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telomeke-bbs · 1 year

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BAD BUDDY'S BASEBALL MOM – ROOFTOP RUGBY WITH LUCY IN THE SKY… OR ON A BASEBALL DIAMOND?

One of the most mystifying aspects of Bad Buddy was the decision to have Pat wear the now-iconic Baseball Mom tee for the Epic Rooftop Kiss at the end of Episode 5.

It's so utterly incongruous with the drama onscreen. The scene was a pivotal moment for the narrative, with Pat's big coming out to Pran followed by the very steamy demonstration of mutual emotions, after episodes of unending turbulence around where they stood with each other. And The Kiss they delivered was so stupendous, it rocked the Internet to its very foundations.

And for that hugely important moment, Director Aof decided Pat should wear – a big woman's t-shirt more associated with loud, overzealous American moms cheering on their kids at Little League baseball? 👀

At first I thought production simply wanted something open and sporty for Pat, to contrast with Pran being all covered up (mirroring their states of mind – Pat actively seeking to confess his feelings on the rooftop, Pran all closed-off and repressed). That line of thinking was definitely behind a lot of Pat and Pran's outfits, and I assumed they just used a random tee and cut off its sleeves for this.

But in retrospect this seems altogether too blasé an approach, especially since we can see how purposeful the wardrobe decisions were throughout the rest of the series. (The Soon Vijarn Recap video for BBS Ep.5 also makes it very clear Director Aof was closely involved in wardrobe selection, choosing all the outfits for their appropriateness to the narrative – see this link here, at timestamp 23.24.)

(above) The Soon Vijarn Recap video for BBS Ep.5 timestamp 23.49

The examples of the wardrobe reflecting the characters' inner states are copious. Pran's emotional journey in the first half of BBS – learning to open up, getting his feelings returned, and falling into a relationship – was mirrored by his sartorial journey, and he went from all colorless and buttoned-up to a wardrobe filled with more relaxed, expressive and colorful outfits when out in public:

(above) Pran all buttoned-up in his early whites (Ep.2 [1I4] 1.56, Ep.3 [1I4] 12.40 and Ep.5 [1I4] 6.03)

(above) A selection of Pran's more relaxed and colorful sweaters that he wore outside later in the series (Ep.7 [3I4] 2.52, Ep.10 [3I4] 0.26, Ep.12 [3I4] 6.36 and Ep.12 [4/4] 10.14)

Loud extrovert Pat on the other hand was decked out almost from the beginning in bright prints and wacky t-shirts (with some rivaling Baseball Mom in wackiness), all the better to broadcast his outgoing character and personality:

(above) A selection of Pat's bright and wacky tops (Ep.2 [2/4] 5.03, Ep.6 [3I4] 4.37, Ep.8 [2/4] 8.30 and Ep.10 [1I4] 4.52)

The mystery deepened further when the fandom tracked down the maker of Baseball Mom – it looks like a small, possibly home-based business in the US, and the t-shirt is part of a line, one of several related tops (see this link here). It simply wasn't a random tee from some small Bangkok shop (unless the vendor had gotten it secondhand off some American tourist, and was re-selling it locally). This looks like a t-shirt that was specifically procured for the show (possibly even sourced from overseas), rendered sleeveless with low-cut armholes to echo the openness of Pat's personality, and then put on Ohm with absolute intent.

But why?

I'm convinced that there is an element of subversion about this (not the least because the t-shirt undercuts the heavy drama of the scene so drastically). @ranchthoughts has already pointed out in this write-up linked here that the feminine Mom is an allusion to the subversion of gender roles embodied by Pat's character, and I very much agree. It's also possible that this particular tee was chosen because the baseball standing in for (and thus somewhat obscuring) the letter 'O' in the word Mom kind of makes the word call out to M🤍M or MLM. (And here's an afterthought that occured to me watching Only Friends and the promo trailer for My Golden Blood – the baseball bat is also visual shorthand for the emotional violence that Pat and Pran wreak upon their relationship when each figuratively beats up on the other – and on himself too – while acting out their strange, rambunctious relationship as enemies who are secret friends and later lovers.)

But I also do think that there's still more to Baseball Mom than the above, and this particular train of thought was triggered by an Ask from @pandasmagorica about Ep.5's rooftop scene (linked here).

I now think we can piece together a reason for Baseball Mom on the rooftop, but it's only fair to signal that this wackiest of wardrobe choices is getting possibly the wackiest of explanations (and it's a doozy).

Now what @pandasmagorica's Ask triggered for me was the realization that Pat's directness on the rooftop was actually almost the complete opposite of something that he'd been doing very often, right up until Episode 5 – and that was his propensity to torment Pran with the bait-and-switch.

Time and again, Pat would reach out with the offer of something precious to Pran – a smile, a kind word, a tender moment, a suggestion of intimacy – but then quite suddenly he would subvert the situation and switch out the proffered affection with something wholly discomfiting, crushing hopeful Pran's expectations.

There are several examples:

During their childhood, Pat returned Pran's watch after Pran saved Pa from drowning (Ep.1 [4/4] 9.46), signaling the start of his friendship with the lonely little boy next door – only to impose the caveat "But…don’t talk to me in front of people. They might think we're buddies."

That (almost shirtless) bedside conversation at the end of Ep.4 (beginning at Ep.4 [4/4] 10.43), when Pat kept bombarding poor Pran with personal, leading questions, half-begged to be allowed to share his bed and cuddle, before shattering his neighbor's heart by declaring that it was Ink whom he liked romantically.

Tending to Pran’s injured shoulder at Ep.4 [3I4] 7.07, before suggesting he only wanted Pran to recover so that they could compete in rugby again;

Returning Pran’s long-lost guitar to him, then ruining the tenderness of the moment with “I just like to see your face… when you lose” (Ep.3 [4/4] 10.30).

And with Pran deep in his feelings for Pat, the constant intimations of closeness and deeper feelings, shell-gamed away at the last minute, must have been soul-crushing for our poor yearning boy. (This is also what the lyrics of Pran's theme – Just Friend? – are all about, e.g., "I can’t make sense of what you’ve done"/"Are we just friends or are we more?"/"If you don’t mean it, don’t act that way".)

No wonder Pran was trying so hard to keep a distance from the cheerful boy next door, who was always invading his personal space (after having taken over his heart). So much so that Pran on the rooftop was expecting more of the same, which explains his blunt statement "Pat, you've got to stop doing this to me. We are not a thing" in response to Pat telling him that it hurt to see the song they co-wrote in high school played with someone else.

Pran saw this as more of Pat's teasing games, but irony of ironies Pat was being totally serious this time. And yet, even on the rooftop in Ep.5, Pat did a version of the bait-and-switch one more time, but with the polarity reversed for once – he listed all the ways Pran's exile should have brought him joy, only to end with "It was so depressingly lonely for me." 😢

I think Pat learnt early on that this is what you do to your loved ones – because there's actually an example of Ming doing something similar to his son at Ep.8 [2/4] 16.12. Helping to wash Pat's car, he quietly allowed his son to natter on about his day with fibs about rugby practice, before landing a sledgehammer blow saying "When did I teach you to lie?" at Ep.8 [2/4] 16.41. This was an ambush, intended to take Pat by surprise and inflict the maximum amount of damage – and judging by Pat's despondent moping after, Ming certainly succeeded.

But it's not only Pat doing this to Pran, or Ming doing this to Pat, that we see in BBS. Director Aof and his writers actually littered the narrative with other examples of the set-up and switch-out as well, doing it to us the viewers:

Pat may have started out Ep.1 a ruffian, but then we saw that he was really a cheery big kid who needed his popsicles and cuddles from Nong Nao for comfort (Ep.1 [4/4] 8.37 and Ep.2 [1I4] 1.36).

Ink was introduced as a demure girl from the north (remembering that northern Thailand is seen as close to the birthplace of Thai culture) in Ep.4 [1I4] 7.41; then she tripped and let out a curse word at Ep.4 [1I4] 8.01.

Pa's glow-up at Ep.7 [1I4] 2.39 and subsequent story arc subverted her initial (albeit not very successful) portrayal as the frumpy kid sister with no life and no agency as a character.

BBS placed the emotional burden of Episodes 1 to 4 solely on Pran's pining shoulders, and then suddenly whipped it away in Ep.5 and dumped it squarely on Pat (kudos to Ohm, who gamely played Pat as a shining object of affection for the first third of BBS, before showing us that Junior Jindapat was so much more than a lovable, empty vessel himbo, and was instead someone who actually did possess an inner life that he could access).

And perhaps the biggest BBS bait-and-switch of all – Pran's unrequited love for inaccessible Pat turns out to be requited after all, but then without warning it's Pran who spins out of reach on the rooftop.

Looking at BL as a genre, the bait-and-switch is sometimes employed as a storytelling device to provide an unexpected dramatic twist (though whether or not it satisfies is debatable). For example there is the trap set for Lhong in TharnType, the aloof ice prince Sarawat turning out to have been carrying a torch for Tine in 2gether, and Nubsib's reveal in Lovely Writer as someone who also shared a past with Gene.

And if you think about it, all of Bad Buddy itself was kind of one big bait-and-switch as well. They set it up so that – at the start – it looked like the series would be shaping up into a run-of-the-mill, formulaic romance. The roadmap was laid out quite clearly – enemies to lovers, Romeo and Juliet or Kwan and Riam but the BL version thank you very much, star-crossed and kept apart by their warring families.

So we were expecting BBS to follow the usual romcom beats and rhythms, delivering the standard tropes, with the main storyline about how the enemies would fall in love against the odds, then find a way to beat the odds and stay together, or fall victim to it and be forever driven apart.

Except that Director Aof and his team pulled the rug out from under us time and time again, after setting this all up. The idea that Pat and Pran were enemies got turned on its head (they'd been secret friends since childhood). The process of falling in love didn't follow conventional beats at all – Pran was already in love, while Pat was… possibly already beset by emotions, just getting them all mixed up and projecting them onto Ink.

Instead of showing us the main couple falling for each other over the course of 12 episodes, this was firmly established by the end of Episode 5. Instead of their families being the primary conflict driving them apart, it was Pran's overthinking and emotional walls that drove a wedge between them in Episode 6. When family conflict finally did rear its head to threaten their relationship, well Pat and Pran just sidestepped it and carried on.

And the tropes? One by one they fell by the wayside as well. Ink turned up in Ep.4, looking like a formidable love rival for Pran (and he believed it too). Except that she wasn't the stereotype of the evil girlfriend at all – she turned out to be Pat's supportive bestie, while her eye (and camera) were focused on Pa instead. Any stereotypes overhanging macho Pat and pernickety Pran got subverted too, with Pat ditching sports practice for musical theater and Pran a credible street fighter and also a star player on his rugby team – so much for the seme and uke in this BL. The "gay for you" trope got put down (Ep.9 [2/4] 1.41), as was the "wifey" one (Ep.9 [4/4] 8.48). There are so many examples.

Even the end of Ep.11 was a bait-and-switch as well, when a large portion of the fandom was hoodwinked by Director Aof's Ep.12 preview into thinking that we were headed for a break-up. (Fortunately they switched it out for the happy ending that we got instead, thank goodness.)

There's so much of this going on, it seems as though BBS was actually celebrating the bait-and-switch (and in that way kind of subverting its use in BL as well). The thing is, nothing was ever what it seemed in Bad Buddy, and it was all intended to be so, from Day One, because it's solidly a thematic preoccupation underlying the series.

I now think Baseball Mom really plays into all of this glorification of the bait-and-switch as a storytelling device, and its subversion as well. But in a really wacky way, as perhaps is only fitting for the wackiest of Pat's t‑shirts.

So looking back on decades of popular media, who's been crowned the Big Boss of the Bait-and-Switch, the Grand Poobah of Switcheroos, the Queen of the Short-Con, the House Mother of all Bamboozlers?

It’s this little lady right here: 😍

This is Lucy Van Pelt, from Charles Schulz's comic strip Peanuts. Lucy is many things in the Peanuts universe, but one thing she's iconic for is a bait-and-switch prank, where she holds a football and then goads Charlie Brown on to kick it. He usually takes a bit of convincing, but eventually he goes for it and at the last second, Lucy pulls the ball away and poor Chuck ends up kicking the air, sent flying in the process. It's a running gag in the comic strip, first appearing in 1952 and recurring every year after that:

So what's the link with Baseball Mom though?

Football aside, in Peanuts Lucy is also a member of Charlie Brown's baseball team – and significantly she's absolutely terrible at the game. She misses the easiest of pitches, and even when perfectly positioned she gets hit on the head by the ball instead of catching it in her mitt.

So while she may be totally, confidently in charge of the situation baiting Charlie Brown with the pigskin, when it comes to baseball instead of football – Lucy is completely out of her element.

The parallel with Bad Buddy is that master of the bait-and-switch Pat Napat Jindapat – the BBS manifestation of Lucy – was pulling different versions of the Charlie Brown football prank on hapless Pran over and over again, causing much anguish to the latter's battered heart.

But suddenly on the rooftop, the tables got turned and Pran pulled the big switcheroo on him instead – by confirming their mutual feelings with a kiss so dizzyingly sensational that Pat must have been delirious with happiness… only to send it all crashing down by abandoning him there without a word of explanation.

(above) Bad Buddy Ep.5 [4/4] 12.58 – an abandoned Pat stares uncomprehendingly as Pran walks away from the wreckage of their broken hearts

In that moment Football Lucy morphed into Baseball Lucy, from self-assured manipulator to incompetent klutz, all alone in right field when the ball came zooming in from way out left. And what better way to mark this moment than with a t-shirt loudly proclaiming Pat's newly-minted Baseball Lucy status on its front?

(above) The Baseball Mom graphic – BBS's own version of The Scarlet Letter

Yes, I know this explanation is outlandish; that's how it sounded to me too when it first took shape in my head. So I decided to test it, by looking for supporting information elsewhere in the context of Bad Buddy. And the findings are truly surprising. 👀

No characters from Peanuts actually appear (in canon form) within any of BBS's visuals (not that they could, I suppose, for licensing reasons). But Charlie Brown and his cohort of characters aren't unknown in Thailand – there is a Charlie Brown Café (79/335 แขวงช่องนนทรี เขตยานนาวา, Bangkok, Thailand, 10120) that was previously at MBK Centre and a Charlie Brown's Restaurant (315/303 ซ.นราธิวาส24 แขวง ช่องนนทรี Yan Nawa, Bangkok 10120, Thailand) at Belle Park Plaza/Fortune Condo Town:

(above left) Charlie Brown Café; (above right) Charlie Brown's Restaurant

And even though we don't directly see Charlie Brown, Lucy or any other Peanuts characters in BBS, there are oblique references. One of the more obvious ones alludes to Lucy's younger brother, Linus Van Pelt:

When we see Pran out in the world with his PP hobo bag (written up here) or Pat snuggled in bed with his beloved Nong Nao (written up here), we know by now that the bag and the stuffed doll-pillow are our boys' favorite comfort objects, providing psychological security even as they face their personal fears.

(above left) Bad Buddy Ep.2 [1I4] 3.01 – Pran and his PP hobo bag, that he deploys like a shield when outside; (above right) Bad Buddy Ep.2 [1I4] 1.37 – Pat cuddling Nong Nao for comfort when he's all alone

But another name for these comfort objects actually has a connection to Peanuts – they can also be called Linus blankets, after the security blanket that Lucy's brother carries around with him all the time. Just a coincidence? I'm not so sure. (I think it's also significant that all three objects have blue as their predominant color.)

There's also a nod at Charlie Brown himself later, on the rooftop in Ep.7 [4/4] – Pat's tee is an unmistakeable visual reference to Charlie Brown's signature yellow top with its zigzag motif:

(above left) Bad Buddy Ep.7 [4/4] 1.48; (above right) Charlie Brown in his own iconic t-shirt

After their roles were reversed on the rooftop at the end of Ep.5 (with Pran pulling the ultimate bait-and-switch move back on Pat by walking away after The Kiss), the mantle of Charlie Brown the football prank victim was thrust onto Pat instead, and that is what we see here in Ep.7.

The brand name emblazoned on Pat's t-shirt also rings some bells – it's Patriots, which immediately calls to mind the NFL team from New England, and is another nod at Lucy's American football. (There is also a Minor League baseball team called the Somerset Patriots based in New Jersey; not as well-known as their counterparts – compatriots? – a few states away, but still… 👀).

(above) Bad Buddy Ep.7 [4/4] 2.13

And looking a bit closer the Ep.7 scene on the rooftop (the last one to be filmed among all of Bad Buddy's queues) really starts to overflow with meaning because it's actually a parallel to Ep.5's rooftop bait-and-switch.

It's far too much to include here, so I've put it into its own separate post (see this write-up linked here) – the short of it is that Pat as Charlie Brown plays the bait-and-switch one last time on Pran in Ep.7, but for the very first time turns the last-second switch-out into a win for his beloved instead, rescuing Pran who was floundering with the musical. And this reversal of the bait-and-switch, a redemption of sorts, is what convinces Pran to end their courtship competition and enter into confirmed couplehood instead. 👍

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Now all that aside, there's still one more element in Bad Buddy that I think is a direct reference to Lucy's bait-and-switch in Peanuts – and that's all the rugby, doing its part as a stand-in for Lucy's American football.

(above) Bad Buddy Ep.4 [4/4] 2.04 – the boys face off on the rugby pitch

It would never have been possible to feature American (gridiron) football authentically in Bad Buddy (it's not a popular sport outside of North America, to be honest, and would have been totally alien in a Thai setting). So they shone the spotlight on rugby instead, most probably because the ball used for play there is ovoid and almost the same as the one used in American football – it seems like the rugby in BBS is pointing at Lucy and the American football she deviously deploys.

(top) Bad Buddy Ep.7 [2/4] 13.01; (bottom) Bad Buddy Ep.7 [2/4] 13.02

This would explain why Director Aof and his team opted to feature rugby instead of soccer –the latter is far more popular in Thailand, and would have been a more obvious choice. In addition, soccer would have been far easier to stage – all the BBS rugby scenes had to be filmed at a completely different campus from the primary uni location (Bangkok University instead of Rangsit University) because the latter doesn't seem to have a rugby pitch, though it does have a soccer one. In case you were wondering as I was, the goalposts are starkly different so they couldn't just pretend to play rugby on the soccer pitch – it would have been a terribly obvious fake-out if they had.

They couldn't substitute another team sport even if it was easier to accommodate, because rugby (or rather the ball) was integral to this aspect of the storyline. It needed to be rugby if the intention was to evoke Lucy's favorite weapon of torment.

Further evidence in support of this can be found when you look at the original (rough-draft promo) Bad Buddy trailer that was released in 2020 (I think) to promote the 2021 lineup, before actual filming of the series itself in mid-2021:

The rugby was present even at that early stage (and Toto was on Pat's team! 😂). But what's mindblowing is that they're actually using an American football (the AF500), not a rugby ball (you can tell from the laces, which modern rugby balls do not have). 👀 So the gridiron football was very much part of Bad Buddy's primordial DNA, way back at its inception, even before actual filming began. Another nod at Lucy in Peanuts here.

(above) A screenshot from the original Bad Buddy promo trailer at timestamp 1.48

(above) A screenshot from the original Bad Buddy promo trailer at timestamp 2.15

Now all of this is dandy I suppose, but even with Linus blankets, Pat dressed like Charlie Brown, the oval ball and BBS's insistence on rugby (masquerading as American football) over soccer, for the longest time the hardboiled skeptic in me still wasn't fully convinced that Pat wearing Baseball Mom was actually Lucy in disguise getting her comeuppance, Bad Buddy style.

UNTIL I DECIDED TO LOOK MORE CLOSELY AT THE RUGBY MATCH IN EPISODE 4. And that was the clincher, that cemented the intentionality behind Baseball Mom in my mind, because there actually is a sequence where Pat executes Lucy's signature bait-and-switch move, with the rugby ball standing in for an American football, and with Pran as his fall guy.

The sequence in question starts at Ep.4 [4/4] 3.33, when we see Pat running with the ball, coveted by Pran (in more ways than one).

(above) Bad Buddy Ep.4 [4/4] 3.33

Pran tackles him, but in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, Pat flicks the ball away and before any of us (Pran included) can realize what's happened, Korn is off and running with it instead (and I think he scores the rugby version of a touchdown too).

(above) Bad Buddy Ep.4 [4/4] 3.38

Meanwhile, Pat and Pran are still locked in a full-body clinch – and if you look closely, it's Pat who's actually holding on to Pran, not letting him go (with obvious delight, even if he's unaware of exactly why he's relishing the contact so much).

Much of Bad Buddy is really chaste, but there's something about this moment here that makes it seem like a line has been crossed, and that things have turned inexplicably raunchy somehow. There's full-body grappling, legs spread wide, crotch jammed to butt, a whole lot of heaving and panting. Pat is clearly enjoying every second, almost as though it’s the successful climax of his great big plan to waylay Pran with this bait-and-switch. And of course it's the perfect cue for him to deliver that now infamous, golden line: "If you hug me this tight, you might as well take me as your boyfriend." 😂

Actually Pat had been teasing and taunting Pran with hints of romance even before the game (going so far as to acknowledge that his behavior was flirtatious, at Ep.4 [4/4] 0.48) so it's impossible not to see that body tackle on the pitch as anything but a close encounter suffused with sexual tension – and Pran would of course be the first to notice it. (It's possibly also a subversion of the accidental "falling on you" trope, since it's at once contrived yet consensual.)

If you break it down, Pat used the ball to get Pran to tackle him, only to switch it out at the last minute with something else (close, practically intimate body contact) that poor Pran (drowning in his crush) would have found absolutely devastating. This is practically a playbook version of Lucy doing the football bait-and-switch with Charlie Brown.

To be honest though, I'd always found this rugby clinch a little odd and confusing, and had wondered why they even had this scene. It was logistically complicated to set up (two whole teams of players!), and the bait-and-switch portion would have been extremely tricky to choreograph and film. The whole rigmarole was also a lot of work for just a few seconds of screen time. That the ball slips away unseen also makes it seem anti-climactic for the viewer – but not for master gameplayer Pat, who successfully got his planned payload nonetheless.

And because he did it using Lucy Van Pelt's signature move, I now think the reason for this scene is for it to be held up as the paragon of Pat's bait-and-switch traps in Bad Buddy, and a parallel for the Epic Rooftop Kiss when Pran slaps the old switcheroo back on Pat instead.

On the rugby pitch Pat baited Pran by pulling away (with the ball), and then crushed his heart with physical intimacy (hugging him like a lover, but making it seem like he was only play-acting at returning Pran's love). On the rooftop Pran baited Pat with physical intimacy (The Kiss, proof to Pat that his feelings were returned), and then crushed his heart by pulling away (and taking with him all promise of his love).

Atop Chana City Residence at the end of Ep.5, perpetual prankster Pat couldn't stop himself and went in for the bait (Pran offering himself up romantically), only to see it whisked away from him at the very last second.

Suddenly the rules changed and Football Lucy, the House Mother of all bait-and-switch bamboozles, became the victim of the biggest bait-and-switch of them all, and was thrust into a different game instead. Bereft of Pran and denied his moment of victory, Pat became Baseball Mom indeed. 😔

(above) Bad Buddy Ep.5 [4/4] 13.06

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P.S. You can order Baseball Mom (the t-shirt, not Pat 😂) from Amazon at this link here. (If the link doesn't work, you may need to change your "Deliver To" location at the top left of the landing page on Amazon to another country – not useful if you want to buy it when they don't deliver to your location, but useful if you just want to view the page, or get them to deliver to a third party who can then forward it to you. If changing the location doesn't work, try following the other instructions in this post linked here.)

I suspect the fandom has been buying up Baseball Mom like crazy, because it went from limited stock and availability on Amazon (selected locations only), to becoming available for other global locations and on Walmart.com as well – so maybe demand from the BBS fandom has boosted sales so much they started marketing it on more channels? Thai BL soft power trickles down. 🥰👍

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P.P.S. OK, just a little aside – this Peanuts fan theory for Baseball Mom is really wacky, but I think the universe is telling me to put it out there anyway because just as I was finishing the write-up, this random post about the Peanuts football bait-and-switch appeared on my dashboard.

What are the odds of it crossing my dash at the same time I'm writing about it, when I've not seen it referenced before throughout my history on Tumblr, ever? (There were a few random Peanuts and Charlie Brown posts that appeared at the same time as well.) I'm not superstitious, but I do think the universe has spoken. 😂

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protagonist52 · 2 years

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jasonblaze72 · 2 years

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Hitomi-chan Wa Hitomishiri Chapter 93: Release Date, Spoilers, and Where To Read

Hitomi-chan Wa Hitomishiri Chapter 93 will be the aftermath of the spooky house that has been the main focus of the story’s last few chapters. Hitomi and Yuu, along with their friends, have participated in appearing in the spooky house. Now, Hitomi is a case of mistaken identity(Similar to Komi San), where people think she is a courageous and strong person. Yuu was one of the few people who was able to see through that (and the reason for the two dates), but Hitomi had to manage the rest by herself. Everyone thought Hitomi was just as hyped about the spooky house as everyone else, but Hitomi was scared of spooky things herself. Throughout those chapters, we saw the gang doing their best to set up the spooky house and get to work to give one of the best spooky events the district has seen. Their work was going well until Kaoru(Yuu’s younger sister) and her friends showed up. Instead of playing along, the two were appraising the place and seeing who was who. This led to a scary environment dissolving, and tension started to lose from the atmosphere. However, a big ghost came running their way, and the two were scared beyond relief. This took a turn for the worse as the head came off and fell towards the two. It turned out the big ghost was four people together in, and the one on the top which fell was none other than Yuu. He was satisfied that he was able to scare the two in the spooky house a little too much. Hitomi-chan Wa Hitomishiri Chapter 92 recap Hitomi-chan Wa Hitomishiri Chapter 92 had one of the sadder moments in the manga as Yuu brought it to Hitomi’s notice that he would be graduating from high school. Hitomi wanted to go with Yuu and meet her big sister with him, but when Yuu brought up the topic of orientation, she remained quiet for most of the time. Meanwhile, Kaori is not at all worried about her brother’s choice of college, as pointed out by one of her friends. Despite being brought to the attention, she ignores the subject, and the party gets distracted as one of them suggests they play Kick the can. Kaori has always admired Hitori for her looks and physique, which is why she tries to help her whenever she can. The thought of Yuu leaving for college is devastating on so many levels for the audience as well as Hitomi. Were it not for him, Hitomi would have never come out of her shell. Kaori has a multifaceted relationship with Hitomi due to Yuu’s relationship, so it was natural she would help her out in some way. The part which we will see in the next chapter. Also Read: Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! Chapter 88 Release Date: Sayu And Shiki’s Final Destination Hitomi-chan Wa Hitomishiri Chapter 93 Spoilers Hitomi-chan Wa Hitomishiri Chapter 93 will show us what Yuu’s thoughts are on college and even a life without Hitomi for a while. We do not know if Hitomi wants to attend college too and if it is the same one as Yuu. Though, the two’s growth will show up as the time orientation comes near. What is the release date for Hitomi-chan Wa Hitomishiri Chapter 93? The manga is released every two or three weeks in Japan, but the release day is not fixed. However, it has been released every week, and the authors have informed us if they will be unable to deliver or will be on hiatus. Hitomi-chan Wa Hitomishiri Chapter 93 will come out on November 14 and 15, 2022, for the following regions. - Pacific Daylight Time: 8.00 AM (November 14, 2022) - Central Daylight Time: 10.00 AM (November 14, 2022) - Eastern Daylight Time: 11. 00 AM (November 14, 2022) - British Summer Time: 4.00 PM (November 14, 2022) - Indian Standard Time: 8.30 PM (November 14, 2022) - Singapore Standard Time: 11.00 PM (November 14, 2022) - Philippines Standard Time: 11.00 PM (November 14, 2022) - Korean Standard Time: Midnight (November 15, 2022) - Japanese Standard Time: Midnight (November 15, 2022) - Australia Time: 00.30 AM(November 15, 2022) Where to read Hitomi-chan Wa Hitomishiri Chapter 93? Hitomi-chan Wa Hitomishiri Chapter 93 is available to read online on manga cross but only in Japanese, or you can get the collected volumes in English from Seven Seas. Read the full article

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sagaverse · 2 years

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The Penultimate Part... (2nd to last)

One more part after this one, and Chapter 1 is done. It's time for a recap and a tease of what's coming next!

8.30 AM EST, as usual. Look out for that time, ay? ;)

PS: Everything shown in the comics are canon ONLY to SagaVerse. It is not an attempt to rewrite or overshadow the canons of the originals. We respect those canons highly. What we are doing is merely a fanfiction of those original stories and characters.

The SagaVerse Team

#sagaverse #chapter 1 #aftermath #part 14 #recap #undertale au #undertale #undertale au comic #undertale comic au #undertale comic #undertale fan comic

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loll3 · 4 years

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you'll find the brand new "eyed version" of the Sacred 💗 Heart patch at shop update 🖤👁✨

• my shop will be updated today, around 8.30 pm CET // / 👉🏻 be sure to follow the countdown on my stories to stay updated! 👌🏻✨ - - - ♥ here is a recap of all the magical items you'll find at shop update ♥ • this version of the Sacred Heart patch *made to order* • LIMITED EDITION Poisonous Plants bag *only 6 pieces available* • brand new Celestial Deities art print set *including 2 prints* • back in stock : the Ostara stickers set *with 10 stickers*

✉️ be sure to subscribe my newsletter to stay always updated about next releases 🎀 ✨

#coming soon #shop update #small shop #outfit #patch #sacred heart #old school tattoo #how to style #leather jacket #flower dress #heart #sew on patch #handmade #lOll3 #lOll3SHOP

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edwardpotts · 4 years

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Watch On Demand: Sensor Tower’s 2020 App Market Recap Presentation

The unprecedented trends that emerged in early 2020 due to COVID-19 continued to affect the global mobile app market throughout the year and will no doubt have a lasting impact into 2021. Having studied the pivotal industry events of last year, we’ve created an on-demand video presentation that looks at 2020’s key mobile trends along with a preview of where the mobile app market is headed in 2021. Here are three major findings from the presentation around how user behavior has shifted and will continue to evolve this year, based on Sensor Tower Store Intelligence data.

Dating Apps Led in Big Spending

Though 2020 heralded widespread social distancing practices, this didn’t stop users from flocking to dating apps, which saw a huge boost last year in spending. Among the top 100 apps by revenue in each category, dating apps saw the most revenue per download. They generated $8.30 per install on average, 23 percent more than sports apps, which came in second at $6.73.

Dating apps also saw the largest spending-to-adoption ratio among non-game apps. Although the category accounted for only 1 percent of global non-game app installs, it represented a 10 percent share of spending.

Business and Education Apps Were Growth Leaders

As many schools and workplaces went virtual last year, the app stores’ Business and Education categories saw a surge of first-time installs globally. Led by breakout apps such as Zoom, the top apps in the Business category saw their installs climb 647 percent year-over-year to 1.5 billion installs from January to November 2020.

In the first 11 months of last year, installs of the top education apps grew 221 percent Y/Y to 233 million installs globally as classrooms became remote. During this period, the category also saw the second highest growth in spending, jumping 74 percent Y/Y from $154 million to $267 million. This growth was exceeded only by the Books category, which grew 95 percent Y/Y from $480 million to $952 million.

Mobile Advertising Leans Into Interactive

Gaming publishers have often pioneered innovation in their marketing creatives. When consumers found themselves spending an unprecedented amount of time on their mobile devices in 2020, non-game apps began experimenting with campaigns that have long been staples in the Games category.

A notable example of this was how dating apps began embracing playable ads, a change spurred by shelter-in-place orders. Since users weren’t able to meet in person, dating apps began using interactive ads to promote “at-home dating.” This trend may very well continue into 2021 as consumers’ lifestyles continue to be impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

A Continued Boost

Although worldwide installs of non-game and non-e-commerce apps peaked in Q2 of last year, categories across the board will continue to see a lift beyond last year’s forecasts. Sensor Tower projects that apps, excluding mobile games and e-commerce, will continue to see around 3.6 to 3.7 billion installs per quarter in 2021 as consumers continue turning to their mobile devices for entertainment as well as social connection.

For a full view of last year’s trends and Sensor Tower’s predictions for this year, our complete presentation is available to watch on demand by clicking below.

Watch On Demand: Sensor Tower’s 2020 App Market Recap Presentation published first on https://spyadvice.tumblr.com/

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830poll · 2 years

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33. (creature :) - 33.8%)

#8.30 poll #(annnd back to business as usual! hopefully.)#(anyway slap option 2 if you need a recap otherwise we'll move along)

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benchinthepark · 6 years

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Camino day 17 - April 19th 2018

The Koreans ( and La Boheme )

Sahagun - El Burgo Ranero

For once , I managed today to leave early. That is , around 8.30 am , no need to exaggerate.

The path was quite boring and uneventful , mostly running parallel to minor roads and on unremarkable landscape. Same will call it boring . During the days I had brief encounters with an old , and slightly mad French lady and with a very energetic Japanese, but nothing too worth to expand on it.

On the middle of the road I found a picnic area with a bench full of pilgrims gaffities, that make me think that pilgrims are somehow similar to Smurfs, As a proof , two quotes : “ El Camino is hard and dull.Stop sugar coating the experience “ ( grumpy smurf ) and “ La beaute de la vie depend de ton regard “ ( philosophical smurf ).

Also I came across another pilgrim tomb , closed to Burgo Ranero, of a pilgrim , probably German ( Manfred Kress Friedrich , 9-6-1998 ).

As you would know if you are one of the very few with the patience to read through this diary ,those tombs ,though rare and occasional , are not uncommmon in Camino.

However, I have not come yet across any of a Spaniard. I might claim the honors when my time comes ( I have been told by an Indian guru that I will still have to wait around 40 years, and I am hanging on that thought, but that is another story for other day ) , but still need to decide on the concrete spot 😅.

Finally , I made it to El Burgo Ranero a very ugly yet strangely charming little town , mostly of adobe houses , and the excellent news is that for the first time in this segment I managed to arrive there around lunch time ( at 2.30 ) so Inhad my first Camino siesta this year and then time to reconnect again with the Aussie couple of a few days back and have a beer with them.

On the evening I went to a little bar , where I engaged in a very interesting conversation with the bar owner. He told me that 90% or so of the pilgrims were foreigners and that his preferred ones were the Asiatics , as the most educated ( no surprises there ). Moving into this subject I inquired on the reason for so many Koreans, specially young ones. I have asked some of them before , but the reasons they gave me : “ a very well known Korean writer that did a book in Camino “, “ deep religious feelings” and “Korean love of hiking “ , somehow did not ring totally convincing to me.

The bar tender , however, told me a different and very interesting story.

You probably know how competitive education is in some Asian countries, with kids starting with extra curriculum activities at very early ages , and among them , specially Korean ones.

Well, apparently , Korean universities ( or some of them ) give subsidies to their students to do the Camino and academic credits upon their completion, as they consider it a great learning on superación and self sacrifice. In fact Korean pilgrims do carry the pilgrim certificate we all have, that has to be stamped and dated on each day, but also a similar one of their own University and additionally they need to write as well a diary on their experiences ( poor them , this is as hard as Camino itself 😜) and on top perform and document little social tasks along the way,like cooking for others, washing other people clothes or helping people with walking struggles. What an brilliant incredible story !!. Of course I do not know if is really true , but it certainly deserves to be.

At the end of the dinner a very rowdy big group of mixed Italian and French pilgrims came to have dinner in great spirit and started to sing popular songs of their respective countries. The Italians were good ( O sole Mío and all this ) but there was a French girl of no more than 15/16 years that sang , on a solo , an incredible La Boheme.

And quite contended , and with the comforting thought that tomorrow I will make it to Leon and finish this section, I went to bed.

Best

Day Recap- 23 kms. 3 towns crossed.

Cumulative - 411 kms.77 towns.

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protagonist52 · 2 years

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Your favorite Neighborhood #CertifiedBartender is still reporting the update on the latest bottle returns. #SUPERKevDividend: 💵💵💵$11.25💰💰💰 ♻️ I recycle the same bottles I pour which are the same bottles I have to dispose of anyway. So why not recycle them myself for the extra 5¢ each. This is like a dividend from the stock market, only each time I bartend. The same savings account that is giving me .5% interest is also getting dividends from them bottles. Last...remember interest is giving on the last work day of the month. Therefore I wanted to get the money transfered before the end of the month. The 2022 update is at a whopping… $3.20 $2.50 $6.85 $4.90 $17.40 $25.85 $17.80 $30.15 $15.80 $17.80 $6.00 $8.30 $8.80 $6.75 $11.25 Any other questions about #financialliteracy. Let’s discuss it in the comment section below. 👇🏾 . . ~~~ Double tap if you agree 🍾💰 Tag 👥| Share 📲 Comment ✍🏽 Turn on post notifications 🔊 #SUPERKevtheMATHMArteNder #CHILDSUPPORTKev ~~~ . . #BartenderLife #BlackExcellence #Bartender #NaturalHairStyle #Selfie #PositiveEnergy #PositiveVibes #NUBlackAlumni #NUBlackAlums #BlackAlumni #JDOAAI #BlackBartender #NortheasternClassof2010 #BalfourAcademyClassof2004 #JohnDOBryantSchoolofMathematicsandScienceClassof2005 #NoMask #CitizensBank #WeDoItForOurBabies #BlackHoodie #TimberlandHoodie #ClearSky #BoseQuietComfort35 #BoseBluetoothHeadphones #AppleWatch #BlackShades (P.S. I receive tiny amounts of Bitcoin just for walking. So let’s recap 1. Bartend for a wage… 2. Might leave with a tip… 3. If I leave with the bottles, you already… 4. sMiles tracking my daily steps is the “cherry” on top) 5. Deposit 90% to my sons savings account, 10% in mine, and now this money will compound with the next set of bottles. (P.P.S. I started a new savings account system, so I hit my Zelle quota, but I will be sending $10.125≈$10.13 tomorrow.) (at Mattapan Square) https://www.instagram.com/p/Clm0cslOvdK/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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jasonblaze72 · 2 years

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Getsuyoubi No Tawawa Chapter 61: Release Date, Recap & Where To Read

Getsuyoubi No Tawawa Chapter 61 will be back with another summer vacation chapter amidst the season when it’s getting close to winter. All the girls in Tawawa are getting a chance to show their beachside and are not holding back in that regard. However, the story focuses on Jitome chan these past few chapters. The center of attention has completely shifted to the main girls as they are going out on the beach and showing what they are capable of in their summer look. In the last few chapters, Jitomi has been hell-bent on going to the beach. But her sensei would not consent to go no matter what. She did her absolute best to tease him and get him to prepare for the beach time to come. She reminisced over there together on their former dates and how he was not afraid of being seen together back then. He refused to go no matter what she brought up. When everything else failed, she switched tactics and started suggesting his fears of clothes becoming loose in public and possibly leading to embarrassment. She made it clear that it won’t be the case, and after remembering they had made a promise back in the day, the sensei consented to go to the beach. Getsuyoubi No Tawawa Chapter 60 Recap Getsuyoubi No Tawawa Chapter 60 followed a different route to the story as Kouhai set herself on a spa trip with her senior, who was there when the cockroach invaded. He was able to help her then, but the rest of the night was uneventful, much to Kouhai’s dismay, and she wanted a refund from her senpai for that. So she and her colleague decided to make him pay for a trip to the spa and dragged him along on the trip. The senpai from the company has been reluctant to go with Ai’s sister because everyone has eyes on her. He, too, likes her but wants to play it safe and do things that are not out of bounds. He is unaware of how Kouhai feels about him and does her best to give suggestions and make him see her in a different light. But the last chapter showed us more than what the two have in between. And just like the chapter before, it also ended in a suggestive way leaving much to the audience’s imagination. Also Read: Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! Chapter 88 Release Date: Sayu And Shiki’s Final Destination Getsuyoubi No Tawawa Chapter 61 Spoilers Getsuyoubi No Tawawa Chapter 61 will go two ways, either it will be the return of Jitome and her request to go to the beach this time, or it will be Maegami who finally gets her wish to visit the beach get fulfilled. Maegami might go much longer as her story about spending time on the beach has been old in different chapters multiple times. Making the beach event one of the more important ones, as it will be one of the finer moments in her relationship with her sensei. As for Jitome, the leading issue could be her making amends with her fiance, as the two had a fight a few chapters ago due to Maegami. What is the release date for Getsuyoubi No Tawawa Chapter 61? The manga is scheduled to stream every Monday in Japan and Tuesday in another region. It has been coming out consistently every week, with no delays from the company. Getsuyoubi No Tawawa Chapter 61 will come out on November 13 and 14, 2022, for the following regions. - Pacific Daylight Time: 8.00 AM (November 13, 2022) - Central Daylight Time: 10.00 AM (November 13, 2022) - Eastern Daylight Time: 11. 00 AM (November 13, 2022) - British Summer Time: 4.00 PM (November 13, 2022) - Indian Standard Time: 8.30 PM (November 13, 2022) - Singapore Standard Time: 11.00 PM (November 13, 2022) - Philippines Standard Time: 11.00 PM (November 13, 2022) - Korean Standard Time: Midnight (November 14, 2022) - Japanese Standard Time: Midnight (November 14, 2022) - Australia Time: 00.30 AM (November 14, 2022) Where to read Getsuyoubi No Tawawa Chapter 61? Getsuyoubi No Tawawa Chapter 61 is available to read on Pocket, the official manga reading site by Kodansha. Those who want to get into the series can also watch the anime to begin. It has a total of 24 episodes, with each episode being 5 minutes long. The series is also available to read on Yanmaga Web publishers Read the full article

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alexslifeisbetternow · 5 years

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Me ranting about my day and roommates

I am so done. I fucking can't anymore with this dumb ass bitch.

February has been my worst month so far. I am so done with life. But let's concentrate on today's event.

SO, my plan for today was to wake up early (8 a.m), to work out, take a shower and then start studying for my exam next Monday. However, I woke up at 8.30 and just couldn't leave bed until shortly before 10 (depression). Then I tried to do my work out. I just couldn't do anything right at all. I had no energy whatsoever. After that, wanting to take a shower, I realised that I had no body wash. So I went outside, got some, came back, went to the grocery store to get some food because I was really hungry and then I went back home again. When I got home, I ate some bread and went into the bathroom to take a shower. For the past few days, the water in the shower keeps raising but doesn't go down as fast as it should which started to be a problem because the shower's little tub isn't as deep as a normal bathtub (shower and bathtub are separated). So, after washing the shampoo out of my hair, I realised that the water level was pretty high so I decided to wait a little bit because that normally helped. But this time, it didn't go down at all. I stood there for like 10 minutes watching as the water went out the little nooks and crannies of the shower door but not the actual drain. Watching as my bathroom floor got flooded more and more, I had two choices. Either wait and see what happens or get out and put towels everywhere to try stopping the water from flooding my bathroom. I decided to get out and dry the floor. When I got out about 2l went out. It was a mess. After I closed the shower door right behind me, I got into the bathtub to clean off my body from the soap. But the water also rose in my bathtub. It was horrible and I started to panic. I dried off and changed into some clothes. Suddenly, the water from my washing machine started to come out of my showers drain. Even more water went over the edge. I immediately called my mom to ask her for advice. She told me to put down some towels, get a bucket and rinse the towels out so that the water can collect in the bucket. After multiple rinsings, I decided to get help from my roommate who was at home because I knew that I just couldn't do it alone. It was too much for me. I was seconds away from a panic attack and even standing was difficult at this point. I knocked on her door multiple times and waited until I heard a sound. I asked her to help me and went back into the bathroom. After ten minutes of rinsing and drying the floor, I realised she wasn't coming and didn't even hear her get up. Because I guessed she was sleeping, I knocked on her door harder this time. Really hard. I couldn't control it at this point. I was moments away from a total mental breakdown. When I finally heard her make a noise, I told her to come outside because the bathroom was flooded and I needed her help. She just said: "Oh fuck." And put on some clothes, I guess. I went back into the bathroom and kept doing the hardest exercise of my life. When she was next to me I told her what happened and that I really needed her help. That fucking bitch started to argue with me and then simply said: "I can't help you right now. I am sick. I even got home early today." Just to make one thing clear. She wasn't sick. She was tired from doing nothing all day. (Don't get me wrong, I understand it when people are depressed and feel like shit and just want some silence. But sometimes, you just have to put aside your own interest in order to help someone.) With tears in my eyes, I asked her to help me stop the flooding in the bathroom but she just said no and went back into her fucking room to sleep. I cleaned up the rest of the flooding (it finally stopped after 30 minutes), went into my room and tried to contain my feelings as much as possible. I didn't want to have a panic attack nor did I want to take some of the prescribed medication for panic attacks. I just wanted to some silence. I almost lost my mind. After an hour, finally, my mom and her fiance showed up to help me with the blockage in the drain. When my mom hugged me, I started to tear up. I didn't want to be in that fucking apartment anymore.

For months now, I have been taking care of EVERYTHING that has to do with fixing things in the apartment. I manage almost everything even though I am the youngest. It is not like I have any clue how to do it. I just look it up on the internet and that's it. The other two out of my three roommates are either too idiotic to do anything on their own or just complete assholes. Two days ago, after I came home from work and hanging out with two friends, I went to sleep. 5 god damn minutes after laying my head on the pillow one of them showed up and said that the radiator wasn't turning on. When I told her that I already showed her how to turn it on, she said that it really didn't work this time and I need to fix it because she was "cold". So, I got up and turned it on. Of course, It worked. I have shown that idiot 5000 times how to do it and she still can't. It is not magic. It is turning a knop and waiting for a whistling sound. Nothing more. She is a 22-year-old working woman, studying 4 different subjects and actually passing every single one of them, so I know that she can't be a complete idiot.

So just to recap, one of my roommates is a dumb as lice, the other one is entitled (the worst one of them all) and the last one is actually really nice. I don't want to move out but I just can't live together with that entitled bitch anymore. I thought we were friends but for the past year, she has been a horrible friend to me, making me feel bad around her friends and only talking to me when she needs something. I don't want to be her friend anymore. She is toxic and it makes me really uncomfortable to live with her. I thought about moving out multiple times now but never did because I didn't want to leave the other two behind who I really liked and didn't have anything against.

But maybe it's better...? Is it?

-Alex

#stress #panic #roommate horror story #moving out

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mikeyd1986 · 6 years

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MIKEY’S PERSONAL BLOG 106, May 2018

On Monday night, I went down to YMCA Casey RACE for a Spa/Sauna/Steam Room session as well as a Water Workout class with fitness instructor Janine. It’s been a month or two since I last did both of these activities down at Casey RACE due to the flooring upgrade works but thankfully it’s now been completed around the Spa areas. I generally allocate about 10 minutes to each of the facilities which is usually long enough for me. https://www.caseyrace.ymca.org.au/aquatics/aquatic-facilities

It felt great to engage in some hydrotherapy using the high-pressure jets to massage the tension in my joints, obliques and lower back muscles. Deep sweating in the sauna and steam room also have plenty of health benefits associated with them and you don’t have to stay in those rooms that long either. https://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-health-benefits-of-steam-rooms-and-saunas.html

Tonight’s Water Workout session was really fun and enjoyable. The pool was packed being a Monday night with around 20-30 people in the class. We did many different movements and exercises including Jogging with High Knees, Mermaid, Rock ‘N’ Roll, Tuck Jumps, Front and Side Kicks and Dumbell Rolls. Janine put on a varied mix of tracks including TLC’s Waterfalls, Meagan Trainor’s All About That Bass and Richard Marx’s Right Here Waiting. https://www.livestrong.com/article/133611-water-aerobics-benefits/

On Tuesday morning, I had my Employ Your Mind session at WISE Employment - Cranbourne office. Today’s session was more intimate with only three PHaMs workers in attendance (Ally, Jane and Vadim). This actually made for a more productive session as I tend to work better in smaller groups. We worked on the area of conversation including how to start one, thinking about your presentation, body language, attitude and the social situation.

The second half of the session was about linking the computer activities in the ThinkingGym to thinking skills used in everyday life. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been doing lots of exercises related to short term memory, visual working memory, problem solving and executive function. These are all areas in which I’m still continuing to improve. I discussed with the group how writing lists, using a journal or planner and saving important reminders in my phone have really helped in improving my cognitive skills. http://www.fifeemploymentaccesstrust.com/employ-your-mind.html

On Tuesday afternoon, Mum and I visited our GP, Dr. Mah Mah Thet, at Narregate Medical & Dental Centre in Narre Warren. Firstly, I wanted to get my results from the Glucose Tolerance Test that I did a couple of weeks ago. Thankfully I got a normal result which is <6.1 mmol/L fasting glucose and <7.8mmol/L after two hours. The second thing was to get another Mental Heathcare Plan organised. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/glucose-tolerance-test/about/pac-20394296

I had to get a few things updated like my K10 questionnaire with my score of 31/50 lying just inside the severe mental disorder range. Clearly some aspects of my mental health have improved over the last few months but my moods are still up and down. My sleeping patterns and energy/motivation are still poor. I still have phases of social isolation, moderate-high levels of depression and high levels of anxiety. Hence why continuing sessions with my counsellor and psychologist is really important. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/mental-health-care-plan

On Tuesday night, I attended an NDIS Community Information Session at Balla Balla Community Centre in Cranbourne East. I wanted to remain open minded about tonight’s meeting as I knew it would be pretty biased towards the NDIA. A lady named Sharna began by going through the steps involved to become a participant using a brochure called My NDIS Pathway. She touched on things including who is eligible, how to access the NDIS, what a planning meeting would look like and the types of things they fund and support. https://www.ndis.gov.au/event/cranbourne-info-29may

The next presenter was Kylie from the Department of Human Health Services briefly discussed when the NDIS will be rolling out in Southern Melbourne as well as what defined and undefined programs are, the future role of the Government in funding the NDIS. Next was Chris who talked about the role of Local Area Co-ordinators (LACs) which includes helping with developing and implementing your plan, connecting you to supports and services, helping you connect more with the community and the planning discussion. He also mentioned a website called Reimagine Today which is dedicated to people with a mental health condition and how the NDIS could support them. https://providers.dhhs.vic.gov.au/ndis

Finally we had a lady from the Disability Services Commissioner (DSC) who is a body which helps resolve and deal with complaints related to the NDIS. She went into the types of things you can complain about include planning, personal care, case management, day and respite services, behavioural and financial support services. It was nice to see a neutral, unbiased speaker presenting her point-of-view considering how many issues and flaws there seems to be so far with the NDIS. http://www.odsc.vic.gov.au/

However, I’m trying to remain optimistic about the possibility of becoming a participant myself. There’s also the possibility that I could fall under the category of having a psychosocial disability which is basically means having a mental health issue as well as a disability where one impacts or influences the other. So in my case, I have High Functioning Autism as well as Anxiety and Depression. https://reimagine.today/step-1/disability-and-psychosocial-disability/

As much as I found parts of this meeting to be boring and essentially a recap of information the NDIS already have available on their website, I didn’t find it to be a waste of time to be there. Learning about what LAC’s do and that the DSC even existed shows that I did take something way from this meeting. I feel like arming myself with as much information as possible before September 1st is a very smart move on my part even if a lot of it is repeated, confusing or overwhelming. https://www.ndis.gov.au/

On Thursday morning, I did a session on the Treadmill at YMCA Casey RACE in Cranbourne East. I’m slowly gaining more confidence every time I jump onto the treadmill now, though I also know where my limits are. I’m still not quite comfortable to let go of the handles nor run or jog on the treadmill yet but I was able to maintain a power walking pace for most of the workout, around 6-7 kmph. Over about 50 minutes or so, I burned around 320 calories, traveled over 5 km and got my heart-rate up to 150 bpm. I working to make this a regular habit even if it’s once a week because I’m determined to shed some body fat. https://www.caseyrace.ymca.org.au/gym/gym-facilities

On Thursday night, I went to an Open Level Vinyasa yoga class with Aaron Petty at Level Up Yoga in Berwick. Tonight was very quiet attendance-wise and so I ended up having a private session with Aaron. The last time I was by myself with a yoga teacher, things went pear shaped. I hadn’t really had much experience doing yoga yet and I was feeling self-conscious as hell. I wanted to run out of the studio. But tonight I was feeling a lot calmer and reassured. I think having built up trust with your yoga teacher helps a lot and to let go of the nervous tension and awkwardness. https://www.aaronpetty.com/about-me/

I generally have three main barriers when it comes to doing yoga: Anxiety, Self-Doubt and Fatigue. It’s the “What if?” type thoughts, feeling like I’m not doing a pose or movement right, being too hard on myself, not keeping up or going too fast, struggling to slow my breath down, dealing with the discomfort associated with tight muscles and joints. But barriers can always be overcome. This is what I kept telling myself tonight as I went through the class. Those harsh, critical voices inside my head are always going to linger but I don’t have to let them take over and become a burden. https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/yoga-by-benefit/anxiety

Aaron let me choose what I wanted to work on tonight. Unprepared, I followed his suggestion of focusing on the shoulders and hips. Vinyasa is a strength-based yoga practice so of course there was lots of deep stretches, core work and sweating going on. I felt really proud that with Aaron’s help, I was able to push myself enough to get deeper into my poses including Wide Squats, Lizard Pose, Wheel Pose and Wide-Legged Forward Bend. Plus my Vinyasa Flow sequence has improved a lot as I was able to do full push-ups and up dogs. https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/types-of-yoga/vinyasa-yoga

Aaron will be closing down the studio over the next two weeks for renovations and will be opening up again in mid-June. Updates can be found on the Level Up Yoga Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/levelup.yoga.berwick/

On Friday morning, I went to my Body Combat class with Cinamon Guerin at YMCA Casey ARC in Narre Warren. Something I really struggle with in the morning especially leading up to Winter is motivation. I literally had to drag myself out of bed, have breakfast, watch last night’s episode of Home & Away (Priorities! :P), get dressed in my workout gear, leave the house by 8.30-8.45am, beat the school and morning peak hour traffic, find a parking spot at Casey Arc and walk into the Group Fitness Studio. All of this takes a great deal of effort, physical and mental energy, stamina and time but honestly it’s worth it.

Just like most Friday morning Combat class, this one was packed, intense and sweaty. Cinamon chose a mixture of tracks from previous releases including Break The Rules by Annoymous Hotel (Lower Body Warm-up), Dark Horse by Katy Perry (Martial Arts) and Watch It Burn by Camo & Krooked Feat. Ayah Marar (Power Training). The most challenging parts of the class for me were the endurance jab boxes, dynamic lunges with front kicks and the high knee repeater. I actually felt really confident about my round-house kicks today, I was smashing it. https://lesmills.com.au/bodycombat

It’s safe to say that the whole class was struggling today with their levels of fatigue and muscle soreness but at least we could all have a laugh about it. As soon as that last track came on (I don’t wanna do this anymore), I think most people were feeling that sentiment. But we all pushed on regardless. It’s incredible how I’m able to pull some last minute energy out even when I’m feeling stuffed and I’d just rather collapse on the floor or into a comfy chair. http://w3.lesmills.com/israel/en/classes/bodycombat/learn-the-moves/

On Friday afternoon, I had a counselling session with Ruth from Piece Together Counselling in Narre Warren. I think the biggest thing that I learned today was about not allowing stereotypical labels such as “I have High Functioning Autism” or “I’m an anxious/depressed person” to define me. That I am more than my mental illnesses and disabilities. It’s so easy to let the negative connotations take over but I should never see myself as weak, incapable, not good enough or that there’s something wrong with me. https://www.sane.org/mental-health-and-illness/facts-and-guides/reducing-stigma

The other thing was around personal growth and self-actualisation. Ruth describes it as similar to a plant growing towards the sunlight. It’s our ability to realise our potential and be the person that you’re meant to be. On reflection, I can see a lot of the progress I’ve made in many different aspects of my life. From setting a weight loss goal to making fitness a regular habit to learning ways to cope better with stress, anxiety, depression to attending and educating myself on what it means to be autistic to pushing the boundaries in social situations. https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/theory-and-psychopathology/201308/the-theory-self-actualization

There’s also my interests such as reading, writing blogs and reviews, journaling, yoga, meditation, nature, movies, puzzles, domestic animals, art, drawing, painting, music and supporting local bands. Plus engagement and participating in courses and programs including basic cooking skills, mental health support, introduction to mindfulness and strength-based fitness. These are the things that truly reflect the person that I am. https://www.piecetogethercousellingnarrewarren.org/

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