#slowly building up the energy for original art time LOL

[nim-lock]

random portfolio tip: if you draw humans, show that you’re capable of drawing fat people

#it WILL make you more hireable #and definitely the variety of ages/ethnicities will help #tbh this is more just advice I'm giving and taking for myself LOL since I was like =__= front page of my portfolio doesn't QUITE reflect #the energy that I have for lumps and exploration into existence #there's an odd piece or two where I hint that I can draw fat people #but hrghmm... #slowly building up the energy for original art time LOL #it's just difficult to dig up the motivation sometimes when it is NOT fanwork #this is the end of year when I squint at my portfolio and wonder what I should do to it #you don't even see 2/3rds of the work I produce because it's under NDA #wait. hold up. the people I draw for work are diverse as FUCK #hmmmm oh well #can't show that though!!!

[secretsivekept]

OKAY SO

i didnt expect to go digging through all my old 14 year old art tonight but here we are, thanks @omegasmileyface for reminding me of it, i had fun revisiting this AU.

At first i was only gonna show a couple pictures but i forgot the LORE i made for this Astro Boy X Danny Phantom crossover LMAO

FULL RANT UNDER THE CUT TO SAVE Y'ALL'S TIMELINES IF YOU WANNA SKIP THIS LOL

Okay so.

2012.

Originally the crossover was (and remains to be) with the Astro Boy 2009 movie. Astro's dad builds a ghost portal i think, but when Astro goes through it his blue core got kind of infected with Ectoplasm allowing his robotic body to retain a ghostly nature. Essentially i made Astro a halfa without thinking of what on earth the implications of a half robot half GHOST could even be but yk i was 14 i didnt think that far ahead. More on the Ectoplasm/Blue Core stuff later, though.

((Side note: I don't recall how exactly Astro ended up from the future to Danny's time, knowing my 14 year old self it was probably something super convoluted involving natural time portals i think?? BUT basically i think Astro gets stuck in the past so that's how. uh he and danny meet and Danny helps him with his new ghost powers))

ANYWAY

I did a few conceptual ideas of what his 'ghost half' could look like, and for some reason i really liked the idea of his outfit being purple and green, like 2 opposite colors (though one sketch i did explore was basically a DP ripoff).

Also i gave him a white stripe on his hair for his ghost half.

Anywho this was what i decided to go with.

You may notice he's got one green eye and one purple eye. That was me trying to show he's got 2 halves, the blue core and the ecto-nature. ((why is it purple, tho??)

WELL LET ME TELL U SOME LORE I MADE UP THEN

I came up with this concept/ghostly element called Black Fire. Basically, when the blue core energy and ectoplasm mixed together, it created a very powerful element called Black Fire ((also i think i made up that ectoplasm had small amounts of red core in it?? it doesn't matter really tho lol))

ESSENTIALLY Black Fire is a very chaotic element that only wants to consume things, which Astro has a very hard time controlling.

Oh yeah and it can take over his mind at some points - again, due to the chaotic nature of the black fire, all it wants is to consume. And this is POWERFUL stuff.

This unfortunately gathers the attention of some elder ghost dudes, ((and i don't... exactly recall if i made them up or if they actually WERE from the Pariah Dark episode its been too long since ive seen that, but if I didn't make them up they're the ones that sealed Pariah Dark in that coffin thing)) but essentially they're like:

"Oh shit this well meaning kid is wielding one of the most deadly elements in the ghost zone, we have to seal him away just like we did Pariah Dark, otherwise the Black Fire will literally take over his mind".

Which i literally made a comic about but i won't be posting all of that in here LOLOL, it is wayyyyyy too cringy, but I'll post a few highlights.

I ALSO found a SYNOPSIS for the little comic i wrote which I will now transcribe:

Astro has been constantly possessed by an evil power- Black Fire - and it is slowly taking over his mind and body like it did Pariah Dark. The Keepers are now placing Astro in a sleeping prison like they did for Pariah, but as it turned out it was the greatest mistake they ever made... for sleep makes the body unprotected, and Black Fire can fully consume the person or ghost it resides in [uninhibited.]

In this first picture, you see how he has one red eye? CUZ MY 14 YEAR EDGY SELF WAS LIKE "OH WHAT IF HE DIES CUZ VLAD KILLS HIM AND THATS LIKE LITERALLY WHERE THE DEATHBLOW STRUCK HIM"

ANYWAY

So i'm not sure what happens next between this instance and the next part of the au, or if I scrapped this part and then changed things around BUT -

this Au can be promptly divided into 2 parts, the first part where Astro is a Halfa, and the second part where he becomes a full on Ghost.

O look costume change, now he has a full on cloak instead of a hoodie

And you see how he has one red eye? YEAH THAT'S CUZ MY 14 YEAR EDGY SELF WAS LIKE "OH WHAT IF HE DIES CUZ VLAD KILLS HIM AND THATS LIKE LITERALLY WHERE THE DEATHBLOW STRUCK HIM"

Essentially the idea that as he becomes a full on 'ghost', the black fire energy is now tamed/more controllable because it is a part of his being as he was reborn, and not something that affected him.

however he is now the first ghost to ever be born with "Black Fire" (something that before always grew inside and consumed ghosts or people) so he is put into the care of Clockwork to help figure out and be properly taught how to control such a powerful ability.

14 year old me was WILD man

ok im at my picture limit so im gonna follow up with another reblog i think or maybe another post idk cuz i got a few more things i wanna show

#OLD ART #LIKE SERIOUSLY OLD ART #astro boy x Danny phantom crossover

[hollyjay]

 Hi! I’m not dead. I know I said I would have a chapter of something out in a month at LEAST 2 months ago but I uhh got a bit of a bad writer’s block and time melted

Trynna motivate myself back into writeability, meantime have an unfinished art page for Telephone from early november and excerpts from a fast bulleted concept list for telephone and key I made last night to get myself back into a writer mood. promise I use grammar while writing actual prose.

Telephone Telegram AU

In which quirks are a byproduct of the energy type they’re made of slowly increasing in ambience over the years, and human bodies adapting to compensate for it.

Humans aren’t the only things adapting room for quirk energy to inhabit.

(literally)

Sometimes it forms stuff on it’s mostly own, too!

There’s been some Issues, as of recent, with the structures of various buildings, labs, powerlines, warehouses, etc, previously approved as safe spontaneously collapsing. How weird! There’s absolutely no plausible explanation for it beyond lax inspectors, especially involving villains, I’m sure! /s

Not great for Uraraka’s family business :>

DFO

Inko is mayhaps not a normal human person!

Trying her best but objectively not a mother in the specific way her children happen to need

Not an abusive or neglectful Inko here we don’t like writing (or, for that matter, reading) abusive Inko, but not the ideal supporter for their specific circumstances

Probably would not have happened to have kids at the particular time she did if not for the friendship and recent pregnancy announcement of her friend Mitsuki To-Be-Bakugou-Someday reminding her that’s a thing she wanted to do

Children. Plural. Don't worry about it ;^)

Knowingly with AFO for a bit!

Izuku goes to UA as per canon.

Inko never took him to get tested for a lack of a quirk. Is technically quirkless, by definition of "quirkless" as a human or animal body adapted in a specific way to have a quirk factor.

By that definition so is she.

In practice, however,

(AfO did not give either of them quirks)

At story's start, almooost goes behind his mother’s back towards the Wide Welcoming Extremely Shady Arms Of A Personalized Prep Internship-Esque Training organized for Him, Specifically, by HPSC even after she correctly told him not to

Dropped the HPSC the moment he caught a whiff of All Might within the nearest 30 mile radius. Good for him!

OFA successor Izuku time

Feeling a lil bit guilty for Various Reasons!

Naomasa is Plot Relevant. Unfortunately for him.

Naomasa is All Might’s Good Friend

All Might really wants him to be, anyways

Naomasa is not a leak or traitor

Izuku's older brother is? was? Prototype Izuku.

Do worry about it actually.

Where is Yami when the fic starts? Aizawa wishes he knew lol

(In the background, Aizawa would be waddling knee deep in string and corkscrew murder mystery conspiracy, if not for the fear of someone seeing him doing it)

Katsuki's brother was Proto Katsuki.

Assume he's dead unless proven otherwise. Unlikely!

They... were? about Aizawa's age.

And Oboro’s friends, coincidentally! They went on fun TOOOOTALLY faked with no real information or stakes teenage detective adventures together when he wasn’t with his hero school team

The Bakugou family and Midoriya family ah. Don't talk anymore. Per Mistuki's threat.

Also both families had different surnames approx. 15 years ago! It's fun to change up your life occasionally. :^)

Tagged Major Character Death Warning

Originally way-back inspired by know what i've made by the marks on my hands by simkjrs, Leviathan by rest_in_rip, and Feral by moonpaw  - none are a great comparison currently, especially the last two, (which I don’t think I ever finished) but they’re still worth an appreciative nod!

Knave and Key AU

VERY DFO

Blatantly Anyone inspired, designed to appeal to people (person singular, me) who liked Anyone (me) and had “hahaha what conclusions could hero cast come up with given a different set of information” (me) thoughts and then “hahaha what if those conclusions were true” (me)

TBH probably not that similar to Anyone at all, especially considering it has no Anyone The Person or Anyone The Organization, which are pretty… important. I worked backwards from “correct potential wrong conclusions the heroes could make in Anyone” and replaced all the plot that wasn't extracted from those conclusions with different context

If you do see the insp shining through, however, that’s why!

Soulmates AU

Having a soulmate =/= having a quirk, everyone has one and it’s irrelevant to quirk status

given recent manga developments, Aoyama/Izuku Soulmates AU

Izuku is causing problems for everyone

In which Izuku actually DOES have a parasite-esque quirk.

Izuku will Physically Worm His Way Into Your Soul And Quirk, if so desired

Izuku is wanted by the government for crimes of being adorable and adoptable

Also crimes of criminal activity

Also kicking Chisaki hard enough to just about kill him, which is a crime but shouldn’t be

Izuku breaks into Chisaki’s house and kicks him to death, by the way.

There’s a woman who spent a bit of time in France (and thus has that as a bonding point with the Aoyamas) and is either gonna end up being a distant relative of Mina or Momo (depending on how I decide her quirk works in technical aspect, leaning towards Mina), possibly by marriage, who can get random bits of information about people’s soulmates by using her quirk on them

hmm :^)

Eraserhead fascinating, Aizawa kind of mean :/

Aoyama got his quirk as per canon

Eraserzawa causes Midoriya problems

Eraserzawa gets problems back

Shinsou takes it upon himself to fight Midoriya

NOooo haha he’s just a little guy doooon’t do that

Younger sister Eri who’s extremely plot relevant

Midoirya might be going to UA, I think

Most of his choices are motivated by his family

Sometimes this means plotting the assassination of members of his family!

#bnha au #telephone telegram au #knave and key au #midoriya inko #aizawa shouta #shirakumo oboro #all might #midoriya izuku #mikumo akatani

[highqueenofelfhame]

Hi Em! Could you write something with the word mirror?

this isn’t what you asked for because it isn’t fanfiction but it is involving a mirror idk i hope you guys enjoy it a little bit lol

Leaves crunched under her feet; shoes smudged ash on the sidewalk. She moved down the road, the smell of burned hair stinging her nostrils as the wind splayed her hair across her face. The breeze caused the smallest of bumps to erupt over her soot-covered skin, the unusually cool bite barely registering in her mind. She moved slowly, numbly, blindly through the street, unable to form a coherent thought about the events of the day. There seemed to be a towering black wall blocking out of her memory that refused to budge as she attempted to recall her morning. Something had happened, that much she knew, but it was merely a shadow behind her that she couldn’t quite reach.

As dusk approached, the sky was murky with clouds of smoke curling from lumps of debris. The heavy smell of fire filled her lungs and sent sharp chills up and down her spine, almost shooting holes in that wall in her memory, that thing she couldn’t quite grasp. Still it remained out of reach, as difficult to retain as reaching out and catching a handful of wind.

At the end of the road, there was a manor house, gray stone blackened by the tongue of flame. She stopped at the bottom of the staircase, green eyes shifting up to the once-grand building. Everything about it was familiar but unfamiliar. Her body had been moving down the street and toward this building on its own accord as though she were a pawn in a chess game or a magnet meeting it’s other half. If someone had come up and asked what she was doing here, words would have failed her. What was she doing here?

She took the first step, black boot leaving an imprint in the ash that littered the stone steps. A twig snapped in the heavy silence, and she whipped around, hair spinning out and cutting through the air. Nobody was there. It was only her on the abandoned road in the middle of an equally abandoned neighborhood. There didn’t appear to be another soul in the entire universe. Just her and this house with a symphony of howling wind cutting the silence.

By the time she reached the door, she felt like her entire body was vibrating with energy, tension, and anticipation. The large door was already cracked open and a slight push had it swinging in on its hinges. It was dark — it took several moments for her eyes to adjust. The only light source was a dim illumination of an overcast sky coming through dirty windows and tattered curtains. The white marble of the flooring was tarnished and cracked in some places. Every step was punctuated by the crinkling of dead leaves. Vines twined down the walls, twisted up through the broken pieces of the floor to reach up and out. The whole setting reminded her of a fairytale.

A skeptical part of her remained aware that anything or anyone could be hidden in the shadows.

Step by step she edged deeper into the manor, taking in every fragmented detail of the dilapidated place. It was impossible to be sneaky within the walls of the manor with how littered the floors were. If someone dangerous was lurking about, they would have known about her entry the moment she stepped foot inside.

Her eyes shifted around the first room she peered into – a sitting room. The furniture had been burned to heaps of black crumbles on the floor, nothing left but the wirework and metal that made up the skeletons of once luxurious and elaborate settees and chairs. Paint and paper peeled from the walls, curling and laying on the ruined wooden floors. They had once been glossy but now had no evidence of shine. No one had been here to take care of the home in years, maybe even decades. Not since well before the fires, since well before the town was ruined. The paintings that had once been intricate and priceless were destroyed and worthless. It was a shame, she thought. Seeing the fragmented remains of once vibrant color tickled something in the back of her mind. Maybe she liked art. Maybe she was an artist. Her lips turned into a frown when she couldn’t even remember that much about herself.

The next door, the white one in the middle of the hallway, caught her eye. Where the rest of the manor had been in ruins, this room was untouched by flame or time. Instead, the white paint of the door was pure —the color of freshly fallen, sparkling snow. She wasn’t even sure what the original color of the first door had been. Perhaps it, too, had been white, but the damage had it in ruins. It made little sense that this one looked as though painters had just finished the job.

She peered inside, lips parting in surprise at the warm light that illuminated the room. There was no dust on the mantle; the marble floor was polished to the point that she could make out the dirt and ash that marred her pale skin. The furniture, which was regal and made with silky floral designs, looked brand new as though not a soul had ever sat on its cushions. The walls had the lower half painted, the upper half covered in fleur-de-lis wallpaper that glistened in the golden light illuminating the space. The metallic nature of the paper itself reflected at certain angles in such a way it almost hurt her eyes to look at. Above her, golden filigree twisted and curled around and around. Beautifully painted men and cherubs perched on fluffy clouds in the bluest of skies on the ceiling. If the rest of the house hadn’t been in utter ruins she would have been entranced to inspect every inch of the artwork. Instead, her hands curled into fists. Something deep inside her was screaming that this was wrong and unnatural. It sent unease running along her nerves, a tremor working its way from her fingers to her toes. She may as well have been shivering for how profound her anxiety seemed to be.

She turned her head to survey the rest of the room but was stopped by a wall covered in mirrors. The room was reflected perfectly, not a thing out of place. It was her own appearance that stood out in stark contrast. For a moment, she forgot that this room was the red flag. Instead she felt as though she was out of place, like she was the one that didn’t belong. She moved toward the mirrors, almost as though a phantom wind urged her along, guiding her until she stopped before the largest mirror in the center of the wall.

Gone was the soot that had covered her body. All that remained smooth, pale skin. No traces of dirt remained. The burnt ends of her hair had grown back, once again long and flowing to her waist. Somehow it had more luster and shine than her chocolate locks had ever held, from what she was able to remember through the brain fog. Her eyes were bright and alight with wonder, not plagued by whatever tragedy she failed to recall. Even her cheeks had color to them like rose petals had been pressed into them; her lashes were long and thick. This morning the glimpse of her reflection had been dirty and ragged. The filthy denim jeans she wore looked fresh off the rack in the mirror before her and even the white shirt that hung from her frame was spotless and free of a single wrinkle. By some strange magic her clothing seemed to fit better. Everything about her had been gaunt and grim in the shop window down the street when she had pulled herself to her feet. In this mirror, however, she was clean from head to toe. Brand new. Immaculate.

When she looked down at herself, she appeared as she had walked in. Her hair was short and choppy, ends singed from fire. The old clothes she wore and her skin were covered in dirt and ash, scars and blisters. Her nails were black from the mud packed beneath them and broken. Once black boots were more gray than black, old from years and years of shuffling around through town. Soot was caked on so thickly that when she swiped over it, there was a small heap on her fingertip. When she looked back in the mirror, however, everything was perfect. Not a hair out of place.

Her fingers rose, brow furrowed as she touched the mirror gently. More curious than the perfect room in the crumbling mansion, more curious than the reflection that reflected incorrectly, the mirror—which stretched wall to wall, ceiling to floor— rippled like water beneath her touch. Waves distorted the once perfect reflection, the view almost making her nauseous. She staggered back, taken by surprise as her reflection wobbled from the effects. The liquid mirror rolled out to the edges of the ornate golden frame like the ocean. Unable to ease her shock, she reached out again to feel for any discrepancy in how it should feel. What she expected was a cool hard surface that she associated with mirrors and planes of glass. There was no reason for it to feel like any icy lake in the middle of winter, but she swore it had.

When her fingers nearly touched the mirror for a second time, it distorted again. This time, though, to her utter horror, something was reaching back at her.

It happened very quickly. So quickly that she was unable to get away from the mirror, unable to stumble back, unable to get out of the room. From the center, a hand extended, every curve reflecting parts of the room at odd angles – the ceiling, the floor, the paintings and the golden carvings, the candles, and the crystals that hung from the chandeliers. As she tried to step and stumble away her feet seemed cemented to the floor. Her body froze in place as ice-cold fingers wrapped around her wrist—fingers that were frozen and solid, not at all like those of a human— and yanked her through the mirror and into a world that was nothing like her own.

#original #my writing #writing #writeblr #original work #the mirror

[amphtaminedreams]

My Amateur European Travel Guide

Hi to anyone who’s reading!

I spent just over a month in Europe over the summer and have far too many good food pics that deserve more than sitting in my camera roll untouched and thus I thought I’d do my very shitty, amateurish version of a travel guide, basically a run down of my favourite things that we did in each city. From touristy shit like the Colosseum and the Roman Forum to some equally beautiful but lesser known places, getting an inter-rail pass gives you the time to see everything whilst not spending an absolute fortune. 

I went with a friend and we did the basic, first-time traveller route: Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Ljubljana, Venice, Rome and Milan. The pass, which allowed us to use domestic and international trains on 10 separate days within a month, for students only cost £230. We did then have to pay extra for the Eurostar from St.Pancras to Paris, and additional “reservation” fees to get seats on the trains in Italy and between France and The Netherlands, but all in all this didn’t cost us anymore than about £50. The flight back from Milan to Southend Airport cost £30, though be warned that it’s actually pretty hard to get from Southend to central London; if we hadn’t been able to get a lift, we probably would’ve spent an extra £30 getting home from there. 

We were away for 3 weeks and 4 days in total, and on top of the approx. £700/£800 we spent on hostels and air b&bs, I spent about £1500 whilst I was away. You could probably get away with taking about £1000 with you if you’re willing to cook while you’re away. We did a couple of nights whilst we were in air b&bs, but on the whole, we usually ate out. The hostel kitchens were a bit of a nightmare, though I’m not going to pretend it was anything other than a combination of laziness and gluttony that stopped me from cooking, lol. HOW CAN YOU GO TO ITALY AND NOT GO OUT FOR PASTA EVERY NIGHT?! It can’t be done. With my non-existent self-control anyway. 

Once I got back from inter-railing, I also then spent a week with my family staying in the cutest seaside town about half an hour outside of Barcelona, Sitges, which we’ve visited a few times before. For that reason, I thought I’d write about some of my favourite things to do in and around Barcelona, not just from this trip but from all the times we’ve visited over the last few years.

I’ll start, though, with the first place we visited on our inter-railing trip: Paris.

Paris, France

It might be because it was the first place we went and the place where I had the most energy and drive to explore, lol, but Paris was my absolute favourite of the cities we visited. I know a lot of people seem to be disappointed with it but there’s just so much to do and so much culture; gorgeous architecture, art, fashion, food, I feel that it lives up to its reputation in every way if you really utilise your time there properly. The public transport is easy to understand and use and my only gripe with the hostel is that it was a little far out. This didn’t really limit us in any way though, so it didn’t bother me. 

The Hostel

Our first hostel, Jo&Joe’s in Gentilly, was a really cool place. I believe it was around £30 a night (one of the more expensive hostels we stayed in) to stay in a room like the one I've included a photo of. The beds were comfy and you had a decent amount of space, and the wi-fi was good. My only issue is that there wasn’t much privacy in terms of the bathroom; there was one toilet room and one shower room in the actual bedroom to be shared between the 6 of us. There didn’t really seem to be much about in Gentilly but to be honest, we didn’t venture very far and there’s more than enough to do in central Paris.

Paris Top Things to do:

1. Palais de Tokyo

Probably my favourite art museum we visited our entire trip, Palais de Tokyo was...an experience. 

Costing £8 for a student ticket, almost every piece of artwork in there was strange as hell. That being said, it was all very immersive and interactive and like nothing I’d seen before which is why I liked it so much. 

Well, apart from the dirty sock. Literally. There was a dirty sock on display. Art, right? 

2. Musee D’Orsay

I’d say if you only had time to do one of the “big” art museums in Paris, do Musee D’Orsay, not the Louvre.

 It’s a lot more compact and has a wider range of styles, plus a lot more modern art, including some Van Gogh and several Degas. I had so many favourite pieces from Louise Abbema’s Allegories of Spring and Winter, to Thomas Couture’s Romans in their Decadence:

Plus I’d take Amaury Duval’s portrait of Marie-Anne Detourbay over the Mona Lisa any day. The staring into your soul game she’s got going on is unparalleled.

3. Eiffel Tower 

I think the level of dumbassery involved in my decision to wear heeled boots to make the 500 or so step journey up the Eiffel Tower cancels out any smarts that went into us saving €3 by booking in advance and walking instead of getting the lift, but it’s all about the experience, lol, and I would do it again for the view. It only cost €5 in total and by booking online about a month before, we didn’t have to wait in what is usually about a 3 hour queue if you turn up on the day.

4. Yves Saint Laurent Museum

It only took us about an hour to do the Yves Saint Laurent museum but it was definitely worth the £10 for entry if you are interested in fashion. It was pretty quiet when we went which I liked as it made for a much more peaceful experience than say, the Louvre, and the museum is very well laid out. There’s a load of original pieces in there and I feel like I learned a lot about Saint Laurent himself too. I also learned that I am very unsophisticated (I really didn’t feel posh enough to be walking into the building, lol) but we been knew.

5. Sacre Couer 

Warning: The Sacre Couer is a very steep walk from the nearest tube station. I internally died. Several times. But it’s very beautiful once you get up there.

6. Monmarte

I wish we’d had more time to explore Monmarte as it was one of the prettiest places I saw on our trip, with so many cute restaurants and cafes. Top things to see in the area are the Wall of Love and though we didn’t actually go there, Montmarte Cemetery too. I found out when we got back that the latter is supposedly inhabited by a load of stray cats and now I am severely disappointed that we didn’t have a look. I guess I’ll just have to go back! You know, just to check if it’s true about the cats. And also eat some more of the food, ofc.

7. Vintage Shopping

We had a quick look in two of the vintage shops whilst we were in Paris, Kilo Shop and Tilt Vintage, and I saw a lot of really cool things. Unfortunately, because I couldn’t really fit anything else in my backpack and was being pretty tight with money at that point in the trip (an attitude my bank balance probably wishes had been sustained throughout, lol), I didn’t get anything. Still, I’d definitely recommend checking the shops I mentioned and the other vintage shops in that area out if you are interested in buying some clothes whilst you’re away. The only thing I’d say is to avoid them if you have trouble with crowds and/or small spaces as there were a shit tonne of people in pretty much all the ones we went in and because of the layout, not much room to move. And protip: if you like breathing non-body odour tinted oxygen, don’t venture in any of them in the middle of heatwave. Not fun. 

8. Champs Elysees 

I think it’s kind of a given that you see the Champs Elysees whilst you’re in Paris, but last time I was there, I only really saw it from an open top bus and was quiet underwhelmed. On this trip, we walked from the Louvre through the Tuileries and then slowly made our way down towards the Arc de Triomphe, having a look down the streets that run perpendicular to the Champs Elysees on our way, which were all very typically Parisienne. At the bottom, you have Aventue Montaigne which has all the fancy, designer flagship stores, and then down Avenue FDR (where we went for lunch) there are plenty of places to stop and have a bite to eat. I thought I’d been all French getting a baguette from down here before realising it was from a glorified Paul which we have all over London, BUT, if you’re into açai bowls, my friend had a really good one at a place called Cojean.

9. Versailles

Before we went to Versailles, a lot of people told me that it was really crowded and not worth going to but I couldn’t disagree more. It was so beautiful both on the inside and out and there’s so much to learn! I’ve always been fascinated by Marie Antoinette so I might be slightly biased but I was totally in my ex-historical nerd element. I would definitely recommend arriving as early as possible if you’re not paying for skip the line tickets, since we got there for around 10 and had to stand in a very long queue to get in. It did move quickly but looked very daunting at first and I imagine it only gets worse as the day goes on.

10. Disneyland Paris

I mean, we didn’t got there this time and technically, it’s not Paris. But come on, it’s Disney. I couldn’t leave it off the list.

Future Paris Bucket List:

Moulin Rouge

Musee d’Orangerie

Jardin du Luxembourg

Louvre Highlights Tour

Louis Vuitton Foundation

Paris Museum of Modern Art

Get dinner in Trocadero

Centre Pompidou

Paris Catacombs

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Amsterdam is one of my favourite places ever. It’s picturesque, easy to find your way around, and full of amazing food. It was my second time here and my friend’s third so we had a pretty chilled out time but still did a lot. I definitely wouldn’t say no to going back again.

The Hostel

The hostel we stayed in in Amsterdam was called ClinkNoord and was a short (and free!) boat ride away from the city centre. Also at around £30 a night, the rooms were basic yet comfortable and the place as a whole had a modern, utilitarian vibe to it which I really liked. The bathrooms were a short walk down the hall, a more private alternative to the bathrooms in our Paris hostel, and were pretty much always free. As for the showers, they were a wet room kinda situation and a little bit grim at times but as long as you bring flip flops (I didn’t, another example of dumbassery, lol) you’ll be fine. Maybe this is the 10 year old in me leaping out but I really loved the bar area at this hostel too: drinks were cheap, but more importantly, it had table football, pool, AND a ping-pong room. WITH A BLACK LIGHT MIGHT I ADD!

Amsterdam Top Things to do:

1. Electric Ladyland

The edibles had already began to kick in a little bit by the time we got to Electric Ladyland so this might be a bit of an overstatement but this place was, in a good way of course, very trippy. It’s basically a mini fluorescent art museum and exhibition in this guy’s basement (not as weird as it sounds, lol), and for £5 you can go in and see it and then, if you hang around, watch him give a demonstration on how it all works and where he sourced his paint from. It says on the website that it’s by appointment only but we just turned up on the day just as a slot was about to start and were allowed in. In terms of taking an edible before you go in, maybe don’t, lol. It was a bit of a surreal experience; in a very dark room, listening to an old American hippy talk about how he explored caves in Utah to find mineral rocks, the weed-induced paranoia low-key kicked in. I did, at points, momentarily forget that there was a room around the point I was immediately focussed on and started panicking that we were just drifting through space. And then there was the occasional fear that I was trapped in some kind of eternal time loop where the man would just keep on talking in circles and I would be stuck down there forever, not wanting to be rude and leave whilst he was mid-sentence, as part of the universe’s karmic punishment for my impractical level of politeness and need to people-please. Climbing the ladder up out of the basement was...a little tricky, to say the least.

2. Pancake House

You have to have pancakes in Amsterdam and my friend recommended this place as the original one. I had a pancake with ice cream, caramel sauce and chocolate sauce and whilst a little sickly, it was tasty af. If I went again, I think I’d just stick to one sauce; it was so sweet that I had to admit defeat about halfway, something I do not look back on with pride. Next time, I will be victorious over one of these beasts of a pancake. Speaking it into existence.

3. Hire a bike and visit Vondelpark

There are plenty of ways to get about in Amsterdam and the trams are super easy to use but hiring a bike for the time you’re there is probably the cheapest and most Amsterdammy (I know, not really a word) way to get around. We hired our bikes from Starbikes by the central station and it was a very simple and affordable process which I would definitely recommend; their shop has some of the best reviews on Trip Advisor for bike hire. Riding along the canals is quite chilled but if you’re not super confident, the best place to go is probably Vondelpark, as it has wider lanes with the added bonus of not living in semi-permanent fear of being yeeted off your bike into the canal by a car coming up behind you. It also has friendly ducks! How can you say no to that? I mean, ignoring the fact that male ducks have like, 9 inch corkscrew penises which apparently spin when they mate. Thank Reddit for that life-altering and mildly disturbing piece of information.

4. Mannekin chips

The BEST Belgian fries which I spent the entirety of the rest of our trip craving. Best sauce combination is ketchup and samurai sauce, and I recommend going for a regular portion. The large is insane and I am very much in awe of anybody who can finish it.

5. Van Gogh Museum

We didn’t actually visit the Van Gogh museum on this trip but I went on my first visit to Amsterdam and you really can’t miss it. Not only does it have a lot of Van Gogh’s most famous works, including sunflowers, it has a lot of the work of the artists who inspired him as well as pieces from some of his contemporaries. 

7. Stedelijk

Really cool modern art museum with an interactive room where you can take part in activities relating to the current exhibition too. Though I guess it really depends on your art preferences, if you do only have time to do either this or The Rijksmuseum, I would definitely say Stedelijk. 

8. The Rookies Coffeeshop

So I can’t say I’ve tried a lot of the coffee shops in Amsterdam as on our first visit we only really went to this one and The Bulldog chain, and this time we didn’t go as much, but they do the best space cakes. They’re genuinely really tasty but they can be quite intense if you haven’t smoked in a while or don’t do so regularly so make sure you’re in somewhere you feel safe and have other people with you.

9. Amsterdam Dungeons

Though the Amsterdam Dungeons were more similar to the London Dungeons than I thought they would be, with less of a focus on the dark history of the area and more on general dark European history such as the Spanish Inquisition and witch trials which also came up a lot in the London run through, I would still thoroughly recommend them. The Dungeons are definitely a tourist trap but they’re also just hilarious and you genuinely do learn a little, so I think worth the money!

10. The Blonds Cafe

I wasn’t crazy about the menu here as I’m a ridiculously fussy eater but I think most people will easily find something they like, and the actual cafe and presentation is really cute. The grilled cheese sandwich I ended up having was really good and even if you end up just having a cake, I’d recommend it. They had lemon AND mint infused water dispensers, which, now I’m writing down doesn’t seem very exciting at all, but I got hyped up, okay? And worst case scenario, it’s not for you, there are loads of other cool and very hipster-y looking (lol) independent cafes in the area. 

11. Anne Frank House

Again, this was something I did on my first trip to Amsterdam, but you can’t miss it. From a history standpoint and as someone who read Anne Frank’s diary several times when I was younger, I found it very surreal to actually visit the house I’d heard so much about. You definitely get a sense of just how stifling and claustrophobic living in that annex was and even if you’re not into your history, I do think a lot of insight can be gained from taking a trip here! 

12. Go to one of the Pastry Shops

If you go to Amsterdam, you’ll see them everywhere, the little slightly shabby-looking cafes with all the amazing waffles and donuts and crepes and cupcakes in the window. Go to one! I had a waffle covered in white chocolate and Oreos and it was 1000% as good as it looked. 

13. Moco Museum

The last thing on my Amsterdam list and another thing we did on my first trip, the Moco Museum is one of my favourites I’ve ever been to. It’s pretty small and doesn’t take you that long to look around but it’s full of contemporary, provocative art based around the theme of political and social commentary. Given that description, it’s probably no surprise that it houses a lot of Banksy, but there’s also a fair bit of pop art too, and a very cool gift shop. Because I can never resist a good gift shop.

Future Amsterdam Bucket List:

A day trip to the tulip fields

De Poezenboot

Eye Film Museum 

Swing at A’dam lookout

Canal Cruise

Berlin, Germany

Berlin definitely wasn’t what I was expecting it to be. As a capital city, I expected it to be this very built up, bustling, commercial place, but it was actually pretty quiet and very spread out. In a way, it almost seemed a bit left behind and completely deserted in parts. That being said, from a historical point of view, it was probably the most interesting place that we went. It’s easy to forget that just a few decades ago the city was completely divided and you can definitely sense that it’s still rebuilding itself.

The Hostel

We stayed in a hostel that was tucked away in the basement of the Aletto hotel, just a minute’s walk away from the Zoologischer Garden station. I believe it was around £20 a night for an 8 person mixed dorm. The beds weren’t the comfiest and the room itself was a bit dark and dank, given that it was below street level, but all in all, the hostel was decent as a stop-off point. I liked that there was a kind of a small communal area in the kitchen and the bathrooms were spacious and clean, and fortunately, it was pretty quiet when we were there so we usually had them to ourselves. 

Berlin Top Things to do:

1. Never Ending Love Story

A really lovely little cafe in a pretty, quiet area, the service here was exceptionally good! I’m not one to complain when workers don’t seem overly enthusiastic, I work in retail so I get that you sometimes can’t be arsed with all the over-the-top politeness, but I do appreciate friendliness and the waitress here was so sweet. I had delicious scrambled eggs on sourdough toast and my friend had pancakes and we both really enjoyed our food. 

2. East Side Gallery

I wish I had more to say about the East Side Gallery, but to be honest I was pretty drunk and had half an edible-I thought we were going out out after, don’t judge me-so I can’t remember much. Judging from my very shitty and my friend’s very good (this is one of hers, lol) photos though, it was really interesting. Good street art is up there with the best of them imo and given the context of the gallery, it’s no surprise that a lot of the art is politically charged, which just adds an extra layer of appeal to it. There’s also a lot of good photo ops, or so drunk me clearly thought. 

3. Topography of Terror

Built on top of the former SS Reich Main Security Office, the Topography of Terror is a museum I’d say you need to set aside at least 2 and a half/3 hours for to properly do. There’s so much information to get through and I’d say I ended up skimming half of it towards the end because we were short on time; I later found out that there’s even more to see outside which we didn’t even touch. 

4. Jewish Museum

Unfortunately, a lot of the Jewish Museum was closed when we went but it’s still a very physically impressive building with exhibitions that are equal parts daunting and thought-provoking, relating to both the Jewish experience during the Second World War and Jewish culture in general.

5. Museum Island

We didn’t actually go in any of the museums on Museum Island but we walked around and sat at a nice little green spot nearby; t’s very pretty to explore, especially as the sun is going down. There were plenty of bars around and people drinking, sunbathing and listening to music by the river. Generally a really relaxed vibe.

6. Fritzies 

I know dirty fries aren’t the classiest thing ever but the ones from this place tasted really fucking good. How can you go wrong with a fast food restaurant dedicated to chips?

7. The History: Brandenberg Gate, Reichstag, Checkpoint Charlie, Hitler’s Bunker, Jewish Memorial

Most of these places are within walking distance of each other and we did them all within a couple of hours. Like I said, the best thing about Berlin is the history so I think making an effort to see all these things is really important. On our last night we managed to find out, via a nearby poster, about a free show on the river (with English subtitles obviously; as the basic monolingual bitch I am, anything other than dankeschön and hallo went right over my head) which covered major points in the history of the Reichstag over the last century; it was the perfect way to round off our trip.

8. KW Institute for Contemporary Art

This museum was half the overly pretentious contemporary art that makes classicists roll their eyes:

-though I do actually like it, sue me-

And half the simple, but millennially-inspired kinda stuff that I love. Like, that top collection got me feeling like the new Van Gogh every time I accidentally screenshot my home screen. 

So obviously, I rated it. And side-note, the building in general, which had an old, unused warehouse kinda thing going on, along with a shady little courtyard outside, was very cool.

9. Pizza Nostra

Look at this photo. Do I need to say any more?

Future Berlin Bucket List:

Historical River Cruise

Return to the Jewish Museum

The Story of Berlin Museum

Berghain (even just to see it from the outside)

About Blank, Suicide Circus, i.e one of the tamer, more mainstream clubs

Anne Frank Zentrum

Hackescher Hof

Oranienburger Strasse and Kunsthaus Tacheles

Prague, Czech Republic

I absolutely adored Prague. From the second I stepped out of the metro station into Old Town Square on our first evening, I felt like I was walking into a fairytale. All the buildings were so ornate and beautiful, everywhere you look is like a postcard. There’s so much history there which we only really had time to scrape the surface of and I can’t wait to go back.

The Hostel

We stayed at Hostel Dakura which was only around £15 a night and a few metro stops from the city centre. As you can see, it’s a little outdated but all in all, still clean and comfortable. The dorm and bathrooms were very spacious and there was an outdoor seating area with benches and ping-pong too. I’d definitely say it was good value for money.

Prague Top Things to do:

1. Explore Old Town

The Old Town part of Prague is definitely the main attraction, from the cute and very typically European seating areas outside the restaurants, to the Trdelnik shops, to the gothic statues, and the colourful buildings that surround them; you'll feel like you’re walking through a mix between a shopping mall and a medieval time capsule. There’s not really all that much point me putting Old Town on the must-do list as it’s pretty much unavoidable but I liked it so much I just couldn’t leave it out. I really haven’t been anywhere like it before. It’s part Westeros, part Fantasyland at Disney (with some stag dos thrown in), and that’s saying something; Disney World comparisons do not come easy from me.

2. Letna Hill

A bit of a steep walk uphill but totally worth it for the view of the city.  Lots of cool bars and places to get cheap beer and cider too, if that’s your kinda thing. Spirits, to my dismay, are pretty much the same price as they are back home. Not that it was on Letna Hill but I paid €20 for 2 doubles one night. €20. PRAGUE IS CHEAP FOR ALCOHOL, THEY SAID. YOU CAN GET PISSED FOR A TENNER, THEY SAID. IT’LL BE FUN, THEY SAID. Sigh.

PROTIP: Make sure you have cash on you, especially if you’re heading up Letna Hill, as they don’t take card at any of the bars and there aren’t any cash machines. There also aren’t any water fountains and the tap water isn’t drinkable, apparently. You know what there are, though? Rats. 

I’m going to stop before I put anyone off. Our experience wasn’t the best but done right, I think you could have a really chilled evening here. Go to Letna Hill. It’s lovely.

3. Prague Castle

Also a bit of an uphill walk, Prague Castle is a gothic dream with live music, tantalising food stalls (hehe, tantalising, somebody hire me to write their cookbook ASAP) and insane views. Half the time I felt like I was in King’s Landing and the other half Hogwarts, and that is the kind of 50/50 split I live for. 

4. Walk across Charles Bridge and walk alongside the Vltava River

I thought our day peaked when I came to the realisation, whilst crossing the Charles Bridge, that we were in fact surrounded by vaguely religious and mildly creepy Jesus-looking statues but then we reached the other side and soon after, became one with nature. We saw ducks! Otters. Swans. Inject that wholesome shit into my veins. 

Also, a pigeon landed on me! That’s right, if you stand there with your arm out for long enough whilst walking alongside the Vltava River, you too can experience the fleeting terror that comes with the possibility of being pooed on but then the earth-shattering realisation that comes after: that pigeons, maybe, aren’t so bad after all. That they’re actually kinda cute in their own weird, scavenging way! That maybe the pigeon lady in Mary Poppins made some points! I mean, can’t we all relate to wanting to steal other people’s food? I definitely can. Consider me a changed woman.

5. GOAP Museum

Though I’m not much of a Salvador Dali fan and I have a sneaking suspicion that some of the “artwork” in this museum was actually just prints from google blown up on A2 photo paper, I thoroughly enjoyed the Alphonse Mucha and Andy Warhol sections of the GOAP. 

-Untitled Salvador Dali-

The former is one of my absolute favourite artists so I definitely had to take a moment when I walked in and saw that not only did they have several of his original lithographs, but also a whole wall dedicated to him. I wish I had good photos but the lighting was a bit too artificial to really do it justice. The lithographs came out pretty well though:

Obviously Andy Warhol is an icon too; his exhibition in particular was hugely informative and well laid out, definitely a people pleaser. I couldn’t find all too much online but it seems like the exhibitions mentioned are permanent, so definitely go and check them out. 

I also feel the need to mention that it was here I ascended to an elite level of art hoe by buying a Mucha lighter. Jokes on me because it doesn’t work very well, like...at all in anything windier than a very, very mild breeze, BUT it looks pretty, so points for that. 

6. Cafe Chloe

Seeing the size of the queue outside Elan Cafe in London, it kinda blew my mind that considering its flower wall, you could just walk into Cafe Chloe and get a table straight away. Obviously the flower wall is a draw for Instagram purposes (yes, I’m a shallow human being, *insert Ariana Grande “and what about it?” gif here*) but the food was really good too. The perfect place to stop off for brunch. 

7. Pedalos

Again, the pedalos under Charles Bridge are kind of a tourist trap but it was only around €12 between us to rent one for the hour; most of them appeared to be 4 seaters so you could get 2 more people in there and split the price again, making it even cheaper. Plus, it was really fun and we got to go right up to the ducks! 

8. Karlovy Lazne

I’m not gonna lie, tackiness aside, I love a club with multiple rooms and this one had FIVE. There were a lot of English people in there and it did cost about 12 euros in cash to get in (take the cash out in advance as the machine outside charged quite a steep fee), but they played ABBA on more than one occasion so I have zero regrets. I mean, apart from drinking maybe a bit too much once again, but that’s kind of a given at this point. I can only apologise to my liver and what’s left of my dignity.

9. Joy Burger

NGL, the service here wasn’t the best and I kind of felt like I was annoying some of the staff literally just by trying to order my food BUT to be fair, I’d probably be annoyed by me too considering my upholding of the British tradition of asking everywhere if they speak English and hoping for the best rather than actually learning the native language. Anyway, back to the point: look at this burger. Fit. 10/10 would demolish again.

Future Prague Bucket List:

Museum Kampa

Petrin Hill

One of the free city walking tours

Pub crawl

Vienna, Austria

Honestly, of all the places we went to, Vienna was the one I was most pleasantly surprised by. Before going, I’d heard that there wasn’t much to do there and I thought that 24 hours would be more than enough to see the main attractions, but aside from Paris, it’s probably the city I want to revisit most. On every other block there seemed to be some kind of beautiful flower garden or sprawling palace or stately home or elegant cafe, but at the same time, it still had a very modern feel to it. A lot like Paris but more compact, and with a slightly Germanic twist. Plus, I had one of the best Maccies of my life here, so I really can’t complain.

The Hostel

For around £18 for the night we stayed in a 6 person dorm at the Wombats Hostel by Naschmarkt. Because we weren’t there too long, I didn’t get all that much of a feel for it but the communal areas and bar seemed very cool and the central part of the city was in walking distance. The dorms were a little small and outdated and we did get woken up by a fire alarm in the middle of the night but it gave me a kind of primary school trip type nostalgia so I didn’t mind too much. I’d probably look for another hostel if I went back to Vienna just because I think if you were staying for a while, you'd start to feel a bit cooped up in the room. For the one night, however, it was ideal.

Vienna Top Things to do:

1. Museum Quartier

We really only walked through Museum Quartier but there seemed to be loads going on and definitely lots to look at. There’s also a giant astroturf covered waterbed which sounds kinda wack but was actually super fun when I wasn’t fearing my head was going to be squashed like a watermelon by the kids quite literally throwing themselves around on it. So yeah! Check it out!

2. The Traffic Lights

It sounds silly but the traffic lights in the central part of Vienna are super cute. Have a stroll around and see how many of them you can spot. Berlin’s Ampelmann wishes. 

3. Belvedere Palace Grounds

Boujie. 

4. Schonbrunn Palace Grounds

Even boujier.

5. Volksgarten

I really felt like I was walking through the Red Queen’s gardens. Minus the crochet and threat of decapitation of course.

6. Max and Benito

SO GOOD. And a really funky seating area outside too. Probably best for a quick lunch and I also imagine would make great drunk food if you need an excuse to day drink. 

Future Vienna Bucket List:

Natural History Museum of Vienna

Wien Museum

Leopold Museum

Belvedere Museum of Contemporary Art

Cafe hopping

Further explore MuseumQuartier 

Naschmarkt

Budapest, Hungary

It might be an unpopular opinion but I didn’t adore Budapest as a city. To be honest, my expectations were probably slightly too high as I’d heard so many people rave about it. I can see why people like it so much: there’s loads of great places to eat, drinks are cheap, and ruin bars are very cool. My issue was just that I thought there’d be more to do in terms of daytime activities. The one art museum we went to was completely deserted and there didn’t seem to be as many historical places to explore as in some of the other cities we visited. Of course it’s all a matter of personal preference and I might have just not done enough research/planned enough, plus that’s still not to say I didn’t have a good time. We had some lovely chilled out days and the city kind of comes alive in a different way in the evening; the boat party we went to was by far the best night out we had throughout our trip and I had some insanely delicious food. We also hired an Air B&B here for about half the price of some of the hostels we stayed in, and so got to actually settle down and spread our stuff out for a few days; something that was much needed after living out of lockers for 2 weeks.

Budapest Top Things to do:

1. Mr.Funk’s

Look at this bad boy and tell me you don’t want to go to Mr.Funk’s and try one of their freakshakes. Tell me that freakshakes being banned in the UK wasn’t a devastating miscarriage of justice and an attack on my human rights. Tell me that I’m not a failure for leaving a donut behind. Pls. Validate me. 

2. Street Food Karavan

Street Food Karavan is such a cool little spot with so many delicious looking food stalls, I honestly could’ve eaten there for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. Plus loads of vegan and veggie options too.

3. Boat Party

I believe we booked our night through budapestboatparty.com and honestly it was so fun and such good value for money. It may have partly been down to the alcohol and the edible I had before, lol, but everything felt so surreal; I spent 90% of the event just being amazed by how beautiful our surroundings were and the combination of the breeze and the scenery and the music made for the absolute best atmosphere. Everyone we spoke to was so friendly and if I went back I’d love to do it again, maybe slightly more sober (unlikely) so I can take even more of it in. That being said, bear in mind that these kind of things can probably be a bit hit or miss. The friend that recommended the boat party told me that she spent the first half of the event avoiding being hit on by men twice her age, so clearly it depends a lot on the company, lol!

4. Kiosk

We didn’t actually have proper meals at Kiosk but we did find some deck chairs to sit on whilst we ate ice cream from one of the stalls they were running outside. The restaurant itself was inside but the outdoor seating had a stunning view of the sunset and the river and the area in general was really buzzing. 

5. Shoes on the Danube

It’s a simple monument but the story behind the Shoes on the Danube makes it one of the most important things to see in Budapest.

6. Szechenyi Baths

Before we actually went into the baths, I was a bit grossed out. Like, it sounded great in theory but then we got there and I realised we were about to step into what is essentially a steaming pit of bodily fluids. BUT, put that minute, mildly repugnant detail aside and you’ll have a brilliant time. Start with the whirlpool in the outdoor area and by the time you’ve done that, you’ll be feeling wild enough to bath and sauna hop to your heart’s desire. Unless you are a real, compulsive germaphobe, pissing yourself at the sight of little kids and adults alike getting uncontrollably whisked around like a bunch of sweaty egg yolks is enough to make you put any (don’t get me wrong, warranted) hygiene concerns to one side. You can shower when you’re dead. That’s what they say, right?

7. Margaret Island 

I think we had one of our most relaxed afternoons at Magaret Island, lying out on the grass by the dancing fountains; it’s definitely a great place to sunbathe, read, or grab a cheap alcoholic drink. There’s options for if you’re feeling more adventurous too: on our second visit there, we paid €10 between us to hire a pedal car for the hour and decided to cycle round the island. It was by the grace of god (or for the most part my friend’s very necessary backseat driving) that there was only one casualty of my steering. Angry Hungarian man, if you’re out there, I’m very sorry our pedal car almost knocked you off your bike. My bad. But yeah, my catastrophic attempt at doing the bare minimum physical activity aside, go and chill on Margaret Island. It’s super pretty.

8. Buda Castle and Fisherman’s Bastion

Just a heads up that we paid around €4 or €5 each to go up to the top of Castle Hill with one of the companies giving out flyers at the bottom, so have a look and see if you can find a better deal before paying to ride the funicular. Once we did get up there we could hop on and off, and the ticket included a ride down as well. In terms of what to expect when you get up there, spectacular views. Though I found the castle itself a bit disappointing, Fisherman’s Bastion was really beautiful and had some great photo spots. If I went back to Budapest, I’d probably spend more time in the area as I think that’s where a lot of the history actually is.

9. Szimpla Kert

Probably the most famous ruin bar in Budapest, I really loved Szimpla Kert. It was a bit chaotic and very crowded but the eccentric interiors and open air courtyard gave it an almost magical feel that only a tiny number of bars I’ve been to have anything on. Vaulty Towers and Bar Elba in Waterloo I’m looking at you. Missing you and your overpriced drinks always xoxo

10. House of Terror

The House of Terror was my only real history fix whilst we were in Budapest and I found it really interesting. In particular, I liked how all the visitors took sheets of information in each room to read in our own time rather than us all trying to crowd round one sign. The basement part of the museum is presumably the main draw, and I understand why given how unnerving it is, but I enjoyed the whole museum. Obviously there are things you have to take with a pinch of salt and (our Air B&B host warned in our welcome package that it was slightly biased; I couldn’t find much about public opinion of the museum online so if by the slim chance somebody who knows more is reading this please let me know! Educate me!), but at the same time, if just for walking through the site of the past atrocities, there is definitely something to be gleaned by visiting.

11. Parliament Building

There was really no need for the Hungarian Parliamentary building to step on Westminter’s neck like that but...I guess she did what she had to do.

12. Ludwig Museum

Like I mentioned, this museum was pretty deserted but they did have some cool contemporary art and in particular an exhibition dedicated to the fashion designer Kiraly Tamas which I really enjoyed. His are the pieces in the photo above!

13. Donut Library

Oreo donuts. Need I say more?

14. La Fabbrica 

A very boujie but surprisingly affordable Italian restaurant right opposite St.Stephen’s basilica (pictured), I had one of the many top tier spag bols on this trip here. The toilets are also stylish af and made me feel very much like a peasant so maybe wear something nice so you can get those good good HQ bathroom mirror pics. I was certainly not in any shape to do so. Those toilets were really wasted on my scruffy ass that day. 

Future Budapest Bucket List:

The Hungarian National Gallery

Műcsarnok

Museum of Fine Arts

Budapest History Museum

Hungarian State Opera House

Flippermúzeum

Instant

Great Synagogue 

Memento Park

Secret Walking Tour

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Though we mainly went to Ljubljana so that we could visit Lake Bled, it was still a very cute little area. Pretty small for a capital city but there were loads of day trips out from the centre and for the evenings, a whole range of lively bars and restaurants along the river. 

The Hostel

We stayed at Hostel Kva right in the city centre and paid around €20 a night. The hostel itself was lovely and kind of felt like more of a young people’s B&B than hostel; the communal area in particular had a very cosy, personal feel to it and the staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. That being said, the actual rooms were very small and I did feel pretty cramped whilst we were there, more so than in any of the other hostels we stayed at. 

Ljubljana Top Things to do:

1. Meselkova Mesa

About a 15 minute walk from the city centre, Meselkova Mesa is a very interesting place. I'm not going to lie, I did feel a little on edge whilst we were there, lol; it was pretty deserted apart from a couple of men having a very loud argument. Nevertheless, there’s some very cool buildings and street art so if you’re in a group, check it out.

2. Lake Bled

Our day trip to Lake Bled, a half hour coach journey from Ljubljana Station for IIRC €8 return, was one of my favourite things we did whilst inter-railing. Not only is it absolutely magnificent to look at but there’s so much to do that I feel like you could have your whole holiday there if you wanted to. Assault courses, hikes, swimming, water sports, rowing, tobogganing, chilling on the (yes, artificial) sand, whether you want to relax or thrill-seek, you’re going to have plenty to do.

3. Puffy

These mini pancakes were so good that I didn’t even notice the chocolate sauce was Nutella and that’s saying something because WHY DO THEY PUT IT ON EVERYTHING IN MAINLAND EUROPE!? PEOPLE WHO DON’T LIKE NUTELLA HAVE RIGHTS TOO!

4. Pop’s Place

The best burger of the entire trip, hands down, and the whole menu looked delicious. Would I fly to Ljubljana just to have another one? Probs. 

5. Tivoli Park

A great place to sit down and read a book or go on a bike ride, or alternatively, if you’re me, awkwardly hide from a bunch of people from your hostel you irrationally believed were judging you earlier that day in the bathrooms.

6. Castle Walk

The uphill walk did kill me a little but I am mildly asthmatic so let’s put it down to that. Nothing to do with the fact I haven’t been to the gym in a year. Nothing at all. Anyways, the view was very pretty and though we didn’t go inside the castle, there’s apparently an escape room in there as well as a museum, a restaurant and a jazz club so definitely worth the minor hike.

7. Flower Market

If you go to the square where the food market is, by Dragon Bridge, you’ll find endless stalls of some of the most beautifully arranged flowers I’ve ever seen. It might be a seasonal thing, I’m not sure, but if you’re there in the summer, I’d recommend seeking the market out. They’re a very reasonable price and yes, I did specifically buy a sunflower for a photo op for 50 cent, guilty as charged. When vanity is that cheap I really can’t resist, lol.

8. Illusions Museum

I would definitely recommend going with at least one other person to get the most out of the Illusions Museum and €10 is pretty pricey but if you want to get a cheesy oh-look-I’m-standing-on-the-ceiling photo, here is your best bet.

9. Grefino Frozen Yogurt

I’m not gonna lie, I don’t actually like frozen yogurt myself but I can appreciate good food when I see it and my friend’s portion looked FIT. Plus, I always get excited when anything’s make your own; there will always be a part of me that feels incomplete without regular trips to Pizza Hut to overdo it with the ice cream factory (which this is basically a frozen yogurt, grown up version of). Miss you always. 

Future Ljubljana Bucket List:

Escape Castle

Ljubljana Castle guided tour

Tobogganing at Lake Bled

Row to the Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Maria at Lake Bled

Škocjan Caves

MSUM

Venice, Italy

Everywhere you look in Venice is picture perfect. It literally looked exactly how it did in all the photos I’d seen beforehand. There’s so much to do and so many amazing looking places to eat, I could easily spend a relaxed week here. Emphasis on the relaxed because getting around does involve a lot of walking and a surprising amount of stairs, and we had to pack as much as we could into the short amount of time that we had. By the end of our first day in Venice alone, the word exhausted had a whole new meaning. In terms of public transport, there’s only really the boat system, and that’s a steep €18 for a day ticket. Probably partly due to my moaning, we did end up getting one of these on our last day, but that meant that we also got to go to the islands of Murano and Burano which are included. I definitely wouldn’t say no to going back but it’s quite an overwhelming space: a bit disorientating, crowded, and very expensive! You’d have to give me a few years, lol!

The Hostel

Whilst in Venice we stayed at the Wombats Hostel in Mestre, for around £13 a night. We were lucky in that it had only opened the week before (they were actually celebrating its opening at the Wombats in Naschmarkt when we were there!), and so it was super cheap. I imagine by now the price would’ve increased as it was a lovely hostel. Being new there were obviously some teething problems: queues on the front desk were pretty long, the free drinks vouchers given out had mistakes in that you couldn’t redeem them for one of the drinks that was listed, the kitchens were apparently very overcrowded with 2 faulty hobs between about 50 people, and our room as well as the bathroom in the lobby frequently ran out of toilet paper. Other than that, the dorms were the most spacious, modern and breathable of all the hostels we stayed in and the bar and communal areas were great. The only thing to bear in mind is that you do have to get a train into the main island of Venice, but it’s only about €3 for a return and it’s a short journey. 

Venice Top Things to do:

1. Peggy Guggenheim

A really beautiful museum and garden right on the waterfront, there were all kinds of modern and contemporary art and even a piece (pictured above) by Jenny Holzer who is one of my favourite contemporary artists! I definitely fangirled a little! Some other standouts were by Jackson Pollock, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Max Ernst, Joan Mitchell and Willem de Kooning which I’m going to offload here to free up some space on my camera roll, lol:

Composition by Joan Mitchell (1962)

Silver Bedhead by Alexander Calder (1945-1946)

Untitled by Willem de Kooning (1958)

Circumcision by Max Ernst (1946)

2. Liberia Acqua Alta

An eclectic little bookshop tucked away down some Venetian side street with tower upon tower of some of the most random combinations of books I’ve ever seen, my favourite thing about Liberia Acqua Alta was the cat chilling behind the counter. It’s shameful the vigour with which the crazy cat lady in me jumped out but I actually did start tearing up at the sight of it. I hadn’t seen a cat in 3 WEEKS! I missed my babies okay:(

3. Takeaway Pizza 

There’s loads of fresh takeaway pizza places around Venice but this particular slice was from a place called Farini. I think there might be more than one of them, and to be honest, when there’s pizza that delicious looking in the window, it would be a crime not to at least seek one out.

4. St.Mark’s Square and Basilica and Bridge of Sighs

It might be a huge tourist trap but you really can’t miss St.Mark’s Square. The Basilica is one of the most magnificent buildings I’ve ever seen and even as someone who is not at all religious, you can appreciate the thought and craftsmanship that went into it. The astrological clock right next to the basilica is also absolutely stunning, just as much so as the one in Prague, imo:

Getting dive-bombed by a flock of pigeons in the square was fun too. My life flashed before my eyes just for a moment. It was a humbling experience.

5. Leonardo Da Vinci Exhibit at Palazzo Zaguri

Basically, this exhibit was a collection of Da Vinci’s drawings of the anatomy of the human body side by side with the corresponding plasticised body parts. Really interesting and not at all as gory as it sounds, which was really the only disappointing part for me, lol.

6. Fondaco de Tedeschi 

If you want a good view of the city without paying a fortune, Fondaco de Tedeschi is your place. It’s a fancy mall with a rooftop area that you can, by booking a time slot online, go up for free. 

7. "Get Lost”

I’m not really someone that enjoys walking around aimlessly but if you’re gonna do that anywhere, Venice is your place. Every street and bridge and balcony is postcard worthy and there are pizza and ice cream and just generally good food places everywhere. You’re bound to stumble across at least one authentic, non wholesale mask shop whilst you’re wandering, and although there’s something vaguely creepy about a load of these blank faces staring out the shop windows at you, some of the displays are totally bewitching:

The middle display is from the shop window of the place that made the mask for Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut which I thought was very cool!

8. Get a boat pass and visit Murano and Burano

As I said, on our last day we bought a boat pass (€18) and visited the nearby islands of Murano and Burano, Murano being the island famed for its glass, and Burano for its rainbow houses. Burano was definitely my favourite of the two; it was a buzzing place full of charming little stalls and shops and boats, and of course, colour. Plus, we even got some close cat encounters in there! Murano was pretty but a lot quieter and seemingly more spread out. The glass shops get a bit old after a while as most of them all have the same things in and so I think finding out where you can see a glass blowing demonstration or visiting the glass museum is a good idea if you are thinking of visiting.

9. Osteria Trattoria Al Nono Risorto

This was a super affordable little restaurant with a really lovely outdoor seating area, recommended by my friend’s mum. The service wasn’t amazing (they forgot about my friend’s pizza, lol) but I had what was probably my number one spaghetti bolognese of the whole trip here, and the garden was very pretty. Finding spots to eat a proper meal in Venice that aren’t going to charge you, like, €12 for the privilege of sitting down in a nice place is hard so I would definitely recommend checking this one out.

Future Venice Bucket List:

La Biennale di Venezia

Lido di Venezia

St.Mark’s Campanile

Chiesa de San Giacomo

Gondola ride

Doge’s Palace

Punta della Dogana

Bugno Art Gallery

Palazzo Fortuny

Rome, Italy

Our final overnight destination, Rome was a lot more cosmopolitan than I expected it to be. I was so focussed on the historical side of things that I kinda forgot it’s a capital city and thus, is going to obviously be pretty commercial. Still, it’s strange to just be going down a very pedestrian street on a tram, turn to one side, and see the bloody Colosseum there. I’m not going to lie, by the time we got to Rome I wasn’t feeling my best and was physically pretty exhausted so I don’t feel like I got to appreciate it as much as I should have done; I ended up going back to our Air B&B a couple of the days, largely due to the heat. It was almost 40 fucking degrees! I was honest to god DRIPPING in sweat on the tram back at one point! But I definitely want to go back again, maybe some time when we aren’t feeling the effects of the planet withering and dying as much, and explore even more. Rome is undoubtedly a very cool place.

Rome Top Things to do:

1. Colosseum and Roman Forum

Before we went to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, I kind of expected it to be something you looked at, went “wow, that’s cool”, and then moved on, lol, and I was low-key a bit pissed off that we were paying €20 to do so. When we did arrive, though, I was blown away by the scale of both the landmarks and how much there was to see and do there. The Roman Forum in particular went on for ages and there were signs regularly dotted about to tell you what it was you were looking at, what it used to be, and who built it, amongst other things; though I’d love to go back with a tour guide, it’s really not necessary. I can’t tell you how starstruck I was to see the foundations of a temple that Julius Caesar ordered to be built; the Romans have always been fascinating to me and I genuinely feel like I learnt SO MUCH on our visit. We booked a last minute whistle stop tour that got us in and out of both venues with allotted time slots, meaning that we couldn’t stay too long in the Forum, so I’d say if you can afford it, just go full out and buy skip the line tickets in advance. You could definitely make a day of it.

2. Fattori Ice Cream

From a really cute little independent shop near the Air B&B we were staying in, this ice cream was SO GOOD that my fussy-ass-self didn’t even mind that I’d accidentally picked a flavour with lemon in. It’s a bit out of the way but I’d say worth the journey, and there’s supposed to be a lot of good street art nearby so there’s non-food related excuses to make the detour too.

3. Vatican Museums and Basilica

Honestly, the Vatican is worth going to for the ceilings alone. Raphael’s frescos are some of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen, and if anything was going to turn me (to Christianity I mean, lol), it’d be them. I love contemporary art and on the whole find classic art to be a bit repetitive and same-y in its themes but some of the work that can be found in the Vatican is just an example of the level of passion and dedication and patience that can be found in so many pieces of the period and is something that I think modern art can occasionally lack.

4. Aventine Hill

You’d think that a spot with such a good view of the city would be absolutely mobbed but Aventine Hill is just as serene as this photo makes it look. Do-ably uphill, amazing place to watch the sunset, and heads up: I can’t think of anywhere more romantic to propose.

5. MamaEats

One of many lively restaurants in the Travestere area, I had (surprise, surprise) another glorious spaghetti bolognese here. IIRC, they also specialise in gluten free food which is very forward-thinking!

6. Travestere and Riverbank

As I mentioned, Travestere is known for its host of buzzing bars and restaurants, but one thing we didn’t know about until we got to Rome was all the stalls and activities down on the riverbank. Though it didn’t seem to be a year-round thing, there was a whole strip of amazing food places and clothes and jewellery stalls and even some kind of VR experience down there which I would definitely recommend checking out if you are in Rome for the summer months.

8. St.Paul’s Outside the Wall

A really beautiful Church both inside and outside that's lacking absolutely nothing of St.Peter’s Basilica except the queues, my protip for visiting St.Paul’s Outside the Wall is to WEAR SOMETHING COVERING YOUR KNEES AND SHOULDERS. I mean, I’d say the same thing for all of the Italian Churches, but specifically this one because they WILL force these blue sheets of tarpaulin masquerading as “ponchos” upon you and you WILL feel like a complete and utter twat. You have been warned. 

9. Street Art 

We didn’t quite walk far enough to get to the cluster of street art by St.Paul’s Outside the Wall, but what we did see we found easily through the StreetArtRoma app, which marks out the various murals and professional graffiti points around the city. I think a really interesting day would be to hire a bike or a scooter and use the app to explore those various clusters that are dotted all around the city. 

10. Largo di Torre Argentina

The site where Julius Caesar (yep, him again) was assassinated, but also the site which is now populated by a group of very cute, and also very friendly cats. We didn’t get to go in the daytime when the actual cat sanctuary was open but when I went down the steps to get a closer look at the site one of the evenings, several of them came to say hello! No offence to any Christians out there, but if there was one point on this trip when I felt I was truly in the presence of something greater, it was here. And they were furry and adorable. With whiskers:3

11. Parthenon, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona

Basically, you gotta do all the big tourist spots. Yes, the Trevi fountain felt a lot like an overcrowded kids’ swimming pool, and yes, I did fear I was about to get yeeted into the fountain like a coin at some points too, but it is undeniably a very captivating sight. Along with the Parthenon, it’s a prime example of Rome not really being what I expected, because there’s no big clearing for either of them; they’re literally just slap bang in the middle of the street like they’re NBD, which is kinda wild considering they're hugely important pieces of history and architecture. Piazza Navona is very pretty too and a great place to sit down and get something to eat, even if it was just boxed pasta from one of the supermarkets round the corner in our case. 

Future Rome Bucket List:

Galleria Borghese

MAXXI Museum

MACRO Museum

Cinecitta Film Studios

Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna

Capitoline Museum

Milan, Italy

We only visited Milan for the day as that was where we got out flights home from but I still really enjoyed it. I went once in 2018 and I think the appeal back then was lost at me, but this time I get it: shopping, lol. There’s also a lot of art and fashion museums which are a huge part of the draw, and of course, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle; I think if you’re a person with *ahem* a fucking shitload of money, that’ll be enough to occupy you for at least a day or two.

Milan Top Things to do:

1. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele 

The oldest shopping mall in Italy and undoubtedly the most beautiful, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele might be the boujiest place I’ve ever stepped foot in. Sure, the shops are too intimidatingly expensive to consider even attempting to enter but they’re fun to marvel at and the general area has every typical high street store you can think of. Even the Zara in Milan looks like a fashion Haus inside! The same shop that in my local town centre resembles a jumble sale a good 50% of the time! So yeah, despite not having any money to spend and the fact that I was *supposed* to be on a shopping ban until October, I still like wandering around the area.

2. Novecento Museum

With several floors of modern art, interactive exhibitions (which you had to sign a RELEASE FORM to participate in), and an amazing view of Il Duomo upstairs, I really enjoyed the Novecento Museum. I thought it was going to a be a disappointing alternative to the Armani Museum, which was closed at the time, but it ended up being one of my favourite museums we visited on our whole trip.

3. Sforza Castle 

My friend that we met up with whilst in Milan (she has a flat in the city! I’m very impressed!) took us here and we sat down in the grounds for a bit, which was a nice way to chill out for an hour or so. There was a fountain out the front that people were paddling in to cool off too and there seemed to be several exhibits going on inside the castle as well if you did want to get a bit of background.

4. Starbucks Reserve Roastery on Via Cordusio 

The fanciest Starbucks I’ve ever seen in my life. Again, intimidatingly so. But if you like your coffee you will probs be in heaven.

5. Gallerie d’Italia

So me and my sister went here the last time we came to Milan and IIRC, really liked it. The modern art section was a bit sparse but the rest of the museum continued into some kind of grand old building and the usual stately home staples that I love were of course there in abundance: intricate ceilings, palatial stairways, opulent chandeliers, beautiful flower gardens, the place is basically a labyrinth of decadence and we lapped it up, lol. People being rich enough to own buildings like this? No. Them being open to the general public so we can go wild in them? Yes. 

Future Milan Bucket List:

Armani Museum

Navigli

Go in the Duomo

Barcelona, Catalonia

I’ve been to Barcelona about 4 or 5 times now and aside from Paris and London, there is no other European city that compares. It’s so huge, full of character and unique beauty, and endless things to do, that I could return probably about 10 times more and still leave with an incomplete bucket list. With stunning architecture, a laid-back coastline and bustling commercial areas, it’s a city with such a consistent vibe and sense of history. The only thing they could do to make it better? Take down the Christopher Columbus monument. Because having a giant statue of a man who facilitated the genocide of a whole country full of native people is a bit...yikes. Sorry, had to drop that in there. But on the whole I adore the place.

Barcelona Top Things to do:

1. CosmoCaixa

We didn’t actually go to CosmoCaixa on this trip to Barcelona, but we went a few years ago and it’s without a doubt, the coolest science museum I’ve ever been too. There’s information in Spanish, Catalan and English so most people can probably follow the exhibitions and even if not, there’s a whole interactive area with a load of contraptions that you don’t really need to understand to be entertained by. You could definitely make a whole day of it too; we went for about 3 hours and still only scratched the surface.

2. Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC)

2 things!

Firstly, this is a portrait of Colette, the French novelist, which me and my sister got really excited about because we kinda stan after watching that Kiera Knightley film!

Secondly, and probs more importantly, the modern art section of Museum Nacional d’Art de Catalunya is one of the most ingeniously laid out I’ve even seen. With the sections separated into different eras of Catalonian art, it kinda reads like a whistle stop tour of the cultural history of Barcelona, and so not only did I see so many gorgeous paintings, I got educated af!  Also, the building which the museum is housed in, the Palau Nacional, is stunning. Plus, there are escalators most of the way up. Iconic.

3. Portaventura

It was my sister and I’s fourth time visiting Portaventura this year and it was as amazing an experience as ever! The park is split into different themed areas, kinda like Disney, and has everything from thrill rides to Sesame Street Land (which is low-key super fun). It has what is probably one of my favourite rides ever, Shambhala, and also randomly the best theme park food I’ve ever tasted. One thing I would say is that the accompanying park, Ferrari Land, isn’t worth the extra money as the queues are super long, and there’s only really one ride worth going on, which is basically just a replica of Stealth at Thorpe Park. Same goes for the neighbouring water park; unless you’re going to pay for express passes there, give it a miss. The lockers are €10, the queues are ridiculous, the wave pool didn’t work (not that the staff bothered to tell everyone who was just stood there waiting for an hour) and the “lazy” river is pure anarchy. Literally, kids half-drowning themselves for the lols, popping up under your rubber ring when you least expect it, and then being screamed at by their parents. I live for a bit of chaotic energy but that lazy river...

4. Visit Sitges

A small city on the coast about half an hour from Barcelona, I really cannot recommend Sitges enough. There’s a ton of cute little art museums, delicious restaurants, heavenly beaches (the waves are INSANELY GOOD! You WILL get knocked under water half a dozen times but you also get to watch it repeatedly happen to other people too and it’s great), and a fucking ridiculously hard assault course out in the sea that me and my sister tanked at, hard. There’s incredible food places everywhere but favourites are Pom D’Amour and Dino for ice cream and sweet treats, and Beach House, Big Al’s American Kitchen, and Soca for mains . There’s also a really prominent LGBT community, plus lots of bars, pubs and clubs. Honestly, if you’re going to Barcelona, I really recommend staying around here as you get away from the the majority of the tourists but can still easily get in to the city by train.

5. Walking with Gaudi at the Gaudi Exhibition Centre

A very cool, very interactive exhibition that dives into the life of Gaudi, his creative process, his projects and his influences. My sister particularly liked the replica of El Drac. Like, she for whatever reason thought it was cute. Named it. Made us walk up to Parc Guell to try and see it. Wouldn’t leave the area til she got a keychain of it. Sigh.

6. Passeig de Gracia

Down Passeig de Gracia, you can both wistfully gaze through the windows of the designer shops you pass by, and actually spend your money (too much in my case) in the high street ones. Best of both worlds, bby.

7. Casa Battlo 

So it’s on Passeig de Gracia, pretty much opposite the metro station, but I had to give it its own little bit because it’s my favourite Gaudi building. Kinda looks like something aliens would build, kinda looks like something that sprang out of the ground, but that’s pretty much what Gaudi did best. 

8. Park Guell 

Just a warning, Park Guell is VERY uphill, and we somehow ended up getting off at the metro station right at the bottom of that hill, only to find out once we got up there that you had to book a slot and that all the slots for the rest of that day were sold out. My sister didn’t get to see her dragon and I was pissed off that I’d just nearly busted a lung open and regretted throwing my inhaler away for 20 minutes straight whilst getting up there, but it was still a pretty good view and we did get to see a bit of the park. Moral of the story though is to obviously book Park Guell before you go. 

9. Sagrada Familia

We’ve never actually been in to the Sagrada Familia, again, because we’ve never thought to book it (I want to absolve myself of responsibility here since every time I’ve gone to Barcelona before this trip, I’ve been a baby and let my parents organise everything), but it is an absolutely magnificent building even from the outside. I would one day love to go in and go up the spiral staircase though, because it looks fucking terrifying and I’m one of those strange people who likes being scared every once in a while.

10. Buenas Migas

I’m pretty sure it’s a chain thing but it’s the first time I’ve ever seen a focacceria, and maybe I’m just uncultured but...I got pretty excited. That being said, my sister and I both ended up getting pizza; it was as tasty as it looks.

13. Las Ramblas and Plaza Catalunya

The most typically mediterranean looking square you’ll ever see, Plaza Catalunya is the perfect place to stop off and get some tapas whilst you’re exploring Las Ramblas.

14. Mount Tibidabo

“I was backpacking across Western Europe, I was just outside of Barcelona, hiking in the foothills of Mount Tibidabo”...yes, I got excited to go here because of the Friends reference (I’m a basic bitch who likes friends AND has other personality traits, smd), but equally so by all the adorable old-timey fair ground rides once we did get up there. It was a few years ago now, so I’m not sure exactly how it worked but I do vaguely remember it being a bit of a rip off in that you had to pay to ride them all individually, so it’s good to know that the view from the Church and the Church itself is more than enough of a reason to go up. There’s also places to eat on the walk down and plenty of ice cream and food stalls up there.

Future Barcelona Bucket List:

Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA)

European Museum of Modern Art (MEAM)

El Jardin del Gats

Port Cable Car

Carrer de la Neu de Sant Cugat

So, that was my summer! 100% the most eventful one I’ve ever had! I’d love to go back to every one of these places, at least for a day, and am so grateful I got to have this experience. I definitely missed home a lot and maintaining your wellbeing whilst out of your comfort zone is hard, I’m not going to lie, but I hope that a year from now I’ll be feeling even more adventurous. 

There are so many places in Europe I desperately want to go to, some even more so now that I’ve visited the country. Now that I’ve been to Germany, for example, I’d be really interested in seeing somewhere like Munich or Cologne, as they’re supposed to have a completely different vibe from Berlin. It also really inspired me to get back into Spanish and possibly even learn French. 

I don’t know if anyone who is going inter-railing will read this but if they do, feel free to message me if you have any questions. My friend did pretty much all of the organising so I’m not the most knowledgeable person ever but I will do my very best to answer! Similarly, if anybody has any recommendations of other places to go whilst in any of these cities, food places and art museums especially (lol), let me know. 

Thanks for reading!

Lauren x

#travelling #interrail #interrailing #paris #bucketlist #barcelona #budapest #prague #architecture #modernart #food #rome #venice #beautifulplaces #europe #adventure #lonelyplanet #gaudi #alphonsemucha #artnoveau

[bangtan-madi]

More Than The Sea || Mako x Reader (Aladdin AU)

This was a request from the wonderful @princeasimdiya12. Thank you so much for this request, lovely! I hope it is as good as you described! I honestly had sooo much fun with this one, I could have written an entire fic! (Don’t tempt me, lol.) The art was a fantastic choice on their part, and I tried to make it inspired by Aladdin while still keeping to the original material given to us in the Avatar series. I hope my interpretation ended up being a good blend of the two worlds!!

If anyone has any more art imagine ideas, send them in!

____________________________________________________

"Do you trust me?"

You stare down at the outstretched hand in front of you, marveling at the tiny willow-wisps of amber flame that hover around his fingertips, if only just for a second. As you eyes travel up his arm, to his smiling face and wide eyes, you feel a unsteady beat in your chest. Irises like burning coals gaze back at you, waiting with slight impatience and excitement.

"Wow, he has amazing eyes," you think to yourself. 

But behind you, the heavy and insistent trotting of the Republic City Police remind you that you're not out of the woods just yet. If you didn't move soon, you'd have to go back to the place you called hell. The home of your father, the man who never cared what you did as long as you didn't leave. He never cared about you at all. 

That is, at least until you discovered you were one of the new air-benders created by accident. 

All of a sudden, it was then your father took an interest. If it were up to him, you would have stayed his political prisoner, a pawn of his wealth and prestige in this lonesome desert world, forever...or at least until he married you off to some noble or used your new abilities for something nefarious. 

It wasn't until you turned nineteen that you seriously started considering running away, but you had no idea how. At least, not on your own. Mako--the boy you'd fallen in love with over the past couple years through secret rendezvous and clandestine meet-ups under your father's nose--suggested a grand rouse to throw your father off track. If his plan actually worked, the pair of you would be able to slip outside the city on the next ship leaving for the Fire Nation before your father knew you were gone.

It had mostly worked. To be fair, you didn't exactly count on anyone recognizing you, even in your hooded, Fire Nation disguise. It forced you and Mako to make unscheduled changes, choices that brought you through the market sector of the oasis city. Now, you were hiding in the attic of the tallest building you could find. Even if the police don't know of your exact whereabouts, if you don't move quickly, there isn't a doubt in your mind that you'll be discovered.

And then you'll be forced into isolation, this time for good. There's no way your father will continue to permit your relationship with Mako. You'll lose him forever.

The very thought tears you apart.

All you wake is a choice: a choice to be with the one you love, a choice to go where you want to go, a choice to live your own life the way you want to, a choice to learn about your new abilities and what secrets lie beneath.

Mako's hand steadies, the fire dissipating, as he moves it closer. His voice lowers, becoming stronger and more assured. As he speaks again, he locks eyes with you and gives you a small nod.

Everything, including his mouth, says, "Trust me."

And you do.

Your jaw sets, and you take his hand. He pulls you close and walks over to the nearest open window. From your spot at the top of the building, you can see out all across Republic City, from the bustling metropolis, to the wastelands on three of your four sides, to the bright and shining sea straight ahead. A smile spreads across your face as you spot the ship that will take Mako and you far away from this place.

And on the other side of that sea, you'll finally find your freedom.

"You ready for this?" Mako asks, trying to speak softly as to not rouse the police fumbling through the stalls below.

His arm tightens around your waist, and you glance over at him with concern.

"What are we planning on doing again?"

He flashes a boyish grin, and replies, "Improvising!"

Before you can protest, Mako brings you even closer, takes a step up over the windowsill, and throws both of you into the air. You hold your breath and cling to him tightly, using all your might to hold on and not let out an ear-piercing screech. 

But you should know better than to think he'd let you fall, or crash into the rooftop. Mako uses his free hand, as well as his feet, to blast fire. The propulsion keeps you level, just long enough to tumble over onto the next rooftop. Mako pulls you up, grabs your hand, and takes off running with you as the police turn and catch sight.

"Hey! They're on the roof!"

"Run!" Mako shouts, no longer restraining his volume.

You both speed down the rooftops, hurdling over dust-covered buildings and sandy tiles alike. Although nearly losing your balance a few times, you make it to the periphery of the desert city with relative ease. 

The police, however, are hot on your tail. They use their bending to snap metal chains at you in an attempt to restrain you. Mako uses his fire-bending to throw off several rounds, but eventually, he's out of energy and unable to help it as you're slowly surrounded.

You glance over your shoulder. The port isn't a hundred feet away. They've trapped you so close to freedom.

No. You clench your fists in anger. They were not going to stop you from getting to the sea, to your freedom, not when you were this close.

In a burst of intuition, you raise your hands. Breathing deeply, you instinctively push the air out, through your arms and hands, towards the officers. As if by magic, they go flying backward, tumbling from the roof in your gust of wind.

"That was...amazing!" Mako exclaims, still gasping for air.

You turn and grab his hand with a lop-sided grin. "We're not out yet!"

His smile fades, and he nods affirmatively. You continue running until you reach the end of the rooftops, after which Mako pulls you to him and uses his fire-bending as before to easily let you onto the ground. You use your slight air-bending to steady you on landing, knowing that his chi is all but drained. The sand under his feet turns to glass as he lands, and you gape at the accidental creation in amazement.

Giggling like teenagers, you retake his hand and bolt down the port, onto the wooden pier, and up to the edge of the boat. After showing your tickets to the sailor, you're let onto the ship, and the boat starts to set sail.

"We should rest," Mako says with heavy exhaustion, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "We still have a long trip ahead to get to the Fire Nation."

"Just one thing," you beg in a sweet voice. "I want to see the sea, up close!"

Mako laughs. "You've never seen it before? You've lived here all your life!"

"I know, I know," you repeat, feeling your face flush from embarrassment. "I just...never got to see it up close. My family never left our manor, Mako. I never got to see anything the world had to offer, except when I was with you, and we never ventured this far."

Seeing the joyful look freedom has given you, Mako offers a smile and a nod, taking your hand one more time.

"C'mon, let's go see it up close."

You pull him by his hand, forcing him closer to you. Leaning up, you press a kiss to his cheek, and then to his lips.

"I love you," you whisper when you pull away. "More than anything."

Mako sighs and leans his forehead against yours. "More than the sea?"

"Yes," you chuckle. "Much more than the sea."

#kyojin-madi writes #avatar #avatar legend of korra #legend of korra #lok #avatar lok #alok #mako #mako x reader #au #alternate universe #fanfic #avatar au #aladdin au #mako au

[starspatter]

WIP Challenge

Tagged by: @summertime-children

Tagging: @astrologista, @atsushishelteredinmoonlitjasmine, @benditlikegumby, @cryptoriawebb, @ibmiller, @iceperialprincess, and @otherwise-uncolonized

Challenge: post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous.

I'll also do what deta did and post comments + short fragments.  (Be warned it'll be very long though, and most of these are actually Pokémon fics since I was a much more prolific writer when I was younger, and that was the fandom I wrote mainly for.)  I also won't be including "Heroes and Thieves" on here (or any DC/superhero stuff really since I’ve essentially “done” everything I had planned for now), as *technically* it is all already completed in draft form, and I'd like to keep things a surprise for whenever I do end up posting~

Hero and Seek

“Well, we’re all together now, so let’s have some fun, all right?  Don’t worry, it’s really simple.  One person is the ‘demon’, and the others have to hide from him.” “Eh?  A ‘demon’?  But that’s scary!” Three pairs of eyes turned up to her in fear.  Those eyes, which screamed and streamed the stark color of blood the first time she saw them – not just from tears, but from the ‘monster’ they believed dwelled deep within.  She thought for a moment, then removed her scarf. “How about this then?  Whoever’s the ‘hero’ has to find and rescue the others.  It’s a very important Blindfold Brigade mission!”

I’ll start with the one Kagepro fic I did attempt at least, which I described previously here, but is basically about Ayano + the Meka Trio playing “Hide and Seek” for the first time.  (I actually had it originally titled as that but just came up with this new version on the spot lol I’m so clever~)  For some reason I’ve always been hesitant about reading/writing Kagefic, but I actually got a fair bit farther in this than I thought, so perhaps I should try to finish it someday... Princes and Frogs

“K-Koizumi-senpai… Um… Please go out with me!” Itsuki stared down at the tiny underclassman, watching a rose mantle spread slowly over her cheeks as she gazed back with shy, but determined hope in her bespectacled eyes.  The older boy could make out his own handsome face reflected off the lens, a virtual image embellished by sparkling hearts and stars.  With dim satisfaction and relief, Itsuki ensured that his bright, patient smile betrayed no hint of the weary sigh that whispered behind it.

This is an intro excerpt of the first chapter I planned to write for an ItsuHaru fic from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, which I only ever posted the prologue for.  ItsuHaru was my first obsessive OTP, and I still think about returning to this story someday (especially since I have now proven to myself I *can* finish a full chapter fic if I put my mind to it), but it’s been so long I feel like I’d need to refresh my memory of the whole series/am still holding out hope for a Season 3 to motivate me again. *shot*

Fall to Pieces

As Itsuki stared at Yuki’s vacant visage, his resentment kept building.  His hands clenched, rigidly gripping the edge of the table.  Somehow, it just didn’t seem fair.  That she could so easily ignore the madness fate had dealt them, never reveal any signs of suffering or bitterness towards her situation, and yet always, always wear the same damn expression on her face. How could she possibly stand it? He can’t stand it. (any more)

An ItsuYuki one-shot, where Itsuki basically blows up at her from pent-up frustration over having to wear a mask all the time and his hidden feelings for Haruhi.  The two start to form a connection over their respective “unrequited loves”/understanding of each other’s pain, and one thing leads to another...  Like “Heroes and Thieves”, this is in fact technically “complete”, since I actually used the leftover steam from the former towards finishing at least one thing I started a long time ago - although I’m still not sure I’m totally satisfied with it/kinda want to wait to figure out what I’m doing with my other ItsuHaru fics before I publish it by itself.  (Incidentally the working title comes from an Avril Lavigne song lol.)

Little White Lies

“Perhaps the best thing for the princess would have been to fall in love.  But how a princess who had no gravity could fall into anything is a difficulty--perhaps the difficulty.” -George MacDonald, The Light Princess - Haruhi Suzumiya was walking on air. Itsuki could tell by the way she glided into the clubroom, sailing like a paper airplane – or a balloon with an inflated ego to match.

...Yeah that’s as far as I got with this.  This was meant to be a “White Day” story, which is Japan’s “answer holiday” to Valentine’s Day, where guys reciprocate by giving gifts to the girls who gave them chocolates.  I always wondered how the boys actually responded in-universe, and I imagine Itsuki secretly stressing out a lot about taking care to not upstage Kyon, but at the same time wanting to sincerely express his genuine appreciation and feelings towards Haruhi - whatever they may be.  In the end, he settles on a copy of “The Light Princess” by George MacDonald, which I highly recommend reading since it reminds me so much of this pair, and in general is such a fun and snappy “tongue-in-cheek” take on the fairytale genre. Sora in Wonderland

But wait- this one was a bit different from all its brothers and sisters.  For one thing, it was wearing a fancy waistcoat with pockets- and sleeves that were far too long for it.  As soon as it passed by her head, it stopped and slowly turned its head around to stare directly at her with its huge circular yellow eyes.  Sora stared vacantly back for a full five seconds before the information registered in her brain and she suddenly yelled, “Hey!”, and sat bolt upright.  The Heartless panicked upon hearing her voice and fled at top speed across the white sands, headed towards an opening in the rocks; Sora jumped down off her perch and immediately chased after it, no longer caring about the heat.  The Heartless hastily disappeared inside the cave, and Sora soon followed after, determined to catch the freaky little thing and ask it some questions, like what it was doing on the island at this time, and where on earth did it get a waistcoat.

OKAY SO I TOTALLY FORGOT THIS WAS A THING but apparently I tried to write a Kingdom Hearts parody of “Alice in Wonderland” lmao.  I’ve never actually played the games (aside from half of CoM), but it was probably inspired by a crossover art my friend drew? ^^; Also Sora is a girl in this bc that’s my headcanon and I’m sticking to it. XP *shot* Note: The following fics are all Pokémon-related so I’ll just be listing them in roughly chronological order (from most recent to ancient, although they’re all pretty old at this point). Stranger

The elder slowly rose to his feet, gazing at the boy, the champion, the stranger.  “In all this time, why didn’t you come back?  You could have seen for yourself how she was.” Lance wanted to yell something defiant, like a child.  But he wasn’t a child.  Children were forgiven for their mistakes.  And he didn’t want to be forgiven. The professor’s ancient hand came to rest on the boy’s shoulder.  “It’s the way this town works.  We don’t talk about things that happen outside our own world.  Maybe it was too long ago – too late for you to understand.” Lance didn’t say anything. “At least talk to Delia.  She’s been wanting to see you.” “Sorry.  It’s too late.” “You’re a bastard.” “I know.”

So this looks to be among the last things I’d written before taking a long break from fanfiction circa... 2007, jeeze.  Over 10 years, huh.  But, I think it speaks a certain amount of maturity that it’s the piece I liked most upon rediscovering.  It’s based on an idea I once had that Lance was (unknowingly) Gary Oak’s father, and he was friends/rivals with Ash’s father, who originally won the title of Champion but relinquished it so he could be with his “wife” and kid (or rather, then-pregnant teenage girlfriend).  *Something* happened though (I forget what I had in mind) and he ended up dying, leaving Lance bitter and depressed so he refused to return to Pallet Town because of too many painful memories.  (Though he *cough* “comforted” their other female childhood friend for one night of drunken grief before he left. ;()  What I like most about it honestly is the parallels bw Lance’s relationship with Ash’s dad and their sons’, and that amidst all the angst I enjoyed portraying the earnest energy and optimism of Ketchum(?) senior (”like father like son” after all).  I was definitely inspired by Mitsuki’s father in Full Moon wo Sagashite/Maes Hughes from Fullmetal Alchemist by making him a total “dork dad” who’d brag about his (illegitimate) family on national TV during the championship tournament lol.

Ihavenoidea

Either way, I get the feeling this really wasn’t what I had in mind when I made my decision to quit training.  I mean that in an intuitive sort of way.  Like, sometimes I feel as if I’m not meant to be here, like my life should have ended up differently someplace else.  Perhaps this is just one of those weird inconsistencies I told you about.  Perhaps not.  Even after all that’s happened to me recently, I still can’t really be sure about it.

...No seriously, I have no idea where I was going with this.  As far as I can tell it’s written from the POV of Gary Oak, whom I’ve always had a lot of... “complicated” feelings towards.  It probably has something to do with another concept I’ll discuss next, although for some reason it sounds like I was going for some sort of AU? *shrug* By contrast to the above, it reads like a whiny teenager complaining about his life - which makes me cringe but is probably an accurate portrayal of who I was at the time. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ This one was actually dated a little after the previous, so my best guess is it was some kind of vent rant where I would “give up” writing/creating and “childish” ideals for a while, as I was wont to do - but I still always come back to it somehow... RainbowMolly

Molly stepped out from the car and onto the dusty road, her heart beating wildly.  She could hardly believe she was actually here, of all places. The ride had been long and mind-numbing with anticipation, and now that they’d finally arrived at the destination, it all felt somewhat surreal to her. A small bear clambered out from the vehicle, joining her as she stopped to take in the rustic view that met her bright blue eyes.  She smiled and picked up her Teddiursa, cuddling its warm, fuzzy body close to her own. Her gaze traveled down the road which stretched in both directions, houses lining up against its margins. She followed it with her eyes towards a hill in the distance, on top of which sat what looked like a quaint little farmhouse with a windmill, turning in the summer breeze.  She breathed in the country air, catching whiff of a faint salt smell from an ocean in the distance. So this was Pallet Town.

...Why I didn’t actually name the file “Chasing Rainbows” - which was the title I had planned for this - I don’t know.  This dates back to an old idea I had where I believed Molly Hale from the third Pokémon movie was secretly the true “God” of the Pokémon world - in the sense that the entire universe was an unknowing fantasy of her own creation, similar to Haruhi Suzumiya (ok fine this was totally a crossover/rip-off of the same concept so sue me OTL).  In a place where children never seem to grow up and can go on grand fantastical adventures forever, Gary always struck me as an anomaly who willingly *chose* to forego such a life to pursue more “adult” interests by becoming a researcher.  So I saw him as filling the role of “Kyon” - the cynical narrator who was destined to ground “God” and bring her back down to earth, but at the same time be won over by her innocence and charm and learn to appreciate “kids’ stuff” again.  However, the Legendaries were actually aware of the power Molly holds, and so saw Gary as a threat to their very being - as by “waking” the dreamer and having her face reality meant erasing their kinds’ entire existence.  As the “apocalypse” nearly occurred in the third film, Mew and Celebi took on human disguises (in the form of May and Max respectively) to investigate Ash, who was able to calm Molly and “save” the world by “perpetuating” the delusion (and whom Molly totally has a crush on btw *shot*).  So it’s a bit of a love triangle lol, with Mew and Celebi (*cough* an alien and a time traveler, get it? *shot*) acting as mediators/interference.  (Although Mew might’ve secretly shipped Gary and Molly herself. ;O)

Betrayal

And these blades, these damned scythes that attached themselves to my arms when I was born, a curse upon me since birth, though it had not been apparent up until now.  They were covered with blood, the vital crimson liquid that flows through our bodies, now dripping down the steel surface in a webbed pattern, drops beginning to splatter the pure, emerald grass below.  The arm felt heavy and weak as I tried to lift it, as if it did not belong to me, but that was only a wishful thought.  I gazed calmly at it, inspecting the intricate designs the flow of the substance had created, as if it were an abstract piece of artwork. Tentatively, a pink tongue rolled out and caught a small droplet of it just before it fell from the sharp edge, just to convince myself that it was real.  The semi-sweet, metallic taste confirmed this.  I had indeed taken these men’s lives, just as I had taken hers.

So I remember this was written from the POV of a Scyther who seemingly went on a murderous rampage.  I only know that I wanted to give him an “Edward Scissorhands”-like story, since the idea of having such sharp objects attached to one’s limbs so that one could never directly “touch” another without being a danger is pretty tragic.  I suspect “her” was someone (a human?) he cared about but killed by accident, and after that he was only seen as a symbol of power/treated as a tool to incite fear before eventually rebelling against his “master”... Roses

“If you love someone, you should give them something that’s yours. That shows how much you care for them.” In the darkness, I pictured his smiling face, explaining to me as he wrapped a present for his girlfriend. His blue eyes were shining with a sort of spirit unfamiliar to me; I guessed, a feeling of love.

Another “dark” take on a Pokémon’s biology (I really liked writing explorations of those back then lol), this time of Roselia.  The idea was that a Roselia was so in love with her trainer that she would do anything for him - including allow him to cut off her arms so he could give them to his girlfriend.  I actually ended up turning it into a poem at one point:

Love is like a rose they say, And affection leads to grief they warned. For in the end love betrays, Its Beauty maimed by a poisoned thorn. You gave me pure water with a smile. Your cheerful face became my sun. I offered up my blood to you, And in return demanded none. Chop off my wrists, and tie them together. I’ll gladly bleed myself to death. In order to give you that which I hold most dear. My dear, my dear, Won’t you accept this bouquet? You take it, smiling warily. A blush creeps onto your face. And in those eyes I can see A garden of roses stretched out, Composing a wondrous place. Then you bound my hands in lace, And brought them to the girl next door. You presented them to her with grace. … My blood continued to pour.

Fanfic

She smiled at me, although something about her expression indicated something wasn't quite right.  I watched as she glanced over towards the west, her gaze lingering momentarily on the setting sun.  The glowing, orange sphere was slowly sinking behind the distant mountains, peaks cloaked in a pale, lavender haze illuminated by flickering beams of gold and scarlet cast across the horizon.

More accurately, I found this buried in a “catch-all” file where I had several (mostly finished) fics saved.  This was meant to be from the POV of an Eevee who had just evolved - supposedly into an Espeon due to happiness and bond with her trainer, which is what both wanted.  However, since it took place at sunset, she didn’t realize she had become an Umbreon instead, and her trainer ended up abandoning her for it. ;( It was a warm

Children’s shrieks and laughter echoed across the park as they flocked towards each other, and soon were chasing one another round the playground, weaving in and out between the swings as they partook in an innocent game of Tag.  One child was It; she was trying desperately to catch one of her friends so that they would take over the job instead.  Then it would be her turn to run away, for none of them wished to play the loathsome role of It.  Or was it because they feared being tainted by the person’s touch?  It must have been one of the two, for while she would struggle to reach them, catch hold of them, they would only flee, thoroughly enjoying the fact that they were vexing her.  Twice she nearly caught one.  Her fingertips were almost within reach of one of the other girls’ dresses, whose russet tresses were flowing wildly from the rush of movement and shining with golden highlights as the rays of the sun struck individual strands.  The target shrieked and shook her head, whisking her skirt free in time to escape capture, laughing with glee at the sight of the girl left behind, miserable and alone. 

Yeah I totally just went with the default beginning of the first sentence lol.  I guess this comes full circle with the first Kagepro fic I mentioned (although I’m not even sure I was aware back then that the Japanese version of the game literally called “It” a “demon”, which is even more fitting).  I believe this was part of a Pokémon series I was writing involving a creepy little girl and Mewtwo who would bring about the end of the world or something like that, but generally I guess I was just going for a “Catcher in the Rye” feel. *shrug* Golden Lights

The pale, rosy fingers of dawn were filtering in through the Granite Cave entrance, basking a small area near the opening in pinkish illumination.  Just out of reach of its expanse sat little Mika, huddled in the gloom of the shadows, watching the light creep steadily towards her as the glowing ball of fire rose slowly towards the East.  She knew about the Light that came from Outside.  There were plenty other small apertures broken into the cavern walls and ceiling that allowed some thin streams of gold brilliance to trickle through.  She had always done well to avoid them.  The brightness was like poison to her skin.  But they weren’t the Lights she’d had described to her by the old Crobat that always resided now deeper within the underground chambers, dozing now, most likely.  He wouldn’t awaken until night came round, and she did not wish to rouse him and perhaps disturb him from a pleasant dream.  She was very wise about things like that, being the young child that she was.  Still, she would have liked to hear a story to comfort her just then.

Last one I could find, about a Sableye who, like Icarus, literally “flew too close to the sun”.  In this interpretation I imagined that Sableye were creatures who could not stand sunlight at all, as it would cause their skin to burn.  But Mika (pronounced like “Mica”) always dreamed of going outside to see the “Light” anyway.  She was eventually tempted by Mew to leave the cavern under her angelic PROTECTion and step into the Light, who was acting as Ho-Oh’s messenger to “recruit” souls to “live eternal as an element of Ho-Oh’s Guarding Flame“, as the PROTECT faded and a “holy fire” began to spread.  I guess I was going for a Biblical/”Rapture”-esque reference.  (...Man I sure was obsessed with the endtimes as a kid. *shot*)

#Kagerou Project #Tateyama Ayano #Mekakushi Trio #Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu #ItsuHaru #ItsuYuki #Pokemon #Gary Oak #Molly Hale #fanfiction #starstories #astrologista #atsushishelteredinmoonlitjasmine #benditlikegumby #cryptoriawebb #ibmiller #iceperialprincess #otherwise uncolonized

[correspondencearchive]

1. Hong Hong & Alex Paik

Hong Hong and Alex Paik discuss paper, the exiled body, and resistance vs interdependence

Hong Hong, Composition for an Emergent Brightness and Its Lesser Return, mulberry bark, dust, hair, pollen, fiber-reactive dyes, repurposed paper, water from Lake Erie, and foliage: Milkweed and Winged Sumac, 87 (H) x 90 (W) x 36 (D) inches, 2020

Alex Paik (AP): One thing I am especially drawn to in your work is your commitment to paper, a material that we are both deeply interested in. Paper is its own living and breathing material that bears the scars and memories of anything it comes in contact with -- the leftover grooves and scratches from graphite, the slight buckling and warping from being exposed to water, or even fading as it is exposed to light. You talk about this quality as it relates to the body and the experience of diasporic and exiled bodies. Can you speak a little more about this relationship?

Hong Hong (HH):

The process of making paper relates to three different kinds of bodies.

The Biological Body: In papermaking, the body is a soft machine. Papermakers use their bodies to transform different materials into paper by intentionally exposing them to heat, weight, water, time, and gravity. Hand paper formation involves a specific sequence of steps, which are repeated each time paper is made. Like choreography, it is an act that vanishes. The surface of paper is the sedimentation of these movements and gestures. It gives form to the biological act of living. You speak of leftover grooves of graphite, and the slight buckling and warping from being exposed to water. There are also often lines where each sheet has been folded and unfolded. These qualities, over time, reveal how we touch the world and how the world touches us: existence is additive and reductive.

I also think about the horizontal and vertical axis a lot. We defy gravity to walk upright. We give into gravity during rest: our bodies are prone when we sleep. We can say the same of our bodies during the process of dying. The floor and wall components in recent work reference these two distinct states of being: 1) The horizontal (intuitive): where we acquiesce to physical circumstance and where we dream 2) The vertical (rational): where we attempt to assert our agency and make decisions

My Own Body: I was the first grandchild born to my grandparents. I was a girl, but they were not disappointed with me. My mama, apoor, gonggong, and I all lived together in the same apartment. This is not unusual in China. My grandmother used to make me stand against the wall, so she could mark my height once a week. It was always a joyous occasion.

My grandparents are no longer with me. I wonder nowadays: How can I perceive and understand my own changing boundaries without them? How does a single body locate itself in a room or in a landscape? So, I work outside daily, on a surface that measures a little less than 12 ft x 8 ft. These dimensions are the exact distances I can reach without losing control of my balance. The lengths have changed over time: I’ve lost about two to three inches in the last four years. They remind me of time and of life, as the effort it takes in order to cross both.

There is an intimacy to making paper: I think about my apoor measuring my height against the wall. This is not legible to others. But that’s okay.

The Exiled Body: There is an old Chinese myth about the beginning of the world. In a time before time, all that existed was an egg and a giant who slept inside of it. His name was Pangu. His repose was the universe. His stillness was the one and the all. His body was an origin and an end. One day, he wakes up. In darkness, he swings his axe to separate the sky from the earth. He slowly pushes the sky away from land. After thousands of years, he dies. His hair becomes forests and trees, his eyes are the sun and the moon, and his voice is thunder. I’m fascinated by notions of world-building and stories of how we came to be. I don’t think that this is surprising, given that I immigrated to the US when I was young.

Exile, for me, has always been about the irrevocable distance between myself and something else. Distance is blue. That’s why this color surfaces a lot in my work. Blue is also the sky,, which is everywhere, no matter where I am. The sky is a taciturn blue passing over everyone. There is something sad and comforting about its ubiquitous silence. Exile is also about the legibility of my body and experiences. Abstraction is anything that is mediated by symbols. The body begins as a collection of material, the same way that landscapes do. I think identity is both an experience and an image, read or seen by others.

I travel to faraway places to make paper. These  journeys to make paper in different locations are attempts to reimagine my own experiences in border-crossing. In some ways, it is also tied to ideas of navigation and a continuous sense of movement from place to place. A lot of my recent work consists of four different sheets of paper tacked together to form a floor and ceiling work. They reference the cardinal directions. I work outside. All the work puts my body in spaces where I am estranged from myself and separated from my identity. This is somehow necessary. All work is the work of this body. All work is a search for this body. Therefore, all work is always the same work.

AP: This is so beautiful. When you talk about the horizontal/vertical shift it makes me think of Yi Fu Tuan’s Space and Place, where he talks about babies going from prone to walking and how that relates to a baby’s sense of agency and place in the world. I certainly feel this conversation between agency and acquiescence happening in your work and your process, especially with how you are manipulating paper/letting paper be manipulated. You are working with paper not so much as a metaphor for the body but as a body, and the intimacy of seeing the record of your body in relation to the paper’s body comes through quite clearly: a marker of time, and a measure of your body as it shrinks over time.

Hong Hong, documentation of complete environmental pour, Vermont 2019

AP: Was there ever a shift in your work when you went from using manufactured paper to making your own, or have you always made your own paper? What is important to you about the papermaking process?

HH: I’ve never worked with manufactured paper the way that I do with handmade paper. Manufactured paper functioned, for me, as a substrate. I’ve always been interested in drawing and painting as processes of accumulation, where each action has the potential to become an abstract temporal measurement (like a breath or the swing of a pendulum). I also love materials that can hover between object and image. I like the flattening that happens in representation. I also love dealing with gravity. I don’t think these processes are separable or different: they are ultimately about the transformation of energy into form. I think I was able to make the jump between painting and papermaking because of these interests.

I learned how to make paper when I was in graduate school. I went for Painting (long story short: had to go to grad school because of visa issues). In graduate school, I felt alienated from the history of painting, as it was presented by a primarily white institution. Papermaking seemed to offer something different. It seemed to say that what I was learning about and exposed to, is not the only narrative. I also kind of loved that my painting professors hated it! I love that paper, before anything else, is an object. I loved that I had my own memories of burning holy paper at temples when I was young. I believe objects have the capacity to materialize complex beliefs into concrete things (value) that are tangible and exchangeable. They carry tacit values about specific moments in time. The conditions for the production, usage, and erosion of objects are both personal and collective.

Hong Hong, The Mountain Which Does Not Describe a Circle II, mulberry bark, sun, dust, hair, pollen, fiber-reactive dyes, repurposed paper, water, and foliage: Loblolly Pine and leaves from an unknown tree, 91 (H) x 128 (W) inches, 2021

AP: This idea of something hovering between object and image is something I think about, too. My geometric units function both as images and as the material with which I build each installation. In terms of composition the temporary nature of each iteration of my pieces resists the idea of a static composition and links the image to the potential of the materials (the folded painted geometric units).. When I was making paintings I never felt comfortable making an image out of thin air -- I always needed some sort of resistance (like projecting old video game screenshots) as a way of having something to work against. The white of a canvas is very different from the white of paper (even if it is manufactured). To me the white of a canvas feels like starting from zero, while the white of the paper already has a sort of history and aliveness to it to respond to.

When I decided to move to only working with paper over ten years ago it felt like I had come home. I was especially drawn to the way paper softened the geometric forms I was working with. Looking back now I think it has to do with never feeling like I quite belonged in the (white) history of art and painting specifically and wanting to find a way to approach and relate to this history from another perspective. I still love and appreciate a lot of Western painting, but I don’t think I can ever go back to it. It’s so funny how people talk about paper as a “humble” material, only because it makes me think about how Euro-American painting is perhaps, by extension, the opposite lol. Our work is fragile and easily damaged. I am ok with my work having a finite lifespan, and I think about how presumptuous and egotistical it is to be a painter who wants their work to live on forever. To me the idea of paper being “humble” is more the product of wanting to privilege other materials and traditions than any sort of inherent humility in paper itself.

HH: My partner, Jamey, is a painter. He’s reading a book called Almost Nothing. It’s a collection of writing about precarious practices. He told me a phrase yesterday that is really beautiful: “the syntax of weakness.” Openness to touch is the first condition of any object’s creation. Mark-making is only possible when a material chooses to absorb a gesture or a movement. In some way, it is about acceptance. A sheet of paper is the same as a boulder or the moon: they are changed by heat, pressure, impact, and time. Their malleability and porousness leads to material instability. In this way, all things engage with the act of writing their own histories. To live is to disappear: form records this disappearance.

Making paper is an arduous, physically demanding process. It depletes my resources each time it occurs. Something is born, as I die. For me, manual labor is a way for time to enter into my body. It returns me back to matter. This quality of impermanence is also in the body of the work. I, like you, was largely uninterested in the plasticity of paint. I also wasn’t necessarily interested in its immortality (I say this, and I love the work of so many painters). I didn’t know it at the time, but I wanted to work with something that is alive. This is also why I choose to work outdoors. You speak of resistance, and I feel that too, when I make paper. Limitations are wonderful. They tell me where I am.

I feel it when it rains on my work. I feel it when I go to new places and the object cannot come into being the same way it did in a previous location (do you sense this, when you create installations?).

AP: I do! Each space has different lighting conditions and a different scale, which I unconsciously and consciously adapt to as I am onsite building the installation. Sometimes I literally have to work around/against awkwardly placed outlets and “architectural features.” At other times there are even time constraints -- if I am traveling or only have a certain amount of time to finish due to childcare/scheduling/etc.

Alex Paik, Partial Diamond (Slice), gouache, colored pencil, paper, nails, dimensions variable, 2019, installed at Praxis New York, 2019 (approx. 5.5 x 6.5 x 11 feet)

HH: Everything changes due to season, humidity, weather, and millions of other factors that sort of seamlessly flow together to become landscape, and our tactile and sensorial understanding of it. For me, making paper separates experience into its distinct, constituent parts: sun, heat, collision, water, foliage, weather, gravity, etc. And the paper, once dry, stitches these segments together to form a whole. When I make paper, I feel something pushing back at or rising up against me. In a way, I’m fighting it. But I want to be accepted by it too. There is a simultaneous sense of absorption and alienation. In a recent interview with Artmaze, Bridget Mullen was talking about painting and they said that alienation teaches us empathy. Now I think of that when I work.

I love painting. I also love what you said about painting being the process of creating something out of thin air. I think of what I do as painting, if painting is a depository process and not a creative one. I think that life can be irrevocably difficult, but there are moments when the world is still and beautiful, like a drawing. That’s what I love most of all. A lot of my work is about erosion, alienation, exile, etc. But it is also about pleasure and happiness. I always wake up early in the day and start working at dawn, in the blue-dark. I feel the sun on my back and the coolness of the water between my hands. I feel the temperature rise. The wind shifts. Parts of me can disappear in those moments. Like painting, papermaking unfolds within quotidian time. Sometimes time can be unwavering in its perpetuity. But sometimes time becomes significant and bigger. It touches on the eternal and transforms into something unfathomable and long, like the sky. I am free here. I belong here. No one can take that away from me.

Can you speak more about resistance, as it relates to your work? There is a sense of vibrational geometry in your improvisations and installations: how is this related to the imagery you were working with in your paintings? Can you also tell me more about the temporary nature of the work? How do the compositions come into being (you speak of feeling)? Do they only come into being once and never again? Are parts disassembled and reassembled (reincarnation) to become other pieces? What perspectives did your decision to work with paper bring you?

I wrote a lot! It’s a nice day here.  

AP: I love it! So I’ll answer your questions in reverse order. My modular installations are made up of hundreds of the same geometric form, which are then hung up with nails temporarily on a wall when I have a show. Now that I think about it, in a way I am also making my own material like you are making paper. Each resulting composition is a unique iteration or performance of the same piece that will never be repeated in exactly the same way. In other words, the piece itself (a collection of individual units) has no static form or image but rather only has the potential to combine and recombine into almost endless combinations. I saw this great quote by Sanford Biggers recently that talks about how the basic logic of patchwork/quilt making is “to constantly be rebirthed in a new form, using the same materials.” And that is a very succinct way of describing what my work is about. And although these new relationships and forms are on the surface primarily concerned with shape and color, they become metaphors for speaking about other types of rebuilding - whether it is the way that a nation can reassemble itself with the same flawed individuals or how we as individuals can rebirth ourselves constantly using the same elements of our identities, either through code-switching depending on the social context or through sustained unlearning/relearning.

I think less about resistance in my work but more about interdependence. That resistance of paper as a living material can also be described as an interdependent relationship -- I can coax it into certain shapes by folding/gluing/painting but then the paper also responds by warping, sagging, etc. The installations themselves have an interdependent relationship with the walls and the lighting -- the forms need walls and lights to reflect their painted colors onto. What is most visible when looking at my work is actually not the material itself (the paper and folded forms) but rather the results of this interdependent relationship: the reflected, hazy color.

HH: I love thinking about the work as “a collection of individual units that has no static form or image”, but rather as “potential”. It breaks down barriers between the inanimate and animal, object and art, as well as the past, present, and future.  I also love thinking about resistance in the context of interdependence. This is a helpful framework with which we can not only consider and approach ourselves, but also larger systems: political, social, geographical, mythical, etc. 

Alex Paik, Partial Equilateral Triangle (Two Right), gouache, colored pencil, paper, nails, dimensions variable, 2020, installed in studio, 2020 (approx. 4 x 8.5 feet)

Hong Hong is a visual artist whose practice spans craft, painting, and earthwork. Born in Hefei, China, she immigrated with her family to North Dakota in 1999 and earned her MFA from University of Georgia in 2014. Hong has exhibited at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Georgia Museum of Art, Real Art Ways, Art League Houston, Penland School of Craft, and Jewett Arts Center. Her projects have been reviewed by Art21, Hyperallergic, Virtual Asian American Art Museum, Art New England, Southwest Contemporary, and Glasstire. Hong is the recipient of fellowships and grants from National Endowment for the Arts, MacDowell, Yaddo, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Connecticut Office of the Arts, and Foundation for Contemporary Arts.

www.honghong.studio @honghongstudio

Alex Paik is an artist living and working in Los Angeles. His modular, paper-based wall installations explore perception, interdependence, and improvisation within structure while engaging with the complexities of social dynamics. He has exhibited in the U.S. and internationally, with notable solo projects at Praxis New York, Art on Paper 2016, and Gallery Joe. His work has also been featured in group exhibitions at BravinLee Projects, Lesley Heller Workspace, and MONO Practice, among others.

Paik is Founder and Director of Tiger Strikes Asteroid, a non-profit network of artist-run spaces and serves on the Advisory Board at Trestle Gallery, where he formerly worked as Gallery Director.

www.alexpaik.com @alexpaik

#honghong #hong hong #alexpaik #alex paik #honghongalexpaik

[sombraglaze]

Lexember 2020 - Kmitmuk ksu

I did Lexember 2020 but I only posted it on twitter, and I thought I’d be a good idea to archive all my posts on tumblr as well ヽ(*・ω・)ﾉ

so I’ll put all the pictures in this post and write the transcriptions underneath each pic for ppl who prefer seeing it in that format or are blind.

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(the first 4 entries were posted the 4th of December)

I decided to do #Lexember kind of late 😅 but here are the first 4 entries, it's my first lexember and I'm a beginner conlanger so pls don't be too harsh if I mess up 🥺🥺

entry 1! 😊

tucir [tʊ.ʔɪɾ] Noun. emotions, feelings, energy.

from *tʼoɛːluː meaning blood, because it was believed that one's emotions where in their blood, they thought of it as a soul, so that's why corpses didn't emote or move, their emotions dried up.

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entry 2! 👍

ksu [ksʊ] Adjective. good, correct, important.

from *kusʼu meaning big, the autonym of this language is "kmitmuk ksu" which basically means "the correct way of speaking" and also implies that it's an important language.

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entry 3! 🐍

pi [pɪ] Noun. evil person, "monster."

from *pɛː meaning snake, it's a pretty severe insult, you wouldn't hear it in a civil conversation. it implies "murderer" but isn't always used this way.

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entry 4! ⚔️

pira [pɪ.ɾə] Noun. royal guard.

from *peθæː meaning star, they thought of stars as deities whose purpose was to protect humanity, so the word started to be used for guardians or sentinels and eventually became more specifically used for royal guards.

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day 5! 💬 kmitmuk [kmɪt.mʊk] Noun. language, dialect, speech.

from *kɔmytʼemokʼɔ the diminutive of fog, they live in a cold area, so this references the condensation that comes out of their mouth when they speak.

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day 6! ☝️

qer [qeɾ] Noun. four, index finger (archaic).

from *kʼyːθyː meaning index finger, their words for counting inanimate objects come from the names of their fingers and names of parts of their arm, these words are almost exclusively used for numbers nowadays.

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day 7! 😪

tugh [tʊɢ] Adjective. dull (blade), exhausted.

(originally I romanized [ɢ] as <gg> but eventually changed it to <gh>)

from *tʼuːxiː meaning dull, it's used metaphorically to say you gave it your all and now you need to sharpen (rest) before you can keep going or you won't be quite as productive.

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day 8! 🌨️

nsaqf [nsəqf] Verb. to focus, to pay attention.

from *nusʼoxɔ fe meaning to freeze, referencing the fact that if you're concentrating you're probably not moving a lot, so it's like you're frozen.

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day 9! 👑

muciqxn [mʊ.ʔɪqχn] Noun. king.

from *moy xixæːnɔ meaning great father, the ancient word for great *xixæːnɔ lead to many modern words ending in qxn, which got reanalyzed as a suffix that can be added to words to make them related to royalty.

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day 10! 🐟

nicaqf [ni.ʔaqf] Verb. to be dead, to float (archaic).

from *nyːaxɔ fe meaning to float, referencing fish, that tend to float when they die, it can still be used to say float but it's very uncommon.

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day 11! 🗂️

magheqf [ma.ɢeqf] Verb. to group, to classify.

from *mæːxexɔ fe meaning to cut or separate, the meaning of separating was more and more commonly used and eventually acquired the characteristic of separating based on specific traits that things have in common.

also I misspelled acquired in the image, oops 😅

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day 12! 🌬️

qorazdoqf [qo.ɾaz.doqf] Verb. to howl (wind).

from *kʼolæːsuːtɔxɔ fe meaning to blow (wind), in their culture, the wind howling is seen as a bad omen, it's a warning from the wind God (who is actually a wolf) and everyone must stop what they're doing to pray.

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day 13! 🗺️

nzu [nzʊ] Noun. north.

from *nɛːso meaning north, this language doesn't have words for left, right, up, down, etc. instead you have to use cardinal directions and reference things like landmarks and the sky.

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day 14! ✨🌙

tfpik [tfpik] Noun. star.

from *tøfæːpʼykʼɔ the diminutive of sun, this word is also used for planets that are visible to the naked eye, but not for the moon, which is "ksor" [ksoɾ] from *køsʼɔɾuː also meaning moon.

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day 15! 🔪

put [pʊt] Adjective. new (for tools).

from *pœːtʼo meaning sharp (like a knife), this word is pretty much exclusively used for tools, the generic word for new is "not" [not] from *nɔtʼɔ also meaning new.

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day 16! 🐛🤬

pik [pɪk] Noun. worm, bug, phallus (vulgar).

from *pɛːkʼɔ the diminutive of snake, it can be used as a swear word depending on the context, but it usually means worm and sometimes bug in general.

I realized I had never really made any swear words in any of my conlangs so I thought I'd give it a try 😆

also sorry if this one is a bit too edgy lol I'll return to normal vocab tomorrow 😅

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day 17! 🌲🌲🏔️

terrag [te.rag] Noun. forest.

from *tʼœːræː ki meaning many trees, there's also a word for forest that is more fancy and tends to be used specifically for montane forests "tir" [tɪɾ] from *tiːlyːo meaning forest.

also, this word is always interpreted as being plural because of its etymology, so if you wanted to say "small forest" you would say:

"terrag tacakig" [te.rag ta.ʔa.kɪg] (forest small-PL)

as opposed to:

"terrag tacak" [te.rag ta.ʔak] (forest small.SG)

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day 18! 🐌

kudipaduw [kʊ.dɪ.pa.dʊw] Noun. snail.

from *kutiːpʼæː topɛː wet/sticky animal, meat is "mxa" [mxə] from *mɔxo w/ same meaning & container is "kitek" [kɪ.tek] from *kitʼøkʼɔ diminutive of lake, so bucket of snail meat is "kitek kit mxa tugudipaduw."

based on this meme:

https://twitter.com/Fordsmender/status/1335178530284564480

btw, the gloss is (container with meat snail-LOC) where the locative case is being used to mark inalienable possession (maybe I should've used alienable 🤔)

also kitek is mainly used for things that typically have water in them but it can mean bucket or tub in general.

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day 19! 👹🐕

mzgha [mzɢə] Noun. beast, monster.

from *muːsuːxœː the augmentative of dog, the word originally meant wolf, but the meaning expanded to all dangerous animals and big mythological creatures, and the word for dog is mzu [mzʊ] from *muːsuː

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day 20! 🌋🔥🌲🌲🔥

teqsnubz [teqs.nʊbz] Noun. volcano, burning place.

from *tʼøxœː sʼœːnu pɔθy meaning mountain with fire, that word for "with" was specifically for animate nouns, it came to mean "accompanying" and mountain was the augmentative for hill.

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also, a bonus because it's 20:20 20th-(12 😔 smh)-2020

ke [ke] twenty (animate, base 4) from *kœː meaning twenty.

pipaa qer [pɪ.paː qeɾ] twenty (inanimate, base 8) from *pe pæːyː kʼyːθyː (2 eights (and) four) or more literally (ring finger, forearm, index finger).

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day 21! 🌲🗡️

putfmeterra [pʊtf. me.te.rə] Noun. felling axe.

from *pœːtʼofe mø tʼœːræː meaning blade for trees, blade is the nominalized form of sharp *pœːtʼo and in fact, the modern word for blade or knife is putf [pʊtf]

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day 22! 😇

kidiweqf [kɪ.dɪ.weqf] Verb. to be believed or trustworthy.

from *kytɛːpøxɔ fe the passive form of to see, there is no adjective for trustworthy, it is seen as an action rather than a trait that a person can have.

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day 23! 🌒☀️

napirqf [na.pɪɾqf] Noun. solar eclipse.

from *næːpʼœːθiːxɔ fe meaning to be un-burned (or extinguishing), basically they believe their sun god can extinguish himself at will, eclipses are referred to as "extinguishings" and are seen as a sign of their god's dissatisfaction.

lol I actually ran out of space in the first tweet, that hadn't happened before. this one was inspired by the recent Great Conjunction! 🔭 I'll probably make the next few Christmas related.

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day 24! 🎅🎁

nicirrogi [nɪ.ʔɪ.ro.gɪ] Noun. expensive gift or present.

from *nɛːirɔ ki poruːpʼuː meaning poem, or more literally: beautiful/colorful words (or even more literally: flower-like words) high class people could afford to commission poems, generic gift is msu [msʊ] from fruit *miːsʼo

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day 25! ❄️

kucugitugh [kʊ.ʔʊ.gɪ.tʊɢ] N. snowflake, hexagon, complex shape.

from *kœːo ketʼo xo tœːpʼumæː meaning snow with(ɪɴᴀɴ) six(ɪɴᴀɴ) tips/points, since the word was too long it got shortened to the first four syllables and it's now also used to refer to complex shapes and patterns.

idk if there's a term for words getting shortened, I just figured I could do it since english does it in words like "net" for "internet" and stuff lol I don't know what I'm doing 😂

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day 26! 🗻

teghop [te.ɢop] Adjective. solid, hard.

from *tʼøxœːpʼuː meaning mountain-like, originally it was used to mean huge (anything that was around the size of a building or more) but it started to imply sturdy, and the meaning slowly shifted to being anything solid.

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day 27! ⛰️

mudurus [mʊ.dʊ.ɾʊs] Noun. coal, fuel, inspiration.

from *muːto θøsʼo meaning black/brown rock/stone, it's used metaphorically to talk about how inspired someone is to do any form of art or craft.

today's post was kind of late because I didn't have any inspiration 😅 running a bit low on ideas atm.

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day 28! ♒

tacup [ta.ʔʊp] Adjective. energetic, always moving.

from *taop‘uː meaning river-like, it can be used negatively to mean someone is annoying, but generally it's used in a more positive way.

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day 29! 😡

qo [qo] Adjective. angry / upset (informal)

from *k’uː meaning red-orange, it originated as a metaphor but eventually the word stopped being used for the color altogether.

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day 30! 👋

mukigii [mʊ.kɪ.giː] Interjection. see you, bye.

from *muːk’ø kɛːyː meaning be-ɴᴘsᴛ.ɪᴘғᴠ well, the word for "to be" is now archaic and the word for good/well now means holy, so the meaning of the phrase is a bit obscure for most people.

wow I can't believe #Lexember is almost over, time flies! :o tomorrow is the last day already! but I think I'll keep posting about my #conlang-s, maybe just not as often :) and I might use my tumblr for longer posts in case anyone is interested in checking that out.

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🎇🎆this is the final #Lexember2020 entry! I had the idea to make a "book ending" and end it where it started, with four proper nouns related to the first four entries I posted on the first day, thanks for all the ❤️s and RT's everyone :D transcriptions below:

day 31! 🙂

Txurr [txʊr] Proper noun. (joy, happiness).

from *tix’oruː meaning joy/happiness, this word is used exclusively as a name (typically female) and most people no longer know what it means.

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also day 31! 🗨️

Kmitmuk ksu [kmɪt.mʊ.ksʊ] Proper noun (correct speech).

literally “speech/language correct/important” from *kɔmyt’emok’ɔ and *kus’u meaning fog(diminutive) and big, both previous entries, this is how this language’s autonym is written.

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also day 31! 🐉

Pigh [pɪɢ] Proper noun. (dragon).

from *pɛːxœː the augmentative of snake, used exclusively as a name (gender neutral) most people think it means resilient/wise because of a homophone that comes from *p’yːxi meaning old, only scholars know better.

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also day 31! 🌟

Pira [pɪ.ɾə] Proper noun. (royal guard)

from *peθæː meaning star, this word was featured in a previous entry but this is how it’s written if it’s used as a name, proper nouns have their own writing system, based on an ancient syllabary similar to cuneiform.

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That was a lot, that’s a lot for reading everyone!! ヽ(o＾▽＾o)ノ I’ll start posting more stuff on Tumblr starting in 2021!

#Lexember #Lexember2020 #conlang #conlanger #Kmitmuk ksu

[spirit-science-blog]

Every day is a bank account, and time is our currency. No one is rich. No one is poor. We've got 24 hours each. --Christopher Rice

We’ve been taught a lot of things about money, and a lot of these things aren’t real! Today we smash these money myths, once and for all!

In the last episode, we discussed what money was from a spiritual perspective, and began to look at our relationship to money. Today, let us continue to establish this new understanding of currency by calling out the old paradigm, and breaking down some ancient money myths!

Money Myth 1 - Money is the Root of all Evil

Have you probably heard this one before, right? Tell me, where did you first hear this idea? Parents? Church leaders? Friends? Family members? It’s an idea that has been passed down for generations, and today we find it deeply ingrained in our belief systems about the world. But allow me a moment to let you in on a secret, are you ready?

The first time this quote made it significant was actually in the bible, it’s from Timothy 1. What’s interesting about the book of Timothy is that for so long, these writings were attributed to St. Paul, however, it is now recognized by most scholars that Timothy, along with nearly half of the other books attributed to Paul, was inauthentic writings that signed his name on them.

The reason why this is so profoundly significant - is that when you get into the original writings of St. Paul, you find him using all kinds of language that would indicate he was a Gnostic Mystic, practicing an early Christian version of the Mystery Schools. For example, we find him saying things like “We practice Sophia among the Initiated,” both Sophia and Initiation speaking to the Gnostic Mystery Schools.

There are books written about this subject alone, at the top of the list I recommend “The Gnostic Paul” by Elaine Pagels, “The Jesus Mysteries” by Timothy Freke & Peter Gandy, and The Book of Spirit, by your very own Patchman. We’re going to do a whole series about this in the future, but for now, let’s stay on the subject of Money.

The reason I’m sharing this with you is that many of St. Pauls original writings were very pro-mystic teachings. Still, later on, the Roman Empire adopted Nicene Christianity and forged some letters from Paul, including the book of Timothy - where they say that Money is the root of all evil, along with related phrases like "But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence." Jeez, Timothy, you hate money, women, what’s next, same-sex relationships? Indeed *sigh*, sorry I need a sec Seeing things like this makes my stuffing come out. *patch man putting his stuffing back in his head*

As you might be aware of, the Holy Roman Empire passionately and violently insisted that everyone follow their specific version of Christianity, leading to a very depressed society and culture that would be both very patriarchal and impoverished for at least a thousand years, and these belief systems are still lingering around in our consciousness today.

It’s wild, and I posed this very question in a poll on Instagram and Facebook a while back. I asked, “The root of all evil is…, either Money or Ignorance”. The response was pretty divided, with about half of the audience saying that money was the root of all evil!

But here’s the thing! That myth *play it’s a trap meme* It’s an idea that keeps poor people poor just by believing it. Think about it, and if you are weak, and you believe money is the root of evil, you’re going to consciously, or subconsciously, avoid having it at all cost. Having money will, either consciously or subconsciously, makes you feel like you’ll be going to hell, and so you get rid of it the moment it shows up!

So what’s the moral of this story here? I think Ayn Rand said it best with her legendary quote.

Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver. --Ayn Rand

Money Myth 2 - Rich People Suck

Let’s look at another money myth. Specifically, the way that wealthy people are commonly viewed in society. There is an ingrained mentality that “rich people are all greedy jerks,” right? Often people with wealth are wrapped into the “Elite ruling Illuminati” class of the world, just because they have money. The more money you have - the more likely you will be associated with the Illuminati by conspiracy theorists.

Now, you’ve probably heard this one, “filthy stinking rich!” right? This common belief sets a standard for yourself that you could never have lots of money because anyone with money is filthy, and stinky too! If all rich people are greedy jerks, and you don’t want to be a jerk, right? So it’s probably best that you’re not rich. But the thing is, it’s a very limiting perspective. Today many millionaires in the world do their best to use their money to make life better for everyone - but if you’re only looking to see the worst in wealthy people, then it doesn’t matter how many benevolent millionaires there are, you won’t be able to see them.

Now, let’s be clear - indeed, there are rich jerks in the world, but there are also poor jerks. And considering that there are significantly more poor people than wealthy in the world, we could probably argue that there are way more poor jerks than rich ones. Either way, here’s the key - Money is neutral, and will amplify what’s already there. If you’re benevolent, money can help you be more generous. If you’re a greedy jerk, then yeah - money can make you more of that too.

Now, let me be clear that a lot of money has been made extorting others in the world, and that’s not a paradigm that I support. I get that this is where a lot of our negative collective associations towards money comes from, but we have to temper that attitude by observing others who have done brilliant things with their wealth. Take Vishen Lakhiani, for example, the founder of Mindvalley. He and his team have created a massive and beautiful online platform for the education of what regular schools forget—teaching the art of living extraordinary, fulfilling, and happy lives. Mindvalley is just one example out of thousands of people using their wealth for good.

If we adopt the idea that all rich people are greedy jerks, then our minds automatically try and find ways to throw shade at good-hearted people. Even if you genuinely don’t like certain people for whatever reason, we have to take into consideration that they’re people too, and they’re doing their best with the position that they’re in to make a positive change in the world.

If we are willing to look at money differently, as something that we can use benevolently for the benefit of humankind, then we open up the potentials of us earning it and stepping into a new way of life for ourselves and those around us.

Money Myth 3 - It’s All About The Deals!

Now, speaking of our collective relationship with money, let me show you something both funny and exciting. To begin though, I’d like to introduce you to my friend Ariel! She’s one of my new artist friends who is helping to create this very video, and when I spoke with her about this script, she sent me this picture after with a lol attached. It’s a meme that reasonably describes our collective relationship with money and perspective of value.

Healthy groceries - 100$ “too expensive.”

Dinner date - 100$ “reasonable.”

Therapist - 130$ “Absurd.”

Trip to Target - 130$ “great deals!”

Average college class - 1000$ “expensive”

iPhone - 1000$ “a necessity”

To me, this meme accurately describes a mindset of lack. We’ve been conditioned to think in deals instead of what’s truly valuable. The result is that it becomes easy to miss out on potential opportunities to invest in ourselves and our personal growth.

See, that’s also the other side of money, not just making it, but spending it- which is so valuable for us to learn and integrate into our lives. Every time you spend money, you are investing your energy into what you believe is worthwhile. So the question then becomes, what do you value most in life? Yes, you could spend a thousand dollars on video games, or, you could spend that same thousand dollars on a backpacking trip around some foreign land, or maybe taking a specialized course to help you get better at doing something you love.

James Frick said it best when he said, “Don’t show me where your priorities are. Show me where you spend your money, and I’ll tell you what they are.”

It looks like I'm running out of time, but we still have a few more essential money myths to smash! So we’re going to go quickly through these next few, okay?

Money Myth 5 - You Have To Be A Cheapskate

You’ve probably heard the financial gurus talking about living on a budget, and so live on the cheap and save money away, and one day you’ll have a big pile of dollars! However, the idea here is that you create your reality, and if you’re focused on this cheap mentality, then that’s what you’ll continue to build. On the other hand, if you change your thinking, focus on generating wealth rather than pinching pennies, imagine how your reality could be different? This also relates to another money myth, which I’ll throw in here - You have to get wealthy very slowly. So you believe, so shall you create.

Money Myth 6 Financial Freedom

Most people believe financial freedom means having enough money, so you don’t have to work. But this myth is broken because having financial freedom today doesn’t mean you’ll have financial freedom tomorrow. Instead - use the term “Financial Confidence” - this means knowing you have the skills and ability to make money, no matter what happens. It means you never feel you have to be at the mercy of external forces when it comes to your financial life. This is what it means to be indeed open to allowing that cosmic energetic stability to permeate your experience, as we discussed before.

That brings us to the end of our money myths, but in closing, I’d like to share something special with you.

Many of these Money Myths came from a brilliant book that I discovered recently, that catapulted me on a journey of transforming my relationship with money. The book is called F.U. Money, by a man named Dan Lok. He explains that your F.U. Money simply means it’s the “enough is enough” number - where you have enough money, you don’t have to take any crap from anyone anymore, like rude bosses or mean managers and so on.

Everyone’s F.U. Money number is different for everyone, and it is the number you need to live that life that you want to. Throughout the book, he not only breaks down the money myths, but he also provides some precise instructions for moving towards a life of freedom and financial confidence right now.

The best part is - this book is free! If you are ready to transform your financial life entirely and live a life of wealth and prosperity - my highest recommendation is to start where I did, and go download F.U. Money and give it a read. Be warned, this book is intense, but it hits where it counts, and for those who are ready, it could just be the catalyst for a significant change in your life.

Thank you. I’ll see you again next week for more spiritual money!

#spirituality #spirit science #ascension #mystery school #article

[hottytoddynews]

SOUTHERNISM OF THE WEEK About as useful as a chocolate chisel in a diamond mine: Might not be able to carve out any diamonds, but might renew some energy for a while.

February is one of those months in the Mid South usually experienced as a looping series of fuzzy gray days wrapped in up-and-down temperatures. Dreary could be the one-word description for this time that falls betwixt and between our annual cycle of deadlines and commemorations.

But beneath the truncated surface of this shortest month of the year shine riches reflective of Americans’ wit and ingenuity.

Every day in February, it’s Black History Month. This historian, for one, loves learning about African Americans’ significant contributions to our nation since its beginnings four hundred years ago.

It’s also Youth Leadership Month.

February kicks off with Groundhog Day and launches into Super Bowl Day, and vice versa — sometimes one event occurring first, sometimes the other. Our shortest month also honors Americans’ love of all things edible. In February, we have National Homemade Soup Day, National Carrot Cake Day, National Tortellini Day, National Cherry Pie Day, National Toast Day, National Pistachio Day, National Chili Day, National Margarita Day, National Tortilla Chip Day, National Cabbage Day, National Gumdrop Day and National Almond Day. There are more… such as National Dog Biscuit Day.

Some sly calendar wags also snuck in National Clean Out Your Computer Day. And of course, we have Presidents’ Day commemorating Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. In 2017, we even have Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday in February to launch the high holy days of Christianity.

But, face it. Valentine’s Day is what comes to mind when someone utters the word February. It’s our official commercial commemoration of Big Love, rooted in the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia (a fertility celebration) and redefined by Pope Gelasius around 496 ACE as a Christian feast day commemorating St. Valentine. The Roman original stuck, however; and throughout the western world, on February 14, folks are encouraged to shower their loved ones with hearts and flowers and diamonds (known by the Lorelei’s of the world as a girl’s best friend) and boxes of chocolate.

LOL… Like Joan Rivers, no smart dame will ever turn down a diamond.

But a guy can NEVER go wrong plying his girl with chocolate, which has its own New World history connection to celebrations of fertility. Heck. Montezuma started it all, consuming chocolate daily for stamina. And it’s been proven in one of those recent studies somewhere, that chocolate is good for us. Women have known that since first discovering that a box of chocolates helps dull the pain of getting dumped. Must be the dopamine—serotonin thing.

That’s why this week’s featured recipe is for chocolate fondue… otherwise known as dipping chocolate. Make a Valentine’s Day party around your pot of chocolate, or use it as an excuse to celebrate any day of the week.

FONDUE POT DIPPING CHOCOLATE This recipe makes a type of dipping ganache. It is forgiving as long as the chocolate is melted properly and not overheated. For example, running short of cream, I added evaporated milk to make up the full measurement. If adding flavored liqueur, add more chocolate. If you don’t have a fondue pot, pull out the ol’ slow cooker and place a pyrex bowl inside for the chocolate fondue. The chocolate will remain soft.

1-3/4 c heavy whipping cream 16 oz semisweet chocolate chips 4 oz semisweet baking chocolate (or milk chocolate) 1 T vanilla extract 1 T flavored liqueur such as Chambord or Gran Marnier Marshmallows Strawberries Banana slices Mango slices Angel food cake, sliced and cubed

Put enough water into saucepan to come just below the insert bowl (should not touch the bowl). Bring water to a slow boil on medium heat.

While water is heating, arrange fruit, marshmallows and cake cubes on a platter.

Pour cream into double boiler and heat until cream is hot to the touch and just beginning to form a skim on top. (DO NOT BOIL). Fold in chocolate pieces, stirring with a silicon spatula until mixture is smooth without any small lumps. Whisk in the vanilla and optional liqueur. Pour mixture into the fondue pot and keep the burner flame on low heat to avoid scorching.

Dip goodies into the melted chocolate. Store leftover chocolate dip in the fridge, covered.

RED VELVET FLOURLESS TORTE My daughter has an allergy to Red Dye #40, so the old Waldorf Astoria Beet Red Velvet Cake recipe has been in my baking repertoire for more than 25 years. This particular recipe is a flourless variant substituting agave syrup for sugar, and deleting the buttermilk. The result is almost pudding-like and the cake layers short, but flavorful, especially when paired with traditional cream cheese frosting. This recipe perfectly fills my set of five 6-inch heart-shaped torte pans, or will fill a single round springform pan. NOTE: if like me, you have a disaster removing one cake pan from the oven, just crumble the wrecked cake layer and pat crumbs around the edges of the torte.

7+ oz pureed red beets (about 2 bunches) 3/4 c raw agave syrup 1/2 c unsalted butter, softened 1/2 c plus 1 T good quality cocoa powder 1/2 tsp table salt 4 large eggs 1 T vanilla extract 8 oz brick of cream cheese 1 stick (1/2 c) salted butter 4 c confectioners sugar 2 T whole milk 1 tsp vanilla extract

Select two bunches of medium-sized beets, averaging about 3 beets per bunch. Peel the beets, mindful that the juice will stain skin, countertops and fabric. Reserve beet greens for sautéing for another meal. Steam the beets until fork tender, about 30 minutes. Turn off heat and let them cool down in the pot, covered. Preheat oven to 400˚F. Lightly grease torte pans or springform pan with shortening. If using springform pan, also line with parchment paper and grease the paper as well.

Puree cooked beets until about the consistency of baby food and measure 7 generous ounces into a large nonreactive mixing bowl. Mix in the softened butter, agave, cocoa powder and salt. When completely blended, mix in the eggs and vanilla. The batter will be thin.

Ladle even amounts into each torte pan. Bake about 20 minutes, until center is springy. Remove to racks to cool and carefully flip out onto separate sheets of waxed paper. These cakes will tear easily.

Make the cream cheese frosting by mixing cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add vanilla until blended and slowly mix in powdered sugar and milk until smooth. There is enough frosting to completely frost sides of a four-layer torte, or top only of a five-layer torte.

When ready to build the torte, place one cake layer on plate and gently spread frosting about 1/4-inch thick over the top. Carefully flip second cake layer onto the frosted top, using the wax paper to position it. Repeat frosting and layering until all layers have been added. Decorate top with sprinkles of choice. Refrigerate overnight to set and so that chocolate flavor will intensify.

Laurie Triplette is a writer, historian and accredited appraiser of fine arts, dedicated to preserving Southern culture and foodways. Author of the award-winning community family cookbook GIMME SOME SUGAR, DARLIN’, and editor of ZEBRA TALES (Tailgating Recipes from the Ladies of the NFLRA), Triplette is a member of the Association of Food Journalists, Southern Foodways Alliance and the Southern Food and Beverage Museum. Check out the GIMME SOME SUGAR, DARLIN’ website and follow Laurie’s food adventures on Facebook and Twitter.

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