#why would anyone think it's a good idea eating italian abroad

[pinkfriarielli]

some years ago i went to visit london with my family and some family friends. it happened we ate at bella italia.  sometimes at night i still have nightmares about it.

#italiani all'estero #bella italia #london #tw mention of food #why would anyone think it's a good idea eating italian abroad #apparently us #my sister got sick for that #pinkifri.txt #friariellirantelli

[hellomynudebrain]

Paths (Jumin X reader) Part#18

The party is near, and between your work and the party, you were more busier than ever. Most of the people could think you were stress or maybe overwhelmed with all the work, but in fact you weren't.  Since that day on Jumin's villa, you felt way lighter than before and Jumin and you become much more closer than before. You spent your free days together, eating in some high class restaurant, playing with Elizabeth, trying bottles of wine while talkign about your lifes. You were more honest, which means the constant fights lessen and he laughed more often  when you met him. You were clumsy sometimes like when you were with Jihyun but Jumin didn't matter, he was having fun spending time with you. 

But after some good days with Jumin, suddenly he became distant and started to arrive late. You didn't want to get worried but you did. Maybe he found someone he really likes and that's why he turned like that.  One night, he offered to bring you to a nice restaurant with excelent Italian food, but in the middle of the dinner he got up from his chair and left the room. 

"Excuse me, I need to attend this phone call"

"Yes, work is work...so you can go...hahaha..."

You were curious about the call, so you followed him and see his reactions. The restaurant had the perfect wall for you to hide. So you put yourself behind it and picked on one side. You could see him smiling and he looked so relaxed while he was making the phone call. Maybe he did found someone. That bothered you, but you weren't his "real" girlfriend, which means you haven't the right to be jelous. Resignated, you went back to your table. 

A few minutes later he came back to the table, too. But his smile was so abroad that it was hard to hide it. Sudden, you weren't hungry and the conversation wasn't interesting anymore. You only looked down the food and answer his questions without care. Jumin was so happy that this time he didn't notice the change of your mood. The rest of the night passed. 

The next day you were thinking in Jumin's call. Maybe he did find someone to be with and he didn't end your relationship since you have a contract, and the contract establised that you have to be together until the party. Your chest hurted a little with the thought of you and Jumin spliting off  after that day. You were confused about your feelings. 

The gaze that you had was lost on a wall of your office until that trance was broke off by you phone.It was Jumin. His timing was perfect almost as if you were calling him with your mind. You picked your phone, hesitated a bit, however you anwered.

"....Good afternoon....What can I do for you, Jumin?"

"Oh! It's good that you answered me like that. Tonight, I'll pick you up, driver Kim is going to arrive to you work and deliver a package with  the appropiate attire for this evening date. Please wear it, I didn't buy it. It was Seven and MC's purchase, so  if the outfit is not from your liking, it's not my fault....Anyhow...be ready at 8 pm, that's all." 

He hang up. 

You were surprise with the speed he talked. It sounded like he was in a hurry....Maybe he was about to dump you and that was the reason Seven and MC bought the outfit, maybe he used them to do the dirty job and it was a break up outfit...

Diver Kim arrived to your office and delivered the  package in your hands. He smiled at you like hidding somehing. Now, you were sure. Jumin was a bout to dump you and all were part of the plan, even driver Kim. After, you hesitated to wear whatever the package had, at the end you put yourself together and open the package.  

The dress was a simple but lovely red dress, light and with fluid movements when you weared it, dance heels and water proff make up.All was perfect to dance. How the hell Seven and MC new about your love for  dancing? Maybe Jumin will invite you to dance and dump you on the dance floor? Your mind was playing tricks on you and the worst, each scene was worst than the next one. You looked beautiful, you said when you were standing in front of the mirror on the restrooms of your work, but your sweaty hands and your dry mouth were telling to not go. But was too late, Jumin was outside of your wok place waiting for you. You took the elevator, you wanted to keep inside there all the eternity but unfourtunately, you arrived to the first floor and Jumin's limo is right in front of the entrance. You don't have where to run away. 

The door of the limo opened and inside  Jumin was wearing a light T-shirt in black  with brown colored jeans and a jacket. That surprise you, since you met him, you never saw him like that. He was about to dump you, it was for sure. He wouldn't dress like that for anyone at least was a woman who made him to do it. Again, you hesitated. The coward attitudes weren't your thing, you speak and act with no fear, but entering in that limo was the most terrifying thing in your life. But you put yourself together again, and with your fearful guts, you steped inside and jump to your broke up scene. You were nervous thinking in the worst scenes. Jumin wasn't good either. The clothes made them uncomfortable, and someway hard to think in something to talk. At this time, you have lost the count how many time you have this kind of mood in the limo with Jumin. The limo stoped and your fear and more scenes came to your mind, maybe Jumin would introduce to his real girlfriend and they will kiss infront of you...and how will you feel? How are you going to feel? The answer shaked you inside, you would feel broken again. 

Again lost in your thoughts, Jumin called you and brought you back to reality. You looked him in the eyes, your ideas and feelings were clear but at the same confusing. He smiled to you, took your hand and even with all the scenes in your head, you became brave again. 

The building was an old house with european style and flowers all over it. On the backround, you could hear music, but not any kind music. It was salsa music, cumbia and merengue, the musica you like to dance.

Once you and Jumin entered, a bunch of people scream...

"Surprise!"

"What?! Why?" 

You felt lost in words, that wasn't nothing like the scenes on your head. Your surprise got bigger when a women with long brown hair, white skin and hazelnut eyes came to you accompanied with a redhead with a funny pattern on his glasses and yellow eyes. 

"Hello! Agent 707 is here with Agents MC! Did we surprise you, fair lady?" The red head man talked.

You only nooded with your wide open mouth but no sound came from it.

"*giggles* That's great! Sorry, I'm MC and this crazy man is my husband" "....Oh, thank you! But today it's not my birthday..." You answered with a really confused voice.

"hahaha....Of course not silly! This is your welcome party to the RFA!" MC aswered you back.

All disoriented, Jumin took you from you arm and seat you in a table. "I want to apologize with you..."

"Why?" 

"Because I was a little distant with you the last few days, but it was to keep myself quite about the welcome party"

"Is this because of me?"

"Yes, MC and Saeyong wanted to give you a surprise as a welcome and as a gratitude for helping with the party" 

"Wow! Really?! This...is really a big surprise....hahaha....now I feel like a dumb for all my crazy ideas"

"What crazy ideas?" Jumin asked with curiosity. 

You bite your tongue.

"...no...forget it"  

All the RFA came to you and gave you a welcome gift. Zen and Eve gave you a kit for skincare, Yoosung and Alice, a direction of a refuge for cats and a collar for your next cat, Jaehee and Saeran a pair of coffee cups for couples and finally MC and Saeyong a RFA ID, however when those last two go away. Saeyong came back to you and whispered something on your ear. 

"Here, use them wisely~" And ran away wiking his eye. He put a little box on your hand, it was wrapped in a pretty red paper. You got courious, but suddenly Ali took your hand and brought you to the food table. You put the little box and put it on Jumin's jacket.

You eat and drink, the party could be small but all the people were really enjoyed it. 

There was even a dance floor. Ali was teaching how to dance latin rhythms, Eve and Zen were kiling it on the dance floor dancing as profesionals, Jaehee  was talking and drinking with MC since she has a broken leg, thought Saeran was only drinking juice as Saeyong was making fun of him.

However, Jumin and you were seeing all having fun, you wanted to dance but you were a coward and didn't want to ask Jumin. And Jumin was embarrased because he only knew how to dance waltz and tango, and none of the songs they were dancing was one. 

Zen noticed you wanted to get to dance and since Jumin hadn't the guts to take you at the dance floor. He went to your place and grabed your hand. Zen and you were on the dance floor dancing, at first, you felt weird because Zen was dancing with Eve and they were hell good, but at that moment you were dancing as you used to do before and enjoyed it. Both of you were dancing in perfect synchrony, Eve was happy to see both of you dancing, however, there was a man who started to drink with a sour face, a bottle of wine when you started to dance with Zen. Jumin.

Jumin felt rage against Zen, because he was dancing so near to you, touching you...All that made him mad, and each glass of wine he drank made him madder. 

You were having the time of the year, dancing until your feet hurted, so happy that made you thirsty which made you drink more. 

Finally, Jumin tired of seeing you dance with Zen, stood up from his seat and walked through the dance floor, tapped on Zen's shoulder and talked.

"Zen, I think it's enough dance with MY girlfriend. Love, I don't know how to dance this rhythms, could you teach me?"

You looked Zen, and Zen as a gentleman, set aside and let Jumin dance with you. 

Jumin was stiff but as a patient teacher, you helped him to move and started to dance. His movements were clumpsy but that only made both of you laugh as sillies. 

The song changed and a salsa with a smother sound came, you felt awkard but Jumin took you from you waist and got closer to you. The tension was evident. You looked at him he looked at you, your noses were near as you felt his breath on you, his touch and the smooth music on the background. You automatically close you eyes and he got near your mouth. 

His lips and your lips touched  in a kiss, suddenly he turned his kiss deeper and his tongue started to play with yours. You wanted more and more, but you were interrupted.

"*whistling* Get a room and use my present!!" The redhead with glasses screamed at you.

You remembered, both of you were in a party and you kissed in front of them. You stoped and felt embarrased, but even so, you want more, what made you more embarrased and redder. 

Jumin looked at you and couldn't stand how cute you were at that moment. Maybe was the alcohol or the dance, but he lean to you, kiss your cheek and whispered something on your ear. 

"Let's go back home and continue this~"

You were mesmerized for the kiss and agreed with him. Both say goodbye to everyone and ran to the limo.

#jumin han #fanfic #mystic messenger rfa #mc #reader #paths

[peirates]

‘Did the Romans and ancient Greeks ... ?’

Google autocomplete is a gem and a curse. Inspired by @todayintokyo’s post on questions about Japan, I thought I’d have a look at what people are asking about Rome and classical Greece and, wow...

Christmas holidays leave a lot of time for milling around, so I’ll answer them in case anyone’s interested. (Please forgive me if any of this is incorrect/incoherent, it’s nearly 11pm as I’m writing this lol)

Did the Romans speak Latin?

Yes, Latin was Rome’s (and the Roman Empire’s) official language! Of course, many Romans or foreigners in Rome spoke other languages for the sake of communication, trade and education - Greek was particularly popular among the nobility - but Latin was what they all had in common.

Did the Romans invade Scotland?

Long story short, no. They tried, failed, and built Hadrian’s Wall to keep the ‘barbarian’ Gaels out - southern Britain was already too cold and muddy for the temperate Romans, not much point in losing more lives over more mud. 

(Hadrian’s Wall was what inspired Game of Thrones’ The Wall, as confirmed by G.R.R. Martin himself, but Hadrian’s was nowhere near as high, thick or long.)

Did the Romans have glass?

Absolutely! In fact, their skill with it was much more artistic and masterful than the average glassmaker today, just search ‘roman glassware’ here on Tumblr or on Google images to see what I mean.

Did the Romans invent concrete?

Yep! It’s famed for its durability, which is due to its contents of volcanic ash (Pompeii flashbacks), lime and seawater. The seawater reacted with the ash over time to give it its strength and anti-cracking nature.

In fact, the Roman method was so effective that it lasts for far longer than modern concrete (modernity/Westernisation =/= progression, it seems) and scientists today are trying to find ways to revitalise it.

Did the Romans eat pizza? / Did the Romans eat pasta?

Sadly not, only later Italians did. Their empire deserved to crumble for not inventing either smh.

Did the Romans invade Britain? / Did the Romans invade England?

They did indeed in AD 43 under Emperor Claudius, and they only began to withdraw in the late 300s when the city of Rome was being threatened by a Germanic tribe called the Visigoths.

Did the Romans invade Ireland?

No. Even now, archaeologists have no idea to what extent they communicated or even knew of each other.

Did the Romans celebrate Christmas?

Emperor Constantine only began converting the empire to Christianity from AD 313 (they had been pagan previously), and the earliest evidence we have of Romans celebrating Christmas was in 336 AD, very late in Roman history. Throughout most of Roman history, therefore, no they did not celebrate Christmas.

(They did have a festival which was similarly important and similarly timed (mid-December) called the Saturnalia. It also involved communal partying, gift exchanges and a general spirit of liberty (e.g. slaves could order around and punish their masters) - it was one of the most anticipated festivals of the Roman calendar. However, the purpose was very different: it was to worship the pagan god Saturn, the father of god-king Jupiter and the previous ruler of the world before its occupation by humanity. Namely, the festival marked a return to the ancient ‘Golden Age’ in which nature was dominant, peaceful and uncorrupted.)

Did ancient Greece have emperors? / Did ancient Greece have kings?

No emperors, traditionally Greece was comprised of city-states ruled by kings (or theoretically by the dēmos, the people, if you were Athens). Under Roman occupation it did answer to Rome’s leaders (consuls, then later emperors), but the idea of emperors was much more late-Roman than Greek.

Did ancient Greece celebrate Christmas?

Nope. It was originally pagan and did not celebrate any Christian holidays until a) it was conquered by Rome b) Rome later converted to Christianity, thus enforcing it on the rest of the empire. However, this conversion point was so long after the ‘heroic’ and ‘classical’ periods of Greece that by the time it did become mostly Christian, it was no longer ‘ancient Greece’ in the same sense.

Did ancient Greece have electricity?

Y’all are asking the real questions out here, that’s for sure lmao. 

Nope, electricity wasn’t used anywhere as a power source until Thomas Edison’s studies about two thousand years later.

God though, a good ol’ GPS would have saved Odysseus a lot of trouble.

Did ancient Greece and Rome overlap?

Oh, nelly...

Greece predated Rome by at nearly a thousand years, but Greece’s and Rome’s histories together lasted for centuries, even before the latter conquered the former. It’s why they are studied together as one field of academia. Many Italian settlements were in fact Greek colonies. Classical Greek helped shape Latin. Much of Roman religion was inspired by that of the Greeks. Many Greeks could speak Latin and many Romans could speak Greek. Roman art, philosophy and architecture was particularly fascinated by that which was Greek - to put it in meme format, the crab is Roman culture and the crocodile is Greek culture. And these are just the absolute basics, entire tomes have been written on Greece’s and Rome’s somewhat symbiotic relationship.

TLDR hell yes they did.

Did ancient Greece have a flag? / Did ancient Greece have a constitution?

Nah. Although history often refers to Greece as one country, one culture, it was more a collection of independent city-states with their own identities and constitutions. 

They all had three things in common: religion (+ the moral/social codes which came along with it), language, and (in most cases) enemies from abroad -  therefore in later centuries, as well as their city-based nationalities, they did all call themselves the Hellenes. If you were a fellow Hellenic, you’d be able to work and live in other Greek cities with less trouble than if you were to try, say, in a ‘barbarian’ land such as Persia. Greeks were civilised; everyone else was an uncultured brute. Hence, their sense of unity was more from fear of the outside, from xenophobia, than from internal harmony.

Because of this, there was never an altogether complete sense of assimilation. Different cities had distinct dialects, favoured different gods/cults within the wider Pantheon, often warred against each other (especially Athens and Sparta, whew), fed their own specific cultures and law-sets and reputations. Nationality and citizenship in that age were not really about country or region, the world was just too small for that. You wouldn’t say ‘Hi I’m Phoebe and I’m Greek’, you’d say ‘Hi I’m Phoebe and I’m from the city of Halicarnassus.’ The closest analogy I can really think of is the cities in the dystopian series, Mortal Engines.

So no, they didn’t have a single flag or constitution. There was just not enough unity between them all.

Did ancient Greece trade?

Initially I was going to wave this off as a silly question because ‘hurr durr everyone trades’ but ACTUALLY. 

Along with the rest of the eastern Mediterranean, Greece had its own Dark Ages between the fall of its early society (aka Mycenaean Greece) and the rise of Homeric-style poetry and culture, i.e. between the 1100s and 700s BC. Communication in general was absolutely awful: there were no great armies, no great cultural progressions, and yes, no substantial trade. The fact that Greece was then feeling down in the dumps also discouraged foreign trade. 

It took the bard Homer’s influence to get people to start thinking, creating, travelling and thus mass-trading again - this sudden surge in activity eventually led to Greece’s Classical Period, i.e. 4th century BC, you’ll probably imagine gleaming Athenian pillars. Increased thinking and culture led to increased politics/nationalism, increased p/n led to increased warring and military action, increased warring improved transport and communication, and WHOOSH suddenly trade took off.

So basically, Mycenaean Greek trade was good (as far as we can tell), Dark Ages Greek trade was shocking, Classical Greek trade was quite literally revolutionary.

Did ancient Greece have lions?

Yep! However, they weren’t like the sub-Saharan lions you’re probably imagining right now - those are Panthera leo, but the Eurasian lions that would have been in Greece were Panthera spelaea.

Nevertheless there were indeed lions and they played a huge role in Greek mythology and literature. The Nemean Lion was the first of Hercules’ Twelve Labours; Homer, the trendsetting legendary lad that he was, created a trope of comparing something innocent and vulnerable to something vicious and savage and desperate by using the analogy of a lamb and a hungry lion.

Did ancient Greece have a democracy?

Nope, only one city named Athens did. Don’t get me wrong, it was at the time and still is a big deal considering it hadn’t been done before, BUT there are three important things to note:

It was ONLY Athens which had a democracy - every other Greek city kept their kingships.

The Athenian democracy wasn’t what we’d call democracy. Only free, Athenian-on-both-sides men could vote and participate in local politics - this left out all slaves, all women (even if they were Athenian), and all foreigners or residents of foreign descent (no longer how long you and your family had lived in and worked in and contributed to the city and community).

It wasn’t foolproof considering it eventually got overthrown by power-seeking tyrants.

i.e. a part of ancient Greece had a democracy.

#classics #tagammemnon #classicsblr #rome #ancient rome #latin #ancient greece #classical greek #greece #[ #classics: history #classics: language #| #did the romans and ancient greeks #google autocomplete #]

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #260

“better think twice; your train of thought will be altered.”

Have you ever taken a shower with anyone before? I believe Nicole and I did as kids sometimes? Do you wear your seatbelt in the car? Always. Wear your goddamn seatbelt, folks. Do you prefer to spend your time indoors or outdoors? Generally indoors, but it does depend on what I can do outside as well as the weather. How many people have you kissed? Three or four. I really can't remember if *I* ever kissed Girt. Do you just feel awkward when you dance? YIKES YUP, even when I was a dancer. Has the person you have feelings for ever told you that you’re attractive? Yes. Can you get over people easily? MOTHER OF FUCK, NO. Do you believe that there are certain circumstances where cheating is okay? No. Do you like to have long hair or short hair? SHORT. Does the sound of rain at night help you sleep? Ugggghhhh, yes. Especially cuddling while falling sleep in the rain is everything. Have you ever worn a pair of scrubs? Many times. Anything in your room that you’re hiding from your parents or someone else? Well, to a degree. I have artwork in here that I'm just self-conscious of others seeing, but I wouldn't DIE if my mom found them. They're not even really "hidden," just covered. What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic? Strawberry. Do you like hot-dogs? I wish I didn't. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry? A fuckin hot leather, spiked choker with chains draped across it. It's just a bit tight on me now. Worst injury you’ve ever had? I skinned the shit out of my knees on the road as a kid, wound up with cuts near the bones. It was not, NOOOOOT pretty and took literally years for the scars to totally vanish. What song do you want played at your funeral? Probably "Life is Beautiful" by Sixx AM. How many keys are on your key chain? What do they go to? Just the one to the house. Have you ever taken a pregnancy test? Not in the traditional sense. Before surgery, they obviously had to be sure via a urine sample, but otherwise, no. Would you rather live in a mansion or a small cozy home? Whew, the latter, easily. If you were offered to smoke some weed right now, would you accept? Nah. Do you get your eyebrows waxed, or do you pluck them? Neither, really. I just don't care; mine aren't awful, and it's too time-consuming and "required" too frequently for me to bother. They're just eyebrows. Do you and your last ex hate each other? Not at all. Do you believe your most recent ex thinks about you? Well yeah, we're best friends. Have you ever made out for more than a half hour straight? I was literally a madly in love teenager, you can guess. How do you handle people who are overly enthusiastic all the time? "I don’t 'handle' them, they’re actually pretty cool to be around. I appreciate having that kind of energy around me because I don’t generate a whole lot of it myself and I want it to rub off." <<<< Exactly this. Do people say you look like a certain celebrity? Nah. Who do you think you look like? No one I know of. Ever loved someone who didn’t love you back? hnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGALS;KDJFA;LKJEW Ever done karaoke? Did you like it? Nooooo sir. Ever seen a pregnant woman smoking/drinking? Yep. It was an occasion where I had to practice serious self-discipline to keep my mouth shut. :x What was the last piece of candy you ate? Miss Tobey brought me a Reese's yesterday morning so that. Nice breakfast lmao. Do you curse a lot? A real fucking lot. It's not intentional, it's just so ingrained in me as normal diction after being at Jason's so much when his mother is the definition of an Italian New Yorker and thus her son has a mouth too lmao. Personally, I don't believe in "profanity" in the traditional sense so it doesn't bother me in the way of "oh I'm saying too many bad words," I just know my dictionary is wider than "fuck" and "shit" oof. If you could be a Disney character for a day, who would you be? Probably like Kiara. Be a hot princess lion with a hot lion boyfriend and chill lion parents WOW am I a furry yet. Are you wearing anything of any sentimental value? Describe? Yeah, my friendship ring with Sara, a bracelet from her as well, and an ovarian cancer bracelet for my mom. Then tattoos, if you consider myself as "wearing" them. To you, what is especially distracting? The sound of TV when you're trying to sleep. What are some things that are important in your life right now? My mom's health, my mental health, job searching to at least get ideas for when transportation is easier, keeping the house clean, keeping up with Sara's health. When was the last time you did some major cleaning? A couple weeks back when I detail cleaned out both my shelves. Who challenges you the most? In what way?  My psychiatrist, but not in a bad way. He pushes me to keep improving with things. What was the last opportunity that you passed up, and why? I should know this, but I don't. Have you ever contemplated cheating on anyone? Oh no, I couldn't live with the guilt. Who do you know that gives very sound advice? Sara is great at that. What do you think makes a person weak? The will to drag someone down just because you're feeling that way. What makes a person strong? The determination to not give up. Who do you go to when you need comfort? Mom more than anyone. Where is your favorite place to get fries? BOJANGLE'S. You cannot live to your fullest potential until you've received the seasoned blessing of Bojangle's fries. What is the most recent article of clothing you’ve purchased? I think underwear. Have you ever made your own pie from scratch? No. Are there any waterfalls nearby? Definitely no big ones. Hell, maybe even no natural ones. There are lots of dams, but I don't think they count. What are your earliest memories of going to see a doctor? My first time getting my blood drawn and consciously understanding what was about to happen. Freaked the FUCK out, bolted from the room, and clinged like a monkey to a column while sobbing. It literally took multiple adults to get me off of it, and I was very little. And then when I actually got poked, apparently I just said, "... That's it?" Oh, little me, you'd take needles for hours later on in life in the name of art lol. What is your favorite condiment? Maybe ketchup. Do you know anyone who has been to rehab? Well, all the mental hospitals I've been to included addicts seeking recovery, and I befriended a few. For people more in my personal life, I think so. Would you consider yourself to be a picky eater? I am ridiculously picky. Have you ever slept in a car overnight? I'm quite sure no, not a full night. Has someone close to you died of murder? No, thankfully. Does your school offer driver’s ed? My high school did, which is where I took it. Have you ever done volunteering work abroad? No. Do you have a shower stall or a bath tub? A tub. Why do you do these surveys? I'm bored most of the time with absolutely nothing better to do. Sometimes it helps me contemplate some things about myself. Do you like shopping? Eh, depends on what I'm shopping for. What’s a show you wish that was still on air? MM IS COMIN BACK, FUCKERS. Do you like hip hop? Nooo. Do you like pretzels? I do, especially soft ones. You want your next pet to be what? It's probably going to be a tarantula. I'm not being sarcastic lmao. It just depends on if I can convince my mom. Do you like coconut scents? Sure. Would you spend 20 dollars on a candle? Hell no. What is a dessert that you DON’T like? Pie. And one that you love? mmmmmmmmMMMMMMMM ice cream. Would you rather be a vampire or a mermaid? Vampire, ig. Being a mermaid genuinely sounds boring. Where the fuck's the WiFi. Are you happy with your physical features? Bitch no. When you doodle, what are you usually doodling? Meerkats. Do you eat salads? Not enough, but I like them w/ regular lettuce and I'm open to different dressings. Favorite thing to do on your phone? Play Pokemon if I'm actually in a spot to get fckn balls. What magazines do you like? I don't read any. What is your favorite thing about Christmas? The feeling of really being a family. Do you prefer white or black electronics? Black. Firm pillow or soft pillow? S O F T Who was the last person you rode in a car with? Mom. Do you know anyone, personally, who is in an abusive relationship? Are you? Thank fuck no. Are there any people you don’t like for your significant other/crush to talk to? I’m single and don't have like... an "active" crush ig? What was the last alcoholic beverage you drank? I had a bombin' sangria for my birthday @ Olive Garden. Has one of your boyfriend’s best friends ever tried to get with you? Again, single, but for previous ones, no anyway. Are you 100% over the last person you kissed? No. Have any of your friends ever overdosed? I think so, but none died, thankfully. The last thing you downloaded onto your computer? Ummmm probably something for school. How many friends on Facebook do you have? 118. What age is the oldest you would date at the moment? It'd take me seriously liking someone to go slightly beyond 30. Do you want to be single? I don't know. I don't really know if I'm "fit" to be in a relationship right now, like I know I gotta figure shit out, but I think it's natural to want that companionship some days. Are you good at hiding your feelings? Well, I guess it depends on the emotion, but honestly, I don't think so, in most cases. Who did you last share a bed with? Sara. Have you ever been taken to the emergency room in an ambulance? Not in an ambulance, no. What are you listening to right now? An '80s-ish/synthwave cover of "Disturbia" by Rihanna. I've been on a total binge of this kinda stuff lately. Ever been on a golf cart? Ye. Do you have trust issues? Yep. Do you own something from Hot Topic? I think most of my shirts are from there. Have you ever slapped someone in the face? No. Do you have a little sister? Damn, not so little anymore. Turned 22 a few days ago. Have you ever been to New York? The state, yes. City, no. Do you actually read privacy policies when signing up for new things? Nope. Did you have a lot of birthday parties when you were younger? If so, did you invite everyone in the class? I mean, define "a lot?" I did once every year... and no. I was selective. Have you ever participated in one of those “guess how many jelly beans, mints, etc. are in this jar!” contest? If so, have you ever won? PTSD is fuckin weird. I have, and I get anxious and uncomfortable just seeing them. The very last time I hung out w/ Jason was at his brother's wife's baby shower, and something like that was there. Shitty fuckin day. Can you juggle? No. Do you live on an avenue, road, drive or something else? Road. What are your school colors? N/A Have you ever taken a picture with Santa when you were little? Yeah, I think my sisters and I did that every year? What is the population of the city you live in? Google says around 5.5k. Do you like Nerds candy? Yeah man. What’s your favourite flavour of soda, pop or whatever else you call it? Blue raspberry. What level of brightness do you usually keep your phone at? It's on about 70% during the day, and I lower it to about 20% when I'm about to go to bed. Have you ever attended a religious or private school? My previous school was a private & religious college. Do you have any pets and are they cuddly? My cat is STUPID cuddly. Absolute attention hog. My snake seems to enjoy attention, though I wouldn't define snakes as "cuddly;" their brains don't know what affection really is, which I think is mandatory in that definition. She does love to lie against me on the bed, though, when I take her out to let her wander. What’s the worst job you’ve ever had? All three of my jobs have sucked, but considering I lasted in a deli not even two hours, probs that. How many cars does your household own? One. Are there any cracks or scuffs on your phone? No. This shit is literally a Tracphone yet is incredible man, I've dropped it a good few times and it's a great phone. What’s your favourite meat? Out of most forms, probably pork, which I really wish wasn't true. I adore pigs. Or maybe chicken. Which I still feel bad about. Do you need glasses to read or drive or need them all the time? I always need them. Is the internet fast where you live? It's fine. What is your favourite meal of the day and why? Breakfast has the best options and makes me look forward to the morning lmao. Do you like long surveys or short surveys better? Ha ha, obviously long, seeing as I compile shorts ones into these larger ones. I do it because I feel individually posting with EVERY one I pick out would get annoying. Have you ever been to a cocktail bar? No. What’s the best amusement park you’ve ever visited? Disney World. Do you keep the cabinets in your kitchen and bathroom organized? More so in the kitchen. Have you ever had a romantic fling? No. Are you a very forgetful person? To a frightening point. Are your parents married or divorced? They're divorced. Do you believe in Heaven? Not the Christian one, but I do lean towards there being some peaceful existence after death. Do you eat the stems of broccoli? That's obviously the best part. Do you read blogs? No. Would you ever go out dressed like the opposite sex? I pretty much have before? Worn guy's pants and unisex or men's shirts before, I'm sure. Ever been involved with the police? No. What's your favorite shampoo/conditioner and soap? Idk, I'm just very used to Suave. Their body wash smells amazing. Do you feel that you've had a truly successful life? HELL NO. Do you twirl your spaghetti or cut it? Twirl it. Favorite restaurant? Olive Garden is GOOD SHIT. Have you watched Tiger King yet? Christ, no, and I sure am tired of seeing it everywhere online. Do you try to do something significant and meaningful every day? It's quite clear I don't, even though I really, really want to. What is your favorite pizza topping? Pepperoni. What was the name of the first pet that you loved? Chance. What color hair did your first crush have? Brown. Does anyone know who your first crush was? yeah. Who was your first celebrity crush? Whew, Jesse McCartney, lads. Have you ever had to use an epi pen? No, thankfully. What color was your first phone? Navy, I think. Do you know anyone with Down’s syndrome? Not anyone personally. How much do you weigh (only answer if comfortable)? I'm not comfortable. Have you ever been overweight? I have been since 2016. What color is your Christmas tree? Green. What color Christmas tree do you want to have in your house someday? UGGGGHHHHHHH give me a black one with fake snow on it. Omg. What color house did you grow up in? Uhhhh... I think it was white? I should know this. Have you ever been baptized? If so, how and where? Yes, when I was a baby at the Catholic church I grew up going to. What type of wedding do you want? Give it a gothic vibe ok. Are you taller or shorter or the same height as your mom? We're the same height. What is your heritage? German, Irish, and Polish. Are you excited for the upcoming summer season? Ugh, no. Not at all. At. All. Do you like crackers with your soup? No. Which ex of yours means the most to you? Depending on which way you mean, Jason or Sara. What is something that never fails to make you feel accomplished? Do a decent amount of cleaning. How do you feel about nudity, in person? Uh???? What exactly do you mean by "in person"???? I guess it depends on who, the situation, and location??? Have you taken prescription medications that didn't belong to you? Pain medicine, yes. Do wooded areas freak you out in the evening or night? I mean, to a reasonable degree, I guess. Obviously being in the wild in the dark is dangerous. Have you ever ridden on the back of a motorcycle? No. Do you iron any of your clothes? No. Can you sleep in an unmade bed? Yeah. Did the house you grew up in have a big yard? It was p good. What has been the most difficult class you’ve ever taken? Probably Latin. What was the last website you were on, before this one? I was on Facebook. Is your hometown famous for anything? No. What are some things a house would need to have for you to purchase it? I'm personally very serious about a dishwasher and laundry room. Other than that I'm... kinda blanking? Like I'm not that picky as for what the house HASSSSSS to have, besides those. Well, two bathrooms would be great. What was the last thing you heated up in your microwave? A pancake+sausage on a stick thing for breakfast. When was the last time your internet stopped working? It was having a temper yesterday. Did you ever watch Phil of the Future? Not very much, and never really by choice. Nicole would watch it sometimes though. Were you born somewhere other than a hospital? No. What was the last flavor of ice cream you had? Vanilla. Do you have an online game that you play often? None at the very moment because my personal gaming laptop has been kaput for well over a month now. Maybe close to even two. Is there a trash can near you? No. Have you ever shared sleeping accommodations with someone of the opposite sex without anything steamy happening? No. Is there a fan going in the room you’re in? Yeah, beside me.

#survey #quiz #questions

[prussiumscribbles]

Time Is Dancing

SUMMARY: Alfred and Arthur used to travel the world together. Then, something went wrong along the way and they went their separate ways. Two years later, they meet again. (Backpacker/post-breakup AU).

[Read on AO3]

“Kirkland!”

“Jones.”

Alfred Jones’s face broke into a wide grin. “Wow, it’s really you! I mean— wow, ha ha! I haven’t seen you in so long! What are the odds?”

Arthur took a sip from his pint of beer and smiled, trying to calm the wild beating of his heart. The moment he stepped into the rooftop bar, he’d spotted Alfred in the far right corner, chatting with a group of tipsy travellers.

He couldn’t believe his eyes either. Perhaps the darkness and the neon lights were playing tricks on his weary mind. Of all the people he’d bump into while backpacking, it had to be his ex-boyfriend. At a party in Siem Reap, Cambodia, of all places. How bizarre could it get?

Was it really him? If he was, could he still remember Arthur?

Because Arthur remembered him. After all this time, he could never forget that face.

His questions were answered when he saw a glimpse of recognition in his eyes as he looked towards his direction.

Alfred told his friends to go ahead and sat beside Arthur, who came alone.

“How are you? It’s been what— two years?” said Alfred. He couldn’t seem to wipe the grin off his face. “Funny how we meet again, huh? In Cambodia, no less!”

Beside them, a Scottish and an Irish man were mocking each other’s accent. They were surrounded by so many people engaged in countless drunk discussions. The festive vibe was too distracting, making it difficult to speak. Before Arthur could reply, a crowd of laughing 20-somethings sat on their table, and suddenly, the entire bar became part of their conversation.  

“Arthur, didn’t you say you’ve been to Bali?”

“Oh you’ve been to Bali? How was it?”

A series of random questions and answers came in waves and in different directions. I spent six months in Vietnam. Are you travelling alone? I don’t know if I can do that. There was nothing to do but drink and smoke and talk and talk. The entire time, Alfred kept getting drinks and taking back his seat beside Arthur.

He listened whenever Alfred shared something about his travels, something that would explain where he got the colourful wristbands on his arm, or his tan lines and freckles. They finally got the chance to talk to each other when someone brought up Angkor Wat.

“Have you visited the temples yet?” asked Francis, a bearded, long-haired bloke from France.

“Jones had been here a couple of times before,” said Arthur. “Hadn’t you?”

“Yeah,” replied Alfred, slightly caught off guard. “I majored in Archaeology and I’m a major temple nerd, so going here’s a childhood dream come true, ha ha! I just can’t get enough.”

I could study it forever, he told Arthur as he gazed at the monument with reverence a long time ago, when they first visited together.

“How about you, Kirkland?” asked Alfred. “What brings you to temple town?”

“I— er— I just wanted to see if the sunrise tour was worth the hype,” replied Arthur.

The truth was he was on a month-long vacation in Southeast Asia because his boss believed he was working himself to death in the office. He had a few extra days before his flight back to London, and dropping by Siem Reap seemed like a nice idea, not to be nostalgic or anything of course.

He did the sunrise tour and visited the temples he and Alfred missed when they did the sunset tour for Arthur’s birthday. They couldn’t make the most out of it because they got stupid drunk the night before, so they spent the entire day tour hungover. Thinking about it, most of their night outs were followed by those tides of hangovers. Some nights Arthur couldn’t remember the details, but he could vividly remember the feeling.  

“Wait, sorry, aren’t you two travelling together?” asked Gilbert from Germany.

“Oh no, not really,” said Arthur.  

“We met a while back,” said Alfred.

“You seemed to know each other a lot,” said Antonio from Spain.  

Arthur chuckled and downed his whiskey. “Well, you’re not wrong.”

He and Alfred briefly exchanged looks. If it wasn’t dark, he’d think Alfred was blushing.

Someone yelled about a pub crawl on the other side of the table and the entire bar stirred.  

“Arthur! Are you coming?”

Giulia, a bubbly Italian girl with long brown hair and bright amber eyes approached him, beaming widely. They met each other the night before, their first pub crawl together.

“‘Course I am, sweetheart!” He replied, and she jumped and gave him a big hug.

And off they went to the next party with around twenty other people. It was a series of ordering drinks, chatting, smoking, and dancing. Arthur felt like he didn’t leave West London at all, with the crowd and the music and the strobe lights.

Hours flew by without any of them noticing. On the third party, at around quarter past midnight, everyone went wild. Some girls were dancing on table tops as the DJ played their jam. Some boys drank and rapped.

Alfred found him dancing with his own circle and joined them. By the end of the song, he and Alfred were dancing together, not saying a word. They let their bodies sway with the music, never mind if they could really call it dancing or not.

And then Alfred flashed a smile that reached his eyes, and it was like meeting each other all over again.

Looking into his blue, blue eyes, Arthur remembered hot and sweaty nights and the weight of Alfred’s body against his, the morning after.

But their relationship wasn’t all that. Arthur’s chest swelled with realisation.  

It was also tight hugs once homesickness kicked in, ice cream on an unbearably hot day, and contagious laughter as they recounted a terribly embarrassing thing they did.  

They shared intimacy that went beyond getting naked and having sex, something Arthur never had with other lovers. They had intimacy and warmth.

Another hour or two had passed and they found each other again outside the bar. This time, it was only the two of them. In the dark, away from the party. Alone with their feelings and the truth.  

“Are you happy, Arthur?” asked Alfred, leaning against the wall.

Sparks danced across Arthur’s skin upon hearing Alfred call his name.  

“I am,” he replied. He searched his pockets for cigarettes and a lighter.

Alfred nodded to the ground, running his fingers through his dishevelled hair.

“But it was never the same without you,” continued Arthur.

Alfred raised his head in shock. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.  

Arthur blamed the amount of alcohol he consumed for letting his guard down. But maybe it was time to be vulnerably honest. Heaven knows there were only a couple of times he let his guard down with Alfred and let the truth out.

“You know, after we ended, I tried travelling again,” he said, “But after a while, everything was a routine of packing bags, hopping on buses, meeting people, and excessive drinking… It was a never-ending cycle.”

He paused to search Alfred’s face. He was looking at Arthur as if he was trying to answer a difficult riddle.

Arthur gulped, willing the words to come out of his mouth. “Sometimes I’d find myself searching for you in the crowd, then I’d remember we weren’t together anymore, and feel… empty.”

“Arthur, I—“ said Alfred, “I feel the same way too.”

It was Arthur’s turn to be speechless. He fiddled with his cigarette to hide the shaking of his hands.

“There was a point when I wanted to stop because everything reminded me of you and it drove me crazy,” said Alfred. “I got mad at myself for deleting all your contact details because I wished I could see you again.”  

Silence fell upon them. Arthur was breathing heavily, his chest felt like it was being stabbed a thousand times.  

“But it was good while it lasted, wasn’t it?” He said after a while.

“It was,” replied Alfred, his lips curled into a sad half-smile.

At some point in their relationship, they realised travelling as a couple wasn’t always romantic. It wasn’t like what they saw in movies or social media. As time passed, the ugly parts surfaced, mostly coming from their own personal issues, and started destroying them, tearing them apart like the temple ruins they admired so much.

Sitting on the pavement, Arthur was relieved he and Alfred could talk about the past calmly, not raising their voices with anger and blame. People were going back to their hostels, and some tourists were getting ready for the sunrise tour, tuk tuks zooming along the streets.  

He remembered the last time they saw each other. It was in Vietnam, at around dawn, which felt like a lifetime ago. They knew that they were already finished— Arthur was going back to England after deciding they were over— but Alfred asked him to stay even just for a moment. They had a very early breakfast like a normal morning after partying, eating pancakes and drinking black coffee.  

“Would you like to have breakfast with me?” asked Arthur, standing up.

“Sure,” said Alfred. “Though we might have to wait for a while because I don’t think there’s somewhere open at this time.”

Arthur hummed in agreement. “We can walk around a bit. I could use a stretch, my legs are sore.”

They walked in silence, side by side, as the sky turned from black to a deep blue.  

“Where are you going next?” asked Alfred.

“Home,” replied Arthur.

Alfred bit his lip. “Any chance you’ll come and visit me?”

Arthur smiled. “Maybe.”  

“We worked out as a couple when we were travelling. Well, almost,” said Alfred, “Do you think it would have worked if we met at home? Like, if we lived in the same country?”

“Who the hell knows?” asked Arthur.

They laughed together. The next thing Arthur knew, Alfred had pulled him into his arms, and he let him. His lips found Alfred’s and it was like meeting each other all over again.

A/N: The title is from Time Is Dancing by Ben Howard. 

If anyone’s wondering why I disappeared for months, it’s because I moved abroad and am currently traipsing across Indochina (and trying to get my shit together). Peace out.

#usuk #ukus #libertea #aph america #aph england #aph usuk #they’re so dramatic #just kiss each other already #i didn’t edit this again sorry for the errors :( #why is the ‘read more’ function unavailable on mobile #also the line thingy #tumblr pls fix this i beg u

[life-observed]

7 Reasons Why the 'Authentic' Travel Experience Is a Myth

One reason people travel is to have an "authentic experience." They envision traveling to a foreign country and living, eating, and doing the things locals do. I have exchanged emails with people ready to set out on a long adventure who see themselves living with tribespeople in the African bush or in Southeast Asian villages.

Most likely, they are in for a disappointment.

The problem stems from the expectations people have before they go. When I was in Samoa, I was talking to a woman from New Zealand who had been driving around the islands. She sounded disappointed and a little bit upset that Samoans had television sets. She lamented the destruction of the Samoan lifestyle and blamed it on Western countries. She then went into a rant about how wonderful it was being able to live a self-sufficient life in a village.

I pointed out the inconvenient fact that Samoa is not in fact self-sufficient in food. No Pacific country is. The most popular foods are instant noodles and corned beef. The biggest part of the Samoan economy is income sent home from Samoans living abroad. The current population of Samoa would be almost impossible to sustain by methods used in the 19th century.

She got upset and ended the conversation.

She had an idea of what Samoa was, and more importantly, what she thought Samoa should be. Her Samoa was closer to the Samoa of the 19th century or the Samoa of Margaret Mead. She was denied her authentic cultural experience because Samoans (how dare they!) were watching TV and using electricity. Samoans just weren't Samoan enough for her. Even though she would never state it as such and would bristle at the accusation, she wanted Samoa to be a cultural zoo where she could go and look at the locals doing their cultural thing.

The problem of course wasn't with Samoa. It was with the woman. She suffered from several fallacies that infect many travelers.

These beliefs include:

The myth of the noble savage

Steven Pinker explained this idea in great detail in his seminal book The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature. The belief holds that before the arrival of Western civilization, people everywhere lived in harmony with each other and with nature. This is far from the truth. If anything, even despite the horrific wars of the 20th century, humanity has become more peaceful over time. Early humans were warlike and did their damnedest to harness nature, which was the biggest threat to their survival. They just didn't have the tools to do the damage we can. Sun Tzu didn't write The Art of War as a thought experiment. It has been estimated that prior to the rise of civilization and agriculture, 60 percent of males in some regions could expect to die from the hands of another person through warfare, murder, or execution. Mass burning of land was a common way to flush out animals. People in developing countries are neither innocents nor scoundrels. They are just like anyone else.

Applying different standards to other cultures

When an ethnic restaurant opens up in a Western country, that's diversity. When a Western restaurant opens up in a non-Western country, that's cultural imperialism. If diversity is good for us, why isn't it good for others? Preservation of culture is considered an asset when practiced by other countries, but a liability when practiced at home. There are more Chinese restaurants in the U.S. than McDonald's, Burger Kings, Wendy's, and KFCs ... COMBINED. I don't think anyone is worried about a Chinese cultural takeover of America. A few McDonald's and Starbucks overseas is hardly an invasion. Author Rachel Laudan noted the response by one of her Mexican friends who was criticized for serving Italian food: "Why can't we eat spaghetti, too?"

Confusing modernization and Westernization

Through the power of guns, germs, and steel, the first part of the world to modernize was Europe and North America. As other countries modernize, many people confuse this technological advancement with becoming more Western. In the above example, Samoans have TV, but they mostly still live in traditional fales and have strong village and family ties. Japan is a fully modern country, yet it is most definitely not Western. Technology isn't culture. While there are some groups that resist technological change, the vast majority of humanity has quickly grabbed at any innovation that will make life easier. The classic modern example is cell phones, which have found their way to some of the poorest and remotest places on Earth.

A static view of history

If you take a very long view of human history, it can be thought of as nothing but a flow of people, ideas, and cultures. Empires rise and fall. Religions come and go. Trade routes open and ideas and technologies are exchanged. The clothing, dances, and music of a country can really be considered fashions and fads of a particular era as much as pillars of particular cultures. The design of the Ming Dynasty in China was different than that of the Chin. When you hear the traditional music of a people, that music may only go back a few hundred years, if even that far. The arrival of Buddhism in Southeast Asia dates back to about the time of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. Prior to that, Hinduism was dominant. When you visit a monastery in Thailand, you are not seeing something that has been there from time immemorial--you are viewing something that didn't exist only a few hundred years ago. Expecting everyone you meet in a country to be wearing traditional dress is like expecting everyone in the United States to be wearing stovepipe hats and bonnets.

Taking photos too literally

Ever see a photo of a thatched bungalow on stilts over the water in a turquoise lagoon? It makes for a great photo and many people fantasize about staying in an over water bungalow. They are a marketing gimmick. Water bungalows are not authentic in the slightest. They were created several decades ago as a way to attract tourists. What the photo doesn't show you is that you very well might be sleeping over mud when the tide goes out (with the corresponding dead fish smell), or that the bungalows probably have killed all marine life below them because they block sunlight. I have spoken in the past of travel porn. What you have to keep in mind is that just like porn, what you see is often fake. Don't get your heart set on it.

White Man's Burden

You will be hard pressed to find anyone who would explicitly say there is a "White Man's Burden" in the 21st century, but you can find tons of people, from Jeffrey Sachs to Bono, who think that with the correct policy, plan, or organization, "we" Westerners can solve the problems of Africa and other poor parts of the world. The emotional desire to do something in the face of extreme poverty is understandable, but you'd be hard pressed to find any examples in history of a people rising out of poverty on the basis of the aid from another country. Go listen to the African speakers at the TED Africa conference. They don't want pity or for us to solve their problems. They understand they must solve these problems on their own terms, in their own way. I am not saying you shouldn't volunteer when you travel, but you should be realistic about what can be achieved and don't look upon the people you are helping as objects of pity.

The Traveler Quantum Effect

One tenet of quantum physics is that the simple act of observing an event will alter the outcome of the event. Traveling is no different. When we have a guest over at our house we tend to clean up, dress nice, and be on our best behavior. One thing any true "authentic" experience would have is the lack of tourists taking part. The very act of being somewhere means that you are changing the environment and removes the possibility of having a true authentic experience.

Conclusion

The world is what it is, and you have to explore it on its terms, not yours. No matter what you expect to see when you visit a new place, the reality you will find will be different. You are traveling in the 21st century, not the 19th. Do not expect people to be caricatures or stereotypes of something you have in mind. View the people you meet as neither cultural superiors nor objects of pity. Moreover, whatever you think is authentic was developed without your having experienced it.

Change your expectations and you'll find that every experience is authentic to itself.

#the atlantic #travel #authenticity #traveler #authentic #experience #self #identity #globalization #media #change

[noromannet-blog]

Ideal Destinations to travel alone

The philosopher Hannah Arendt said in her day that “loving life is easy when you are abroad. Where no one knows you and your life is only in your hands, you are more of yourself than at any other time. ” And it is true. Traveling is always a good decision, but doing it alone or in the company of someone is something completely different. It is possible that traveling has become one of the few ways that human beings have to escape from an increasingly homogeneous and indifferent world. Almost eight million people recognize that they travel alone. The growth in recent years of this modality is significant: up to 15% of tourists have decided to go on holiday without company in the last 12 months, compared to 12% in 2017 or 6% in 2011. But are there more recommended destinations than others for solo travel? The answer is yes and then we have selected 5 ideas for you to launch into the adventure:

If it's the first time: Italy

If it's the first time: Italy is the best destination Italy is an essential destination for any solo traveler or not. But if we analyze their qualities well, we will understand why they fit so well in the decision of a person who throws himself for the first time to the uncertainty of traveling alone. For starters, it is a practical matter: it is very cheap to fly to any of its main cities. In addition, once there, its good infrastructure makes moving from one city to another easy. The trains are accessible, affordable and comfortable, and there is also a magnificent network of buses and taxis. You can find hotels of different categories and conditions, and lots of group tours of one or several days, both paid and free. In addition, the Italians, above all, are people recognized as friendly, close and who likes to share with the stranger. You will hardly find yourself lost there. In any case, accustomed to the presence of tourists, many speak English.

Venice: very suitable trip to test yourself in your solo learning This is a very suitable trip to test yourself in your solo learning without risking too much. It is highly recommended because it has a great diversity of options that you can adjust to your tastes: visiting exciting cities full of luxury stores; If you are more culture, enter museums full of relics and antiques, or meet quiet villages on top of a hill or in front of a Mediterranean beach. As we said, this variety makes Italy a great destination for anyone embarking on their first solo trip, since they can choose to be as adventurous as they want. And if you are looking for greater immersion (or would like to spend some time alone), you have the possibility of heading to the less known regions, smaller cities or the countryside inside the peninsula.

Looking for adventure: Costa Rica

Looking for adventure: Costa Rica There is a fundamental reason that drives people to travel alone: ​​the need for adventure. That is, find yourself. We may carry it in the blood. But in the 21st century, why deny it, there is little room for adventure. Everything has become very globalized and there are almost no corners on the planet where nature imposes itself on the human being. Costa Rica, in certain aspects, still retains that indomitable spirit. One of the practical aspects that make it a desirable destination and, of course, because of its biodiversity (a quarter of the country is protected). Outdoor activities abound in Costa Rica

Outdoor activities abound in Costa Rica Costa Rica is a relatively small Central American country, bordered by the Caribbean Sea on the one hand and the Pacific on the other. It is a remarkably lush and tropical destination, with beautiful beaches, virgin forests and other natural and cultural attractions. It is known for its admirable commitment to sustainability and is one of the world leaders in ecotourism: by 2020 it can become one of the first countries with zero carbon footprint (90% of the energy already comes from renewable sources). Thus, there are many outdoor activities: hiking in its cloud forests, climbing active volcanoes, visiting remote sanctuaries and entering national parks to observe wildlife. One of the great advantages that solitary travelers who seek adventure will find is the possibility of combining it with experiences of relaxation and peace since there they have a huge variety of ecoresorts that include yoga retreats and treatments for personal well-being.

Safely: Western Canada

Safely: Western Canada; Best travel destination This North American country appears in all lists of destinations for travelers who want to travel without the company. According to the Americans, nothing happens in Canada. They are people who love peace and treat the newcomer with an innate friendship. In that sense, the wegoplaces web site drew up a list of the safest countries for independent travelers in 2019 and Canada won first place in the Americas. Canada has a train company that covers the entire country and long highways that run between cities. It is a territory of enormous size, but in which it is relatively easy to move, with a train company that covers the entire country and long highways that stretch between cities, and also offers activities for all seasons, with impressive walks around the emerald lakes in spring and summer, world-class skiing in winter and bright and colorful foliage in autumn. The west of the country is especially advisable since it has some of the most photographed lakes on the planet, including Lake Louise, backed by mountains and surrounded by pine trees, as well as two of its most exciting cities: Vancouver and Calgary.

Canada's most exciting cities: Vancouver and Calgary In the first, you can walk or cycle through Stanley Park, contemplate the views of the harbor or visit the food market on Granville Island. The second is famous for its annual rodeo celebration, the Calgary Stampede. Of course, some precautions that we recommend in Canada for solo travelers are to take care of the native wildlife and always send your planned hiking itinerary to a friend or family member.

In a very cheap plan: Thailand

In a very cheap travel plan: Thailand In this case, we wanted to plan a long trip, with a certain exoticism, and where you will spend as little as possible. The truth is that there are quite a few plans: Cambodia, Romania, Ecuador... However, Thailand has something that substantially reduces the budget: low-cost flights, a round-trip ticket can leave you for less than $ 500, but also internal ones, since that in recent years airlines like Air Asia have emerged that compete with transports such as bus and train, but that obviously takes you to the other part of the country much faster. Thailand is definitely ideal for a trip at your leisure. In Thailand, finding decent hotels for $ 33 is not complicated. And once there, living in Thailand is considerably economical: if you tighten your belt well, calculate about $ 22 a day. You can eat for $ 6 in street stalls and sleep for $ 17 in hostels with private rooms and shared bathrooms. If not, finding decent hotels for $ 33 is not complicated. It all depends on your budget. On the other hand, tours and excursions are not especially expensive, but it is interesting to mention a large number of temples and attractions with free access in the country. They may not be the most tourist places, but here it is about saving and discovering the destination and its culture without spending a baht.

Getaway by Spain: Cádiz

Getaway by Spain: Cádiz We must start by pointing out that Spain is in first position as the best country in 2019 to travel alone, according to the ranking prepared by the US News & World Report. Travelers who chose it in the first position put as the main reason - with a 10 out of 10 - that it was a “ very friendly ” destination or, in other words, for its friendly and friendly people. Within that Spanish hospitality, we wanted to highlight the Gitanos. We don't think there are people with more grace in the world. If you escape alone or alone there, it will cost you a lot to feel lonely. And even less, sad. It is an essentially fun land where you don't have time to miss anyone. Cádiz can be a good option for travelers looking to share and adapt quickly to other places

Cádiz can be a good option for travelers looking to share and adapt quickly to other places The sea, the beach bars, the music, the chirigotas... make it a destination with a lot of charm. Maybe this is a great option for those travelers looking to share and adapt quickly to other places. In addition, Cádiz is definitely in fashion: Lonely Planet includes this province of southern Spain among the 30 destinations to go to the next year 2020. Undoubtedly, the formidable diversity of the area is impressive, allowing the lone traveler to jump from cities like Cádiz or Jerez de la Frontera, to eat delicious tapas, fried fish or shrimp tortilla, to contemplate such wild landscapes as Grazalema and Zahara de the Sierra, the natural park of La Breña and the Marismas de Barbate or the eccentric and surf beaches of Tarifa. Images courtesy of Adobe Stock. Read the full article

#BestDestination #Cádiz #Calgary #Canada #destination #Destinations #ITALY #Thailand #Vancouver

[ringsofsaturn-heatofmars-blog]

Thinking about Zhong Chenle on 7/25/19

Here’s a story for you. 

I’m sure you all know what racism and cultural appropriation is. Yes? Okay. We’ve got that out of the way. 

Do you know when it’s silly and unjust to make claims about it? Because some people don’t. 

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Mars: NCT Dream's comeback... Did. You. See it?

Saturn: NO. I'M NOT READY. I'M TRYING TO POSTPONE IT BECAUSE I WANT TO LIVE!!!!! just spoiler a little so I know what waits for me......

Mars: Haechan being Haechan, not-so-baby Jisung, artist Renjun, boxer Jeno, vocalist Jaemin, and precious, smiley Chenle. bUT THEN ALSO- HOT CHENLE, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, BECAUSE HE'S MY SON THAT I'VE WATCHED GROW UP SO MUCH. Also, people making a big deal out of Chenle's hair because the stylists decided to put it in a "scandal-worthy" hair style. 😒 Like- Chenle's not even out of his teens yet. Can you leave him alone? It's the same thing that happened to Chris (Stray Kids) a little while ago. It's ridiculous.

Saturn: .... don't. Touch. Chenle. Or I kill everyone. MY BABY IS UNTOUCHABLE. My god, people always find something to complain about. They can't enjoy anything. ANYTHING. I want to punch someone.

Mars: I know! It's terrible! It also feel so targeted, since he's a foreign member. Like- people! He doesn't have to prove himself to you. And even if he DID, he's earned his place ten times over!

Saturn: I swear, I activated "instant killer mood". First of all... IT'S JUST BRAIDS. B R A I D S. They ALWAYS do shit like this. Always. It's tiring and as you said, he doesn't have to prove anything.

Mars: I totally agree with you! They're b r a i d s. People shouldn't be so touchy with things like that! I think the first thing that people think is that it's "disrespectful" to the black race because it's a hairstyle that a lot of black people have, but I don’t see anything bad to try a hairstyle. As I said, it's not his choice what his hairstyle is, but even if it WAS, people couldn't stop him from having it! If he wanted it, he could have it. It's his body, not ours.

Saturn: I know black people have a lot of issues with this (not have the freedom to do their hair like they want) but fuck, it's just braids. At least once in a lifetime everyone just braid their hair... so THE WORLD IS FUCKED? I don't think so, it's just a hairstyle. Say it louder please, maybe others will understand. I'm so pissed because I know him, he'll feel guilty FOR NOTHING. babe, you're okay okay? You're perfect.

Mars: Exactly! I don't think it's something to get up-in-arms about. Like- Chenle wearing braids isn't him saying, "I think black people should be slaves again". It's JUST hair. When did the world become so petty as to care so much about a hairstyle? Style can be changed, but the impact you make on people's hearts with cruel words can't be changed. In the end, we're all just people. Flesh and bones. We all live, we all eat, we all drink, we all all breathe, we all die. We're just going about it at our own pace. But life is short, so I greatly pity people that use their short time on this planet to stir up trouble and make others feel bad.

Saturn: You have perfectly explained the point. I think it's the social medias fault and how generations have grown differently. Ignorance is the icing on the cake. They complain about a hairstyle but they don't talk about problems in Syria or that every 3 seconds a child gets sick of AIDS in Africa. I mean... I'm not saying that they should be political/environmental/etc activists (or if they are, it’s good! Trying to change the world is wonderful) but at least don't fake to be someone who cares about a race when maybe you're the first to see a POC and make racist remarks. Hypocrisy, I think this is the exact term to express contemporary society! Social media worsened the situation 'cause they give the courage to the rabbits to pretend to be lions and attack others without really putting their face on it.

Mars: I completely agree with you. The analogy at the end was perfect. "Rabbits trying to be lions". People are filled with bravado these days, and it would be so much better if people just took a step back and realized themselves. It's okay not to be super aggressive and into everyone's business. Focus on yourself, and maybe you'll find that you're a much nicer person than society makes you. People really do feed of of each other's energy, so I think it's a good goal to spread as many positive vibes as you possible can in your lifetime.

Saturn: Unfortunately, society inculcates ideas, ideals, situations that they consider right but that unfortunately are not. We live in a world of fiction where popularity is based on likes to a photo and not to the kindness that maybe someone showed to a needy lady. It's horrifying to see how static and cold we have become, don't you think? As you say we should all think about ourselves, improve ourselves and then see how the world improves as a result.

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Now clearly, neither of us are black. Neither of us know what it’s like to be black, but we know what it’s like to be people. And guess what, all people go through some really bad crap at some point in their life. They go through death, pain and weakness in mind and body—we all feel pain, just the same; race, skin-color, culture or language set aside. 

If someone speaks English and someone else speaks Japanese, that doesn’t make them less likely to connect as people. They could have loads in common. It just means that it takes a little more effort to understand, because there’s a certain barrier in the way. Language. But! That doesn’t stop the people, once they’ve come to understand each other a little more, from being friends. 

I think we could all use that. A little more understanding. Not such a sudden hop, skip and jump to judge. It’s like the universe’s habit. 

Now, it’s easy enough to bring up the past of slavery, and that’s true. That’s not going away, what has happened in the past. But guess what. As a Caucasian person, I don’t have slaves. My parents didn’t have slaves. My grandparents didn’t have slaves. My great-grandparents didn’t have slaves, and neither did my great-great-grandparents. 

I’m a ballroom dancer, and a great percentage of my partners are black, and they’re lovely people that I adore dancing with, and they’ve never once held a grudge or said a bad word to me. We’re friends.  

We’re all too stuck living in the past, and we keep pushing each other around because of it. We’re nothing better than playground bullies, and I hope there comes a point in time when we can stop. 

I’m not doing this to sound preachy or pretend I know everything about the world. I’m just sharing the knowledge I have in my head and expressing my opinions. Whether or not I’m right or wrong is up to everyone else’s opinions.

Believe it or not, this whole thing—this whole rant—is just because I, and we, love, adore and appreciate Zhong Chenle of NCT Dream. See? Now that’s a connection.

~Rant by Mars 

As for the situation of black people regarding their freedom to use a certain type of hairstyle, yes it makes me very angry. I know some girls with wonderful hair who have to ruin it with iron flats and products. It’s unfair, on this I agree perfectly with those who raise the issue. 

I don’t agree, however, in attacking a person who has no say in what unfortunately must wear (or in this case the hairstyle). Anyone who has made negative comments, offending Chenle is equal to those who call a child with down syndrome an abominion or who insult a girl just because she may have a better job than his boyfriend. 

The point is, Chenle is a Chinese guy in Korea. This is already a huge problem, because he found himself faced with a huge linguistic and cultural barrier to deal with in order to realize his dream. He fought hard to get that job. Sleepless nights, hours of practice, not being able to see his family, being alone. Now you will say "This has nothing to do with wearing cornrows, which like any hairstyle in the tribes represented a social status, since he isn’t a black person”. 

It has something to do with it, you're just being racist. 

Social, political, cultural racism. Racism lives in every single situation and unfortunately we are aware of it, but we don’t act on every situation that provides for it. How you insult white people who wears an African hairstyle (when black people are unable to do so) isn’t right. It would be right to insult the system. The system that has forced people with FREEDOM to be deprived of them. 

Chenle is as deprived of freedom as a POC is deprived of wearing a hairstyle or is seen as a gangster just because of the color of her/his skin. 

I'm Italian and those few times I've gone abroad the only thing I've heard is "Oh, the mafia!" As if my nationality was unavoidable by what crime has committed. But no one defended me. Why? Because I’m a Caucasian person. My skin is white. So I am untouchable to them and every offence is right? No.  We live in a world where offenses have become free, where society imposes ideals and people must absolutely follow them, where people who think with their heads are labeled as "weird”. 

We should be kind, honest and open-minded. We should offer our hand not to spit on the other. We should. It's scary, but at this rate we'll kill ourselves for a simple look instead of hugging each other.

- Rant By Saturn

#zhong chenle #chenle #nct dream #nct dream chenle #kpop scenarios #kpop music #kpop reactions #boom #nct dream boom #nct u #nct wayv #nct #nct 127 #sm

[bigtinyworldtravel]

Judging by picture-perfect, colorful squares on Instagram, the freedom of a travel lifestyle is presented as paradise – an endless parade of tropical breezes and fruity drinks, interspersed with exciting adventures that would make anyone envious.  While travel is, indeed, amazing and life-changing and exhilarating and rewarding, social media paints an incomplete picture.

We have learned firsthand what living the life of travel entails.  If you’re wondering if full-time travel is right for you – and if you’re ready for what actually awaits – here is what you can expect.

You will be out of your comfort zone

Whether you travel across the country or around the globe, the environment will be very different from what you’re used to.  You won’t have the comfort of your own bed, the convenience of your familiar beauty products, or the nostalgia of your favorite foods.  Kitchens won’t have the same appliances to which you’re accustomed, you might need to suffer cold showers, and depending on where you go, you’ll have to break the habit of flushing toilet paper.

Your phone won’t work the same way – if it works at all – and you’ll learn how much you’ve taken simple phone number dialing for granted.  And good luck if you need to print anything (boarding passes, visas, tickets, etc.).

People will likely speak differently, even if they are fluent in your native language.  Words with which you’re familiar could get buried in thick accents and local idioms.  You might offend someone without even realizing it.  I know we have on more than one occasion.

You will grow in ways you never expected

People so beautifully different from you will teach you things you never knew you never knew.  You will learn new was to use your own language, and your communication skills will expand exponentially.  You will learn bits and pieces of other languages.  Stay long enough and apply yourself, and you could become fluent.

You will grow to love brand new ideas and gadgets from around the world, and you will adopt some of them into your own life and later wonder how you ever lived without them.

You will be come a problem solving master, and you will become stronger than you ever were before, having survived any number of unanticipated mishaps.  This will make you a natural leader, as you’ll have the confidence of experience and the compassion of wanting to protect others from the worst of it.

You will learn how little you actually need, and you’ll grow to appreciate the freedom of minimalism.

The actual traveling can kind of suck

Buses and ferries and planes, oh my!  Oh, and tuk tuks and cars and trains and rickshaws and scooters and bikes and taxis and good ‘ole fashioned walking!  If you travel long enough, you’ll experience all of these (and more).

Travel days can be long and miserable, and they don’t always go smoothly.  We saw cancelled flights (sometimes the morning of), and our barely touching Scotland consisted of a bus on windy roads with a pair of puking kids (trust me: not fun).  We experienced long layovers, missed buses, wrong train stations, and even standing in the pouring rain at a bus door with insufficient fare in the correct currency – all with 50 lbs of carry-on luggage strapped to our front and back.

Even when the travel is uneventful, it’s exhausting, which is why we try to limit it or break it up as much as we can.

Nothing can compare to the thrill of stepping foot in a new place

But when we finally get there?  I have the word, “strikhedonia” engraved into my travel ring for a reason.  It means, “the love of striking out for a new destination,” and I certainly have that – bad.

When you stay in one place for long enough, you’ll find it begins to feel a bit like home.  The longer you stay, the harder it’ll be to leave.  But if you love travel as much as we do, then you know there’s no joy quite like the excitement of planning for and arriving in a new destination.  So, much as we might sometimes dread the actual traveling, there are far too many new and enticing places to remain stationary for long.

You will long for your favorite foods

Aaron called this dish “kitty litter”

Do you love fresh veggies?  Good luck getting those in the desert of Namibia.  Addicted to bacon?  You won’t find that in Muslim countries.  And don’t expect to find much dairy in Southeast Asia (sorry, cheese lovers!).

We naturally couldn’t eat as healthily as we were used to (especially when tempted by local dishes), and we got very tired of rice with every meal (but it was easy and cheap wherever we went!).  I had an absolute devil of a time trying to find dark chocolate anywhere in South America (though milk chocolate was readily available), and sorry, Europeans… you could use a lesson in what hot sauce actually is (hint: not slightly spicy ketchup).  But I think I was most surprised by my cravings for kombucha on the road (which probably explains why I drank about a gallon of it upon our arrival back home).

Each country has its limitations, and it was a (not-so-)fun exercise to figure out what our meals would look like upon each relocation.

You will discover new tantalizing cuisines

But once you figure out what that exotic fruit actually is (and how to eat it), you won’t be able to stop!  You will find spice combinations you can’t even identify, and the flavors will dance on your tastebuds and haunt your dreams as soon as you leave.

We absolutely love to eat, so we were excited to try all the local delicacies (though I don’t think I’d be brave enough to try bugs or scorpions or 100-year-old eggs).  I couldn’t get enough of Turkish meatballs, and we had more Croatian fritule (fritters) than I’d care to admit.  Italian lasagna, British fish ‘n chips, Argentinian empanadas, Namibian oryx steak….. my stomach is grumbling just thinking of it all!

And you can bring some of these recipes home with you to expand your own meal plans, letting the exotic tastes bring you back to your favorite countries without even leaving your kitchen.

Not everything will be as you expect

Tourism boards put every location in its best light to attract more visitors.  The truth is you’re very unlikely to see that temple without a horde of screaming kids or that famous palace with the jaw-dropping sunset colors.

Everyone always raved about Amsterdam (they still do).  But we just weren’t that impressed.  It was crowded and just not as charming as Rotterdam or Delft.

We were excited to spend the holidays in Switzerland (c’mon.. Christmas and snow with that gorgeous scenery??), only to find out we miscalculated how far from the mountains the town of Basel really is.

The spires of Torres Del Paine is arguably THE reason we were determined to visit Patagonia.  However, after a grueling hike, we arrived at a crowded glacial lake with dreary clouds obscuring the peaks.  The lack of clear weather put a literal damper on the otherwise beautiful location.

If you set your expectations too high, some places are simply bound to disappoint.

Other moments will completely blow you away

Sure, Dublin was a rainy mess the entire time we were there, but the Irish pubs were exactly what we wanted, and we had far more fun than we expected!  I simply couldn’t get enough of the Zadar sea organ – something I didn’t even know existed until we arrived.  Omis was insanely beautiful, and it wasn’t even on our itinerary.

We had a sick kitty during a housesit in Montenegro, but we were thrilled to find the Kotor fortress was completely free of charge during our visit (yay, off-season!).  We got the most incredible leopard encounter in Namibia.  And we were left speechless with the sheer beauty of Fitz Roy after the somewhat lackluster Torres.

We live for these moments, and with time, they will be the ones you ultimately remember.

Something will go wrong

Word to the wise: do not attempt to plan out every detail of your travels.  That is a recipe for disaster, as something will stray from your plans, derailing everything else you had lined up.

Aaron cataloging his stolen gear replacements

A park you want to visit might be closed the one day you’re in town.  A strap of your pack could break.  Lodging could fall through.  Your bus might never show up.

We began our travels by being robbed, and we ended them amidst a pandemic.  We certainly never planned for those things to happen.  The robbery almost stopped our travels before they truly began, and the virus almost kept us abroad unwillingly.

In the end, flexibility is paramount; it’s the only thing that kept us sane.

You will accrue the most fascinating stories

We’ve obviously been through a lot, but it sure makes for some amazing conversation!  While we were stressed and afraid and miserable in those situations as they were happening, we love to regale our battles to our friends (and you!) in the hopes that they find a lesson in them and avoid them, themselves.

These hardships will inevitably make you stronger, but they’ll also make you more interesting.  We were always drawn to those who possessed epic tales; now we’re finding others are drawn to us.

You will miss your friends and family

I hate to be the one to break it to you: life goes on without you.  Babies are born, people get married, barbecues and birthdays and holidays all keep happening.  You will miss some milestones, and you will miss those closest to you.

We had to skip our favorite anime convention (yeah, we’re geeks).  We missed countless hikes with our photo friends.  And for the first time ever, I missed Christmas with my family.

But we also dearly missed our kitties.  I’m so attached to them that I have crocheted tiny replicas to travel with us.  And with an 18-year-old cat, we ran the very real risk of never seeing her again.  Unfortunately, Skype just doesn’t replace purrs and nighttime cuddles.

You will meet incredible new friends

Fortunately, the world is a very large place, full of seven billion people – seven billion opportunities to make new friends.  And leaving those with whom you are familiar will force you to fill that void with exciting new personalities, and you’ll never be lonely.

Some will barely touch your life – someone who’s there for only an instant and is quickly forgotten.  Others will become the new best friend you never knew you were missing.  You will influence and inspire those you meet, and those ripples will have a profound effect not only on those they know but also back on you.

A bartender in Chile.  A tour guide in Germany.  A pair of travel bloggers in Montenegro.  A reader in the UK.  A couple in the Netherlands.  A family in Namibia.  A couchsurfer in Ireland.  A dog owner in Italy.  We are forever changed because of them and so many others.

You will internalize in a way you never thought possible the fact that we are all human at heart.  You will embrace the unique, and you will realize that those who have the least tend to be the most giving.  You will never forget their kindness, and you will become a better person because of it.

You will get sick

Chances are, you’ve already experienced getting sick while on vacation.  We don’t let ourselves fall ill when we have so much to do, so we sometimes crash as soon as we hop a plane and let our defenses down.  Traveling longer only stacks the odds against you.

And let’s face it… You will be exposed to so many new environments so quickly, it’s only a matter of time before some new bug takes you down.  Unless you were a military brat and/or ate Cheerios off the dining room floor as a kid (guilty), you probably don’t have an ironclad immune system.  And if an airborne bug doesn’t do it, just wait until you meet Dehli Belly!

It will force you to slow down

If you travel anything like us, you want to pack as much as you possibly can into every moment.  It’s so difficult to justify taking a break, because: when’s the next time you’ll be there?

But rest is just as important as adventure.

Slowing down lets you take in elements of a place you might otherwise miss entirely.  Besides, longterm travel is a marathon – not a sprint!

You will get tired of traveling

The old adage says, “everything in moderation; too much of a good thing is bad.”  No matter how much you love it, you will find days when you’re simply tired of traveling.  You’ll long for the stability and comfort of your own bed and home, and you’ll want to just be done for a bit.

Slowing down and resting certainly helps in this department (see above), but every so often, even that won’t be enough.  Try to maintain routines when you can, and work in “vacations” back home.

It will all be worth it

Travel is exciting, and it will forever change you.  Sure, it might be uncomfortable sometimes, but you will look back on the memories and know you’ve truly lived.  Perhaps you’ll go crazy being deprived of your favorite caramel lattes and bacon burgers, but the photos will remind you how incredible your life is.  You will build unforgettable relationships, and you’ll be able to tackle so many more hurdles life throws at you in the future with ease.

You’ll know you’ve lived your best life, and you’d never want it any other way.

What harsh realities have you learned while traveling?

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  Are You Prepared to be a Full-time Traveler? - #Fulltimetravel isn't all cocktails on the beach and exciting adventures. Sometimes it sucks. If you're considering it, know the truth before you dive in. #bigtinyworld #honesttruth Judging by picture-perfect, colorful squares on Instagram, the freedom of a travel lifestyle is presented as paradise - an endless parade of tropical breezes and fruity drinks, interspersed with exciting adventures that would make anyone envious. 

#behind-the-scenes #downsides #full-time travel #long-term travel #Travel #travel couple #truth

[2slowgoers]

Ghosts of Christmases Past

Hi L,

I find that since it’s the end of the decade it’d be a good idea to write a tribute to all my fleeting memories of our friendship. Initially a challenge from you because you think I forget everything, I’ve used it as an exercise to remind me of why we’ve been able to become and stay so close in the relatively short 5, 6 years we’ve known each other. I realised that oftentimes it’s not the memory of our interaction but more so a feeling that stayed with me. Thus, the list you’ll see below is vague because I don’t really recalls details, but they’re there because they left a mark (I did use a few hints from my phone album). I’ll be writing this in chronological order from our first meeting to the last time we met in November

I’d love to hear if any of the things I write down are not in your memory or are remembered differently :) Memories are such a curious thing. 

-I think we were in front of LDC? But it was ISO and we were all getting to know each other and you complimented my fashion ;p I really appreciated it. I think at that time I had a pretty good impression of you and thought we might get along (I think I have a pretty accurate first impression of people for myself).

-I also remember me, TT, and ST visiting you in your dorm at Goodhue during spring term maybe? You said that T’s bf at the time had come to visit but I don’t remember that. I just remember you weren’t too happy then but I don’t remember why :\ maybe you were stressed from work?

-winter term after you came back from studying and trekking abroad, I remember feeling nervous messaging you about your trip. Somehow it felt like we didn’t get to talk too much about it during that first conversation, or at least it wasn’t fully positive. I think you’d opened up about the struggles of traveling alone as a woman and getting harassed then?

-feeling replaceable when you and T got close, wondering if y’all would have dated if you’d met earlier. Anyway we talked (I don’t even know how I managed to approach you about this lol), and you talked about being friends with couples in your past

-summer after second year, going to Monterey with your family and eating at the Italian bistro bc your dad loves Italian food

-you visiting me in Seattle that summer and getting high with R. We had lunch with some college mates and were planning to go out but instead y’all just napped all afternoon. That was annoying but funny still

-visiting you in Berlin that fall -- going to all those weird bars, and in the last bar this guy came to sit with us and you talked to him, telling him we were all in relationships and he fibbed that he also was in a relationship. Later you told me his breath stank lol (let’s not mention all the other wildness that night -- still traumatised by the racist heckling and the people openly having sex at KitKat)

-meeting up in Venice (it’s still one of my fondest places that we went to together), trying to find cheap aperitifs and drinking them in front of a church, and lamenting over how romantic everything was and how many couples there were everywhere

-you, TT and ST coming to visit me in Budapest and us going to ruin bars. We left early and I remember being woken up at like 4am to open the door for TT. Also walking around Margitsziget (the island), and going to the open-air thermal bath. Do you remember zipping around in a whirlpool with throngs of people in it? 

-me doing your hair in T’s room the following winter, with you sitting on a pile of newspapers on the ground. I think we were trying to dye your hair brown

-us cooking at your house with your hs friend H and then the garbage can set on fire (?!); I think you were trying to make carbonara that time but the eggs weren’t going great or something; it was also the first time I’d seen anyone microwave tomatoes

-you and V trying to eat her frozen coconut water from a box and using a knife to hack at it. I was so scared for your fingers

-us going to the career center training with a quarter of a watermelon and eating it with spoons. I loved eating watermelons like that and feel like I haven’t really eaten that way since :(

-our birthday picnic and going to Valley Scare -- do you remember being scared? I feel like most of the folks were freaked out by the clowns and I was trying to not exhibit any fear so the attention would get directed to everyone else

-that one group confession/conversation we had in our room where people brought up their insecurities and feeling left out; I later confided in you about my hesitance with everyone trying to uplift each other through their looks

-going tubing toward the end of the year with J and trying to blow up those damn tubes! You had to blow mine up eventually because I was running out of breath

-the next time going tubing with everyone and it being a mess! Definitely thought we were going to die a few times (there was one particular moment where some of us were trying to latch onto a tree but there were bugs on it, and behind us TT and someone else -- was it you? -- got stuck on a shallow pebbly area)

-during graduation, I pulled you and T together to introduce to my parents, purposely to pad their meeting with T. I was hoping also that your dad would get along w my dad but they barely talked :[ 

-visiting you and H with T in August! I remember paddle boarding with y’all (lots of fun), watching you all play games, and going to eat pizza and trying kombucha for the first time. That was a much needed break from my family then

-you and J coming to visit for my bday! We went to Ktown and sang karaoke and ate bbq (J said that while we were waiting in line some girl passed by and gave me a judging side-eye); watching the Parent Trap with you; us all sitting in the pool area and chatting (K and JN came with a cake! it was so good) about the future and all its unknown

-the two wonderful weeks in Taiwan :) the pace was good and I really appreciated having you show me your city (and also exploring new places with you). I remember waking up early and staring out your window as you snoozed next to me; your smelly dog and me not knowing how to pet him; going to the most beautiful little thermal spa (and taking advantage of our time there alone); going to night markets with you and of course getting my ears pierced :)); playing with super fluffy cats at the cat cafe; scoping cute stores and cafes at the artsy warehouse area; eating that nasty eel in Tainan; biking around in Tainan and then you getting bird poop on your scarf (!); the cute capsule hostel in Kenting; driving scooters around Kenting and being terrified of the wind. I’d love to do something like that again, with a nice pace to explore a place that’s less familiar to us both and maybe through a decolonized lens :)

-seeing you and J in the Bay Area after you moved there. We were taking all kinds of photos with different flowers in your neighborhood; going to First Friday in Oakland; eating at a cafe in Berkeley and spotting Nick Robinson even though you and J were sure I was mistaking him; us eating cioppino in that one seafood restaurant outside (I don’t think it was very impressive)

-you came back again in like October and we went to see A in the burbs. It was practically blizzarding and we tried to go to that one mall but ended up at a Mexican resto. I think we ended up going back to her place to play Life? 

-spending Christmas, another precious chill time :) painting ornaments; decorating the tree; you and that puzzle (which still lies on our floor); cooking everyday; watching Strong Girl; going to that comedy show with my cousin and walking back in the cold; going to see the Christmas lights and paying money to see a rather unimpressive “4d experience”; buying a butcher’s knife and you hacking away at some chicken bones happily because I was too scared to do it

-hiking in March was also fun! You chose a beautiful and lovely b&b. I remember exchanging music with you (lots of Spanish electropop); eating that overpriced hotpot; and taking a bunch of photos while waiting for pizza

-seeing you again in June (feeling claustrophobic; going to that strange queer fashion show), 

-August (going to see Yuna <3; that bike trip where you and T were going so fast; eating food at that little pagoda with our hodgepodge of food which was actually pretty good; having Thai temple brunch), 

-September (2x! Spending time with my sister and all the stress incurred on us both that came with it before and after; I really appreciated you being there for me; getting good vegan food and trying but failing to find a plan for M; and trying to find hotpot mix all over the store but it was right under our noses?? -- the 2nd trip you came to Chicago and we watched Hamilton!!) 

-and then November (going to see Mean Girls in NYC and you were waiting in line with that white saviour-seeming lady and the guy in the t-shirt; trying to meet each other’s friends; eating at Modern Love --still the most inspiring place I’ve eaten in 2019 aside from the Mexican Michelin place T and I went to for our anniv; walking around the park and you giving me a leaf for a bookmark which I actually kept for like a month)! 

So many times this year lol, often unexpected and last minute. I’m sure there are plenty other memories rolling around in the back of my mind but these are the ones I wanted to highlight. Although I don’t know when we’ll reunite next, I have no doubt we’ll continue to support and uphold each other no matter the distance and time. You’ve been such a funny, supportive, insightful, and passionate part of many of my best memories in these past few years. I don’t say it enough but I hope you recognise the influence you’ve had on my life and those of others. Thank you, and I love you <3

Onwards to 2020!

W (December 30, 2019)

[thebottomoftheapple]

The Comeback Kid

HELLO... It’s.Been.AGES.

I owe myself a hugeeee apology for not writing since mid 2017. The Year is now 2019 WOW. Kinda unreal, kinda exciting since welp 2018 was nottttt itttttt. BUT before we go let me recap– as much as I can– of where I left off.

Shortly after my last post (finishing off junior year) I went to Altanta (Suwanne) to stay with Tio Edwin + family WHILE I interned with Resolve Media Group ❤️❤️and it was honestly one of the most amazing yet ordinary taste of adulthood to this day! I first work on the LifeTime movie (Oscar Pistorious) for the first month which was a great learning experience and met some great people. After that, I worked more at Resolve and the amazing Chad, Will, and even Mac. And ofc Jay and Summer! I was an Office PA, Overall Set PA, and Art PA. And honestly though the hours were sometimes unbearably long, I was happy! I was in a grove, I enjoyed getting up and going to working and driving hours through Atlanta traffic everyday. I’m pretty sure I was at my lowest weight at the end of that summer and tan(ish) ugh I miss it a lot. BUT, God willing, I may be back there soon enough, doing what I love! Ahh and after I came back to NY, I went right to another one of my favorite places LONDON💙💙 

London and abroad was something else and there’s no way I could write it all down but the best and worst of those memories I’ll never forget. From LIVING in a London flat to seeing my Dad in Barcelona, running away from the Florence police, looking for my phone off the train tracks of Italian campos, trying my first (and still only) gyro in Greece, birthday peeing in the streets of Budapest, living one of my absolute favorite fairytale lives in Amsterdam, and playing house and thinking I found the love of my life off a foreign tindr swipe 😂. Abroad was truly an amazing experience and I can’t wait to (because I definitely will!) go back for more adventures!

I came back to NY at the end of 2017... with a boyfriend lmao. Well at the time I would have been soooo gee and happy, I really thought I was part of that statistic of people who come back from abroad in a long distance relationship lol.... and then eventually go back and live happily ever after. But nope that didn’t happen but absolutely for the best. But i was really happy and you could tell, I just felt lighter and less mentally/emotionally strained like I had been with previous lovers. WHICH!! is so bad because I feel like that means I put too much emphasis on having romantic relationships in my life. But I think the switch was so different because I had been dealing with BS for so long... Nabil treated me better than anyone, spoiled me tbh, but also gave me more attention and affection than anyone had before... definitely the funnest sex lol, humor, music, and real conversation about real things... which also turned out to be the core of why he was definitely not the one aha... But back to emphasizing relationship, that’s really evident now especially because I haven’t dealt with anyone for almost a year but if I’m being honest it’s actually like 6 months (the devil never stops working haha), which is still long for me and honestly I wouldn’t have it any other way because my life right now has no room for any of that–literally. So that’s been fine... that was a secondary concern, ya know a lil heartbreak but a lot of more lessons learned about myself. And now I’m so used to not dealing with anything of that nature all together that it’s definitely not a priority coming into 2019. (OFC I get in my bag sometimes, think about an old ting, but none of that was ever going to be what I wanted it to)

Thank U, Next! lol no but to get into my biggest concerns this past year, has been about me. Specifically my future/career and what steps to take because now I absolutely have control on what’s next. Oh yeah I graduated college btw, which is the reason why I was (am) so lost because it’s not school! I mean it could be, but I really don’t think it’s necessary. That weighed on me heavy throughout the summer because I did eventually get an internship at NowThis Media, which is where I’m still freelancing at now, but I knew that wasn’t what I wanted to be doing long-term. Lmao yet here I am 🤦‍♀️but no honestly it’s not terrible, it’s great experience/for my resume and money is good enough for someone saving and not paying real bills rn (shoutout to my amazing mother 😭). I have a better plan now but things could change maybe if the position/MONEY is right but we’ll see. The plan is to go back to Atlanta, stay with family again, and see if it’s possible to do what I love and make a living out of it and officially move there. And to do that by the summer I need to start planning now but I’m trying to time everything out. SO there’s that.. I’m praying for the best 🙏🙏🙏

Last but not least, ME, mentally, physically, spiritually ME. Honestly coming out of the great year that was 2017 I thought I was on such a great path and I was but things happen aha... it wasn’t until after graduation that I started to get really sad because of of the whole ‘what am I going to do/what’s my calling’ but I thought it was pretty normal because it is for a lot of people. But I underestimated that sadness because it definitely got worse going into the Fall. I mean not 100% unbearable sadness like 2015 💆Thank God. But I had my moments, like just feeling lost and out of place, not enjoying my daily routine (inc. work, social media), car L’s of course 🙄, friendship tribulations, and just unfortunate events that have messed with my spirit and energy. 

BUT! definitely some good outcomes... health wise: I joined a gym! and have gone at least 1-4 times a week ever since so that’s really good. An interesting/sus older man once told me to invest in yourself and I def have lol. Started being in control/paying for more ‘big girl things’ you could say. Learned to leave some things alone that needed to be left. Got closer to some of the more important people in my life. Went out a little more I think, which is deb(t)atably a good thing. A lots more reflection, which I think is where I’ve been lacking because I stopped writing and sorta lost a little sense of self. And I think I did embark on the self-love journey and work on my confidence and speaking up but I think I approached that as my main issues. And yes those are some but I believe I overlooked some other character issues. I was too focused on speaking up and being more out there but sometimes that gets me into worse situations. Sure, I need to speak out more but also I need to be more mindful about what I say and also about what and how much I share with people who are honestly not good for me and my inner peace. It’s a hard balance but that is something I’ll be tackling from now on. And learning it’s ok! to remove myself and not explain doing things that are good for me ( but also knowing when to let go of my pride sometimes). It’s all a balance that I have yet to master but I at least I am aware of it now. Following my gut and making sure internally that I’m good will be a good goal for the year. 

So I guess I’m into goals now 🤗

- Use social media less, way less! I really think this is the source of some of my lost feeling because of the undeniable idea of comparison and blah blah but yeah I feel like I could be doing much more healthier things like reading again!

- Keep up my gym life, and try to do better when it comes to eating too.

-Really try out this Atlanta thing because it’s honestly very accessible and worth the try especially at 22, this is my time to following my dreams and take risks and be afraid but also be brave because my happiness short-term/long-term actually depends on it!

- The last big thing is really that inner peace thing, trusting my gut, being a better me and not something that isn’t me. Addressing my ‘toxicity’ and flaws to be a happier and healthier spirit. 

- Oh and go out less meaning like lituations because honestly clubs, lounges, party functions are really not for me and I’ve accepted that but I think once I  get my life together I will easily avoid those situations bc the fomo/desire to be with the people I care for really be putting me in situations I don’t enjoy lmao wasting so much money, when I can be with them and have fun in actually fun events. 

- And write more duh!

Okay 🙂I think this post is long enough. A good ‘last time in Kiara’s life’ recap of the last ~18months. This is a good start to getting back to a healthier but even better me. I should also start writing down and keeping track of some of my goals. Hopefully through writing here but regardless still writing because I do believe this is a worthwhile, therapeutic outlet. 

SO HERE’S TO 2019 🥂

A prosperous and happy life-changing year! I know big things things are coming. Having patience and facing my fears are really my determining factors of what the year will bring but I know can overcome them. 

Until next time, which will be soon I promise!

#to health happiness and love #to a life changing year #to a better ME #we back in this bitch! #1/1/2019

[craftrva-blog]

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Ballet...

Written by: Jo Ann L. Breaux

What would seem like a typical interview for CRAFT RVA actually became an instant karmic connection. It is one of the reasons that CRAFT has been on hiatus, but I thought it appropriate to explain myself to my very supportive readers and I thought what a way to get back in the game. 

Let me start by saying that dance for me is an art form and craft I've always been affected by. It is probably the only one that can stir emotional expression so deeply and sincerely. Yes, I am that person who thinks Travis Wall and Sonya Tayeh are choreography gods. So, to say the least I sort of love dance and yes I will, with reckless abandon, dance in my living room. I had no idea I would be submersed into its very world by coming to the aid of a computer challenged technicality. I'm proud to say that I hold a title here at Latin Ballet and yes, I know I'm writing a biased piece, I would like to think I am being subjective with my internal experience.

I speak horrible Spanish. I barely know my Panamanian history. I was never really exposed to that side of my culture besides the incoherent Spanish ramblings of my mother's foreign tongue or the occasional traditional Latin meal or story. I never really understood what my mom went through when she came here in the 70s. I didn't understand how disoriented she must have felt going from the lush jungle and mountains to the humid, flat Deep South. I blocked out all the times she was made fun of for her accent or called certain things for her tanned skin. I was angered how men leered at her in the grocery store, but was just a small child and unable to do anything about it. It wasn't well into my teen years I found my ethnic identity and really comprehended why mom never taught me Spanish or anything about my Panamanian background and learned I was never Latina enough, Asian enough, or white enough to be able to figure out the capacity of my genetic makeup. Which is why, this whole connection with Latin Ballet has been some kind of racial cosmic connection.

I can go on and on about Founder and Artistic Director of Latin Ballet of Virginia, Ana Ines King and her credentials and awards. It would take more room than I've got here. I'd rather concentrate on Ana as an artistic role model and as a native of Bucaramanga, Colombia. It is important to note that Ana's mother was a dancer and she was the one who taught her the art of Flamenco. Her sister. Rosana is also an accomplished dancer, Ana being the Queen of the East while her sister resides in the West, both educators and choreographers. To say this little mouse of a woman is passionate is an understatement. This woman who founded Latin Ballet of Virginia with an idea sprung from an experience her daughter, Melody had when coming to America, has worked relentlessly to implement and engage cultural understanding through dance for 20 years!

Ana's story is similar to my mother's. The likeness between them is uncanny, the way they speak, the way they explain things, and mostly the fervor of determination. Ana sees something she wants and then she makes it a reality, through sheer belief. She's fiery, she's enthusiastic, and she's bold. She does not take "no" for an answer and it is through that she knows nothing to be impossible. Ana came to America just as my mom had, simply put, she fell in love with an American, married, and came to the United States. What isn't easy to understand is the assimilation process. I was lucky, I didn't have to partake in that part because I was very young coming here from Panama, where as Melody was almost a teenager when they arrived in Virginia.  Now, as I'm writing this, I discovered that when I came to Richmond, I was a pre-teen, I had been raised in Cajun country for most my life. Coming to Richmond was incredibly difficult for me. I was extremely shy and people made fun of my accent and my clothes. I was a fish out of water for sure. So, when Ana was telling the story of her daughter's experience, I was not only recalling my mother's, but also my own. Ana's daughter also lost confidence in herself, she didn't speak and she became quite depressed upon arriving here.

For any American who travels abroad, it is difficult to really delve into the language and culture of some countries you visit. We as Americans travel swiftly, usually taking in 3-5 countries in our two week vacation allowance. There's not really time to learn anything. You take a gondola ride and eat pizza in Napoli, you say "Hola" in Spain while drinking Sangria on the beach, you take some photos in front of the Eiffel Tower while eating some cheese and before you know it, you're back on American soil never having learned the language or spending a good amount of time partaking in the culture.

For Ana, if was her husband's family who gave her the hugs she needed, the warmth that comes from being Latin, to feel comfortable and accepted. For Melody, starting in a new school wasn't so easy. There are no open windows in the schools here in the States, but in places like Panama, Colombia and Costa Rica, the schools are open to nature, you can hear the birds sing, a monkey or two pass by and the sun shining it's beams inside while you are learning. It was a very different "institutional" environment here for her and for someone coming from such topographically beautiful lands, it can be a hard place to adjust. It is quite difficult to feel like you belong or that you are connected to anyone when you've been plopped into a whole different culture. Ana, although hard, was willing to let her go back to her native Colombia and finish out the rest of her school, but it was a simple demonstrative assignment of teaching her classmates Salsa and cumbias that would not only bring Melody out of her shell, but would also spark the conception for Latin Ballet. Ana would soon realize that dance could help these kids identify and feel proud of where they come from. She could teach them English through dance and help them become more confident in speaking and interacting with their American peers and so Ana, would find her mission.

Despite being 20 years established, a lot of people have different notions of what Latin Ballet does. LBV is made of three solid branches on a very colorful tree. Ana not only has implemented successful award-winning educational programming and residencies including the "Be Proud of Yourself" program and the Arts in Education Summer Camps in our Richmond, VA community, but LBV is also made up of a Professional and Junior Company which perform throughout the year, sometimes touring outside the state. If that's not enough, LBV teaches students in Flamenco, Salsa, Ballet, Hip Hop and Contemporary dance techniques four days a week for 16 week semesters. What's beautiful about what LBV does, is it creates an environment where children from different backgrounds and countries can feel confident and safe, yet also gives exposure to those kids who are not always in a gentrified group. In other words, White children are learning about Spanish and Latin language, history, culture, and folklore and they are learning it directly from the source as well as helping these students who don't know English very well, language skills they need in their new home. When you walk into an LBV studio, you see a medley of children from all different races and backgrounds. When they are dancing together, they are one. Ana is a big believer in everyone feeling good and confident about who they are. She embraces all her "children", including her adult instructors and dancers, some of whom have been with her since they were as young as 3 years old. The programs she has brought to many low-income schools and communities has brought exposure to the arts to children otherwise oblivious to this world. Sponsors of Latin Ballet contribute to scholarships given to a lot of high-risk/low-income children, giving them the ability to learn to dance and perform.

Ana and her Professional Company of dancers perform at many charitable events and it is no secret that Ana does it out of pure love. If she wasn't dancing, I think she'd be six feet in and even then, I think the soil would kick up around her. Most of LBV's productions are folklore and myth based. She takes a lot of stories from Hispanic and Latin culture and tells these stories through passionate dance theater performances. Often times, they will showcase many dance forms and she has been known to bring guest artists from Spain and elsewhere to share the stage with them. LBV has quite a spectrum of ethnic backgrounds within the Professional Company itself including Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Italian, all from different dance backgrounds and lifestyles. I think it gives the entire feel a zest not found in most dance companies. When people see an LBV show they leave invigorated and spirited. There's a lot of heart on and off stage.

When foreigners come to this country it is to seek a better life, a better opportunity. It is not only to contribute to their families who don't have the monetary means, but it is also to give to American society. Without Hispanic culture in this country, Texas may not have won their independence, more than half of the street names in America would not exist, you wouldn't know what a taco was, and a lot of white people would not be dancing Salsa at the club. What makes Latin Ballet of Virginia so special is that it is inclusive. It brings something unique to the stage and it gives back to our community by providing education through dance. I've been to Henderson High School. I have seen what dance has done for these kids. It put a huge smile on my face when they proudly show me what they've learned through our residency and yes, they were good, one teen actually choreographed her own routine. It is this type of learning that influences kids to become better people.

This weekend LBV is re-staging the production of "Nuyorican" which tells the stories of real experiences of Puerto Ricans who migrated to New York after WWII and the shaping of a culture in a foreign land where they faced discrimination and oppression. It also touches on the challenges of their offspring, born American, but caught between a cultural war of identity. It's a relevant piece, significantly in current times. Strangers in a strange land. I'm very proud to be a part of LBV. Not only do I get to be around dance, but I also get to understand where I come from more and it has become my little family, my hands flying, fast talking, Spanish speaking, vibrant familia.

For all those interested in learning dance from Latin Ballet (yes, even you adults) visit their website.

#latinballetrva #ana ines king #marisol betancourt #ivana lo piccolo #mary petrizzi #jstatic #jay williams #roberto whitaker #spanish dance #latin dance #ballet #contemporary #rva #dance studios