#so I'm SO glad I found an article with a video that wasn't just still shots | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

heartsbreaking · 11 months

Text

SOFIA BY TOMAS LENNOX

in this article for gq, staff writer tomas lennox interviews his twin sister sofia lennox, former midfielder for bayern münchen and now afc richmond's new women's team.

"this is probably the most comfortable either of us have ever been for an interview," sofia laughs as she sits down across from me on her orange couch. sofia lennox was born on december 21st, 1996. coincidentally, that was seventeen minutes after i was.

we were born in norway and lived there until we moved to scotland at 14. we both played sports, but sofia was the one who was good at it. obviously, she was the one who went on to play professionally while i only write about it.

when i ask her why she still plays after all this time, sofia tells me like i should already know "i still love the game. i love the level of competition and i love my teammates." sofia has always strived to play stronger and play better. she even switched positions from defense to midfield her first year at bayern.

sofia tells me she didn't always intend to go pro, she just wanted to keep playing. she could have played in uni, i point out. she tells me that was never her plan. "by the time it was time for me to think about going to uni i was already playing at pre-professional level. i just don't think uni would have been in the cards for me. i don't even know what i would have studied." her interests were never in school, she explains. she wasn't drawn to writing "like you were" and she didn't see herself as good at maths or science. "if i hadn't gotten to play for glasgow city i likely would have gone back to norway or tried to work at a charity shop somewhere. i've always loved vintage fashion."

i compliment her outfit of choice. today she's wearing an orange floral print dress and brown boots. my sister knows what look she's going for, and it's admirable. she's dressed this way for a long time. i don't even remember how long it's been. so i ask, "why'd you start dressing vintage?" i know from the look in her eye, she's about to start a tangent. "i love how people like sharon tate and jane birkin dressed back then. oh, and twiggy! i've lived in areas with such good vintage shops, and vintage inspired shops. charity shops and i are best friends." the only truly modern clothing she claims to own are her "training clothes and her favorite pair of jeans." sofia makes sure to emphasize that she has loved fashions of the past, for a long time, but is so glad for the progress we've made. she knows not buying mass produced clothing is a privilege. "i see a lot of people on social media making videos of buying fast fashion that they wear once and throw out. i don't want to be that person or promote the idea that that is sustainable. if you've got to buy fast fashion because it's all you can afford, you're not the problem. the problem is those who can afford to pay for sustainably produced clothing buying cheaply made clothing and throwing it out and the companies who profit from churning out trends." i know i'm making a face because she tells me immediately, "you can put all that in." sofia's not interested in making her opinions more palatable for brands. speaking of more palatable to brands, a quick glance over at her new pr agent tells us to turn the conversation back to sport.

she's just moved to richmond to play for afc richmond's newly founded women's team. i couldn't be prouder of her. "it's incredibly exciting. i'm so grateful to have been brought on board to play for richmond. i've got to thank ms. welton and keeley jones for thinking of me and allowing me to be apart of this team." sofia gestures for keeley jones, the pr consultant who suggested her for the team, to come over to the couch. she gives keeley a hug and thanks her personally. "leaving bayern was bitter sweet, but i didn't lose any friends. we're all still on lovely terms. they wished me well. changing teams is part of the job. i'm still friends with the a lot of men's team as well. i've already made a lot of new friends here, i hope to make richmond proud." i ask sofia how she feels about being on the first women's team, whether there's anything she's worried about. she takes a moment to consider the question. "i know there are a lot of expectations and richmond fans are passionate. i don't want to let them down. i know people have a lot of ideas about what a women's team should be." "what do you want to tell fans that might not think women's football can bring the same excitement as the men's team?" "just watch us play! we don't disappoint!" as her brother, i'm certainly biased, but i don't disagree.

sofia will be playing with afc richmond in the coming season.

#*[ LENNOX S : EXTENDED WRITINGS ]#*[ LENNOX S : NPC x tomas lennox ]#character : sofia lennox #*[ EDITS AND GRAPHICS ] . . . do not steal

9 notes · View notes

wouldnt-it-be-hilarious-if-i · 1 year

Text

New additions to the Reading List (Judaism edition)

currently listening to: mirrorball by taylor swift

Okay.

So, I'm currently reading Woke Antisemitism by David L. Bernstein and definitely realizing I can't avoid reading about Israel and Zionism if I want to understand anything about this topic on a genuine level. The book is super interesting, and I think it's a great read with a lot of very hot takes that are definitely at times a bit...questionable at first but if you hear him out, the points do make a lot of sense. I'm not talking about the antisemitism points, which I already agreed with. But some of his takes on white privilege, black culture, and feminism are a bit interesting.

One topic does keep coming up in the book, likely because it's very important. While I understand the points that he's making about how anti-Zionism, while not inherently antisemitic (from what I understand, like I said, I still need to do research), is often used as a vehicle for pretty blatant antisemitism on the left. He also talks a lot about how the left allows antisemitism to run rampant because of some of the topics I named above, and I actually agree with him. I can definitely see how an oppressor/oppressed hierarchy leaves out a lot of grey areas that Jews would historically fall into. It's an interesting take, and I'm glad to read it and get closer to understanding a bit about what it must feel and be like to be Jewish today. Obviously, this is only one man's opinion, but I do value every opinion I read because it matters to me that I read about this from every angle that I possibly can so that I am well-informed on how to be a better ally. To add to that, this man isn't just some guy. He's extremely qualified to speak on these issues, not just because he's a Jewish person living in the world today experiencing these issues, but because of his education and experience as well.

In 2016, He was President and CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), Executive Director of The David Project ( from August 2010 to September 2014, and held senior roles with the American Jewish Committee (AJC). During his undergrad at Ohio State studying Philosophy and Jewish studies (he later goes on to get his masters in International Relations), he served on the National Jewish Student Leadership Board and was a huge pro-Israel activist on campus. Just after undergrad, he worked with the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington. It goes on an on, and his work has been centrally about progressive values, diversity and inclusion. He has also written tons of articles about antisemitism in the left since at least the 80s, and did a 44 minute interview regarding his book with a talk show.

His book heavily focuses on antizionism being used as a way to be antisemitic in the left, so I'm not even more interested in reading more about this subject than I was before so that I can understand his arguments more critically. I can't really form an opinion on something that I am neither affected by or know very little about, but I can say that his book is an incredibly insightful starting point (so far, I'm only on chapter 5 of 16) for anyone that wants an idea of different things to look into and research independently in order to gain a better understanding of the issues he's discussing (not just Zionism and Israel, but also Jewish life in the United States specifically).

Anyway, online, I found a few videos that explained the Israeli-Palestinian conflict really concisely, but I'd rather read about it a bit more than just depend on a few videos and documentaries on YouTube. I asked my friend about any suggestions she may have, and she told me that Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor by Yossi Klein Halevi was a good one (but warned that it wasn't a great intro book to everything), so I've added it to my list.

With that, here are a few books I found that (tentatively) seem to explain some things. I really want to have a well-rounded view of this subject, so I'm looking for books that discuss Israel and Palestine from all sides of the conflict. In this list, I'll separate Zionist related books from books that have to do with Israel, because from what I understand the two get conflated often even though they aren't interchangeable (as in the terms 'Jew', 'Israeli' and 'Zionist' are not often used today to mean their respective definitions, but rather the same thing, which they are not).

These books are a mixture of like textbook explanations and narrative accounts, since I like to get an idea of both the academic aspect of sensitive issues like this and the personal accounts from real people who are experiencing these things or who believe in specific things.

Books about Israel/Palestine and the conflict

Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor by Yossi Klein Halevi

Jerusalem: The Biography by Simon Sebag Montefiore

The Hundred Years' War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917–2017 by Rashid Khalidi

The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East by Sandy Tolan

The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine Hardcover by Ilan Pappe

Stealing the Atom Bomb: How Denial and Deception Armed Israel by Roger Mattson

Blood Brothers: The Dramatic Story of a Palestinian Christian Working for Peace in Israel by Elias Chacour

Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth by Noa Tishby

Palestine 1936: The Great Revolt and the Roots of the Middle East Conflict by Oren Kessler

Books about Zionism

My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel by Ari Shavit

Zionism: A Very Short Introduction by Michael Stanislawski

A Short History of Christian Zionism: From the Reformation to the Twenty-First Century by Donald M. Lewis

A History of Zionism: From the French Revolution to the Establishment of the State of Israel by Walter Laqueur

Notes:

I mostly chose the Short History of Christian Zionism so that I can examine my own bias in regard to Israel. I come from a conservative-lite, Catholic/Baptist, German (and African)-immigrant family, so when I was growing up, the only thing I learned about Israel was that it rightfully belonged to the Jews and was given to them after the Holocaust because of their suffering. My mom really stressed to me as a child and teenager that this was promised land.

That being said, I never learned anything about Palestine, or the conflict. A large portion of this was explained to me when I was like ten. If I did learn anything about Palestine, I think it was usually along the lines of, "Well, some people don't believe that, and they're very mad about it." Very they can stay mad sort of energy.

Now, this was my family's opinion. If I'm being honest, I didn't care one way or the other when this was explained to me as a child. But I did think, since this was the only real contact I had with the subject, that it was nice that Jews got to have Israel after so much suffering, and that they were very deserving of it since the Holocaust was so horrific. So, this was my thinking for many years until, honestly, I think when I got to college and met actual Muslims and Jews. At that point, I was actually incredibly shocked to learn that there was a whole conflict, it wasn't half as simple as it had been explained to me, and that conservative families straight up do not prepare their children for any real world understanding of international relations.

Anyways, so now here I am playing catch up to the rest of the world, per usual.

The title for The Hundred Years' War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917–2017 by Rashid Khalidi interests me because of the use of the words "settler colonialism." In a quick google search, I found that one argument is that "Jewish Israelis are 'settlers' who want to conquer more and more Palestinian land." I have no idea if this is true, but the term used in the title is a big part of why it's on the list, because you can immediately tell what the author's stance is and how the book may be framed. I chose My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel by Ari Shavit for similar reasons.

As I've said many times, I know very little about this and have no personal opinions about it as a result (meaning that I literally am not neutral, for or against anything rn because I need to do more research. My goal is just to understand rn.), so any titles that I choose are purely because of the reviews, popularity of the books, and/or any possible bias that I can detect naturally rather than from any real understanding of the issue. That's also why I chose a book on Christian Zionism as well, because I'm interested in how Evangelists have affected this issue as well and want to make sure I fully understand the thinking behind what I was taught as a child. Quite a few of the books I've chosen written by Israelis appear to be rather biased as well, so I think I'll be learning a lot historically and politically about this topic in such a way that I'll be able to really understand a lot of it from many different points of view.

2 notes · View notes

roseantasy · 2 years

Text

Overthinking stopped me from doing things - How one question helped me to start living again

Disclaimer: This text is only for informational purposes. I'm not a mental health professional, nor is this text the solution for all. It's only meant to display my personal experience with overthinking.

Now, with that out of the way; I'm sure we all know what it's like to overthink. And, in fact, it doesn't even have to be bad all the time. Certain situations require a long thought process to make sure we are making the right decision. But, if you are a little like me, and you start overthinking EVERYTHING, it's starting to get less helpful, and more harmful, something should change.

There was a time when overthinking slowed me down or stopped me entirely from doing things. Writing e-mails started to become a long-winded process of what-ifs.

What if I have a typo in my e-mail? What if I forget a person to send it to? What if I explained something wrong? What if they don't understand what I mean? What if someone will complain about it? What if my tone is wrong?

And so on and so on. Did I ever have an unpleasant encounter after sending an e-mail? Yes, one, but that would have happened regardless of what I would have written because that person just didn't like me. But overall, I didn't collect negative experiences yet, so why was I severely overthinking sending e-mails?

I didn't know, but I knew it was grinding my gears. I couldn't stop reading e-mails fifty times, checking them over and over again, even AFTER sending them. Almost as if I were looking to find mistakes, so I could say to myself: See, if you had thought about it longer, this wouldn't have happened.

Overthinking winded into my brain, and sometimes even stopped me from doing things entirely. Now, I have several social media accounts, but when I thought about opening those a few months ago, overthinking stopped me from doing so. The chain of what-ifs running in my brain like a broken record.

What if I can't think of content ideas? What if I post boring stuff no one will look at? What if no one follows me? What if I say something wrong and people hate me? What if it doesn't help to get readers?

And it even made its way to what I love so much: writing.

I knew I had to change something, anything, to get rid of this endless chain of questions in my head. Because it wasn't helping me anymore, it only exhausted me.

Thinking back, and it wasn't even that long ago, I can only shake my head at myself. I basically immobilized myself just with thoughts. I stopped myself from living my life, well knowing that time on earth is limited.

And then I stumbled over this question:

What is the worst that can happen?

I can't remember where I found it. If it was a self-help video on YouTube or an article I read, regardless of where it came from, I'm glad it entered my life.

Now, whenever I want to do something, and those questions enter my brain like a freight train, I stop and think: What is the worst that can happen?

And I can tell you, in most cases, nothing of true relevance comes up. Most things won't actually hurt me, and the questions that bothered me so much were all things I could avoid or fix. And if the worst thing that can happen would be something really bad, as if harmful, I wouldn't do it. Driving without a seatbelt on could end up pretty badly, so it's not something I consider doing, as my life would be in danger. But when I sent an e-mail with a typo what is the worst that can happen? Someone will tell me there is a typo. And then? I feel a bit embarrassed.. and then? Nothing. That's no reason to get fired, and life won't end either. And if I do get fired about a typo in an e-mail, it's probably best to leave the workplace anyway.

Now, when sending e-mails, I still sit there and read them probably more times than others, but I don't get stuck in my brain. After checking it as best I can, I will send it on its way, and it's okay.

And if I do make a mistake, then I can learn from it. Sure, it sucks to make a mistake, but we learn from it. We weren't born perfect, making mistakes is part of being human. And that's fine. It can also happen with all ages. Just because you have lived more years than others on this planet, doesn't mean you suddenly gain ultimate knowledge, and you all of a sudden can't make mistakes anymore.

It's important to reflect on it, though. In my mind, you can even repeat a mistake. Sometimes you need more than one mishap to actually learn from a situation. As long as you do eventually.

Also, I'm not speaking about unspeakable crimes. That's an entirely different topic. Just as a side note.

Wanting to be perfect is something I will carry with me probably until the day I die, and I have accepted it. It helps me strive to be better, but I learned how to control it, too. Not always, but most times. And I'm glad I changed because I feel better now.

I had several people telling me that I have changed somehow, "leveled up" even, and they asked what I did. When I explained that, I'm simply asking myself: "What is the worst that can happen?" they were a bit stunned.

"That's it?" They asked. Yes, that's it.

Sometimes small things can have big impacts, and that was such a thing for me.

Maybe this could be helpful for you, too. But things like that are not a "one-size-fits-all" kinda thing. Thinking about the worst that can happen could end up even worse for you, and spiral you into even deeper thoughts. So, always take tips like mine with a grain of salt.

And if you have the feeling that you can't live your life properly anymore because your thoughts are too invasive, consider seeking professional help. There is no shame in that!

I wish you all a good day. All the best, Rose~♥

What are you doing when you are overthinking too much? Do you have a strategy to help you with that? Do you have other tips that might be helpful for overthinkers? Let me know. :)

#overthinking #you only live once #my experiences

0 notes

ahnsael · 3 years

Link

This is the only story I’ve seen about this that includes video highlights.

The two both missed no jumps up to 2.37 meters (7.78 feet), but both missed all three attempts at 2.39 meters (7.84 feet).One other athlete made 2.37 meters, but had misses along the way so they got the bronze medal.

Mutaz Essa Barshim (Qatar) and Gianmarco Tamberi (Italy) were told that they could have a jump-off to see who could clear it first, but Barshim simply asked, “Can we have two gold?” and the official told them that if they agreed on that, it was a thing that could be done.

True Olympic spirit right there. And Tamberi agreed enthusiastically.

Instead of a “one jump to rule them all” moment, they mutually chose to share the gold medal, with no silver medalist, and the other person who reached their height getting the bronze since they missed a jump on the way to 2.37 meters.

While a jump-off between these two may have been epic, I LOVE the spirit of agreeing to just both get gold medals.I love this sportsmanship.

On a side note, another Italian shocked the world by winning the 100 Meter sprint, even though he had never bested 10 seconds before this year. He ran it in 9.8 seconds, and won gold, and Tamberi was right there to hug him (Lamont Marcell Jacobs, who won the race, was almost unknown in the 100 meter as a former high jumper, so Gianmarco Tamberi knew him well so it makes sense that he was out there to support his countryman and former high jump teammate).

#Olympics #sports are unimportant #which is why they are so important #(stealing Jim's tags again)#I missed this watching the Olympics at work #so I'm SO glad I found an article with a video that wasn't just still shots

37 notes · View notes

allegra-writes · 3 years

Text

"Bad together"

Prologue: Benjamin Reilly

Peter Parker x Reader

General audiences

Warnings: none.

"And if I'm dead to you

Why are you at the wake?

Cursing my name, wishing I stayed"

My tears ricochet - Taylor Swift

"... It's a disaster! Look at her! It's like someone took a look at Black Cat, selected everything that made her sexy and then took it out!"

Black Cat. The name froze the young photographer on his tracks right outside his boss' office. He hadn't heard that name in a long time, the last sighting had been well over a year ago. He would know. After all, it had been him, the very last person to have seen Felicia Hardy, alive or dead.

"What are you talking about? That looks hot af, not to mention badass!" Jade's persuasive voice reached his ears, making him smirk: It was no secret the chief editor had a soft spot for the young intern. And, on her part, the petite brunette was a firecracker. Poor old Jameson didn't stand a chance. "Come on, dad. Single handedly taking down three of the Kingpin's goons? That's impressive. It deserves to be one of the slides!"

"Not if we don't get a higher quality picture. That blurry video is good enough for a thumbnail, but not for a slide" Slides were a big deal, they were the Dailybugle.net's equivalent of a front page, and if J. Jonah Jameson took something seriously, it was his web site. He prided himself in the quality of the "receipts" of his "tea", as if that validated the trashiness of the bullshit articles he posted, more fiction from hyper imaginative wannabe writers than serious work from real reporters.

"Well, then let's get the pictures. Where is that star photographer of yours?"

The photographer rolled his eyes, typical Jade. As if the queen of cool didn't know his name. As if she hadn't graced his bed a handful of times already.

"That's a good question. Dolores, get me Reilly!"

"I'm here, Jonah" Ben finally stepped inside the office, throwing an envelope on Jameson's desk before throwing himself on a chair across it. He could feel Jade's eyes on him, almost like a physical caress, trailing from the long, slick back curls on the top of his head, to the muscles of his arms, threatening to rip open the seams at the sleeves of his white t-shirt, to his jean clad thighs. Still, he didn't turn to look at her, refusing to give her the satisfaction.

"What do you have for me today, boy?"

Ben gesticulated vaguely with his head in the direction of Jade, and Jameson caught the hint.

"Jade, out!"

"But, dad, my story!" The petulant reply left her mouth before she could stop it, undoubtedly the product of years of habit. But she had the grace to look embarrassed and leave the office without another word, trying to save whatever professionalism she had left.

Once she was gone, Jameson opened the envelope, flipping through the various pictures of a masked figure swinging around New York in a black and red suit.

"Hmmm… these are good" the older man praised, staring at the images of a frustrated robbery at 5th avenue

Ben snifled nocomitically,

"There was a fire at 16th avenue happening at the same time" He offered, "we could use that. Spider-Man forgets his roots and leaves his old neighborhood to fend for itself, running off to save some pretty socialite…"

"Oh, that is excellent! See, this is why I like you, kid. You have initiative. Unlike these snowflakes out there. Oh, but Spider-Man is a hero. Hero, my ass"

"Well, when you watch your so called hero sit back and do nothing as your life gets destroyed" Ben shrugged, "the rose colored glasses tend to fall off…"

Jameson made a face at that,

"Yeah, about that… I'm sorry. For the role the Daily Bugle played on that…"

Ben shook his head,

"You thought you were getting the truth out there. It's not your fault to have been played, along with half the world. Plus," he added, sounding genuinely enthusiastic, "you gave me this job. And now we can really tell the truth"

"Even when our idea of the truth is somehow different" The older man scoffed, flipping around a picture of Spider-Man sat on what appeared to be a hammock of his own webs, eating a hamburger and reading something that looked suspiciously like a comic book, "Still hung up on that high schooler theory of yours?"

"Well, if it talks like a brat and acts like a brat…" Ben took out another envelope, this time containing a few burger king wrappers and, effectively, a spider-man comic book.

"Where did you even get these?"

"Harlem" was Ben's curt reply, and Jameson knew that was as exact a location as he was going to get.

"So you still believe this is a copycat? Some kid playing dress up"

Ben simply shrugged again.

"Well, there seems to be an epidemic of those lately" Jameson admitted, indicating Ben to come closer, passing a tablet to him, "Jade just handled me this, take a look"

Ben took a deep breath, steeling himself, already knowing what he was going to see in it. Yet, a part of him couldn't help but hope to be wrong. To hope the silver haired figure facing three much bigger, stronger looking ones as he pressed play, wasn't the same one he had spent weeks memorizing last summer. Wasn't the body he had found solace in, when everything fell apart, once again, for the hundredth time in his life.

To hope it wasn't you.

But when in his twenty-two or so years of existence, had things ever gone his way?

Ben felt the screen crack under his fingertips.

"I've heard of her" he lied through his teeth, "didn't even think she was real, to be honest. Extremely elusive, and cunning." That much was true, "I don't understand how something as mundane as a security camera managed to catch her…"

Unless you wanted to be caught, that was.

"Well, I don't care if she's the fucking Loch Ness monster, I want an HD picture of her on my desk tomorrow to go with Jade's article. I already have a headline: New Catastrophe Jen wreaks havoc on Hell's Kitchen" Jameson's eyes lit up with glee as he weaved his hands up in the air, like writing on an invisible marquee.

Ben snorted

"Don't you mean Calamity Jane?"

Jameson's face fell, the color rising to his cheeks, characteristic vein popping on his forehead.

"I meant what I meant, boy! Now, what are you still doing here? You have 24 hours to get me that picture"

"I'm going to need 72," came Ben's unphased reply, "and I want twice what you pay me for the spidey pics"

Jameson's vein looked about ready to explode,

"48 hours. And deal."

Ben jumped from his seat and bolted out of the office before his boss could change his mind, not realizing until it was too late that he was on a collision course with a sweet looking short haired blonde girl.

"Watch where you're going! Jeez!"

"Me? You're the one who crashed against me!"

Ben rolled his eyes, but crouched next to the girl anyway, helping her gather the papers that had been sent flying on impact back together.

"Peter? Oh my god, is that you?"

Of course. What an idiot, he should had recognized that annoying, shrilly voice the second he heard it. It had caught him off guard, something he knew he couldn't afford. But how could he had ever imagine he could run into Betty fucking Brant, Yale cum laude, in the freaking dailybugle.net headquarters of all places?

"Sorry, sweetheart. You must confuse me with someone else…" He mumbled, lowering his head even more in a vain attempt to hide his face.

"Of course not!" She insisted, "You're Peter, Peter Parker, we went to Midtown together!"

"Miss, I have no idea what you're talking about…"

"Don't be silly, Peter!" She chuckled, completely deft to his tone or the way his whole demeanor had changed the second she had called him by the old name. "How have you been? Oh, just wait until I tell Ned, he's going to be so-"

CRACK.

At last, the tablet that had been in peril ever since Jameson had put it in Ben's hands, the one that contained his assignment, met its demise, both broken halves falling to the ground, along with all the papers he had picked up for Betty. It was several moments before he could get the shaking of his hands under control, before the tar black rage inside him subsided enough for him to be able to move without shifting. But it had.

"Peter Parker is dead." He deadpanned, dark brown eyes finally meeting Betty's stunned blue ones, "Tell Ned that, he'll probably be glad to hear it"

With that, he stood up and walked away, leaving a confused and agitated Betty behind.

To be continued...

#peter parker #peter parker x reader #tom holland #peter parker imagine #tom holland x reader #tom holland imagine #peter parker x reader smut #tom holland x reader smut #dark!peter parker #dark peter parker #venom #venom!peter parker #marvel #black cat #felicia hardy #bad together #arvin russell

332 notes · View notes

shukumeinorivals · 3 years

Note

sorry if this has been asked before, I'm new to this account and in tumbler in general, so I don't know how things work lmao. My question is how did yall get into translating?

Welcome, I hope you enjoy your stay!

I'm the only translator, so I can only give you one answer.

The short answer is, I got into it because I wanted to understand songs and video games related to Pokémon, Vocaloid and Hetalia.

The really long answer would be...

Story time!

When I was very young I heard one of the Pokémon openings in Japanese for the first time and fell in love with the way it sounded, so I asked my mom to get me a dictionary because I wanted to look up the words I heard and translate the song (lol I was kinda naive). I had no idea kanji or any other writing systems existed yet.

Anyway, she got me the dictionary and because it was in romaji, I actually learned a bunch of vocabulary and fixed phrases just by reading it obsessively. Some time passed and I learned a bit more about the language and kinda taught myself the katakana syllabary so that I could spell the names of my fav characters at the back of my notebooks. I was so proud about it.

A few years later, I was introduced to the wonders of Niconico, Vocaloid and Hetalia all at the same time by a friend I made online. She showed me a Hetalia hand-drawn MAD that had one of Luka's songs as BGM; after that, there was no going back for me, my child self was so amazed and wanted to understand those songs more than ever.

Naturally, I joined the fandom, where I got to know of the existence of doujinshi and fangames.

(Me after watching that video.) So I begged my mom to take me to Japanese classes. At first it was hard to find a school because I was younger than the minimum age some required but we eventually found one. Unfortunately, the courses at that school went only up to lower intermediate level (N3) so I finished rather quick. That was enough to understand doujinshi and pixiv comics but it took me literally hours to read through even short doujinshi and many songs I liked were still out of my league so I was a bit bummed. Around that time, I got super into hetaoni and I was really frustrated because I was struggling to understand all the dialogue but, when one of the translators in the fandom started translating it, I was so impressed and grateful and just wanted to be cool like them and help others understand too. That was probably the moment I decided I wanted to start translating for others as well and pay the favor forward.

Eventually, I grew confident enough to talk to a translator (it took me ages because I was extremely shy, like the kind that gets anxious and can’t even order at a restaurant shy lol) and ask them if they could check a few attempts I had made at translating stuff and I was glad when it wasn't ridden with corrections as I thought it would be.

I wanted to go back to classes but my schedule back then was packed with activities so I was like whatever, I'll teach myself the grammar for the next certification level and so, with the help of very useful webs like japanesetest4you, I did just that and I passed, against all odds. I did the same for the final one but I failed on my first try because my reading speed was not fast enough to finish all the readings, so I hired a tutor who made me read articles like crazy, against time for 6 months... it was torture, but it worked lol.

I'm still learning to this day, because I want to master it, but I basically use the skills I've obtained so far for exactly the same reason I started learning, which is understanding songs, video games, doujinshi and novels, as well as helping others understand them and hopefully encourage them to start their own learning journey.

Ao.

#asks

42 notes · View notes

wrongwiredmind · 3 years

Text

Before I start saying anything I'd like to warn that the content of this post is both gore and contains suicidal thoughts, if any of that triggers you, please do not read, I care about whoever is reading but I can't hold any responsibility for anything that might follow, stay safe, and remember that no matter what, what comes next in your life will be better, one way or another.

This post is rather long, but that's kinda the point of this page, here we go, then.

So, I had almost my weirdest dream to date, right now, and then I thought, to heck with it!! Let's share something!

So first of all, I need to set some points straight before writing so it might explain a few things, hopefully, without giving a lot away about my personality:

(I have no idea how to put them on order, so they're pretty much a mumbo jumbo. Ah~ My favourite type of writing~. Kidding, of course, I actually prefer reading well written stories and articles)

Anyhow:. 1- I have a really deep unexplainable fear of the vast beast called an ocean (or a sea, or really anytype of deep water), I still go to the beach and pools and whatever, but there's always some sort of an icy grip tightening around my non-existent heart.

2- I love IronMan! So so much, and I kinda adopted Tony Stark!! (no one tell him, please!).

3- my adoration of a certain supernatural series made me love batman! (well, not entirely true, I always loved him, but kinda from afar, you get me?)

4- want me to get hooked on something? Give me a fanfic of it!! (of course like a series or a book, not a substance, you bad bad people!!), that's how I loved Bilbo!! (imagine me saying it in my adorable voice, the one I use when I try to sound cute 😉)

5- I binge read a certain fanfic about those two amazing superheroes saving the world, and themselves!! (I refuse to give up the name since if you think this is me oversharing? You've got another thing coming, honey!) that had a cruise and another prototype of the IronMan suit (don't ask which mark it is but it's so fast it broke the sound barrier!!)

6- I'm a little bit under the weather, (not corona, folks!) and my throat is kinda itchy, to the point that I lost all my vocal prowess for a little more than 24 hours a few days ago, still kinda annoying, and my stomach rebelled so much yesterday (before and during sleeping) that I thought she should take the rebellion symbol from Mr. Che Jivara!! (with all due respect to him, I'm only joking, so please no one takes it seriously).

7- I'm a little bit of a spacetoon (and all that's good and beautiful in our childhood) encyclopedia, want a name of a cartoon or a song you can't remember? I'm usually your best bet, after the second mother, google, of course!!

8- this week is so dead that if you want to see zombies come to our lectures any time in it, seriously we're so under a lot of exams, thank God and the doctors for postponing our tasks and assignments' due-date.

9- if I was a little more of an extrovert I might not have had to write most of these strange snippets about me in a freaking post!!!

And finally, on with the dream! (another thing you probably know by now, that I kinda take you around and under and left and right before I say what I want to say).

So, it was an assignment to some sort of subject (don't ask me which, since as far as I know, not a single thing in our curriculum will make me do what I'm about to do here, or at least, I hope so!!!), we made some type of fall-body suit that needed analysing (who am I kidding, it was the IronMan suit!!), and guess who was picked as a pilot? That's right! Yours truly!!

Anyway, good thing to bad, we had to make the prototype test in the middle of the (as I said above) the vast beast! Mr. Oceanus (I know that that is a Mr. Titan, but who am I, the lowly mortal, to deny his decision to appear in my paragraphs? And no, he didn't show up in the dream, thank God! [ours, not any of the others]),

So, I was put in the cruise, in the middle of the ocean, with the IronMan suit, and a seriously sick stomach, can you guess where we're going with this? (I'm actually kinda enjoying writing this since it reminds me of a certain mad superhero/not superhero who finally joined the XMen!, of course he joined a few years ago but I only watch the second movie circa a month ago) no? let me tell you, a bit of dizziness, seasickness, and an already rebellious stomach? Not a good combination, and remember that I really, really fear the ocean (just remembering the dream and the images in my head is traumatising, let alone living it vividly for a few hours), so, I fell, and strangely enough, I was a good swimmer (ah~ I really count my blessings here since no matter who or when someone taught me to swim, I still can't manage), I was able to stay close to the ship, but couldn't really pull myself up, so all I could do was keep a good hold on a rope tied around the ship and keep my legs in a calculated, slow what feels like a walking-in-place exercise,, (I can still feel the water around me, and the gentle waves of the ocean, it was both a calming feeling and a horrible one) and then...

Something touched the soles of my feet, and it kinda hurt, and it continued to move under me till something hit my toes, it was a shark fin, that's right, a shark choose me as his next meal, how honoured I was!!! Kidding i was kinda terrified, but all that YouTube survival videos came to mind, I left the rope of the ship and kinda dipped under water (triple scare, here, yikes!) and I... pushed.. his muzzle?

Yeah, so not really what they taught you in the videos, my polite nature rears its ugly head again (politeness is not as good as it seems, people! actually once a stray dog entered our home and jumped on the couch, and I was asking nicely and politely if "Mr. Dog would pretty please leave us be", and no, I wasn't scared but mom told me not to touch it, and it kinda was a cute, if a mangy mutt)

I didn't really want to punch the shark, even if my life kinda depended on it here, for a few reasons and actually at least one of them was pretty reasonable, which is, my punch is pretty weak, guys!!

Anyway, of course since its skin kinda scratched my feet there was blood, so it didn't leave me alone, two things I concluded here, first, Mr. Shark was either a lazy guy since he was coming to me slowly as if he either was a giant cat coming for pets no matter how many times you push her, or he was playing with his food, aka, me.

The second thing I discovered was that I was really sick in real life since my imagination couldn't conjure another family member of my guest here (again with the small mercies, can you imagine being alone around all these carnivores? And I bet not all of them will be moving so leisurely!!)

So, I finally decided to be the champ of my cruise and punch the thing in the face, so I pulled up all the power I can in my fist and punched him in his snout!!!

And let me tell you, it's not as easy is they make it sound, first, his nose is actually pretty hard, not the sensitive area they led us to believe, second, my hand really hurt and his skin scratched my knuckles, and I believe it kinda broke a bone in my hand, third, and worse, it actually enraged the mister so much that it left me, J-squared again and this time, flew! in my direction and I swear I still feel his teeth sinking in the shin of my right leg, but before he tore it apart, I actually did the right thing to defend myself, I (and I apologise, Mr. Dream shark, but you really hurt both my leg and my feelings!!) poked his eyes, which made for a very awkward stretch to my body, but finally, I was left alone!! With a mangled leg, of course, but hey!! It's not real life, so let's be glad.

The saltwater stinging my feet, still sick, and more dizzy from blood loss, you have no idea how glad was I that I was still near the ship, a little bit more than a meter but still floating, and then, the bad became worse, I actually goT SWALLOWED WHOLE BY A WHALE!!!!!!!!, YUP!! THE WHALE IN THE PICTURE!!!

And then god with his mercies again, it swallowed the ship but opened his mouth for me to leave, neat, ain't it?

But let me tell you what happened in a little more details, I felt a ripple in the water beneath and around me, and the ship started to sway, and a faint sound of something between a roar and strange song-like-sound, feeling the rumble under me was what made me look, and lo and behold!! The mighty animal wanted the meal that the shark didn't get, bye bye world!! Bye bye the suit that I still didn't to get to wear! And bye bye the report I needed to write for this freaking assignment that because of it I might fail and my friends will rail me when they see me!!

The ship and I couldn't help but enter the mouth of the humongous fish, the sounds of the wood, metal, glass and whatever is the cruise was made of was deafening, so loud and cruel, and I got a more than a few bruises and abrasions, and the feel of his teeth behind my back, sharp and huge and bigger than my own size, was something I don't know how to describe, and suddenly between all the breaking and suffocating water and absolute darkness, something caught my eyes, the slits in the helmet of the suit were lit, I'm sure it was a malfunction because of all the destruction on Mark, but it took all my fear, as if sucking it from my own eyes, and as sudden as it glowed, it vanished, but the calm remained, I closed my eyes, since it didn't matter, and just stopped everything, even trying to hold my breath, but not breathing as well, as if all body functions just... Stopped.

And then my eyes flew open again, not because I woke up, but because of an almost crushing change in the water pressure, it just pushed me forward more inside the huge mouth, and when I thought that this is it, I found the whale mouth moving further away from me, taking the ship and Mark with it, and leaving me alone, in the middle of the ocean that I wanted to say "c'mon!! If you ate me it'll be a win-win situation!!!!" but the second I opened my mouth water rushed inside that I tried swimming up to breath (even though not knowing which way is up was problematic, since something similar happened in real life before I wasn't worried, but that's a story for another time), breaking the surface was a godsend, I tell you! But my misery wasn't in any way over, I was so thirsty I actually wanted to drink salt water a again (and then death, oh wow, how smart?), and once the adrenaline deserted me, my leg returned to trying to kill me, and I don't know if it was a real thing if it happened in real life but it actually stopped bleeding, which was both fantastic, since it means that I won't die of bloodloss, and horrifying since I'm not going to die because of bloodloss, at least then I would have been able to calculate an approximate time for my death, but no, I have to wait and see what kills me next, I almost wished that I just had my previous stomachache and be done with.

Anyway, moving was not really an option, and staying was not either, and the breeze was making me so cold my teeth almost broke from all the shattering they were doing, I wasn't really sure when the others might decide to check on me, and I'm not really sure if I was still in the place they left me at, and I really didn't know what to do, I was so helpless, and cold, and thirsty, in so much pain and so so tired.

I cursed the whale again for not ending my misery, and cursed the shark for being a coward and not finishing what he started and cursing the assignment for being so impossible yet important, and most of all cursing myself, though I don't know why, but my self-loathing decided that now is the time to remember how horrible I am.

As physics does, the water raised me till I was floating on my back, which made me feel even more cold but I didn't have any energy to do anything about it, and strangely, I fell into some sort of doze, not asleep yet not really awake and aware, my whole body half above half into the water, though my right, injured leg, was bend in the knee into the water, which made my pained scream when something took hold of it in its mouth the more agonizing since it made my upper body enter the water, and the thing holding my leg left it alone, and I was able to right myself and look around me for the next threat, the fear was immense that I thought I might get a heartattack, which, admittedly would be better than the pain going to be inflicted upon me any second now, looking around finally led me to what attacked me, and for a moment, with my blurry, and fear filled eyes looked like Mr. Shark has indeed returned to finish what he started, he even returned to his play-with-my-food attitude, but when my eyes finally focused they detected differences, from the lighter shade of colors, to the more smooth curves of the fin and snout, and the gentle, warm (even if it looked sleepy) strange brown tone of the mammels eyes,

The dolphin was about two meters away, and looking at me with intense, twinkling eyes (if they were blue and he wore glasses, or at least marking that looks like it, I would have thought that the dolphin was Dumbledore' animagus and I really wouldn't have hesitated this time to punch his already crocked nose.. err.. snout [which it isn't, the dolphin's snout was perfect] with my broken hand!!) and moved slowly towards me, he pushed me gently with his nose in my abdomen, swam back a few inches, then entered the water and moved towards my leg, not touching it, but he was close enough to feel with my already almost destroyed sensitive nerves, he did all of that while I'm standing/floating, stupefied, hardly even breathing, and then he left, and pushed me again with his snout on my back, this time with more pressure that my body couldn't help but move to the dolphin's right side to let him pass, with my hand just above his back, when my hand touched his prominent back fin, he pushed my hip gently, as if telling me something, and pushed his fin into my hand again, it felt like rubber, and I couldn't help but ask "you want me to hold you?" he made a strange clicking noise then kinda slapped the water with his side fin in the other side of me, and bizarrely, his actions made me feel as if he was saying "are you stupid? Why else would I offer you my magnificent dorsal?!!" I stared, flummoxed, at the creature and couldn't help but throw my head back and laugh, I'm certain that it was the tension, fear and hysteria that made me do it, but for me, the whole situation was so hilarious that it seemed like it made Mr. Dolphin look at me and think "alright, the pathetic, hurt, star-shaped blemish is, indeed, stupid and needs help from my majesty" and then, using his right fin, slapped me non-too-gently on the side of my left hip, squeaking something as well and pushed his dorsal in my left hand again, but when he noticed my wince, he actually kinda rubbed his slippery appendage on my thigh while honest-to-god cooed at me that I couldn't help but smile at him, "it's okay, big guy, and thanks; you know, you kinda remind me of flipper!" and then I petted him a couple of times (which he purred at, I think I need a cat! 🤔🤔) then grabbed his fin in a tight but non constricting grip, my right hand was swollen by now so my only hope was to keep holding using my left hand, after shaking his body a little as if to check my hold, he dove with me into the water!! I almost screamed in fright but then he broke the surface and jumped about three meters high into the air!!!

Hello, there, adrenaline, didn't see you since a few!!

He dove again into the water and this time gradually moved towards the surface, with the water flowing into my hair and pushing me from my saviour, my left leg moved on its own violation and moved around the body as if I was riding a horse,

"WOOHOO!!", I shouted once we were in the air again, it was exhilarating; cold, but thrilling, though the warm body beneath me was perfect, he took me in a straight if slightly curvy line, and when I noticed that, I also noticed that his right fin was not moving as his left, I even thought he was injured for a second, but then a sharp sting in my leg and a slight jerk from him made me understand, my injured leg was beneath his wing-like appendage, and he was being considerate, as a solution, I flattened myself on his back, kept my left leg dangling as if in the horse saddle, my right one, as gently as possible, bend on the knee above the dolphin's back, my left hand gripping the top fin with it touching my shoulder, and my broken right hand above Mr. Flipper's cousin head, and then I came into a a sudden realization!! "does that mean I'm Lopaka????" I asked Flipper the second, and he made a sound suspiciously almost like a snort, but my change of position made him move in a much more pronounced straight line; the speed decreased as I started to doze again, as if he was worried about dislodging me, though the annoying feeling of the salt crusting on my skin woke me up, no idea how much time had past, except that the sun was on either the verge of descending or rising, and finally, finally, I saw land and buildings and what not from afar, and I certainly moved to another continent all together, let alone another country, after reaching the area where I could stand comfortably on the ground beneath the water, people started to come to see what was happening, I ignored them for the sake of my silent companion, suddenly he actually stood on his tail fin, and kinda sort of awkwardly leaned on me without trying to put too much pressure, I didn't understand what was happening though it seemed sorta like a hug?

Anyway, I pat his back again, (and again with the weird purring noise), when he released me I felt buzzing in the back pocket of my jeans, I actually still have my phone!!!

Pulling it out and snorting that after everything that happened my phone was still working!! all I could say is "well, it seems like the time of a picture, Mr. Flipper, sir!" and after an awkward kneeling so I could put my injured arm around him and trying to stretch my bloody leg (both meanings are accurate here, tbh) so it wouldn't interfere with the selfie, I positioned my left hand.

And the last thing I remember is the picture of my (Lopaka the second 😂) wide mouth grin and an equally wonderful grin from Mr. Flipper the second!!!

The End.

It really was a dream I had, with all these details, the only thing that's not entirely true about this post, is saying that this is the weirdest dream I had.

5 notes · View notes

whimsically-ominously-auspice · 4 years

Text

Did you know about two years ago i saw King Harry at a local Burger King?

I heard him speak and noticed his accent and so I kept looking at him not feeling he was a Prince of any sort.

My soulmate was screaming "That's the King!!"

I told him "okay that's great but would you shut up? I'm trying to look at This guy. He seems familiar to me and I'm at Burger King, yeah i know. Now just please!"

So I'm looking him up and down and he loos me up and down, King Harry with amusement. And im like dude what you looking at me and laughing for? And I'm all this is a set up and hes figured me out before i figured him out. And i wonder if he's got amnesia, too...

He let's me order ahead of him although he was there first... Although i had went in first, I had gotten in line second after seating my kid as we had not been to that particular Burger King before.

Then I heard him going on and on about making sure the receipt was gotten for him. Because he had forgot and it was placed on the counter and he had people with him.

I was all surely that is not the Prince of Harry he would not care about a receipt!!

Then he tells his friend in a whisper "No you should call me King. Then no one would know who i am."

"You mean us"

I looked up to see King William laughing.

Whoa shit!! My mouth dropped open! It really was them! Or him!

William turned around and his mouth dropped open at the sight of me!

"First i want you to know this wasn't planned. Second i want you to tell me where you have been"

I didn't know who he was talking to so i looked away because i was like not planned my foot and you're not tricking me hostage negotiatiator! We're not gonna be your hostages! Not today!!

I heard stuttering and mumbling. "I was waiting in the car, you didn't answer your text. And i wanted to make sure the drink order was okay"

"How's your drink order ma'am?" Asked Harry

"Great!"

The entire time my daughter is laughing. Ever since she saw Williams jaw drop she was in a fit of giggles.

"We are just doing something incognito. It was nice to see you. Pleasant surprise! And it seems you have raised her right. I hope i do the same. But why have you recognized him but not me?"

"LET'S GO! IT MIGHT NOT BE HER!" William said through clenched teeth.

Which made me laugh because it was them!! Or very good actors!!

And Harry laughed and tried to get his brother to wait.

"He's aged. He's old. That is what i recognize" I barely gasped out between giggles.

So Harry repeated in a low murmer. So next thing I know William stomps back "what do you mean he's old?!?!"

"Not him you! Shit!! Oops I mean! No! No! I don't you got it right the First time!" Finally i could quit laughing and get myself together! Im sure i looked quite the Loon of Los Lunas!!

Behind me i could hear Harry taking pictures of my daughter who was just lit up.

"It IS! LOOK AT THEM! THEIR FACES! Its all her!!! You could tell can't you Harry!!!" William had the same amused satisfied look on his face that Harry had had in the line.

It was weird because Harry was in front of me with a black beanie and all black clothes and i had a feeling. And a memory of the burglar guys from Home Alone. And i started messing around in my head from that feeling because i felt very safe and comfortable to have my own presence.

And Harry spun around and grabbed his heart. His eyes wide with shock. Then kept turning his head to look at me. Gave up and then stood next to me.

I felt he was very tall. Almost too tall, i felt he had grown into a handsome young man. And i wondered why i thought those things. And it made me cautious. So i put my hand on my hip and spread my legs a bit like Wonder Woman and in my head said "And who are we to serve today sir?!"

My soulmate was all "you feel uncomfortable but you feel you should do like that?!?!"

"Uh huh."

That is when Harry's mouth dropped. But also colors whizzed by me. Colors of me in an outfit I had worn Before that only he found striking enough to remember.

And he spun around like Wonder Woman changing into her super self and said "there"

And i said "oh well what will you be having? She wants the chicken"

He laughed and barely squeezed out "burger and fries"

"Oh we are getting milkshakes, too. Coupon"

"Oh let me see? Are you done? May I?" And he clipped a coupon

"In the mail, the mailbox that is where i got them at my house"

"Oh you live nearby?"

"Down the road"

His face turned white and he grabbed a pen and wrote my name on his hand.

"Yeah but it's okay. There's nothing to it. Just be me"

And he doubled at the waist laughing.

"I'll admit some days it ain't easy but hey what else are ya gonna do? Cant die"

He had tried to steady himself but bust laughing again.

"Yeah I know you can't be me. I'll go first"

"Please do!!"

Later, as i left, the Police Department went in and asked for all copies of the security footage. And ordered something to eat while he waited.

...... ..... ....

Back in 2008 they had visited and I had kept explaining how I for each event we needed money and who had the funds.

Harry who i had not recognized yet although i had recognized his brother, because Harry had changed outfits and was walking about and had confused me as I was super busy interrupted, "excuse me if i may, but why do you keep saying you need money? You're like the richest person we know!!"

"Oh I'm so glad you asked would you like to see my bank account?!"

"No!"

So i showed him, we got like $2000 per month for my now ex husband's wages and my money from the VA to attend school.

And he turned white and he said "so so so someone stole from you?!?!?"

I didn't know i had money. I just knew people were offering to fund it. And would say "you got money for that" Saint Luches had caught on and would say "from me" as he played my accountant when Dan was busy.

Otherwise Dan would say "there's funding for that"

So it was quite the Bermuda Triangle of communication for me to understand that it was my own money we were using and it was my own money for businesses I owned and didn't know i owned.

And my face turned white.

And that is what seeded the desire two Kings to live as peasants.

Except Harry said he also wanted to do it alone. And so now it is his blessing to do so.

They would take breaks and leave their money as it was and go back to work and do what they needed to do for their country then they would return to where they were and be at the same amount of regular money they had at where they lived.

They would stay in the USA and use USD. They would stay in England even in their castles and use regular Euros and be on a budget under the Queen whom of course would bail them out.

I posted an article not to long ago about the Young Queens wearing mall priced jewellery along with their crowns.

And so while the world is in an uproar, they're doing what they have been all along. But this time a bit louder.

And William will take his turn at living singley with his family as a peasant eating 15 year old French fries from the back seat of their nearly broken down auto.

They have a series of different lifestyles to live.

Eventually they will have to hitchhike and stumble across luck in life.

When they do, they will be disguised and without their children. And to prove the world is safer.

Which we cannot bail them out. Unless it is subzero temperature and they are not near any buildings they can seek shelter at. Or extremely hot and they had not had water.

So in a sense how the brave Americans and other people from other lands will backpack across Europe, they will backpack across the world.

In my old age I am not that brave.

So while many think now "what if God were one of us" in a few years you will know to think "what if the King was Queen was hitchhiking back there?"

Alas. Do realize that people are kidnapped by picking up hitchhikers and they are not going to do so for until 2024. And of course they will have security that is nearby.

So please don't go picking up hitchhikers now! If you don't regularly.

I did in the past until I had my daughter and I can count on one finger how many times I've picked up a stranger on the road side since then. And the same for as many times as we hitchhiked ourselves.

I do help people in well lit and populated parking lots if I am not feeling ill.

I applaud Harry and William and their Queens for their adventures they have done in secret. And I look forward to the days we can see their adventures on TV.

May all the Good Gods and Goddesses and Trees bless both Harry and William, their children and their Queens.

My heart goes to Harry and his family on their new adventure they strike out alone!

My happiness still exist for them all!!!.

The number one cause of fights is about money... But I am sure they will still have that ability to find love... Despite that red hair temper stereotype that everyone fears!!! ;)

0 notes