitting atop mature tree trunk-sized thighs, finished off with meaty calf muscles. Of course, his immaculate fade and neatly trimmed beard gave him a timeless look of masculinity to his handsome features, deep blue eyes, and pearly white smile. When Chunk’s manager realized what a draw his recently hired ex-military muscled hunk had become, he immediately put him in the window-- so to speak.

After Barrett had finished his main tasks, the manager would set him up in a front table alongside the main walkway with one of the biggest sandwiches. Chunk’s was known for their huge stacked sandwiches and fresh breads, warning patrons that they may need to loosen their belts to finish one of the enormous two-handed sammies. The live eating demo was effective in drawing in a variety of customers. At the beginning of the sandwich, lady shoppers would file in to gawk at the handsome young stud while they’d split their lunch and still take half home. Near the end of the sandwich, Barrett would slow down a bit and labor as his stomach filled to the top. His tight tee shirt couldn’t hide his brawny tight bulge, and he’d just lazily lean back in his chair, giving up the thought of sucking it in. The post-sandwich advertisement would draw in the fat hungry dudes looking for a nice full gut, and Barrett would inspect them like cattle as they’d pile in for a good feeding.

A couple of months passed, and Barrett couldn’t help but notice how difficult it had become to squeeze into this hot jeans, much less get them buttoned. The big 6’2” ex-military hunk would stand in front of his bathroom mirror rotating around to inspect his budding love handles and protruding belly, still flexing his biceps to validate his manliness. Barrett would grope each of his pecs with satisfaction, causing each of his nipples to poke out against his tighter tee shirt.

One day, Barrett went into work to find that his manager had decided to double his demo time by having him eat two of the smaller sandwiches, which together summed up to about one and a half of the biggest ones he’d been regularly devouring. Initially, Barrett wasn’t too sure about the idea since he’d already fought especially hard with his top jeans button that morning. The manager upped the ante with two extra-special sandwiches for him, and Barrett happily gorged himself on the thick and meaty deli treats. The manager didn’t want him to have Barrett leave his feeding station for anything, so he brought him several Coke refills to keep washing down seemingly endless sandwich. The manager even brought him a couple of their popular side salads because the big beefer was getting so swollen.

Business was especially good that day late in that lunch rush as lustful fat guys lined up for large sandwiches, drawn in by the potbellied poster boy in front. Barrett just sat there like a god with his thick thighs pushed apart, shoulders back, and his stretched-taut belly bulging out from his marbled beefy pecs to his excruciatingly tight jeans waistband. Barrett applied both of his hands to his blown-up round belly and alternated pushing in with rubbing on each side of the prominent bulge. The big overfed stud breathed shallowly due to how much room his stomach was taking away from his lungs, and he managed a few choice belches that brought in some more wide-eyed guys. Chunk’s manager came out from the back after adjusting his impossibly hard dick in his jeans and approached his prime Grade-A beefball that adorned the front of his restaurant.

Barrett rested his hands on his thighs as the manager came up to him, showing off how the sublimely tight well-worn cotton hugged every bump and bulge, and perfectly outlined his plump belly button. Barrett tilted his head back and looked his manager in the eyes, “Oh my God...I’m so ff-ff-uu-uu-ll-ll-ll-ll.” The manager smirked as he reached down to push around on Barrett’s big bloated belly. Engorged Barrett emitted a combination of grunts and belches, unable to tighten his long-softened abs enough to protect his pregnant belly against the directed pokes and musical thumping. “Sorry, Barrett, we have those new Chunk-y S’Mores Cookies and we need to push ‘em. That means, we’re gonna have to push this stomach of yours a little bit more.”

Barrett’s eyes somewhat crossed as he processed the latest directive. “I dunno. I think ...” Barrett paused to let out a really big burp, “I think I might explode.”

“Nah,” said the manager, “a big strong guy like you? Pfft. That strong table muscle of yours will just s-t-r-e-t-c-h to accommodate extra loading. The worst thing that might happen is that you’ll have to pop that top jeans button.”

“Okay, alright, well, let me get ‘em.” Barrett insisted, scooting his chair back with an obvious noise. Spreading his thighs apart and dropping his hard gut through the open space, Barrett placed his hands on the tops of his legs to push himself upright. It was no small amount of effort lifting his bulk off of the chair, but once he succeeded he had the attention of most of the diners in the seating area. Barrett’s belly was bloated out in a circle in front of him, and the ultra-taut waistband of his ridiculously stuffed jeans was scrunched down to a fraction of its height. Just south of the hefty gut was another bulge that eagerly pushed against the low-rise zipper. The manager followed the wobbling stuffed stud, smiling at all of the attentive chewing faces. It was so difficult not to fixate on Barrett’s widened back and his stout bubble butt, and the manager fought hard not to just slap his fat ass.

Once Barrett was standing, he realized that it was going to be harder than hell to sit back down and continue to eat, so he compromised with the manager to stand at the end of the counter by the register to stuff in his melty delicious cookies. Capturing the attention of a very hefty daddy type in line waiting for his giant sandwich to be made, Barrett smiled at him and stretched his thick arms up in the air. The hem of his overburdened tee shirt inched slowly up the sphere like a curtain rising on a stage as it bared the divine appearance of Barrett’s thick treasure trail and his perfectly shaped deep belly button. The round-gutted daddy ventured closer to the register after being served his thick sandwich and dessert cookies, still captivated with the sight of Barrett’s bare crescent of belly and naughty zipper that had started to escape down its track.

“Well, these sure looked good so I had to have some,” said the fattened daddy, winking at the manager, who stood beaming behind the extra full Barrett. “After all, I gotta keep up my figure. The food is always so damn good and filling here-- I never know when to stop!” The fattened daddy finished signing his credit card receipt and poked the capped end of the pen into the side of Barrett’s thoroughly pumped lunchball. “Looks like I’m not the only one, guy.”

Barrett chuckled as he ran his meaty hand across his swollen gut, “yup, the hazards of the job, I’m afraid. You just gotta remember to stop before you pop!”

The manager put his hand on the big stud’s shoulder, “tell you what, why don’t you go have a seat with this nice gentleman while he enjoys his lunch, and I’ll make you one of our Gut Topper Cake Shakes. Deal?”

“Gut Topper? Well, today, it might just become a Gut Popper...but okay. Load me up...”

The two guys headed off for a table in the back of the seating area near the kitchen. The fat daddy couldn’t wait to start pushing food down his gullet, so he plopped his big butt down and started shoveling. Barrett towered next to the table for a moment deep in thought, then reached under his enormous belly bulge to fight with his jeans button. “Dude, I’m sorry, but these things are cutting me in half.” The fat daddy’s cheeks bulged with food as he witnessed Barrett’s abdominal muscle contortions caused by the stuffed stud’s efforts to suck in the protuberant swell, but finally Barrett was able to pop open the top and breathe a little.

“Ooofff,” sighed Barrett, giving his rounded midsection an invigorating rub. Barrett held on to his zipper as he sat to make sure that the open “V” of his jeans didn’t spread too wide in a family restaurant.

“I couldn’t help but notice those jeans were pretty much painted on ya, big guy,” remarked the fat daddy.

“Yup, I’ve gained a few pounds since I started working at Chunk’s. The manager feeds me up daily.”

“Daily feedings? You might want to get some pants with an elastic waistband so you can expand in comfort.”

Barrett hovered down and planted his meaty bubbles in the chair directly across from the fat daddy, pretty much looking like a leaned-back, very-pregnant Buddha.

“Well, I know what that’s like to plan ahead for such things,” said the fat daddy, “my wife has been overfeeding me for years.” He leaned back and thumped his obvious gut bulge, “can’t say that I mind too much, after all, I love food.” The fat daddy’s eyes cruised over the topography of Barrett’s tight tee shirt. “I used to look like you when we first started dating, well, you about 50 pounds ago and before you stuffed your gut today.”

Barrett chuckled again, his facial expression slowly turning into concentration as he tried to do arithmetic in his head. “...and you’re not as tall as I am. If you don’t mind me asking, how much do you weigh?”

“By the way, my name’s Josh.” Both had to spread their thighs apart to make room for their bellies so that they could lean in to shake hands. “I don’t mind you asking me how much I weigh-- in fact, I just got my 300 pound ribbon at Recipe Club.”

“Recipe Club?”

“It’s something my wife got us into. Just a small group started by women who love to cook or are learning how to cook, and they invite their guys to join them to enjoy their rather prolific production.”

“...and you got a ribbon?”

“Yeah, I guess it’s the opposite of what Weight Watchers rewards, but we watch our weight as well. Watch it increase!” Josh giggled. “Needless to say, the guys get more ribbons faster during the holidays. We have to weigh in when we get there, and some of us weigh again as we’re leaving... just for fun.”

“What a trip!”

“...speaking of trips, we just took the kids through Vegas and then on a Disney cruise, and I can’t believe the amount of food.” Josh continued through frequent large bites of sandwich, “it was like the ideal glutton vacation... I was powerless amongst all those buffets and high-calorie foods! My belly was so damn big and tight at the end of each night that you could have rolled me to our room. Roll... Burp... Roll... Burp...”

As Barrett was drawn in to the imagery of Recipe Club and Josh’s trip of unrestrained gorging, he wondered about the timing of certain things. “So, when did you go from DadBod to DadBalloon?”

Josh got a good laugh out of the pointed question. “Kid number two.”

As they were both still cracked up over Josh being fattened up, Chunk’s manager appeared with a large frosty cup and a funnel. “Okay, Barrett, tilt and open!”

Josh smiled broadly as he detected Barrett’s newness to the concept, though he suspected that he must have beer bonged a little during some wild parties. Barrett wrapped his full lips around the bottom of the funnel opening and the manager pushed it a little farther down into his mouth once he felt his lips tighten up to steady. As he poured the giant vanilla cake shake slowly into the funnel, he was careful not to spill a drop. Barrett’s eyes widened and he put his hand on top of his again-swelling belly. Josh stuffed his face as he watched the bottom of Barrett’s rib cage rise as his bloatation device deployed fully. One of the cooks was returning from his break and stopped by the filling station to put his hand on top of Barrett’s solid round protruding stomach ledge, “wow, it’s a Gut Topper! Barrett-- you’re gettin’ to be a whopper!” The cook couldn’t resist giving Barrett’s barrel a parting slap to hear him grunt.

Barrett’s breathing was getting quite labored towards the end of the giant shake, and his nipples were practically shooting through his ultra-taut tee shirt. The advanced size of the Barrett’s fattened belly coaxed the hem up again to bare succulent skin and dark-colored fur.

Josh nearly choked shoving food into his mouth at such a high rate of speed, but he got down his enormous sandwich just as the manager finished loading Barrett’s firm round Buddha gut. The manager lifted the funnel out of Barrett’s O-shaped mouth as the dangerously overfull stud licked shake remnants off of his lips and continued to swallow the rest down his gullet. Barrett just had to sit there with his hands down his sides, feeling that his beefy pecs were about to bump him in the chin at any moment. The manager nodded his head and reached down to thump the mighty round bellyful. The combination of thick muscle walls, a nice layer of fat, and a thoroughly packed digestive tract made the most sublime of deep satisfied sounds.

“Good God, that melon is ripe.” Josh critiqued, leaning back to rest his hand on top of his big sandwich lunch. “And Barrett bared it-- that shirt is too small for ya, big buddy!”

Barrett’s smile curled onto his lips with a bit of a delay caused by his food coma. After the manager left, Barrett put his hands on his overblown balloon and rubbed.

“Man, you look like how I felt after the 24 hour buffet pass in Las Vegas. You know, I knew that it was going to be a bad thing-- I could tell when I walked in the first place and saw all of the groaning, belching guys. They looked like fully engorged ticks about to pop. Well, that was me a day later because we just kept going back for more and more and more. My lovely bride overate, my daughter got bored, but my son found his groove. I was laughing at him little at breakfast because he’s got a weakness for waffles, pancakes, pastries, and bacon.” Josh laughed as he listened to Barrett wheeze with his eyes half-closed; Barrett’s fully distended gut had swollen even more with the cake shake, pushing him farther back against his chair. “Of course, he got me back later in the day after second dinner. We were back in the room, and I was bloated out on the floor next to the couch while we were all watching a movie. Ever since I read him “Hop on Pop” when he was a kid, he’s wanted to bounce on my belly-- especially after I eat too much. He thinks it’s really funny.”

Suddenly, Barrett emitted a lengthy bass-toned belch, causing both of them to laugh heartily. Barrett patted his thoroughly round belly and flexed his pecs. “I’m pretty sure that if anyone hopped on me right now, I’d pop for sure!”

Josh munched on his cookies and agreed. “You could bounce a quarter off of that gut right now, Barrett. You remind me of some of those big bloated-up young guys on the cruise ship. Poppin’ Fresh Pillsbury Doughboys gorging their way to tight-skinned ecstasy, unbuckling their belts and stuffing themselves like Thanksgiving turkeys. I would think ‘damn, I hope we don’t hit a rock and end up shipwrecked on some island full of hungry cannibals’” Josh said as he finished the last bite of his marshmallowy chocolatey gooey cookies.

“Ooof, a stuffed Thanksgiving turkey-- that’s how I feel at the moment,” Barrett admitted as he gave his stout round belly another rubbing.

“And look,” Josh said, supporting the astute observation. “Just squeeze you in between some big bowls of mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, and sit a pumpkin pie on top of your belly ledge for dessert.”

Josh glanced at his watch and realized that he was late to get back to work. “Guess I better get my fat ass in gear.” Josh hoisted himself up, satisfied with the extra-large lunch and conversation, brushing past Barrett just as he took that moment to stretch his arms up in the air. Josh paused to smack a couple deep-seated belches out of Barrett. “Keep eatin’, big guy, keep rollin’ down that path to the big 3-0-0... but keep an eye out for cannibals!”

~.~

Many weeks passed, and Barrett’s allure changed somewhat to the ladies who lunched at Chunk’s. It seemed that the amount of weight he’d gained was difficult for some of them to accept; after all, he’d plumped by forty pounds in a relatively short time after significantly long lunchtime stuffings. Barrett still presented as quite beefy with one foot still in the gym, but there was no denying his big round belly and widened booty that mercilessly stuffed his shrinking wardrobe. His handsome face had filled out accordingly and he had the start of a second chin hidden under his fuller beard; regardless, his piercing blue eyes and immaculate grooming still caused heads to pivot. Josh the 300+ pound daddy continued to come in once a week to stuff himself with sandwich, and Barrett always treated him to at least one Gut Topper. Josh would especially enjoy the belly blowout when Barrett personally funneled the extra creamy cake shake down his gullet.

Awhile back, the manager had hired a new cook when Chunk’s had added pizza to their calorie-driven menu. Barrett had recognized the guy immediately from high school, although Peter’s 5’11” frame had filled out some since those earlier days. Peter had been a swimmer all during high school and was always pretty wide-shouldered and lanky, which changed through his college experience in the dining halls. Of course, Peter recognized Barrett right away as well, and would tease him about how fat he’d become. Barrett would always comment right back about Peter’s modest college weight gain. Chunk’s cooks wore nice pullover shirts that bore the restaurant’s logo on the left breast, and Peter’s shirt was always a little pizza sauce-splattered and tight. Peter’s pudgy round belly pooched out over his Dockers taut waistbands, and no one could miss his pasta butt that stressed the seam in the back.

The two former schoolmates never really talked much in school, but they developed a friendly, yet somewhat tense, rivalry at work. Peter was slightly jealous with the fact that Barrett got away with hardly working and mostly just eating while he sat on his constantly widening ass. The manager had added pizza to Barrett’s daily demonstration, and Peter was usually the one that made the pie. Peter would deliberately pile on additional toppings, knowing that Barrett would have to stuff the slices down on top of his torturously large sandwich and sides.

After a month of silent warfare, both Barrett and Peter had packed on weight. Barrett was undeniably impressed with Peter’s bloat capacity and how much the littler guy could stomach in one stretching session. Peter, who loved the fact that his packed pizzas were adding to both Barrett’s bottom and front lines, immensely enjoyed the big stud’s trips in to the kitchen to moan about his overloaded gut. Barrett was supposed to sweep around the kitchen after his lunch demonstration, and he’d invariably be as close as possible to Peter so that he could bump him with his solid gutsphere. Barrett would belch in Peter’s general direction to egg him on, and soon Peter would march on up to the 6’2” beefster and playfully threaten to punch his big ol’ gut. Barrett would push his belly out even more and tell Peter to give it his best shot. The manager would always intercede in time saying “Don’t pop him! Barrett has to work tomorrow!”

Time bulged on, and the manager had to bring in a scale due to rising concerns about their Frontline Eater position, of which Barrett had done such an incredible job filling. “Boy, are you ever fat now,” the manager told Barrett as he processed the number on the scale’s display, “three hundred and twenty pounds. I’m afraid that we’re going to move you to back of house for awhile-- put the big beefer out to pasture, so to speak. Your gluttonous performances are still bringing in the fat guys, but the average group of ladies who lunch seem to think you’ve gotten too fat for them to fantasize about over their porky husbands.”

“Aw, come on!” Barrett spurted out, “I know women still look at me.”

“Well, yeah. They look at you and think about the big fat growling gut they’re going to have to go home and feed that night. All the work they’ll go through stuffing their husband’s belly enough so he’ll fall asleep on the couch and not bother them for the rest of the night.”

A vision of his fat daddy friend Josh popped into Barrett’s mind. “Some women enjoy feeding their hubbies-- in fact, they relish the thought of fattening them up.” Barrett’s crotch tingled a bit as he remembered Josh’s most recent Chunk’s visit when he owned up to weighing 350 pounds and whispering the most arousing admission in his ear. Josh had dreamed one night that he’d been stretching his belly for weeks in the hopes of growing it immense enough to hold a stuffed Thanksgiving Barrett.

The manager’s mind was made up, so he put Barrett next to Peter in the kitchen so that they could work out any issues the two had while Barrett shed a few pounds. The days went by with the two reminiscing about the old days and pretty much making a buffet of the prep tables. It was on a Friday when Peter offered one particularly compelling memory.

“You remember that time at the school assembly when three of you guys on the football team had a pizza eating contest in front of the whole school?” Peter asked.

“Oh yeah. My gut ached the rest of the afternoon,” Barrett confessed.

“Oh damn... well, you won....and you ate the entire pizza,” Peter recalled. “You had the biggest fucking belly that day...”

“I remember that.” Barrett smiled, “after school, I was sprawled out on the grass in Senior Square warning guys not to step on my belly.”

“You were wearing this really tight orange pullover shirt and I thought your belly looked like a big pumpkin.” As Peter shared his thoughts, Barrett chuckled and patted his much fatter, bigger belly. “I had like ten dollars and I wanted to take you to McDonald’s and get you whatever you wanted.”

“You did? Huh...” Barrett thought for a moment. “Guess that would have made you ‘Peter Peter Pumpkin Feeder’ in a way...” Barrett thought for another moment, “wait... that’s why you would makin’ my pizzas so big! You’ve been fattening me up on purpose!”

Peter slapped Barrett in his big ol’ belly. “Well, truth be told, you were already amply fattened when I started here... nicely marbled beef... I just wanted you to get a little fatter.”

“A little fatter? Well, I’m 320 pounds now.” Barrett stated, bumping his firm round gut into Peter’s fat belly. “Feel the size of this beast now!”

“My guess is that this beast needs to be fed,” Peter said, grabbing on to each side of the studly gut being pushed into him. “I’ve got ten dollars for McDonald’s after work...”

Somehow, Peter and Barrett kept their minds on finishing their shifts at Chunk’s, and agreed to meet at the nearest McDonald’s at six o’clock. Peter decided to keep his work clothes on, despite the fact that he smelled like an overweight pizza. Since he’d gone ahead and eaten his free work meal, his Dockers were exceptionally tight despite the fact that they were pushed down far below his fat belly. Barrett had gone home and rifled through a few drawers to find that famous orange pullover shirt from high school, only to find that he nearly ripped it getting it over his much more developed chest and arms, and the old top was no match for his very ample belly. The shirt couldn’t reach to cover his wide love handles and the hem created a crisp line around his big manly gut above his dreamily deep belly button. He had one last pair of jeans that he put forth his best effort to button, and walked out of the house looking like a giant overstuffed sausage.

Barrett walked in to the McDonald’s and immediately felt eyes gluing to his bared belly; among other sets, one set of eyes belonged to Peter, and another set belonged to Josh-- Barrett’s fat daddy friend from Chunk’s. Josh’s hefty wife turned her head to see who her chubby hubby was gawking at and seemed suitably impressed. Peter stood up, shifted his boner, and walked over to meet the vision in orange that wobbled his way closer.

“How about that-- that shirt fits differently than it did in high school, Barrett!”   “Just a little bit. I’m a few pounds heavier now.”

Both of them strolled up to the counter together, each enjoying the reaction of the chubby young counter dude whose mouth dropped open in response the audacity of Barrett’s attire.

“What do ya want? My treat.” Barrett offered, rubbing Peter’s shoulder.

“Oh, it’s my treat, Barrett.”

“Let’s do this-- I’ll get you what I want you to eat, and you can do the same for me. How about that?”

Soon enough, the two Chunk’s employees had decided on a booth across from where Josh and his wife still sat eating. Before taking a seat, Barrett and Peter said hello to the oversized married couple, carefully noting the pile of empty boxes and wrappers in front of Josh. Even though it was one of the booths made larger to more easily accommodate fat people, Josh was obviously stuck. The table’s edge butted firmly against his enormous round belly, and the portion above table level bulged onto the surface an inch. Josh’s ribs were shoved up and back around the bloated stomach, and it was as hard for him to speak as it was to breathe.

“Josh, I do believe that you’ve been fed into place!” Barrett said.

“Indeed he has,” came the voice from across the table. “We’re stretching his belly all day today-- kids are at their grandparents. There’s a young pup at Recipe Club that’s about to get his 360 pound ribbon and Josh has got to keep up! You must be Barrel-- I mean, Barrett,” she said, looking at the tall stud’s ample belly.

Barrett chuckled. “Yes, that’s me, Barrett. And I guess I do resemble a food barrel these days.” He shook her hand and introduced Peter. “Well, well, Josh. Just look at this huge belly wedged in this booth...” Barrett gently poked around on the top of Josh’s overstuffed belly.

“Careful, now... don’t poke too hard. You’ll pop the pig! He’s been eating all day to stretch his belly for an upcoming Vegas trip. I mean, he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about that 24 hour buffet pass and wants to go for a three day gorging weekend.”

“Haven’t been able to get enough to eat today, boys,” Josh wheezed.

“That can definitely be a problem,” Peter observed with an unmistakably evil smile on his face.

Barrett thumped Josh’s enormous gut and said, “keep on stuffing, Josh-- Thanksgiving is comin’ and you’re either going to eat or be eaten!” Reaching over to his serving tray, Barrett grabbed a Quarter Pounder box and sat it on top of Josh’s solid ball of food.

Two McDonald’s employees, including the chubby guy poured into his uniform, brought two trays each over to where Barrett and Peter had chosen to plant their numbered sign. Without much more conversation, the two guys got down to business and began stuffing themselves. Josh sat and belched while he digested, watching with great interest as Barrett and Peter blew up in size. Their enthusiasm for gorging was amazing to watch. It was no surprise that they finished all of that food and four soda refills only to look at each other and say “More!”

Josh’s wife took his wallet up to the counter and surprised Barrett and Peter with another round of Big Macs, Quarter Pounders, fries, and Chicken McNuggets. Peter’s incredible ability to bloat up into a round ball raised eyebrows near and far in the restaurant. His Chunk’s uniform shirt’s hem inched up the stuffed belly ball, and his Dockers launched into space as he heaved a satisfied sigh.

“Your belly is gettin’ big,” Barrett said to his rotund dinner mate.

“Well, look who’s talking,” plump-bellied Peter turned around on the overstuffed stud. “It’s like someone connected that pumpkin to a tire pump!”

Barrett’s orange pullover had slid up above his packed-taut bloatsphere, exposing the full height of his treasure trail. Barrett’s belly button, with its fat rounded entry, begged for a chubby finger to explore its warm depths.

“I say we go pick up a box of donuts and go to my place, Peter.”

The two roundbellied twentysomethings thanked fat daddy Josh and his wife for their generosity and waddled their way out to their trucks. “Hope you get full enough, Josh!”

“Never!”

Peter picked out the fat pills at the best grocery store bakery in town, making sure to choose an enticing array of all kinds, including extra-filling-fattening cream-filled ones, before speeding on over to Barrett’s address.

“C’mon in if you have donuts...” Barrett teased as he stood there in his ridiculously undersized orange pullover and underwear with a spot of wet pre-cum at the end of his fully lengthened cock.

Peter broke into a sweat from the heat radiating off of the engorged stud, shaking a little as he set two boxes of donuts on the dining room table. Barrett slapped Peter’s butt that was as yet encased in the seam-stressed Dockers, “damn your ass got fat after high school.”

“I like to eat,” Peter told him turning his head sideways.

“I can tell. The pregnant belly was another dead giveaway.” Barrett pulled Peter’s pants down and bent him over the dining room table. Peter’s stout full belly smacked on the surface like a gargantuan slab of bacon and Barrett watched his sides bow out under the pressure. Barrett shifted his loaded cock into the upright position and rubbed it back and forth between Peter’s plump buns. “Fuck that feels good....my gut’s so fucking big that I can’t see what I’m doing, but I can definitely feel the heat from your hole...”

“Jesus, your dick is as big as I always thought it was...” Peter grunted.

“You got me so hot that I’m brimming with cum today... if I pumped your ass right now, I’d shoot a load so fat that your belly would explode.”

“Do it, fat stuff,” Peter begged, “because after you pop my cherry in grand style, I’m gonna feed you every last donut in that box. You stuff my butt and I’ll bust your gut.”

Nearly breaking the table in the process, Barrett finished the deed, pumping Peter completely full of his seed.

Taking Barrett by the hand and grabbing the box of donuts, Peter led his round target into the bedroom. Getting situated leaned against the headboard and spreading his legs far apart, Peter motioned for the ballooned stud to lay belly-up on him with his head on his shoulder. Once Barrett was in place, there was not going to be any moving him for an extended period of time. Peter’s view around Garrett’s head was of a tall round mountain that wobbled from side to side when the bed shook. “Will you just look at the size of this fucking tank?!” Peter put his hands on either side of Barrett’s enormously swollen stomach and spread his fingers. Gently shaking the massive sphere of manflesh, Peter breathed heavily in Barrett’s ear as the heavy stud continued to weigh down on his own achingly full stomach. “Soldier, you’ve really let yourself go...your punishment is going to be severe... forcefeeding until your greedy belly bursts like an overblown balloon.”

Peter picked through the donuts and began stuffing them into Barrett’s eager maw in rapid succession. As icing began to collect in the overfed boy’s beard, his tongue worked overtime to get every last bit. As Barrett was chewing nearly unmanageable mouthfuls, Peter rubbed all over the swelling stomach. With a whole box of donuts down the gullet, there was a giant mound formed that pushed straight up in the air. Peter thumped on the top of the donut dome, amazed at how dense it sounded and the volume of belch it quickly produced. Barrett’s advanced gut was easily the size of a beach ball, and Peter was wishing that he had a view far enough away to fully appreciate its fullness.

“Oh God, I’m gonna pop,” Barrett moaned.

Peter pushed his index finger into the top of Barrett’s solid donut dome and tested it for doneness. “Nope, you’re not ready yet,” Peter whispered in his 320+ pound stud’s ear and opened the second box.

Engaged in relentless stuffing, Barrett’s gutsphere stretched wider and taller. Peter spread his fingers as far apart as possible to rub as much belly at once as he could. Barrett’s panic was becoming more evident as his taut, shiny ball maxed out with half of the second box of donuts crammed inside.  “Okay, Soldier, I’ll spare your gut from certain explosion,” Peter announced. Barrett responded with an wall-shaking belch. Squashed a little under the weight of the overfed stud, Peter wriggled his way out and stood at the side of the bed admiring the gigantic beach ball. The bottom of his enormous gut was as taut as the top, and the roundness bumped against his spread meaty thighs.

Peter slowly made his way on to the bed, throwing his leg over Barrett’s wide body and bouncing his fat butt briefly on the tall mountain of belly. Realizing that he was about to push several donuts right out of Barrett’s mouth, Peter quickly slid down off of the ball gut and landed on his hard-again cock. Peter was reminded of how full his own belly was as it met fatly against the bottom third of Barrett’s gutsphere. Peter regained his strength, grabbed a hold of each of Barrett’s meaty pecs and humped his cock against the giant hard belly. Getting ready to shoot his load, Peter grabbed another donut, plugged Barrett’s furry feedhole with it, and ate up the sight of Barrett’s hungry expression as he spurted cum all over Barrett’s lower bellysphere.

“Feels good to get caught up on lost time, huh?”

#kyaadaoriginal weightgainfiction DadBod feeder feedee grommr feabie

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surveyhoursss · 2 years

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180.

1. it is raining.

2. you can see the sunset now.

3. my birthday is in july.

4. i have been to the movie theater in the past week.

5. i have a test in school tomorrow.

6. people think i’m smart.

7. i am good at drawing.

8. i take long showers.

9. a horror movie has scared me so much that when i’m in the shower, i always have to look outside the curtain to make sure nobody’s there.

10. thunderstorms scare me.

11. i never wear a watch.

12. we have lunch too late in school.

13. i write on everything with sharpies.

14. i am an only child.

15. a bird has somehow gotten inside my house.

16. i have/had a pet parrot.

17. i like frozen dinners.

18. i have curly or wavy hair.

19. i don’t like my hair but i get compliments about it.

20. there is no good music on the radio.

21. i have brown eyes.

22. munchkins are better than donuts.

23. jelly munchkins are the best kind.

24. i like the color green.

25. i have never broken a bone.

26. there is a room in my house with reddish walls.

27. my basement is unfinished.

29. i never paint my nails.

30. i’m using an optical mouse.

31. i have never been to my state’s capital.

33. i hate it when people say your mom.

34. i have not eaten for a day straight.

35. i only do my homework if i feel like it.

36. i have made a fake screen name just to bug someone. (a sibling lol)

37. i have stalked someone.

38. i’m good at playing pool.

39. i don’t need an ipod because i still use my portable cd player.

40. there is a plant in this room.

41. there is a buddha statue in my house.

42. i like making charts and graphs to explain things.

43. i like the font comic sans.

44. i always use the same font.

46. i like screaming as loud as i can when no one is around.

47. i keep track of how many calories i consume daily.

48. i have multiple striped shirts.

49. i sometimes wear skinny jeans.

50. i wear jeans 99% of the time.

51. i have been in a casino.

52. i have won money from a scratch ticket.

53. when websites have counters, i go on and keep refreshing them.

55. buttons are fun to press.

56. i am employed.

57. i have seen a rated r movie in school.

58. i went to a private elementary school.

59. i am terrible at singing.

60. i buy a lot of things on ebay.

61. i don’t like shopping.

62. i hate hollister.

63. when it snows, i sometimes shovel the walkway.

64. i have a notebook just for doodling and scribbling.

65. i have more mix cds than regular cds.

68. i love playing the sims.

69. i don’t like pie.

70. i know the number pi up to 10 digits.

71. i used to live in another country.

72. i know someone from china.

73. i can balance a spoon on my nose.

74. i crack my knuckles a lot.

75. i can crack my back.

76. i take piano lessons.

77. it is some time from 8:00 to 9:00.

78. i wake up early in the morning.

79. there is school tomorrow.

80. i have skipped school because i had nothing to wear.

81. at hotels, i sneak out at night.

82. hotels have comfy beds.

83. i don’t want a boyfriend/girlfriend.

85. i take showers at night.

86. i wear the same perfume every day.

87. my ears aren’t pierced.

88. gift cards are the best gifts to get.

89. i have been to alaska.

90. i hate using mechanical pencils because i never have extra lead.

91. i have seen a shakespeare play.

92. i know how many cups are in a quart.

93. my hair color changes often.

94. i cut and paste instead of copy and paste.

95. my birthday is/was this month.

96. i have a tattoo.

97. i drink 8 glasses of water every day.

98. spongebob is funny.

99. i don’t drink soda a lot.

100. i can’t roll my tongue.

#bolding survey #survey

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umichenginabroad · 5 years

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Temples in Xiamen

Nanputuo Temple, Xiamen, China

If you are visiting Xiamen, a very popular place to visit is a temple! The one that many tourist go to visit in Nanputuo temple which is right outside Xiamen University. It’s a popular location due to its tranquillity, traditional beauty and a place where spirituality and nature are intertwined as this temple goes all the way up the mountain and is facing the ocean.

While you don’t need to bow or pray if you are going to the temple to learn more about Buddhism and Chinese culture (you are typically completely welcome to though) there are some customs that visitors should be mindful of. The respectful way of entering a temple is left foot forward and when leaving it will be right foot forward. In addition, when exploring a temple the respectful manner would be to start from the left then just keep going right.

Other things to take note of is that some temples may have a no photograph policy or may have an implied dress code which is typically no tank tops or short shorts for men and women but as a group we didn’t run into any issues with this. Overall, just be mindful of the space, be respectful to the people monks, and staff in charge of the space and they will likely gesture to you any corrections, like taking off shoes or walking in a certain way, if needed. This temple is a very common destination for Chinese tourist as well so most of the people here are just exploring this place for the first time too.

When you first enter the shrine there is a gigantic Buddha to greet you, and the very large representations of the Four Heavenly King’s, each one protecting a compass direction of our world. If you keep walking around, along the walls are statues of some of the 500 Buddhist disciples as well as smaller prayer rooms.

You can also go up the mountain from this temple! All along the path young and old were trying to go up the steep path with steps of unpredictable depths.

On the way up the mountain you’ll find small places to pray or rest such as benches, gazebos, or small shrines dedicated to specific deities in Buddhism. On one side of the path, there where all these figurines. I’m uncertain if these where placed here by monks or by visitors, but it was such an amusing things to cross paths with!

The sight at the top of the mountain is well worth all the steps. All this hiking will definitely build an appetite and many temples have buffets or restaurants that one can dine in. One of the great things about these buffets is that they are typically vegetarian as Buddhist believe in reincarnation and that in the next life you can come back in any living form. This “vegetarian” definition isn’t very strict however as it is potential their may be chicken broth in some dishes, but generally it is safe from meat and many of the dishes seemed vegan.

Hong Shan Temple, Xiamen

Another temple we toured was Hong Shan temple.This is a temple more common to locals of Xiamen and was a bit disguised in the city but after a few flights of stairs inside we found ourselves outside on the roof of the temple and then eventually hiking up in nature. Inside the temple they are working on getting wooden representation of all of Buddha’s 500 disciples. They are currently between 200-300 and it was incredible to see the character in all the figurines. Some were chubby, some were muscular, some were skinny,many had long ears as that is supposed to represent wisdom and old age.

At this temple we took a watercolor painting class of a traditional Chinese technique.The entire atmosphere was so serene and tranquil.

Xie Xie 谢谢 for Reading!

from Xiamen,

Leslie Arciniega

Undeclared UM College of Engineering

#umichenginabroad #ipexiamen #leslievictoriaarciniega #ipesummer19 #china #xiamen #temples #chinesepainting #studyabroad

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the-escape-artist · 5 years

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I’m Full - My Trip to Hanoi, Vietnam

The majority of what Americans and much of the western world knows about Vietnam is largely informed by the Vietnam war—or the American war, depending on how you look at it. Maybe you’ve been informed by what you’ve have seen in national geographic. Or, more recently, you’ve been informed by what white expats choose to share on their instagrams and travel blogs. Yet, after days of research and a week in Hanoi (and a dramatic stint in Sapa), I can honestly say I know next to nothing about Vietnam other than a few dishes, key phrases, and a deep desire to know more.

I arrived at Noi Bai airport at 11pm on Thursday and here’s what I was surprised to see: Hanoi is virtually unrecognizable at night. As I exited the airport and met my very stoic driver, I was intrigued by the hazy, mysterious world we were driving so haphazardly into. Signs lined the streets; “Pho bo” “bun oc” bun rieu” and the list goes on. A family of three drives by me on a single motorbike and I can’t help but marvel at the trust you have to possess to sit three on a motorbike; I don’t even give myself that much trust driving my own car.

Within forty minutes, I arrive at my AirBnB, and I pay my driver. What is Vietnamese for, “My bad, homie, I wish I could give you more”? My host takes me to the top floor of the house, and presents me with a room the size of an apartment, and a private bath I would be lucky to see anywhere in the states. He hands me my keys and closes the door. A moment of silence. In the timespan of a day, I was now seven-thousand miles away from home. Alone. Holy shit.

I kick off my shoes, take off my pants, and flop into bed. I’ll take Hanoi in the morning.

I wake up at 7am because I can’t contain my excitement. I throw on my a carefully curated outfit (skinny jeans, vans, and a button up) and order my Grab (the uber/lyft of Vietnam). My knight in shining hyundai picks me up in seconds, and next thing I know I’m standing on a street in the middle of the Old Quarter, a few shops down from where Obama and St. Bourdain ate bún chả over a few Hanoi beers.

Speaking of bun cha: I cannot express how much I LOVE bún chả. Vermicelli noodles, fresh greens (lettuce, mint, basil, etc) served with grilled pork patties in a papaya/pork broth, and fresh nem (fried pork roll). Here’s how I ate it, St. Bourdain style: Grab some greens, don’t be afraid of them, they enhance the experience—I personally love putting mint in my broth. Pick up a piece of the pork patty, wrap it in lettuce and herbs, enjoy it all. Minty, salty and sweet, hearty. Take the noodles, dip them in the broth and eat. Also, take the nem, dip it in your broth and wrap in lettuce. Depending on your vendor, they may serve you garlic and chili, add it to your broth! Don’t be afraid! Fish sauce is your friend (although, use sparingly)! I recommend Bún Chả 34. Walk in, grab a seat. Don’t worry, someone will feed you.

TIP: Do not get overcharged at some of these stalls! A tip from some locals, you should not be paying more than 50,000VND ($2.15) for bún chả. The best price I got was 35,000VND ($1.50), or 45,000VND with nem. Same for phở, stick to less than 60,000VND! If you’re ballin’ on a budget, like me, those pennies matter!

Immediately, a woman with baskets strung over her shoulder offers rice hats, baseball caps, and more merch. I politely decline and begin my nervous walk, let me say this, and I’ll only say this once: Do not stop walking in Vietnam. Don’t want to be hit by that family on a motorbike? Do not stop walking. Want to avoid being asked to buy merchandise? Do not stop walking. Want to cross the road? DO. NOT. STOP. WALKING.

My first eatery in Hanoi was the infamous egg coffee, cà phê trứng; a delicious cup of heaven. Vietnamese coffee topped with fluffy, cloudy, sweet whipped egg. This was the first cup of many. My recommendation is the second-generation egg coffee institution, Giang Coffee, next to Xoi Yen right next door. However, you’ll find egg coffee all over town; I enjoyed Coffee 24 on Bat Dan, where I sat with a few friends on the street, people watching.

After grabbing a cup or five of egg coffee, head on over to Xoi Yen and grab some xoi xeo, a delicious sticky rice topped with mung bean and fried onions (15000VND/.60USD). My recommendation is to add some type of meat on top, a different texture/taste was needed.

In my few days in Hanoi, I was not at a loss of places to eat. Banh mi, although not specific to Hanoi, was phenomenal. My absolute favorite breakfast was at Banh Mi Lan Ong; I ordered the banh mi with pate, egg, jambon. The baguette was warm, crunchy, pate was soft, egg oozing yolk, and the jambon was delicate. I’ve never shoved a sandwich in my mouth so quickly. However, should you like a more aesthetic atmosphere, Banh Mi 25 is very close! Decent banh mi, with multiple locations on one street. I recommend their combination sandwich for a full experience.

From what I gather, cafe culture is a huge thing across Asia. This is no different in Vietnam, on almost ever street, you’ll find a cafe. Some of the youth in Vietnam are opening very aesthetic, lovely cafes. The states could learn a lot from how a well developed aesthetic and theme markets very well.

My absolute favorite cafe was Tranquil cafe, tucked away behind dozens of mom-and-pop stores, apartments. If you go down a small alley, you’ll find this lovely shop piled with books and quiet staff (gotta be tranquil, y’all!). I recommend the iced banana coffee—I find myself making it a lot at home now. If you’re in Hoan Kiem, you can also check out Floral & Book Cafe: cute flower store on the first level, and a quiet, stylish cafe on top. Be wary though, their cà phê đá (vietnamese coffee) is potent; I found my heart was about to beat out of my chest. Or, La Sen: Beautie Kafe, near the lake, for coffee and a manicure! They’re sweet there, and the view is phenomenal, especially during the night market. Don’t be afraid of the dark, sketchy alley you have to go through to get there. If you want something consistent, Starbucks-like, go to the strikingly themed Cong Ca Phe. They’re all over the city, and have amazing coffee, I recommend the coconut milk ca phe. Also, the bar is socialist themed; painted Vietnamese people behind decorative wooden bars gave me the chills.

After stuffing my face full of amazing vietnamese food and ca phe, I had to see what the city had to offer. Hanoi is the capitol of Vietnam and has a history of name-changes, regime changes, restructuring. Yet, some of the most beautiful sights in the city are the ones that have stood the test of time and change.

The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Ba Dinh Square is a must. It’s free, and there’s a whole city named after this man, so it wouldn’t hurt to go see what it’s all about. Apparently you can go in, however, I’m not much for visiting deceased non-family members. Apparently someone named this building one of the ugliest buildings, to which I say: why say something mean? It’s someones crypt, and it hold significance. That’s like calling my mom’s urn “unsightly.” It may be true, but why criticize?

Anyway—you can’t get to the mausoleum from the front, so go to the left side of the building where you’ll go through security. Behind the mausoleum is a museum, the One Pillar pagoda, and a temple. Part of visiting another country is experiencing culture, this is where you’ll get that. My favorite moment at the mausoleum was being in the same space as people in the temple.

A pack of incense is left at the buddha statue in the courtyard, for all who wish to pray. Patronizing or not, it’s a very touching experience to see others be so devoted to a higher thought in related to their lives and that of their loved ones.

TIP: Be quiet, be covered up. Never stand taller than the buddha. Try not to take a lot of pictures. Just experience that area, be respectful.

Full of vietnamese coffee, I walked over to the Imperial Citadel (30,000VND/1.50USD). Hugely unregulated, you’re free to roam around. This site dates back to the early 1000s, the main gate is even designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, you can even see the path from the original citadel (like hella old). This place is quiet, empty. Imagine walking around the DMV post-apocalypse. Yet, the exhibit at the top of the main gate was very intriguing; they tell the story of the transition from French colonization to Vietnamese Independence. The exhibit doesn’t mention much about violence or anger, just the happy aftermath of freedom. I get it; why say something when the proof is where you’re standing?—The original structures of the Imperial Citadel were destroyed during French colonization. I recommend walking to the back of the area, visit the Princess Pagoda. It’s empty, it’s quiet. It’s beautiful.

TIP: But stroll at your own risk, it was hard to say which parts of this World Heritage site are off-limits. I walked to the top of the main building, which I think is supposed to be closed off to the public?

My last night/day in Hanoi, I took a stroll around the entirety of the Hoan Kiem lake. I even did the unforgivable and walked the tourist-filled red bridge—did you know that there is a temple and beautiful view of the city on the other side? Do it.

The lake in the day, and on the weekend, is surrounded by street performers, vendors selling merchandise and buddhas. And at night, the lake is surrounded by young people, meeting their friends, free from tourists. It’s worth the stroll, to really enjoy the alone time. In fact, the city at night, is amazing. On my walk back to my room, I couldn’t help but notice that the city winds down. After buzzing with a mix of tourists and locals, you finally get to see the people of Hanoi sit down.

On my walks into the city and back, I pass through Hang Dau Garden where a socialist statue and a French Colonial water bank face each other. In between, Hanoi locals sit and drink beer, listen to music, chew on sunflower seeds. A group of elders zumba. The image is almost too symbolic for it’s own good. People sit on plastic stools and eat with friends and family. A woman burns offerings in the street. A street vendor packs up her vegetables for the night.

Hanoi architecture offers so much more than I’ve ever experienced, and the perfect depiction of how I feel about the city. Some buildings are old, from the time of french colonization, covered in ivy and mold. Some buildings are completely renovated, a space for new businesses to flourish. Alleys lead to more alleys, more old buildings, stories hidden from the public. Hanoi offers us a face they want us to see: accommodating and delicious for the everyone. But if you take the time to stop and look into those alleys, and study the ivy on the walls, you’ll see that Hanoi is full of life and history. You just have to take the time to look.

Tips to follow.

#Hanoi #Vietnam #Wanderlust #Travel blog #travel #shut up and go

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rdaccountingtoart-blog · 5 years

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The Art Museum

I moved to Chicago 2 years ago and since moving here I have been in awe of everything the city has to offer. Last summer I went on the Chicago Architecture tour which only sparked my curiosity of all the interesting things to see and do in Chicago. The art institute was one of the items on my list to cover and see. Just walking up close to the museum left me feeling like I was part of history. It made me feel as if I was transported from Chicago to ancient Rome or Greece based on the columns and the triangular facade. Even the lion that stands strong outside the museum stairs signifies strength and fierceness – almost like its saying that some of the art that we maybe going to see inside would have crossed limits and was controversial for its time. The PBS digital video on how to visit a museum gave me a great idea and I started asking around for discounted tickets – turned up my husband company had some! Once, I entered the museum I felt a bit lost and overwhelmed with so many rooms and galleries within. I quickly picked up a map and started identifying the pieces I wanted to see.

Picture - Courtesy of the Art Institute Website

The first piece that attracted me to it was the Buddha Shakyamuni Seated in Meditation (Dhyanamudra) from the Chola time period in India. The reason I was drawn to it right away even before I read any of the signage like recommended in PBS digital video was because it reminded of my roots. I am originally Indian and have grown up seeing many renditions of the seated Buddha. The reason why this sculpture hit home for me is because of what the meditation pose is supposed to reflect – peace and simplicity. The artist does just that with keeping the structure simple and clean very much like the teaching of Buddhism.

The next piece that drew my interest was the self-portrait of Vincent Van Gogh. One of 24 self-portraits of him that were made. It’s almost embracing for me to accept that I only learned about Van Gogh a little while back at a “wine & paint” event where we tried to recreate his painting Starry Night. This portrait was very different from the ones I have seen – it almost seems as if the entire painting has tiny patterns to build it. For example his beard or even the background have repeating patterns. The use of orange, blue and red is also quite interesting.

One of the pieces that I found interesting but not in a good way was the untitled piece by Edward Clark show above. This piece was part of the contemporary displays at the museum. Contemporary art can be hard to follow and get meaning from. This is what I felt when looking at this piece lost to interpret the meaning behind the piece. I can see the use of texture, color and line but reason to why/what they are trying to represent. There was also not a lot of writing about the painting.

I completed my responsive time exercise on the Pair of Doors from the Marinid Dynasty, 14th century from Morocco. I went to the museum alone so I was able to perform this exercise in peace and quiet. I even put my phone on silent and put it away so I could actually focus on just looking at the painting for so long. At first all I saw was two brown wood doors that were placed. However, as you keep staring at the door you start to notice the intricate details around the border of the door and the top half. The bottom of the doors showed the aging and wear tear of the wood. However, all these observation were well below the 15 minute requirement. As I kept on staring at the piece I kept on focusing on the red wall behind it wondering why they dis-players choose to hang this on a red wall. I even started to wonder how strong the locks were in that time as they were made of iron bolts.

Art Critque – I used learning from the PBS digital video on how to critique to try to be specific about analyzing the piece below. As recommended I tried to use descriptive words and not generic terms like amazing, stunning and great. I decided to critique Pablo Picasso’s The Old Guitarist. This piece reminds me of a frail skinny man on the guitar. My eyes were drawn towards the sharp and slender toes in the painting. The ripped clothing around the shoulder made me feel that the artist was trying to portray someone who’s on the streets trying to use the guitar to raise money or feed himself. The contrast of a darker blue and a light grey was also very evident through the painting. Another interpretation of this painting could be the artist pointing out the death of good music.

References

PBS (Director). (n.d.). PBS Digitial - How to Visit a Museum [Motion Picture].

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king-shrug · 5 years

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universallygardenerinternet · 7 years

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NATURAL by c-hristinep featuring a solar calculator ❤ liked on Polyvore

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jojosjourneys-blog · 7 years

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The end is close... so I guess a summary is in order...

Hakata. Japan.

In some ways the repeating of the same ports has been a blessing, of course you don't have as much excitement. You kind of know what you're getting, but if you do your own research and don't mind walking miles around a city unknown, then you really get to know the place. I don't experience the places at night, and that's quite strange actually, the latest we have is 7pm(no over-nights).

My relationship with Hakata has blossomed(get it, Japan: Blossom). I love Japan, as I've kept on saying, I would so love to backpack here, do a temple stay, see the breath-taking countryside.

I walked into Hakata the first time we stopped, I needed to feel solid ground under my tired feet and some real air. I just think that Japan has it right in many ways, it is so clean, calm, no one beeps their horns or drives like a crazy person. There are many tall buildings, having said that, dotted among the new smart buildings are older houses with Japanese lollypop trees pocking up in their small front gardens.

Before each port, I try to do a mix of research and but also factor in the opportunity of stumbling upon things, if you plan everything you can end up with tunnel vision, and I know I am guilty of that: blindly marching on because there are three things you HAVE to do that port in one day.

To The West Of Tenjin.

Firstly I wandered into the West of the city, Tenjin is one of the main areas where most of the crew go, I didn't know this because I didn't get the bus. But I found some wonderful treats near the Riverain Mall. Inside the Mall is the Art Museum, one of the best art collections I've seen in Asia, some very breath taking wrk and a great Macrobiotic cafe 'Evah', ('Macrobiotic' is Japanese vegetarian and vegan food, a variety is small portions similar to a tapas, with brown rice and miso soup).

Coming out of the Mall, you can cross and head down the covered shopping street heading to the north of the city. There are so many cute shops and restaurants. Oh and an Owl cafe... They seem to be treated well and are apparently rescue birds, but I didn't fancy it. Some of the cast went ans said it was fun, a little pricey though. I think I'd rather seem them flying about in the open.

Right across from the Owl cafe is a tiny cafe up some even smaller stairs, I couldn't find any details online, but its on the left handside, before you reach the Shimeagatainaka Shrine. It was a bit of a pricey coffee, but the simple calming decor and warm thick cut toast was worth it.

Just to the east of the Shrine you'll find the Hakata Canal Mall(https://canalcity.co.jp), I just wandered through here, Malls stress me out a bit, but the shopping looked great, and the nice water and curved line of the building made it pleasant. Further on to the North tucked away is the OBC cat cafe, so clean and simple, lots of fluffy ginger cats, not as friendly as other places but nice(https://cat-cafe-obc.webu.jp/map.html#contents).

Shrines.

The Shimeagatainaka Shrine is beautiful, not one of the biggest, I got a 'lucky strip' and tied it around a wire. My luck for this year was 'moderate', it had some rather worrying words of advice. Luckily I don't believe too much in that kind of thing.

Most temples have these wonderful big booming drums that resonate deeply. While the low chanting seeps through the perfectly carved wood of each temple, the drums round off the song nicely. I love the sandy gravel under foot and the tiny shrines in every corner. Locals clap their hands, bow gently or pull hard on the robust rope hanging in the front of each major praying station/alter.

It's hard to explain the Temples and Shrines. I think they have the most wonderful energy, and the fact there are tucked away amongst the crazy modern cities of Japan is quite magical.

Here are a few you should definitely go to see in Hakata city:

Shimeagatainaka shrine: Hakata Street.

Sumiyoshi shrine: Sumiyoshi dori street.

Tocho-ji, Big wooden Buddha Shrine.

Gokushomachi, behind Buddha, loads of shrines and temples.

Suikyo Shrine(nearer Tenjin)

If you feel like venturing out, you should hop on the train(https://www.hakatastation.com) and see the Big Reclining Buddha, Nanzo-in Temple(http://www.sasagurikanko.com/temple/nanzoin/). Not only is it one one of the most beautiful, peaceful Buddhas I've seen, the temple and surroundings are so pretty, small shrines, hundreds of statues and trickling water lead you up to the Buddha, the journey to and from the Buddha is just as magical. We were fortunate as Spring felt like making an appearance and it was quite lovely standing silently in the sun gazing at the Buddhas peaceful face.

Kidonanzoin-Mae is the nearest train station, just a few stops on the train from Hakata Main station. Which in itself is the coolest train station I think I've ever been to.

HAKATA Train Station Area.

Since I've just mentioned it, I might as well go on to share a few of the things I saw in the Northern part of the city near the station.

I haven't spent that much time in this area so my experience is probably limited.

The station, is huge. We were lucky to find the right train when going to Kidonanzoin-Mae. But its fabulous, lovely blue and white tiles cover every pillar, hand painted with flowers and animals. It's of course busy, but calm and organised(I mean of course it is, it's Japan).

We were getting rather peckish and the need for coffee was becoming obvious, maybe I'm a bad travel companion, but I just have a thing about going to chains, I don't think it enhances your cultural experience. I can go to a Coffee chain in the UK, why would I go to one in Japan, plus buying in a small place you're giving a hand to the little guy! So the others found what they needed and I found a gorgeous bakery, I wanted to buy everything, but my bank account and thighs wouldn't let me... I got a curry bun, probably not that good for you but sooooo yummy, curry with chickpeas and figs inside light bread. Like a curry sandwich. Don't miss it: Dean and Dulce market cafe. (http://www.deandeluca.co.jp/shop/detail.php?shop_id=5)

On another day I went up to the 6th floor of the building to the right of the Station called 'Kitte Hakata'. REC coffee(http://www.rec-coffee.com) is so simple but lovely, hidden in the corner behind rows of books it looks out onto the busy street, my walnut toast with herb soft cheese and pink pepper corns was good, and she made the coffee in front of me, literally. It was a lovely experience. I chatted to Luis here and did some people watching.

Later on, I wandered around and took in some sights and made my way to the Sumiyoshi shrine. I love this shrine, their are lots of trees, so they muffle the buzz of the city, suddenly you find yourself in an oasis. The sun shone down and I made friends with a lovely Cat, lets call him Dave two.

I wandered through the Gionmachi district to the see the Big Wooden Buddha (Tocho-ji)(https://www.klm.com/destinations/gb/en/article/largest-wooden-buddha-in-japan), this shrine is very impressive, bigger and more assertive than the reclining Buddha. Following the stairs up you are hit by a wonderful waft of incense, I always love the smell; it reminds me of being very happy in India. Your breath is literally taken away when you see this Buddha, I did a little gasp, maybe I even said 'wow', how very predictable of me. This Buddha has a different energy, not so peaceful, more powerful and assertive, but so beautiful, and the fact it is made out of wood is just incredible. Shafts of light danced around the room, the incense smoke creating a mysterious feel. I didn't stay too long, quite a few people were praying and it always feels a bit invasive.

Day light Kitchen does some lovely organic food and coffee(http://dlk-organic.jp), I stopped for a late lunch here, the food isn't quite as good as other places, but the bakery looked great. They have vegetarian options too.

The absolute highlight was my massage at 'ForREST'(momitoku.main.jp), my first visit was a bit hilarious, I couldn't get in the building, so I had to ask the Florist in the shop next door to help... finally the sliding door opened and I met a very kind Japanese lady who only spoke a few english words. With sign language and smiles we arranged a time. This massage was one of the best I've ever had. You wear lose clothing that they provide, you're wrapped in a blanket and it's all about pressure points. At one point she found sore points in my forearm I didn't even know were there. I had 60 minutes, they do many other offers and it is such a reasonable price. My massage was 2300Yen, which is around £16/17. I am determined to go back here again.

Tenjin Area and the East.

Tenjin is the main hubbub area of the city, you'll find main street shopping like HnM and Zara.

It's a nice area, lots of restaurant and shops, I like the East Area of the city, it feels a bit more like London.

The Art Museum is pretty basic, it was showing local work from the college, the Japanese seem so smart; all the displays were so well done and some of the Manga art work was amazing.

For food, the East of Tenjin is great. I found the 'Rota Cafe' which was lovely, Macrobiotic Vegan food, you climb some very skinny stairs and sit in a bright and airy room. (rota-cafe.com) I headed to Eggs n Things, to subdue my omelette craving, a rather weird Omelette but yummy all the same.(eggsnthingsjapan.com) Suzu cafe is hidden at the top of a building, so small and cozy, the coffee was ok, the food looked great, but there are only so many lunches I can fit in!(completecircle.co.jp)

If you feel like stretching your legs Ohari Park is beautiful. The huge lake/pond seems to stretch on for miles, the Japanese Garden and tea rooms were nice, if a little bare in Winter, they aren't that cheap to enter, but are very peaceful and so well designed.(ohorikouen.jp)

Near the art gallery by the river you can find the 'Suikyo Shrine', it's nice but quite small, but running along the side of shrine, there are a row of tiny restaurants, we found the best Tempura restaurant, only space for about 6 people to eat. We sat at the bar and watched the chef cook. I wish I could speak Japanese, so we could've talked with them. The experience was great as was the food.

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