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25yearsofcrying · 3 years

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Julie and the Phantoms

Summary: Trying my own hand at JATP novelization, using the show rather than the novel or the scripts. I’m sure it’s been done before but there’s never enough Julie and the Phantoms, right? If nothing else, I have an excuse to rewatch every single scene of the show all over again.

CHAPTER 01: we don’t get older

Luke

This is what I’m talking about! The lights we are under are burning hot, we are half sweat and not one of us can keep a single hair in place but we’ve never sounded better. We’re amazing, playing on a proper stage. Our music and lyrics have never felt more true either.

I feel connected. To the guitar in my hands, to the guys in my band, to the music, to the audience.

Tonight, we’re playing the Orpheum. The energy of the place, or perhaps our own excitement, pushes our performance beyond what we’ve ever done before. Despite the sweat we’re drenched in, I feel I could do this for hours.

We ain't searching for tomorrow (tomorrow) | 'Cause we got all we need today (today) | Living on a feeling that's been running through our veins | We're the revolution that's been singing in the rain

But our song wraps up. We finish to a brief applause from the waitress cleaning tables and a few shouts from the Orpheum’s staff and our crew. Tonight, we are playing a sold out concert at the Orpheum, but that’s in two hours.

Reggie, our bass player, still pulls his mike closer and says: “Thank you! We’re Sunset Curve! Tell your friends!” He winks.

I laugh and shake my head. Bobby, the rhythmic guitar, knocks his elbow against mine before we grab our drinks. “Too bad we’ve wasted that on a sound check,” he says. “That’s the tightest we’ve ever played.”

“Wait until tonight, man,” I assure him as I turn to look over the Orpheum. “When this place gets packed with record execs.” This truly feels like the beginning of something new. It’s like I can feel the energy of everyone who’s ever played here before us and I’m living for it. This place makes legends.

Meanwhile, Reggie the eternal cheerleader, focuses his attention on our drummer. “Alex, you were smoking!” he shouts with a bright grin.

Alex, who’s emerged from behind the drums, looks humble and flustered for a moment. He instantly tries to play the compliment down. “Oh no! I was just warming up. You guys were the ones on fire.”

“Could you accept your awesomeness for once?” Reggie doesn’t give up.

“All right,” Alex agrees, red and shy but obviously pleased with himself. “I was killing it.”

It makes me grin and I rub his shoulders in excitement. Despite his insecurities, Alex really was killing it. As always. He might be one of my closest friends, but he wouldn’t be in the band if he wasn’t good. Trust me. I don’t make compromises when it comes to my music.

My names is Luke. Reggie, Alex and Bobby are my bandmates of several years and together we are Sunset Curve. And tonight, we’re going to prove why we live and breathe for music.

But first things first. “I’m thinking we fuel up before the show,” I say. I don’t know about the guys, but I’m starving. “I’m thinking street dogs.”

While Alex and Reggie answer with a chorus of approval, Bobby turns his attention elsewhere. He gets off the stage and heads straight for the waitress who’s showed her appreciation for our music.

“I’m good,” he tells us over his shoulder and to her, he says: “Vegetarian. I couldn’t hurt an animal.”

I roll my eyes but we are all drawn to the conversation. And the waitress – a very pretty Latina – turns to all of us. “You guys were really good,” she says and I beam at her.

“Thank you.” It’s always a wonderful feeling to see people connect with our music. We write all of it ourselves so up on that stage, people see and hear our souls.

“I see a lot of bands. Been in a few myself,” she continues and that makes her initial compliment all the better. “I was really feeling it.”

“That’s what we do this for. I’m Luke, by the way,” I say and the guys all introduce themselves. Bobby shoves himself in front of me when he says his name and I shove my finger in his ear. What can I say? We are brothers, even if not by blood.

“I’m Rose,” she replies, grinning at us.

She must be a little older than us, but even that doesn’t stop Reggie when his eyes light up as he senses an opportunity to promote the band. “Here is our demo…” He hands her a CD with our logo on it. “And a T-shirt. Size beautiful.” He adds a wink again. An opportunity to promote us and to flirt. Beside him, Alex groans audibly.

“Thanks?” Rose seems unimpressed but she adds: “I’ll have to make sure to not wipe the tables with this one.”

To the surprise of no one, words a little too honest tumble out of Alex’s mouth: “Oh, good call. Whenever they get wet, they just kinda fall apart in your hands.” He is not wrong. Our merch is produced on a budget.

Sensing that my awesomeness, Reggie’s forwardness and Alex’s lack of interest are ruining his game, Bobby turns to us with a pointed glare. “Don’t you guys have to go get your hot dogs?”

“Yeah.” I lean to the waitress with a conspiratorial smirk. “He had a burger for lunch.” I’m not trying to wreck things for him, just tease him a little. I don’t think he stands a chance to begin with, but it’s admirable he is trying.

With good-natured slaps to his shoulder, we leave Bobby to his flirting.

jatp jatp jatp jatp jatp jatp jatp jatp jatp jatp jatp jatp jatp jatp jatp jatp jatp

We leave the Orpheum through a back door and I take a deep breath. “That’s what I’m talking about!”

The last time I felt this level of excitement was before our first ever real gig.

Alex throws me a questioning look: “The smell of Sunset Boulevard?” It makes Reggie snort and I shake my head.

“No. It’s what that girl said in there tonight. About our music, all right?” Her words affected me. Not just because she thought we were good when she’s already seen so many other bands and it would take a lot to stand out in her ears. She felt our music. “It’s like energy. Connects us with people. They can feel us when we play.” I throw my arms around Alex and Reggie both and pull them closer. We’ve always had a connection, ever since we’ve started playing together. “I want that connection with everybody.”

They laugh, but I can see that they get it. Even if Reggie replies: “Then we’re gonna need more T-shirts.”

I can’t remember when Reggie became our dedicated promoter, but it’s a role he takes extremely seriously, which makes me think it must have been his idea in the first place. I am more focused on the music itself, on what it feels like to be on stage and play for a crowd that sings back the lyrics I wrote. And Alex, if we let him, would be perfectly content to play for himself in a garage somewhere, even if he clearly enjoys people loving his performances. Reggie is the one with the business sense. He claims that if we want to play in front of crowds, we need to let people know we exist. It hurts me to think our music on its own is not enough, but perhaps he has a point.

He shoves next few T-shirts into the hands of girls waiting in line for our concert. Their excited reaction and their instant recognition of us makes us all giddy, but I pull my hood over my head. No matter what anyone thinks, I don’t do this to be followed around by fangirls. It’s nice, sure, and one of the perks, but it’s when I am on stage that I want attention. Right now, I just want a street dog.

Though, I can’t help but think that Bobby is missing out by staying behind.

Establishments like Sam n’ Ella’s, which serves hot dogs from the back of a rusted car, are our main source of food these days. Most of our money goes into the equipment, transportation between gigs, creation of demos and merch. Between us, there’s not a single set of supportive parents and so the funds are tight to begin with. One’d think we’d be used to our food options by now, but Alex still frowns. “Man… I can’t wait until we eat someplace where the condiments aren’t served out of the back of an Oldsmobile.” We fill our hot dogs ourselves and he is dripping pickle juice all over the car’s insides as he speaks. He goes to apologize to the owner, but the man dismisses Alex’s fears with a laugh. “No problem, it’ll help with the rust!”

I can’t bring myself to care about the quality of food. My heart is still at the Orpheum. It doesn’t matter that we’re sitting on a questionable couch in the street and eating even more questionable hot dogs. “This is awesome, you guys. We’re playing the Orpheum. I can’t even count how many bands have played here and then ended up being huge. We��re gonna be legends!” I rise my street dog like it’s a toast. “Eat up boys. Cause after tonight, everything changes.” We won’t have to choose between food and paying for merch production anymore.

I take a bite and almost shudder. Any food is good enough for Reggie, so he eats his hot dog with gusto, but Alex pulls a face when he tastes his. “That’s a new flavor?”

“Chill, man. Street dogs haven’t killed us yet.”

Trust Reggie to provide the perfect last words.

#julie and the phantoms #jatp #jatp fic #luke patterson #alex mercer #bobby/trevor wilson #reggie peters #not tagging our queen julie in this chapter because she's not featured in it and I don't want to clog her tag #my jatp novel

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the-escape-artist · 5 years

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I’m Full - My Trip to Hanoi, Vietnam

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tips to follow.

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

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whatanerdgirlsays · 5 years

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If you’ve been living under a rock or simply don’t live in California so your entire world doesn’t revolve around the Disneyland Resort, then you may not know that the newest addition to the park – Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – has officially opened as of this past Friday.

I’ve been excited about this for FOUR years now, since the announcement that there would be a Star Wars themed land. The closer it got though, the more that it just seemed like it wouldn’t be in the cards for me though. I unfortunately haven’t been able to afford an annual pass in quite some time, and a day ticket is a lot for me. I was counting down the days until opening but I had a feeling that I would not be there.

That literally changed about three weeks ago. Let me start with a little backstory. I’ve been to Disneyland a handful of times in the past two years and I took the same picture every single time, starting with one taken in August of 2017. They had started the construction on Galaxy’s Edge and there was a really cool walkway and wall leading to where the land was going to be. I took a picture sitting in front of it, staring wistfully at the picture, and posted it on Instagram, joking about how I was first in line.

I was contacted by someone named Frank, who is now a friend of mine after two years of instagram following, who let me know that my picture caught the eye of Disney and they wanted to know if they could have permission to use the image in promotion stuff. I thought it was kind of crazy, but gave my information and thought nothing of it. Frank and I stayed IG friends though and that was great!

A few weeks ago, Frank reaches out to me, asks for my email, saying that Disney Parks wants to get in contact with me. Hmm, okay. So I passed along my email – which is basically public anyway – and waited. I received an email from someone named Mark, who works for Disney Parks, asking if he could have ten to fifteen minutes to chat on the phone with me. After Googling him frantically and finding that he seemed pretty legit, I okayed the phone call. It basically boiled down to they can’t tell me why, but they want to come film me being surprised with…something. I set it up for a few days later.

Long story short – which you guys know I’m NEVER good at – Mark, one of the Disneyland Ambassadors, Justin, and a full camera crew came to my apartment and surprised me with a trip to Galaxy’s Edge before it opened to the public.

And while I had a *slight* idea that it had to do with SWGE, I had no idea it would be this and I was in awe of this opportunity for the weeks prior to it actually happening. You can watch the video below…its super fun and way way awkward haha!

Fast forward a few weeks to this past Wednesday, the 29th. This was the day I got to go and I found out a few days prior that this was going to be the media day and the day of the official dedication/opening ceremony. I was seriously SO excited. I had a ton of cast member friends that went to their previews, but they weren’t allowed to take pictures and I was just ACHING to have my trip to the land. I was so ready for it.

Daniel and I showed up at the Disneyland Hotel a little after 1 pm, which was the check in. We were given Park Hoppers to get into the parks before the event started 630 pm but we decided to go hang out at Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar for a little bit. Its my favorite place and all of my favorite Skippers work during the day so I never see them anymore and I haven’t been in SO long. It felt like the perfect way to start what was sure to be an awesome night.

When it was finally getting close to event time, we headed to the park, rode Winnie the Pooh once because YES, and then headed over to SWGE. I was so excited and ready for it. We were told we were allowed to take as many pictures and videos as we wanted and we could start posting and sharing as soon as the media embargo ended at 6 pm. I had also learned that not only were we going to be in a great spot for the dedication ceremony but that all the food and drinks for the event were complementary. I was already sorting through my head what I could and could not try with my budget and this was SO exciting to me because I wanted to try everything!

Then it was time. At exactly 630 pm, they let the mass of media and media guests come into the land and that is when I saw Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge for the first time.

I cannot even begin to explain how I felt. It felt like experiencing something I never thought I would experience in my life. Its one thing to immerse yourself into a fictional world but its another for it to come to life in front of you and that is exactly how it felt. I spent four and a half hours in SWGE and I felt completely immersed in the Star Wars universe the entire time. I always knew that Disney was capable of transporting you – I worked there for long enough to know that – but this was beyond my expectations. I forgot completely that I was in Disneyland.

It was more than just visiting another land in the park – you were genuinely in Batuu. The cast members are Batuu residents and they are fully committed to their characters and the story of the land. I loved that the First Order Troopers walked around looking for Resistance fighters and that the Resistance fighters would hide. It felt REAL. I loved it. I loved the architecture and the shops and the food places. The Millennium Falcon? ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE. My favorite fictional transportation come to life in front of me, life size? I was in love. I was truly blown away at how much I felt transported to another planet. Truly, it was amazing. I have about a thousand pictures but I tried to share some of my favorite pictures!