#pita group | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

longlistshort · 1 month

Text

Watercolor paintings by Katherine Strobel

There is a LOT of work currently on view at Summit Artspace for their Winter Exhibitions (see the previous two posts), and it is worth mentioning these shows as well.

In the Welcome Gallery are watercolor paintings (seen above) by Katherine Strobel, for her exhibition, Bad Nostalgia.

Her statement about the work-

People forget to take pictures of things that don’t matter because it’s impossible to photograph qualities such as the feeling of an inside joke, the sound of an exhale through the nose, or dirty silverware that must be returned to the kitchen and replaced. These things act as set, pieces for what make up the rest of our lives. This series is a catalog of work that focuses on memory and candidness of a scene or subject. The people pictured are painted from life or candid photographs which are then emphasized from a naive image to something more. When an image is exaggerated with new colors and shapes it serves to make the mundane more desirable. The paintings are watercolors with a textured surface; the texture creates a sense of play with paper elements. In my work watercolor is often indicative of memory because of its ephemeral quality and transparent layers. This is because of how impossible it is to clarify every element that makes up a color when the layers are all compressed and viewed as a complete state.

Below are works from FRESH, an annual exhibition of local artists juried by Pita Brooks, Executive Director of Akron Soul Train. The website has all of the artists included and their statements and bios- definitely worth taking a look at what is being created in the area.

Steven Mastroianni "Fathomable Series #24", Unique cameraless photogram, silver gelatin print

Michelle Eisen, "I've Made My Bed", Silkscreen on hardboard

Finally, on view throughout the building are works by local students, teachers, and school leaders for Taking Care of Our House: Communities Coming Together and Making a Difference. The exhibition is made with the organization Art Resistance Through Change (ART-C). The works pictured below are a few of the sculptures created that included the personal narratives of the artists.

It's worth mentioning that along with these exhibitions there are artists studios and galleries also in the building and worth checking out. Summit Artspace is open Fridays 12-7pm and Saturdays 11am-5pm.

0 notes

jmtorres · 5 months

Text

in re plagiarism and citation and people not knowing how to do it

in the capstone class of my MASTER's degree, I had to do a group paper with fellow students who had all done 6+ years of collegiate study to get there

we shared drafts of our portions and they had no citations and i was like???? and they were like "it's a draft i'll put the citations in at the end" and i was like ???????

because by the time you're done writing the thing you're not going to remember what you got where and whether you synthesized information together! this is how "i thought i thought of it" plagiarism cases occur!!!!

anyway i told them at the bare minimum any time they referenced a numerical figure they needed to cite it, and since it was a paper on accounting fraud that mostly worked out. but i could tell they were citing stuff simply because i'd told them to cite where numbers came from, because they didn't bother to cite some non-numerical things that definitely needed it.

anyway this is why when you have classes that have multiple assignments for a paper to teach you how to write it, annotated bibliography comes before drafting. because you're supposed to have your sources and know what's in them when you start writing.

to current college students: PLEASE put the citations in as you're writing not as you're editing. i know it seems like a pita especially if you don't know the formatting well, but that's what tools like Purdue Owl are for. Tell it what citation format you're supposed to use, what kind of source you have, fill in the fields and it will format the citation for you.

#citation #mla #apa #academics #college

8K notes · View notes

recapitulation · 2 years

Text

meal ideas!

low energy ("do not ask me to do any prep work at all, so help me god")

mozzerella cheese wrapped in pepperoni ("pizza tacos"!)

hummus and pretzels or naan (putting the naan in the microwave for like 10 seconds...heavenly)

canned chili (with shredded cheese and sour cream if you have it! boom done!)

instant miso soup (warm and lovely! put tofu in it for protein!)

cheese and cured meat, olives, canned fish, crackers, dried fruit, or whatever easy "charcuterie" type items you like

alternate bites of apple and spoonfulls of peanut butter (mixing honey or chocolate chips to the peanut butter is my favorite)

a "deconstructed sandwich": bites of lunch meat, pickles, cheese, cherry tomato, etc (I love roast beef and white cheddar for this)

yogurt and granola or fruit

put frozen potstickers + frozen edamame in the steamer/rice cooker, chill elsewhere with a timer set, then boom

tortilla chips + canned refried beans + cherry tomatoes + cilantro + jarred salsa con queso (or warm shredded cheese on top of the chips in the microwave for 30 seconds)

bagel + cream cheese + lox

microwave scrambled eggs (add things like green onion, soy sauce, or anything else you like!)

cottage cheese and fruit (mixed together or just on the side)

bowl of shredded rotisserie chicken + buffalo sauce + a bit of mayo + green onion (use a kitchen scissors to cut them right in!)

medium energy ("I'll boil water but don't ask me to chop shit")

boiled eggs and fresh veggies (put a little salt on top of the eggs!)

buttered noodles (my go-to nausea meal, it has never failed me. ideas of things to add: frozen peas, imitation crab, roasted garlic)

baked potato with toppings (I like cheese, bacon, broccoli, green onion, and sour cream)

quesadilla (add some canned beans, cilantro, or avocado!)

pot roast (requires a lot of time but not a lot of actual work. I love it with peas!)

cuban sandwich (bread, swiss, pickle, mustard, ham... my favorite thing to panini-ify by far)

pan-fried tofu with scallion sauce (this sauce goes well with everything and tofu is no exception)

pancakes or waffles! (I love mine with jam)

ham, pickle, and cream cheese roll-ups

fried eggs (with toast and lots of butter...so comforting)

fruit smoothie (bananas, frozen strawberries, yogurt...or whatever!)

I hate salad but could write essays on this copycat olive garden salad (throw it in a bowl! chopping required if you use onion)

spaghetti (controversial maybe but angel hair > spaghetti noodles)

pasta salad (olives broccoli fresh mozerella... those little mini pepperonis... yeah)

stir-fried thai garlic shrimp (I like using the mini frozen salad shrimps, it's easy! use jarred minced garlic to avoid chopping!)

tuna mayo onigiri

slow cooker ribs

buffalo chicken wrap (or any number of other wrap options! shred pre-cooked rotisserie chicken to make it easier)

if your local grocery store sells pre-cooked gyro strips, that can turn into an easy wrap with store-bought pita & tzatziki with tomatoes and onions!

couscous and chickpeas

tortellini + pasta sauce + spinach

high energy ("I don't mind chopping some things up!")

stuffed shells with spinach

chicken and roasted garlic (oh my god.....one of my all time favorites)

beef tacos (I like mine with cilantro and onion, and when I'm feeling especially high energy I love a tomatillo salsa)

chicken alfredo

tom kha gai (a thai soup and my absolute favorite! you just need access to galangal)

lasagna! (freezes well and then boom! low energy meal for later)

pad thai! (not as hard as you'd think, as long as you have access to tamarind paste!)

potstickers! (this is a lovely group activity if you want to cook with housemates!)

rice and beans

bang bang shrimp (ogughfhgfuh I love it. you can also do bang bang tofu!)

minestrone soup (so many nice veggies!)

fried rice (put whatever you have on hand in there! broccoli, peas, carrot, and beef is my favorite combo)

broccoli cheddar soup

spring rolls and peanut sauce

skewers (such as beef, onion, zucchini, bell pepper... you don't need a grill, oven works!)

roasted turkey with garlic parmesean asparagus

pork chop with mashed potatoes

panang curry

chicken gnocchi soup (use store bought gnocchi or make your own if you have a high energy day!)

bibimbap (super customizable depending on what veggies you like best)

butter chicken

plus! things that have helped me meal plan:

whenever you think of a meal you'd like to make, take 3 seconds to google search it, take a screenshot of the image results, and put it in a "food ideas" folder. instant visual menu!

the concept of "meal prepping" makes me recoil but I've learned that it can simply mean preparing shredded chicken, boiled eggs, or some other simple protein that you can customize throughout the week. shredded chicken can turn into wraps, salads, pasta dishes, etc... you don't have to meal prep yourself into the same meal all week!

when I have difficulty working up an appetite, I'll scroll through my favorite restaurant menus! there might be some foods I can't make at home, but many times they're very simple to recreate because the ingredients are literally listed!

#brought to you by: i see people complaining about coming up with meals for the week #and im like..this is my favorite thing to do........let me be your meal brainstormer #additionally brought to you by: eating something is better than nothing so some of these may not be complete textbook 'meals'#but sometimes you feel like shit and just need something! so!#also this energy scale is tailored to me personally so if some categorizations dont make sense to you thats bc its about me <3 #food #i might update this with dessert ideas too later. or just add to it in general

34K notes · View notes

useless-bulgariafacts · 1 year

Text

October 26th is Dimìtrovden/Mitrovden (Димитровден), or the Orthodox feast day of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki. (Bulgarian: Свети Димитър Солунски) He is a 3rd-4th century Christian saint and great martyr (великомъченик) from the city of Thessaloniki in Greece, of which he is the patron saint.

Hagiographies refer to St. Demetrius as a young man of a senatorial family, who became proconsul and was tasked with persecuting Christians in the at the time still pagan Roman Empire. However, being himself Christian, he instead protected them, for which the emperor had him jailed. He was later speared to death as punishment for the defeat of the gladiator Lyaeus at the hands of Demetrius' disciple, Nestor. This marked the beginning of his veneration by Christians in the area, which grew in the following centuries, as he was said to guard the city against raiders.

Albeit not one originally, during the Middle Ages St. Demetrius came to be revered as a warrior saint, and iconography portrays him riding on a red horse, running a spear through various enemies — often Lyaeus, but also whoever was locally perceived as an enemy. In Greek icons, this is sometimes the Bulgarian tsar Kaloyan, while in Bulgarian ones — the Byzantine emperor Basil II The Bulgarslayer, or later on, a Turk. St. Demetrius is also associated with the founding of the Second Bulgarian Tsardom, specifically the uprising of the brothers Petăr and Asen, which broke out on Oct. 26th, 1185. The St. Demetrius church in Veliko Tărnovo (pictured above) was built in commemoration the event, and served as a coronation site of Asen dynasty tsars, who claimed him as their patron.

Traditionally, Dimitrovden marks the end of the seasonal transition from fall to winter, a period which begins on Oct. 14th with Petkovden. Bulgarian folk mythology casts the saints George and Demetrius in the role of twin brothers, whose respective holidays split the year into its warm and cold halves. The latter, elder of the two, ushers in the cold and darkness, as he rides in on his red horse and the winter's first snowflakes sprinkle down onto the earth from his beard. As St. George's opposite and counterpart, he takes on the qualities of a chthonic deity, and thus has connotations to death and the Beyond — under his patronage the so-called Dimitrovska Zadushnica takes place on the Saturday prior to Dimitrovden, one of several such holidays where food is given out in honor of deceased ancestors. Perhaps this is also why, in addition to St. George, folk imagination places him as a brother to Archangel Michael and nephew to St. Paraskeva/Petka.

Dimitrovden is the true end to the year's agrarian cycle — the harvest now over, it's time to put the farm tools away, make sure the animals have shelter and firewood is stocked up. It's also when farmhands and other labourers' contracts expire and they get rehired for the year ahead, which is why the day is also known as Razpust (Разпуст). As with other big holidays, a community-wide celebratory feast is held, and the customary ritual meal (or kurban) is mutton. The biggest ram is chosen, a pair of gold-painted apples are placed onto its horns and those present bow before it, after which it's slaughtered and cooked, and receives a priest's blessing before being served. Festivities are accompanied by music and horo (group dancing), which again has an intended matchmaking function. Namesakes of the saint celebrate the occasion, too — but they're traditionally served a chicken or rooster dish, according to gender. Other foods for Dimitrovden include corn, seasonal fruit and derived dishes, such as apple pita, pestil (a type of plum dessert), rachel (pumpkin syrup), etc.

Another activity which traditionally ends on Dimitrovden is construction work — a new house is supposed to have been completed by then, and the homeowners celebrate by throwing their own feast with a kurban, and inviting friends and relatives to witness the house being blessed by the master mason and the priest. The feast day has therefore been adopted as a career holiday of builders and masons.

The day's connection to the mysterious and otherworldly has inspired various beliefs and rituals of prognostic or divinatory nature, and anything from the weather and moon phases, to the behaviour of farm animals is observed carefully and used to make future predictions. Characteristic is the custom, known as polazvane (полазване), wherein members of the household make note of the first person to visit them, to physically cross the threshold into their home, and interpret them as a portent of things to come. Also, according to old treasure hunting legends, Dimitrovden is when "the sky opens" and buried gold emits a blue-ish flame just above ground.

Dimitrovden is part of the group of holidays, based around the idea of transition and liminality; between fall and winter, between the world of the living and of the dead. The Christian and pre-Christian symbolism intertwine, the martyr death of the saint mirrors the "death" of nature as the earth is covered in snow and daytime engulfed by darkness. And crucially — for a people whose perception of time follows nature's cycles — the coming of winter brings not only a period of calm and rest, but the promise of spring and renewal.

#Bulgaria #Slavic #Balkan #Eastern Europe #Orthodox #folklore #mythology #customs #Dimitrovden #here you go bulgarian halloween pt.2 #I am again sorry it's several days later but it took a while to write ok

2K notes · View notes

dazaisfountainpen · 5 months

Text

Map of Athens

Dionysus Cafe

Marketplace

The building is tucked into a neat little pocket of space near the metalsmith and the vendor market. The sign above the door announces it as Dionysus Café, and it is the delicious scent of baking bread wafting out of the open doors that draws your attention. You decide to walk in and investigate.

A petite woman with blond hair down to her waist greets you and leads you to a table. “My name is Thyia,” she tells you, in a tone that suggests she isn’t in the business of entertaining nonsense of any kind. You listen as, in that same no-nonsense tone of voice, she rattles off a long list of food options available. The possibilities seem endless: platters with cheese and fruit, hummus and pita; vegetable plates, casseroles, soups. For those seeking fresh seafood there are several types of roasted fish, and your curiosity about the smell of baked bread is satisfied when she mentions the types of loaves available. There are even several types of wine on the menu for those looking to imbibe.

After her spiel – during which you wonder if she took even a single deep breath – she nods brusquely. “I’ll give you a few moments to think about what you want.” With that, she turns and makes her way to the other side of the café, leaving you alone to set about the business of deciding what you’d like so you’ll be ready when she returns.

Encounters

Once per group/session, you may roll a die to determine a background event.

(Click on the alt text for more information)

109 notes · View notes

talonabraxas · 5 months

Text

The twelve Sun-gods (12 Adityas) and their associates

The twelve Adityas are nothing but different forms of the Sun-God Surya. In different Puranas their names are given differently. Brahma once recounted to the sages the one hundred and eight sacred names of Surya. The Brahma Purana lists these names and we reproduce them in nine groups of twelve names each.

(1) Surya, Archana, Bhagavana, Tvashta, Pusha, Arka, Savita, Ravi, Gabhastimana, Aja, Kala, Mrityu.

(2) Dhata, Prabhakara, Prithivi, Jala, Teja, Akasha, Vayu, Parayana, Soma, Brihaspati, Shukra, Budha.

(3) Angaraka, Indra, Vivasvana, Diptamshu, Shuchi, Shouri,Shanaishvara, Brahma, Vishu, Rudra, Skanda, Vaishravana.

(4) Yama, Vaidyuta, Jathara, Agni, Aindhana, Tejohapti, Dharmadhvaja, Vedakarta, Vedanga, Vedavahana, Krita, Treta.

(5) Dvapara, Kali, Sarvasurashraya, Kala, Kashtha, Muhurta, Kshapa, Yama, Kshana, Samvatsara, Ashvattha, Kalachakra.

(6) Vibhavasu, Shashvata, Purusha, Yogi, Vyaktavyakta, Sanatana, Kaladhyaksha, Prajadhyaksha, Vishvakarma, Tamonuda, Varuna, Sagara.

(7) Amsha, Jimuta, Jivana, Ariha, Bhutashraya, Bhutapati, Sarvalokanamaskrita, Shrashta, Samvartaka, Vahni, Sarvadi, Alolupa.

( 8 ) Anata, Kapila, Bhanu, Kamada, Sarvotamukha, Jaya, Vishala, Varada, Sarvabhutasevita, Mana, Suparna, Bhutadi.

(9) Shighraga, Pranadharana, Dhanvantari, Dhumaketu, Adideva, Aditinandana, Dvadashatma, Ravi, Daksha, Pita, Mata, Pitamaha.

"All these personalities are the opulent expansions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, in the form of the sun-god. These deities take away all the sinful reactions of those who remember them each day at dawn and sunset." (Srimad Bhagavatam 12.11.45)

"Aditya"

Talon Abraxas

36 notes · View notes

nattaphum · 8 months

Text

Latest updates on Man Suang

A new picture from the Man Suang merit-making ceremony (Feb 05) was posted.

New behind the scene group photo

This is not exactly an update but something i didn’t notice at first.

In the latest version of the trailer, it is showed that part of the post-production team is the same of Call me By Your Name, one of Apo’s favorite movies!

Be On Cloud made special invitation cards for the premiere of the movie.

The first one is for K’tim pita, a very open- minded thai politician, leader of the “Move Forward” party.

Kullawit, editor in chief of Vogue Thailand, got his invitation too. In his IG story, an unreleased pic of ChatKhem appears 🥹

A sequence of Man Suang posters was painted on a wall in the Song Wat area

Painted!!! 🥹❤️

Apo’s recent comment on the movie ❤️

New behind the scene clips 😍😍😍

#<3333 #kinnporsche #mileapo #apo nattawin #mile phakphum #tong thanayut #bas asavapatr #man suang #mileapo movie #man suang x songwat project

60 notes · View notes

pitagroupcreative · 14 days

Text

Hubungi kami sekarang juga !

Kamu bisa dengan mudah menghubungi kami ke nomer official di tab kontak yang tersedia di akun social media official kami , atau bisa dengan mampir ke website official kami juga lho !

Ditunggu pesan dari kamu , hehe

Bersama Pita Group Creative mari sukseskan bisnis dan usaha kamu dengan layanan kreatif yang kami sediakan

Kunjungi website official kami sekarang juga !

[ Let's make your creation is real ! ] ▪️Your Creative Partner : - Animation Series - Design and manufacture services 3D animation - Educational Animation and Learning - Game Development - Company Profile & Advertising . . ▪️Sosial Media : Instagram - @pitagroupcreative Facebook - Pita Group Creative Twitter - @pitacreative Website - www.pitagroupcreative.com

#pita group #pita group creative #pita animation #pita #perusahaan digital kreatif #perusahaan kreatif #production house #video production #jasa pembuatan animasi #konten kreatif #video #konten digital #hubungi kami

0 notes

pitastudiosofficial · 2 months

Text

" Konten kreatif bukan hanya tentang membuat gambar atau video yang bagus. Ini adalah tentang membangun koneksi yang lebih kuat dengan konsumen, meningkatkan nilai branding, dan menciptakan pengalaman yang tak terlupakan."

Pita Studios siap membantu kamu dalam pembuatan konten digital yang menarik dan berkesan. Dengan layanan pembuatan konten dan video eksplainer kami, kamu dapat menghasilkan karya-karya kreatif yang memukau !

[ Let's make your creation is real ! ]

- Animation Series

- Design and manufacture services 3D animation

- Educational Animation and Learning

- Game Development

- Company Profile & Advertising

Instagram - @pitastudiosofficial

Facebook - Pita Studios

Twitter - @pitastudiosid

Website - www.pitastudios.com

Website - www.pitagroupcreative.com

Join Saluran Whatsapp Rise Up bersama Pita Studios yuk !

#creative works #creativeagency #production #branding agency #advertising agency #social media marketing agency #agency #pr agency #studios #pita group creative #pita studios official #pita group #pita tumblr #jasa animasi #production house #creative production house #jasa company profile #jasa pembuatan website

0 notes

theivorybilledwoodpecker · 6 months

Text

I keep seeing posts about Yocheved Lifshitz's experience being held hostage. And I haven't seen one that doesn't cherry pick so that they interpret it the way the poster wants to. So here's her account, as wriiten in this article:

“Masses swarmed our houses, beat people, and some were taken hostage," said Lifshitz, speaking softly from a wheelchair as she briefed reporters on Tuesday at Tel Aviv's Ichilov Hospital, a day after Hamas released her and 79-year-old Nurit Cooper. “They didn’t care if they were young or old.” Lifshitz, a member of Kibbutz Nir Oz, was among the more than 200 Israelis and foreigners seized after heavily armed Hamas militants broke through Israel’s multibillion-dollar electric border fence and fanned across southern Israel, overrunning nearly two dozen communities, military bases and a desert rave. More than 1,400 people died in the daylong killing rampage that followed. Israel’s military has launched a devastating war on Gaza in an effort to crush Hamas and its airstrikes into Gaza after the attack have killed more than 5,000 people, according to the Hamas-led Gaza Health Ministry. Lifshitz’s captors hustled her onto a motorcycle, removed her watch and jewelry and beat her with sticks, bruising her ribs and making it difficult to breathe, she said. Once in Gaza, she walked several kilometers to a network of tunnels that she described as “looking like a spider web.” She reached a large room where 25 people had been taken but was later separated into a smaller group with four others. The people assigned to guard her “told us they are people who believe in the Quran and wouldn’t hurt us.” Lifshitz said captives were treated well and received medical care, including medication. The guards kept conditions clean, she said. Hostages were given one meal a day of cheese, cucumber and pita, she said, adding that her captors ate the same. Lifshitz and her husband were peace activists who regularly drove Palestinian patients from Gaza to receive medical treatment in Israeli hospitals. But in captivity, the hostages told their captors, “We don’t want to talk about politics," she said. Lifshitz and Cooper were the second pair of hostages to be released. On Friday, Hamas freed two Israeli American women. Israel’s government has said returning all hostages safely is a top priority. Israel overlooked warnings that something was afoot ahead of the attack, Lifshitz said. “We were the scapegoat of the government,” she said. “They (Hamas) warned us three weeks before they taught us a lesson. A huge crowd arrived at the road. They burned fields. They sent incendiary balloons to burn the fields, and the army didn’t take it seriously.”

Some people are trying to push the narrative that Hamas didn't hurt the hostages, and that simply isn't true. Others are only sharing parts about the hostages receiving medical attention because it portrays Hamas in a positive light. Some are only sharing the parts about it being hell because they portray Hamas in a negative light, and because they want to justify the bombings.

But when you tell only the parts you want people to hear, you aren't being noble. You're using people's trauma for your own benefit.

#Yocheved Lifshitz #Israel #Palestine

16 notes · View notes

chthonic-cassandra · 7 months

Text

I am tremendously worn down and stretched thin, but let's still have some good things:

chocolate milkshake on my way home

play-reading group!

the resident ducks of my park

while work has been so so much things are going in a good direction that should make some of it easier soon

and also I am still really good at my job even when I am as worn out as I am. and I still love it

Thai food last night; hummus and pita & c planned for tonight

rereading The Pattern Scars very slowly, in tiny segments and letting myself have feelings about it so I can also have feelings about my own experience

good people in my life (partner; work friends; aforementioned play reading group; all of you)

whenever it is that I finally do get to rest (and read and write) I am going to enjoy it so much

#personal

16 notes · View notes

mydemonsdrivealimo · 8 months

Text

ik i am almost late, i have been busy asdfghjk, but anyway here is my week three appreciation for the writers appreciation month !!

i just wanted to give some love to some of my fellow queer writers in the fandom!! seeing queer people in a place that is so overwhelmingly straight means so much to me. to see queer people creating for queer characters despite the small-scale or even outright hate is so uplifting and encouraging, especially as someone who doesnt get to see it often in the real spaces im in. to have the support im given from yall means more to me than i can say or show, and even though the fandom has so many issues and divides and conflicts and just outright bullshit, there are still people here to create and have fun and support one another, especially in a group that is often pushed to the side in favor of another straight tropey romance when it comes to real-world fiction and media. the touch queer people bring to any character, pairing, etc is invaluable when its compared w the typical straight cis plots pb puts out as source material, and i just wanna thank yall for bringing it to such a small space and in turn adding so much more depth to what we were given to work w

@gutsfics @peonyblossom @dr-colossal-pita @jaredkau @lilyoffandoms @jerzwriter @inlocusmads @myglassesareinkansas

#choiceswriterappreciation2023 #week 3

20 notes · View notes

liaromancewriter · 1 year

Text

Day One (4/6)

Series Premise: What happened when Cassie met Sienna? Small moments that defined their friendship.

Book: Open Heart Characters: Cassie Valentine (F!MC), Sienna Trinh Rating/Category: Teen. Fluff. Words: 1,085

A/N: Submission for @choiceschallenge-may2023 prompt "bedroom"

Sienna Trinh knew she should ask for a life preserver when she was drowning. She had great friends and wasn’t lacking a supportive community. And therein lay the problem.

Her friends were brilliant.

Elijah was already on the fast track to becoming a renowned researcher. Aurora made practicing medicine look effortless. Jackie was likely the best chief resident the hospital had seen in years. Bryce was supremely confident and an excellent surgeon. Rafael was practically Superman.

And Cassie. Well, her best friend had graduated top of her class at Hopkins and, despite tough competition, maintained her spot as the number one intern. She had been doing double duty as an internal medicine resident and a junior diagnostics fellow for two years.

None of them struggled while studying for their board exams. They indulged her in group study – the cat café had been inspired. But they could’ve taken the exam the next day and passed it comfortably.

Sienna wasn’t sure she could say the same about herself. After her meltdown last week and the mix-up with her baking and medicine textbooks, she’d tried to follow everyone’s advice and just chill. But panic was setting in again, with the exam now only a few hours away.

She stared at her bedroom ceiling and blew her overlong bangs out of her eyes. She wanted to scream, but it was the middle of the night, and her roommates were asleep.

What made her think she could do this? Be a doctor? Maybe she should quit before she made a fool of herself.

The soft knock on her bedroom was so unexpected that Sienna gripped the comforter's edge and wondered if she could hide under the covers. An intruder wouldn’t knock, she thought with a mental shake. Her nerves really were on edge if her first thought was of intruders invading their apartment.

She shoved the covers aside, switched on a bedside lamp and padded across the floor to pull the door open a crack. The cobwebs cleared when she saw Cassie on the other side with a tray of cookies and milk.

“Hey,” Cassie whispered. “I had a feeling you’d be tossing and turning, so I come bearing gifts.”

Sienna beamed and swung open the door, stepping back to let Cassie inside.

“How’d you know?” she asked, closing the door and joining her on the bed.

They sat cross-legged on the covers facing each other, the snack tray in the middle. Sienna broke off the corner of a double chocolate cookie — her midnight indulgence — and nibbled, uncaring of the crumbs.

“You’ve been stressing about the boards for months,” Cassie told her. “I know you tried to rein it in this past week, but it can’t have been easy. Now with the test only a few hours away…”

Sienna twisted her lips wryly as Cassie shrugged.

She didn’t need to say the words. Her friend knew her well enough to suspect stress was never far behind. She was one of the few people who knew how much Sienna hated standardized tests and that she struggled with them.

“If it helps,” Cassie continued, “I’m stressed about it too, but I try not to show it. I’ve felt a target on my back since intern year and the rankings. Like, people are waiting for me to fail and do it spectacularly.”

Cassie sighed, polishing off her cookie and sipping milk, lost in thought.

“I’m not immune to the gossip about me, Si,” she said. “Some people believe I used Naveen’s cure to weasel my way onto the team over other worthy candidates. And others think Ethan deliberately goes easy on me. So, if I don’t do well—"

“Who cares what small-minded people think?” Sienna protested, brows furrowing. “And Dr. Ramsey is always hardest on you. Even when we were interns, he assigned you all the PITAs. I asked Zaid once if I could take one of them off your list. But he told me the orders had come straight from the top, so no substitutions.”

Cassie stared at her, amused and surprised. “Why did I not hear about this before?”

Sienna shrugged. “The point is, you earned it. I have zero doubts you’re gonna ace the test.”

“You know, I came to cheer you up, and I’ve made it about me,” Cassie said, tapping one finger against her lips, considering.

“I’m glad you did,” Sienna said. “It helps to know you have doubts just like I do. Sometimes, I look at you and wish I had the same self-confidence.”

Cassie made a distressed sound, but Sienna rushed through the rest, needing to get the words out.

“I was ready to quit in intern year,” she said. “I wasn’t exactly a great mentor to Mitch. I get too hung up on what others think of me. And when I compare myself to the Roomies, I’m not sure I measure up as a doctor in quite the same way.”

Cassie’s long and silent scrutiny made Sienna uncomfortable. She opened her mouth to change the subject, but her friend held up a hand to stop her.

“You’re an amazing doctor, Sienna, and always have been,” she insisted. “But being a doctor is not your identity, and never has been. You brought us together in this apartment to become a second family. You cheer each of us on. Feed us breakfast, packed lunches, and cookies.”

Cassie smiled. “You remember everyone’s birthdays and always buy the best gifts.”

Eyes swimming with tears at the heartfelt words, Sienna looked down when Cassie’s hand covered hers.

“As to medicine, I’ve never met a more compassionate and caring doctor like you, except for Ethan. The kids in the pediatrics ward would riot if you didn’t visit them daily. They can feel what we all know. That you’re the best of us. No matter what happens tomorrow, that will never change.”

Sienna wanted to speak, thank Cassie, but the lump in her throat wouldn’t let her talk. Tears fell unheeded down her cheeks. Her smile was watery as she squeezed Cassie’s hand in silent acknowledgment and gratitude.

Cassie took out her phone. “Now, because I know you, I will help you with last-minute exam prep. Hopefully, that’ll put your mind at ease. You know the drill.”

Sienna nodded and inwardly laughed as Cassie pulled up the browser app on her phone. She glimpsed the familiar logo of an exam prep website and took a deep breath.

“Ready, Dr. Trinh?” Cassie asked, lifting one eyebrow in challenge.

“Fire away, Dr. Valentine.”

-------------

All Fics & Edits: @annfg8 @bluebelle08 @coffeeheartaddict2 @crazy-loca-blog @doriopenheart @genevievemd @headoverheelsforramsey @lucy-268 @jamespotterthefirst @jerzwriter @lady-calypso @mainstreetreader @peonierose @potionsprefect @queencarb @quixoticdreamer16 @rookiemartin @socalwriterbee @takemyopenheart @tessa-liam @trappedinfanfiction

Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

#open heart #open heart choices #choices open heart #open heart fanfics #playchoices #open heart fanfiction #choices fanfics #choices fanfiction #choices fic writers creations #cfwc fics of the week #sienna trinh #sienna trinh x mc #cassie valentine

33 notes · View notes

mariacallous · 7 months

Text

MADRID, PARIS and LONDON (JTA) — As the bloody war in Israel and Gaza continues to escalate, many European Jews are bracing for reverberations far from the frontlines.

On Saturday, Hamas launched a surprise attack by land, air and sea, killing at least 900 Israelis, wounding more than 2,000 and taking more than 100 captive. Israel has responded with airstrikes that have killed close to 700 Palestinians. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip, while Hamas has threatened to execute its civilian hostages.

But in cities across Europe, crowds have celebrated just streets away from vigils for the dead. Groups cheering the Hamas assault as “Palestinian resistance” to the Israeli occupation have danced on the street in London and handed out sweets in Berlin. In France, far-left movements called the terror attack “heroic.”

Jewish communal officials in Europe anticipate that the fighting in Israel will ignite antisemitic threats in their communities. Police have increased surveillance around synagogues, Jewish schools and other institutions in Germany, Britain, France and Spain.

Germany

Berlin police were on alert Saturday night, just hours after Hamas’ incursion, as dozens of people gathered to cheer and hold up victory signs on the Sonnenallee, a boulevard in the city. Police announced they disbanded the gathering for chants “glorifying violence” and made multiple arrests. Two officers were injured in the clashes. Earlier in the day, officers also responded to activists who were celebrating with baked sweets while draped in Palestinian flags.

“An escalation of the situation in Israel unfortunately always has an impact on our community,” said Ilan Kiesling, a spokesperson for the Jewish Community of Berlin group.

Kiesling told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that the fighting in Israel and Gaza triggered “great uncertainty” in the local community, with parents asking for detailed information about the security measures in kindergartens and schools.

The Central Council for Jews in Germany also said it was in close contact with security authorities to ensure that Jewish institutions nationwide had heightened protection.

“No violence, no riots and no hatred on German streets,” the group said in a statement.

Britain

In London, Daniel Sugarman saw that a local kosher restaurant had its glass door shattered on Monday morning. Pita, a business in the heavily Jewish neighborhood of Golders Green, reported its cash register was stolen. New graffiti that read “Free Palestine” also appeared on a bridge nearby, though it is not known if the slogan and the burglary are connected.

The Metropolitan Police Service told the JTA that no arrest has been made and the incident is not currently being treated as a hate crime. But Sugarman, Director of Public Affairs for the Board of Deputies of British Jews, worried the fighting in Israel would set off hate in his community.

“This is about trying to make British Jews feel unwelcome and threatened where they live,” he said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Mayor Sadiq Khan condemned the incident, saying he stood with Jewish Londoners and the culprit would “face the full force of the law.”

The Community Security Trust (CST), a charity dedicated to security for British Jews, reported an increase in antisemitic abuse and threats over the past few days, and said it was prepared for more serious attacks.

“The number of incidents that have come in since Saturday is running at roughly triple what we would normally expect for this period,” Dave Rich, head of policy at the CST, told the JTA.

“We expect that number to go up,” Rich added. “We are still logging and verifying things before they are put into the system.”

The Metropolitan Police confirmed it was increasing patrols across the city and providing safety advice to synagogues, mosques and businesses. Officers said they have attended to some “low level public order incidents” that circulated on social media, such as a celebration in the Acton area in which a group of men danced, cheered and waved Palestinian flags while cars honked in support, but all of the incidents were resolved without arrests.

The CST was working closely with the police to ensure it has a reinforced presence in Jewish areas. “We are not starting from scratch,” Rich said. “We’ve been around this course several times before. We have built up plans over many years.”

France

In France, which has the largest Jewish population in Europe, police have arrested 10 people in connection with 20 reported antisemitic incidents since the Hamas assault. The reports include threats to synagogues and to customers who have visited Jewish businesses. Police also received a flood of complaints about antisemitic hate speech and glorification of terrorism online, resulting in 44 open investigations.

This spike in incidents over three days was “dramatic,” Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Monday, announcing reinforced security measures in 400 Jewish gathering places across France. As a sign of solidarity with Israel, the Eiffel Tower was lit in white and blue, the colors of the Israeli flag, on Monday night.

A segment of the country’s political left has distanced itself from near-unanimous condemnations of the Hamas offensive within the French political class. Some self-described “post-colonial” movements on and parties on the far left in France have praised the attacks.

Among them is the Indigenous Party, which tweeted on Sunday, “May the Palestinian Resistance, which carries out its actions with determination and confidence in heroic conditions, receive our militant fraternity in these terrible hours. Palestine will triumph, and its Victory will be ours.”

The statement sparked public outrage and calls for the party’s dissolution. Simone Rodan-Benzaquen, director of the American Jewish Committee in France and several other European countries, noted that penalties for advocating terrorism in France can reach five years’ imprisonment and a fine of 75,000 euros. Offenses committed on social media can lead to seven years of imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 euros, taking into account the broader reach of such activity online.

Myriam Ackermann-Sommer, the first Modern Orthodox female rabbi in France, said her community was stung by the way some political leaders had celebrated Hamas’ acts of terror.

“Of course, we were hurt by how far-left parties have reacted. Many people in our congregation consider themselves on the left of the political spectrum and this is very hurtful to them,” she told JTA.

Rabbi Yves Marciano of Paris’ Les Tournelles Synagogue said that while bolstered security around places of worship was helpful, the risk to individuals is often greatest when they are not at synagogue.

“With my kippah, I can be seen from afar,” he said. “I am identified and identifiable. And, Mr. Darmanin can’t do anything about that. So, we are very worried about the near future.”

Spain

In Spain, Madrid’s main synagogue in the heart of the Chamberí district was defaced with graffiti that read “Free Palestine” next to a crossed-out Star of David on Sunday. Officials from the Federation of Jewish Communities in Spain told the JTA the graffiti was removed from the synagogue’s main doors a couple of hours after its discovery.

The Spanish interior ministry has also bolstered police surveillance around synagogues and Jewish landmarks, according to Isaac Benzaquén Pinto, president of the Jewish federation. There are an estimated 12,000-15,000 Jews living in Madrid.

“Our community has always been known for being tightly knit whenever it is targeted, and this is an attack on Israel and all of Jewry as a whole. We stand unconditionally with the victims, all of them, the State of Israel and its army whose mission is to defend its people,” said Benzaquén Pinto.

In Ceuta, a small Spanish enclave on the North African coast near Morocco notable for its concentration of Spanish Jews, local authorities have particularly reinforced police surveillance and protection at the local synagogue and Jewish cemetery. Jews in Ceuta, mostly of Sephardic descent, have historically been targeted by antisemitism due to the geopolitical situation of the region, including a series of antisemitic incidents in recent years.

“As to this new wave of violence against Israel and the Jewish people, unfortunately, this is not new. We, as well as international organizations and the European Union, have been condemning this renewed surge of violence for a long time,” said Benzaquén Pinto.

Madrid Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida called the Hamas attack “unjustifiable” on Monday. He expressed concern that members of the Sumar political coalition — which includes far-left and green parties and is working to join a ruling parliamentary coalition after elections in July — hesitated to denounce Hamas.

The far-left Podemos party posted on X that the violence in Israel and Gaza was the fruit of Israel’s occupation and avoided outright condemnation of Hamas’ actions. On Monday night, the party led hundreds of people in a demonstration at Madrid’s Puerta del Sol square to “convey all our solidarity to the Palestinian people.” Demonstrators chanted slogans such as “Zionist State, terrorist State” and “It is not a war, it is a genocide.”

The Anti-Defamation League reported a spike in antisemitic rhetoric online during the 18 hours after war broke out on Saturday. Its data indicated that extremists and white supremacists across the world were emboldened in online spaces, some cheering Hamas, some circulating conspiracy theories and some discussing hopes for violence against Jews in the rest of the world.

14 notes · View notes