#Arturo Molina family

[perpetualsarcasmmachine]

The Baker and the Botanist

I took a little writing commission from @not-in-the-library to give her characters Jimena and Dhriti a first meeting. It was a lot of fun to write and now I can share it with you. Thank you @not-in-the-library for letting me breathe more life into your characters.

7,500 words of g/t fluff for your reading pleasure.

Chapter One

Jimena Flores Molina ran the best bakery in town. Properly speaking, it was the only bakery in town, and really, it was her parents’ bakery, but it felt like hers and Jimena knew the bakery could have beaten any competitor. Right now, she rather wished they did have competition. It was one of the busiest times of the year for Molina’s Bakery with the Festival of the Hunt just one week away. The bakery’s books were completely full of orders for holiday fare, especially the fluffy, spiced loaves that everyone looked forward to during festival season. 

While Jimena was looking forward to eventually enjoying the festival, she first had to get through the rest of the day's orders and close up the shop. There were another thirty loaves to shape and top with a traditional arrow decoration, inventory to take stock of, starters for tomorrow's loaves to be made, and the money to be counted before she could rest and do it all again tomorrow. At the moment, she was preoccupied with the hair that had escaped from her thick, dark braid and was tickling her face, but her hands were covered in butter and the red sugar used to top the hunter's loaf. She jutted her lower lip out, exhaling forcefully in an unsuccessful attempt to blow her hair back into position. She resolved to endure these errant locks while she finished prepping the next batch. 

The bell that hung from the bakery's front door clanged, interrupting Jimena. She wiped her sugary hands on the rough fabric of her apron, tucked her hair behind her ears, and went to the counter to see who had arrived. Normally, she would not be responsible for baking and keeping an eye on the shop herself, but her parents were currently visiting a flour mill in search of a new supplier. 

Jimena was relieved that it was only Arturo, her delivery man, checking in at the end of his route. 

"How did the deliveries go today, Arturo? Any news from the regulars?"

"Smooth sailing, Miss Jimena. Everyone is excited for Molina’s famous hunter bread," Arturo said. "Some of the customers really talked my ear off about it, which, uh, brings me to my next point." Jimena gave him a look. "There's one delivery I didn't have time for. You know the missus wants me home early to help with preparations and the new baby."

She was annoyed but it was a small enough town. One delivery wouldn't cost her too much extra time. "Who was it? I can drop it off on my way home."

"Well. I apologize, Miss Jimena, but it's that big order that goes out to the ranger station."

Jimena sighed. It was going to be a long night. 

"Why don't you borrow my bicycle," Arturo continued. "I've already loaded up the order into the cart so it's all ready to go."

Jimena tried to mask her displeasure. Getting upset with the delivery man wouldn't help anything.  "I appreciate that, Arturo. Enjoy the time with your family."

"I surely will. Good night, miss!"

After Arturo left, Jimena loaded her last batch of loaves into the oven, removed her apron, and made a quick check of her inventory; it wouldn't do to run out of butter, sugar, or star anise right before the Festival of the Hunt. She scrawled a note for the next week’s order from the general store, then returned to pull the loaves from the oven. 

Jimena decided to take the last delivery then come back to the shop in the evening to mix the starters and get the dough ready for an overnight rise. She hung her apron on its peg in the kitchen and headed out the front door where, true to his word, Arturo had left the delivery bike loaded with bread and pastries. Before departing, Jimena dashed back inside to gather up the last of the loaves and pan dulces that hadn't sold that day. She might as well take them to the folks at the ranger station rather than sell them at a day-old discount tomorrow. 

She hiked up her skirts and mounted the bike, settling in for the ten-mile ride to the old ranger station. 

It was not long before Jimena left the town's paved streets behind and was riding along a wide dirt road through the forest's canopy. She looked up, noticing the sky through the gaps between the crown-shy trees. She had to admit that the ride was a pleasant one, even though it was making for a very long day. The chilly air kept Jimena from overheating and reddened her cheeks as she enjoyed the calm of the forest. It was a refreshing change from the warm and bustling bakery. 

After a while, Jimena’s legs grew tired, and the cool air had turned from refreshing to chilly. She tightened her shawl around her shoulders and wondered if she would ever arrive at the ranger station. 

Not long after, she glimpsed the station a little farther up the road. She was nearly there!

It took another 10 minutes of furious pedaling to reach the station. She had forgotten it was a mixed-size building. It was so big, that she had assumed she was closer to it than she really had been. It must have been 100 feet tall! Not even the finest buildings in her town were that big. Although, it was extremely rare for a giant to pass through her small town. Maybe the capital had buildings this large, but it had been years since her last trip to the big city. 

Jimena dismounted the bicycle and pushed it up a very wide ramp with a gentle incline and approached the door. There was a human-sized door, outfitted with an ornate door knocker in the shape of a wreath, next to, what she assumed was, a door so big that she couldn’t even visualize the person who would use it. Jimena smoothed out her dress, repositioned her shawl, and lifted the knocker to rap on the door. 

A minute passed as Jimena waited. She hoped someone was here to take the bread and pay for the order. She could extend some credit, but her parents had lectured her many times before about her soft-hearted approach to collecting payments and she dreaded the thought of hearing it again.

She knocked again, a little more forcefully.

After a moment, she heard shuffling and a loud tapping noise. She had no idea what kind of activity was happening inside but, as long as someone was coming to the door, she was resolved not to complain.  

The tapping stopped. In its place was a loud thunk followed by a scraping noise. It sounded a little like a door opening, but she was right in front of the door, and she could see that it was not moving. The noise continued.

Jimena’s mind finally arranged the clues for her in a way she could comprehend. The giant door was opening!

Chapter Two

Jimena was bewildered. There was a giant here? So close to her little town? She had thought the large, weekly delivery to the ranger station was for a group of humans. She knew of giants of course and had even seen one before, but she had never spoken to one!

She looked past the threshold and found herself looking at the giant’s ankles and some kind of large pole. She looked up and then immediately looked back down. Looking up was dizzying. It was like trying to make eye contact with the top of a tree. Jimena was flustered. She had never done business with a giant. She was too overwhelmed to speak.

Fortunately, the giant spoke first. “Hello, are you here with my bread delivery?” 

The voice was loud and it was strange to hear someone speaking from so far above, but Jimena managed to answer. “Yes, I’ve brought a cartful for you.”

“Wonderful, I love these little pastries. If you could be so kind as to bring it on to this platform here,” the giant pointed their foot at an area large enough for the bike and its cargo trailer that had railings on three sides, “I can take it from there.”

Jimena walked the bike and its delicious cargo to the space the giant had indicated. “Okay,” she hollered at the giant. 

The platform jolted and Jimena nearly lost her balance, grabbing the parked bicycle for stability. She heard creaking and gradually realized the platform was leaving the ground. She was on an elevator! As she ascended, she slowly formed an image of this mysterious giant in her mind. She saw their rough brown pants and, as she reached the giant’s waist, she realized the pole she had seen on the ground was, in fact, a cane. It seemed funny in a way to imagine someone so big needing help to get around, but she supposed anyone could be disabled, even giants. She saw the giant’s loose white shirt, and noticed, as she got even higher, that the giant had left the top unlaced, revealing the smooth V of their chest. 

The motion finally stopped and she heard a loud clunk as the giant set a break on the pulley that, Jimena could now see, they had used to pull Jimena to the level of their face. 

“Oh,” the giant said softly, “you’re new!”

Jimena looked up at the giant’s face, noticing the scholar’s glasses perched on their nose and the moue of surprise drawn on their mouth. “I’m not new,” was all Jimena could think to say. 

“Are you not? You don’t look familiar, but you small people can be quite hard to tell apart from my viewpoint. Uh, respectfully. ” the giant stammered. 

Jimena was taller than all her girl cousins and had to squash the impulse to argue about being called “small.” This was neither the time nor the place. Instead she said, “I guess I am new. Arturo usually makes the deliveries. I’m Jimena Flores Molina.” 

“Molina,” the giant said thoughtfully, turning the name over in their mouth. “Of course! Molina’s bakery! Tell me, are you the one who has baked all these wonderful treats?”

Jimena smiled, “I don’t bake all of them, but I baked everything I brought today.”

“Marvelous!” the giant said. “You must come in and have something warm before you turn around.” The giant chucked. “I can’t believe I get to meet the baker.” 

Jimena looked around. She was suspended dozens of feet in the air with her bicycle. She had no idea what the giant intended to do next or how she was expected to come in. She frowned in confusion.

“Where are my manners!” the giant exclaimed. “My name is Dhriti. I can take your little cart inside for you. I’ll lower this platform back to the ground and you can walk in. There are little stairs and walkways for humans that you can use in the giant part of this building, but let me know if you require assistance.”

Jimena stepped back as Dhirti scooped up the delivery cart, dragging the bicycle with it. “Oops,” Dhriti said. “Do these detach? I don’t wish to damage your transportation.”

“They do,” Jimena responded, “but I don’t have the tool with me to separate them.”

“Not a bother,” Dhirti responded, carefully repositioning the cart and the bicycle in their hand. 

Dhriti set their cane against the wall then unlocked the pulley and slowly turned the crank to deliver Jimena back to the ground. Once returned, Jimena took a deep steadying breath. Dhriti waited for Jimena to enter the building before shutting the large door behind them. 

Dhriti, cane once more in hand, took large strides deep into the building. Jimena had no choice but to jog to keep the giant in sight and not get lost in the cavernous station. Dhriti stopped in what Jimena thought might be the kitchen, but it was difficult to figure out what anything was from so low to the ground. She heard Dhriti set the bicycle and its cargo on a surface far above her head. 

“There’s a lift you can use on the other side of this counter,” Dhriti called down to her. “If you get in, I can pull you up.” Jimena made her way along the giant counter in search of another platform. She found it, and they repeated the process that had brought them face to face at the front door. Although this time, when the lift stopped, she was only as high as Dhriti’s waist. Jimena spied the bicycle on the counter and went to unload the goods. 

Dhriti smiled down at Jimena. “Please, let me make you something to drink. Coffee? Tea? Hot chocolate?” 

“Are you sure? I don’t want to impose.” It seemed impossible not to impose on someone so much bigger—how hard would it be for her to pour a drink into a human-sized mug?

“No, no, I insist!” Dhriti said. 

“Then, um, hot chocolate, please.”

Dhriti swept to the stove, leaving Jimena adrift on the expanse of the kitchen counter. She finished unloading the bread and pastries, which seemed comically tiny now that she knew the recipient. She wondered why no one had ever mentioned that they were supplying a giant with baked goods.

Dhriti made several trips back to Jimena’s counter. First, she placed a steaming, giant-sized mug of chocolate nearby. She returned with a small (for them) plate, and then, in the palm of their hand, a doll-sized mug and plate. As they set the last in front of Jimena, she realized it wasn’t a table setting for a doll, but for her. 

Dhriti then dipped the tiny mug into their own, scooping out a portion of hot chocolate for Jimena. “I know this is graceless, but it’s the only way I can fill a cup for you. I apologize,” they said, setting the cup before Jimena. “Oh, let me get you a napkin.” The giant produced a cloth napkin the size of a blanket. Jimena used a corner of it to wipe down her mug then sat on it like she was at a picnic. 

She laughed, more from awkwardness than anything else. This had turned into quite an unusual afternoon. 

Dhriti peered at her. “Is everything alright?” they asked. 

“Yes, it’s just,” Jimena gestured broadly at everything, “I did not expect this. I had no idea this was a delivery for a giant.”

“I’m sorry! I must have startled you,” Dhriti said, the corners of her mouth turning down.

“Please there’s no need to apologize. I,” Jimena paused. “I would have liked to make you some larger bread, had I known.” 

Dhriti laughed. Then Jimena laughed too, caught up in the strangeness of it all. 

Dhriti sipped their drink then popped a loaf of bread into their mouth. “Delicious as always, Jimena!” 

“I’m glad you like it.” The giant’s appreciation warmed her. 

“That reminds me, I need to pay you.” Dhriti pulled a coin purse from their pocket and emptied its contents on the counter near Jimena. “Would you mind helping me give you the right change?” Dhriti asked. “I find it dreadfully difficult to tell all those little coins apart, especially with my eyesight,” Dhriti gestured to their glasses. 

Jimena kneeled in front of the pile of cash and sorted out her payment, counting out loud to reassure the giant. “Is that it?” Dhriti asked. 

Jimena nodded, then realized Dhriti might not be able to see such a relatively tiny gesture. “Yes, that’s it,” she called.

“Please take a little more as a tip. You rode all the way out here. Plus, your bread is worth it!”

Jimena stared at the giant, who eventually leaned over the counter, adjusting their glasses, and gingerly shoved a small pile of coins at her. “That should do it,” they declared. Dhriti then swept the remaining money off the counter, back into their purse. They settled down in a seat next to the counter, setting their cane aside. This brought Dhriti a little closer to Jimena’s level, but it was still impossible to see the giant’s face without standing some ways apart.  

“What are these?” Dhriti asked, pointing to one of the seasonal loaves Jimena had made today. 

“These are hunter’s loaves. For the Festival of the Hunt next week,” Jimena said. “They’re flavored with orange and anise.” 

“Sounds exciting,” Dhriti said, “What does this festival celebrate?” Dhriti squeezed the loaf between their thumb and finger and dropped the whole thing into their mouth. “Delicious!”

“The festival honors the abundance that comes from the land. It’s a feast and celebration before winter. It’s a lot of fun. There’s a parade and lanterns and people fly kites.” Jimena stopped and sighed. “I love it but it’s the busiest time of the year for the bakery, so I don’t get to enjoy the festival as much as I used to.” 

She saw that Dhriti’s eyes were fixed on her, wide with curiosity. “Don’t giants celebrate the Festival of the Hunt?”

“Oh, no, but it sounds like a classic sort of harvest celebration, and we do have one of those,” they replied. “Although yours sounds particularly lovely.”

“You should come to the parade next Saturday!” Jimena said, surprising herself. 

“That’s very nice of you, but,” Dhriti hesitated, not sure how to politely refuse when the answer felt so obvious to them. “I think I might stand out too much.” Dhriti could sense that Jimena wanted to argue the point and continued, “it’s not safe for a giant to go into a human town like yours. I couldn’t live with myself if my clumsiness harmed one of you little folk.”

This gave Jimena pause. The giant seemed nothing but conscientious to her but she considered, for the first time, her surroundings. Here, everything was giant-sized. It was much easier to feel secure in one’s own environment. There were giant-sized chairs and handholds all around, presumably to help the giant or let them rest when they needed to. She also noticed that there were plants everywhere, placed on any space surface—including the floor—and tucked into every nook that she could see from her countertop vantage. 

“You don’t seem clumsy to me,” Jimena finally said.

“That’s very kind of you, but you’ve only known me for five minutes,” Dhriti replied. 

In the ensuing silence, Jimena drank from her hot chocolate. It really was warming her, as the giant had suggested. She untied her shawl and set it aside. “You seem to have an awful lot of plants in there.”

Dhriti’s eyes lit up. “Oh, yes! That’s why I’m here, in fact. I’m researching how best to cultivate a plant that has certain medicinal applications. It’s extremely temperamental and difficult to grow at the best of times. I’m investigating how to grow it more efficiently so it can be distributed on a wider scale. I received a grant for the research—” Dhriti paused. “Ah, but I’m sure you don’t care about all of this.”

Jimena had been basking in the giant’s excitement. “No, please continue. I don’t know much about plants beyond what we use in the kitchen, but I love hearing what others are passionate about.”

“I could certainly go on all night, but I would hate to keep you.” Dhriti looked towards the window. “How long will it take you to travel home?”

Jimena realized that it must be getting dark outside. She sighed. “It took me about an hour to ride here.”

“An hour! I forget how different distance is for little folk. I have enjoyed the company but my conscience compels me to see you out so you don’t have to travel home in the dark.” 

Jimena didn’t disagree. She took one last swig of her chocolate, then started walking toward the platform at the end of the counter. She had an idea. “Could you just carry me to the door? It seems like it would be easier than pulling these elevators up and down.”

Dhriti’s face blanched. “I would not presume to carry you, Jimena!” Jimena frowned. “Giants don’t take carrying little folk lightly. Furthermore, it’s not easy for me to bend down to the ground in my condition. The lifts are as much for me as for you.”

Jimena felt embarrassed. “I’m sorry, how rude of me!” she said and made her way to the platform.

“No, no. You wouldn’t have known. Please don’t fret on my account.” Dhriti turned the crank to lower Jimena back to the ground. Being on the counter in the giant house was much less overwhelming than being on the floor. 

“I’ll take your bicycle back to the front door,” Dhriti said, then clattered off ahead of her. Jimena did not feel like running to keep pace with the giant. She walked, observing the details she had missed on her hurried way in. There were plants everywhere and most of the pots were at least three times her size. She wondered what kinds of things the giant was growing, and how hard it was for them to prune and care for miniature fauna. Jimena thought that Dhriti must have some giant plants too, at least to cook with. It would be impossible to peel garlic cloves at their size. The idea made Jimena giggle. 

Jimena reached the threshold as Dhriti was lowering her bicycle to the ground via the lift. This seemed like more work to Jimena than just leaning over and setting it down. She realized the giant must not be exaggerating about the difficulty they had bending over if they were willing to do all this instead. 

She walked the bicycle off the platform and turned back to Dhriti to say goodbye. “Are you sure you won’t come to the parade next week?” she asked.

“I’m sorry but it’s hard to hear you. Something about a parade?”

Jimena hopped back onto the platform. Dhriti took her point and raised the lift up to about shoulder height. “Now, what did you say, Jimena?”

“Just, are you sure you don’t want to come to the parade? I think it would be fun.”

The giant smiled sadly. “That is sweet of you but I don’t think it’s wise. Besides, I need to be here, focusing on my work. These plants won’t graft themselves!”

“I understand,” Jimena said. 

Dhriti returned Jimena to the ground. She waved and shouted “good bye!” then hopped on her bike to pedal home. 

It wasn’t until she got back to the bakery that she realized she had left her shawl.

Chapter Three

Jimena was alone in the bakery again today, but it was Saturday. Molina’s bakery was closed on Sundays, so she didn’t have to end her day with preparations for tomorrow. Once the shop closed, she was free. 

That is, she would be free if she had not decided to test the limits of their bread oven to make the biggest loaf possible. She couldn’t stop thinking about Dhriti eating loaves practically the size of a peptia. Jimena could do them better than this. 

Jimena had spent the afternoon alternately dealing with customers and kneading the biggest pile of dough she had ever amassed. She had needed to scrub bits of dough off her arms all the way up to her biceps afterwards. She was standing on a stool at the bench to get above the dough so she could lay the traditional decoration on this—she hoped—giant-sized loaf. 

She removed all but one rack from the bread oven and wrestled the massive loaf inside. She was not sure how long it would take to bake but it was a while yet before the shop closed. She found yesterday’s inventory note and crossed out the old totals for butter and sugar. She hoped her parents would not ask why she had used so much more than expected. 

Two hours later, she pulled her masterpiece from the oven. The browning seemed a little uneven, probably because the bread had nearly touched the oven’s sides, but it would have to do. She wrapped the loaf in several clean bath towels to keep it warm (there were no paper bags big enough for it), then took it out front to load it into the bicycle’s cart. 

She locked the bakery and took off into the forest. 

When she arrived at the ranger station, she parked her bicycle on the lift by the giant door, then knocked on the human-sized door. She knocked as loudly as she could, knowing the small knocker might be hard for Dhriti to hear. She waited a minute before banging on the door again. Several minutes passed. Jimena realized the giant either wasn’t home or couldn’t hear her. 

She tried the door. It wasn’t locked. 

Jimena was sure her mother would have something to say about barging into someone’s house like this, but she had ridden all the way here and thought Dhriti would not be upset about this. She stepped inside. 

She looked around. There were normal, human-sized rooms to one side of the ranger station, but that wasn’t where Dhriti would be. She had no sense of the layout of the giant’s demesne, but struck out towards the kitchen she had visited yesterday. 

In the kitchen, she found the lift she had ridden to the counter. She noticed that there was also a flight of stairs for humans built into the side of the counter. She wasn’t looking forward to climbing all those stairs after riding her bicycle for an hour, but she figured she could get a better view from up there than from the floor. She began her ascent. 

She alighted on the counter, then flopped down to catch her breath. 

After a short rest, she stood and made her way around the counter, looking for signs of life (well, signs other than plant life). It looked like there were lights coming from a room down a hallway. 

Jimena made her way back down the stairs, then started her hike through the giant house. She wove around plants and chairs and other large, unidentifiable objects. As she neared the door from which the light was emanating, she heard the scratch of pen on paper and Dhriti’s muttering.

She stood at the entrance of what must be an office. Dhriti looked to be sitting at a desk. There were sheafs of papers and folios spread out all around them in an avalanche of vellum. There was a huge bookcase piled with giant volumes and other furniture that a giant could lounge on. 

“Hello,” Jimena shouted as loudly as she could. Dhriti did not look up from their work. 

Jimena was becoming increasingly unsure about her plan now that she was faced with the giant themselves. Would it be wise to interrupt someone so big? She had already come this far. She approached the nearest leg of the desk and searched for a human-sized staircase. There was none to be found.

“Hello, Dhriti!” she tried again. The giant paused their scribbling for a moment, but did not look in Jimena’s direction. 

Steeling her nerves, Jimena approached Dhriti’s ankle. She patted it and tried again, “Dhriti! Hello!” 

Dhriti shrieked. They reached a hand down to brush the spot Jimena had touched. Jimena jumped back, but not far enough. Dhriti’s hand bumped Jimena, knocking her to the floor. 

“Oof! Dhriti, it’s me, Jimena! From yesterday!” 

Dhriti finally looked down. 

“Oh my days! Jimena, you startled me. I’m terribly sorry.” Dhriti stretched a hand out to Jimena, but paused before they reached her. Jimena remembered what they had said yesterday about picking up “little folk.” 

“I’m okay!” she called, placing her small hands on Dhriti’s finger for support as she hauled herself back to her feet. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I brought you some more bread but you didn’t answer the door. It was unlocked so I let myself in.”

“How in the world did you get the door open?” Dhriti asked, wonder written on her face.

“Not your door,” Jimena amended. “The human door was unlocked.” 

“I see. Yes, that makes much more sense.” Dhriti paused for a moment to consider. “You said you brought bread? I wasn’t expecting anyone today. Aren’t you tired from all that travel?” 

Jimena was tired but didn’t want to admit it. “I made you a special order!” she proclaimed. “It’s at the front door. If you’re lucky, it might still be warm.”

Dhriti smiled, then regarded her for a moment. Jimena watched several emotions play out on their face. “It feels rude both to make you walk back to the door but also to carry you there,” they said. “What would be better for you?”

Jimena was in no mood for another long walk through the giant house. “Would you carry me? Please?” she said. 

“Are you quite certain?” Dhriti asked. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“I’m sure,” Jimena confirmed. 

Dhriti leaned over and placed their open palm on the floor. Jimena put one hand on Dhriti’s finger to steady herself, then stepped onto their hand. She immediately lost her balance and fell into a seated position. She flushed as she realized Dhriti was now touching her whole rear end. 

“Are you alright,” Dhriti looked down, trying to read her tiny expressions. 

“Yes, this is just very unusual.” 

The giant chuckled. “Hold on.” Dhriti raised their hand from the floor slowly and deliberately, so as not to jostle Jimena. “Can you hop onto my desk for a moment while I get to my feet?” they asked. 

Jimena slid from their hand to the desk, marveling at the mountain of books and papers. She walked around while Dhriti grabbed their cane and stood. Then she heard Dhriti laugh.

“What?”

“You seem to have stepped in some ink. You’ve left tiny boot prints in the margin of my notes.” 

“I’m sorry! I didn’t realize I was ruining your paperwork!” Jimena said. She was mortified.

“Don’t fret, dear one. They’re only notes. You haven’t ruined a thing. In fact, you may have improved them.” Dhriti chuckled. They held their hand out again for Jimena. “Shall we see about this bread that was important enough to bring you here two days in a row?”

Jimena blushed again then clambered into the giant’s hand. 

Dhriti made their way out of the office and past all the plants. Now Jimena could see that the pots were full of tomatoes, herbs, pumpkins, and corn. She saw some giant plants that she had no names for. 

After a moment, they reached the kitchen. Dhriti said, “I’ll need to set you down to open the door. It might be easier to leave you here in the kitchen. Did you ride your bicycle again? I can bring it here.” 

Jimena agreed and Dhriti let her disembark from their hand and onto the counter. “I’ll be back shortly,” they said.

Jimena listened to the giant shuffle towards the door. She heard the scrape of the door, and the creak of the lift. Soon, Dhriti had returned and was carefully placing the bicycle and its freshly baked cargo on the counter. 

“Now,” they said, “let us see what all the fuss was about.”

Jimena grinned as she pulled the oversized hunter’s loaf from her cart and unwrapped it. It was still a little warm, as she had promised. “I wanted to make you something that was your size!” she called, pulling the last towel from the loaf with a flourish. 

Dhriti smiled warmly. “I’m honored,” they said, picking up the loaf and setting it in one palm to admire it. “Is this the same as the festival loaves you brought me yesterday?”

“Yes, only bigger,” Jimena said, but looking at them, she realized it still wasn’t big enough. It was maybe the size of a small roll, relative to Dhriti. She pouted. “I wanted it to be the right size for you, but that’s as big as the oven we have at the bakery.”

“Don’t be sad, this is perfect. You didn’t need to go to all this trouble just for me. I knew what to expect when I came to live among humans.” 

“Still, you deserve nice things,” Jimena said. 

Dhriti took a bite of the bread, easily fitting half of it into their mouth. “Well this is even better than what I had yesterday, so I thank you, Jimena.” They popped the second half into their mouth. 

“I’m glad,” she said. “I wish I could bake you something even bigger.”

The giant thought about this. “Well, I have an oven here, you know. It would be dangerous for you to operate, but maybe you can guide me. I’m not a baker but I can follow instructions.” 

“That would be fun,” Jimena said. “Giant baking!” she laughed. 

“Oh, I have something here for you too,” Dhriti said. They stood and crossed to the other side of the kitchen, then returned with a tiny piece of cloth pinched between their fingers. “I believe you forgot this yesterday.” 

“My shawl!” Jimena exclaimed.

“Is that what it is? I couldn’t figure it out,” Dhriti said, regarding the shawl quizzically. Instead of placing the shawl in front of Jimena on the counter, they very carefully laid it across her shoulders. “There you are,” they said, and gave Jimena the lightest of taps on the head with the tip of their finger.

Jimena laughed. “Thank you for keeping it for me. I didn’t realize I had left it until I got home.”

“I was planning to send it back with next week’s delivery, but here you are,” Dhriti said.

For a moment, neither the baker nor the botanist knew what to say. They had made their respective deliveries and now a canyon of unfamiliarity separated them. 

“I suppose you need to return home,” Dhriti said, uncertainly. “And I have my own work to attend to.”

“I’m sorry I interrupted you,” Jimena offered. “You seemed very focused.” 

“Oh, no. It’s good actually. I always forget to take breaks.” They looked thoughtful. “You know, I don’t think I’ve eaten since breakfast. Would you like to join me for lunch? I assume you’re hungry after traveling here.”

Jimena was indeed hungry and wanted to take Dhriti up on their offer of hospitality, but how difficult would it be? Was their pantry stocked with giant food? “I would be delighted to join you for lunch, but, um, will that be very inconvenient for you?”

Dhriti furrowed their brow. “No, why? You’ll hardly eat anything compared to me. I have plenty of food here.”

Jimena did not know how to politely ask what she wanted to know. “But is all your food, you know, really big?” She reddened with embarrassment even though it seemed like a reasonable question. She put a hand to her face. 

Dhriti laughed softly, “No, I brought some stores with me from home but most of what I have is local human food. No need to worry yourself. I was going to warm up some beans and rice, not try to whittle a torta down to your size.” 

The pair shared a meal then retired to Dhriti’s office. Dhriti had placed Jimena on a small stack of books on her desk. Jimena was seated on the edge, kicking her feet back and forth, and peppering Dhriti with questions. Dhriti wondered how someone so small could contain so much energy. Maybe this was normal human behavior. Then again, perhaps it was the novelty of being in a room fifteen times her size. Who could say? Dhriti had not had occasion to interact much with little folk.

Dhriti realized that Jimena was looking at them intently, waiting for a response. They had let their mind wander considering the mystery of this tiny person. 

“I’m sorry, what was the question?” they said.

Jimena huffed. “I said, are you sure you won’t come to the festival next week?”

Dhriti thought they had already addressed this question. “It’s not wise for me to be in a crowd of little folk,” they said. “Especially given my limitations. If someone were to scamper out in front of me, I’m not certain I’d have the agility to dodge them.” 

Jimena frowned. “I understand. I just think you might enjoy it.” 

Jimena’s sadness was as infectious as her enthusiasm. “I’m sure I would enjoy it, but there’s nothing I can change to make it possible.” 

Soon, dusk was upon them and Jimena had to return home. She was not keen on another hour-long bicycle trip, but there was little choice. 

Dhriti had carried her to the front door and placed her on the lift. 

“I hope to see you again,” Dhriti said. “You make for pleasant company.” 

“Maybe you can see me next week at the festival,” Jimena said. Dhriti rolled their eyes. Unflappable, Jimena continued, “If you change your mind, I’ll be at the edge of town to meet you, where the forest road meets the town’s paved streets. I’ll be there at sundown.” 

Dhriti favored her with a small smile. “Thank you, but please don’t count on it.” 

Dhriti watched Jimena ride homeward until they couldn’t see her any longer. 

Chapter Four

A week had passed since Dhriti had seen the little baker, Jimena. They supposed Jimena was busy in her bakery and couldn’t spare two hours of travel just to see them. Dhriti hesitated to admit that they missed her. Still, they had to admit it was enjoyable to have the company, even in the form of a tiny, excitable human. In the six months they had spent here, they had scarcely spoken to anyone. Most of their interpersonal interaction came in the form of correspondence. They had a research assistant, but she had stayed at the university. It hadn’t been practical or affordable to send two people their size into the field. 

It was the night of Jimena’s harvest festival. Dhriti had initially dismissed the idea of attending the human festival outright. Despite the obvious good sense of not going, they had been dwelling on the matter all week. Dhriti tried to get lost in their work, only to flip through their notes and see Jimena’s boot prints in the margin. This made them feel … something. Lonely, perhaps. Breathless. 

Dhriti had no business interfering with the lives of the local little folk. They were here to study plants. They had a grant and a schedule and a goal. There was no way the local village could accommodate them, given their size. And they knew that walking with a cane was one more hazard for tiny people on the ground. It already took so much of their energy to move around. Thinking about the level of agility and attention required to visit humans had them preemptively exhausted. 

Dhriti resolutely returned their attention to the latest folio on fungi that their assistant had mailed. It should be easy to get caught up in something so interesting. 

They read the same page for the tenth time in as many minutes. It was becoming clear that focusing on their academic pursuits would not be enough to distract them from the unwise plans coming together in their mind. 

Dhriti sighed. Perhaps some tea would calm their restless mind.

In the kitchen, they put the kettle on and set up their diffuser in a mug. Dhriti sat down while waiting for the water to boil. Something colorful caught their eye. There was a tiny piece of cloth hanging on the human lift to the kitchen counter. Dhriti went for a closer look. Jimena had left her shawl again! Dhriti was forced to consider whether Jimena was a naturally forgetful person or if this was some sort of ploy. Forgetting her shawl the first time must have been an honest mistake. But to leave it again? 

The kettle whistled. Dhriti turned off the stove and steeped their tea. 

There was nothing for it. Dhriti would simply have to attend the festival to return Jimena’s shawl. 

They poured their tea into a thermos. It might be chilly out.

Dhriti shouldered their rucksack and left the station. They had not bothered locking the door. Who could open it? 

They considered themselves lucky that the road here was even and well packed. Dhriti had worried about tripping on rough terrain, but it was a pleasant enough stroll to the human town. The sun’s fading light illuminated the canopy that, despite their height, was some ways above Dhriti’s head. They concluded that this must be a very old forest to be so tall yet so close to humans. It comforted them to see nature on their scale. 

Before long, they saw lights in the distance. This must be Jimena’s town. They slowed as they approached the town’s border, hoping not to startle anyone. They should have sent word ahead, but there was no use worrying about it now. 

Jimena had said she would meet them on the road into town. Dhriti hoped that would be obvious and that there wouldn’t be too many little folk there. It was challenging to tell them apart from their vantage point. Their bad eyesight added insult to injury. 

Dhriti felt the change in texture when her cane struck the pavement, which resonated in a way the forest road’s packed dirt had not. This was where Jimena had said she would meet them. There was a sliver of light remaining on the horizon. 

Dhriti scanned the ground. They didn’t see Jimena, or any little folk for that matter. 

This had been a foolish venture. Dhriti would return home before any little folk saw them and they caused a commotion. 

They looked around once more. There was no sign of Jimena. 

Dhriti sighed and turned around. 

“Dhriti!”

They paused. They thought they heard their name. 

“DHRITI, WAIT!” 

They definitely heard their name. 

They scanned the ground. A human was running towards them waving their little arms frantically. “Dhriti!”

“Jimena, is that you?”

“Yes!” she called out. “You came!” Jimena stopped running and stood some distance before them, panting wildly. 

“Are you quite alright?” Dhriti asked. They were unable to hear Jimena’s response. They pursed their lips and leaned forward as much as their mobility would permit. 

“Follow me!” Jimena shouted. 

Dhriti frowned. “Is it quite safe for you?�� they asked. Jimena’s only response was to wave them forward. Dhriti followed, keeping a little distance behind Jimena just in case.

Jimena led them through, what they assumed were, the town’ backroads. Dhriti could see several streets over where there was a crowd of revelers parading through the streets with colorful lanterns. Dhriti was grateful that Jimena hadn’t tried to take them that way. It wouldn’t have been possible for them to weave through the crowd. 

After a short distance, Jimena stopped at a gently sloping hill, where a patchwork of small cloths—blankets for humans, they realized—had been carefully assembled into something Dhriti could sit on. 

“Have a seat!” Jimena yelled. 

Dhriti slowly lowered to the ground, situating themselves on the ad hoc picnic blanket. Now closer to the ground, they could see there were more colorful lanterns hung in the nearby trees. Had Jimena done all this?

Once they had stopped moving, Jimena dashed up and put her small hands on their leg. She smiled up at them. “You really came!” 

Dhriti placed their open palm next to Jimena, an invitation. Jimena lept into their hand and Dhriti carefully raised her to eye level.

“Did you do all this for me, Jimena?” Dhriti asked?

“Yes! I had to scrounge blankets from half the town. I’ll be doing laundry for the next week.” Dhriti felt guilty for putting this burden on her. “Don’t be sad,” Jimena continued. “I’m so glad you’re here. What made you change your mind?”

Dhriti smiled and reached a hand into their coat pocket, withdrawing a small piece of fabric. “You forgot your shawl.”

Jimena slapped Dhriti’s palm with her own smaller ones and laughed. “That can’t be the only reason!” 

They stared at each other. 

Jimena finally filled the silence. “You wanted to see me too?”

The giant released a long breath, but did not respond. Anything Dhriti said would put undue pressure on Jimena. How could they say anything about the butterflies in their stomach when they were literally holding Jimena in one hand. Dhriti had no right.  

“Bring me closer,” Jimena said, startling Dhriti. They halved the distance between Jimena and their face. “No. Close enough so I can touch you.” 

Dhriti’s breath became shallower, but they did as the tiny woman asked. 

Jimena rose to her feet in Dhriti’s hand, then placed a warm palm on their cheek. “I wanted to see you. I’m so glad you’re here,” Jimena said. Dhriti felt the impression of tiny lips across their increasingly warm face. 

“I’m glad I’m here too, dear one,” Dhriti said. They put a finger to their lips then, very lightly, pressed their finger to Jimena’s head. 

Jimena smiled broadly then shouted “Turn me around! We’re missing the parade.” Dhriti brought their hand to their chest so Jimena could look out on the town. 

“I love watching the festival parade from here,” Jimena said. “You can see the whole town and all the lights.”

“It’s wonderful,” Dhriti said, “Thank you for sharing this with me.” 

[docpiplup]

@asongofstarkandtargaryen Me watching casually an advertaising on the TV of a new soap opera (I will not watch it because it will be very long and an episode airing daily almost every afternoon) then reading the plot and finding that the main pairing and their relationship is basically a Character swap AU of Julio and Alicia from Gran Hotel, but instead of 1905 it's 1913.

F(x)

F(-×)

Synopsis: "1913. The whole world is on the brink of the abyss, but there are havens of peace isolated from conflicts. Like the La Promesa Palace, in the Los Pedroches valley, owned by the Marquises of Luján, one of the largest landowners in the country.

The day the Palace is preparing to celebrate the wedding of the heir, Tomás (Jordi Coll), is interrupted by the appearance of an airplane that attracts everyone's attention. It is piloted by Manuel (Arturo Sancho, aka young Bernat in the first episodes of Los Herederos de la tierra), Tomás' younger brother. Suddenly, the device loses altitude until it crashes. Manuel is about to be consumed by the flames; but someone manages to save him: Jana (Ana Garcés).

The Marquis offers her a financial reward, but she only wants to work in the Palace and has a clear motive: to do justice to her mother, murdered fifteen years ago, and to investigate the whereabouts of her brother, kidnapped when he was a newborn. And the only clue that she has is related to the Marquises of Luján. The time has come for revenge. There is only one element that she had not counted on: Manuel, son of the Marquises... and the last person she would expect to fall in love with. Can love quench the thirst for revenge? Could you forget those who sank your life? To your mother's murderers? To those who made your brother disappear?".

Cast: Ana Garcés, Eva Martín, Arturo Sancho, Joaquín Climent, María Castro, Jordi Coll, Antonio Velázquez, Andrea del Río, Manuel Regueiro, Carmen Asecas, Alicia Bercán, Paula Losada, Carmen Flores, Teresa Quintero, Antonio Velázquez, Sara Molina and Enrique Fortún.

Jana, just like Julio, starts working as a servant for the rich family to investigate the disappearance of a sibling, and she meets and falls in love with Manuel, like Julio and Alicia fell in love with each other, and probably Manuel will eventually help Jana to solve the murder of her mother and to find her brother, in a similar way to Julio and Alicia figuring out the disappearance of Julio's sister.

In some kind of sense also La Promesa is something like Downton Abbey and Gran Hotel had a child together in a soap opera format😂 (Also Gran Hotel and La Promesa both are from Bambú Producciones)

(The series or films in which Bambú Producciones has been involved are Guante Blanco, Hispania: La leyenda, Gran Reserva, Gran Hotel, Marco, Imperium, Gran Reserva: El origen, El club de los incomprendidos, Velvet, Seis Hermanas, En tierras salvajes, Bajo Sospecha, La embajada, Las chicas del cable, Tiempos de guerra, Velvet Colección, Traición, Fariña, 45 revoluciones, A pesar de todo, Instinto, Alta Mar, Malasaña 32, Refugiados (The Refugees), El verano que vivimos, Jaguar, Un año, una noche, Un asunto privado, Dos Vidas, Now & then, La Promesa, 13 exorcismos, Nacho and Nosotros podemos. And some documentaries like Fraga y Fidel, sin embargo, American greyhounds, Lo que la verdad esconde: el caso Asunta, El crimen de Alcàsser, 800 metros, Bajo escucha: el acusado)

(This channel where I found the trailer has also some interesanting videos talking about some aspects of the historical context of La Promesa)

[melbejosano]

Article 132. The Rules of Court on the administration of estates of the deceased persons shall be observed in the appraisal and sale of properties of the conjugal property, and other matters which will expressively determined in this chapter.

---¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬---------------------------------------

Case Digest:

Melecio Domingo v. Spouses Genaro and Elena Molina, G.R. No. 200274, April 20, 2016

Ponente: Associate Justice Arturo D. Brion

FACTS:

In 1951, spouses Anastacio and Flora Domingo bought a property in Camiling, Tarlac. The property relation of spoused Anatacio and Flora was governed by the conjugal partnership of gains. Anastacio usually borrowed money from the respondent Spouses Genaro and Elena Molina through out his lifetime. Ten years after Flora’s death, Anastacio sold his interest over the land to the spouses Molina to answer for all his debts. The sale of Anastacio’s interest which covers entire one-half undivided portion of the land to the spouses Molina, was registered in a Transfer Certificate of Title. Melecio, one of the children of Anastacio and Flora, filed a Complaint for Annulment of Title and Recovery of Ownership (Complaint) against the spouses Molina. Melecio claimed that Anastacio only gave the subject property to the spouses Molina to serve as collateral for the money that Anastacio borrowed from them. The spouses Molina asserted that Anastacio surrendered the title to the subject property to them to pay his debts that made them the owner of the half of the land. The spouses Molina also asserted that Melecio knew of the disputed sale since he always accompanied his father Anastacio whenever he will borrow money.

ISSUE:

Whether the sale of a conjugal property without the wife’s consent is valid and legal?

HELD:

YES, the Court ruled that the sale of conjugal property was valid even without the consent of the spouse. The conjugal partnership of Anastacio and Flora was dissolved when Flora died pursuant to Article 126 (1) of the Family Code. The surviving spouse has an actual and vested one-half undivided share from the subject property. Thus, Anastacio had the right to freely sell and dispose of his undivided interest in the subject property, but not the interest of his co-owners. Consequently, Anastactio’s sale to the spouses Molina without the consent of the other co-owners was not totally void, for Anastacio’s rights or a portion thereof were thereby effectively transferred, making the spouses Molina a co-owner of the subject property to the extent of Anastacio’s interest.

[juancarlosvasquez]

"New and Unique Settings by Jaime Saenz Guzmán | Interview with Gisela Morales, by Juan Carlos Vásquez. Almiar Magazine."

I discovered Jaime Saenz's work in an old basement of a building in Manhattan in 2002. The work was an extensive thesis that left me deeply impressed from beginning to end. Since then, it has been required reading for me, a reference that has led me to explore and discover new realms that I was unaware of.

Gisela Morales, niece of Jaime Saenz Guzmán, responsible for his archive and copyright, presents a faithful exposition of aspects of his life within the family environment. His relationship with the city of La Paz, love. Unpublished and pivotal anecdotes in the creation of his work, presenting us with the material closure of his archives as testimonial contributions.

—Tocnolencias, a controversial book among Saenz's works. What was the main reason for this book taking almost three decades to be published?

—Tocnolencias was published after a difficult decision and a process of reflection and exchange of opinions, both with Saenz's closest friends and with the publishing company. The main reason was that Saenz did not include this book among those predetermined for publication.

Without knowing the reasons and being very respectful of his decisions without questioning them, both Arturo Orías and the close family, with whom he chose to coordinate, maintained this position. Even after Arturo Orías' death, more years were awaited, based on his decision as the custodian, who always believed that the book dealt with a sensitive subject: Saenz's position regarding Jews.

Finally, understanding that if there was any repercussion, it would rather open a door for discussing how Saenz critically approached the topic, the book was published, and even a doctoral thesis has been written about it.

—Do you have any anecdotes in your life that, due to their uniqueness, you remember more than others?

—For those of us who shared time with him, there are unforgettable moments like going for walks always in a straight line, until something stops you and you stand there contemplating it for hours. It was typical during outings to Valle de Ánimas and Llojeta.

The sessions with the telescope were so magical. Seeing the planets, listening to his stories. You were transported to another dimension.

We will never forget his terrifying screams. He could make the whole house shake while calling for Aunt Esther or asking us to close the doors of his rooms to keep the light out.

And how could we not remember his imposing laughter and laughs that often had an ironic and sarcastic tone.

His way of smoking was also peculiar. He smoked unfiltered cigarettes and always split them in half before lighting them.

Other memorable visits are the ones when he would light oil lamps and alcohol lamps to illuminate the house and tell us stories about La Paz and its characters, creating an atmosphere of darkness closer to mystery than darkness itself.

And so, every person who crossed paths with him could tell you countless anecdotes, customs, and quirks, some learned, others resting in memory.

—Which of his texts holds the most solemnity for you?

—I have a special connection with "Los Cuartos," in prose. In poetry, his complete works, although deeply marked by "Aniversario de una Visión," "Recorrer esta Distancia," "Muerte por el Tacto," and "Al Pasar un Cometa." I cannot fail to mention "La Noche," which moves me in a special way.

• Fragment of the interview conducted in Spanish

• Foto: Javier Molina Barrios

[horsesarecreatures]

I went through your book review tag a little and I have a few questions.

Do you mostly read nonfiction? Are there some books you would recommend for people who generally don't like nonfiction? Are there any really really good crime thriller books (fiction or nonfiction, either is fine) you would recommend?

Hi, I would say I read about 50/50 fiction and nonfiction.

For crime thriller books, the two that I've read recently that I liked are The Queen of the South and The Club Dumas by Arturo Perez-Reverte. Compared to other crime thrillers that I've read by people like John Grisham, these were a lot more entertaining to me because there was still a lot of character and setting development as opposed to just plot development. Then I also liked The Mafia Hitman's Daughter, which is a non-fiction memoir by Linda Scarpa, the daughter of the notorious Greg Scarpa of the Colombo crime family.

It's kind of a cliché answer, but if you tend to prefer fiction you might like the memoir The Glass Castle because it's written in a more prose-y style. I could probably make better recommendations if you tell me what types of subjects you're interested in reading about, like history, a specific geographical region, accounts from a particular gender or age group, etc. :)

Edit: Kiss of the Spider Woman by Manuel Puig was also a good crime novel, though it probably can't be considered  thriller.  It’s about two cellmates in a Argentinian prison, Molina and Valentin. Molina gains Valentin’s trust by telling him about movies that he’s watched, and eventually he becomes part of Valentin’s plan to overthrow the government. 

[wags-and-kids-in-madrid]

Sabes como se llaman los padres de Arturo Molina o de Alvaro Tejero? Se que Alvaro tiene un hermano y una hermana, Jose y Patricia..:)

No, no lo sé

[tasksweekly]

[TASK 090: BOLIVIA]

There’s a masterlist below compiled of over 130+ Bolivian faceclaims categorised by gender with their occupation and ethnicity denoted if there was a reliable source. If you want an extra challenge use random.org to pick a random number! Of course everything listed below are just suggestions and you can pick whichever character or whichever project you desire.

Any questions can be sent here and all tutorials have been linked below the cut for ease of access! REMEMBER to tag your resources with #TASKSWEEKLY and we will reblog them onto the main! This task can be tagged with whatever you want but if you want us to see it please be sure that our tag is the first five tags, @ mention us or send us a messaging linking us to your post!

THE TASK - scroll down for FC’s!

STEP 1: Decide on a FC you wish to create resources for! You can always do more than one but who are you starting with? There are links to masterlists you can use in order to find them and if you want help, just send us a message and we can pick one for you at random!

STEP 2: Pick what you want to create! You can obviously do more than one thing, but what do you want to start off with? Screencaps, RP icons, GIF packs, masterlists, PNG’s, fancasts, alternative FC’s - LITERALLY anything you desire!

STEP 3: Look back on tasks that we have created previously for tutorials on the thing you are creating unless you have whatever it is you are doing mastered - then of course feel free to just get on and do it. :)

STEP 4: Upload and tag with #TASKSWEEKLY! If you didn’t use your own screencaps/images make sure to credit where you got them from as we will not reblog packs which do not credit caps or original gifs from the original maker.

THINGS YOU CAN MAKE FOR THIS TASK -  examples are linked!

Stumped for ideas? Maybe make a masterlist or graphic of your favourite faceclaims. A masterlist of names. Plot ideas or screencaps from a music video preformed by an artist. Masterlist of quotes and lyrics that can be used for starters, thread titles or tags. Guides on culture and customs.

Screencaps

RP icons [of all sizes]

Gif Pack [maybe gif icons if you wish]

PNG packs

Manips

Dash Icons

Character Aesthetics

PSD’s

XCF’s

Graphic Templates - can be chara header, promo, border or background PSD’s!

FC Masterlists - underused, with resources, without resources!

FC Help - could be related, family templates, alternatives.

Written Guides.

and whatever else you can think of / make!

MASTERLIST!

F:

Encarnación Lazarte (1938) Bolivian [Quechua] - singer and composer.

Raquel Welch (1940) Bolivian / English - actress and singer.

Matilde Casazola (1943) Bolivian - poet and songwriter,

María Tirado (1945) Bolivian - singer.

Enriqueta Ulloa (1952) Bolivian - singer.

Zulma Yugar (1952) Bolivian - singer.

Emma Junaro (1953) BOlivian - singer and musician.

Luzmila Carpio (1954) Bolivian [Quechua] - singer.

Nena Zeballos (1959) Bolivian / Peruvian - singer.

Betty Veizaga (1957) Bolivian - musician.

Tahnee Welch (1961) Bolivian, English / Unspecified - actress and model.

Ana Cristina Céspedes (1962) Bolivian - singer.

Julieta Paredes (1967) Bolivia - poet, singer, writer and artist.

Beatriz Méndez Leclere (1967) Bolivian - mezzosoprano.

Verona Feldbusch (1968) Bolivian - TV personality, beauty pageant winner, and actress.

Verona Pooth (1968) Bolivian - beauty pageant contestant.

Giovana Chávez (1969) Bolivian - actress, model and presenter.

Erika Andia (1972) Bolivian - actress, director and journalist.

Verónica Larrieu (1974) Bolivian - model.

Beby Aponte (1974) Bolivian - singer.

Guide Santa Cruz (1975) Bolivian - singer and folklorist.

Nina Uma (1975) Bolivian [Aymara / Quechua] - singer, activist, radio and television host.

Tanya Callau (1976) Bolivian - actress and model.

Esther Marisol (1976) Bolivian - singer.

Monica Ergueta (1977) Bolivian - singer.

Paola Zeballos (1977) Bolivian - singer.

Carla Ortiz (1978) Bolivian - actress.

Soledad Ardaya Morales (1978) Bolivian - actress..

Ximena Herrera (1979) Bolivian - actress and singer.

Stephanie Beatriz (1981) Bolivian [Unspecified Indigenous, Spanish, Basque, possibly other] / Colombian [German, 1/4 Sephardi Jewish, Dutch, Spanish, Basque, possibly other] - actress.

Rocío Moreira Troche (1981) Bolivian - singer.

Susana Renjel Encinas (1981) Bolivian - singer.

Vanessa Alfaro (1983) Bolivian - model, actress, singer, and fashion designer.

Olivia Pinheiro (1983) Bolivian / Brazilian - model and Miss Bolivia 2010.

Jessica Jordan (1984) Bolivian / English - model and beauty pageant titleholder.

Dominique Peltier (1986) Bolivian - Miss Bolivia Universo 2008.

Desiree Durán (1985) Bolivian - actress, TV presenter, model and beauty pageant contestant.

Sandra Hernández (1985) Bolivian - Miss Bolivia World 2007.

Yéssica Mouton (1988) Bolivian - model and Miss Bolivia 2012.

Yovana O'Brien (1988) Bolivian [Irish] - Miss Bolivia Earth 2010 and Miss Bicentenario.

Ana María Ortiz (1989) Bolivian - model and Miss World 2006.

Claudia Tavel (1989) Bolivian - model and Miss Bolivia 2013.

Jackelin Arias (1990)  Bolivian - beauty pageant contestant.

Anabel Angus (1990) Bolivian - model and tv host.

Stephanie Herela (1990) Bolivian - model and actress.

Claudia Arce (1991) Bolivian - actress, singer, model and beauty pageant titleholder.

Dayanna Grageda (1992) Bolivian - model.

Romina Rocamonje (1992) Bolivian - model and Miss Bolivia 2014.

Andrea Roman (1994) Bolivian - blogger.

Jazmin Duran (1994) Bolivian - Miss Earth Bolivia 2015.

Alexia Viruez (1994) Bolivian - model and Miss Bolivia 2012.

Luciel Izumi (1994) Bolivian - musician.

Megamy Bowles (1995) Bolivian - singer.

María Renée Carmona (1995) Bolivian - Miss Earth 2013 and Miss United Continent.

Gleisy Noguer (1996) Bolivian - Miss Universe 2017.

Camila Paz Chavez (1999) Bolivian - Instagrammer.

Elysia Crampton (?) Bolivian [Aymara] - musician.

Alexia Dabdoub (?) Bolivian - actress.

Erika Pitstick (?) Bolivian / American - actress.

Natalie Conneely (?) Bolivian [Incan] / Irish - actress.

Elisabeth Salazar (?) Bolivian, Belgian - actress.

Katia Escalera (?) Bolivian - soprano.

Eloísa Gutiérrez (?) Bolivian - Miss Earth Bolivia 2014.

Brenda Lowe (?) Bolivian / Chinese - cheerleader and beauty pageant contestant.

Stella Fernandez (?) Bolivian - model.

Rosa Rivers (?) Bolivian - actress.

Liliana Castellanos (?) Bolivian - fashion designer.

Rosita Hurtado (?) Bolivian - fashion designer.

Carla Morón (?) Bolivian - model.

Arminda Alba (?) Bolivian - singer.

Jenny Cárdenas (?) Bolivian - singer.

Gina Gil (?) Bolivian - singer.

Luisa Molina (?) Bolivian - singer.

Katia Ladder (?) Bolivian - singer.

Neyza (?) Bolivian - singer, television presenter and radio announcer.

M:

Atiliano Auza León (1928) Bolivian - singer and musician.

Omar Duranboger (1937) Bolivian, German - artist, sculptor, painter, and actor.

Jaime Torres (1938) Argentinian [Bolivian] - musician.

David Santalla (1939) Bolivian - actor and comedian.

Ernesto Cavour (1940) Bolivian - singer, musician, artist, inventor of musical instruments and author.

Luis Rico (1945) Bolivian - singer-songwriter.

Luis Carrion (1945) Bolivian - singer.

Erwin Vaca Pereyra (1947) Bolivian - musician.

Pepe Murillo (1947) Bolivian -  singer and presenter.

Hernando Irahola (1948) Bolivian - singer.

Eddy Navia (1949) Bolivian - singer-songwriter, composer and musician.

Arturo Lora (1950) Bolivian - actor.

Aldo Peña (1950) Bolivian - singer.

Gonzalo Hermosa González (1950) Bolivian - singer and composer.

César Junaro (1951) Bolivian - musician.

Porfirio Conde Ramírez (1955) Bolivian - singer-songwriter.

Pato Hoffmann (1956) Bolivian [Aymara, Quechua, Spanish, German] - actor.

Jorge Ortiz Sánchez (1956) Bolivian - actor and poet.

Damon Welch (1959) Bolivian, English / Unspecified - actor.

Beautiful Elmer (1960) Bolivian - singer and composer.

Rodrigo Uriarte Stottuth (1960) Bolivian - musician.

Manuel Monroy Chazarreta (1961) Bolivian - singer-songwriter and guitarist

Willy Claure (1962) Bolivian - composer and guitarist.

Milton Cortez (1962) Bolivian - singer, composer and actor.

Yuri Ortuño (1963) Bolivian - singer and composer.

Juan Carlos Rodríguez Clavijo (1963) Bolivian - singer, musician, composer and folklorist.

Yalo Cuellar (1963) Bolivian - musician and composer.

Fernando Torrico (1964) Bolivian - singer and musician.

Miguel Orias (1965) Bolivian - singer.

Piraí Vaca (1967) Bolivian - guitarist.

Grillo Villegas (1968) Bolivian - songwriter, guitarist and singer.

Oscar Peñafiel Rodriguez (1968) Bolivian - guitarist.

Ariel Villazón Torrico (1969) Bolivian - singer-songwriter, charangoist, soundman and musician.

Omar González Onostre (1970) Bolivian - singer and musician.

David Kavlin (1971) Bolivian / Argentinian [German Jewish, Belgian Jewish, Ukrainian Jewish] - actor, singer, tv personality, and radio personality.

Miguel Valverde (1973) Bolivian - actor, director, screenwriter and filmmaker.

Hernán Ergueta (1974) Bolivian - author and composer multi-instrumentalist.

Wally Zeballos (1975) Bolivian - singer.

Juan Carlos Aduviri (1976) Bolivian - actor.

René Eduardo (1976) Bolivian - singer, composer, actor.

Christian Laguna (1976) Bolivian - bassist, composer, producer and musical director.

Jorge Vargas (1977) Bolivian / Argentinian - actor.

Dalmiro Cuéllar Ayala (1978) Bolivian - singer.

Nial Gandarilla (1979) Bolivian - musician.

Klovis Herboso (1979) Bolivian - singer.

Omar Ríos (1979) Bolivian - singer and musician.

Braulio Choque (1980) Bolivian [Aymara] - researcher , writer , painter and singer-songwriter.

Álvaro Velasco (1981) Bolivian - singer, composer and folklorist, vocalist and director.

Aníbal Guzmán Miranda (1985) Bolivian - musician and composer

Reynaldo Pacheco (1987) Bolivian - actor.

Diego Zegarra (1992) Bolivian - viner.

FwOmarr (1999) Bolivian - instagrammer and youtuber.

David Barrera (?) Bolivian - actor.

James T. Slater (?) Bolivian - singer-songwriter.

Desiderio Arce (?) Bolivian [Quechua] - singer.

Nicolas Jung (?) Bolivian, Hungarian - actor.

Cristian Mercado (?) Bolivian - actor.

Hugo Well (?) Bolivian - actor.

David Mondacca (?) Bolivian - actor.

Alvaro Alarcón (?) Bolivian - hair stylist and make-up artist.

Ingrid Hölters (?) Bolivian - fashion designer.

Jaime Junaro (?) Bolivian - singer-songwriter and guitarist.

[xtruss]

Controversial Former President of El Salvador Arturo Molina Dead at 93

— By Gaby Arancibia | Sputnik | July 20, 2021

Nuestro más sentido pésame a la familia y amigos de Cnel. Arturo Armando Molina, del Ex Presidente de la República de El Salvador, 1972 - 1977.

The former Salvadoran president’s administration marked the third consecutive military regime for the Central American country, one that saw improvements to the nation’s infrastructure while also being riddled with violence and strict military control.

Former Salvadoran President Arturo Molina, who presided over the Central American nation during a turbulent political period, died over the weekend at the age of 93, officials announced on Monday.

Molina, a military officer who held the rank of colonel in El Salvador, died in California on Sunday, according to the country’s National Coalition Party (PCN), of which the former president was a member. The party previously ran under the National Conciliation Party banner before changing its name in 2011.

Reports have indicated that the former president had been seriously ill for several months.

PCN confirmed Molina’s death in a Twitter post that offered their condolences to the colonel’s family and friends. “Old soldiers never die, they just fade away,” reads the party’s tweet.

Manuel Rodriguez, who serves as the PCN’s secretary-general, told reporters that Molina left behind a multitude of achievements, many of which helped to propel El Salvador into becoming a modern country.

Some of those accomplishments, per Rodriguez’s account, include improvements to the nation’s infrastructure and education, as well as the successful bid to host the 1975 “Miss Universe” contest.

However, the government of Col. Molina, which ran from 1972 to 1977 and served as the country’s third consecutive military government, was far from the ideal administration. To begin with, Molina came to power in what many deemed as a stolen election after the colonel was granted the golden presidential ticket over Jose Napoleon Duarte, then the candidate of the National Opposition Union.

The contested 1972 election marked a renewed time of turbulence for the nation despite Molina’s repeated vows that his administration would serve as a period of transformation for Salvadorans.

Molina at the helm brought about a severe political polarization amid the emergence of paramilitary death squads and guerilla groups.

In fact, the former commander-in-chief ordered a military occupation in June of 1972 as part of an effort to silence demonstrators at the University of El Salvador. Molina justified the move by stating the institution was being used as the headquarters for armed leftist groups.

Three years later, in July 1975, about a dozen university students were murdered in San Salvador by the Salvadoran military for protesting against Molina’s decision to spend $1 million in public funds to host the 1975 “Miss Universe” pageant.

Students from the National University of El Salvador hold images of students who were killed during the 1975 army killing of university students who were protesting the military regime of Arturo Armando Molina, on the 35th anniversary in San Salvador, El Salvador, Friday July 30 , 2010. Human rights groups in El Salvador estimate that at least 50 students were killed.

At the time, students had been warned against holding demonstrations, with authorities emphasizing that the “full weight” of the law would be brought down against them. Reports detailing the deadly altercation noted that Salvadoran soldiers used machine guns and automatic rifles to gun down a group of 3,000 students. Witnesses also placed military-grade tanks at the scene that in some cases ran over wounded individuals.

The Molina presidency also tapped espionage efforts to zero in on political targets, and saw the orchestrated killings of Jesuit priest Rutilio Grande in 1977 and two other church representatives.

At the close of his presidency, Molina left the country and was succeeded as president by Gen. Carlos Humberto Romero Mena, who was deposed in a military coup in 1979.

[hiphop260-blog]

Latin Hip Hop Origins

   In my recent blog I wrote about how Mellow Man Ace was “The Godfather of Latin Hip Hop.” I wanted to touch on the aftermath that followed his rise and how others followed in his footsteps. Another thing I want to touch on is how latino culture is shown through these rappers and songs. To start I wanted to talk about the first known latino and chicano rapper, Arturo Molina, Jr or better known as (Kid) Frost. Where Mellow Man got the ball rolling, Frost put this sub-genre on the map of Hip Hop. He did this with his hit “La Raza.” Now La Raza had a big following because Frost’s raps, which switched off between english and spanish unlike Mentirosa which used the fused spanish-english language (spanglish), within the song alludes heavily to chicano culture. One other fact was that the music video was the first to feature a lowrider within it, which is a big thing since lowriders are a big part of the culture, especially in Los Angeles. All these factors helped lead it to be the success it was in the music industry.

   Now that both Frost and Mellow Man were successful in the music industry, what was the only rational thing to do? That would be to for a group with other up and coming latino rapper A.L.T who was known for his hit Tequila and Refried Beans which is a good representation of food in latino culture. Now this trio, known as Latin Alliance, would go on to release only one album with well known song Lowrider(On the Boulevard) which had a remake that eventually became the anthem for comedian George Lopez. After the album the tres amigos went their separate ways to make more music. One last group I wanted to talk about was a group by the name A Lighter Shade of Brown. Now they had one known hit titled On a Sunday Afternoon which in its music video perfectly captures what latinos will do when gathered together. The video matches my experiences growing up in a latino household and having uncles and family friends who love to have gathering just as an excuse to see each other.

   From food to language to lifestyle all these artist and more do a great job capturing the pure essence of latino culture and putting it in song to share with the world.

- Solecito (Tristan R.), Blog #8

[thebaginvestigator]

Center for Possibilities Foundation (CFP) will be doing a back-to-back event at the RCBC Plaza in Makati at 5:30 P.M. featuring the exhibit of the 19-year-old Samantha Kaspar and Manila Symphony Orchestra will also take the center stage on that day.

The event will be an art auction of “Samantha” which consist of 40 artworks and used some on fabric as fashion accessories and other canvas for wall hangings and it is also a concert of Manila Symphony Orchestra to benefit Special Education (SPED) Centers.

“Samantha uses a wide variety of media for her work and we wanted to show the gamut of her abilities. She works primarily on piña silk using silk paints. She also uses acrylic paint on canvas sometimes,” explains Samantha’s mother, Mitzi.

“She has a consistent style with a lot of edges and lines, her artworks can be very linear. She also has this certain way of giving shapes to her images which aren’t necessarily realistic but are more cartoonish,” describes Samantha’s father, Martin.

While half-Swiss, Samantha always tries to tap into her Filipino roots, coming up with Filipino-themed artworks. She will be promoting some of that local culture when she heads to the Philippine Center in New York for the Fashion Arts Autism Benefit (FAAB) on April 7.

FAAB is meant to showcase the artistic talents of children with special needs. Samantha, diagnosed with Autism when she was one and a half years old, is one of eight artists chosen to present their paintings on piña silk to be translated into clothing by featured designers for the fashion show, Patis Tesoro and Anthony Legarda. Master weaver India Legaspi is credited for teaching the artists the technique of piña silk painting. Samantha hopes to fund her trip with the proceeds of her auction.

The Manila Symphony Orchestra’s “Soundtracks and Symphonies” will be conducted by Prof. Arturo Molina and annotated by Jeffrey Solares. Included in their repertoire is a John Williams tribute as well as pieces from greats such as Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach.

The concert is for the benefit of Special Education (SPED) Centers that have been the focus of the Center for Possibilities’ recent efforts. To act as a venue for learning of indigent persons with special needs, each SPED Center is operated by a teacher trained in the SPED division of Reach International School.

The Sagada SPED Center has been up and running and will be enhanced with a series of livelihood and vocational programs that will be teaching skills for income-generating activities. “Caring for special kids is very taxing because it’s usually just a one-income household so we also need to help the parents improve their finances,” explains CFP founder, Dolores Cheng.

In Norzagaray, what they have right now is just the building itself. A fence, a water tank, and a playground are still needed. “We are also in the process of doing our due diligence by determining the number of special children in all the barangays relevant to Norzagaray. Next will be an orientation for all the parents within the community. We are subsequently planning for the provision of testing, diagnosis, and analysis for the children with special needs,” Cheng adds.

Enrolments in the SPED Centers is free so it helps alleviate the family’s cost of taking care of special children. If you would like to extend assistance, you may reach CFP at http://centerforpossibilities.asia/ or (02) 723-1242 / (0918) 888-1759.

  “Samantha” and “Soundtracks and Symphonies” will be on January 28, 2016, 5:30pm at the Carlos P. Auditorium of the RCBC Plaza, Makati. 

Samantha Kaspar + Manila Symphony Orchestra = Helping children with special needs Center for Possibilities Foundation (CFP) will be doing a back-to-back event at the RCBC Plaza in Makati at 5:30 P.M.

[tasksweekly]

[TASK 061: GUATEMALA]

In celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month! There’s a masterlist below compiled of over 50+ Guatemalan faceclaims categorised by gender with their occupation and ethnicity denoted if there was a reliable source. If you want an extra challenge use random.org to pick a random number! Of course everything listed below are just suggestions and you can pick whichever character or whichever project you desire.

Any questions can be sent here and all tutorials have been linked below the cut for ease of access! REMEMBER to tag your resources with #TASKSWEEKLY and we will reblog them onto the main! This task can be tagged with whatever you want but if you want us to see it please be sure that our tag is the first five tags, @ mention us or send us a messaging linking us to your post!

THE TASK - scroll down for FC’s!

STEP 1: Decide on a FC you wish to create resources for! You can always do more than one but who are you starting with? There are links to masterlists you can use in order to find them and if you want help, just send us a message and we can pick one for you at random!

STEP 2: Pick what you want to create! You can obviously do more than one thing, but what do you want to start off with? Screencaps, RP icons, GIF packs, masterlists, PNG’s, fancasts, alternative FC’s - LITERALLY anything you desire!

STEP 3: Look back on tasks that we have created previously for tutorials on the thing you are creating unless you have whatever it is you are doing mastered - then of course feel free to just get on and do it. :)

STEP 4: Upload and tag with #TASKSWEEKLY! If you didn’t use your own screencaps/images make sure to credit where you got them from as we will not reblog packs which do not credit caps or original gifs from the original maker.

THINGS YOU CAN MAKE FOR THIS TASK -  examples are linked!

Stumped for ideas? Maybe make a masterlist or graphic of your favourite faceclaims. A masterlist of names. Plot ideas or screencaps from a music video preformed by an artist. Masterlist of quotes and lyrics that can be used for starters, thread titles or tags. Guides on culture and customs.

Screencaps

RP icons [of all sizes]

Gif Pack [maybe gif icons if you wish]

PNG packs

Manips

Dash Icons

Character Aesthetics

PSD’s

XCF’s

Graphic Templates - can be chara header, promo, border or background PSD’s!

FC Masterlists - underused, with resources, without resources!

FC Help - could be related, family templates, alternatives.

Written Guides.

and whatever else you can think of / make!

MASTERLIST!

Ladies:

Daphne Zuniga (54) Guatemalan, likely including Basque / Polish, Finnish - actress and environmentalist.

Georgina Pontaza (41) Guatemalan - actress, singer, choreographer, theater director and producer.

Gaby Moreno (35) Guatemalan - musician.

Daniela Carpio (34) Guatemalan - singer-songwriter, model, and TV Host.

Shery (32) Guatemalan - singer..

Soluna Samay (27) Guatemalan - singer.

Adria Arjona (25) Guatemalan / Puerto Rican - actress.

Fabiola Rodas (25) Guatemalan - singer.

Jacky Vasquez (20) Guatemalan - YouTuber.

Elizabeth Liang (born in 1972) Guatemalan - actress.

Amy Correa (?) Puerto Rican, Guatemalan, Japanese and Jewish - actress.

Karen Martinez (?) Guatemalan - actress.

Janeva Zentz (?) Guatemalan, Sicilian, German - actress.

Libette Garcia (?) stated as being of Cuban and Guatemalan heritage - actress.

Melanie Aitkenhead (?) Guatemalan - director.

Jennifer Castle (?) stated as being part Guatemalan and part Irish - actress.

Alejandra Flores (?) Guatemalan - soprano.

Natasha Escobar (?) of Belgian, Russian, Guatemalan descent - actress.

Claudia Cifuentes (?) stated as being of Guatemalan descent - writer, director and producer.

Vanessa Spatz (?) Guatemalan - actress.

Mildred Brignoni (?) Puerto Rican, Guatemalan - actress.

Linda Maria Girón (?) Guatemalan-American - actor, playwright, and musician.

Sajida Malik (?) Pakistani, Guatemalan, German - actress.

Jennifer Chajon (?) Guatemalan - actress.

Roxy Valle (?) Guatemalan / Nicaraguan - director, screenwriter, and photographer.

Yesenia Juarez (?) Guatemalan, Puerto Rican and Dominican - actress.

Celina Juarez (?) Guatemalan, Puerto Rican and Dominican - actress.

Males:

Ricardo Arjona (53) Guatemalan - singer.

Juan Carlos Alvarado (52) Guatemalan - singer.

Héctor Sandarti (49) Guatemalan - host and actor.

Benito Martinez (46) stated as being “of Guatemalan descent” - actor.

Dennis Chua (46) Guatemalan - actor.

Oscar Isaac (38) Cuban, Guatemalan, French - actor and musician.

Fernando Marroquín (31) Guatemalan - actor.

Kevin Cordón (30) Guatemalan - professional badminton player.

Juan Jose Dubon (30) stated as having parents of Guatemalan descent - actor, dancer, and host.

Carlos Peña (29) Guatemalan - singer and songwriter.

Diamanté Anthony Blackmon (26) Guatemalan - DJ, rapper and music producer.

Antonio Gramajo (24) Guatemalan - actor.

Alen Rios (22)  Mexican, Guatemalan, German, Chinese - actor.

Tony Revolori (21) Guatemalan (Spanish and Indigenous) - actor.

Rubio Rubin (21) Mexican / Guatemalan - professional soccer player.

Frank Juarez (?) Guatemalan - actor.

David Danipour (?) Guatemalan / Middle Eastern - actor.

Antonio Muñoz (?) Guatemalan - actor.

Richie Quinto (?) Guatemalan - actor.

Arturo Castro (?) Guatemalan - actor.

Luigi Lanuza (?) Guatemalan - actor and producer.

Luis González Palma (born in 1957) Guatemalan - photographer.

Marvin Lemus (?) Mexican/Guatemalan-American - writer, director and producer.

Henry Raudales (?) Guatemalan - violinist.

Francisco Páez (?) Guatemalan - singer.

Juliocesar Chavez (?) of Guatemalan and Mexican heritage - actor.

Randy Mendez-Kestler (?) Guatemalan, Irish, American Indian, German - actor.

Julio Molina (?) Costa Rican /Guatemalan - filmmaker.

NB:

N/A