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bougredane · 3 years

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Probably the greatest toy of all time (marshal-approved).

If anyone’s at the end of their rope and looking for a new quarantine pastime, look no further. Get ready for a toy that’s apparently so fun that it managed to keep everyone occupied from 1789 to the fall of the Empire.

This could be you :

The Pitch :

Dans le jardin impérial des Tuileries, dans les majestueuses avenues du parc de Saint-Cloud, comme sous les frais ombrages de la Malmaison, le « jeu du Diable » se jouait à toute heure du jour. Les maréchaux de Napoléon, comme les grands hommes d'Etat, ne dédaignaient pas de lutiner le « Diable » à l'aide de frêles baguettes. Une vieille estampe représente le petit roi de Rome jouant au « Diable ». Ailleurs, une caricature de l’époque, bien certainement de provenance anglaise, représente lord Wellington lançant en l'air, sur la ficelle, Napoléon lui-même. Une autre intitulée Le bon diable, comme il va ! représente une femme qui fait sauter un homme en habit de l'ancien régime, des poches duquel tombe une pluie d'or. Une autre encore, deux hommes et deux femmes qui jouent au « diable à quatre » dans un salon, renversant les meubles, brisant les glaces. Une gravure de 1812 atteste que la vogue n'avait rien perdu depuis 1789. On lit dans un journal d'alors :

La grande préoccupation du moment, ce n'est pas le bruit des préparatifs gigantesques que fait l'Empire pour la campagne de Russie ; ce qui, avant toute chose, est la pensée dominante du moment, l'obsession de tous les esprits, c'est le diable ! non pas le sombre génie du mal, cet impertinent et froid railleur, à la figure maigre, aux traits pointus, aux doigts effilés et au rire strident, non pas le diable de Michel-Ange ou de Milton, mais un joujou, une sorte de toupie à deux têtes, qu'il s'agit de faire tourner rapidement sur elle-même en lui donnant l'élan au moyen d'une corde fixée à deux baguettes. Aux Tuileries, dans les jardins, dans les salons, toutes les dames, tous les enfants sont occupés à faire ronfler le diable. La mode, toujours aux aguets de toutes les folies, ne manque pas d'enregistrer ce nom de plus dans ses fastes .

——

In the imperial gardens of the Tuileries, in the majestic avenues of the park of Saint-Cloud, as under the cool shade of Malmaison, the "Devil's game" was played at all hours of the day. Napoleon's marshals, like the great statesmen, did not disdain to bait the "Devil" at the tips of two frail sticks. An old print shows the little King of Rome playing with a diabolo. Elsewhere, a caricature of the time, certainly of English origin, represents Lord Wellington throwing into the air, on the string, Napoleon himself. Another entitled “The Good Devil, how he goes!” likewise depicts a woman who launches a man dressed in the style of the old regime, from whose pockets a rain of gold falls. In another, two men and two women play « Devil to Pay » [idiomatic trans.] in a living room, overturning the furniture, breaking mirrors. An 1812 engraving attests that the fashionable game had lost nothing of its appeal since 1789. We read in a newspaper of the time:

The great preoccupation of the moment is not the noise of the immense preparations which the Empire makes for the Russian campaign; above all, the dominant thought, the obsession of all minds, is the Devil! Not the dark genius of evil, that impertinent and cold mocker, with his thin face and pointed features, his slender fingers and strident laughter, not the Devil of Michelangelo or Milton, but a toy, a kind of top with two ends, made to turn quickly on itself and propelled by means of a cord fixed to two sticks. In the Tuileries, in the gardens, in the salons, all the ladies, all the children are busy enticing this diabolo to purr. Fashion, always on the lookout for any extravagance, does not fail to mark this name among its splendors.

----

There he goes ...

Text from Les Jouets de France, leur histoire leur avenir by Léo Claretie. (1920)

#napoleon #wellington #jeu du diable #marshalate #but the yoyo master did not answer #he just kept on yo-ing

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robynmarkius · 4 years

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Language Differences (Part 2)

Welcome back to the (delayed posting of) ramblings on memories of Amaurot; glimpses of a long-forgotten past. Now, obviously, there’s Patch 5.3 Spoilers in this, so if you haven’t gotten through Shadowbringers yet, I would suggest not yet clicking through.

This post discusses the first Echo vision we see in 5.3. It’s kinda-sorta short, but I feel like it’s very important to set up the longer vision we see in Anemnesis Anyder later; which will be the focus on the next post. (I know I said that before, but I mean it this time. lol ^_^; )

Once again, credit where credit is due, and much thanks to @xehniscreations and @shiro-from-cafeberry for the French and German Translations! We’ve got one more for me to finish writing up/formatting yet after this!

[Cut for Spoilers and Images]

Part Two: Welcome, Elidibus

The first of two Echo Visions/Flashbacks we have is on the lookout tower in the Crystarium when Elidibert shows up behind us and doesn't know why he's there.

He saw us as Amaurotine for only a blink. After we glimpse into his memories, he asks us straight, what was it that Emet-Selch seemed to see in us. We have the opportunity to tell him what Hytholodaeus said to us or keep silent. Either way, he doesn’t seem doesn’t seem to recognize us at all.

The vision we had here, is from when he was welcomed to the Convocation; when he first gained the Seat of Elidibus.

English: ”On behalf of the Convocation, I bid you welcome to our order.

At times you will stand with us. At times you will stand against us. All that you might steer mankind and the very star upon their true course.

For yours is the seat of Elidibus, the Emissary, and by this name shall your every action be guided."

Japanese: 十四人委員会の議長：おめでとう、お前を十四人委員会の一員として迎えよう。

十四人委員会の議長：ときに我らと同となり、ときに我らに異を唱え、人と星とが正しく進むよう、尽力してほしい。

十四人委員会の議長：調停者の座……エリディブス。それが今より、お前のしるベとなる名だよ。

Romanization: Committee Speaker: omedetou, omae o jyuuyonnin iinkai no ichiin to shite mukaeyou.

Committee Speaker: toki ni warera to dou to nari, toki ni warera ni koto o tonae, hito to hoshi to ga tadashiku susumu you, jinryokushite.

Committee Speaker: shouteisha no gi......ERIDIBUSU. sore ga ima yori, omae no shirube tonaru na da yo.

English Translation: “Congratulations, you're accepted as a member of the Convocation of Fourteen.

At times, we will agree, at times, we will yell at each other in opposition, I'd like you to endeavor to properly advance this star and its people.

Elidibus... The Seat of the Arbitrator From now on, let this title become your guidance.”

French: (Thanks to Xehnis) Président du Concile des Quatorze: Félicitations, to fais désormais partie du Concile des Quatorze.

Président du Concile des Quatorze: Tu nous conforteras dans nos idées ou tu t'y opposeras, mais toujours pour le plus grand bien de la planéte et de ses habitants.

Président du Concile des Quatorze: Elidibus, le médiateur. Bien plus qu'un poste ou un titre, ce nom guidera désormais chacun de tes actes.

English Translation: President of the Council of Fourteen: Congratulations, you are now part of the Council of Fourteen.

President of the Council of Fourteen: You will consolidate in our ideas or you will oppose them, but always for the greater good of the planet and its inhabitants.

President of the Council of Fourteen: Elidibus, the mediator. Much more than a position or title, its name will guide each of your actions.

German: (Thanks to Shiro) Anführer des Konvents: Hiermit bestätige ich deine Erhebung zum ordentlichen Konventsmitglied. Willkommen in unserer Mitte.

Anführer des Konvents: Du wirst uns zuzeiten bestärken, zuzeiten widersprechen. Du wirst unser Tun leiten, auf dass dieser Planet und seine Kinder dem rechten Pfad folgen.

Anführer des Konvents: Dies ist deine Aufgabe als Elidibus - als Fürsprecher. Beherzige sie stets.

(Note from Shiro: “Konventsmitglied” means 'member of the convocation'.) English Translation: Leader of the Convention: I hereby confirm that you have been promoted to be a full member of the Convention. Welcome to our midst.

Covenant leader: You will at times encourage us, at times contradict us. You will guide our actions so that this planet and its children may follow the right path.

Covenant Leader: This is your job as Elidibus - as an advocate. Always heed them.

From the moment he's brought in as Elidibus, he's told exactly what he held onto for the rest of his existence. He is Elidibus; his title will dictate his actions. The phrasing may be slightly different in each language, but no matter what, he is told that he may not always be on the same side as the Convocation, however, so long as he holds onto his title as his identity, he'll guide the Star and its inhabitants on the proper course, and that is what is the most important aspect of his Title. Mediation, Arbitration, Advocacy, Emissary. So long as he does this, he will fulfill the expectations and duties of Elidibus.

After all this time, Elidibus knows what drives him. Elidibus knows what Zodiark was summoned to do. He only remembers "I am Elidibus."

We saw this because it helped us understand his motivation, and an understanding of how it could have gotten so far out of hand. He was not a Primal when he gained his seat, that happened when he became Zodiark’s Heart; one could even argue, Zodiark himself. To quote Emet-Selch/Hades, one of “the eldest and most powerful of Primals”. He held on to just enough of himself to remember what he was supposed to do. He was supposed to save the star, save the people, save his family and friends, prevent the star from being destroyed; he was to maintain homeostasis as best he could, while trying to return things to the way they once were. The desires of those who had first summoned Zodiark.

The question Y'shtola asked him after she confronted him in the Capitol, "you who've spoken with such a cacophony of voices, how can you be so sure you still speak with your own?" is a perfect one. After all this time, how can he be so sure he retains anything that is his own? I believe we saw what was left in the last scene, the Remnant of Elidibus; his sorrow and his own hope to be with everyone again when everything was over.

There is an importance to this moment though. It's the first time since we gained our 8th shard that we've seen into the memory of an Ascian. Before the final battle with Hades, we saw nothing from him as much as we were around him. The argument could be that it's because Elidibus was inhabiting the body of Ardbert; the body that once belonged to a piece of our soul; that we were able to break whatever protection there was and finally see something with our Echo. It could also be argued that since we regained another soul shard, we've grown in power too. The Echo in these situations seemed different too, more static, and a brighter light when they started and ended. Perhaps because the memories were so long ago, but... maybe also because Elidibus might not even consciously recall much of his past. After all, he says we wouldn't have seen anything useful, but who's he to say what we consider useful? lol

This actually sets up the second, longer flashback we see in Anemnesis Anyder later in the patch, when we go to pick up Y'shtola and tell her that she's been in the library long enough, she should come eat this breadcake Tataru sent over before she passes out. (...only to find we were a bit late on that last part. Oops!)

This was a short-ish post but it better sets up the second flashback sequence, and I think helps understand what drove him to awaken the Warriors of Light at the end; it was just instinct. Oppose Darkness. Awaken Heroes. Save the World. He's been looking at things in such black-and-white terms for so long, he's completely forgotten the shades of gray that exist on the Moral Spectrum. Something we learned by helping the First and forestalling the Eight Umbral Calamity. We aren't perfect, but we can strive to do our best to give everyone hope even when we're no longer there; for those we have lost and those we can yet save.

I will update with a link to the next part when I’ve compiled it... it’s longer just because the flashbacks are longer, but it contains the line about the rain, which we only call back to in English.

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joe-mazzello-archive · 5 years

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Agape - Chapter Seven

A Joe Mazzello x Fem!Reader fic

Rating: 18+

Chapter Seven

Warnings: Language, Alcohol, Drug Usage, Flufffffffffffff Word Count: 2684 A/N: Shout out to getting stuck in an airport for five hours. I present to you wrap party drunken karaoke Joe aka one of the best Joes. Enjoy.

You went your separate ways to head home to get ready for the party. You had been looking forward to the wrap party since it was planned; it was a cocktail party at a rooftop bar in downtown Austin. You felt like you were on cloud nine as you pulled out the dress you had purchased for the event. It was a strappy shift dress in a gorgeous burgundy color that had fit you perfectly when you tried it on in the store.

As you got ready, your head was still spinning from the events of the day. You had never experienced a kiss like that before. Kissing Joe felt like it was destiny, like your lips were made for his. And you always loved the feeling of being in his arms. It was the most comfortable you had felt with a person in years.

Suddenly those fears about telling him how you felt were starting to seem ridiculous. Why should you hold yourself back from something that could be really amazing? Fuck what the tabloids say. Fuck what your exes had done or said. Joe was nothing like them. He was different.

You also had a sneaking suspicion he had feelings for you too. The way he continued to hold you after each take ended felt like something stronger than just friendship. And you and Joe had always flirted in a playful way, but now you weren't sure if it was just friendly or something more.

There was only one way to find out.

You finished off your outfit with a black metal choker necklace and black heeled booties. You put on more makeup than usual, adding a deep burgundy lipstick to match your dress. Once you were happy with your look, you grabbed your phone to double check the address for the party. You noticed you had two texts. Both from Joe, both almost a half-hour old. You realized you took longer to get ready than you thought.

Pre-game? My place or yours?

The butterflies immediately returned to your stomach, your excitement for the night’s events running through you. You also loved how he didn’t even wait for you to say yes before following up with the second text.

Just saw these. I don’t have any drinks here so it’d have to be your place.

A group of us have already started. Come catch up.

He followed up with the address to his place. You grabbed your purse and keys and headed towards Joe’s condo.

You barely knocked once before the door opened, revealing a tipsy Joe holding a glass of wine in his free hand. You both smiled at each other while you took in each other’s appearances. Joe was wearing a white dress shirt buttoned all the way up, black slacks, and his signature leather jacket. He had actually styled his hair and shaved off his scruff.

He looked like an absolute snack.

You noticed he was eyeing you just as much as you were eyeing him.

“Damn, Mazzello. You clean up good!” you finally said.

“Look who’s talking. Have you seen yourself?” Joe countered before stepping aside to let you into the condo. Leah, Briana, and the actor who had played Desmond’s best friend, who’s name was escaping you, were spread throughout the living room and kitchen. On the coffee table sat an empty wine bottle, a newly opened wine bottle, a few joints, and an ashtray. The smattering of actors cheered your name once they saw you enter.

“Where have you been?” Leah shouted, waving you over.

“Well you guys have certainly been busy,” you replied, grabbing an empty glass from the kitchen. Joe walked over with the wine bottle, pouring you a glass before clinking it with his own.

The five of you chatted and joked around as you finished the second bottle of wine and a joint or two. You had your eyes on Joe most of the time. He was even more relaxed and goofy than usual, and his smile and laugh were extremely contagious. You found yourself going out of your way to try to make him laugh.

Eventually you all made your way to the rooftop bar. The venue was beautifully decorated, with globe lights strung above the patio. There was both an outdoor and indoor section, each section boasting plates and plates of hors d'oeuvres. The outdoor patio featured a large bar stocked with everything and anything, while the indoor room featured a smaller bar and a small stage already set up for karaoke.

Your group had arrived fashionably late, so the party was already in full swing. You all made a beeline for the bar, ordering your first round and toasting to a great shoot. After a few minutes, you lost sight of Joe, whom you were hoping to spend most of the party with.

You started to wander around and make idle small talk with some of the crew members and other cast when you found yourself talking to the actor who had played Desmond’s best friend, who you now knew went by Casey.

“So what are you thinking? Are we looking at Oscars here?” he asked.

“Oh I don’t know. I mean I’m really proud of what we made. But who knows?” you replied, subconsciously swirling your cocktail around, eyes scanning the crowd for Joe.

“Well I mean I can definitely see you getting a best actress nom. I mean I saw an early cut of the pills scene with Joe. You were unbelievable,” Casey commented. You smiled and blushed a bit.

“That’s really sweet of you, Casey,” you replied. “And honestly, an award nom would be cool. But mostly I’m excited for the response from the general audience, you know? For me, it’s all about telling a story.” Casey nodded in response.

Suddenly an arm snaked around your shoulders.

“Come pick out a song, partner!” Joe said, pulling you towards the karaoke room. You laughed and gave a quick wave to Casey as you were dragged away. You noticed Joe struggle with the door, and realized he may be a little more than tipsy now.

The two of you flipped through the song choices, arguing about what song you were going to sing. After a few minutes of debating you settled on Love Shack by the B-52’s. And before you knew it, you were pulled onstage and the song was beginning.

“If you see a faded sign by the side of the road that says fifteen miles to the --”

“LOVE SHACK!”

You belted your way through the classic 80’s tune, going back and forth with Joe. The song was a perfect choice, as you could definitely tell Joe was beyond tipsy and all he had to do in the song was talk-sing. He also showed off some dance moves, which you couldn’t help but laugh at lovingly. The crowd loved the two of you, cheering and singing along. Once the song finished, you both took a bow while the audience applauded.

Suddenly Joe wrapped his arms around your middle and gave you a wet kiss on your cheek. The gesture shot heat to your core, which you figured was probably because of the alcohol in your system. He let go of his embrace, helped you down from the stage, and led you back over to the bar.

“Okay, it’s only fair that since I forced you to sing with me that I buy you a drink,” Joe slurred, waving down the bartender. You laughed.

“First of all, it’s an open bar. And second of all, you didn’t force me to do anything! I wanted to sing with you,” you replied, patting his shoulder.

“Oh get out of here with your logic,” Joe countered before the bartender appeared. You both ordered another cocktail. The barkeep delivered your drinks before disappearing to the other side of the bar, leaving the two of you alone.

You turned to Joe, who was already looking at you like he was about to say something. You looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to speak. But instead he looked down and took a sip of his drink.

“You okay?” you asked. “You looked like you were going to say something.”

“Oh I’m fine, and I just lost my train of thought,” Joe replied, taking another sip of his cocktail. You nodded understandingly.

You watched the man in front of you continue to sip on his drink, feeling a sense of adoration. You couldn’t help but smile. You thought that maybe this was a good time to make your move and confess to Joe what you had been keeping bottled inside for the past two months.

You opened your mouth to speak and were cut off by Casey calling your name. You looked over to see him, Leah, and Briana stumbling towards you.

“They have cornhole outside! Come be on my team and help me win a bet against Leah,” Casey said.

“You’re going down!” Leah shouted, clearly drunk. You looked back at Joe, almost as if you were asking for approval, but he wasn’t paying attention. You watched Joe down the last of his drink and signal the bartender again.

“Come cheer me on in cornhole!” you called at him, while being pulled away by Briana.

“I’ll be there in a bit,” Joe replied, barely looking back at you.

You and Casey made a pretty good team, absolutely destroying the ladies in every round. As you played, you kept an eye out for Joe, hoping to show off your skills for him. But he never appeared.

After an hour of playing, you bowed out, on the lookout for Joe. You scanned the entire outside patio, but he was nowhere to be found.

You went back inside, eyes peeled for a drunk ginger. You ran into Julia and a few other crew members and asked if they’d seen him but they hadn’t. You worried he had already left. You pulled out your phone to text him and found you had five texts already, all from Joe.

11:02: Where are you 11:05: I’m v drunk 11:06: I lvoe open barssss 11:17: I cant find u 11:35: where r u!!!!!

Shit, he was even drunker than you thought.

I’m looking for you. Where are you now?

You continued to wander around and look for him. Suddenly someone wrapped their arms around your waist from behind.

“I found you!” Joe slurred, using you to steady himself. You turned and grabbed his arms, attempting to keep him steady.

“I see someone has had a lot to drink this evening,” you commented, leading Joe to a table to sit.

“I had to!” Joe replied once he sat. You wrinkled your brow in confusion.

“No one forced you to get drunk, Joe,” you replied. You caught the eye of the bartender and signaled for a glass of water.

“No, but I had to,” he repeated. You had no idea what he was talking about. You got him to drink some water while you assessed how drunk he really was.

“How are you feeling? Do you think you’re going to get sick?” you asked.

“I’ll be fine, I’m just tired,” was his slurred response. You had him sit and drink water for a bit before you decided to take him back to his condo. You slung one of his arms over your shoulder to help him walk. The two of you said your goodbyes to anyone you passed on your way to the exit. You happened to catch Leah’s eye, who gave you a knowing look as she waved goodbye.

Luckily Joe’s condo wasn’t a far walk from the venue.

“Thank you for taking care of me. You’re the best,” Joe mumbled as you walked.

“You’re welcome. And I’m very aware,” you replied.

Before long, you reached his condo. You helped him over to his couch before leaving him to grab him another glass of water. You sat next to him as he sipped from the glass. You suddenly remember what he had said to you at the party.

“Why did you say that you had to get drunk?” you finally asked. Joe put the glass down on the coffee table, laid back on the couch, and gave a dramatically loud sigh as he draped his arm over his face.

“Because I’m a huge chicken!” he replied, voice muffled by his jacket sleeve. You laughed at his dramatic actions. “Don’t laugh at me!”

“I’m not laughing at you,” you said, though you were clearly still giggling. You tapped his leg to get him to look at you. “What do you mean you’re a huge chicken?”

He quietly sat up, his face beat red. He looked right at you.

“Because I’m in love with you and I needed the alcohol in my system to finally make a move,” he admitted.

You froze, your body in absolute shock. Your heart felt like it was going to leap out of your chest.

“Joe…” you started to say before you were cut off.

“I totally get it if you’re not into me, and I really don’t want to ruin our friendship--”

“Joe--” you tried to cut in but the man was on a roll.

“And you mean the world to me and I don’t want to lose you--”

“Joe--”

“But I also completely understand if this makes you uncomfortable--”

You did the only thing you knew you could do to shut him up. You grabbed his face and brought his lips to yours.

He froze at first, but relaxed after a moment, kissing you back hard. The kiss was just as magical as it had been earlier that day. But this time you weren’t pretending. Neither of you were.

After a few more moments, you gently pulled away, letting go of his face.

“You wouldn’t even let me have a chance to tell you that I’m in love with you, too, you dork. So I had to do something,” you said smiling.

He smiled back, gently reaching up to caress your face before kissing you again. He kissed you deeply as his hands ran through your hair. Your hands slid their way up his sides, the smile never leaving your face as you kissed him. You could feel him smiling too.

His hands reached for the zipper of your dress and you stopped him. He pulled away in confusion.

“How about we continue this when both of us are sober?” you suggested. He sighed and nodded.

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea. Damn you and your logic!” he replied.

You had him drink a little more water and take some ibuprofen you had in your purse before you both made your way to the bedroom. You helped him out of his clothes, leaving him in a white undershirt and his underwear. As he climbed into bed, you slipped out of your shoes and dress, leaving you in your bra and underwear. You could feel him watching you undress and you shot him a look. He turned away realizing he was caught, and you laughed.

You placed another glass of water on the end table next to Joe before sliding into bed beside him.

His arms immediately reached for you and pulled you close to him. He spooned up behind you before placing a soft kiss on your shoulder.

“I like that I get to hold you for real. And not just because a script told me to,” he whispered. You giggled.

“I don’t know, when we were filming earlier today and you kept holding me long after Julia called ‘cut’, it felt pretty real,” you countered. This time Joe giggled.

“Yeah, I was so done for at that point. The way you looked at me each time before you kissed me...I knew I was in trouble,” he replied as he squeezed you tighter.

You sighed, filled with that familiar feeling of comfort in Joe’s arms. You felt safe and loved. And this time it was for real.

It only took a few more minutes for you both to fall asleep.

#joe mazzello x reader #joe mazzello x you #joe mazzello imagine #joe mazzello fic #joe mazzello fanfic #joe mazzello #joemazzmatazz

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pointy-hat-witch · 5 years

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Fic where kirishima is a French celebrity and bakugo is his bodyguard (lol idk if that’s weird). This is for the fic rec thingy :)

Requests are still open!

Nothing weird about that!! Thank you so much!!

Title: Words unspokenSeries: Boku no Hero AcademiaPairing: Kirishima Eijirou/Bakugou KatsukiWordcount: 2809Summary: Bakugou was tasked to be the bodyguard of a French celebrity, he had never heard of. Well, what could go wrong if they both couldn’t understand them because of their languages?

Bakugou groaned inwardly for the sixth time in the last ten minutes or so, contemplating all of his life choices that had led him to be in this position. He was standing with the back to the wall, about a meter away from the person who crashed into his world without warning, crumbling everything he worked for so hard. And he didn’t even care. What the actual fuck.

-- 5 days earlier –

Lounging on his couch, Bakugou enjoyed one of his rare free Sundays. Usually, Bakugou had to work on weekends, especially on weekends, but now, after about eight weeks in a row, he finally had a day off and he was adamant, to not do anything. Maybe going to the gym later on, but that didn’t count as actual work or something.

Nursing a glass of orange juice in one hand and a sports magazine in the other, his phone started to ring. After the third ring, Bakugou was a patient man, thank you very much, he grabbed it after slamming down his drink and paper.

“What?!” If someone had his number, that meant they knew him well enough he wasn’t one for pleasantries and he wouldn’t start now.

“Jolly, aren’t we?” came the gruff voice of Aizawa, his agent if he could call it that. Bakugou grunted in response and fell back into his couch again. Aizawa calling meant a new job, for nothing else he would call.

“Tomorrow afternoon, 2 pm, a French celebrity is coming to Japan, rather spontaneously. They’re staying for a week or two and their parents asked for someone professional. They themselves are not pleased with it, so don’t start a fight with them.”

Bakugou listened and soaked up the information. Great, didn’t French people have the reputation to be arrogant? Not that he was one to judge. But at least, his arrogance wasn’t baseless and normally, if a celebrity claimed they didn’t need protection they’re especially in need of it.

“What’s their name?” Bakugou pulled up his laptop, his fingers already itching to make his own research.

“Kirishima Eijirou.”

“Huh? Japanese?”

“Well, their parents are but they were born and raised in France. I don’t think they speak Japanese.”

“Fantastic.” Sarcasm oozed from him. There was hope they wouldn’t have too much of an accent. “Send me an email with the rest.” With another grunt, Bakugou disconnected to start his research.

Kirishima Eijirou, 26, actor and model and a hotshot in Europe. With only 8 years of age they had their first supportive role in a fantasy drama, with 10 they were the leading role. 7 years later, a model company got him under contract and ever since the star was rising. There was a small article about their trip to Japan, in which they stated, they wanted to finally see the homeland of their parents.

Great, if they want a fucking tour guide, they could go fuck themselves. Bakugou’s mood soured by the minute, already dreading the next two weeks. Hopefully, they would find Japan not nearly as interesting as they hoped and fly back to their lovely European country.

A pop-up window signaled an incoming mail, which Bakugou opened immediately. He scanned the usual information about the client, nothing he didn’t find out himself earlier. They should drop off at Narita Airport at 1:58 pm and then there was the address of their hotel they would be staying. Bakugou scrolled down, not interested in all the small details, he was just there to keep them safe after all, until he reached the payment section. He had to make a double-take, staring at the quite hefty sum. Are all European celebrities loaded? This was as much as he got for the past six months, holy fuck. For that, he could put up with this Kirishima.

Attached was a photo of them, and Bakugou realized he didn’t look up this fine detail. He opened the file, breath hitching in his throat. Hotshot became a whole new meaning. Bakugou didn’t question their model career, at least not anymore. Kirishima’s red eyes were wide open, crinkling at the corners by the big smile and Bakugou felt as if they looked right into his soul. The red hair was bright like a halo around their head, sharp teeth giving their innocent-looking smile a dangerous note.

It was only a headshot but judging by their neck and shoulders, Bakugou didn’t think they needed protection at all. If these muscles weren’t all for show, at least. But something about how Kirishima carried themselves told him; they weren’t.

The next day went around too fast. After his initial shock, Bakugou pushed down all his surprise and fascination, it was just a job like every other. Waiting at the airport in his crisp black suit, well fitted, accompanied with a pair of dark sunglasses and a stun gun in his holster, Bakugou held up a small sign with Kirishima’s name on it. It didn’t take long until Kirishima arrived, a big group of people in their tow.

They smiled at everyone they locked eyes with, waving and scribbling on photographs, magazines and whatever else was pushed into their face. Just watching this, Bakugou’s eyes twitched. Kirishima looked around and, finally, their eyes landed on Bakugou. Their smile grew a little more, and after waving one last time at their fans, they jogged over.

Despite being a model and being able to pull off a lot of different looks, Bakugou did some more research, sue him, Kirishima looked like a fashion disaster. Did they think they were in Hawaii? A big, colored Hawaiian shirt over a black muscle shirt and deep green Bermuda shorts decorated their body, completed by a pair of red crocs. Holy fucking hell.

Bakugou steeled his nerves when Kirishima walked up to them.

“Bonjour!” The lips split into another grin. “Bakugou Katsuki?”

Bakugou nodded curtly, turning around without another word.

“Attendez!” Kirishima yelped but caught up to him in no time. Ignoring the inquisitive eyes on him, Bakugou led them outside to their car. He didn’t make any move to help Kirishima with their bags or, god beware, holding their door open and just sat down on the driver’s seat. After a few seconds, the trunk was opened and closed, Kirishima sat down next to him.

“Fait, merci. Savez-vous où aller?” They kneaded their fingers in their lap slightly, but Bakugou just put down his glasses and maneuvered their car out of the parking lot. Kirishima hummed next to him but didn’t ask any more questions, thank god.

The drive was short and silent. Bakugou parked right in front of the hotel, a staff member came up to park the car in their underground garage. Ignoring Kirishima’s luggage again, Bakugou just waited for Kirishima to walk up. Bakugou wasn’t here to babysit and do things for him, he just needed to put his life on the line when the situation arose. Kirishima shot him a grin and walked up to the reception, waving dismissively at the page who was grabbing for their luggage.

“Bonjour, mademoiselle. Une réservation sur le nom Kirishima Eijirou.“

„Bien sûr, un moment, s’il vous plaît.“ Came the immediate answer from the receptionist. Huh, did they had to speak French in hotels nowadays? Bakugou pushed down his curiosity and finally did his job, he was paid for it after all. Ignoring any further chit chat between them, Bakugou was on the lookout for any abnormalities. Even if this trip was spontaneous, one or two days was enough for some people to come up with the craziest ideas.

Without incident, however, they got up to Kirishima’s room. They fell down on the bed with an exclamation, laying on it like a starfish. Bakugou used this time to walk through all the rooms, inspecting if there would be any other people with them, for whatever reason. It took him about ten minutes since there were three bedrooms (they were alone, why did they need so many bedrooms?), two bathrooms, two spacious living rooms, and even a kitchen.

After his inspection, Bakugou walked up to Kirishima again who now sat on the couch in one of the living rooms, switching through the TV channels.

“Listen up”, Bakugou crossed his arms, speaking English a little slower than usual, “I don’t know how you do this stuff usually, but I have some rules your better follow if you…” Bakugou petered out as he saw Kirishima’s wide eyes on him, their eyebrows slowly knitting in confusion as he spoke on.

“Do you… even understand me?” Bakugou huffed incredulously. This must be a fucking joke.

“Uhm”, Kirishima scratched their nose, “Vous ne parlez pas français?”

Bakugou furrowed his eyebrows, a growl formed in the back of his throat. “Godfuckingdamnit.”

Laughter boomed out of Kirishima. Curses seemed to be universal at least, though, Bakugou wasn’t in the mood to laugh. How should he work with someone with whom he couldn’t communicate?

The rest of the day and the day after, Bakugou felt like all of Japan got a memo he didn’t receive. Was French suddenly the second language for everyone or why was every Tom, Dick, and Harry able to speak French fluently? Wherever they went, museums, parks, restaurants, shops, everyone didn’t hesitate to answer Kirishima in their native language and it drove Bakugou mad. He was the one who was the most prepared of them all, always. But even he couldn’t learn a language in one or two days so how come that everyone suddenly could?!

Bakugou was fuming. It took all of his professionalism to stay focused and do his job properly. At least, Kirishima didn’t try too often to strike up a conversation but they warmed up to him which Bakugou didn’t appreciate. They tried to coax him to watch TV with them or offered them a seat at the restaurants they went, but Bakugou either glared at them until they relented or plain up ignored them.

Maybe because they couldn’t communicate, Bakugou was concentrating more on Kirishima’s action, their gestures, and mimics, to assess the situation and to intervene if necessary. On the third day, Bakugou begrudgingly had to admit, he could easily tell when Kirishima was genuinely smiling at someone or was faking it and was polite; he could estimate when Kirishima was done somewhere when their interest dropped and for whatever reason, Bakugou then subtly steered them somewhere else.

On the fourth day, Bakugou realized, Kirishima did something similar. Whenever they were in open spaces or too crowded spaces, Bakugou got fidgety after a certain amount of time. Especially in these places something could happen because there were so many potential culprits and too many directions someone could come from and it took a toll on Bakugou’s concentration. So, whenever he was almost at his limit, Kirishima decided to take a break and go somewhere quiet.

This is how he found himself in a backroom of a fancy restaurant, Kirishima meeting with some famous family for dinner because their children were big fans of them, taking deep, deliberated breaths to calm himself down. Even as he noticed Kirishima’s care? Indulgence? Bakugou didn’t mind. Somehow, he enjoyed their non-verbal communication.

A little absent-minded, Bakugou stared at the twins in front of Kirishima who stared at them as if they were a deity coming down to earth specifically just for them and Bakugou had to suppress a snort. Teenage fans were hilarious. If they knew, Kirishima snored horribly or that they couldn’t cook for shit or they nibbled on all their pens and pencils in concentration, they sure wouldn’t be so hung up on them.

It was only a split second, but Bakugou was nothing if not the best at what he did, so everything happened so fast and in slow-motion at the same time. His eyes saw the glint of the knife in one of the twin sisters hand, his body already tensing up, so when she suddenly shot up on her chair, he had his hand already at Kirishima’s collar to pull them back, pushing them behind him and grabbing the wrist of the girl with his other hand. In one swift movement, he pushed her down on the table, twisting her arm on her back and making her drop the knife.

“What in the ever-loving fuck was that?” Bakugou growled at her. Everyone was silent for a few seconds until the girl started crying. Her parents grabbed at Bakugou, screaming to release her.

“What in the world are you doing to my daughter?! Get your filthy hands off of her!” The mother almost screeched in his ears.

“Are you fucking blind?!” Bakugou snapped back. “Didn’t you see how she attacked them?!”

“She didn’t do anything! You suddenly attacked her!” The father screamed at him, pulling back a fist to throw at Bakugou. Before it could even get near him, Kirishima pulled the man back with a dangerous smile.

“I’m sorry, I must ask of you to not assault my bodyguard when he is just doing his job.”

Bakugou just barely registered that he understood Kirishima as he spoke perfect Japanese when the man jerked his arm free, obviously, Kirishima let him, and grabbed his daughter from off the table and pushed his family out of the room without any further comment.

There was a beat of silence as the door fell shut behind them, leaving Kirishima and Bakugou staring at it as if this couldn’t just have happened.

“What the actual fuck?”

“You tell me.”

Bakugou twirled around. “You!”

“I?” Kirishima blinked. “Oh yeah, you do speak Japanese!” Apparently it was hilarious enough, to laugh.

“You fucker! You hair-for-brains fucking stupid shit speak Japanese and didn’t tell me?!”

Kirishima wiped away a tear from their eye as they caught their breath. “I- I-“, they huffed. “I thought you could only speak English! You just started with that and I thought, you know”, they shrugged helplessly, still giggling.

“Don’t you … fuck … stop laughing! You almost got killed! There is nothing funny about this situation!” Bakugou fisted his hands, gritting his teeth.

“Oh? Did I? I thought you had the situation pretty much under control.” Kirishima finally huffed out the rest of his laughter, lazily resting their hands on their hips. Their eyes laid on Bakugou with utmost confidence that their life was in good hands. Bakugou felt his face heat up and coughed.

“Of fucking course, I did!” The grunted, pushing the chairs back at the table just so his hands had something to do.

“Well, so, there was nothing to worry about.” Kirishima shrugged. “It’s a shame for the food, though.” The pushed the plates further onto the table, so they didn’t tip over, but most of the food was already spilled on the tablecloth.

“That isn’t …” Bakugou snapped his mouth shut in frustration. How could Kirishima be so calm? “Just … let’s get you back to the hotel.”

“You got it!”

How didn’t he realize that Kirishima did, in fact, speak Japanese? That was ridiculous. So many stupid situations could have been avoided. Angry at himself and Kirishima, Bakugou sat down in the car and closed the door with too much force.

“Hey, Bakugou?”

“What, shitty hair?” Bakugou growled, earning a low snicker.

“Thanks for saving my life.”

Bakugou’s head whirled around to Kirishima who looked at him warmly, a small smile that illuminated the small compartment of the car like the sun, nevertheless.

“You’re … fuck.” Bakugou started the car, fixing his eyes on the road so he wouldn’t stare at Kirishima again, causing an accident, worst-case scenario. Their drive was short and silent, but not uncomfortable. They walked up to Kirishima’s room, Bakugou had taken the liberty to live in one of the other bedrooms since they wouldn’t be used otherwise, so he could stay near his client at any given time.

After changing into something more comfortable, Bakugou stood in the kitchen, rummaging through the cupboards and the fridge.

“What are you doing?” Kirishima sat down on one of the stools, leaning over the kitchen island with one hand at their chin.

“Dinner.” Bakugou grunted. Kirishima’s mouth formed a soundless ‘o’ and then split into another grin.

“Sure thing. You need any help?”

“Not from you, fuckmunch. You’ll just set the kitchen on fire.”

“It was just one and just a little bit of plastic!” Kirishima cried out, throwing their arms up.

“You were making a bowl of cereal!”

“Well, yeah?!”

They stared at each other until they both snorted. Bakugou turned back around to the stove, pouring oil into it and getting the steak ready. Kirishima didn’t stop smiling as they watched Bakugou cooking in comfortable silence.

And when Kirishima stayed a few weeks longer in Japan and Bakugou came with him to France afterward, well, it wasn’t anybody’s fucking business, was it?

#anon #request #Boku no Hero Academia #BNHA #KiriBaku #Kirishima Eijirou #Bakugou Katsuki #Bodyguard AU #that was so much fun to write #thank you so much!!#there was a lot more I could have played out and the ending seemed a little sudden #i hope you still like it #!!#<3 #are you aware of how bad I am with giving titles

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goatsandgangsters · 6 years

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(For the ask thing- Random numbers, go!) 3, 17, 24, 33, 46, 52, 61, 76, 89, 94

3. what color are your eyes?

Hazel

17. how many times a week do you shower?

I wash my hair every other day so probably 3–4? although sometimes if I feel gross I’ll take a quick body shower, so it... depends?

24. how much money do you have in your wallet at the moment?

$6 and zero cents

33. favorite actor?

I’m NOT SURE! I have many actors that I like, but I don’t have one who stands above the rest, ready to lay claim to this most exclusive of titles, so it’s hard to pick The Favorite

46. whats your go to hair style?

when I do style my hair (and I definitely don’t always. there’s a lot of “let it air dry and then just brush it”), I like to make the top part go swoosh and go up and then to the side

52. what is your dream car?

I’M QUEER AND CAN’T DRIVE! well. I mean technically, legally, I can drive. but I have not driven a car since 2015, so effectively, I can’t drive.

my dream car is a rapid, efficient, and reliable public transportation system

61. have you ever peed in the woods?

no specific occasions come to mind, but I’m positive I must have at some point in my life. just like, statistically?

I mean, I know my mom has peed in the woods like... so many times. so many times. the other moms at girl scout camp were shocked and appalled. I have had to keep lookout so often.

76. what color looks best on you?

I’ve honestly never thought about it? but when I was a small child, I excitedly ran over to a purple women’s business suit (oh the 90s) and held it up in front of me so I could pretend I was wearing it and one of my parents was like “that’s a good color for you” and I was like PURPLE IS MY FAVORITE COLOR NOW and purple’s still my favorite color so? that is my amusing anecdote to make up for the fact that I don’t have a more legitimate answer

89. do you like your neighbors?

I don’t know any of my neighbors, but I generally don’t hear any of my neighbors, which is the best thing you can ask of neighbors in an apartment

94. favorite lyrics right now

it’s not even a favorite song, but the lyric “sentimental boy’s my nom de plume” is such a vibe

#whizzerlived

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easyhairstylesbest · 3 years

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Cicely Tyson on the ‘Power’ of Her 1973 Oscar Nom: ‘That Was My Dream’

The day I learned I’d been nominated for an Oscar, I was filming a small role for a new Black director. Just as I was delivering an important line, I heard laughter on the sidelines of the set. “Don’t they know we’re shooting in here?” I snapped. “What’s the matter with them?” A moment later, a producer walked in. “We’ve just gotten some good news,” he said. I held up my hand. “I don’t want to hear anything,” I told him. “Whatever it is can wait.” When I am working, I show up to do exactly that. All else is a distraction, a disruption to an unfolding moment. The gentleman smiled, shook his head, and left.

The director, who must’ve heard the news that awaited, gave me a strange look before we resumed. We completed the scene, and even on my way out, I wouldn’t let anyone tell me anything. It was upon arriving home, at my agent Haber’s place, that he gave me the exhilarating announcement: I’d been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. “Really?” I said, the living room suddenly swirling out of focus. “Yes!” he yelped. As tears flooded my face, all I could think about were my friend Arthur Mitchell’s words to me: “You’re going to be nominated for an Oscar.” My friend’s what-if had come true.

I don’t care what any actor says, that golden statue matters. It is what we’re all vying for—the ultimate validation from our peers. You empty yourself into a character, you labor hour upon hour to get every single gesture and sentence precise, and you mean to tell me that such an affirmation means nothing to you? It holds tremendous power. When I was just getting into the business, I’d looked on in awe as Sidney Poitier earned that affirmation for his marvelous work in Lilies of the Field, becoming the first Black man to win an Academy Award for Best Actor. That evening, as I watched the ceremony on my old black-and-white RCA set, I said to myself, I’m going to sit in the front at the Oscars one day. That was my dream. But as my career carried me mostly toward stage and television, that hope seemed unlikely. That is why, long before I did Sounder, I’d quietly accepted that the Academy Awards would probably not be part of my path. And yet, lo and behold, here I was, on the verge of taking a seat in that front row I’d envisioned for myself.

Cicely Tyson as Rebecca in Sounder.

Stanley Bielecki Movie CollectionGetty Images

My good news was just the beginning. Sounder received a slew of nominations, for Best Picture, Best Writing (Lonne Elder), and Best Actor (I was as delighted for Paul Winfield as I was for myself). The film’s message also reverberated beyond our shores, earning a BAFTA nomination for its score, created by Taj Mahal, who also earned a Grammy for his work. Kevin Hooks, who played my son (and who, in real life, is the son of director and actor Robert Hooks), received a Golden Globe nomination. That awards season also became a landmark recognition of Black talent: Diana Ross was nominated for an Oscar for her role in Lady Sings the Blues, as was screenplay writer Suzanne de Passe. The 1973 nominations for Diana Ross and myself were the first time Black women had been nominated in the Best Actress category since trailblazer Dorothy Dandridge received the honor in 1954 for her role in Carmen Jones.

The morning after the official nomination announcement in Los Angeles, I called my mother in New York. On television, she’d seen how all those white folks had stood and applauded me. “Well?” I said to her. “Well, what?” she said chuckling. “You’d better tell me something,” I said. The line went silent. “I am so proud of you, Sister,” she finally said. I could feel tears brimming and I let them fall, unable to speak because I was so overcome by what I’d longed to hear. If I had not heard those words from my mother, none of this would have made any difference. If she had not been able to participate in the acclaim I was receiving, all of it would’ve felt empty to me.

I, of course, already knew she and my father recognized my work. “Why do you do such sad movies?” my dad once joked after he’d seen me in Brown Girl, Brownstones. Likewise, Mom would often tell me what her friends were always asking her: “Why is she always wearing rags in her movies? Doesn’t she ever dress up?” Though their teasing was an indirect acknowledgment of their pride, I needed my mother, in particular, to voice her validation. She’d been my greatest source of energy, the reason I’d devoted myself so wholly to my work. She had believed I’d go out and become a slut of some kind, had no idea this Hollywood journey could lead me to play a character as honorable as Rebecca. My nomination did more than just prove my mother wrong. After a childhood during which my mother’s opinions drowned out all others, it gave me the last say.

“If I had not heard those words from my mother, none of this would have made any difference.”

I flew my mother to Los Angeles to attend the screening of Sounder. We were seated in the mezzanine, and she was one row behind me. In the dark, just as the curtains parted, she tapped me on the shoulder. “Ed Sullivan is sitting behind me,” she said, pronouncing his last name Sulli-wan, because for whatever reason, West Indians can’t say v’s. For years, she’d never missed The Ed Sullivan Show on Sunday nights. I turned around and whispered to her, “And I am sitting here.” We both snickered, her loudly enough to prompt Ed Sulli-wan to smile in my mother’s direction.

To celebrate Sounder’s cascade of nominations, the studio hosted a splashy New York premiere. I called upon acclaimed fashion designer Bill Whitten to design my dress (years later, Bill would design Michael Jackson’s rhinestone glove to cover the singer’s early signs of vitiligo). “I want to create the kind of gown that Rebecca might have worn if she’d had money,” I told Bill. That sent him in search of the prints and cottons poor colored women would’ve worn in 1933. Using the fabric remnants he found, he pieced together a treasure. The dress, antebellum in style, came with a fancy apron that served as a flower sack. He filled it with cotton balls he’d sent for from down South. It was the most glorious creation. The same woman who braided my hair for the movie created a crown of beautiful cornrows to complement my look. When I strode into the theater that evening, chin lifted, pride on my brow, I showed up in the name of the ancestors whose sweat and sorrow had carried me there.

In the months leading up to the ceremony, the devil got to work doing what he does best: attempting to pit Black women against each other. In the lead-up to the Oscars, one of Diana Ross’s designers tried to keep my dress from being finished by hiring my designer to make suits for the Jackson Five. I don’t know whether Diana knew anything about it, but I heard the whispers. The media, for months, had been playing up the narrative that there was some big competition between the two of us. I refused to feed into that storyline, which was false. I have never been in competition with anybody but myself, and I wanted no part in such unpleasantness. Just Breathing While Black is trouble enough.

A month before the ceremony, the studio sent me overseas on a promotional tour in Europe, my first time in Paris and London. Months before I left town, I’d rubbed elbows with British royalty. Antony Charles Robert Armstrong-Jones, First Earl of Snowdon, was then husband to Princess Margaret and an avid photographer and filmmaker. Lord Snowdon had taken quite an interest in Arthur’s work at Dance Theatre of Harlem. The two began a partnership, with Lord Snowdon investing in the school. Arthur connected me with him, and during one of Lord Snowdon’s trips to New York, he and I met for appetizers and a brief conversation. As we awaited our order, he kept glancing over his left shoulder. How strange, I thought. I wonder if he’s expecting someone. As it turned out, he was on the lookout for the paparazzi, who of course had followed him to the restaurant. Later, on another one of his trips to New York, Lord Snowdon photographed me wearing that Bill Whitten masterpiece of a dress. What a memory.

Cicely Tyson at England’s Heathrow Airport in February 1973, a month before the Oscars.

George StroudGetty Images

In London, the marveling began with my ride from Heathrow in an enormous black taxi, a Hackney carriage so gargantuan that I could stand up inside of it! In a penthouse suite in the Dorchester Hotel, I spent a half-hour just wandering around the space, gawking at the grandeur of the accommodations, thinking back on those days when my siblings, Emily and Melrose, and I had all been squished together on a rollaway bed in our parents’ living room.

And to think that I now had this sprawling space to myself, in a world where my name was plastered on billboards all over America and Europe. It was nothing short of spectacular. The same was true of my time in the City of Light, where, from my balcony, I gazed in awe at the Eiffel Tower, head held high and preening in the distance.

“When I strode into the theater that evening, chin lifted, pride on my brow, I showed up in the name of the ancestors whose sweat and sorrow had carried me there.”

Back in New York before the ceremony, the surrealism continued. In another head nod to Rebecca, I wanted my hair done in a croquignole, the deep-wave style that would’ve been popular for well-to- do women during the 1930s. “Do you know how to do that style?” I asked my hairstylist Omar. “No,” she said, “but my mother can.” Can you believe that child’s mom came out of retirement just to create my waves? The words thank you fell short of expressing the gratitude I felt. Designer Bill Whitten turned up the luxury by creating a white silk-wool fitted dress, with a touch of grey in it, complete with a heart cut-out, lace-trimmed detail across the décolletage. Gracing each sleeve was a glistening row of tiny gold buttons, with the same buttons stretching down the back. It was absolutely stunning.

When Arthur arrived, dashing in his tuxedo, he escorted me by the arm to the awaiting limo. The evening, for us, marked two celebrations: the Forty-Fifth Academy Awards, and my dear Arthur’s thirty-ninth birthday. The quintet of hosts—Carol Burnett, Michael Caine, Charlton Heston, and Rock Hudson—took the stage at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. My dream was to be in the front row, and there I sat, delighted that my fantasy had come to pass.

But as for the possibility of garnering the gold statue, I had done my back-of-the-napkin math. I’m logical that way, a pragmatist who is always weighing the odds, and in Hollywood politics, those odds were decidedly not in my favor. That same year, Liza Minnelli had been nominated for her role in Cabaret. Her father, Vincente, was a big-time director, which gave her one advantage. Check. Her mother was Judy Garland. Double check. Neither of them had ever earned an Oscar. Triple check. And at the time, Liza was dating Desi Arnaz Jr., son of Desi and Lucille Ball, Hollywood royalty. Quadruple check. Common sense told me that I had no chance amid the schmoozing and vote-securing that goes on in back rooms.

So as I sat near the stage that evening, I relaxed into the joy of just being there, with Arthur to my left and with Rebecca’s spirit dancing on my shoulder. So certain was I that this was Liza’s year, when Gene Hackman said, “And the winner is…,” I turned to Arthur and said, “Liza Minnelli.” Liza made her way up to the stage, tearful and jubilant, and I sat there, palm over my heart, relishing my presence in the arena. This journey of mine, this path so unpredictable, had somehow carried me from 219 East 102nd Street in the slums to the front row of movie magic at Hollywood’s most grand affair. As Liza accepted her award, I’d already received the only prize I have ever truly wanted—the affirmation of the dear woman who gave me birth.

Cicely Tyson Cicely Tyson has been nominated for 40 television and film awards and has won 42, most notably an Oscar, a Tony Award, 3 Emmys, 8 NAACP Image Awards, the African American Film Critics Special Achievement Award, the BAFTA Film Award, the Black Film Critics Circle Award, 4 Black Reel Awards, the Elle Women in Hollywood Award, 3 Lifetime Achievement Awards, and many more. Ms.

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Cicely Tyson on the ‘Power’ of Her 1973 Oscar Nom: ‘That Was My Dream’

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geniusthelabel · 4 years

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My Go-To Supplements: Immunity Edition

Photo: Unknown

Anyone who knows me knows I am a true supplement junkie. I am always on the lookout for something new to add to my list of daily supplements, aiming to improve my well-being. While I do have a list of favorites, I have chosen to focus on immunity as it is probably a hot topic anywhere in the world right now.

With the pandemic taking over our normal lives, it is more important than ever to strengthen the body’s ability to fight disease. Boosting your immune system with vitamins and supplements is one way that is easy to incorporate into your daily routine and it works. Here are my must have supplements to keep your immune function as powerful as ever.

1. Deep Immune VegiCaps by St Francis Farms

Containing a powerful complement of adaptogenic herbs, Deep Immune acts to balance your immune system and helps prevent immune illnesses. It provides your body with a powerful synergy of classic adaptogenic herbs and should be used daily to balance and tone the immune system. As a prophylactic measure, I take two capsules a day, even though the bottle suggests taking these twice per two capsules a day. As I am usually healthy and strong I find that two daily is good enough, in conjunction with all my other supplements and a balanced diet. It is important to note that Deep Immune contain only certified organic herbs.

2. C + Bioflavonoids by Advanced Orthomolecular Research (AOR)

This is an excellent vitamin C complex with the benefits of bioflavonoids. These caplets are vegan, nom-GMO ans gluten free. I take one a day, the suggested adult dose. This complex is more effective than vitamin C alone (natural citrus bioflavonoids boost the antioxidant activity of Vitamin C). It provides the same pairing of vitamin C and bioflavonoids as that produced in nature and has a synergistic effect to protect cells, neutralize toxins. It supports brain, cardiovascular, immunity and overall health. The complex consists only of clinically researched ingredients. It is known that bioflavonoids affect the transport or activity of more powerful antioxidants, like vitamin C, throughout the body. They also influence the ability of vitamin C to be absorbed and utilized by the body. I did a separate post on this topic earlier this month.

3. Catalyst Gold by Herbivore NYC

Catalyst Gold is specifically developed to re-program your body on the cellular level while aiding the necessary nourishment and detoxification without harsh cleanses and unrealistic dietary restrictions. The allergen-free formula of supergreens, herbs, superfruits and essential minerals helps to protect and revive the immune –circulatory –nervous systems, the digestive organs, and supports to revitalize the hair and the skin. The supplement also provides support in boosting the body's natural ability to cut unhealthy cravings and increase energy levels. Ingredients are non-GMO, natural, vegan, chemical and gluten free.

These are my three go to supplements when it comes to keeping my immunity strong. As mentioned, I still pay close attention to what I eat every day and enhance my well-being through my diet, which without a doubt, helps my immunity as well.

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thewhimsyturtle · 7 months

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Why are there no snacks hiding in my fluffy towel?

#EXCUSE ME #WHERE ARE MY NOMS #GRUMP #always on the lookout for noms #Kirby #tortoise #Russian tortoise #towel #fluffy #chair #cute #animals

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elizabethcariasa · 4 years

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Tax travails Trump could face in trying to escape New York

Even more intriguing, will Donald J. Trump now become social media's definitive Florida Man?

Donald Trump, especially early in his presidency, spent a lot of time at Mar-a-Lago, his South Florida club and residence. Here, Trump and Melania in April 2017 welcomed the People's Republic of China president Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan to the Palm Beach abode. Now Trump says it, not Trump Tower in New York City, will be his official residence. (Photo via Trump's Twitter account and Wikipedia Commons).

The hubby and I used to live in Donald J. Trump's future full-time home. Alas, for us, we weren't on the fancy schmancy island of Palm Beach, but still in a pretty nice community in the northern part of Palm Beach County.

Although I loved our years in Maryland, I must admit it was nice to get back to a no-income-tax state.

Following our excursion to Florida, we ended up back in our native Texas, another one of the seven (soon to be eight) states that doesn't tax any personal income.

Is this tax break why Trump has decided to forego his New York residency and officially make the Sunshine State his home? Maybe.

Is it that easy? Not really.

Basic tax residency rules: Generally, your domicile for tax purposes is the place you treat as your primary and permanent home. It's also where you intend to return if you're living or working temporarily in another state or country.

You can have only one domicile.

It doesn't change until you abandon it in one state and reestablish it in another.

States look at many factors to determine which location is your real domicile and no single issue is determinative. Common factors include where you spend most of your time, vote, open bank accounts, conduct business, obtain a driver’s license, register vehicles, maintain professional licenses, visit doctors, join clubs and the like.

If you don’t have sufficient contacts and evidence that where you live is your official tax domicile, most states will presume you’re a resident if you spend six months or more there during the calendar year. A handful of states — Alabama, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, North Dakota and Ohio, according to Kiplinger's tax newsletter — require more time within their borders to qualify as a legally domiciled resident.

Declaring domicile only one part: As you would expect, high-tax states like New York are always on the lookout for dubious residency claims by second-home owners (aka snowbirds) who try to use those pieces of out-of-state property avoid bigger tax bills.

That's why Trump's declaration of domicile is just one part. And it might not be enough to fully avoid New York's tax collector.

"Simply declaring [Florida residency] does absolutely nothing, it’s a minor consideration," says attorney Lou Vlahos, partner at law firm Farrell Fritz in Uniondale, New York. "The fact remains that his business is up here. That will doom him. He'll very likely remain a New York domiciliary."

That business connection, adds Vlahos, is why financier Carl Icahn moved his whole operation to Florida. But, he notes, "you can't do that with real estate," which is Trump's primary business.

The matter of tax residency earns this week's early Saturday Shout Out, or as it's known when I shift the usual weekend feature to the end of the week, Friday Focus.

Two tax experts get today's pre-weekend shout out.

Statutory residency issues: First, there's Vlahos' recent blog post on statutory residency, which is the term of art for people who live outside New York, but trigger the residency tax anyway.

"There are instances in which an individual taxpayer who is not domiciled in New York will nonetheless be treated as a resident of New York for a particular tax year," writes Vlahos. "

"Unfortunately for most taxpayers, they are not aware of their classification as a 'statutory resident' of New York until they have been audited by the state's Department of Taxation and Finance, at which point they face not only a tax deficiency, but also interest and penalties," adds Vlahos.

Also unfortunate for former (or those who think they are former) New Yorkers, the Empire State tends to be very aggressive in collecting any tax it believes it is owed, even (or particularly) from folks in other parts of the country.

Living dual resident lives: That leads to this week's second shout out — actually second and third — to CPA Peter J. Reilly's recent articles in Forbes, for which he's a contributor.

In his Nov. 1 (today's) piece, Reilly notes that "it is hard to establish that you have become a Floridian, because it is not quite the distinctive identity that being a New Yorker is. And domicile does turn on irrational factors."

Reilly also wrote about What Happens When You Are A Full Year Resident Of More Than One State back in August.

It deserves a look in like of Trump's frequent shuttling between D.C. and, before he moved into the White House, New York and Mar-a-Lago.

One of the views of Ma-a-Lago showcased on the private club's website.

It also deserves a look if you happen to be snowbirds, like our neighbors on either side of our former full-time Palm Beach County residence.

A new Florida man to follow: Finally, Reilly and I, both devotees of Twitter, had the same thought when we saw the headline about Trump's plans to permanently decamp to the Sunshine State

Oh, boy! More political Florida man tweets!

In case you've missed this social media sensation, Florida Man is the nom de Twitter of Brandon Hatfield, a 24-year-old Floridian.

His Florida Man identity — originally @_FloridaMan and now replaced by @FloridaMan__ — was first defined on Twitter in 2013 as the "world's worst superhero."

Since then, wrote Logan Hill for The Washington Post, "many men (and it's almost always men) have assumed the mantle. He is a man of a thousand tattooed faces, a slapstick outlaw, an Internet-traffic gold mine, a cruel punchline, a beloved prankster, a human tragedy and, like some other love-hate American mascots, the subject of burgeoning controversy."

Some examples:

Florida Man Steals $33,000 Worth of Rare Coins, Cashes Them in CoinStar Machine for $29.30 https://t.co/idFnYcZa64 pic.twitter.com/Eq3YHw6PB7

— Florida Man (@_FloridaMan) February 25, 2019

And

Florida Man takes casual nap under moving train. https://t.co/vJZhqW9uVY pic.twitter.com/VqyhHHb0c1

— Florida Man (@FloridaMan__) November 1, 2019

Naturally, Hatfield wondered "So he's a Florida … Man?"

So he’s a Florida….Man? pic.twitter.com/jUJSi0OKch

— Florida Man (@_FloridaMan) November 1, 2019

I guess we'll just have to see if the new Florida-based Trump can live up (or down) to the social media mantle.

You also might find these items of interest:

Trump relinquishes NYC property tax break

Trump buys Trump property adjacent to Mar-a-Lago

Tax fights continue nationwide over Trump golf clubs' values

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waywardtragedycycle-blog · 6 years

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Find Success With These Article Marketing Strategies

When it comes to article marketing, a lot of people think it is a difficult topic to grasp, but article marketing is only difficult if you aren't educated enough on the topic. In order to be successful at article marketing, you have to always be on the search for new information. This article serves as but one of many places that you can get the information that you need.

A great way to market your blog on the internet is by submitting articles to other websites under your "nom de plume." The significance is two-fold: first, you will build your reputation as an expert in your field. Second, if readers become fans of your articles on one site, they will eventually migrate to your blog to read more of your content.

Keep it short and sweet. Your content should not be full of rambling sentences, or you may lose the attention of the person you need most- your reader! While telling stories are a great way to get your reader involved and comfortable, you shouldn't alienate them by forcing them to read a biography. Get to the point!

One of the biggest problems marketers encounter with their article campaigns is that they do not complete enough articles to make an impact. Your articles do not have to be long, but they do need to be of a very high quality. And the more you write and the more locations you send them out to, the better your odds of success become.

Join the blogging community to improve your blog's impact. A blog used for internet marketing purposes is only as successful as its traffic lets it be. To encourage increased blog readership, follow blogs that discuss the same subjects yours does. Comment on those blogs, with insightful, valuable information and link to your own blog. This can encourage other bloggers and their readers to visit you.

Look into outsourcing. If time is an issue or you do not think you are skilled enough to write your own articles, consider hiring writers to generate content. Although having someone write for you will cost you money, it can turn out to be well worth it when you are able to offer regular posts.

Choose your topic based on your audience. Remembering your target market is the best thing to do when choosing what it is you want to write about. Make sure the topic you choose is not only of interest to you, but also to those you are trying to appeal to the most: your readers.

Have a point and then get to it. Readers want you to do something with your article, whether it be solving problems, answering questions or devising new solutions. Keep this in mind as you write your article to stay on track and give your audience what they deserve, which is a well-written article, helping them with a subject they're interested in.

Research the subject you wish to write about before you get started. The more informed you are in advance, the better your article will sound. You will be able to show your knowledge, and writing your articles will be an easy endeavor. Readers prefer content that is intelligent and easy to read.

So, you've written and posted your article on the directories. What should you do next? Try tweeting about your article a few times per day. Pick several small excerpts to tweet and make sure that they clearly address your chosen topic. This can pique the interest of your followers, and begin to build a flow of traffic to your article.

Avoid placing sales pitches and links for self-promotion in the body of your article when trying to market it. You need to focus on making them SEO friendly by placing your keywords throughout it at least 4 to 5 times. This can really add a lot of value to your article.

With the information that you have learned in this article, you should feel a little more positive towards your article marketing endeavors. You want to keep in mind that the information of this article is only a portion of all there is to know, in order to be successful with article marketing. Be on the lookout for more information and form a strategy, based on what you find.

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vincentpennington · 7 years

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Ready for Another Whole Foods Takeover?

I’ve been on the road, touring the continent for a solid 5 weeks now, and I’ve loved it more than I anticipated. It’s been amazing to meet all of the Nomsters who showed up to support the launch of our new cookbook, Ready or Not!, and despite my introverted nature, I’ve had a blast getting to hear your stories and kitchen triumphs—and to give you hugs in person, too.

That said, one of the things I’ve missed out on (besides family time with Henry and the kids) is the opportunity to see with my own eyes the fruits of our partnership with Whole Foods Market in Northern California and Reno! As longtime readers know, for several years now, I’ve periodically (and enthusiastically) joined up with the good folks at Whole Foods to make Paleo shopping, cooking, and eating easier. In the past, I’ve picked out my favorite products to highlight on store shelves, and worked with the company’s chefs to create Paleo-friendly hot bar items, too.

But this time around, we decided to level it up even more! Wanna see how?

MAGIC MUSHROOM POWDER ON THE SHELVES!

I’ve been approached countless times by companies to create Nom Nom Paleo products for sale—everything from sauces to cookware—but this is the first time I’ve ever pulled the trigger. This is in part because I love and trust Whole Foods Market’s sourcing of ingredients, but also because I’m so darn picky about the final product. But man—this Magic Mushroom Powder is spot-on. Whole Foods took my recipe for this umami-packed seasoning salt, and translated it perfectly.

It’s available starting TODAY, so pick up this powder in these adorable tins, and you won’t need to make your own!

Not familiar with this awesome salt blend? As The Oregonian wrote, it’s an ingredient that made its staff “rethink everything we’ve been doing in the kitchen…. It’s a spice blend with a psychedelic-sounding name, and while it has no hallucinogenic powers, it truly is magic, adding much-desired umami to everything it touches.” Magic Mushroom Powder can be used in place of salt in virtually any dish, adding an immediate flavor punch to everything from scrambled eggs and ground meat to roasted veggies and chicken wings.

And of course, if you don’t happen to be in Northern California or Reno, you can always still make your own!

NOM NOM PALEO SHORTCUTS TO DELICIOUSNESS!

This time, our partnership with Whole Foods extends throughout the different departments in each store, which means I’m able to help offer shortcuts even to those home cooks who are completely unprepared to make dinner!

Watch this video to see what I mean:

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Did you catch that? In addition to pre-cut and spiralized veggies in the produce aisle, you can now pick up boneless, skin-on chicken thighs—perfect for making the ever-delicious Ollie’s Cracklin’ Chicken!

Also at the butcher counter: Pre-formed Big-O Bacon Burger patties, made of ground beef, bacon, and sautéed mushrooms! Yes, you can just follow the recipe (which is in our first cookbook, as well as here on this blog and on our app), but if you’re in Northern California or Reno, you can take advantage of this incredible shortcut! Bonus: The Big-O Bacon Burger patties at Whole Foods use Whole30-friendly sugar-free bacon! (And don’t forget to pick up portobello mushrooms to roast and use as buns!)

NOM NOM PALEO PICKS!

Ready to shop? Every aisle of every Whole Foods Market store in NorCal and Reno is teeming with bright yellow Nom Nom Paleo signs highlighting my favorite picks, from Red Boat Fish Sauce to Primal Kitchen Mayo. Searching out these little signs (with my helpful commentary) makes it feel like I’m shopping with you—or, as my kids put it, it’s like playing a grocery store version of Where’s Waldo?

As always, none of these brands are sponsors—I literally just walked through my local Whole Foods store and pointed out all the products that I love and buy to use in my own home. Check out this video for more about my Nom Nom Paleo Picks:

Another bonus: You can pick up a shopping list at the customer service counter, or you can download your own printable version right here!

READY-TO-EAT MEALS FROM READY OR NOT!

Don’t feel like cooking tonight? I hear you. You can still eat nourishing and delicious meals by picking up any number of ready-made Nom Nom Paleo meals in the hot bar and cold case at Whole Foods Markets in Northern California and Reno. I worked closely with the regional chef at Whole Foods to make sure that all of the ingredients used are those that I’d be happy to use in my own kitchen, and that all of the dishes taste incredible. My Nom Nom Paleo hot bar items and family meal kits can be a weeknight savior, but they’re only at Whole Foods through the end of September, so enjoy this healthy convenience while you can!

READY OR NOT! BOOK TALKS & SIGNINGS!

In addition, I’ll be doing a mini-tour of Whole Foods Markets in Northern California and Reno—plus San Diego and Phoenix, Arizona!—to promote our new cookbook! As with all of my book signings, I’ll be handing out tons of fun, free swag (like calendars, stickers, pins, action figures, and socks) while supplies last, sharing behind-the-scenes info about the making of Ready or Not!, and scribbling all over your books!

Head over to my Events page for details and to RSVP to these free events!

LOWER PRICES!

Okay, this actually has nothing to do with Nom Nom Paleo, but it just so happens that Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods happened right as our partnership began—and as we’ve all seen in news reports (and in person!), there have been dramatic price cuts throughout the store. I, for one, am stocking up on avocados like crazy. And this is happening across all Whole Foods Markets everywhere. So even if Nom Nom Paleo hasn’t invaded your local store, you still have an excellent reason to go shopping!

But if you happen to be in Northern California or Reno, definitely head to Whole Foods Market in September, and be on the lookout for my cheerful cartoon face! Shop my Nom Nom Paleo Picks, and stock up on the special ready-to-cook chicken thighs and burger patties, the ready-to-eat Paleo meals, and the limited edition tins of Magic Mushroom Powder. Because once October hits, I’ll turn into a pumpkin, along with all of these nomtastic items!

Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013) and Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017)!

The post Ready for Another Whole Foods Takeover? appeared first on Nom Nom Paleo®.

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fadingfartconnoisseur · 7 years

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A Few Fun, Tasty & Lesser-Known Things to do in Cape Town!

Oh, Cape Town! Is there a city with a more beautiful skyline?

This was our second time back in Cape Town, so while Sam and I had done a few of the highlights, there was still plenty left to see, eat and do!

This time around we tacked on one week in Cape Town after our trip to Stellenbosch thinking it would be enough, and then halfway through our stay, we found ourselves trying to change our tickets to see if we could stay a bit longer! Let me tell you, it’s not every day we do that, but this place has a way of getting under your skin. Alas, the airline wanted a small fortune, so we had to bid our farewells sooner than we’d hoped, but with the clock ticking we also set out to make the most of our time in the city.

The following is a list of some of my favourite experiences from our week in Cape Town, with a focus on some fun yet under-rated activities and attractions that you may not have even known were available in the city. A few of these were certainly a surprise for me, so let’s dive right in!

Get your sugar fix at Honest Chocolate

Yes, we are kicking things off with chocolate because who doesn’t have a sweet tooth?

Honest Chocolate is a small artisanal chocolate company that’s all about using organically produced ingredients and simple old-school methods to create some of the best chocolate around. We dropped by their shop on Wale Street for a chocolate tasting (and some coffee!) and we had a delicious time sampling a mix of chocolates and bonbons.

They had some unique creations with salt from the Kalahari Desert, cracked coffee beans, and Ghanaian pepper. I’ve always thought of myself as a milk chocolate person, but pure raw organic chocolate really does take things to a whole different level.

Also, their sign outside says they’re “Honestly the best” and who am I to argue with Honest Chocolate?

Address: 64A Wale Street

Do a gin tasting at Hope on Hopkins

Once we’d had some chocolate, it was time for gin! You always hear so much praise for South African wine, but why not gin? It also deserves some love and attention.

I discovered my love for gin last year while travelling in Scotland (I still can’t believe I hadn’t tried gin before that), so I was more than a little excited when I heard there was an artisanal gin distillery in Cape Town – the first one in the city to be precise.

Hope on Hopkins is located in Salt River, which is a suburb of Cape Town, and they offer fun tastings in a casual setting. In total, we sampled 4 different gins including London Dry Gin, Salt River Gin, Mediterranean Gin, and Lucy’s Last of the Summer Wines.

This last one was a limited edition summer wine-gin made by soaking end of harvest Petit Verdot grapes in a batch of their London Dry Gin, which turned out pink and just as delicious as it looked!

Hope on Hopkins opens their distillery tasting room on Saturday afternoons between 12:00 and 5:00 p.m. and they also host a Gin Experience the first Wednesday evening of every month. You can find more details about this right on their website.

Address: 7 Hopkins Street, Salt River

Eat lunch with a view at The Granary Cafe

If you’re a Capetonian then you already know the newly opened Silo Hotel is all the rage, but for the out-of-towners, this place may not yet be on your radar (or your guidebooks) and it should be!

The grain silo first opened in 1924 and for many decades it was at the heart of Cape Town’s industrial and agricultural development, but when it shut down in 2001, it sat forgotten by the waterfront…except it couldn’t be forgotten by locals because it was a giant eyesore!

Well, the former grain silo recently opened its doors again and it has undergone quite the transformation! It now houses a luxury hotel known as The Silo, The Willaston Bar, The Granary Cafe, The Silo Rooftop, and lastly, the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA) which is set to open in September 2017.

I missed the museum opening by just a few months, but what I did do was have lunch at The Granary Cafe and that was amazing! For starters, you get some great views of Signal Hill and the V&A Waterfront, plus the food is delicious. I ordered their salmon ceviche and also had some of Sam’s parmesan risotto and both dishes were mouthwateringly good.

And I know what you’re thinking, this place is probably outside of my budget, but you’d be wrong! Each of our meals was under $10 USD at the current exchange rate and you can’t beat the setting or the views at that price.

Address: Silo Square at the V&A Waterfront

Sample Cape Town’s diverse cuisine

If travel is my first passion, food is a close second…though that line tends to ebb and flow. Either way, these were some of my favourite restaurants and local eateries around town:

Biesmillah – Great for Cape Malay food – we had the Bobotie and Mutton Curry.

The Company’s Garden Restaurant – Nice spot for brunch right in the gardens.

The Granary Cafe – Already wrote about this one above, but you can’t go wrong with their risotto.

Eastern Food Bazaar – Good for bunny chow and other Indian dishes.

Charango – Tasty Peruvian food with a contemporary twist.

Royal Eatery – Gourmet burgers that “make your soul tingle and your dreams come true”. Their words, not mine!

Bardelli’s – All about Italian food – I loved the Puttanesca.

Scooter tour down Signal Hill

I don’t even know what to call the contraption in the photo below, but apparently that’s a scooter…it’s certainly unlike any scooter I’ve ever seen! These Swiss designed scooters are used in the Alps during their summer season, and they’ve also made a bit of a splash in South Africa with Scootours offering tours in destinations across the country.

On a rather cloudy morning, our group drove over to Table Mountain, where the plan was to do a scooter run down the side of the mountain, however, the fog was so thick that we had to adjust our plans and head over to neighbouring Signal Hill instead…not that anyone was complaining, because Table Mountain sure looked moody and daunting!

This turned out to be a hilarious tour, mostly because we were all a little wobbly on the scooters. I can’t remember the last time I set foot on a scooter, let alone rode downhill on a steep and rugged trail, so this made for some great comedy. I just remember that at one point towards the end of tour, we all felt like we had found our confidence so we were taking photos and videos of each other zooming down the hill…or so we thought. When we played the videos back over lunch, we were all hollering because we had these super adventurous faces on, but we were crawling!

Our snail’s pace aside, this was a really fun activity, and as for the videos, we just sped everything up!

Get lost in Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden

If there’s one place I would say you have to visit on your trip to Cape Town, it’s the Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden. I really enjoy being out in nature so I tend to visit gardens in every city I go to, and I have to say, Kirstenbosch is one of the most beautiful botanic gardens I have seen in the world!

Because it’s set on the eastern foot of Table Mountain, you have these vast gardens on a slight slope that leads your eyes up the rugged mountainside. The views seriously can’t be beat! I was apparently too distracted by the beauty of this place because I hardly snapped any photos, but Sam did capture one of me walking down this tree-lined tunnel.

Another cool feature of the garden is the Canopy Walkway, also called ‘boomslang’ meaning ‘tree snake’. This curving wooden walkway winds through the treetops, offering some amazing views. I know this isn’t necessarily an under-rated attraction in Cape Town, but it’s a little out of the way so a lot of visitors miss out on it, which is a shame. Take an Uber!

Go wine tasting in Cape Town

While in Cape Town, we got a 1-day City Sightseeing bus pass with the idea that we’d try and cover some of the harder to reach attractions in and around the city, and we did exactly that…until we saw that there was also a Wine Route!

After a week in Stellenbosch, we certainly weren’t planning on visiting any more vineyards or wineries, but that wine route was just too tempting! Off we went…

The City Sightseeing Wine Route covers 3 different wineries including Groot Constantia, Eagles’ Nest and Beau Constantia. Now, sadly we discovered this wine route pretty late in the day, so we couldn’t hit up all three wineries, but we did make it to Beau Constantia where we sampled their signature white and red “Pas de nom” which ironically means “nameless”. The story goes that they tried to name the wine after the farm manager, Japie Bronn, but he humbly declined and so the wine ended up with no name, quite literally.

We sampled 4 different wines in total while feasting on a platter of deli meats, cheeses, chutneys, and crackers. When they tried to offer us a spittoon, we politely declined, so that’s how the rest of our afternoon was spent until it was time to catch the last bus back to Cape Town.

Tour the Cape Peninsula by sidecar

So technically this isn’t something to do in Cape Town, but it’s an easy day trip from Cape Town, so I think it fits on this list.

Sam and I had done a Cape Peninsula bike tour on our first visit to Cape Town a couple of years back, but the weather had not been on our side so we felt like we missed out on some beautiful scenery. When we came back, we decided to do that trip again and this time we did it in style…aboard a sidecar!

Wind whipping our faces, our route took us to a lookout point over Muizenberg, Cape Point Nature Reserve, Simon’s Town, Boulders Beach, Chapman’s Peak, and Camps Bay. And guess what? We had nothing but blue skies and sunshine all day long!

As a heads up, Cape Sidecar Adventures also offers tours in Cape Town (if you feel like cruising around the city) and the Cape Winelands, as well as customizable tours. You can read more about our Cape Peninsula sidecar tour here.

And those are a few of my suggestions for some fun yet lesser-known things to do in Cape Town. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a repeater who just can’t stay away from Cape Town, I think these are some great activities that are easy to sprinkle into your own itinerary, so feel free to pick and choose as you see fit. For a look at everything we did in Cape Town, there’s a video below. And say hi to Cape Town for me!

Any other underrated things to do in Cape Town you’d add to this list?

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monicanudles · 7 years

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Great Ocean Road

3/3 - 3/5 - George had the idea to rent a car to take a road trip and camp along the Great Ocean Road, which was AMAZING and exactly what I imagined Australia to be. I drove the whole time, which was fucking bonkers to get used to. The car wiper blades and turn signals were even on the opposite side, so instead of signaling I pretty much just turned the wipers on a majority of the time, kept going for my seatbelt on the left side and shifter on the right side. We left on Friday after he got out of work and stopped at Castle Cove lookout, even though it was dark, to eat some noms. The sounds of the waves crashing just got me really excited for everything else planned, I’ve always wanted to see clear blue water and REAL waves.

Then we went to see the Melba Gully Glow Worms. They’re the larvae of Fungus Gnats and they have a substance in their body that stores daylight. They live along the rock wall and there’s also a small waterfall (well it’s called Anne’s Cascade so I guess it’s not a waterfall). There’s no light pollution and you could see the Milky Way!! I wish I had a camera that could pick all of that up, because it was incredible and now I get to cross that off my bucket list! I did try using my actual digital camera and the thing died after like 5 pictures, even with freshly charged batteries which are clearly shit. The next morning, we checked out Melba Gully in the daylight and then headed off. There was a “Big Tree” which had obviously fallen over that they had as a sight, but there was an even bigger one so close to it!

We first stopped at Gibson Steps, which was hands down my favorite place. You walk down 86 steps along the cliff face down to the beach, where swimming is not advised... because the waves are amazing!!! They just got even more amazing as we went along! But the cliff face was also just fucking incredible, I have never seen anything like that in my life. I was just in complete awe of the place. I foolishly forgot to take a picture of the steps! But I’m sure a Google search will show them. There was a lot of beach to walk on, on the far right was an incredible cliff face, gigantic rocks on the sand and limestone formations in the water.

Not too much further up the road was the 12 Apostles, which were 12 limestone formations. Now there are only 6, I believe, due to erosion. I would have loved to have been able to climb on top of one of them, or even just be on a boat next to them. I’m super curious as to what the area looked like a million years ago. A lot more tourists started showing up at this point. It was a perfect day for it. I managed to get sunburn on my shoulders though!

Next was Loch Ard Gorge, which was my 2nd favorite spot. There was a small beach, like the ones you see in pictures hidden away in between the cliffs. There was a cave to the right that we tried to go into but the tide was too high. If there weren’t more sights on the agenda I would have definitely stayed there all day. It was a piece of paradise I could have died happily at.

We stopped in Port Campbell at a cafe for some nourishment and then ventured over to The Arch, another limestone formation. The waves near that thing!! Again, amazinngggg, blue water, white foam.. I can’t get over it. I also saw my first wild Australian animal, an Echinda, which is like a giant hedgehog. It was so cute! It’s also known as a Spiny Anteater.

At London Bridge you’re uptop the cliffs, and there are 3 different viewing platforms. It had actually been 2 bridges at one point, there’s a sign that says it collapsed on January 15, 1990 and two people happened to be on top of it and had to be rescued by helicopter. The sand there was dark and pure. There were no shells, no pebbles, nothing. The way the blue water foamed up on the sand just had me perplexed. It was perfection. You could see also little penguin footprints closer to the cliffs, so freaking adorable.

The Grotto was apparently a short walk, but it was a really long walk on a boardwalk and then down an asston of stairs. There were some rebels who were taking pictures on top of the cliff away from the stairs and also who went past the rock separation from the grotto. Naturally, we did the same. It was kinda tough to get pictures of it from afar, so why not? Also, house goals. I definitely plan on having a house with a grotto, behind it an amazing view of the ocean. The limestone it’s formed in is between 10-20 million years old.

We chilled in the car at Peterborough Coastal Reserve for a bit before finding a place to camp at back in Port Campbell. We found a spot with showersssss... best shower of my life. I wish I knew we were going to find this place, because there were plugs and I definitely would have been able to blow dry my hair. My friend Matt likes to call me a princess, I really never realized how right he was until coming here ha! We also had dinner at 12 Rocks Cafe and Beach Bar. I got the chicken parm, which they call “parmie” and don’t serve with pasta.. but with ham and cheese on top. Nonetheless, it was delishhhh. I hadn’t camped in yearsss, so sleeping was pretty painful. I also definitely heard something scurrying outside of the tent in the middle of the night. George mentioned it in the morning and I just told him I was ignoring it, hoping it would go away!

Sunday’s weather was cloudy and rainy, but we were going to see 2 waterfalls so I think the weather was perfect for it. I also got really good pictures from it. We went back to Castle Cove Lookout to see it in they daylight, there were sooo many people there. We saw a wallaby while driving! But no koalas, which was a bit of a bummer. But they had chlamydia anyway, so whatever.

Then to Carisbrook Water Falls, which was more of a cascade also, since the water didn’t exactly fall. Still beautiful. The we headed to Lorne and saw Erskine Falls which was amazing. The weather really gave me perfect pictures. We stopped at a restaurant called Bottle of Milk for burgers, I got a Hawaiian Burger and chocolate malt milkshake, which was pretty thin, but it was all mmmmm sooo goood. At the green across, there were wild cockatoos!! There had to be at least 10 of them. Apparently, they’re super common but I hadn’t seen any yet.

Then we made the long, sad trip back home.

I can cross a few things off my bucket list; seeing clear blue water, big waves and the milky way. I never thought I’d ever be able to. And if George never suggested the idea I probably wouldn’t have gone to see any of this or thought of renting a car to do so, so thank you George! It was all so stunning and I’m definitely never going to forget it!

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