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ctpfinal2018 · 5 years

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Lingue Senza Frontiere - A Guide

When I first auditioned to work with this company, there was little information on the roles and responsibilities, or even what to expect and bring. So, I have decided to make a post based off of my experience to help guide those who are considering working for this company.

For those who have no idea what I’m talking about, Lingue Senza Frontiere (or LSF as I will call them from now on) are an Italian Educational Theatre Company that gets groups of actors to tour the north of Italy. The actors perform a variety of plays to a variety of schools as well as running workshops after shows. They also run summer camps. If you want to check them out, I’ll link their website but it is in Italian so you might wanna get google translate on it:- https://www.linguesenzafrontiere.com/

Tip 1:- Check your journey price and time frame LSF offer 100 euros for your first travel over to Italy. They will not pay you for any other trips in and out of the country you may make during your contract with them. So look at how much it’s going to cost you to get from where you live to the Sanremo station in Italy, as that is where the company picks you up to take you to the accommodation. The nearest airport is Nice and there’s normally buses and trains that can take you from there. But also be aware of how long the journey will take. There may not be a direct flight from your local airport to the Nice airport, or your arrival time may not work out for getting a train to Sanremo. The company will want you to be at Sanremo station by 6pm European Time at the latest, since they close their office at 6pm and might not offer to collect you should you need to arrive later than that. But also think about your own health in the journey. You don’t want to be taking two planes, a train and a bus all in one day just so you don’t have to pay to sleep overnight somewhere. Consider what’s going to be the best route, work out the cost including luggage and if it comes to over 100 euros see if you can speak with LSF about covering the extra charges so you can meet their required arrival time.

Tip 2:- Don’t over pack So you’re going to another country for possibly 8 months without returning home. You’re not sure what weather you could be facing, so you should probably bring a lot of stuff, right? Wrong. You’re only staying in Sanremo during your rehearsal period so when you go off to act you need to fit your suitcase, as well as the suitcases of the other actors and all of the props and costumes for the shows into a Peugeot car, maybe a small Peugeot van at best. You won’t have time to wear your beautiful summer clothes or fashionable winter jeans. Pack black trousers, leggings and jeans. You have to wear black for the shows, so make sure you have a few pairs in case any get damaged during performances. It does get cold at winter and we all heard how hot Europe was this summer so yeah make sure you have a variety, just a variety of black, with a few bits for weekends and potential evening meals out. Maybe pack one of them thingies for checking the weight of your case for your journey back. There are launderettes at both flats, both of which don’t require washing powder. And as someone who uses non-bio washing powder, I never had an issue with itchy clothes.

Tip 3:- Take a rucksack and a microwaveable food box Speaking of keeping things light, take a rucksack. After you move from Sanremo, you settle in a flat in Capriate San Gervasio where you’ll spend most of your weekends. You can leave your suitcase there. Most of your accommodation during the week will be in hotels, flats and airbnb’s. Not all of them will have lifts. Not all of them will have cooking facilities. Trust me, you don’t want to be lugging an entire suitcase into a hotel you are staying in for one night. Take a rucksack with a weeks worth of essential clothes and toiletries. Make yourself some pasta for lunch and store it for the car journey.

Tip 4:- Bring an Italian adaptor Yeah, that title’s right. Not a European adaptor, an Italian adaptor. One with three, thin prongs rather than the two fat ones European adaptors have. Both company accommodations only use Italian adaptors and most flats also use the same plug system. Here’s one for reference:- https://www.amazon.co.uk/ADAPTOO-ADV-12-ADAPTOR-UK-ITALY/dp/B002YKNTUM/ref=asc_df_B002YKNTUM/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=311075391090&hvpos=1o8&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13891911048839537870&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006679&hvtargid=pla-562449714173&psc=1

Tip 5:- Learn some basic Italian LSF will tell you that you don’t need to know Italian to do your job. They’re lying. Not only does most of the accommodation not understand basic English (which, let’s face it some little town that never gets tourists aren’t going to bother learning a language they’ll never use in day-to-day life) but sometimes the teachers who had requested the performance didn’t understand English. Part of the job is calling accommodation to confirm the time you will arrive, and calling the teachers to confirm what they’ve paid for. So here’s a bit of Italian that will save your skin:- Ciao, siamo LSF. Abbiamo una prenotazione/ un spettacolo con te domani. Posso parlare Inglese? This means:- Hello, we are LSF. We have a reservation/ a show with you tomorrow. Can I speak English? A good way to learn is through Duolingo, though you’re bound to pick up things the longer you’re in the country and practising the language.

Tip 6:- Learn the scripts and songs before you arrive You have two weeks to block out and rehearse like, 5 plays as well as learn how to run the workshops and practice driving. You don’t want to shove learning lines and songs on top of that too. Though be prepared for the company to add in audience interaction into the script.

Tip 7:- Make sure to read the contract in detail before signing The company will try to guilt you into doing more for the company, such as working over the weekend to learn new workshop styles. They will state that it is in the contract for you to do these things. Whilst this is kind of true, sometimes the company will try to spring things on you last minute such as last minute bookings. Make sure to communicate your concerns with the company about any issues that may rise with their expectations from you in the role.

Tip 8:- Have a phone plan that provides lots of data The company provides a WiFi router for the Capriate flat, but it only has 30G of data per month for the 10 people who are living in the flat. That’s 3G of data per month per person. Plus the SatNav the company provides tends to take you down narrow roads and dead ends so it is always good to make sure you can use your own google maps to look for a safer route.

Tip 9:- Look after the company car and your locations The company will provide you with a car to get from place to place, as well as funds for petrol and emergency funds for washing costumes, cleaning facilities for flats etc. The company base your potential bonus at the end of the contract on the maintenance of the car and the flats. If you receive a speeding ticket, it is taken off of your bonus. Even if you weren’t the one driving, as the company states that everyone in the group is responsible for the car regardless of if they drive or not. If you do damage the car, make sure to contact the company immediately to ask them what to do. Little scratches and bumps are inevitable but communication is key when making sure you are covered for any damage caused. The same with the flats. If you do not recycle your waste correctly, the flat could be fined. If the flat is unclean or the toilets and drains become blocked, the company may need to pay for these fixing and thus your bonus deducting for said fixes.

Tip 10:- Make the most of your free time Be aware of how long it will take you to journey from one accommodation to the next. Ask the accommodation owners when the earliest and latest times are to arrive. Look at how many shows you will be performing and take time to enjoy your surroundings. If you are performing near to Verona and you have 3 hours free before you need to leave, take some time to go and sight-see. Italy is a beautiful country and there’s lots to experience. So enjoy the time you have out there. Treat yourself to a Michelin star restaurant. Stuff your face at an all-you-can-eat Chinese. Experience the towns people pay hundreds of pounds to visit for a weekend and you get to see simply by performing to a school nearby. Visit the neighbour at the Capriate flat and learn to play a card game in Italian.

In conclusion, working for LSF was an experience I was proud to obtain. Sure, sometimes the other actors drove me a little crazy. But that is inevitable when you’re basically spending 24/7 with the same people. Sharing rooms and sometimes even beds wasn’t exactly what I expected but it wasn’t too bad. Most stuff you learn as you go, growing stronger with each new challenge the role brings your way. You’ll learn how to be smart with both the company’s money and your own money. You’ll learn when and where the best place to wash and dry your clothes is. You’ll learn to balance your work relationship with your friendships with your fellow actors, and when sometimes you just need a few minutes to yourself. You’ll learn to balance the company’s duties amongst the group and work together to bring joy to the children you perform to.

If you have any more questions about what to expect, don’t be afraid to ask the company, or even ask me.

#acting #review #tips and tricks #lsf #lingue sensa frontiere

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paladin-andric · 6 years

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Blackheart Masterpost

It’s finally here! I’m putting down a comprehensive list of my work thus far. Bits of lore and short stories are up top, if you want to read the WIP itself the chapters are at the bottom!

About The World:

A map of Deaco and the kingdoms in it, with information of each race

The Kingdom of Geralthin: Humanity’s Home

The Animals, Economy and Food of Geralthin

Everything Else: The Races Without Borders

Deaco’s Magic: Power, Secrecy, Life and Death

The Magic of Deaco: More Spells

A Rainbow of Fury: Dragons’ Colors and Their Meaning

Nature of the Gods: God and His Children

Nature of the Gods: The Old Gods

Outcasts, Misfits, and Wanderers: Life as an Outsider

Ancient and Antiquated History: The Human Empire

On Bards and Music

Faces of History: Geralthin Monarchs

The New Continent: The Republic of Salisca

Legends of Deaco

The Creation Legend: Pseudodragons

The Creation Legend: Kobolds

Character Bios:

Alexander, Knight of Geralthin

Senci, the Kobold of Lannis

Leianna, Cleric of The Order

Tourthun, the Red Dragon

Andric, Paladin of Lannis

Lexius, Priest of The Order

Wurie, Captain of the Guard

Paul, Bounty Hunter

Razorwing, Wandering Hero

Charles the Half-Dragon

Moments In History (Short stories set in the world of Blackheart):

Gira Series: Featuring Gira, the Black Dragon with a tender heart and a kindly love for humanity!

Gira and the Blue Dragon

Desc: Now the guardian of Pasir, Gira is snoozing outside the city when a challenger threatens the people under her protection...

A Dragon’s Recompense

Desc: Against all odds, Gira stumbles across the dragon that threatened Pasir while out relaxing! He’s acting strange, so she probes...

Gira’s Secret

Desc: The black dragon has become an advisor for Godfrey, the first King of Geralthin. He catches her doing something strange...

The First King’s Passing

Desc: After dozens and dozens of years dutifully serving the king, Gira discovers her healing powers have their limits...and she must stand by and watch as her greatest friend says goodbye.

The Ball

Desc: Half a millennium after the events of Blackheart, a Great War has enveloped Deaco. At a royal ball, a descendant of House Angelus comes across some colorful characters and a purpose to push towards...

One offs and two-parters:

The Last Stand of the Ashishani

Desc: The sacred guardians of the Grove of the Prophet fight to the bitter end against rampaging wolfman hordes.

Kinship

Desc: A wolfwoman comes across a shellback slave captured by her tribe...and realizes they’re not the enemies she thought they were.)

A Past Life: Part 1 | Part 2

Desc: Two soldiers are captured and brainwashed by an evil dragon, and transformed into monstrous slaves. One night, one of them remembers bits of his past, and rushes to escape and find help before the dragon’s influence breaks his will...

Readjustment

Desc: Bartholomew and Cornelius have found themselves in an odd position. Though they successfully reached Cay City and purged themselves of the dragon’s mental hold, their bodies remain inhuman...even Cornelius, who’s kobold form should have been dispelled along with the mind control. With the bodies of beasts but the minds of humans, the pair begin the arduous process of readjusting to life as it once was after months of living in squalor, and looking for clues as to what sorcery can resist purging magic. At the same time, Bartholomew realizes his draconic form has its upsides...

An Unlikely Savior

Desc: A dragonslayer and a wizard are commissioned to slay a dragon...only to realize their mark isn’t all it appears to be.

Hearts of Gold: Part 1 | Part 2

Desc: A dragon makes the ultimate sacrifice, giving up his honor and sanity to demonic corruption while his friend rushes to rescue him before he’s lost forever...

Guardian Angels

Desc: Two sea dragons come across a drowning man, who is certain he is about to be eaten alive...though this turns out to be far from what they’re planning.

A Bard’s Tale: Part 1 | Part 2

Desc: A bard stops an evil black dragon from slaughtering a village by playing magic-infused music for him, the beast struggling with the concept of feeling emotions for the first time. Constantly battling the beast for control of his mind, she must keep the dragon under control long enough to help him understand the emotions confusing and conflicting him.

Rise of the High King

Desc: Seigot Ironheart, newly named chieftain of the Oakwall Tribe, finds himself surrounded by a coalition of several rival tribes, each one larger and more powerful than his on their own. Together, it seems they are about to destroy the Oakwall Tribe once and for all...but Seigot is an inspiring commander, skilled leader, and cunning tactician. The enemy moves into the forests, and Seigot lies in wait...

Beachside Memories

Desc: A group of unusual friends enjoy their day off by traveling to the beach, ready for a day full of relaxation and fun...and while they are given an experience they’ll never forget, it isn’t for the reasons one would hope for.

A God in Exile

Desc: Cuan, the trickster god of the koutu pantheon, is punished for turning his uncle Cabrus into a griffin. He is forced into the form of a lowly serpent, and exiled to the mortal realm for a century. Cabrus feels some remorse and offers Cuan a second chance...but one should never trust the god of trickery to behave.

The Way of the Dragon

Desc: Theo, a man hopelessly lost in a world full of mythical creatures, gains access to the emperor’s court and discovers a possible way to get home...but the road ahead is long and perilous.

The Plan

Desc: A dragon’s soul, stuck inside a kobold’s body, puts into motion his plan to find his old lair, bringing his new friend Iki along to discover what secrets his past has in store...

A Matter of Perspective

Desc: A dragon finds another one of his kind locked up in a tower, rolling around on his back and begging for food from humans like an animal. Filled with righteous fury, he breaks in to free the dragon the humans have obviously brainwashed...only things don’t progress as he expected.

An Even Game

Desc: A mercenary company with little to do play a game of pen and paper! Inspired by games like Crusader Kings and Medieval: Total War!

Darkest Hour

Desc: In an alternate timeline, a horrid villain’s scheme succeeds. The entire continent is covered in a fog that turns all within it into monsters utterly loyal to the cruel tyrant, who becomes master of the known world. In this dark future, in a world without a sky, only a small underground base full of humans remain. When they must leave, they do so in sealed suits with gasmasks, so that they will not become one of them. Is there any hope left?

A Heist Awry

Desc: A master thief takes on an extremely dangerous heist for the chance at enough gold to retire for the rest of his life...but things take an unexpected turn as his target is an unexpected source, and a rogue element threatens everything!

Emergency Hearing

Desc: Hundreds of years in the future, at the dawn of the industrial era, the power of dragons begins to wane. Artillery pieces, modern combat tactics and more widespread magic has allowed humanity to impose their will on the land with wild abandon. Seeing the writing on the wall, the elder dragons call a meeting with the rest of dragonkind to discuss the fate of their kind, and humanity...

An Enemy Within

Desc: In the “Darkest Hour” timeline, the story continues. It turns out one of those soldiers did in fact survive, at a cost. A friend of his comes to discuss things with him...

Sorcerer Series:

A Snake in the Grass

The Long Con

The Unwitting Volunteer

The United Front

Justice and Spite

Desc: An upstart sorcerer obsessed with the might of dragons unleashes cruel and cunning plots against everyone he meets in an ultimate bid to steal the form of a dragon for himself...no matter how many must suffer and die in the process.

Chronicles of Logan:

Something Better

Public Enemy

The Sting

A New Beginning

Desc: Originally a human magician, Logan seeks out the blood of a dragon, to turn himself into one of the powerful and illusive half-dragons. Thus, his lengthy and accomplished career of sorcery began...

Zaphontilku’s Tale:

Joy and Ashes

Breaking Point

Desc: Zaphontilku is but a child when the war between dragonkind and humanity begins. For his own safety, his father traps him deep underground for centuries, where no humans can hurt him. The dragon toils and suffers in darkness for hundreds of years, his sanity waning, until a mysterious soldier somehow slips past the barrier...

Jotober 2018

Desc: During October, I made a short story every day. A collection of 31 short stories themed around a single word, assigned every day.

Story Time (Mini-stories about the characters of Blackheart):

Senci and the Blacksmith

Andric: Against the Demons

Alexander on the Battlefield

Alexander and the Knight

Leianna and the Fugitive Hunt

Razorwing and the Party Crasher

Senci and the Pseudodragon

Leianna: Spiteful Justice

Andric and Senci: Breakable

Andric and Senci: A New Homestead

Charles: Gift

Charles: Day One

Wurie: The Swords of Justice

Senci & Andric: Southern Secrets

Alexander & Tourthun: Hunted

Leianna: Survivor

BEST BOYS (Shorts of Eignach and Razorwing)

A Chance Meeting

Razorwing and the Party Crasher

Respite

Flowing

The Marathon

Day of the Roses

Hope in These Dark Times

Together

The Tourthun Sadness Saga™

Bliss

The Promise

An Innocent Query

Heartache

Tranquility

Come Fly With Me

Tragedy Breeds Bias

Cold Skies, Warm Hearts

Bonus: Redemption (Indirectly includes Tourthun)

Desc: Tourthun, a young dragon who lives by a strict set of morals dictating peace and kindness towards others, is stricken by misfortune time and again...

Miscellaneous Stuff:

Picture of Alexander by the wonderful @paper-shield-and-wooden-sword

Moodboard of Tourthun courtesy of the great @theguildedtypewriter

Moodboard of Paul

Moodboard of Senci

Moodboard of Razorwing

Moodboard of Charles

Moodboard of Alexander

Moodboard of Andric

The Characters of Blackheart in Dark Souls 3

Picture of Andric by a very good friend of mine

Dark Souls Inspired Item Descriptions

High Quality Wurie Shitpost by @paper-shield-and-wooden-sword

Story about two London kids secretly raising a baby dragon, requested by @kainablue (Yeah never titled it sorry. Technically Deaco related since the dragon came from Deaco into our universe)

The National Flag of Geralthin

Blackheart - The Story So Far:

Chapter 1, Into the Abyss: Introduction

Chapter 2, The Citadel: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Chapter 3, The Dragon: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Chapter 4, The Return: Part 1 | Part 2

Chapter 5, A Test of Mettle: Part 1 | Part 2

Chapter 6, A Change of Plans: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Chapter 7, Lowly Times: Part 1 | Part 2

Chapter 8, Winged Angel

Chapter 9, Birds of a Feather

Chapter 10, In Calamity, Hope

Chapter 11, A Bow, A Blade, and A Mind

Chapter 12, Come Together

Chapter 13, Enemy Within

Chapter 14, Back From the Brink

Chapter 15, A Light in the Dark

Chapter 16, The Insurmountable

Chapter 17, Melancholy

Chapter 18, Field of Dreams

Chapter 19, Reunion

Chapter 20, Discontent

Chapter 21, Second Wind

Chapter 22, Revelations

Chapter 23, Sins of the Father

Chapter 24, Shattered Memories

Chapter 25, Farewell

Chapter 26, Tourthun’s Legacy

Chapter 27, In Grief, Conviction

Chapter 28, Hope

Chapter 29, Awakening

Chapter 30, The Black Dragon

Chapter 31, A Final Respite

Chapter 32, Tarnished Legacy

Chapter 33, Heart of Darkness

Epilogue: Sunrise

That’s all he wrote! This post will be updated whenever something new is posted! I must stress how much I need feedback, if you haven’t read Blackheart over, please do, and let me know what you think! I really hope you all like this collection of information on the world thus far!

Want to be tagged whenever I post about Blackheart? Just ask and I’ll add you to the list!

#blackheart #writing #writeblr #masterpost

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attract-mode-collective · 6 years

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An Arcade Grows in Brooklyn (Or At Least Is Trying To)

Perhaps it's still the case... perhaps it has always been the case.... all I know with absolute certainty is how, during a certain point, circa the early 2010s, a decent number of people were very much interested in opening and operating their very own arcade around these parts. These parts being New York City and surrounds areas.

Said individuals would, understandably, seek advice from an expert. And for reasons that may seem obvious to some, one person who was often enlisted was Kotaku's editor in chief, Stephen Totilo. And cuz it ain't quite his domain, Steve would then pass everyone along to someone more knowledgeable, that being me.

I spoke to a variety of individuals, each with their own unique vision...or so they thought. In reality, they were all essentially identical: everyone just wanted a place to hang out and play video games with their friends. They also figured that there would be enough other people wanting to same, enough to quit their day jobs and make a living off of them. To each and every one I said the same basic thing: don't do it.

Hey, I love arcades, I really do, and wish there was more of them. But I also don't like the idea of someone completely wasting away his life savings, just for a place for him and his buds to play Halo 3 or Rock Band 2 all night long. To be more exact, I don't like the idea of being someone who could have prevented such a thing from happening.

Just the other week, My Life In Gaming was in town; before swinging by Connecticut for some retro gaming con, there was a pit stop in NYC. Am assuming Coury wanted to catch up with family, being a Brooklyn native and all; perhaps to maximize his time, a meet-up was also planned. At an arcade. One that I had never heard of before.

The oddly named I Fix Machine Arcade was located in my old stomping grounds of Sunset Park, around three of four blocks away from a former residence; when I left in 2007, that part of Brooklyn was just starting to become gentrified, so I was hardly shocked to discover that the location was inside some freshly erected and ultra-trendy office loft space.

Once inside the front door, I was immediately lost; as with similar spaces, you’ve got an ultra-chic decor with zero signage, cuz that would either clash or something. A guy then walked in after me, saw that I was clueless, and pointed towards the fourth floor. Where there was no arcade. This led me to going up and down the entire building (via stairs since I feared the lack of security codes would impede my search), until I finally came across it on the first floor. The door was manned by the proprietor... the same guy who led me astray. Guess I didn't look like an arcade goer or something.

Anyhow, once again: it's an arcade! In an office space! Most of the games are running off of Japanese candy cabs, Versus City machines to be exact. You also have a Neo Geo MVS, an exposed NAOMI 2 attached to a Raspberry Pi (supplying the roms) and a Sega Saturn (doing what I have no idea), a high-end PC running Steam, plus more. There's even an area for live-streaming... quite the impressive set-up.

And near the entrance is a table, where the aforementioned proprietor had an open PC in front of him. Christopher is an energetic, buoyant fellow, whom I had a hard time understanding, though his enthusiasm clearly came across. I asked quite a few things and received many answers. Kinda, sorta.

My first question, of course: what's this arcade about? Christopher immediately went into his sales pitch, about it being a home for gamers, hearkening back to a time in which arcades ruled supreme, before the internet & online gaming, where you breathed the same air space with other players, yada yada yada, the same thing I've heard legit a hundred times before. I then asked, seriously, what's the deal here.

First, a bit about Christopher: I was surprised to learn that he was in his mid-to-late 30s, given his youthful appearance, though even more impressive is how he taught himself to repair computers in the late 90s, before the advent of YouTube. I'm not sure what came first, the computer repair business or the arcade, but I did discover out that he owes everything to a guy named Jose Cruz. The way Christopher reverentially addressed Jose, it was like hearing the Pope refer to Jesus Christ Himself.

At the very least, Christopher acted like I should have known who Jose was... cuz I guess he's kind of a big deal? A combination of clues and blind guesses led to the assumption that the legend of Jose Cruz was somehow connected to local fight game scene and associated territories. Specifically the original Chinatown Fair crew, which later made a home for themselves at Next Level. Speaking of, I asked if there was any competition between I Fix Machine Arcade and Next Level Arcade, and the response was a somewhat sheepish "no... not anymore”.

Not long after my visit, I would discover that I Fix Machine and Next Level are in the same neighborhood, just a block away (the latter had initially chosen Brooklyn’s Chinatown as its new home-base). Again, no idea who came to the area first, but after some unspecified turf warfare, it would appear that everyone is friendly for now. I get the impression that one will go to whichever Arcade depending on one’s interest in a particular fame and the associated community built around it. I got the impression that I Fix Machine was the place for Tekken devotees.

Back to Jose: I would also discover that much of his fame... from what I was able to discover after the fact myself... is due his technical prowess. He knows his way around the back of an arcade machine and has produced a number of noteworthy mods. As such, Jose also taught Christopher everything he knows about servicing arcade cabs. I asked if, in addition to PCs, arcade games could also be repaired, since I know a few owners who might appreciate such a resource… didn’t get a straight answer. I then asked what the hours were: “2am to midnight”. I assumed he meant 2pm to midnight. Days of operation? Wednesday through Sunday. Cost of playing games? $10.

While asking questions I noticed a steady stream of patrons trickling into I Fix Machine Arcade, all clearly regulars. It then hit me, the similarities between this place and all the others that had been proposed to me, which I had nixed: these customers all seemed to know each other... they were all friends, friends who were paying to hang out with each other. I suppose seeing it in action made me realize that such a business model wasn't that insidious after all. Or entirely unique; it's no different than a club house or lodge, where the members pay dues to help keep the lights on. It just so happens that the doors are opened to the general public.

Yet the question remains: how many more friends can such a place attract? I was also reminded of my initial visit to Next Level several years ago, when Henry Cen had just begun operations. Someone close to Cen at the time divulged to me plans for a Next Level in Queens after the Brooklyn location. Then another one in the Bronx. Of course there would be one in Manhattan, with NJ to follow. I wondered back then if Cen had enough friends to fulfill such a master plan. Last I heard, the move from Brooklyn Chinatown to Sunset Park resulted in a reduction of square footage.

Back to Christopher: I asked how long I Fix Machine Arcade had been in business: about 6 months. I then asked how promotions were handled, and Christopher explained that he had been extolling the virtues of his haven for hardcore gamers “everywhere”: Twitter, Facebook, Twitch, Discord, etc. It’s at this point in which any objectivity as an investigative journalist began to wash away and my years as a promoter for events began to take over. I explained that online forums can only go so far… to really get the word out, especially on a local level, one had to do it the old fashioned way. And that’s the plaster the city with stickers and flyers, as well as make appearances at events. In the flesh. Places like Penny Arcade Expo, New York Comic Con, AnimeNYC, and especially MAGFest.

Christopher admitted to me that he had heard of those places, but never been to them (at least to conduct business). At that exact moment, a person who had just put down his $10 for the entrance fee also noted that he had just put down money for a MAGFest hotel room, which had just become available to the pubic earlier that afternoon. This unidentified individual told Christopher, “Hey man, it’s hype; you need to go there, tell everyone about IFM!” Christopher smiled and nodded in agreement.

I figured it was time to ask the hardball questions. First… any trouble with the neighbors? Not surprisingly, other offices in the building have called the cops to complain, resulting in several visits. But Christopher glossed over the details and offered a positive spin, by saying that each visit ends with cops hanging out and playing games. Quite the positive outcome, far more so than similar visits by the fuzz to other DIY venues I’ve been at or associated with.

I asked other questions, like what was the age range of his customers (Christopher claimed between 6 to 60, which I found a bit hard to swallow) and what was the average number of customers on a given day (he stated about 10, and given the number of regulars present, I found that to be a tad bit more plausible). Eventually, it was time for the hardest question of them all: is I Fix Machine Arcade making any money?

The answer was surprisingly honest and to the point, given the numerous canned responses I had been give: no. Yet... he and Jose (who I believe is the co-owner) know that it takes a year or two for any business to get its footing... or so they say. And I was told that they were ready for the road ahead. Now, given the surprise response to my inquiry about MAGFest, I have to wonder about that. Then again, I suppose things are truly only getting started.

Objectively speaking, the pieces are all there: I Fix Machine Arcade has the space, one that’s fairly accessible (it’s close by a major subway hub in South Brooklyn), it definitely has the gear (I honestly can't recall a larger assortment of Japanese arcade hardware in the Big Apple), and thus far, it has a loyal legion of customers. I hope I Fix Machine Arcade, I want it to survive, but do I believe it will when all is said and done? Well…

I almost forgot: the meet-up. It was actually a combination My Life In Gaming/RetroRGB gathering. Which is also when RetroRGB sat down with Jose Cruz himself for an hour long chat, for those interested...

youtube

... I was expecting an Antiques Roadshow-type gathering, but with modded retro gaming hardware, and that's basically what I got. Here's my buddy Jessen showing off some wacky RGB mod for the Super Famicom that sends its signal via the cart?

Eventually, when the party was officially in full swing of course, I remember how long my subway ride back home to the Bronx would be, so it was time to head out...

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gotravel2fly · 4 years

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Adventures in Colombia

repost from 28th January 2019 on gotravel2fly

It is interesting in these well-known places how you get to meet people from around the world and the coolest skill here is to be able to speak many foreign languages. Sometimes knowing English might be enough if you travel to Europe, India, Australia or New Zealand, because it is a very global language. But in Latin America, not so much. Here people speak Spanish and only rarely they can speak English, so it is good to be able to communicate with local people. On the other hand, there are many foreigners but not all of them speak English. So here I have practiced my English, French and Spanish and the fact is that people are very curious to know about Romanian. All of them are very surprised to find out that this is a Latin language, spoken in a country surrounded by Slavic and Hungarian speaking countries.

In fact, people in this sport are very open-minded, there are people that travel a lot and see lots of things and that helps them understand differently the world around them. And it is not only about paragliding, it is about what happens when doing this, how you get back home after landing in a very remote place (which can be an adventure even in your home country), how you interact with the other pilots on the take-off or after landing, how people make groups for traveling or different adventures, etc.

About adventures, every day is a new story. The day it really rained a lot since we’ve got here, we decided to rent a motorbike in the afternoon. The weather seemed ok at that hour and we decided to ride up to the take-off and that area, on a paved and steep road. However, the rain started again so we made two stop-overs because we were all wet and we could not see forward. It was a cool adventure, but I wouldn’t ride again if raining.

One of the days I flew to the South but I landed near Bolivar because I couldn’t get back. A guy on a motorbike stopped near me trying to make a conversation but I couldn’t understand what he was talking about so he left. He got back with a cold bottled lemon juice and he understood that he has to use simpler words in order for me to understand Spanish. The retrieval was fast, Don Fernando took me by car, a very nice elder man with whom I talked about Medellin, Cali and Cartagena which he recommended to visit.

On 13th of January was the first day of the Colombian National Championship and I thought that it will last longer till we could take-off because of the 70+ pilots registered in the contest. But in fact it was ok, we waited longer because of the rain, but after that, I made a nice flight with Vladut.

The day before leaving in the trip to the north, I landed on a field and then a guy from the USA landed there also. I waited for him to pack his equipment and we headed to the gate, but it was closed so the only way out was climbing over the gate. So this is what he did and when I tried that, a piece of the metal gate broke, entering in my right foot. Since I don’t really react ok when I see blood, I had to sit down for a minute. Thank you Steve Mcbee for having and using your first aid kit!

So this is how I ended up in ER in Roldanillo, where I got an antitetanus vaccine and some stitches, with the recommendation to use antibiotic for 7 days and no entering the water with the wound (just before leaving to the seaside). My experience in the Roldanillo hospital was pretty good, it didn’t last that long, the doctor was very young and careful and although he couldn’t speak English very well, he used Google translate for easier communication.

Later edit :

Even that Roldanillo is a very well-known place for paragliding and so many pilots come here this time of the year for free flying or contests, the retrieval in case of emergency is very late and there are many things that can get better in this community related to this thing. Accidents happen and paragliding is not the least dangerous sport ever, so the local authorities should mobilize to do something about this, with the help of local pilots and the ones that come here often for flying because I think it is completely unacceptable that a rescue from the mountain to take 6 hours. There is a lack of information at the take-off and in the city of Roldanillo, there is a lack of interest to solve these kinds of problems that often occur. People are not prepared to help the pilots who suffered an accident and even if they want to help, they don't know the procedure if there is one.

About 3 weeks ago I witnessed a bad situation with a flying mate, which eventually ended up ok-ish, but still... After an early take-off,( because the week before was British open so every day we took off after the competitors) that day I had one of my bumpiest flights, with lots of asymmetric collapses and a cravat, that made me land pretty soon. But I landed OK. The thing is next second I heard a colleague of mine saying in the radio station that she landed on the mountain and her foot hurts. So I asked her location and tried to help by calling the ambulance. I didn't know the number but I asked people in the village. They called the hospital but no answer, then a taxi came and he called the hospital and they said that if the patient is on the mountain, we should call the firefighters. No-one knew the number so the taxi driver took me to the HQ, where they said that another department is on that accident, the Civil Defence. So the taxi driver took me there and they were like... Ah OK, we will come. I had the location so I took them there in the village and then we hiked up for like 1hour to get to the patient. Meanwhile, her boyfriend was already there with her and also the kids from the village. The retrieval from the mountain took 3h to get her in the village, so a total of 6h since when she called her accident until she got to the hospital. Her foot was broken and she needed surgery. That s bad, but actually not that bad... If there had been a blood loss, the patient would have been dead probably in 6 hours. That is bad. That is bad structure, I did not know the procedure if they had one.. And the people here working in different departments have no clue what to do and who to call. That is bad... Bad news actually because it was not the first accident here. Another friend had a back injury a week before and the ambulance came, took him to the hospital in Roldanillo and they sent him home... And he actually had his back broken and in need for back surgery and he was walking around for a week without knowing that because the hospital sent him home. And after a few other tests and CT, he found out that he should have not left the hospital like that. They should have sent him to a more competent hospital if they were too small or unprepared or unqualified... This is what I was talking about... This is a bad-organized community, the Roldanillo authorities and the flying community also. Before these accidents, I had no idea of who I should call in case of emergency, there is no number written at the take-off or in the city center or elsewhere. You can check over the Internet, but Colombia has a bunch of different numbers because every institution has its own line for emergencies and they do not communicate among them.

This is something I don’t get... paraglider pilots come here for 20 years and this small town earns lots of money from these hundreds of pilots coming here every year in full season. I’m not saying that people won’t come again, but I think that there are a few things that should change around here, for people safety.

con Don Fernando after retrieval

on our way by motorbike

at the take-ff during Colombian National Paragliding Championship

a local finca

#colombia #paragliding

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abigailskoda · 4 years

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Chile, The Ultimate Adventure

I've written a terrific deal on Chile however I've for the most element targeting Santiago and the primary outlying regions. In this newsletter I'll concentrate more at the seashore and coastal regions 188xoso I common these regions just about each unmarried weekend and had, for a time, planned on building my cottage near the coastal regions. I can say there is nonetheless a extraordinary deal of conveniently available land for purchase in the coastal areas also.

Prices for plenty range about $3500 to $7500, relying on the scale and places favored. In my ebook on Chile, I have exact a few web sites you may visit observe which have photos of to be had land plenty and surrounding regions. These regions are very appealing and rustic. The sort of places, wherein a small cabin could make one experience so comfortable and at home within the surroundings.

The coastal regions of Chile have lots to provide everyone who is deliberating residing there. The maximum famous region or metropolis is Viña Del Mar. It's the most popular seashore or coastal city due to the reality that, it has a on line casino, which makes it the relevant focal factor. People tour for miles round to visit the casino and this is where the Chilean elite and well to do play. It's very not unusual to run into neighborhood television personalities on the casino and Saturday's are the first-rate for on line casino motion. The casino hotel itself nearly opponents the MGM in Las Vegas, in terms of luxury.

If you are no longer a gambler it truly is OK additionally, because Viña Del Mar has a wealth of stores, eating places and waterfront pastime for any and all to enjoy. Right next door to the casino is a large city park wherein you may rent scooters, bicycles and extra for the kids, in case you're seeking out a chunk of romance, then try a "Victoria", which is a horse drawn carriage ride across the city middle.

Right at the back of the casino is the carriage stand, where you and your beloved can take a gradual ride down one of the facet streets that is parallel with the sea. You can trip and notice the waves and the sundown.

Going into the main part of downtown Viña, you may locate tons of road carriers promoting some thing from oil on canvas art work of seascapes, to handcrafted leather items and greater. There's a lot to peer and do and there are greater small curio shops then I've ever visible in my existence in Viña. If you are trying to collect unique and uncommon objects, this would be the region to start.

Now as some distance as hotels, the most inexpensive places are called "residenciales". These are old family homes where you could lease a room for a totally low rate, you won't discover luxury but it's reasonably-priced and smooth. One of the best locations may be determined at:

Residencial Blanchait

Avenida Valparaiso eighty two-A

Viña Del Mar

Singles USD 20.00 - 25.00

There's exceptional eating in Viña however if you need some thing speedy and easy there are tons of cafes and fast food kind of eating places. Fine dining is brilliant but this metropolis is one with human beings at the move who don't constantly want to make an effort to experience a first-rate cuisine. Everybody's coming and going always of day and night. The town isn't always as lit up as Las Vegas but agree with me once I say it has the identical sense, the same power and the same excitement.

During the month of February, the Viña Del Mar International Song Festival has been held every yr considering that 1970, lasting all of six days. The venue for this essential occasion is the Quinta Vergara amphitheatre, and it's prepared in 3 elements: the primary is the worldwide competition, which historically has round ten nations taking component; then there may be the folk segment, with performers coming from all over Chile; and in the end the international show, sprinkled with international stars, and the ever-hopefuls who wish to win over the annoying audience, and allow me tell you, Chilean crowds are very difficult to thrill on the subject of entertainment.

Many american cruise ships are starting to make regular stops now in Viña Del Mar that is speedy making it a completely global city. One of my different favored towns is Valparaiso. Valparaiso is handiest ten minutes with the aid of car from Viña Del Mar and it is taken into consideration a ancient town. This city has the same protection as that of Prague; nothing on this town can be changed. It all need to be preserved precisely as is.

Valparaiso is more or much less a historic monument, the complete town! It's very old however this is its charm and man or woman. A actual treat in Valparaiso, is a trip on an ascensore. The town of Valparaiso has been known as "The Vertical City" because it changed into built on large hills, and so the town is surely divided. The stores and stores are within the decrease part of the city however the residential living is in the hilltop areas, and to get from the hills to the lower a part of the town you could take an ascensore.

That is, basically a huge elevator car that takes you from the upper to the lower a part of the city and vice versa. It's most effective a couple hundred pesos for the trip however it's a thrill you will usually don't forget and cherish. The ascensores where first constructed and positioned into use sometime in 1883 after which there have been over eighty three working units for the duration of the city giving the townspeople get right of entry to to the lower components of the city.

Now there are best 15 operating gadgets left. It's amazing to peer those little bins going up and down tracks constructed into the sides of hills. They work similar to antique time elevators in that they use a counterweight device to provide the carry. It's noticeably counseled in case you plan on coming to Chile you make this one of the belongings you want to enjoy.

If you want extra information on them you may need to search out my eMag, that is unfastened at my internet site. Valparaiso has constantly jogged my memory of a European city, due to its architecture and styling. Narrow, cramped cobble stoned streets, supply a precise air of vintage world European attraction.

It has always jogged my memory of Paris, and as soon as you've walked down the streets you will experience the European affect too, even some of the street names are French. There are numerous top cafes that are French in name additionally. One area I can propose for comfy consuming with Euro flair is the Le Filou De Montpellier Café. Stop by using and get a sandwich and a cup of tea, you'll be glad you probably did.

There's additionally Casa Museo, the museum for Pablo Neruda, a superb Chilean author. This is without a doubt a cultural occasion and worth seeing. The Brighton Hotel is a wonderful region to stay that still has a living room with masses of exhilaration! There are all kinds of locations to locate motion in Valparaiso.

Just try to get right here earlier than June that's the rainiest month for this location, and whilst it rains it really pours!

So now comes the big question; is that this a great place to probably live in? The solution is yes it is. Rents are reasonably-priced right here and that's because there aren't any modern buildings here, bear in mind Valparaiso is a historic town, so there is no new constructing happening.

Do preserve in mind though; it's a bohemian way of life right here inside the real sense of the phrase.

The apartment buildings are old and Chile is a rustic that is simplest inquisitive about what's new and reputedly cutting-edge. Most do not wish to stay in an older building, as I've stated in my preceding writings. Landlords locate it hard to rent older homes out. This is why rents are so low here but this isn't the case in all locations. No, in a few components of the city the lease is excessive, due to the fact you are residing close to the ocean. Overall, for the proper character, this could be a perfect situation even though.

There's very little work in Valparaiso. Most work in Santiago and shuttle ordinary. It's only a little over an hour from Santiago to Valparaiso and Viña Del Mar and for many that is the only manner to make a residing. But due to the fact that cruise ships are making everyday stops here and the casino is the huge draw, I suspect a persona could make a superb living teaching casino employees English.

There are also smaller regions which can be all along the coast, that make exquisite hideaways, and places to stay. If you have got a vehicle, I'd say take a drive down the coastal dual carriageway to Con Con (stated, Cone Cone). This is a remarkable coastal metropolis. Sleepy, rustic however with real spirit, several hundred condo complexes line the sea with the most effective aspect keeping apart them from the sand is the 2 lane highway.

Don't be alarmed if you take place to peer such a lot of Greek styled flats in this area. That's ordinary. Remember what I said approximately Santiago being an eclectic and various town? The same is actual for the coastal regions additionally. You'll swear which you're taking a drive in Greece when you see the stylings and the coloration schemes of the apartments and that's one of the things that make Con Con so exciting. It nearly appears to be a out of place town.

Whether you are going to this vicinity or coming back from it you may skip Edelweiss. It's a Swiss eating place that has a panoramic view of the sea and close by cliffs. Stop and soak up greater Euro styled culture at this extremely good restaurant and have a chunk of cake and coffee. Check out the menu for other conventional Swiss and German dishes. The high-quality time to head is round 4pm, any later than that and you danger strolling into the early night crowd. Just look for the huge Swiss flag and you'll understand you are there.

Ah yes, you're wondering now, what is the average lease for an area in Con Con right? Well it averages around $375 give or take, depending again on how new or antique the building is. Always count on to pay extra if the building is more moderen and as I actually have stated in my past writings, you don't want a more moderen building.

Here in Chile, the newer apartment homes do appearance all present day and such but they're oh so small area-wise. The older buildings have way greater man or woman and are loads more spacious in length. Again, visit my internet site and download a free reproduction of Global Living and check out the pictorial on Valparaiso and you may see what I'm speaking approximately.

My handiest criticism, and the cause why in the end I selected to begin building my cabin some place else, is that the airport could be very a ways from the Valparaiso-Viña Del Mar region. From the airport, those areas are almost two hours away. So I notion to myself, if I arrive from journeying and have been on a plane for ten hours, I do not need to spend an additional two hours in a automobile just to get home.

So I ruled out building near the seaside and coastal areas however I love them a lot that I spend just about every weekend in those regions. My pals like to go to gamble on the on line casino (they may be gambling addicts, but it truly is another tale in itself) but I want to explore and go searching or find a excellent location to eat.

If you love photography, then those regions are a photographers dream! Even in case you're no longer a high-quality photographer, take plenty of pics besides! You'll be satisfied later you did. There's no manner you can come to any of those cities and now not go away with a very good feeling. I for my part, doubt you could come right here and no longer entertain the concept of transferring and residing there.

Don't assume for a moment you can't live and make it in anybody of these towns or locations, due to the fact possibilities are with a bit of resourcefulness you may. There's not anything like staring out over the cities from a hilltop and taking part in the lights and the sound of the waves hitting the shores.

It's then that you will realise, just as I did, there may be so much the world has to offer, and that there is an area for every body. You just have to discover your region and make it your private home. Who is aware of, perhaps the beach regions of Chile will one day end up your new domestic.

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shreyasaha1987 · 4 years

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20 Provinces of Isaan Thailand in 20 Days – Day 16

Isaan – North-Eastern Thailand, the least touristy region of Thailand – is so beautiful and has left me amazed for the last 15 days. I have been to Nakhon Ratchasima, Ubon Ratchathani, Mukdahan, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, and other neighboring provinces. Next, I headed to Loei and Nong Khai. These North-Eastern provinces are bordered from Laos by the mighty Mekong river. Both Chiang Khan and Pak Chom are riverside towns in Loei, which are worth visiting for outstanding Mekong riverside resorts. While many tourists flock to Chiang Khan, I preferred to spend my day in Pak Chom, a more sleepy and remote riverside-town located 70 km east of Chiang Khan, which ensured rustic relaxation next to the nature.

Highlights of the Day

Udon Thani to Pak Chom

Leisure at Mekong Riverside Resort and Camping

Udon Thani to Pak Chom

I checked out from the hotel in Udon Thani, took a songthaew to Bus Station No. 2, and got a ticket for the 9.30 AM bus to Loei. Bus had air-con, comfortable seats, not a lot of leg space but manageable – it had no toilet. It took 2.5 hours to reach Loei including one stop for toilet and refreshment on the way. I had some vegetarian Thai curry with rice as lunch on the way where the bus had stopped. Blue-colored minibuses run from Loei bus station to Pak Chom. They look like wooden songthaew. It took 2 hours to reach Pak Chom bus terminal.

The way to Pak Chom was remarkable – beautiful sights of the green mountainous terrain with small villages on the way

The weather was windy and too cool – enjoyed each and every moment of the journey and the view from the minibus

I already booked a room in advance at Mekong Riverside Resort and Camping. Mike, a Canadian guy, and his Thai wife, Ben are the owners of the resort. When I was about to reach Pak Chom bus terminal, I called up Mike and he came to the bus station to pick me up. I reached Pak Chom bus station at 2.30 PM and in 15 min, I reached the resort – thanks to Mike!

Mekong Riverside Resort and Camping

I was happily welcomed by Jennie – the mommy dog – and Morgan – Jennie’s son. They were so excited to have me there.

The place is a modern stylish boutique resort in a quiet natural setting on the banks of the Mekong river. Laos is located on the other side of the river. The resort also has a campground. Mike helps in cleaning and managing the place while Ben cooks food for the guests and also manages the place. They have a very personal approach to take care of the guests, which impressed me a lot. After a little cuddling session with Jennie and Morgan, I was shown my room – room 101.

They have only 4 rooms – the room I got was simple yet elegant, clubbed with minimal contemporary design and modern amenities

The room had a comfortable king size bed, air conditioning, and LCD flat screen TV

The room also had a refrigerator with mini-bar, en-suite western bathroom with hot water shower, and free Wifi

I loved the private deck each room had set in gardens overlooking the river that provide the ideal place to enjoy the splendor of this natural environment

The resort offers a sunset boating tour but I chose to just relax. Also, the boating tour is more meaningful when the river water is high during the rainy and post rainy season. Instead, I enjoyed the sunset right from the huge resort campground. Later, I had some playtime with Jennie and Morgan.

The resort has a huge campground – you are welcome to bring your tent and camp here at a minimal fee

Jennie is calm but Morgan is full of energy and very playful

It is a great feeling to get back to the nature and the natural elements – look at this beautiful butterfly

Uncountable photo sessions of the sunset across the river and the mountains continued

Can I capture this sun and see it setting and rising always? I am a big sunrise- and sunset-lover!

I had mentioned Ben while booking that I am a vegan, and she took care of that nicely. She cooked hot vegan Masamman Curry with potatoes, carrots, peanuts, and coconut milk in it. She served it with roti and jasmine rice. It was very delicious. I had our dinner while enjoying the sunset – it was a paradise.

Vegan Masamman Curry served with roti for dinner by the riverside

When it was dark, I got busy playing with Jennie and Morgan again. After a while, I crashed on the comfortable bed and fell asleep right away.

I highly recommend this resort whether you come alone or with your partner or family or friends

20 Provinces of Isaan Thailand in 20 Days – Day 17

I highly recommend to stay in this resort for at least 2 nights. It is unfair to leave this beautiful place in a day, but I had plans to head to Nong Khai. Nong Khai is a small border town in the far north-east of Thailand. The first Thai-Laos Friendship Bridge was constructed here across the Mekong river connecting Nong Khai (Thailand) and Thanaleng (Laos) on the other side. Not only a border town, but Nong Khai is also a riverside paradise. It is a very cool place to chill for a night or two before or after you cross the Laos border. Even though I was not crossing any border, still I booked a beautiful riverside guesthouse in advance to spend a night there.

Highlights of the Day

Checking Out at Mekong Riverside Resort & Camping

Pak Chom to Nong Khai

Mut Mee Garden Guesthouse

Bye Bye Mekong Riverside Resort & Camping

The morning mists and the expansive view of the unspoiled river wetlands from the room wished me a very good morning.

Jennie and Morgan came to wish us good morning

The panoramic views of the river, gardens and lush surrounding landscape from the room was breath-taking during early morning

Ben cooked some Western breakfast – a cup of green tea, hot brown bread toasts with scrambled tofu served with a bowl of freshly cut apples and a glass of orange juice. It was a lovely and tummy-filling breakfast. I had a beautiful and memorable time at the resort. I truly relaxed and unwinded in the tranquil scenic setting of the resort. It is a perfect location to explore all this wonderful area has to offer. It was difficult to leave such an amazing site and say goodbye to Jennie and Morgan – but I had to do it.

Pak Chom to Nong Khai

Mike dropped me at the bus terminal at around 10-ish and the minibus departed at 10.15 AM. The exhilarating view of the minibus journey was so photogenic and memorable. I reached Loei at around 12.30 PM. I grabbed a plate of delicious Pad Thai from Big C that is located few meters away from the Loei bus terminal. Shortly, I got a bus to Nong Khai that took around 3 h to reach the bus station. From there, I took a tuktuk to the guesthouse I had booked in advance for only 30 ฿.

Mut Mee Garden Guesthouse

Julian is an excellent host, always with a smile. He would prefer you to contact him personally through e-mail or phone for booking rather than booking through online agency.

Mut Mee Garden Guesthouse offers clean and inexpensive rooms of different types that would suit your taste. There are simple single rooms with fan and also family room with aircon, hot shower, and also a balcony overlooking the Mekong river. I got a single room with fan for ฿350 per night. I booked for 2 nights. The restaurant provides the most delicious food in Nong Khai, catering both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options.

Mut Mee Garden Guesthouse is perfect for you if you are looking forward to enjoy tranquility by the banks of the Mekong river

The room is really cute and comfortable

Lisa, one of the owners of this guesthouse, has an art gallery nearby. You can also practice yoga, meditation, reiki, and astrology from Beatrix and Pancho – the professional yoga masters. Moreover, you can also enjoy the facilities of massage, personal fitness training, well-stocked bookshop, and a floating live music bar.

What To Do in the Evening?

At 5 PM every evening, there is a sunset boat cruise leaving from the temple next door. You can either choose that or just witness one of the most beautiful sunsets from the riverside guesthouse. I loved my own time in the evening in this pretty riverside place.

Mut Mee has a beautiful tropical garden filled with trees in a magical setting

The garden setup has many different corners where you can be alone or with others

You can always pick a book and chill on a hammock set up in the garden

The guesthouse has a raft afloat on the river with a music bar on it called the Gaia Live Music Bar, where many people have played music from around the world

Delicious pumpkin soup accompanied by baguette was my light dinner for the day

20 Provinces of Isaan Thailand in 20 Days – Day 18

There are few interesting sights to explore in Nong Khai. I had a nice fruit platter for brunch at the guesthouse before I headed to the sightseeing tour of Nong Khai. Julian arranged a tuk-tuk for me for ฿200. The driver took me to a Buddhist temple, a market, and an interesting sculpture park. I have visited a similar sculpture park in Laos which is on the other side of Nong Khai. However, and I heard this one in Thailand is good too – hence I did not want to miss this one. The Buddhist temple of Nong Khai is also a popular one and the border market is unmissable.

Highlights of the Day

Sala Keoku

Wat Pho Chai

Tha-Sadet Market on the way back

Sala Keoku

I left the guesthouse at around 1 PM. The park is situated around 6 km away. The tuk-tuk took me there within just few minutes. However, I took at least 2 hour’s time to explore this mysterious park.

Sala Keoku is considered to be one of the most extraordinary creations of South-East Asia. It contains more than a hundred dazzling sculptures that rise more than seven stories high. The sculptures are inspired from a wide range of ancient beliefs, including animist folklore, Hindu mythology, and Buddhist traditionalism.

You have to pay a mere fee of ฿20 as an entrance fee of the park. The park opens at 6 AM and closes at 6 PM.

The park was made by Luang Pu Bounleua Sulilat, a Lao man who spent most of his early years gaining mystical knowledge from an abstinent hermit named Keoku, who lived in a cave in Laos. He actually started the park in Laos, which still exists on the other side of the border – it is called Buddha Park or Xieng Khuan. Due to Communist rule in Laos, he was forced to abandon that park, but in Thailand, he created a similar park called Sala Keuko – this one is more carefully maintained and looks more complete. I liked this one more than Xieng Khuan.

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The greatest sculpture of all is the Wheel of Life at the far end of the park

Life in Luang Poo’s view is a cycle of influences and phases, which start at one’s conception and end at one’s death

Wat Pho Chai

Next, the tuk-tuk stopped at the holiest temple of Nong Khai. It hosts a large Lan Xang-era bronze Buddha image with a solid gold head and embedded with precious stones.

The temple complex is big, and it houses many monks – you would also come across many Thais burning incense and praying for health and fortune

The elaborate and colorful wall murals of the temple were breathtaking

Tha Sadet Market

On the way back, the tuk-tuk stopped by the popular Thai-Laos border market by the Mekong river. Tha Sadet Market. Sadly I do not have photos – out of battery, err! You must visit the market anytime between 7 AM to 6.30 PM. You will find varieties of products from Indochina and East Europe, including dried food, processed food, home appliances, utensils, etc.

Chilling in the Evening at the Riverside

I was back to the guesthouse by 5 PM. I was tempting for some yummy dinner, so asked Julian what’s special. He recommended me the tofu and aubergine curry with hot jasmine rice. I enjoyed a lovely dinner at the most beautiful Mekong riverside guesthouse. After exploring so many places followed by such wonderful food, I did not take much time to sleep off.

Hot and delicious tofu and aubergine curry with jasmine rice for dinner at Mut Mee

NET EXPENSE FOR 1 PERSON (IN THB)

Let us have a look at the expenses of Days 16-18 in Thailand – Loei and Nong Khai.

Bus from Udon Thani to Loei: 125

Round-Trip to Pak Chom from Loei: 60

Stay at Mekong Riverside Resort & Camping (1 night): 1200

Bus from Loei to Nong Khai: 125

Stay at Mut Mee Garden Guesthouse (2 nights): 1000

Getting Around in Nong Khai: 30

Sightseeing in Nong Khai: 200

Entrance fee of Buddha Park: 20

Food and miscellaneous: 400

Total expense (roughly): 3160 THB

For a more customized itinerary, whether for solo or couple or group of any number of people, feel free to contact me on Contact Us page.

If you are planning for a much-organized, tastefully-curated, stress-free yet exciting vacation, consider booking your holidays at Travel Love Repeat. It is going to be a treat for sure!

3 Days in Mekong Riverside in Loei and Nong Khai, Thailand 20 Provinces of Isaan Thailand in 20 Days - Day 16 Isaan - North-Eastern Thailand, the least touristy region of Thailand - is so beautiful and has left me amazed for the last 15 days.

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displacedprincess · 6 years

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True Facts About Elena & Avalor

A collection of headcanons about Avalor

Country Facts

Official languages: (Avaloran) Spanish, (Avaloran) Portuguese, Avaloran Sign Language

major announcements from the government are given in Spanish, Portuguese, and AvSL.

88% of Avalorans are bilingual in Spanish and Portuguese

there are pockets of Portuguese-monolingual speakers, mostly along the border with Brazil.

other common minority languages: Amerindian languages such as Quechua, Arabic (tied for fastest growing), Farsi/Dari (tied for fastest growing), Chinese (mainly Cantonese or Hokkien), French, German, English, Russian, others

Arabic and Farsi/Dari, and Pashto are becoming more widely spoken due to Avalor having taken in refugees from the Middle East conflicts

A huge number of asylum seekers from magick-hostile countries come to Avalor as well - hence large pockets of Russian, German, and French speakers.

Avalor is full of natural resources; gold, nickel, copper, and an abundance of rivers.

The country has a small coastline, where the capital city is located, and mountain regions bordering Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Brazil.

There are also several islands as part of Avalor’s territory

80% of Avalor’s electricity is hydo or solar powered. Of the remaining twenty percent, 15% is wind-powered, 2% is from tidal energy, and only 3% is from non renewable sources like coal.

Avalor was heavily influenced by Catholicism in its development, but it’s not the dominating religion anymore. Catholicism and Protestantism are about evenly matched in numbers.

The biggest protestant denominations in Avalor are - Nazarene, Methodist and Presbyterian

The Avaloran nobility tend to practice Catholicism more devoutly than the lower classes; lower classes are more religiously diverse

Avalor has the 4th highest population of Jewish people in Latin America, behind Argentina, Uruguay, and Panama.

Islam and Buddhism are the fastest growing religions in Avalor.

Some Amerindian peoples practice their traditional religions.

Avalor is prone to earthquakes, and occasional volcanic eruptions - there are only ten known active volcanoes in the country.

In 2008, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck a small city near Avalor City, causing widespread damage throughout most of the small country. Landslides, fires, thousands lost their homes, and almost one hundred people were killed. Then fourteen-year-old Princess Elena criticized foreign governments on social media, and again publicly during a press conference, for being slow to aid her country. Her parents apologized on her behalf, but the princess made it very clear in a Tweet following the apology that she was “not sorry, and that people are dying, they don’t have time for me dance around your feelings while calling the world out for failing us.”

The racial makeup of Avalor is primarily mestizo and white, with sizable Afro-Avaloran (growing fast as well) and Amerindian populations, and growing Asian (East, South, Southeast) and Middle Eastern populations.

Avalor is often considered a third-world country, but many Avalorans would disagree and they reject the term “developing. ”

Avalor’s literacy rate is 96.2% of total population

Average life expectancy is 88

Avalor’s birth rate has fallen in recent decades, with higher education becoming much more affordable, birth control methods being covered under the country’s national healthcare program, comprehensive sex-ed being more widespread, and women now marrying later and having babies later.

The birth rate currently sits at 2.33 babies for every one woman

As recently as the 1980s, the birth rate was 4.10 children

Avalorans do tend to have larger families than other industrialized countries - most families want at least two, family is very important in Avaloran society

Average age of first birth in 1975: 20; average age of first birth in 2015: 26

Average age men first marry: 28; Average age women first marry: 24

Women are generally marrying only 3-4 years later than they did in 1975, but they are holding off on having children for a few years.

Despite the drastic plummet in the birth rate, Avalor’s population alternates between stagnant and growing, due to the steady birth rate of 2-3 children per family and the large immigrant population.

Immigrant families to Avalor typically maintain much of their home culture, Avalorans tend to encourage it, and the local governments celebrate cultural holidays celebrated by large minorities in their regions.

A study by the University of Avalor - Avalor City, found that immigrant children marry into native born Avaloran families, other immigrant group families, and families within their own immigrant group about equally

Another study has shown that immigrant groups typically feel welcomed, and that their biggest concern before and after arrival is usually learning Spanish.

Common vectorborne diseases include - dengue fever, malaria, and yellow fever

Common food and waterborne illnesses in poorer, rural areas include - hepatitis A and typhoid fever

King Raul and Queen Lucia signed into law that children must be vaccinated to attend public school

Avalor is relatively easy to become a citizen of

citizen by birth

dual citizenship is recognized

must live in Avalor for 6 years before becoming a naturalized citizen

exceptions can be petitioned for, for parents, children, and spouses to speed the process along by 2 years

Avalor’s Military is comprised of five branches

Avaloran Army

Avaloran Navy

Avaloran Air Force

Avaloran Marine Corps

Avaloran Royal Guard*

*The Royal Guard is not always directly enlisted into, but can be. The Guard pulls many of its members from the AMC Special Forces. Training for the guard is known to be exceptionally rigorous.

Enlistment for active duty service begins at 18 years old

Until 2007, there was a compulsory enlistment written into law for men and women 18-24 for a period lasting eighteen months. King Raul and Queen Lucia ratified an amendment to the Constitution eliminating the draft.

Voting rights are given to all citizens at age 18. Felons are permitted to vote in most of the country, as of 2013. This was a social change supported by the late King and Queen and signed into law by Princess Elena.

There is no legal minimum age to smoke cigarettes, but purchasing, you have to be nineteen.

The minimum purchasing age of alcohol is eighteen, but in the presence of a parent or guardian, teenagers are often permitted a beer, a glass of wine, or a cocktail in restaurants. The alcohol culture in Avalor is similar to parts of Europe, where it’s introduced in controlled environments at an early age.

Most of the population doesn’t own a car. City dwellers take trains, buses, bikes, or walk. Townspeople bike or walk to the nearest bus or train station.

Horses aren’t commonly owned outside of the upper class.

Avalor is a popular study abroad destination for magick and mundus alike.

Pop Culture

Princess Elena is a style icon in her country and surrounding South American countries. Anything she’s spotted wearing sells out the next day, and designers were always asking if they could design a dress for her for X event.

Gabe is in the background and occasionally foreground of a lot of pictures of Elena that come up on Google Images. If you type in “Hot Avaloran Guard”, pictures of Gabe come up.

There’s a collection of thirst tweets out there about Gabe, Elena used to read them out loud to him.

American late night comedy shows are popular in Avalor, and Avalor has several of their own. The most popular is Avalor Esta Noche con Andre Esquivel. Andre Esquivel is often called the Jon Stewart of Avalor.

Avalor has a version of SNL, and Princess Elena is often parodied on the program. Her parents were too, and Esteban also is. All four had hosted the program at least once - Elena, twice. Once when she was 15, shortly before her parents were killed, and the second time when she was nineteen.

The Avaloran royal family, since SNL Avalor’s debut in the late 90s, has always supported the show for its satire - even when it was about them. They’re known for laughing at themselves and encouraging political satire because, in the words of the late King Raul Castillo, “A good leader welcomes criticism, both satirical and serious, because a good leader doesn’t attack journalists and comedians for doing their jobs.”

SNL Avalor liked to parody Elena for sneaking out of the palace to go dancing, often portraying her as a ditzy party girl.

Conversely, whenever Princess Elena told off another world leader via Twitter or Instagram, in a press conference, or told off an Avaloran politician that the Avaloran public also disliked, she was portrayed as a boss bitch on SNL Avalor. It depended on what they wanted to go for at the moment.

The actress who usually plays Elena on SNL Avalor is named Lana Basa; however, actor Pepe de Castro often dons a wig and a dress to portray the princess.

Avaloran telenovelas are known in several other countries, but they also have a following for their romantic comedy dramas, shot in a similar style to Korean and Chinese TV dramas.

Avaloran cinema is relatively well-known throughout Latin America.

A handful of Avaloran actors have broken into bigger industries. Juan Añonuevo is the Avaloran actor even Americans know, and Felisa Mondragón is the Avaloran actress most known.

#&&...hc #take me home [avalor]

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lia-nikiforov · 7 years

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Revised edition

Quick report on Kubo and Yamamoto’s attendance to Concomics Guadalajara. I was in line for 9 hours plus two more for their short Q&A and am objectively dying, sorry for typos

ETA: When I wrote this it didn’t occur to me that it would get hundreds of reblogs before I ever got to fix it, now my half-deceased incompetent typing will live on forever *sobs*

I arrived at 6:30 am and there were already people in line jeeesus (lots were coming to see a youtuber though)

Gonna spare you the deets on the awful people in my surroundings thank @yuurinikiforov cos I screamed at her for hours

ETA: I just realized this sounds like it was Ally making me scream but in fact i tumblr-screamed at her to prevent from unleashing my frustrations on the gross fujos that surrounded me. Thank Ally because she got to read all that nervous-wreck garbage and y’all get to be spared

I had a two-day ticket so I was allowed in half an hour earlier and if not for that, I probably would’ve missed on the autograph line. They had space for 50 people (plus 200ish that had bought the express pass which was super expensive). I was #45. It took less than three minutes since getting inside for all 50 spots to be taken

(this was the line after three minutes. I was too lazy to take pics of it later, but it got to be around 5 times this at some point.)

ETA: According to Con staff, since the lines were very well organized, they actually got to sign quite a bit more people than the originally allotted 50. The Queens are so kind.

No photos, video or sound recording of The Queens allowed, except for this one taken by Con staff. They were giving away those postcards for the filthy casuals people who didn’t bring any official merch for the sign

i’m mostly kidding about the filthy casual thing bc I hate fandom elitism but there were a lot of people bringing FANART PRINTS and I wanted to gut them

Kubo would quick sketch a character of your choice. I chose Victor bc I love how she draws his huge heart mouth

I was able to tell Sayokan how grateful I am from the bottom of my heart and that I’m looking forward to the movie and she said thank you and that they’re workinng hard. I died. ETA: I wanted to say so much more but I was so nervous my Japanese came out really garbled and we didn’t have much time. And I didn’t get to say anything to Kubo because I didn’t want to distract her from drawing ;---;

Sayokan has a beautiful smile and I love her

ETA: She also had an aura like Meryl Streep in Devil Wears Prada, twenty years younger: A STRONG woman who takes no prisoners and is fabulous af. I love her with all my soul.

After the autographs, The Queens had a short stage appearance

There was a cosplay contest and the winners would get to sit in the front row for The Queens’ presentation. I didn’t take any pics but the standout for me apart from a flood of gorgeous girls doing Eros Yuuri, was a pair of girls doing Lilia and Yakov. The announcer clearly didn’t watch the show and botched Lilia’s last name, but the cosplayer had the attitude 100% on point.

Something I hate is people who say Yurio stressing the u, it sounds so wrong and a lot of people today were doing it and driving me mad

The stage was packed af

Kubo drew quick sketch of Victor while she and Sayo answered a couple of questions. They will post the video later today

ETA: Here’s the video

Audience Questions logistics wasn’t very well prepared and even Kubo asked how it was gonna work. I was embarrassed for the lack of planning. In the end those that were lucky to be close to the stage got to ask the questions. Lia was praying for no stupid questions pls.

Q&A (translation partially mine partially from the interpreter)

1. What were your expectations about Mexico and have those expectations changed now

Kubo: I haven’t gone sightseeing yet but it’s my first time in Mexico and I didn’t expect so many people. [The people/audience] feels four or five times warmer than japan (make of that what you may, Japanese people say that about us a lot) Sayokan didn’t answer

2. Dumb question that has already been answerred in interviews about whether Yurio was planned to win from the start. As we know, yes, pretty sure both of them have said it before. Sayokan added that his character development wasn’t completely planned though, and he evolved a lot during writing.

3. Which word do you think of when you thibk of Yuuri and Victor

Sayokan: Love (愛)

Kubo: She didn’t talk to the mic and people were still screaming about 愛 so Ididn’t hear what she said but the interpreter said she said Friendship. My queens get your story sraight pls

HUGELY IMPORTANT ETA: Other people that were there have confirmed that Kubo gave a long answer that included 断ち切れない絆 “an unbreakable bond” and didn’t say anything about friendship. There was a telephone game going on because there was a JP-ENG interpreter and then an ENG-SPA interpreter and I don’t know how or why the latter got “friendship” but please take this into account, I don’t want people to hate on Kubo because I wasn’t close enough to hear her answer and the Spanish interpreter botched it.

Not important ETA: A girl close to me was yelling “Victuri” like she hoped they’d answer that and I was facepalming hard

Kubo also asked (in Japanese) if anyone understood Japanese, it wasn’t translated and a good dozen of hands shot up. She was surprised. Some folks screamed abd she said 落ち着け. One or two continued screaming so obviously they didn’t understand Japanese lol

4. Stupid question about whether they plan to develop Otabek and Yurio’s relationship.

Sayokan said they hadn’t fully decided on how everything’s gonna end in the movie so can’t say yet but look forward to the bonus on V6 (the interpreter said V3 and I wanted to gut him). Hoes I like Otayuri but stop trying to shove it on The queens’ faces pls

5. Do you have plans for a special chapter about the Lady skaters?

Sayokan said it’s definitely something they’d love to do but right now their focus is on the boys abnd finishing their story. Best answer for me tbh besides Sayokan’s 愛 cos I wanna see Mila skate soooo bad.

ETA: Forgot to mention this but a lot of people were chanting “Boda! Boda!” (wedding). Kubo asked what it was that people were chanting and the interpreter told them. Someoene else is reporting that Sayokan chuckled. There were two tall dudes in front of me so my vision was very obstructed and can’t confirm, but neither said anything out loud in response to it

Sayokan threw some gifts at the audience but My Queen is no pitcher and I was too far back so didn’t get anything *sobs*. Some were prints or maybe postcards but no idea of what exactly.

And that’s it! Theyll be signing more autographs and have another stage appearancw tomorrow but I can’t stay so someone else will have to report it whilst I die.

TL;DR I love them and my calebdar looks even more beautiful and I never thought that was possible and I’ll cry about this day for the rest of my life.

PS I’ll fix those typos when I’m not utterly destroyed PPs: I have no shame so I wanna plug my cute Victuri Tangled AU it’s really cute and it doesnt have typos promise, please read it http://archiveofourown.org/works/10529547/chapters/23245557

#victuri #victuuri #yuri on ice #yamamoto sayo #kubo mitsurou #con report #100 #200 #300 #500

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readexplorerepeat · 7 years

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What we learned while backpacking. Paris and Rome.

Before we travel, I always make it a point to research the places we are planning on visiting for things like weather, customs, special laws, walk-ability, transit and transportation arrangements etc. Often times I find it very useful when I read tips and suggestions from other travelers and their experiences. SO, I thought I would put together a list of tips and suggestions from our own experience while we traveled in Europe.

1. TRAVEL LIGHT.

There is no need to carry a million items. Remember, people live there and there are many places to buy the essentials like toiletries and other products should you need them. So packing travel size items is totally the way to go. Your luggage will be less heavy and your back will thank you.

2. TAKE AN UMBRELLA/RAINCOAT

I guess this one depends on where and when you travel, but generally, I always take a small travel umbrella and a light raincoat. Many times in the past I've failed to take these items and the result? I get miserably soaked by the pouring rain. Especially if you are out and about sightseeing. A travel umbrella is so small, you can place it in a side pocket of your backpack with no problem and it is TSA approved. As far a a raincoat,I opt for a light raincoat (C0lumbia Sportswear worked perfectly). Make sure it is waterproof and not just water resistant (believe me...great difference).

3. PORTABLE CELL PHONE CHARGER

I use my cellphone to take all my pictures while traveling. I mean, the convenience of just having a small device which you can also use as a camera/phone/GPS and mini computer is just a great perk of living in the twenty first century...as such, I also have to deal with terrifying "low battery" pop up message that is inevitable when traveling. A small, portable cell phone charger is a life saver. You can check out all our pictures now and thank the creators of such neat device later.

4. PORTABLE SELFIE STICK FOR PICTURES

When we exerted ourselves up 37 stories just to reach the top of the Saint Peter's Basilica or the Notre-Dame top level to see the mystic gargoyles, it was worth it. But we also realized there's an incredible potential for amazing pictures that cannot be achieved with just stretching your hand. A selfie stick was the solution. A picture perfect solution.

5. TAKE A SCARF

Yes, It is HOT in many places in Europe in the summer days. This was especially true when we visited Rome. You will be tempted to wear just a tank top and shorts, or a sleeveless maxi-dress. It's the perfect attire for the warmth of this spectacular place...BUT be aware that MOST (if not all) churches, and sacred places in Rome - including the Vatican- will NOT let you in if you don't cover your shoulders (and your knees). A scarf is the perfect alternative to wrap around your neck and shoulders. and it also provides a very stylish way to accessorize your outfit. Locals in both, France and Italy wear scarves all the time, even in the summer months - and especially at night.

6. GIRLS, MAXI OR SUMMER DRESSES ARE A MUST

A perfect outfit when backpacking is one that you can dress up or dress down with ease. A maxi dress or a cute summer dress provides the perfect combination of style and comfort. Dress it up with a scarf or custom jewelry, or just wear it as it comes during the day. You can't go wrong with a dress.

7. TENNIS SHOES ARE TOTALLY OK

One of the things I was most worried about was the fact that I wanted to pick the right pair of shoes for Paris and Rome. I didn't want to look like an obvious tourist. I googled a million times and read a million blogs to investigate what kind of shoes other people were taking on their trips. All suggested comfortable walking shoes, and flats for women. Many stated to stay away from white tennis shoes. Let me tell you what I saw. An unbearable amount of both men and women wearing tennis shoes (as in Nike and Adidas). I also saw a lot of locals wearing white tennis shoes (usually Converse or Keds). So I wish I would've known this before picking my shoes. I opted for taking a pair of gray Bobs (by Sketchers) with the memory foam inserts. They were very comfortable walking shoes and they looked just fine with my outfits. Just remember, whatever shoe you pick, make sure they are made for walking (we walked an average of 10 miles per day), and make sure you break them in in advance!

8. WATERPROOF YOUR SHOES

I learned this one the hard way. Remember when I said we've gotten soaked by pouring rain in the past? Well, this includes our shoes. Let me tell you, there is nothing worse than walking around in wet soggy shoes all day. So this time, I knew better. I got a water-proof spray (make sure it works on fabric) and waterproofed my shoes all the way around. The result was as expected, and my feet did not get wet at all when it rained -Even when I accidentally stepped in a big puddle!.

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9. PARIS PASS/TRAIN PASS

Is it worth the money? Well, the answer depends on your needs. There are many alternatives on packages that you can get while in Paris. We definitely recommend to get the travel card even if you don't end up getting the whole Paris pass deal. Let me explain. The Paris Pass is a package deal that you can purchase online and pick up when you arrive at one of the many locations they offer. It includes a museum pass, an attraction pass, and a travel card. You can get it for two, three, four, or six days, depending on your needs. If you purchase the whole pass, you have access to over 60+ museums and attractions and unlimited metro, RER, and bus travel, a bus tour, fast track access to many museums, and a guide book. So here's how you decide. Make a list of the museums and attractions that you want to visit for sure, and if it's more economical to just pay for them individually (you can find the prices online) and if you are not interested in taking the bus tour either, then just get the travel card and a museum pass, or just a travel card and pay for the museum entries individually. We got the pass for convenience and peace of mind. For us it was worth it since we visited many places.

RELATED: PARIS: CITY OF LOVE AND MANY OTHER AMAZING THINGS

10. USE YOUR MANNERS

I'm embarrassed to admit that many Americans are perceived as rude in Europe. And unfortunately it is true. I observed how many of us forget to use our manners when talking to strangers in Europe. I'm going to give ourselves the benefit of the doubt and state that it could be (perhaps) the language barrier. Many people (including myself) get nervous and forget the few foreign words they know when someone speaks to them in another language. But either way, it's not an excuse. Don't forget to use your hellos and thank yous in the respective language. You will see a huge difference in the way locals respond to you.

11. DON'T FALL FOR STREET SCAMS

There are MANY scammers scampering the streets for their next victim. From innocent looking kids trying to convince you to sign a petition - while his/her friend steals your cellphone or wallet, from very young women posing as old and disabled gypsy ladies begging for money - you know they are not real when they won't show you their face. Many pickpockets and fake street performers that only want to distract you so you are an easier target. Also, there are many street sellers that will literally hand you an item and once you have it in your hand they will demand payment. Best thing to do; be vigilant of your surroundings and your belongings and you will be fine.

12. TRY EVERYTHING (FOOD/DRINK)

Forget diets! eat everything you can and enjoy a different culture through their cuisine. You only live once!

RELATED: ROME MUST EATS

RELATED: PARIS FOODIE EDITION

13. FACE THE HEIGHTS

The most beautiful views in Europe will be from the top of a mountain or building. We climbed Norte-Dame, Sacre-Coeur, and Saint Peter's Basilica (at 37 stories high) by foot. Hundreds of steps later, you will be awed by the incredible views you will find once you face your fear of heights and tight spaces. Especially in Paris, prepare to climb many, many steps all around the city.

14. CARRY A MAP

If you don't have constant internet access it's impossible to rely on your phone's GPS when you get lost in the city. Having a good map with clear street names can potentially save you your sanity when the time comes. This is a good advice also for a metro or RER maps. Plan your route in advance so you don't waste precious vacation time trying to figure out where to go and how to get there with no map.

15. SUMMER CAN GET HOT

I said it before, but I'll say it again. Summer can get hot, especially in Italy. If you are planning on visiting in June-August, plan accordingly and pack summer clothes. Shorts, dresses, sunglasses, and lots and lots of sun screen when you go out sightseeing.

RELATED: WHEN IN ROME

16. AMERICAN EXPRESS- NOT ACCEPTED EVERYWHERE

We wanted to minimize the amount of cash we carried, in case of pickpockets. Didn't want to risk getting robbed of all our money. We thought it was a good idea to pay with a credit card whenever possible. For the most part this worked great. BUT be advised, only Visa and Master Card are accepted in most places. Coco had an American Express card that was barely used because apparently Paris and Rome (even the very touristic places) do not accept American Express.

17. THE WI-FI SCAM

One thing I would like to point out is the fact that almost every cafe, restaurant, and shop in Paris advertises free Wi-Fi for their patrons. LIES. Now, this is only a theory based on observation, but it seems to me that advertising free Wi-Fi is a good tactic to get people to have a seat and order an espresso while they figure out their maps or they make a call using internet access (namely, us). But 8 out of 10 places do not really have this free Wi-Fi access. You have to request a password to access their network, and (if they provide it to you) the connections don't work. Our group was pretty technologically savvy and none of us could connect to most networks. When you ask the waitress for a correct password, they will say it is the password it was already provided and that it should work. Verdict: false advertisement just to get tourists to sit down while hunting for that precious Wi-Fi.

We all have different experiences every time we travel. It's our mission to share these with fellow travelers for informative purposes. We would also love to hear from you and your experiences! Comment below and tell us about your trip and backpacking experiences!

***TRAVEL WITH US! READ ABOUT OUR OTHER ADVENTURES HERE!

#Europe16

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ambitiouslyamanda-blog · 7 years

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TEN THINGS I LEARNED IN MY FIRST YEAR OF UNIVERSITY — 05.07.17

First year of university was…wild, to say the least. If you’re reading this, you’re probably a senior in high school struggling to grasp an expectation on what post-secondary will be like, shaking in your scared, bewildered little boots. Have no fear; I am about to disclose to you everything you need to know about your first year of university, from the workload to parties to relationships and beyond. If you’d like to know the ten important lessons I learned in my first year of university, read on!

1. Being away from home for the first time is simultaneously awesome and awful.

If you’re moving into a dorm first year like I did, or are simply moving out into an apartment to go to school, be wary that being away from home has its up’s and it’s downs. While the positives include no rules, curfews, or groundings; going wherever you want, whenever you want; and basically, taking your new city by storm with only you in charge, going away from home for your first time also introduces many new responsibilities you haven’t encountered yet, like paying bills, cooking your own meals, and for some, doing your own laundry. First year, I loved my newfound freedom, but learned rather quickly that it’s necessary balance it with grace and care, making sure the most important things like schoolwork and bills were taken care of before I went out to the bar that night.

2. If you’re moving away to university, you will miss your family and shitty small town.

Homesickness is something that happens to everyone who goes to post-secondary, and anyone who tells you otherwise is a liar. Even I thought I wouldn’t miss the minuscule small town I previously lived in for 6 years and would be perfectly fine without my parents, and I ended up taking the train home the first weekend because I missed them so bad! Truth is, you will miss your parents, siblings, friends, and extended family a lot, especially if you’re travelling too far to visit on weekends and study breaks, so make sure to keep in touch by calling an texting them. Your mom may be hundreds of kilometers across the province, but her sweet, soothing voice is just a ten-digit phone number away.

3. Making friends is much easier than you expect it to be.

When I went away to university, I only knew two people; my roommate, who was my stage manager/good friend in high school, and another girl I went to secondary school with. Safe to say, I was terrified of not being able to make friends due to my obnoxious nature and that I would spend my first year cooped up in my dorm, lonely and bitter. Luckily, this didn’t happen; in fact, I made friends my first day of being at university. I lived on residence, which was the greatest aid to meeting and connecting with people; and to be honest, my residence floor felt like a family to me, and I miss them all tons! I got to meet loads of people during frosh week by doing events and just mingling through my res building, and my academic orientation was also a tremendous help in connecting with people in my program. I know some frosh events and orientations are absolutely abysmal and super lame, but many of the people I was grouped with or had spoken to during these events are still in my life today, either as acquaintances or best friends.

I also want to emphasize that even if you don’t live on res, you can absolutely make friends through your program, campus groups and events, at the gym, or even through study groups. Just do the things you like to do, and you will find someone to connect with.

4. Frat parties are overrated (but good places for booze!)

I’m going to say it – frat parties are kind of lame and you should not feel obligated to go, even if all your friends are attending. My rule of thumb is if you have to pay to get into a party, it’s probably not going to be very fun (though there will be ‘free’ booze, so it’s really a balancing act of the pros and cons). Drunk people are obnoxious and impulsive, so visiting parties or going out to crowded bars can easily place you in uncomfortable situations. Be wary of where you’re going, don’t put your drink down out of sight, and always go with another person.

Oh, and please, do not chug your alcohol. You will fucking die if you do.

5. Your schoolwork comes first, and said schoolwork will kick your ass.

University is a social butterfly’s dream, but remember why you’re there to begin with. You need to get your degree, and to do that, you must pass your courses, which requires attending classes and studying your ass off. The jump in workload from high school to university is huge, and preparing yourself for it is important. First year is often considered among upper years to be the easiest out of your four year degree, so take this time to get the best grades you can to improve your GPA in case you bomb a class later in your university career. Studying and finishing up work takes a lot of time, so make sure you plan ahead so you don’t fall behind. If you are overwhelmed with your projects and exams, it’s important to take a step back, breathe, and ask for help if you’re really struggling. Remember – you can retake a class if need be.

6. Professors can either be your best allies or your greatest enemies.

Your teachers in high school probably told you, “your professors aren’t going to baby you like this in university!”, and they’re right. Your professors aren’t going to nag you to hand in your assignments or attend class; they get paid whether you do or you don’t. But most professors do care; and some will undeniably help you get a better grade in their class. Using office hours was something I wish I did more during first year because I absolutely could have used some help when writing essays or studying for exams. A professor is often more than happy to help you improve or send you in the right direction, so don’t be afraid to email them or speak to them after class to schedule an appointment. However, some professors — often the one’s who have to teach hundreds of kids per class — won’t be as helpful. In fact, they can be the least helpful people around, whether it’s treating you like an idiot or being as vague as humanly possible. Feel free to contact TA’s instead of your moody prof for better clarifications.

7. You probably shouldn’t be working a part time job during first year.

Unless you need to do so to pay your bills, I don’t recommend getting a job first year, mostly because your stress levels will be through the roof. If you end up having a steady handle on your school work after your first midterms and have garnered an idea of what your program expects, you can find a weekend job to get some extra cash, but I personally think first year should be about having fun and getting good grades.

8. Drinking and drug use are normalized as all hell in university.

If you were like me and barely drank throughout high school, you will be intrigued to find out that a good 90% of people you meet in university either drink a ton of alcohol or smoke a staggering amount of weed. Sometimes both. While I am someone who drinks probably once a week now, it is important to be open to trying new things but also be safe about it. So no, I’m not telling you to go inject yourself with heroin; I’m saying trying a beer or taking a shot of tequila is perfectly fine. I know most who go into their first year aren’t legal until second semester (in Canada), but I don’t really feel like telling you not to drink because in the end, you’re gonna do whatever the hell you want. Know your limits and again, be aware of your surroundings to ensure your safety.

9. Finding a relationship should not be a priority!

For some reason, I had envisioned myself meeting the perfect guy first year who would date me and make me ‘happy’ as we traversed coffee shops and listened to avant garde albums together. Safe to say, I was slightly disappointed when that didn’t happen. I want to stress that finding a significant other should not be on your priority list first year (or at any time, really) because you already have so much to focus on. Relationships are sometimes hard, and require a lot of work and energy, which often, you don’t have to spare during the tribulations of freshman year. You have your whole life to fall in love; patience is a virtue.

10. Your health is much more important than school ever will be.

As someone who almost collapsed under the stress and anxiety university brought me, I stand behind the point that before anything else, you need to take care of yourself. Yes, schoolwork is important and social events are fun, but if you’re feeling like you constantly have a weight on your chest or a panic attack every two days, it is important to step back from the stress and get help. Post secondary institutions have mental health initiatives often free for students that include solo, group, or single counselling sessions, along with other things, like stress relieving yoga classes or help lines to call if you’re uncomfortable with professional therapy. If you’re someone privy to catching colds or sicknesses, make sure to let your professors know through emails and academic consideration papers so that you can stay home and rest should you contract something nasty. As someone who wrote three of her exams through bleary eyes, a fever of 101 degrees, no voice, and a nose stuffed to the extreme, I can vouch for the importance of physically taking care of yourself. Indulge in a bath, drink some tea, take a nap, put a face mask on, or even go for a walk — any of these self care practices are important in recharging from the perils of studying and socializing.

There are tons more things I could have disclosed in this article, but these 10 points were the most important for me to state. University is an incredible experience for me so far — and I hope it will be for you as well.

Ambitiously,

Amanda

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ecotone99 · 5 years

Text

[HR] World War Z: The Fellowship (WWZ Fanfiction)

South Gate, California, USA

[It’s a busy night at the local bar, “Auggie’s Tavern.” I sit down and share a drink with the retired welder “Bill the Downer,” of both shots and attitude, as the local patrons explain. He has asked me to simply refer to him as “Bill.” He’s reluctant at first when informed of the nature of my work, but starts to open up after his eleventh shot of cognac and gin. Though only thirty-two, Bill’s hair already has many grey hairs on his unkempt beard. The stories of his journey from the East Coast to the Rockies are well-known among the locals, as he usually draws in a crowd when recounting his many adventures out east, as he did that night. He tells me in private that if I wanted to hear a “better story,” we had to go back to his apartment across the street. His living space has all that an apartment should have: a single bedroom, a living room with a sofa and lounge chair, a coffee table, a TV, a kitchen, a bathroom, and decent lighting. He has a few books lying around the floor and an old desktop computer, but nothing more in terms of entertainment and nothing of luxury. He walks over to his fridge and takes a six-pack of Budweiser, a brand of beer that had just come back into production five months prior to now.]

I try to keep my living expenses to a minimum. Work as a welder pays well, especially with the fat pension they gave me after my work up in the Bay Area was done[1], but living out there in the thick of it all those years ago taught me that I don’t need a lot to live. I kind of had that minimalist way of thinking before the war with Zack, but I doubt you want to hear about all that. Want one?

[I decline.]

C’mon, man. You only had one shot back at the bar. You’re going to make me feel like an alcoholic drinking by myself.

[I take the beer he had already opened. He opens another bottle and takes a sip as he sits down on the old lounge chair. I sit down on the sofa across from him.]

I never trusted televangelists. I always saw them as a bunch of camera whores who came into God’s light for profit. Many of them got loaded with all that cash flowing in from their good followers’ pockets, like that Creflo Dollar. Bought a whole private jet with the money his church collected.[2] Fucking con artists, all of them. My mom was a real Jesus freak and loved watching his sermons every Sunday. “A truly godly man,” she used to say. Those phonies had always had a history of scandals: domestic abuse, hookers and blow, sexual assault, faggotry, you name it. As well-versed as she was in the good book, she never thought to be wary of the wolves in sheep’s cloth.

Does any of that relate to this “better story?”

I’m getting to it.

[He takes a drink of his beer.]

Nine months after leaving Kentucky, I—

Actually, would you mind giving just a quick summary of how you got back from the east back to the west? For context.

Alright, then. [There is a tone of annoyance in his voice.] I left Liberty University in Virginia once it turned out “African Rabies” wasn’t rabies at all. I settled at one of them refugee camps in Richmond, Kentucky, but left after the shit-show at Yonkers and just before the panic-induced rioting in Richmond, thank God for that. After hopping my way through every “safe zone” in the Midwest, rationing my meals to only 1,000 calories a day, I eventually I made my way to a settlement at Leadville, Colorado where I worked as an assistant welder to an old mechanic named Vern. The guy was a hardass, but he taught me well, God rest his soul. When the war in the U.S. was won, I joined the DeStRes Program to train welders and was employed to help with the restoration of the Golden Gate Bridge. That good enough for you, boss?

That’s fine, thank you.

Now as I was saying, it had already been nine months since I left Kentucky. I was maybe fifty miles away from the Kansas-Colorado border. Zack were everywhere on the I-70, so I laid low inside an old Kum & Go gas station for the night. [He chuckles as he repeats “Kum & Go” under his breath.] I had no food left. I had to give my last can of peaches to some loony waving an M1911 at me five days before. Fucker made it off with my bike and pocket knife too. I was starving and severely dehydrated. I don’t remember much from that night, but I must have passed out for a while because when I finally came to, I was in this makeshift infirmary in an old church. There was a woman by my side dressed in all-white clothes. She called others over, also in white, and then a man in a nice suit with a golden cross pendant walked to my bedside. He was greybearded, maybe in his mid-fifties, with these warm, inviting blue eyes, and an equally warm smile. Handsome fella, I admit. I thought he looked familiar but I couldn’t put my finger on it. He told me I was out for two days. “I’m glad to see you’re alright,” he then told me. “God has blessed us with a new lamb to add to our Heavenly flock.” His voice sounded a lot like Bing Crosby’s, smooth and crooner like. He held my hand and the woman’s next to me and both said a prayer for my full recovery while the others bowed their heads. At that moment, I knew who he was. [His expression becomes hard with resentment] Keith Fitzgerald, the same fucking televangelist that gave sermons from eight to ten in the morning on the Christian Broadcasting Network my mom loved so much.

Keith Fitzgerald, the leader of the Fellowship of the Pure Cult in Kanorado?

Bingo. Did you know he was once charged with molesting one of the daughters of a member of his church in Chicago back in ’98? He was acquitted for lack of evidence. [He takes a large swig of his beer and jabs his finger at me.] If you ask me, he probably had one of his Chicago politician buddies make sure the incident didn’t make national news; he was a well-connected man, you see. Corrupt bastards, all those Chicago fucks.

[Bill finishes the last of his first beer and then opens another.]

The Fellowship believed some shit about God casting down “the plague,” as they called it, to wipe the world clean of sinners, while only those who followed God’s Word—and, of course, Fitzgerald’s word—would be spared from it.

When I felt I’d recovered enough, I thanked them for their hospitality and told them I was ready to leave. I didn’t want to be there any longer than I had to, but Fitzgerald said that valuable IV bags were used on me during my recovery and that it was only courteous that I work off my “debt” to him and his fellowship. I would’ve told him where he could shove those IV bags if he didn’t have some of his Judges blocking the way out. I ended up working off my “debt” for the next thirteen months.

How did the Fellowship manage to survive out in the open in the Midwest?

As you’ve mentioned before, the Fellowship of the Pure was located in Kanorado, Kansas, just a county away from the Colorado border. The town was practically in the middle of goddamn nowhere and the prewar population was less than 200 people.[3] When I asked one of the followers why there of all places, they told me that Fitzgerald saw it in a vision sent to him by God when asked where to go so that he and "his people" would be safe from the plague. [He waves his hand dismissively] He probably just spent his early childhood there if he knew to set up there. Most people before the war didn't even know Kanorado existed, so I don't see any other explanation. [He takes a drink.]

As you could imagine, the isolation made it perfect for setting up the Fellowship, as the low prewar population meant little to no Zack within a 15-mile radius and the wide-open space made building housing for the hundreds of followers almost a nonissue. Of course, that’s not to say they didn’t make any safety precautions. With the military equipment they managed to scavenge up while they made their pilgrimage from Chicago, they set up a fortified perimeter around that old town.

How did the Fellowship acquire its military equipment?

Your guess is as good as mine. If I had to make a guess, they probably came across some military weapons and vehicles left abandoned when some attempt by the U.S. government to wipe out a zombie horde went FUBAR.

I once tried to get some answers out of the others while working, but all they told was “the Vicar prayed and God provided.” I stopped caring after hearing the same answer the seventh time.

What was life like in Kanorado? Was there any form of hierarchy or bureaucracy in the Fellowship?

Fitzgerald, the Vicar, ran the entire show, and had his most loyal followers, the Bishops, managed the bureaucracy within the Fellowship; they were the ones who assigned the jobs to the men and women, which Fitzgerald called his Parish, in accordance with traditional Christian roles.

The men worked as carpenters, farmers, machinists, doctors, fence builders, and scavengers. Scavengers had the most dangerous job: going into the surrounding towns and cities looking for any food, supplies, and weapons they could find. They sometimes didn’t come back for weeks…and many never came back at all. The most physically built of the men, the Judges, were assigned as patrolmen of Kanorado and the personal army of “His Holiness Vicar Fitzgerald”; they were above the Parish but below the Bishops. It wasn’t uncommon to see them swinging their weight around, cutting in line for food and beating anyone who looked at them wrong.

Women worked as cooks, seamstresses, maids, wet nurses, and other “womanly occupations.” They were expected to take a man—any man—as a husband, as it was “what God wished for the all of His daughters,” as that cunt Fitzgerald put it. Being the leader of the Fellowship and all, he was obviously the only one allowed to have multiple wives, as he wished his descendants to be “as plentiful as those of Abraham.” I had the good fortune of not having a wife; the men outnumbered the women two to one, so there weren’t too many to go around.

The women weren’t allowed to leave their homes unless they were in the company of their husbands or another woman; they weren’t allowed to do man’s work unless they were short-handed in the fields; they weren’t allowed to speak unless spoken to; they weren’t allowed to speak of any abuses within their household, and if they got out of line, their husbands had to publicly beat them into submission—the keywords being “had to.” [He quotes Fitzgerald with a mockingly pious voice.] “If a husband does not take it upon himself to make sure his wife is obedient to him and to the laws of God and the Fellowship, it shall then fall upon the Judges to take up his burden.” I remember one time a young woman, probably around my age back then, was caught trying to steal some produce from the community kitchen. Her husband, a frail, Parkinson’s-ridden seventy-year-old man could barely lift his spoon to eat soup, much less beat his wife. One of the Judges “disciplined” her for the old man, swinging a shovel to the back of her head so hard her right eye shot out of its socket. I can still remember the way her eye dangled about, still attached to the optic nerve. Poor thing went blind.

No one was allowed to leave Kanorado, of course—not if they weren’t scavengers, anyway. As Fitzgerald had always put it, “he who wanders off from God’s Light and His Fellowship shall suffer the fires of Hell in life and in death.” Anyone who was caught trying to escape was burned alive. They burned them in a soundproof urn-shaped building we called Nebuchadnezzar’s Furnace so the glow of burning flesh and wooden crucifixes and screams wouldn’t attract Zack. [Bill takes a long drink of his beer.]

Did the Fellowship ever have any run-ins with zombie attacks?

Only three times while I was in Kanorado. There was one time—back before Fitzgerald had the good sense to put up metal fences instead of chain-linked fences—when a swarm of, I want to say 30 of them, got through a hole that someone failed to fix up. Zack got about five of us—one of them was Fitzgerald’s favorite wife. At that point of the Great Panic, everyone knew no medicine could cure reanimation after dead. Fitzgerald, on the other hand, had a solution. You see, back when he hosted a religious podcast in Cincinnati, he preached his wholehearted belief that the gay could be prayed away. So with that logic, so too could the zombie virus be prayed away. Nobel Prize-winning stuff! [Bill laughs then takes a drink.] He gathered everyone in the chapel room and had us pray for hours for the five bitten until they finally stopped breathing. Fitzgerald’s wife was the first to come back until we all saw him bash her skull in with a candelabrum. He had the Judges do the other four in with axes before they could come back. He became belligerent, blaming us for not having enough faith in God to save his beloved wife. Our rations were cut in half for 40 days as punishment.

The second run-in happened four months later. There was no swarm, but only a single Zack, at least we all thought. One of the Bishops, a piece-of-shit wife-beater named Paul Kaufman, revisited Fitzgerald’s theory of “praying the plague away” by reading scriptures from the Book of Mark to Zack. To no one’s admitted surprise, he got bit and Zack was shot down by a Judge. What did come to everyone’s surprise was that he didn’t turn.

After investigating the issue, Fitzgerald came to the conclusion that one became immune to the plague if he had sex with a virgin, as Kaufman had fucked his new young wife after his last one mysteriously died in her sleep.[4] What happened next…well…let’s just say there was a lot of screaming later that night…and a lot of babies being born around the same time. [He finishes his second beer with a long swig and opens another.] Had we known of quislings, I would have called Fitzgerald out on his bullshit then and there.

And the third time?

A swarm of at least ten times the size as the first one was trying to get through the eastern-most side of Kanorado. By that time, we’d replaced the shoddy chain link fences with eight-foot-high metal plate fences reinforced with concrete foundations which worked in the past. But the walls were tin sloppily welded scraps of old car engine hoods, flattened tin cans, and rusted sheet metal. It worked well for holding off one or two zombies, but the combined physical force of some three hundred Zack, unhindered by cognitive restraint, would have burst through like a finger through a wet napkin. Some of the Judges went to try to hold the fence up, thinking they now had immunity from infection and protection from God. Those stupid fucks were the first to get mauled to death by the invading swarm.

Chaos erupted throughout the whole goddamn town; people screaming, trying to run to the safety of their homes, cracks of gunfire that would only draw more of Zack to them, mothers mercy-killing their babies, and poor saps desperately pleading to God to send Angels to lift them to salvation as Zack tore their stomachs open. In the panic, I decided then was a good time to get the hell out of there. My plan was to make my way to the western-most side of Kanorado, break into the garage, steal one of them military trucks they had stored away, and ram my way through the wall and keep on going west. I was just about to get the keys from the wall hangers when four Judges dragged two women into an office building connected to the garage. I hid in a tool shed before they could see me. The Judges were covered in blood and the black liquid; their expressions were that of wild all-eyed desperation. They must’ve been bit or at the very least got that black shit in their mouths and eyes. Two of the Judges forced one woman into a corner with their rifles pointed at her so she wouldn’t try to run. The other two…

[Bill stares off. There is a long pause.]

You don’t want to talk about that if—

No. It’s ok. [He takes a deep breath and a long drink.] The other two Judges pinned the other woman—no, it was a girl, couldn’t have been any older than sixteen…they pinned her down on a table and…tried to save themselves from becoming infected. They gagged her with a ripped piece of her dress so she wouldn’t scream. [His face is now blank, void of emotion, and his voice now in monotone. His keeps his gaze from mine.] It didn’t even matter that those who thought themselves immune got fucking killed. They had a single hair of hope and they clung to it.

After they were done with her, they choked her to death, probably to save ammo for Zack and…went on to the other woman. She tried to fight back at first, but…there’s only some much such a small woman could do against four apes in uniform. Her head was held down by one Judge and she…she saw me watching her through a crack in the tool shed door.

[His voice becomes softly quiet.]

Her eyes were full of pleading. “Save me, stranger! Don’t let these fucking animals do this to me!” What could I have done? Grab a hammer or a wrench from the tool shed, rushed the Judges, save the woman, and drive off into the night with her? [He forces a chuckle.] And maybe we’d even fall in love and start a family, telling the story about how Mommy and Daddy met in the middle of fucking Armageddon, like in those Hollywood movies?

[He covers his mouth with a fist to stifle a sob and tightly squeezes his eyes in an attempt to stop the tears.]

I wanted to live so badly. I wanted to go back home. I wanted to get as far away from that fucking place as possible. And because I wanted to live, I…closed my eyes and covered my ears…

[Bill drops his beer on the floor and covers his face. After crying for a while, he picks up his beer and drinks whatever is left in the bottle.]

I’m glad I never found out what happened to my parents. I’m glad I never married. I’m glad I’ll never have children. It means they’ll never have to hear the story of how I let two women die because I was too much of a fucking coward to at least die trying to save them. Keith Fitzgerald. I hope he’s burning in Hell.

[1] During the Great Panic, the Golden Gate Bridge was blown apart as a way to keep the zombie hordes from swarming into San Francisco from both sides. Reconstruction of the bridge employed over 2,000 workers from the DeStRes program over the course of three years.

[2] Before the war, Pastor Creflo Dollar set up a fundraiser to pay for a Gulfstream G650 private jet worth 65 million USD.

[3] The population of Kanorado before the Zombie War was only 153 total residents. In fact, the town never had a population of more than 400 people in its entire history.

[4] It is most likely that Kaufman’s wife may have died of Asymptomatic Demise Syndrome (ADS).

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mcjoelcain · 6 years

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Opportunity Zones: The Tax Efficient Investment Of The Future

When I traveled to China in the early 2000s for business, I frequently explored Special Economic Zones (SEZs) that received preferential tax and incentives for businesses. With most of the economic growth centering around Beijing and Shanghai, the central government wanted to spread the wealth. As a result of tax incentives, business streamlining, foreign investment, and technology, SEZ cities such as Shenzhen and Zhuhai are now a couple of the richest and fastest growing cities in the country.

I’ve always wondered why the United States didn’t do the same. Sure, on a state level, governors can provide economic and tax incentives for businesses to set up shop in their respective states. But there was no such program on the federal level, where taxation and regulation are often the highest.

Until December 2017, that is when a new tax law was passed called the Investing In Opportunity Act. The law is designed to lure capital that faces heavy capital gains tax into Opportunity Funds, or O-Funds, which invest in roughly 8,700 Opportunity Zones, or O-Zones. These O-Zones are generally considered struggling cities or towns that are in need of redevelopment.

~8,700 Opportunity Zones

What’s exciting about this tax law is that potentially hundreds of billions, if not trillions of dollars of “smart money” capital could be pumped into our country’s poorer regions. Opportunity Funds would be created to invest in anything from real estate to tech startups to help bring jobs and prosperity to low growth areas.

Over the long run, if the capital can stay in the region, opportunity zones should benefit tremendously.

Tax Benefits Of Investing In Opportunity Funds

Think about investing in an Opportunity Fund like a 1031 Exchange for real estate investors looking to defer their capital gains tax, but with more options. For example, you might be looking to diversify your company stock holdings after it went IPO. Instead of paying a hefty capital gains tax, you can invest the proceeds in an Opportunity Fund focused on real estate redevelopment in what you think will be the next Silicon Valley.

Here’s how the tax benefit would work.

1) Deferral of capital gain. A tax deferral for any capital gains rolled over into an Opportunity Fund. The deferred gain would be recognized on the earlier of December 31, 2026 or the date on which the investment in the Fund is sold.

2) A step-up in basis for capital gains rolled into an Opportunity Fund. The basis of the original investment is increased by 10% if the investment is held by the taxpayer for at least 5 years, and by an additional 5% if held for at least 7 years. In other words, if by December 31, 2026 an investor has held an investment in an Opportunity Fund for 7 years, then the tax on the initially deferred gain will be reduced by 15%, or reduced by 10% if by then held for only five years.

3) No tax on any capital gains from an investment in Opportunity Fund. In the case of any investment in an Opportunity Fund held by a taxpayer for at least 10 years, the basis of such property shall be equal to the fair market value of such investment on the date that the investment is sold or exchanged. In short, after a 10-year holding period, there would be zero federal capital gains tax on profits from the sale of an investment in an Opportunity Fund.

Source: Fundrise

The figure above illustrates how an investor’s potential after-tax returns compares assuming a 10-year holding period, annual investment appreciation of 7%, and a long-term capital gains tax rate of 23.8% (federal capital gains tax of 20% and net investment income tax of 3.8%).

After 10 years an investor would see an additional $44,000 for every $100,000 of capital gains reinvested into an Opportunity Fund on December 31, 2018 compared to an equivalent investment in a more traditional stock portfolio generating the same annual appreciation. Tax efficiency basically doubles the investor’s returns in this hypothetical scenario.

Source: Fundrise

Real Estate Opportunity Fund Investing

Real estate is inherently a long-term asset class, and therefore, one that fits well with an Opportunity Fund’s 10-year holding period in order to avoid paying any capital gains tax.

Because real estate provides shelter, produces income, and is a physical asset, I’ve been much more comfortable investing more of my assets in real estate over the years than I have in the stock market. Unlike the stock market, real estate doesn’t just go * POOF * during a downturn.

One of the fundamental long-term real estate investment strategies is the acquisition of properties at a low-cost basis in an emerging urban neighborhood. As surrounding popular neighborhoods grow and become more expensive, people begin moving into more affordable adjacent neighborhoods, driving new demand and growth.

One such example is Los Angeles’s Koreatown neighborhood and South Los Angeles overall. Before doing research for this article, I had no idea an expensive city like LA existed Opportunity Zones. Due to spillover demand, this part of Los Angeles has benefitted from strong price appreciation.

If Zillow’s forecast for a 5.9% increase in South Los Angeles home prices comes true, then having real estate investments in South Los Angeles O-Zone neighborhoods will prove to be a shrewd investment move.

Fundrise Opportunity Fund

The only Opportunity Fund I’m aware of at the moment is the Fundrise Opportunity Fund. Based on the presentation they sent to me, the Fundrise Opportunity Fund intends to acquire, improve, and manage a portfolio of real estate properties based on the following criteria:

At least 90% of assets must be located and invested in qualified opportunity zone property;

Properties only qualify if acquired after December 31, 2017

Qualifying assets must be equity investments, not debt; and

The original use of such property must commence with the Opportunity Fund, or the fund must substantially improve the property within 30 months of acquisition

Over the coming months, the IRS and Treasury Department plan to release guidance on the implementation of the new program. Interested investors would simply input their e-mail to be placed on the waiting list for more detail.

Here would be the steps to investing in an Opportunity Fund.

1. December 31, 2018: Invest in Opportunity Fund (Day 1)

2. April 15, 2019: Make election on your tax filing showing capital gain rollover into an Opportunity Fund

3. April 15, 2027: Pay deferred capital gains tax 4.

4. December 31, 2028: Opportunity Fund now becomes eligible for tax-free sale (10-year hold)

Pros And Cons Of Opportunity Funds

I love tax-efficient investing, hence why I’ve always maxed out my 401(k) and contribute to my son’s 529 education savings plan. I also enjoy investing a good chunk of change in a long-term fund so I don’t have to constantly think about my investments. Money is best when it’s out of sight and out of mind since it’s only a means to a better life.

Not only can investors reduce or eliminate their capital gains tax burden with Opportunity Funds, they can potentially make money in new investments, while helping underserved communities. What’s not to like?

Here are some negatives I can think of:

1) The Opportunity Fund manager might make bad investments.

2) Some Opportunity Zones might face structural challenges that will outlast your patience or the fund’s holding period.

3) Opportunity Funds are illiquid and may have unfavorable terms if you want to pull your money out early.

4) The government might change the law and start taxing capital gains again.

5) More investment paperwork come tax time.

No Taxes Sounds Great

Given Opportunity Funds and Opportunity Zones are new, it’s not 100% clear what the final rules will be. But all indications point to favorable tax treatments for investors looking to roll their capital gains to underserved areas of the country.

Finally, in addition to Opportunity Funds, an entrepreneur can set up shop in an Opportunity Zone where costs are cheaper to take advantage of tax benefits as well. It often takes 10 years for a business to become successful. Too bad Opportunity Zones didn’t exist when Financial Samurai started in 2009, otherwise, I probably sell my company in 2019 and ride off into the sunset!

As investors, it’s our job to try and get smart on potential long-term opportunities so that when the time comes to invest, we are able to take advantage of all the opportunities.

Readers, are you aware of any other Opportunity Funds available to retail investors? What are some other positives and negatives of the Investing In Opportunity Act you can think of?

Thanks Fundrise for being a long-term affiliate partner and Financial Samurai sponsor. From their Internet Public Offering to their eREITs, I’m always impressed with their innovation in the space.

The post Opportunity Zones: The Tax Efficient Investment Of The Future appeared first on Financial Samurai.

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thegloober · 6 years

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Opportunity Zones: The Tax Efficient Investment Of The Future

~8,700 Opportunity Zones

Over the long run, if the capital can stay in the region, opportunity zones should benefit tremendously.

Tax Benefits Of Investing In Opportunity Funds

Here’s how the tax benefit would work.

Source: Fundrise

Real Estate Opportunity Fund Investing

Real estate is inherently a long-term asset class, and therefore, one that fits well with an Opportunity Fund’s 10-year holding period in order to avoid paying any capital gains tax.

Fundrise Opportunity Fund

At least 90% of assets must be located and invested in qualified opportunity zone property;

Properties only qualify if acquired after December 31, 2017

Qualifying assets must be equity investments, not debt; and

The original use of such property must commence with the Opportunity Fund, or the fund must substantially improve the property within 30 months of acquisition

Here would be the steps to investing in an Opportunity Fund.

1. December 31, 2018: Invest in Opportunity Fund (Day 1)

2. April 15, 2019: Make election on your tax filing showing capital gain rollover into an Opportunity Fund

3. April 15, 2027: Pay deferred capital gains tax 4.

4. December 31, 2028: Opportunity Fund now becomes eligible for tax-free sale (10-year hold)

Pros And Cons Of Opportunity Funds

Here are some negatives I can think of:

1) The Opportunity Fund manager might make bad investments.

2) Some Opportunity Zones might face structural challenges that will outlast your patience or the fund’s holding period.

3) Opportunity Funds are illiquid and may have unfavorable terms if you want to pull your money out early.

4) The government might change the law and start taxing capital gains again.

5) More investment paperwork come tax time.

No Taxes Sounds Great

As investors, it’s our job to try and get smart on potential long-term opportunities so that when the time comes to invest, we are able to take advantage of all the opportunities.

Readers, are you aware of any other Opportunity Funds available to retail investors? What are some other positives and negatives of the Investing In Opportunity Act you can think of?

Thanks Fundrise for being a long-term affiliate partner and Financial Samurai sponsor. From their Internet Public Offering to their eREITs, I’m always impressed with their innovation in the space.

Source: https://bloghyped.com/opportunity-zones-the-tax-efficient-investment-of-the-future/

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ronaldmrashid · 6 years

Text

Opportunity Zones: The Tax Efficient Investment Of The Future

~8,700 Opportunity Zones

Over the long run, if the capital can stay in the region, opportunity zones should benefit tremendously.

Tax Benefits Of Investing In Opportunity Funds

Here’s how the tax benefit would work.

Source: Fundrise

Real Estate Opportunity Fund Investing

Real estate is inherently a long-term asset class, and therefore, one that fits well with an Opportunity Fund’s 10-year holding period in order to avoid paying any capital gains tax.

Fundrise Opportunity Fund

At least 90% of assets must be located and invested in qualified opportunity zone property;

Properties only qualify if acquired after December 31, 2017

Qualifying assets must be equity investments, not debt; and

The original use of such property must commence with the Opportunity Fund, or the fund must substantially improve the property within 30 months of acquisition

Here would be the steps to investing in an Opportunity Fund.

1. December 31, 2018: Invest in Opportunity Fund (Day 1)

2. April 15, 2019: Make election on your tax filing showing capital gain rollover into an Opportunity Fund

3. April 15, 2027: Pay deferred capital gains tax 4.

4. December 31, 2028: Opportunity Fund now becomes eligible for tax-free sale (10-year hold)

Pros And Cons Of Opportunity Funds

Here are some negatives I can think of:

1) The Opportunity Fund manager might make bad investments.

2) Some Opportunity Zones might face structural challenges that will outlast your patience or the fund’s holding period.

3) Opportunity Funds are illiquid and may have unfavorable terms if you want to pull your money out early.

4) The government might change the law and start taxing capital gains again.

5) More investment paperwork come tax time.

No Taxes Sounds Great

As investors, it’s our job to try and get smart on potential long-term opportunities so that when the time comes to invest, we are able to take advantage of all the opportunities.

Readers, are you aware of any other Opportunity Funds available to retail investors? What are some other positives and negatives of the Investing In Opportunity Act you can think of?

Thanks Fundrise for being a long-term affiliate partner and Financial Samurai sponsor. From their Internet Public Offering to their eREITs, I’m always impressed with their innovation in the space.

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morrisbrokaw · 6 years

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How to Plan Your Dream Wedding When You Think Wedding Planning is for the Birds

Let me preface this story with – I have always wanted to get married. Ever since I was little. Since the impressionable age of six when my parents finalized their divorce, I knew from that moment on that life was never going to be the same and I’ve longed for that nuclear family dynamic ever since.

I think from that moment on I told myself that my life would be different. Although my family is amazing, I so deeply wanted to create a family structure that was solid and all in one household. The thought of not driving around to 4 different homes on Christmas just seemed like a dream. The truth is, I’ve always loved love and always believed you can write your own story. No matter what the odds are and no matter what everyone else says. It may sound cheesy but I firmly believe that you can create your own destiny. You pick the players; you call the shots. This is the book of your life and it is up to you to write every chapter.

So fast forward 24 years, to the morning I got engaged at 6:45 am with nearly 100 candles lining the floor all around my living room on my 30th birthday. Kind of a surreal moment. I was blindfolded and while I could feel Muhamed down on one knee proposing I thought to myself Wow, I can’t believe this is happening right now. It was like one of those once in a lifetime moments when everything becomes very slow and still; you can feel your heartbeat in your throat and you wonder if you are acting the right way and saying all the right things. But then you are just straight shell-shocked for 12 full minutes afterward and you keep repeating random comments like “WOW!” “Are you serious?” until you start randomly crying. Sounds about right. That was such a good day, and I’ll never forget it.

I guess this is a love story of sorts but this is mostly a wedding planning story. Because the truth is, I really wanted to get married, but I also very much wanted to elope. If you can believe that. And Muhamed, the one who didn’t quite want to get married apparently couldn’t live without a huge wedding. Go figure. That is life for you. So here we were. Knee deep in planning a gigantic wedding, which was throwing my detail-oriented, perfectionist OCD tendencies into a full-blown tailspin.

And while my wedding is still very fresh in my memory, I want to give you all the best takeaways and learnings I can possibly think of so that your big day can go as smoothly as physically and emotionally possible.

First things first! Pick your venue. I did this right away and it helped set everything in motion. When you pick your venue, you simultaneously set your wedding date and you also figure out what the venue can offer you when it comes to catering, drinks, music and every other accommodation under the sun. So really picking your venue gets the proverbial ball rolling. We decided on Mayowood Stone Barn in Rochester, MN. It was the perfect mix of old-fashioned elegance paired with the rustic outdoors. I loved the European equestrian style and feel of the location which opened up to a huge farm field surrounded by picturesque woods. The staff was also wonderful to work with which was a huge plus.

Next thing to do is find your dress! They say it takes 5 months for design, shipping, and then a couple additional months for alterations. And if I am going to be completely honest with you – finding my dress was an ultimate nightmare. I went to 11 stores. Some women find their dress at the first store, well, that was not me. Give yourself enough time not to feel stressed. I say start early on this one. Also, you will need your wedding shoes before you begin dress alterations; I decided on a pair of Badgley Mischka’s which were comfortable and had just the right amount of sparkle.

Right around the time you say “yes to the dress” (roughly 9 months before your wedding date) is when you should begin interviewing potential photographers and videographers. My good friend Colleen Eversman of 2ndTruth Photography offered to shoot our wedding as a gift which was amazingly kind of her. She and her second-shooting side-kick, Josh Olson Photography, did such an incredible job. I would highly recommend interviewing a handful of photographers + videographers and really taking a peek at their portfolios and pricing packages before you go ahead with your selection. The main takeaway is you want to feel unbelievably comfortable shooting with them. In an attempt to save money, I said no to hiring a videographer which I deeply regret! But I had to draw the line somewhere when it came to our continuous spending. I think in the wild world of wedding planning weighing the pros and cons and asking what is most important to you and your partner helps a great deal when you’re attempting to finalize the plans and make some of those harder last minute decisions.

I would advise that you start your wedding invites and address list asap. This took me WAY longer than anticipated. Perfecting the addresses and invites took me nearly 3 months. I would also highly suggest sending out “Save the Dates” at least 6-8 months before the wedding, some sites even say 8-12 months before. I did not do this and this is one of my biggest regrets. Begin reaching out for all your loved one’s addresses now and compile that list! After I finally sent the wedding invites out (4 months before the wedding) I received several replies that potential attendees already had plans, which totally bummed me out.

I asked my good friend, design maven and colleague at W&D, Judith Marilyn to create my invites. She was striving for a classic bohemian elegance with them and I was so happy with the way they turned out. I loved the feel of the vintage font and flowers.

I highly recommend reading this book at the beginning of your wedding planning journey Love, Lust, Wedding Planning for the Wild at Heart. Because it’s just fun and it gets you in the mood. Molly Guy is hilarious and just an all-around badass writer and human, not to mention a total inspiration to me. But in all seriousness, this book really opened my eyes to creating your very own dream wedding just the way YOU want it. Not anyone else. It reminds you that you don’t need to follow any rules and you can make your big day everything you want it to be. Even if you want something avant-garde like a Batman cake or a bohemian bungalow to hang out in for your reception. Because after all, your wedding should be a special celebration of the unique love between you and your partner and not just a replica of someone else’s nuptials.

Before you send out your invites makes sure you create your wedding website and registry. I made mine on The Knot and it was pretty simple once I actually sat down to do it. The Knot also offers you quite a few project management tools and reminders of to-do items that I would have most certainly forgotten. You can go as deep into the woods with this website as you’d like.

I was lucky enough to have my catering and cake/desserts included in my wedding venue package, but I would suggest seeking these vendors out 7-10 months before your wedding date to be safe. Asking around to friends and family for recommendations was super helpful in finding the right vendors. It’s fun and romantic to experience these tastings with your partner as you craft what your perfect day will look like each step of the way together.

Pick your florist at least 8-9 months out and I would definitely hire at least a day-of coordinator, if not a wedding planner. I went with Maven Events for both and they were phenomenal. Very laid back and easy to work with but when it came to the big day they nailed every minute detail. Their florals and decorations were absolutely stunning, effortlessly classy and beyond beautiful. I cannot say enough good things about Kelly and her team. I received a myriad of compliments regarding the decor, thanks to them. Combining our florist and coordinator was a dream-like experience, too. With wedding planning, it’s helpful to kill two birds with one stone as often as possible, because that means fewer people to talk to and less projects to manage.

Also, if you have time, it’s fun to get crafty with your wedding. I thrifted nearly twenty vintage medicine bottles for each table, Kate then designed the gold table numbers, printed them out on the Cricut and we placed them onto my vintage bottles. This was an extremely rewarding and effortless project which saved us time and money and I’m happy to report they turned out perfect! Muhamed and I also decided to make our own name cards which turned out to be a success but this was rather time-consuming. We bought vintage-looking postage stamp paper from Michaels and I used a calligraphy pen to write everyone’s name in cursive. During the reception, we asked everyone to write us a handwritten note on their name card and place them in the envelope on their table. It was so entertaining reading all of the humorous and heartfelt letters the next day.

Figuring out my hair and makeup was a little tricky for me. I went back and forth with should I save here or should I splurge? In the end, what is a couple extra hundred dollars within a wedding? I would definitely recommend splurging on this one. I think feeling and looking amazing on one of the most important days of your life is 100% necessary. Especially a day that is wrought with extreme nerves and unexpected emotions – looking my absolute best definitely helped ease my nerves quite a bit. When you feel good about yourself that confidence seems to exude outward, so I highly recommend getting a few consultations and going with a team of artists that make you feel the most beautiful you’ve ever felt, and most importantly, the most like you. You should feel like a movie star version of yourself. Anything less is not good enough! I ended up going with my good friend Sal Rodriguez for makeup and local all-star Jen Hughes for hair, I like to call them the dream team, because they really are! If you live in the Twin Cities area I highly recommend hiring these two for your glam squad.

Rewind to 30 days before the wedding. I was officially stressing big time. Every day counts when you are at the month countdown. Every night after work was spent doing something wedding oriented and at this point, my wedding day and my remaining to-do list were beginning to haunt my dreams, ha literally.

Now it was time to write the ceremony, finalize the music, print the table numbers, complete the name cards, create a shot list for our photographer, and I was still following up with people who didn’t RSVP. I was also planning my bridesmaids’ presents at this time. And really taking a close look at timelines (which my coordinator helped me to create.) Another positive aspect about a coordinator is that they educate you on all of the little things that there is no way you would ever know even exist! Like how long the dinner speeches should be, telling your officiant to remind your guests to be seated before they begin speaking and interesting things like when to cut the cake so the caterer has time to slice up the entire cake. Day of coordinators and planners are so worth it! Unless you are hyper-organized, but either way, you will need to hire a helper to set everything up on the day of if you do not have a coordinator. The last thing you want is to feel stressed about anything (besides yourself) on your big day.

Also, a word to the wise, budget smartly friends, because no matter what you do weddings are ALWAYS more than you think they will be, so I highly suggest saving as much as you can, as soon as you can, and possibly having those hard conversations with your parents pretty early on as to how much they are all planning to contribute.

Another experience I want to echo is that planning a first look with your partner before the ceremony really helps release a lot of the nervous tension and built-up emotions before you have to walk out in front of everyone. I felt really calm and at ease during our ceremony knowing that Muhamed and I got to spend an hour together before the wedding. It was also nice to get all our photos out of the way before the guests arrived that way after the ceremony we got right into socializing and sipping on that celebratory glass of Prosecco.

Finally, everyone always says your wedding day goes by in a blur, which couldn’t be more true. After the wedding I found myself searching every crevice of my mind to remember who I talked to and if I got to say hi to each guest. I almost felt as though I blacked out when I couldn’t remember certain conversations, it is such an overstimulating blur but in the best way. After the big day, I thought I’d be relieved that all the planning and stress was finally over, but the first thing that came to my mind that next morning was how I longed so deeply to do it all over again. If I wasn’t so exhausted of course.

It was such a magical day filled with all the people I cherish most in the world. I’ve never felt so much love in one collective space. After fighting Muhamed tooth and nail to elope I had to say those dreaded words to him the next day, “You were right.” I don’t regret the large wedding in the least, it was worth all the stress and every single penny. It was the party of a lifetime that I’ll hold close to my heart forever.

I was so happy that all my beautiful W&D girls came out for the wedding too!

What happens after it’s all over, you ask? Well, I’m finally on to making sure I get out those 250 “Thank You” cards out before the end of August! Another wedding hack, make sure you write down everything you’re gifted as all the presents roll in, from your bridal shower to your big day, there is a 3-month window where all the gifts begin to arrive and if you don’t document everything carefully your long-list of presents can become a bit unorganized and overwhelming.

Well, I hope this list helps a few of you that are currently wedding planning! I would love to hear your favorite wedding memories or any tips and tricks you have for future brides in the comments below!

Here is my top list of resources for planning your personal dream wedding

Must-have wedding book for inspo: Love, Lust, Wedding Planning for the Wild at Heart.

Favorite wedding website to create your website and registry: The Knot

Here are a few different wedding checklists to make sure you have everything covered! I scoured the internet and then collectively created my own. The Knot has a great list too that is catered around your personal wedding timeline: The Only Wedding Planning Checklist You Will Ever Need // The Ultimate Wedding Planning Checklist // Wedding Checklist

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