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global-ization-blog · 5 years

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Hana Dul Set, Are You Ready for Hallyu?

As I step into the arena filled with thousands of ecstatic people of all different shapes, sizes, backgrounds and ages I listen to the loud hum of screaming fans, and my excitement is soaring. My heart beats with quiet anticipation and my eyes immediately focus on the large stage in front of me. In a few minutes, they will take the stage, the seven men that have charmed their way into millions of people’s hearts around the world, including mine. BTS, a seven-member award-winning boy-band from South Korea that sings exclusively in Korean. They will be taking the stage in Hamilton, ON, Canada, with an audience of 30,000 fans. How did I get here? How did BTS manage to break several social and global barriers to get here today? The answer is not easy. Hallyu is a term referred to by academics to describe “The Korean Wave,” and this wave has spread internationally. Many experts and media scholars are fascinated by the K-pop Hallyu phase, as it is a perfect example of cultural globalization. K-pop has become an international phenomenon breaking apart from the borders of South Korea itself. Hallyu is split into two generations, Hallyu 1.0 is often referred to as the age of television and Korean dramas. Whereas now, Korean music has innovatively changed and has witnessed tremendous growth since the 1990s. As a result, it has become the forefront of the new Korean wave or, as others regard it, Hallyu 2.0. For those of you who are K-pop virgins, the success of BTS can easily be misinterpreted as another factory produced boy-band with good vocals, good moves and perfect visuals. However, K-pop has had its own battle getting to where it is now. Following years of oppression and censorship from authoritarian governments in the past, Korea has never had it easy with liberty of artistic expression. Korean popular music in the 1980s and earlier was seen to be trots, ballads and slower, more romantic songs. However, in Hallyu 2.0, we view a totally new type of K-pop that translates to a larger and younger audience. With its upbeat music, catchy lyrics and aesthetically pleasing choreography, it is innovative and exciting to many across Korea and across the world. Artists like Seo Taiji and The Boys, as well as Kim Gun Mo, played a key role in influencing K-pop with new and diverse beats and music genres, and effectively opened up a pathway for K-pop to be hybridized and ready for global consumption. Although many argue that the “global” has erased the “local” in reality, the newfound paradigm shift in South Korea has allowed artists like Seo Taiji and BTS to show Koreans something new. Many also worried about the effects westernization would have on Korean culture. Yet, the new generation of Koreans or “Shinsedae” are often seen to be enjoying westernized music, food and overall culture as opposed to sticking with the traditional. Westernization may have been an outcome of social media; however, South Koreans had been able to use social media to their own advantage as well. BTS had started out as a band from a small company called BigHit Entertainment in South Korea and was almost unheard of for the greater majority of their careers. However, due to the agency of social media, BTS was able to gain a fanbase like no other. K-pop is nothing without the unique fan culture. BTS’ fanbase or otherwise known as ARMY-Adorable Representative MC for Youth, has a huge impact on large social platforms like Twitter, Youtube, Instagram, and use their impact to gain recognition and popularity for BTS. Unlike TV and other platforms for popular culture to thrive on, social media is global and mostly unrestricted globally for those who are looking for new things and are open to watching foreign material. Thus allowing more westerners to find out about K-pop online, and furthermore, are then able to enjoy this content online as well. Platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Youtube, have allowed for Korean content creators to reach a larger and more widespread audience with ease. Fanbases are then able to also proclaim their devotion to these creators on these apps, which ultimately results in instant feedback to the original creator. Moreover, this enables them to cater their content accordingly to make it even more appealing to their audience. Social media has inevitably contributed to globalization and intensified the popularity of transnational media culture in a non-western region. K-pop fans enjoy a genre of music and support their favourite artists that come from a small local environment, but with the help of social media and their fans, they are able to become global artists that sell out arenas and stadiums around the world. The market consumption of K-pop is also very fascinating. Neoliberalism plays a key role in the economic prosperity of Korean popular music, as many believe that through globalization, “K-pop” has become a brand of Korea. And thus, without the capitalist mentality, maybe K-pop would not have been able to penetrate various global markets. Arguably, the biggest and most successful aspect of K-pop is the material aspect, as many fans want a variety of merchandise ranging from lightsticks, albums, and clothing to even merchandise that has cartoon versions of their favourite artists. Speaking of economic prosperity, “Chaebol” in Korean translates to a large family-owned conglomerate, and they are mighty within the Korean economy. Chaebols see K-pop as a marketing tactic and use successful groups and K-pop idols to their advantage. An example of a big K-pop influence that the government has turned to profit would be BTS, as they are not only booming globally but also bringing in total revenue of $3.6 billion annually to the country’s economy. As a result of their imminent success, the government and other reputable Chaebols within Korea have launched various advertisement campaigns to bring tourism and added revenue to the country’s national annual income (Lotte, BTS Seoul Tourism AD, Hyundai x BTS, etc.). However, the power of K-pop does not end there, as idols and groups are also used by the government to often create soft-power. An example of this is when they attended the Korea-France friendship summit in Paris back in October 2018 and performed their latest comeback track “Idol” for both Korean and French government officials. Another example of a big K-pop group that has recently been used for soft-power is EXO, during an event after the latest G20 summit in Japan, Trump and his family travelled to Seoul to meet President Moon Jae-in. Fans were shocked to see that alongside President Moon and his wife, the Trump family also met EXO and were gifted with signed albums. On the surface, K-pop may seem very simple and may be viewed to have no depth. However, it is much more than that, as I discussed today. So now, when I view this concert that BTS will be putting on, I appreciate their art even more and am even more proud of them for overcoming years of obstacles to put K-pop on the global market. Thank you, BTS and K-pop, for showing the world that globalization can be used to an advantage and that a country is not always defined by its past, but it’s future, just like South Korea today.

Works Cited

Cruz, L. (2019, July 18). What It's Like to Become a BTS Fan Overnight. Retrieved October 16, 2019, from https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/07/bts-paved-the-way-army-fandom/592543/.

Gollayan. (2018, December 18). K-Pop band BTS brings $3.6 billion a year to South Korea. Retrieved October 16, 2019, from https://nypost.com/2018/12/18/k-pop-band-bts-brings-3-6-billion-a-year-to-south-korea/.

Han, G.-S. (2007). Multicultural Korea: Celebration or Challenge of Multiethnic Shift in Contemporary Korea? Korea Journal, 47(4), 1–32. doi: 10.25024/kj.2007.47.4.32

Jin, D. Y. (2016). New Korean wave: transnational cultural power in the age of social media. Chicago: University of Illinois Press.

Lie, J. (2012). What Is the K in K-pop? South Korean Popular Music, the Culture Industry, and National Identity. Korea Observer, 43(3), 1–25.

Méndez, B. (2017, August 1). Seo Taiji & Boys Pioneered Socially Conscious K-Pop for Groups Like BTS. Retrieved October 16, 2019, from https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/7x95gz/seo-taiji-and-boys-pioneered-socially-conscious-k-pop-for-groups-like-bts.

Pae, P. (2019, August 29). South Korea's Chaebol. Retrieved October 16, 2019, from https://www.bloomberg.com/quicktake/republic-samsung.

*(Image used is my own!)

#globalization1a03 #globalization #kpop #bts

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sebassstian-stan · 7 years

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Four Simple Words [Minka + Sebastian]

Written with @kellyminks

Takes place last night (Tuesday) in Central Park, Downtown Bayview.

Sitting on the edge of his bed, Sebastian stared down at the sparkling ring nestled securely in the black velvet box, same as it had always been since he'd purchased the piece almost a month previous. However, unlike those passing days, today was different. Today, he was going to ask her. Running his free hand through his hair, he blew out a long breath, stomach fizzing. He wasn't nervous - a realization that surprised him more and more as he’d been making plans to ensure things went off without a hitch. Instead of anxiety and nerves, he was simply excited as hell to get this show on the road. To start the rest of his life with the woman he loved. To have undeniable, tangible proof that this was the person he wanted - and needed - to be with for the rest of his life. That Minka would turn him down not even a possibility in his mind as he smiled to himself thinking about how his girlfriend would react to the series of instructions he was about to send her to put things into motion.

Closing the ring box, he scritched his fingers through the long, silky fur of the dog sprawled across the bed next to him. “Whaddya think, huh?” He cooed at Ludwig, “She’s a keeper, right?” Laughing gently at the snort he received in response, Sebastian checked his watch one last time before rolling off the bed to start getting everything ready that he needed to make his way over to Central Park.

Minka sat at her kitchen island, sipping on her tea, as she scoured through recipe after recipe on her laptop for new ideas she wanted to put together for the next few cooking classes. It was a task she genuinely enjoyed and could get lost in for hours looking for the next yummy thing to bring to life with her class. “We’re officially in Spring,” Minka mumbled to Chewy who was resting by her feet, “I know it doesn’t feel that way, but that’s what the calendar says, so you think we should start with some lighter fare?” Minka scanned the web page and a certain avocado recipe caught her attention, “Oh, we definitely need to do that.” Minka took out her small notepad she used for groceries and began listing what she would need and the date she’d need it for.

Once she had it all sorted, she turned her attention back to the computer, “you know what, I was meaning to check something out,” the brunette recalled, beginning to type ‘chicken sweater patterns’ into the Google browser. Even as she did, she couldn’t help the small giggle picturing Sebastian’s face if he knew what she was up to. She made a mental note to send him a picture of the one she settled on.

Tossing the phone onto the bed, Sebastian’s excitement kicked his heartbeat into overdrive as he texted Minka, asking her to meet him in Central Park in about an hour - knowing that’d give Sebastian enough time to get ready, and for Chace to play the part he’d been cajoled into playing. There’d been a lot of things about Chace moving to Bayview that Sebastian had been unspeakably grateful for, but having a friend in your life - and now in his neighborhood - that he could bribe with beer and a home cooked meal came in especially handy that week. Sebastian smiled warmly at his friend’s joking earlier that day that Minka would say yes, which Sebastian returned with a heatless threat to not be late. Confident that the other man would come through for the favor he’d been asked, Sebastian got moving, showering, shaving and putting in a concerted effort for the most important trip to the park he’d ever take in his life. Grinning madly at his reflection, he carefully pulled on the plaid, double breasted suit that Minka favored on him so much.

He’d gone through a hundred different scenarios and mentally drafted a hundred different speeches for this moment. Pulled himself back from blurting out the question as they strolled hand in hand through the Place de la Concorde in Paris; whispered admissions of missing one another over the phone while he was in Atlanta, and the overwhelming urge to just ask her, despite having left the ring at home, that previous Sunday over Easter dinner at his parents’ house. He’d been torn between making it a spectacle; a celebration of how much he loved this woman, and keeping it small and intimate; something precious between them. In the end, Sebastian felt that bringing things back to where they started was the one that made his heart - and hopefully hers - the happiest.

Checking three times that he had the ring box in his pants pocket, he searched through his closet for the last needed item for his carefully selected outfit. “Ah-ha!” He said quietly as he pulled the awkwardly shaped accessory from the recesses, smiling at the object in question. Checking for the perfect imperfection on the side, he slipped it over his arm and practically bounced on his toes, smirking, as he texted Minka purposefully: Sorry babe, running a few minutes late - meet you at our bench in 15? xx

Minka was in the middle of reading how to take correct measurements to properly fit a bird with a sweater when her phone buzzed. Seeing it was text from Sebastian immediately made the sides of her mouth turn up in a smile. Reading it, and seeing that he was requesting her to go to the park Minkas brow creased wondering if everything was okay. The bench was a spot they shared all types of news and conversation so it didn’t necessarily mean anything was wrong, but curiosity was getting the best of her. Texting back - I’ll head there now xx - Minka closed what she was working on and announced her plans to her pups, “Momma’s going to the park for a bit and then has class. You two stay here and man the house.” Even as the words left her mouth, Minka couldn’t help giggle at the thought of her two small dogs doing anything to protect the home against any sort intruder. Slipping on her white converse and throwing on a canvas jacket over her t-shirt, Minka grabbed her keys and purse and headed out.

Arriving rather quickly with there being no traffic, Minka found a parking spot close to where the bench was located and started for it. Hearing her phone buzz again Minka checked it and saw Sebastian’s update that he was running late. Having plenty of time before her class began, it didn’t bother her any. She sent him back the ‘blowing heart emoji’ and telling him to take his time. Finding her way to the familiar bench, Minka was happy to find it unoccupied and took a seat, going into her assumed position of tucking one leg up under the other. Settling in and taking a deep breath, letting the chilly air fill her lungs, the brunette was happy for the time outside and the quiet that came with it. A few minutes passed and Minka checked her phone again out of habit, but there were no more texts. With no sign of Seb yet, she opened up the Instagram app to poke around in and kill the time till he arrived.

Standing across the street from Central Park, Sebastian rolled his eyes fondly at the long string of exclamation points that Chace, his partner in crime for the evening, sent in reply to being asked if he was ready. Switching his phone to silent, he stuffed it into the inner pocket of his jacket and slipped the last piece of his outfit over his head, settling it comfortably around his shoulders.

Sebastian entered the familiar surroundings of Central Park and had to hold himself back from racing down the path towards the bench where he knew Minka would be waiting. Grinning brightly at the few people he passed, he didn’t let their questioning looks as to why a man in a three-piece suit and bright orange life vest was laughing to himself in the park at dusk. He knew he probably looked crazy, but for the sake of this evening, he couldn’t care less.

Coming around the bend in the pathway, his smile kicked up another notch at seeing Minka sitting on the bench, staring at her phone. Deciding not to call her attention to him just yet, he slowed his strut down to an amble and took her in. His heart thudded happily against his rib cage; his throat squeezing slightly at what he was about to do, how comfortable and excited and confident he felt about taking this next step - all thanks to this woman who held his heart in her hands.

He’d worked hard in his therapy appointments to sort out his issues, to be the most present and capable partner for this woman who had pulled him back from the brink of depressed self-destruction. He’d ticked all the boxes taking Tony to buy a ring, going to LA to ask her father for his blessing, and attempting to orchestrate a proposal that was personal and heartfelt. His dress shoes clicked sharply on the pavement as he sped up again; no time like the present - he’d waited long enough.

Minka was immersed in the homemade bread tag on the social media app toying with the idea that she should have her class make their own bread when a text from her best friend came through breaking her from her zoning. Answering quickly, then checking the time, Minka looked around to see if she could spot Sebastian yet. There was a person approaching wearing something bright orange, and Minka smiled politely about to get back to the pictures, but did a double take as it registered that the offender was her boyfriend.

“What in the..” she trailed off, her smile growing. Minka took him in, a confused look plastered to her face; why was he wearing her favorite suit of his to the park? Did he have an event she had forgotten about? But mostly, why was he wearing a life vest? And where did it come from... The question stilled in her mind as it occurred to her where she had seen that life vest before.

Shoving her phone in her pocket, the woman stood - now completely amused - so she could hug him when he got close enough. “Baby, what in the world?!” Minka giggled, “is that - tell me that’s the same life vest from the cruise!” Her head shook in disbelief, laughter still bubbling out of her. As he got closer, Minka eyed him, a quizzical smile on her mouth, “I feel so under dressed,” she teased, “what is- what’s going on, honey?”

The side of Sebastian’s mouth curled into a pleased smirk as Minka did a double take, not realizing it was him at first. He shrugged one shoulder slightly, his smirk turning into a full, nose-scrunching grin as she called out to him, confused, as he continued his approach; huffing a laugh in response to the bright, beautiful sound of her laughter.

Smiling adoringly, he nodded once to let her know it was in fact the life vest from the cruise, and brought a hand up to point to the faint red stain near his collarbone, “your daiquiri stain and all,” he called, feeling very pleased that she had remembered that first afternoon they’d spent running around a cruise ship, egging each other on to do increasingly stupid tasks with the pure goal of making one another laugh. Sebastian hadn’t felt joy like that in weeks before that day, and it hadn’t taken long after for him to fall head over heels for her.

Stopping a few feet away, Sebastian shook his head gently, “you look perfect,” he breathed reverently, “absolutely perfect.” With a wink to silence her questioning, Sebastian pressed a quick finger to his lips and took the three final steps to be right in front of Minka and dropped to one knee.

Following his hand to the stain on the vest, Minka could instantly recall that sweet memory - that whole wonderful day - over in her head. The one where they spent the day together on the cruise ship, laughing and talking and setting each other up for the silliest things the other could imagine in what would be the start of their now infinite game of truth or dare. The day where it became clear that something was different - that she felt something different - than before about the man in front of her now.

Minka, still in shock, laughed confused and more to herself then to him questioned, “you stole it?” She was about to press further about the suit, about the vest, when to her complete surprise Sebastian went down to his knee. Her eyes rounded as she tried to process what was actually happening, what him being on one knee could mean. Without him saying a word, Minka knew in her heart, and it seemed her eyes were just as quick to process as she felt them fill with tears.

“Seb,” she breathed, not really sure what to follow that up with as the rest of the world seemed to fade out, and the only thing she was aware of was the two of them. Her hand found its way over her mouth that seemed to have a mind of its own as she tried to keep her smile under control, but the sides kept pulling it further and further. Minka dipped her head, her eyes squeezing shut for a moment, pressing out the first of what she was sure would be many tears, and then opening them to make sure this wasn’t some beautiful dream. Gathering herself together the best she could, she looked down lovingly at Seb as if letting him know with nothing more than just her expression how much she was in love with him.

Kneeling on the cold concrete, Sebastian smiled up at Minka, eyes never leaving hers as his nose began to prickle with telltale emotion. Grasping her hand that wasn’t pressed over her mouth, he engulfed it with both of his own, pressing a closed mouth kiss to the back of it; taking the moment to compose himself. He’d rehearsed what he wanted to say in this moment so many times; it figured now that it was here, everything he’d planned completely fled his mind. Clearing his throat quietly to try and push down the lump that still resided there, Sebastian began to speak softly, putting as much adoration into his tone as the words spilled out of him.

“Before you, my life was a mess,” Sebastian started, voice thick with emotion. “I’d backed myself into such a dark corner… I didn’t know how to even start to find my way back out. I was lost, hurting, and my heart was so lonely. Then you came back into my life, and,” he gave a tiny sigh, a devoted, besotted smile crawling across his face, “you were this beacon of light, this - this sense of hope and salvation I didn’t think I deserved, but couldn’t help but follow.”

“I - when we sat on that bench,” he nodded his chin at the spot the both knew to be behind them, “and I told you I had feelings for you, I had no idea what was in store for us. To have the privilege of knowing what it’s like to be so loved and cared for by you - is humbling, and it’s made the rocky journey to get to this place more than worth it. You saved me, Minka,” Sebastian’s face crumpled as his emotions threatened of overwhelm him; continuing in a voice that wobbled, “and I promise not to waste another ten years, and will spend the rest of our lives together working to honor that, and show you how much I appreciate, respect, and am completely, helplessly in love with you.”

Sebastian sniffed and blinked furiously to keep his emotions in check. “You make me laugh, you make me brave, you make me a happier, better man than I could ever be on my own.” Giving her a watery smile, he sniffed again, reaching one hand to pull the now familiar black velvet box out of his pocket. Holding it on his palm for a beat, he opened the lid and turned the box to face Minka, the ring nestled there twinkling in the lamplight of Central Park.

“Minka Dumont Kelly, whom I love with everything that I am,” he gave her a lopsided, self deprecating smile, huffing a quiet laugh as a rogue tear escaped out of the corner of his eye; doing nothing to dim the elation he felt in this moment, “truth or truth: will you marry me?”

Minkas heart thudded wildly as Sebastian began speaking. She had imagined what this moment might look like if it were to happen for her: maybe in bed surrounded by their beloved dogs, maybe at the top of the Eiffel tower, or snuggled up in their robes on her back porch. But this, this perfect spot, the spot where they first admitted they had seen each other as more than friends and wanted to pursue a relationship with one another was suddenly the only place that made sense. Of course Sebastian would choose the place most special and most intimate to the two of them; it made every other idea pale in comparison.

And his words. His beautiful words that Minka tried to soak in despite feeling light headed with a joy she had never felt before. If a moment had ever taken her breath away - this was it. She nodded as he spoke, letting him know she was hearing him as he brought them through the journey that got him to this moment. Minka didn’t think it was possible but she could feel her love for the man expand with each account he gave. What a past they had both survived to get here, to be together. Her one hand grasped his tightly, squeezing it for assurance, as the other she could feel gently vibrating with adrenaline against her cheek.

Then, when he reached back and produced the small box that held the most gorgeous ring she had ever seen, Minka felt her breath catch in her throat and she swayed forward as a mixture of surprise, excitement, and pure happiness overcame her. Tears spilled from her eyes as they bounced from the ring to Sebastian’s face, his emotion undoing Minka even more. Taking her shaky hand she gently reached down and carefully wiped away his tear. Keeping her hand pressed to his cheek, Minka smiled at him adoringly, “I love you so much,” she sniffed. “Yes. A thousand times over - yes.” No word had ever come as easy, or felt as right as that simple three letter word. Even without seeing it, Minka was sure she was wearing the biggest brightest smile she ever had.

Sebastian swept his thumb over the knuckles of Minka’s hand, hers squeezing his tightly, as he spoke. The sight of her tears, although they were happy ones, was nearly enough to undo him as he continued to pour his heart out to the one person he trusted enough to protect it. Eyes widening, he braced their joined hands together tightly as she swayed, a chuff of laughter escaping him as wondered if that was a good sign when he showed Minka the ring he’d spent more than one afternoon agonizing over with Tony.

Warmth bloomed in his stomach as he felt her gentle fingertips sweep away the trail of moisture that ran down the side of his face, Sebastian pressing a dry kiss to the heel of her hand as it rested there. While he genuinely didn’t doubt that she would accept his proposal, the rush of excitement that rocketed through him as she answered in the affirmative, blinking slowly as another tear escaped and attempted to steal between their skin where it met. “I love you,” Sebastian answered, as he took the ring out of the box and slid it onto her left hand, “and I can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together,” he said voice now shaking harder as his already turbulent emotional state met the rush of adrenaline flooding his system.

Ring settled, he took a moment to admire it on her hand before pressing his lips to her knuckles before standing - heedless of the cumbersome lifejacket still hanging around his neck, and cupped her face in both of his and kissed her properly, his own tears mixing with hers. Not able to pull her as close as he’d like, he stepped back; ripping the orange covered offender off of himself and dropped it on the ground next to them. Stepping back into Minka once more, he playfully dipping her backwards while kissing her soundly, infusing into it all of the happiness exploding inside him. He continued to ignore the world around them - the chirping of crickets, the jogger giving the two of them a wide, bemused berth, the far-off sound of someone unseen whooping in celebration - until the need for oxygen became too pressing, and gently brought them upright, not taking his hands off of her.

When Sebastian slipped the ring on her finger, Minka couldn’t help but stare, slack jawed. It was the most stunning thing that had ever adorned her body. “I - I can’t either. God, Seb, it’s so beautiful,” she breathed, still in a state of shock. Pulling herself back into the moment, Minka smiled as Seb stood, kissing him back with matched emotion. When he stepped back, she couldn’t help but giggle as he discarded the familiar bulky vest. Happy to be able to press closer against him, her hands found their way to either side of his face, keeping him nice and close as they kissed again.

Silently damning the need for oxygen when they had to finally pull apart, Minka’s hands traveled around to the back of his neck, hooking her fingers together. “Is this real life?” She asked rhetorically, looking up at him through her wet lashes; the most love drunk smile plastered to her face. “This feels too amazing to be real.” Giving a soft shake of her head, more laughter bubbled up from inside of her, “God, I’ve never felt this happy in my entire life.” Minka could feel warm tears breaking free and slowly rolling down her cheek. Of course she had so many questions: how long had he been planning this, who knew about it, and all the other little fun details that she’d eventually ask, but would let wait for now. Standing there together, in each other’s arms soaking up all the emotion of the moment, was the only thing that mattered currently.

“I didn’t know - do you like it?” Sebastian confirmed, “I - we can swap it out if you don’t; I was a bit in over my head,” he admitted with a rueful laugh and a wry smile. Leaning in to kiss her again, he used his thumbs to wipe away the tears that spilled over Minka’s cheeks. Skating his fingers down her arms as she wrapped hers around his neck, Sebastian gently gripped Minka’s hips, thumbs making gentle circles there. Elation wasn’t a word he often equated to his life, but it was singing in his blood as they stood in Central Park, peppering kisses to the damp skin of her cheeks.

Chuckling lowly as he brought one hand up to clear her face of another tear, he answered, “I hope it’s real,” before meeting her own lovestruck smile with his own. Part of him wanted to race and tell everyone they knew - mind briefly jumping from their families’ and friends’ reactions - and broadcast to everyone that this was it - the person who comes along once in your life that you have to cling to with everything you have. Another part of him wanted to stay frozen in this moment forever, to clutch close the feeling of overwhelming love and excitement he felt that they were going to be married, something he never thought would happen for him. “I love you,” he murmured again, resting his chin on her head as he pulled her in for a tight hug. “You and me, baby, forever,” he promised her in the rapidly fading light of dusk.

“Like it?” Minka asked exasperated. “Oh my God, its gorgeous, its - swap it? No way never.” She said firmly with a shake of her head, another wide toothy smile spread across her face. “Its perfect. I love it.” As they stood there together, exchanging small touches and soft kisses, Minka couldn’t help getting completely lost in his eyes every time Sebastian would look at her. She had always found comfort in them, a sense of home, but they way he looked at her with so much love and adoration was something she could barely wrap her head around; no one had ever looked at her quite like that. “I love you,” she said back with matched conviction, resting her head against his chest, breathing him in.

At his promise, Minka nuzzled in a little more, the soft fabric of his suit rubbing against her cheek, “I really like the sound of that.” She couldn’t think of anyone else she would rather do forever with than the man whose arms were currently wrapped around her. Her mind began swirling with all the next steps they’d take - moving in together, planning their wedding, where they could honeymoon - but it was all fun, exciting thoughts. The corner of her mouth pulled into a smile at a particular one and she just had to ask, “does your mom know?” Minka knew that if there was another person on the planet who would have matched enthusiasm about this, it would be his mother.

Pulling her closer to wrap his arms more securely around her, Sebastian hummed, pleased, deep in his chest. “As long as you like it,” he said quietly. Bringing up a hand to quickly brush away the lingering moisture in his own eyes before cupping the back of her head, he pressed another kiss to her silky brown hair as he carded his fingers through it.

“About that,” he pulled back slowly with a shark-like grin growing over his face, “the only reason I was able to surprise you is that I didn’t tell her about any of it,” he laughed. “Tony came with me to pick out the ring, and I spilled my ever-loving guts to Zach,” he said with a look that said ‘obviously’. Blushing, he broke eye contact to continue, “that overnight trip to LA? The Marvel meeting and had to practically insult you to talk you out of tagging alone?” Sebastian gave Minka an exasperated grin, tickling his fingers under her chin, “that was me going to ask Rick for his permission to propose to you,” he smiled fondly. “Which I think he appreciated - and said yes, for the record,” he teased, “but Ma is completely in the dark about the whole thing,” the sly grin returned to his face.

“None of them knew I was doing this tonight,” he admitted, carefully omitting Chace’s involvement to save one last surprise for another point down the line. “And I can’t tell you how many times I nearly broke and asked you, especially at my folks on Easter,” he laughed at the weeks of his own desperate attempts to find the right time. “I thought since I got to tell Tony and Rick that you should get to tell one of our parents, too - so I saved what no doubt is going to be the craziest reaction for you,” he rolled his eyes fondly imagining his mother’s overzealous reaction. Laughing so hard he had to take a minute to pull himself together, “imagine how bad she is gonna freak.”

When Sebastian pulled back, Minka noted the grin he was sporting and with confession after confession her eyes grew rounder, “wait, wait, wait, oh my God!” Her hands flew to her mouth as she started to join in his laughter, “so, first of all, my dad kept a secret that long? Holy crap. But also, you really asked him?” Minka questioned, her small voice getting higher. She gave an approving nod, “that was incredibly sweet of you, thank you.” She leaned forward and kissed the cleft of his chin. She could only imagine how much that meant to her father. It made sense to her that Tony knew, and of course Zach would, but the fact that his mother was totally in the dark made Minka laugh just as hard as Sebastian. “Oh my God, I can’t believe it, she is going to freak out! It’s her Easter miracle!” Trying her best to compose herself, she shook her head, still smiling ear to ear, “Well, we’ll have to tell her soon because I have a feeling if we don’t she’ll sense something is up otherwise.”

Nodding with a mix of shared surprise and pride, Sebastian couldn’t keep his face-splitting grin in check as Minka clarified that he’d asked her dad. “Of course I asked him,” he said indulgently, “I wanted to do this right, and imagine the line of people waiting to kick my ass if I hadn’t,” winking at her to let her know he was only joking. Blushing ridiculously as she pressed a kiss to his chin, he gently nodded, not wanting to discourage her from more kissing, but letting her know he was listening. “She’s gonna go absolutely nuts,” he giggled, taking her left hand in his to admire how much better the ring looked there than in the box it’d be living in for almost a month. Pressing a kiss to her knuckles, he smiled down at her, “so what do you say we quit making a scene in the park, let me make eyes at you while you make some delicious pasta; then go revel in planning how we’re going to pull a fast one on her?” Sebastian propositioned, scooping the life vest off the ground, and tugging on Minka’s hand to join him running through the park, bursting with excitement and good news.

#four simple words #kellyminks #minka tag

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ricardotomasz · 4 years

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Such is life! Behold, a new Post published on Greater And Grander about Top 10 Secrets to Travel

See into my soul, as a new Post has been published on http://greaterandgrander.com/2020/01/top-10-secrets-to-travel/

Top 10 Secrets to Travel

Anthony Bourdain said, “Travel changes you. As you move through this life, and this world, you change things slightly, you leave scars behind, however small. And in return, life - and travel - leaves scars on you. Most of the time, those scars - on your body or on your heart - are beautiful. Often, though, they hurt.”

It’s these scars that help shape us, carving grooves through our mind and our metaphorical soul. They make us stronger by opening up pathways that others have not considered, and viewing the world with a much wider lens.

Even the Dalai Lama stated, “Once a year, go some place you’ve never been before.”

When I ran a BDSM education group called Fetish Noir, I believed that the strength of the BDSM community was through the overall success of its participants, as well-rounded human beings. That meant their emotional stability, economic stability, and overall quality of life. I still believe that to this day. Now, I wish to share a secret I’ve discovered only in recent years.

When I was younger, I was poor, and obsessively focused on my career. Being overworked and lacking resources (as most millenials are) led me into depression. I lost track of what experiences would make me happy and make me a better person. Stop and think about that and ask yourself three questions.

What would make me happy?

What would improve my quality of life?

What would make me a better person?

In my experience, the only answer to ALL 3 questions is travel.

I did not leave my home country until I was 29, but when I did, I made sure I journeyed in such a way that relished the exuberance of life and with a spirit worthy of my attention. I travelled to Paris, ate great food, woke up to a sunrise over French vineyards, travelled via rail, smoked cuban cigars while watching fireworks, attended lavish parties, and talked to everyone I met.

Since then I’ve travelled to exotic cities including Berlin, Hong Kong, London, Abu Dhabi, Atlanta, Montreal, Weimar Germany, and up and down the American West Coast, and I have been all the better for it.

The legendary filmmaker, Werner Herzog, said, “Filmmaking — like great literature — must have experience of life at its foundation… You would be allowed to submit an application [to my film school] only after having travelled, alone and on foot, let’s say from Madrid to Kiev, a distance of nearly two thousand miles. While walking, write about your experiences, then give me your notebooks. I would immediately be able to tell who had really walked and who had not. You would learn more about filmmaking during your journey than if you spent five years at film school. ... All that counts is real life.”

Now, Herzog has also said some troubling things, but his words on travel are sage like. So for the poor and the anxious, I give you this advice on how to travel, and travel boldly.

1. Pack More Than You Need

As Greater and Grander recently published, keep an all purpose travel bag with a variety of items to last you at least 5 days. That way you’ll be prepared for a last minute trip, an emergency, or a spot of wanderlust.

2. Find Your Friends

Thanks to Facebook and several handy apps, you can find where your Facebook friends are living. This will allow you to plan your trips by finding colleagues, tour guides, and possible couches to crash on. You can use these handy apps to get started.

3. Subscribe to a Travel Magazine

Whenever I write an essay, I try to steal at least one item from author, Neil Strauss. So, subscribe to a travel magazine (the best periodical covering a travel topic you know nothing about), because:

Rather than choosing the most popular magazine, select one that offers the most in-depth and interesting coverage... Yes, you could read it all online, but it’s great to have a physical magazine to read when you’re on the subway or on an airplane or waiting in line somewhere.

4. Get a passport if you don’t have one.

Also from Neil Strauss, if your passport has expired, get it renewed now. You never know when that great travel opportunity is going to occur, and you don’t want to get stuck at home while your friends are at some great concert at the Acropolis in Greece. If you’re in America, you can simply go to most post offices with two acceptable photos of yourself, proof of U.S. citizenship, and a valid form of photo identification. You can find more information here: http://travel.state.gov/passport

And, for those of you who’ve read Emergency and QUALIFY for a passport to a second country (if, for example, you have a parent or grandparent who was born in Ireland), take advantage of that opportunity now, before the rules change.

5. SIGN UP

Sign up for US Airway’s E-Saver, Southwest’s Ding, or any other airline program that offers last-minute, low-cost travel options so you can take quick weekend getaways whenever you feel like it. Many tickets can be half price, and you can sign up for international airlines like Cathay Pacific or Air France.

6. FetLife Location

If you're into kinky sex, as I am, you probably have a profile on FetLife.com, the number 1 social media site for BDSM. The Events page has an active calendar of kink-themed events around the world. What you may not be aware is that the display results are based on your profile’s location settings. So, if you're traveling to Albania and want to find all the kink events in your vicinity, just change your profile location settings to the city you're in. You can easily change it back when you return home.

7. Don't use a travel agent, just use Expedia and airbnb

Some lessons you learn the hard way. My partner and I were planning a vacation to Europe for my sister’s wedding. Unfortunately, we were too tired and overwhelmed by the details of traveling to 3 different cities in one week. So, we went to AAA to book the details of our trip. It was only afterwards that we discovered if we had booked through AirBnB and Expedia, then our bookings would have been 60% cheaper. We paid a premium for convenience, and to top it all off, our travel agent was poorly organized and sick, so we didn’t even get our itinerary until 2 days before we were to leave. There are a variety of cheap booking tools. For flights, use Google Flights in order to find the cheapest airfare. For lodging, use AirBnB, and be a courteous guest. If your trip is just in a single city, you could use Expedia to book your hotel, airfare, and car all in 20 minutes. Use these digital tools and take the power of your journey into your own hands.

8. Use google flights to book trips, and book immediately

As I mentioned above, you can use Google Flights to book your trips. Google flights offers several unique tools, including a “cheapest rate” calendar, and a comparison of various airlines. The one trick, and piece of life advice I would give you is this: Don’t hesitate.

When you do a search for a flight, the travel websites register that search, so anytime you view an airline website, they register that in your cache folder and raise the rates the next time you come back. So, don’t hesitate, find the flight you want, and book immediately, so you get the best deal on airfares.

9. Use Free Opportunities To Travel

Believe it or not, there are free travel opportunities all over the world.

• If you're Jewish, take advantage of Israel’s birthright program.

• Apply to the peace corps

• Work on a farm as part of WWOOF.

• Be part of the conservation movement.

There are many ways you could travel for free. Check out this CNN article for more details: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/vounteer-free-travel/index.html

10. Travel to a City During a Work Conference for a Tax Writeoff

Depending on the industry you are in (or pursuing) there are tons of international conferences going on around the world related to your business. For example, I work in the film industry, and was pursuing a career as a film producer. So, I applied for free producer passes to the Cannes film festival, and was accepted. That gave me the opportunity to travel, and I wrote off the entire trip as a tax write off on my tax form schedule C tax form.

Whatever industry you are in, or want to be in, google international conferences for that industry, and apply for free passes or student passes. Once accepted, look at the pros and cons of traveling to those cities, and the pros and cons of your business. Be sure to keep all your receipts, and records of what you did at the conference, so you can explain it as part of any tax claim.

Bon Voyage!

Check Out Master No One's Amazon Authors page.

#AirlineTickets, #Flights, #Hotels, #MasterNoOne, #NomaticTravelBag, #PlaneTickets, #Travel, #TravelAgency, #TravelBag, #Travelblogger, #Travelocity, #Trip, #Vacation

#airline tickets #flights #hotels #Master No One #nomatic travel bag #plane tickets #travel #travel agency #travel bag #travelblogger #travelocity #trip #vacation

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chocolate-brownies · 6 years

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Starting 15 years ago, scientists have been studying the complex and mysterious emotion called awe—one you might have felt if you’ve stood in front of the Taj Mahal, hiked among towering redwoods, or had your mind blown at a concert, play, or ballet.

Inducing goosebumps and dropped jaws, awe experiences are remarkable in their own right. Moreover, a growing body of research suggests that experiencing awe may lead to a wide range of benefits, from happiness and health to perhaps more unexpected benefits such as generosity, humility, and critical thinking.

In our busy lives, seeking awe may be low on our list of priorities. But we might be underestimating its power. “One simple prescription can have transformative effects: Look for more daily experiences of awe,” writes the GGSC’s Dacher Keltner.

The latest research suggests that taking the time to experience awe—whether through engaging with nature, enjoying great art or music, or even bingeing on breathtaking YouTube videos—may be a pathway to improving your life and relationships.

1. Awe may improve your mood and make you more satisfied with your life

Need a mood boost or a stress slayer? Some studies suggest that experiencing awe may help.

And you don’t have to take a trip to the Grand Canyon to get the job done. Just watching awe-inducing slideshows and videos can improve your mood and well-being, according to a few studies. Another study found that people who read a short, awe-evoking story about seeing Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower reported greater life satisfaction in that moment than people who read a story about seeing a plain landscape from up high.

Of course, it’s tough to beat real-world experiences—so in a recent study, researchers took military veterans and youth from underserved communities whitewater rafting. They found that the more awe the participants experienced, the more improvement they saw in their well-being and symptoms of stress one week later. According to a different survey the researchers conducted, undergraduate students reported greater life satisfaction and well-being on days when they spent time in nature, which was attributable to the higher level of awe they felt on those days. This suggests that awe just might be a crucial ingredient in nature’s restorative powers.

2. Awe may be good for your health

Experiencing awe over time could potentially have long-term health benefits, at least according to one study. People with a greater general tendency to experience awe—but not any of the other seven positive emotions studied—had lower levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), a marker of inflammation (too much inflammation can lead to a host of chronic diseases).

A second part of the study found that participants who reported feeling more “awe, wonder, and amazement that day” had lower levels of IL-6; this was true even after accounting for people’s general tendency to experience awe and be open to new experiences. In other words, all of us—not just people who are prone to experiencing awe frequently—may be able to reap the health benefits of a particularly wondrous day.

However, this study can’t tell us whether awe decreases inflammation or whether people with more inflammation are less likely to experience awe—a question for future research.

3. Awe may help you think more critically

Some studies suggest that awe may be able to sharpen our brains. One study found that when people were induced to feel awe, they were less persuaded by weak arguments than people who did a neutral activity (imagining doing their laundry). In contrast, some other positive emotions—like anticipatory enthusiasm or amusement—made people moresusceptible to weak arguments.

Intriguingly, a recent theoretical paper argues that awe may help facilitate scientific learning and reasoning in children. For example, when a child sees an anvil and a feather drop at the same rate in a vacuum, this experience likely violates their intuitive understanding of how gravity works, evoking feelings of awe that lead them to develop a new theory about the relationships between weight, gravity, and motion.

Similarly, a recent study found that people who have a greater disposition to experience awe had a more accurate understanding of the nature of science and were more likely to reject creationism and other scientifically questionable explanations about the world. Importantly, these people didn’t have greater “faith” in science; they just understood better how science works.

4. Awe may decrease materialism

A few studies suggest that experiencing awe may dampen feelings of materialism. The experiment with the Eiffel Tower story also found that, when given a hypothetical choice between a material good (such as a $50 backpack) or an experiential product (such as a $50 iTunes gift card), people who read the awe-inspiring story chose the experiential product more often than people in the other group did.

In another study, participants who recalled an awe experience placed less value on money than did participants who recalled a happy or neutral experience, and viewing awe-inducing images reduced the effort people were willing to put into getting money (where effort was measured by tolerance for listening to an unpleasant sound).

Why might awe decrease materialism? According to the researchers, the answer may lie in the self-transcendence that awe can inspire. “People in awe start to appreciate their sense of selfhood as less separate and more interrelated to the larger existence,” they write. “The experience of awe elevates people from their mundane concerns, which are bounded by daily experiences such as the desire for money.”

“People in awe start to appreciate their sense of selfhood as less separate and more interrelated to the larger existence.”

Further evidence for this idea comes from a recent study, suggesting that awe can function as a buffer against negative emotion when you lose material possessions. After time spent marveling at the world around you, misplacing your new sunglasses might not feel so bad.

5. Awe makes you feel smaller and more humble

One of the most profound effects of awe is how it can change our perception of ourselves relative to the larger world. In particular, multiple studies have shown that awe can make us feel small, diminished, or insignificant—what researchers call the “small self” effect.

In one particularly interesting study, researchers asked visitors to Yosemite National Park and Fisherman’s Wharf (a tourist area in San Francisco) about their feelings of awe and other emotions, as well as their sense of self. Tourists at Yosemite reported experiencing significantly more awe, represented their current self with smaller circles (when given a choice of sizes), and drew self-portraits that were nearly 33 percent smaller than tourists at Fisherman’s Wharf.

Besides making people feel physically smaller, awe may also make people more humble. One recent study found that people who are more naturally prone to experiencing awe felt more humility and were rated as more humble by their friends. Experimentally inducing participants to feel awe led them to acknowledge their strengths and weaknesses in a more balanced way and to better recognize how outside forces contributed to their successes.

6. Awe can make you feel like you have more time

Awe may also expand our perception of time. One study found that people induced to feel awe felt less impatient and agreed more strongly with statements suggesting that time is plentiful and expansive than people induced to feel happiness. The researchers speculate that by immersing us in the moment, awe may allow us to savor the here and now.

“Awe-eliciting experiences might offer one effective way of alleviating the feeling of time starvation that plagues so many people in modern life,” the researchers write.

With more time on their hands, people feeling awe reported a greater willingness to offer that time to others—to volunteer their time, but not their money, to help a charity—compared to people feeling happy.

7. Awe can make you more generous and cooperative

In fact, multiple studies have found that experiencing awe may make people more kind and generous. For example, one study found that people with a greater tendency for awe were more generous in laboratory tasks like distributing raffle tickets between themselves and an unknown participant. And people who stood among awe-inspiring eucalyptus trees picked up more pens for an experimenter who had “accidentally” dropped them than people who stared up at a not-so-inspiring large building.

Together, these studies suggest that awe may prompt us to help others and to be more generous, perhaps because of the way it encourages us to focus less on ourselves and expands our perception of available time.

8. Awe can make you feel more connected to other people and humanity

Awe has an amazing capacity to bring people together. Research suggests that awe helps us feel more connected to the people in our lives and to humanity as a whole.

Research suggests that awe helps us feel more connected to the people in our lives and to humanity as a whole.

In one study, participants spent time near an awe-inducing Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton or in a regular hallway. When asked to describe themselves, the dinosaur viewers were more likely use universal descriptors (such as “a person” or “an inhabitant of the Earth”) rather than more specific descriptors (such as “tall,” “friendly,” or “a student”) than the other people, suggesting that awe increases our sense that we are part of a greater whole.

Another study found that people experiencing awe reported feeling more one with their community compared with people feeling neutral (an effect that may only hold for people with high self-esteem). Interestingly, another part of this study found evidence that culture may also influence awe’s effects, leading people from individualistic cultures to feel as if their social network has expanded (they feel closer to more people) and people from collectivistic cultures to feel closer to those already in their network.

As a 15-year-old science, awe research is literally in its adolescence. This means that many of the findings discussed in this article are based on very few studies (and thus should be taken with a grain of salt). What researchers don’t know about awe far eclipses what they do know. For example, we don’t know much about how awe affects children throughout development, how awe is related to religious and spiritual experiences, and how awe can be used therapeutically. And researchers are just beginning to explore the neuroscience of awe.

But with increasing interest among psychologists and the public in the topic, the future of this research looks bright—maybe even awesome.

This article was adapted from Greater Good, the online magazine of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, one of Mindful’s partners. View the original article.

The post Eight Ways Awe Boosts Your Well-Being appeared first on Mindful.

#sleep sounds #sleep music #white noise app #nature sounds #relaxing sounds #rain sounds for sleeping

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katiezstorey93 · 7 years

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The Hamburg G-20 summit: Reshaping the economy to serve people and society

Contradictory forces at this weekend’s G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, will probably indicate that news websites and protesters focus on debates and issues beyond the hands of Germany, the host authorities, even though careful preparations. Expect road protests against capitalism while authorities struggle to strengthen the potential for market economies to provide greater social outcomes and to keep progress on financial regulatory reform.

Power tensions will be even though security issues are not on peak of the agenda. Putin and Trump will meet; the two single rangers will reveal more in more style than in substance. Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will also be very likely to be outside the Egyptian; oil and climate change will end up being an mix; along with fissures that are awkward will be exposed by the North Korean threat in Asia-Pacific. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron will stand out because the dynamic duo, outshining and supplanting the dance of old. The G-20 Chair in 2016, President Xi Jinping of China, will wish to project climate change and his direction vis-a-vis the world market.

China stands to gain stature, as U.S. President Donald Trump attempts to “represent Pittsburgh rather than Paris,” draw from world trade commitments, and perform the “America first” role. That marks a sharp shift in atmospherics, since, up to today, those playing by the rules instead of against them have led the G-20, strengthening the system, and functioning within the system instead of beyond it instead of weakening it.

All these machinations will act as a background, overshadowing substantive deliberations and debates on issues such as trade and climate change, where deep gaps exist. Earlier G-20 themes of continuing growth, sustainable development, trade expansion, and financial stability have been transformed since the United Kingdom Brexit vote that a year past June, which exerts a growing sentiment in the U.S. and other states that the worldwide market functions the few rather than the many.

This preoccupation is currently changing the attention of the G-20, along with a new storyline on globalization has been reimagined in the following manners:

Inclusive growth is not only about how to adjust macroeconomic policies to generate more jobs, but how to achieve structural changes that generate more economical security, greater equality, and social improvement.

Sustainability is not only about how to handle environmental issues, but is increasingly viewed as requiring holistic, integrated approaches to many sectors of the market, segments of society, and varied dimensions of ecological concerns.

Earning the worldwide market, trade, and financial systems serve people and society instead of only grow the market might grow to be the new mantra for handling the worldwide market.

In other words, we are currently seeing a pivot from optimizing development outcomes.

How much time G-20 leaders will have in Hamburg to research dynamics and these new measurements remains to be viewed. But it’s already clear inside the G-20 preparatory procedures among major think tanks, business, labor, and civil society groups that the challenges currently facing the worldwide community are more interrelated, more synergistic, and more sweeping in terms of their societal effects than previously realized. The development of populist authoritarianism in reaction to them creates a new moment in governance.

The fundamental challenge today is the simple fact that the market economy hasn’t produced societal outcomes which are politically sustainable. Tackling this will not be easy. Governments can not do it; constrained financial room and policy space restricted debt and by shortages mean that authorities are unable to directly stimulate the transformation of economies to create outcomes through public policy instruments. However, authorities and G-20 leaders can direct a transformation procedure.

Business and the private sector have the greatest stake in preserving public confidence. In over fifty percent of the G-20 countriesleaders, many with business expertise themselves, are in electricity.

The capacity opens for participating leaders of both government, business, labor, and culture in a transformative attempt to generate the market function society.

Transformation requires companies with long-term tactical aims that horizontally out in their communities, reach to the future and external to the world. “Sustainability is good business” is a principle which succinctly links private business firms to the universally endorsed United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030. The simple fact that the SDGs exist at this time provides a frame which may be used to market society, business, labor, and government toward common goals.

Reshaping relations to create pathways for the future initiating structural transformation of the market to serve individuals, and meeting the needs of society and people for empowerment, opportunity, and security are also political duties for federal leadership. Truly, that the presidency’s priorities are reflected by these new thrusts . G-20 summits are forums for responding to this new political context in which individuals wish to recover control of their own 29, for demonstrating national and global leadership.

The urgent need to respond to disappointment and public anger puts stress to reframe G-20 and globalization attempts to manage the worldwide market. The standard focus on the coordination of macroeconomic policies has to be assessed by the necessity to concentrate on the how to reevaluate domestic policies to better their societal impact. External relations coordination, and foreign policy are currently yielding to the primacy of creating better domestic outcomes which are sustainable.

For the folks of the world the individuals of G-20 countries, a concerted long-term effort to transform the market to serve society and individuals will be a welcome fresh attention for future and this G-20 summits.

from network 8 http://www.nsorchidsociety.com/the-hamburg-g-20-summit-reshaping-the-economy-to-serve-people-and-society/

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nsorchidsociety · 7 years

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The Hamburg G-20 summit: Reshaping the economy to serve people and society

This preoccupation is currently changing the attention of the G-20, along with a new storyline on globalization has been reimagined in the following manners:

Earning the worldwide market, trade, and financial systems serve people and society instead of only grow the market might grow to be the new mantra for handling the worldwide market.

In other words, we are currently seeing a pivot from optimizing development outcomes.

The capacity opens for participating leaders of both government, business, labor, and culture in a transformative attempt to generate the market function society.

from Society http://www.nsorchidsociety.com/the-hamburg-g-20-summit-reshaping-the-economy-to-serve-people-and-society/

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viralhottopics · 7 years

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The world’s best cities for millennials

From affordable housing and transport to thriving job markets and culture, heres our pick of the hottest spots for a good life

Affordability

Millennials are a boomerang generation. The number of 20- to 34-year-olds living at home with their parents increased by 25% between 1996 and 2013 in the UK. Last year, 58% of 20- to 24-year-olds, 21% of 25- to 29-year-olds, and 8% of 30- to 34-year-olds in the UK lived with parents. Its a similar story in the United States, where one in five people in their 20s and early 30s live with their parents.

But when the family home is not an option, where should millennials head to make their money go further? YouthfulCities, a global index founded by consultancy firm Decode, ranked 55 cities on their affordability in 2015, using a range of statistics including, memorably, the number of hours needed to work at the local minimum wage to buy a dozen eggs (Detroit is top for egg affordability).

When it comes to rent, Berlin ranks no 1 among the 55 cities despite a 28% rise between 2007 and 2014, and the efforts of some landlords to beat recent rent cap legislation. Even so, according to living index Numbeo, a one-bed apartment in Berlins city centre will, on average, set you back 510 a month, compared with 1,680 in London.

Berlin is the best city for rent. Photograph: Matthias Haker/Getty Images/Flickr RF

In the US, a one-bed apartment in Dallass city centre costs an average of 860 a month; in New York, it is 2,070. Millennials take note: Dallas is now the third fastest growing city in the US, and has a vibrant young community, with 25% of its population in the millennial age bracket, which is unusually high for American cities.

On the other side of the world, Japan is surprisingly cheap: Osakas low city-centre rental fees of 410 a month may explain why Airbnb has seen such astronomical interest. The YouthfulCities index maintains it is less affordable than Tokyo, but that appears to be because of higher average costs when dining out, going to the cinema and paying for standing taxi fares.

Johannesburg is one of the most affordable of the sub-saharan African cities on the index: the average cost of renting a one-bed apartment is less than 263 a month. Despite moving 12 places up on Mercers latest cost of living ranking, Johannesburg is still the worlds 16th cheapest city to live in and its wider province, Gauteng, is one of the powerhouses that helped South Africa avoid economic collapse last year.

Education

With fees for three-year undergraduate degrees costing up to 27,000 and maintenance support grants axed, one third of UK-based students aged 16 to 30 now consider undertaking some form of overseas study. But where should they go?

Higher education experts QS have compiled a list of the worlds top cities to be a student. The 2016 winner is Paris, which retains its place at the top for the fourth year running thanks to a high concentration of internationally recognised institutions, low tuition fees and strong employer activity.

Students at UCLA. Photograph: Richard T Nowitz/Corbis

In the student mix category, four Australian cities Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide are in the top 10, based on their high undergraduate populations and levels of tolerance and social inclusion for their share of the 272,000 international students enrolled in higher education in the country.

Perhaps surpisingly, Tokyo pips both Boston and London for employer activity and Japans capital also scored well in terms of desirability for students. This is partly because of its reputation as the safest city in the world. Tokyos quality of living is also extremely high, and housing prices relatively low in comparison with the average income.

Another report by the Economist Intelligence Unit ranked 35 cities on their education and training prospects. Hong Kong took the top spot as a result of the abundance of financial assistance offered to higher education students, and prevalence of world-class educational institutions. Five US cities (Chicago, LA, Miami, New York and Washington DC) ranked joint second, thanks to a number of city-led youth programmes aimed at providing on-the-job training, internship opportunities and networks for additional educational development.

Hong Kong is a good place for students as has an abundance of financial assistance on offer. Photograph: Jonas Gratzer/LightRocket via Getty Images

For those millennials with European citizenship, a free university education awaits in the Nordic countries. Throughout Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, students from the EU may enrol in a degree without paying a penny, at undergraduate, masters and PhD level, provided they can cope with the language challenge many undergraduate courses are taught only in the native tongue. In Denmark, non-Danish EU students are also eligible for study grants if they work 10 to 12 hours a week alongside their studies.

There is a slight catch, however. The cost of living in these Nordic cities is among the highest in the world and international students often struggle to find affordable accommodation.

Employment

Cities such as New York, London and San Francisco are frequently cited as the most desirable places for recent graduates, offering exciting job prospects and a chance to work for some of the worlds biggest companies.

But according to the Accelerating Pathways study, which ranks 35 cities on their available employment opportunities, considering factors such as employment growth, quality of jobs available and the ease of starting a new business, Singapore scores the highest.

Millennials studying there have the added benefits of public healthcare, scholarships and educational loans. However, the high cost of living the Economist ranks Singapore as the worlds most expensive city means more than 60% of young people surveyed there have considered moving abroad for employment or education. Toronto is second in the report, thanks to a number of city-led programmes aimed at improving employment opportunities, with Hong Kong third.

Crossing the Thames to the City, Londons financial district. Photograph: Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Research by the job search engine Adzuna ranks cities based on the number of people applying for each available position. In the UK, Cambridge leads the way with a staggering 10 vacancies for every applicant, followed by Reading, Oxford and Exeter.

For those seeking big bucks, Europe boasts seven of the 12 cities with the worlds highest wages, according to Swiss bank UBS. In Zurich, the average resident takes home more than $41 an hour before tax, with Geneva close behind. But high wages dont come cheap: the Swiss cities are also among the most expensive to live in.

If your key concern is being your own boss, data analytics company CrunchBase has ranked the development of startup culture in global cities. Not surprisingly, San Francisco remains the top pick in a US-dominated list but it is diversifying. Tel Aviv comes in at fifth place, thanks to innovative ideas such as The Library. The startup scene is also growing in urban Africa, with initiatives including VC4Africa, PitchForLagos and StartUpGrind nurturing small businesses across the continent.

Tel Aviv, Israel. Photograph: Maremagnum/Getty Images

This startup industry would be nothing without a pool of versatile and fluid workers. In the US alone, 53 million people more than a third of the workforce are freelance , with 43% of these being millennials. You could even forget setting up life in one place and do as a growing band of digital nomads do: choose your next urban destination based on free Wi-Fi and flat whites.

Culture

Culture is disproportionately important to millennials. In 2014, those aged 15-34 made up almost half of all cinema admission in the UK, while in the US, 18-24-year-olds represent almost 20% of regular cinemagoers, despite making up only 10% of the population. Traditionally, millennials have more time to go out and fewer financial responsibilities but, as the cost of living increases, new, cheaper cultural hotspots have emerged.

Lisbon, Portugal. Photograph: Alamy

In Europe, Lisbon has been attracting millennials for some time. Historically, it is one of the cheaper European capital cities (you pay an average of 345 a month for a one-bed there). But it is the burgeoning arts scene thats been the real pull for creative millennials. Principe, the Lisbon-based record label, has played a large part in reviving the dance scene in the capital, while its street art was thriving long before Banksy came along.

The music scene in Montreal is another a hub of creativity, according to the latest report by the World Cities Cultural Forum (WCCF). The Canadian city has the second highest proportion of people employed in the creative industries (behind London) and the third highest proportion of bars, behind Buenos Aires and Madrid. Another millennial draw is the tax rebates offered by the Quebec Film and Television Council, which has made it a hotspot for Hollywood films including Life of Pi and the blockbuster X-Men, Days of Future Past.

Union Lane in Melbourne, one of the citys best-known street art sites. Photograph: Julian Smith/AAP

Melbourne has 81 theatres, 256 festivals a year, and 1,448 heritage and historical sites behind only Istanbul and Moscow in the latter category (impressive, considering Melbourne is at least 1,400 years younger than the Turkish city). And if thats not enough, it also possesses the most indoor recreation space per capita, according to the World Council on City Data.

Bogot, the Colombian capital, rules the cultural roost in South America with at least 243 cinema screens, three major concert halls and 77 museums. There are more than 17.5m cinema admissions to the citys film screens every year. (To put that into context: the citys population is half of Istanbuls and yet the Turkish citys cinema admission figures trail behind at 16.3m.) The music scene in Bogot also has much to offer: DJs such as Alex Jockey have helped create a hip underground hardcore techno scene.

Sometimes, however, the capital isnt the place to be. Shenzhen city in south-eastern Chinas Guangdong province is another unexpected cultural hub, having scored highly in a number of categories in the WCCFs report: 45% of the city is green space, second only to Sydney and Vienna. It has a vibrant nightlife scene that includes the famous Pepper Club, punk rock club Brown Sugar Jar and lesbian-friendly Xuan Cafe and Bar. And, millennial bookworms take note: it boasts the most public libraries of all the cities mentioned in the report.

Mobility

In the US, the number of 21- to 34-year-olds buying cars has dropped by 11% since its peak in the mid-1980s, while the UK has seen a 12% decline in the proportion of 17- to 20-year-olds trying for a driving licence since the mid-1990s.

So, which cities offer the best option for green-minded and technologically connected but cash-strapped millennials?

When it comes to public transport, Hong Kong tops the Urban Mobility Index thanks to its efficient transit network, which is used for 55% of all journeys. Stockholm is in second place because of its extensive and eye-catching metro system. Students in Stockholm receive discounts on travel cards, but the Swedish capital still has the most expensive public transport system in the world, based on the price of a ticket for a single 10km journey.

A tram ride in Tallinn, Estonia. Photograph: Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images

In 2013, Estonias capital, Tallinn, became the first city of its size to make public transport free for all residents, while in Boston students have been riding free of charge since the 1970s. Its Five College Bus System ferries students and faculty staff between institutions, residential areas and shops without a single cent changing hands. As one ex-rider points out, the buses have no way to charge passengers, so the wider public can also grab a complimentary ride.

When it comes to cycling, Amsterdam and Copenhagen predictably received gold stars for provision and performance, with around half of journeys in both cities made by bike. At 29.7 minutes, the dense Danish capital also has one of the shortest commute times of the top 10 cities a breeze compared with the average 44.1 minute slog made by Londoners every weekday.

Bikes in Copenhagen, Denmark. Photograph: Marco Cristofori / Alamy/Alamy

University towns tend to be cycling hubs. In the US, where the share of journeys made by bicycle is about 2% in most cities, the university city of Davis, California, bucks the trend with cycling accounting for 20% of trips. Cambridge, where students account for more than one-third of the population, boasts the highest levels of cycling in the UK, with one in three residents riding to work.

When it comes to car sharing, Helsinki is a contender. The city has ambitious plans to transform transportation by 2025 through a system of mobility on demand that pools access to buses, bikes, car-shares and taxis through a smartphone app.

In New York there are car-share pick-up points in no fewer than 716 locations. Youre also in luck if youre a smartphone-owning millennial in Cape Town or Johannesburg, thanks to the launch of Africas first car-sharing network Locomute. You may, however, struggle to get out of city boundaries New York is the fourth most congested city in the US, and both South African cities top their countrys list for traffic jams.

Diversity

For all their faults, millennials are more open-minded and accepting of diversity than their forebears. And this is good for cities. In his seminal paper, which created a bohemian-gay index to measure the relationship between diverse, sexually tolerant cities and economic prosperity, urban studies doyen Richard Florida argued that the more tolerant a city was, the more its technological industry and economy thrived.

Sweden has long been known as a champion of female equality (last year, it was announced that every 16-year-old in the country would be given a copy of We Should All Be Feminists, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie). But its cities are pioneering on many fronts: in 2014 Gothenburg received the European commissions Access City award for its provision, including providing audio buses, travel guides for all disabled residents, and a transport service for people with severe disabilities. It also has a live, public database recording accessibility to the citys 3,000 public buildings and spaces.

An area known as gay beach in Dolores Park, San Francisco. Photograph: David Levene for the Guardian

The 2015 Social Progress Index, which measures a nations progressive attitudes, ranked Sweden second behind only Norway in terms of personal freedom, choice, tolerance and inclusion. Sweden was also rated best on discrimination and violence against minorities, although its inclusive attitude seems to have dulled in recent months.

San Francisco has been home to a bustling gay scene since the end of the second world war, when many homosexual soldiers chose to stay in the city rather than go home after their discharge from military service. Last year, data-driven consultancy firm Gallup reported that the San Francisco, Oakland and Hayward area in California had the highest proportion (6.2%) of LGBT residents out of all of the metro areas in the US.

When it comes to racial diversity, more than half of Torontos 1.3 million residents were born outside Canada, according to the citys most recent National Household Survey. Toronto also topped the WCCFs 2015 list of largest foreign-born urban populations. The city has one of the most celebrated Chinatowns in the world, and is home to the annual Mabuhay Philippines festival and Toronto black film festival.

Read on: The trials of Generation Y – the full series