#British Asian Trust

[enkays-den]

Hermits as birds from where they live/were born!

note: my knowledge is centered around North American birds, so sorry if the european ones aren't super accurate

Bdubs: Northern Saw-Whet Owl. He's just a little guy with big eyes. Small and evil, love him

Cub: Common Starling. Skulk like-iridescence, incredibly friendly. Plus, with Cub running the horn store this season, he NEEDED to be the bird that can imitate pretty much any noise it hears

Doc: Bonelli's Eagle. Large raptor found in Germany. It's straight "brow" and hunched posture remind me of Doc

Etho: Common Loon. THE! CANADIAN! BIRD! Despite being "common", their pattern is simply EXQUISITE Plus, it has a red eye! Also listen to the noises these things make, it's literally stock nature sounds all in one bird. Also, I'd put Etho on my one dollar coin.

False: Barn Owl. Very elegant owl, I just feel it suits her, that's all. Very stately posture.

Gem (Season 10 specifically): Great Blue Heron. It's a fisher, it's blue, it's menacing, what more could you ask for?

Scar (Hotguy): Double-crested Cormorant: A waterfowl bc scar did competitive swimming, it's got a slightly funky shape which I feel suits scar's personality. It also has the Hotguy colors!

Grian: Eurasian Bullfinch. Parrot Grian will not reign supreme. Look at that little guy. He's mischievous, he's red, I do not trust him.

Hypno: Stellar's Jay. My provincial bird! I just think both have very chill and cool personalities

Jevin: Lazuli Bunting. Just a little blue guy!

Impulse: American Goldfinch. Black and yellow, need I say more?

Iskall: Booted Eagle. Something about a stout raptor just feels right. Look at that posture. Reminds me of when Iskall tries to copy the brits' accents.

Joe: Turkey Vulture. Although seen as odd or menacing, all vultures are integral to the local ecosystem and are in actuality, very elegant and gentle birds.

Keralis: Boreal Owl. Yes, I did make the two guys with big eyes owls, What of it? LOOK at him. Put a little hardhat on him, put a little hawiian shirt on him. Precious sweet face.

Mumbo: Avocet. It's basically a vibe check and a mustache joke.

Peal: Black Swan. Big 5AM Pearl vibes. Giant, beautiful, protective. Love that for her.

Ren: Giant Kingfisher. Obligatory King Ren joke, it's a South African bird, and it's kinda goofy looking. I think the speckled feathers look like a ruffled fur collar on a king's cape.

Skizz: Golden Eagle. Large, majestic, hella strong, and he's wearing pants :3

Joel: Tree Swallow. Very small, beautiful, agile bird. The swallow's wings remind me of Asian art styles.

Stress: Magpie. GOR-JUS and LOUD. Imagine her next to Iskall (they're very similar in size, bless them)

Tango: Swainson's Hawk. I fought every bone in my body to not make an Arizona Cardinals joke when I already made a Phoenix Coyotes one maybe half an hour before. The Swainson's hawk is on the smaller size, but still a deadly spitfire, which I think suits Tango

TFC: Brown Pelican. A solitary bird, definitely a rare sighting. TFC was always joking about how much he would eat, I thought a pelican was apt

Beef: Barred Owl. MY FAVORITE OWL. I literally call them 'round beefy boys' and they're just so sweet and I love them

Wels: American Kestrel. I LOVE these little guys. Simply the smallest, cutest and beautiful falcon there is. They're about the size of a pigeon. It's just got such a regal posture despite being a little cutie.

XB: Rock Pigeon. Despite being common and seen as a "dumb pest", they are pretty intelligent, there's a reason they were used to carry messages around. They're also a close relation to doves! The green collar also is like the jacket collar on his skin.

Xisuma: Semipalmated Plover. X and Mumbo were both chosen because of how those birds run on the beach. They're RIDICULOUS. This subspecies is exclusively because it look like he's wearing a little helmet.

Zedaph: Firecrest. Just the GOOFIEST little guy I found on the wiki of British birds. Look at that thing /aff. Also, Zed do be blowing up a lot

Cleo: Partridge. Beautiful bird, looks like they want to kill you in your sleep, just like Cleo.

[celestial-fang]

Fulgrim and his sons

-

Was testing brushes and thinking about the fact that when GW makes the EC army they need to hire one of us gay Asians to design them. We’ve mastered the formula of morally depraved white haired bishies and you simply can’t trust the British to understand

[marta-bee]

More Aldarion & Erendis time. I want to take a step back from all the fun character-drama between our titular leads and talk a bit about the political situation. It's definitely turning how I think of the Numenor story on its head, but in a good way.

I've always thought of Numenoreans as prideful men who saw themselves as better than other men, their natural rulers, etc. Very imperial stuff. Very prideful generally, and pride goeth before, etc. Their thinking they could bring Sauron as a captive into their own land. The very questioning of mannish mortality. It's what did them in in the end.

A&E is set in a much earlier time though. Aldarion is only five generations removed from Elros, and was only born about 250 years after Elros died. And for the most part they're unconcenred with the wider world. You see this in Meneldur's pushing Aldarion to remain in Numenor and not go adventuring abroad, long before he married Erendis or even began courting her. His first duty was to love and know his own land, and for the people of Numenor to know him. It feels isolationist, but I don't take it in the modern Trumpian sense or even the America staying out of WWI while Europe bled and died sense. There's this idea that the Numenoreans have been given a gift of peace and having enough, and it's their job to live in that and let it heal their national soul.

Gil-Galad sends Tar-Meneldur a letter that changes that.

Ereinion Gil-galad son of Fingon to Tar-Meneldur of the line of Eärendil, greeting: the Valar keep you and may no shadow fall upon the Isle of Kings. Long I have owed you thanks, for you have so many times sent to me your son Anardil Aldarion: the greatest Elf-friend that now is among Men, as I deem. At this time I ask your pardon, if I have detained him overlong in my service; for I had great need of the knowledge of Men and their tongues which he alone possesses. He has dared many perils to bring me counsel. Of my need he will speak to you; yet he does not guess how great it is, being young and full of hope. Therefore I write this for the eyes of the King of Númenórë only. A new shadow arises in the East. It is no tyranny of evil Men, as your son believes; but a servant of Morgoth is stirring, and evil things wake again. Each year it gains in strength, for most Men are ripe to its purpose. Not far off is the day, I judge, when it will become too great for the Eldar unaided to withstand. Therefore whenever I behold a tall ship of the Kings of Men, my heart is eased. And now I make bold to seek your help. If you have any strength of Men to spare, lend it to me, I beg.

Should they keep living in peace, content in their little island's safety, or should they start preparing for war? And Meneldur knows he can't decide, abdicates the throne, and lets Aldarion step in.

It's a good impulse, to help, but it's borne out of a morally rotten premise. This is Sauron, of course everyone should help. But to think that the Numenorean uniquely are able to help, and that the men of Middle-earth are incapable of resisting Sauron sticks in my craw. It sets up the Numenoreans as having a natural nobility somehow missing from other men. Where what Glorfindel should be doing is recognize the potential for good in the humans not yet caught under Sauron.

Perhaps he's doing that too, or at least trying to. But the point is, I don't think the Numenoreans get to see that. They think they're specially responsible for resisting Sauron, which makes them special and other men almost chattel.

As an American, I'm feeling more than a bit seen, and not in a good way.

As a Tolkien fan, I'm a bit uncomfortable with how much I suspect Tolkien accepted this. It's not a stretch to imagine him viewing the English as the protectors and saviors of all those grubby men who could not be trusted to govern themselves. (Talking about Africans, Asians, and all sort of then-British colonies here.) I need to think about whether the rest of the Numenor story is a critique of that idea; whether this belief in their own superiority and their being central to fighting against Sauron was a subtle kind of pride that led to their fall or whether he thought of that later pride as something else entirely.

I like thinking they're connected because it makes for a better story. But I'm not sure if it's what Tolkien meant here. I know if he meant Gil-Galad's assessment to be genuine, I don't like that.

[qiumenglin]

Some EAsian Headcanons (because I don’t know what to post)

China be complaining about air pollution and be carrying a box of cigars everywhere.

Korea gets the most girls amongst all the EAsians. Macau comes close.

Japan has a pond with koi fish in his garden.

Japan is very very competitive. Would fight tooth and nail to be better than his opponents.

Hong Kong has insomnia because of all the lights. Other EAsians have a really lively night life, but they’ve gotten over it.

Korea, on the other hand, stays up late because he can, and can wake up early too.

Hong Kong is a germaphobe and carries sanitizer and wet tissue packets everywhere. Has trust issues when it comes to sanitation. Never uses his finger to press the lift button.

China once snuck into the British museum and took back a painting he made about 500 years ago, which he spent a week on. Caused international disputes as he sips on his tea with no milk and never planning on giving it up. (Inspired India to do the same)

Mongolia is part of almost every Asian Region group chat(after a ton of persuasion, bargaining, and begging. He just wants to leak the gossip and drama).

China, South Korea, Japan, and Mongolia(mainly with China) get into arguments 24/7. They’re internet fights are crazy, and they’re accounts have been suspended and banned multiple times.

China spoils the heck out of North Korea. He would be (maybe illegally) sending him all kinds of fancy stuff, which is currently piling up in N.K’s storage room.

[shuinami]

Part 3: How to write an MLE-based London accent authentically

Part 1: Who, What (London Accents) | Part 2: When, Where, Why (Black Londoner Culture since Windrush)

As I conclude this little guide, I'd like mention that my ask box and DMs are always open if anyone has further questions or anything 🤎

In this section, I'll go over some advice, the grammar and vocabulary and provide some suggestions for references.

Section A: Basic Tips

When to use slang

The concentration of slang is key to differentiating characters as well as writing an accent authentically. As an MLE-based speaker who is not actually a roadman (meaning a gangster, though many people misuse the term to refer to anyone who uses MLE, especially if they are working class), like most of us, Hobie does not utterly kill it with slang that would likely not be understandable to the people he’s with. There are a lot of phrases and idioms/metaphors that seem self-explanatory once you know what they mean or that seem similar to Americanisms (e.g. roadman = street/hood nigga), but of course, as someone who doesn’t use the terms, hearing it in passing, it probably wouldn’t be understandable, despite the speaker thinking it is. 

Coming from a diverse place, often with immigrant parents who don’t even speak English as a first language, if fluently at all (not in the case of most black Caribbeans from former British colonies, but remember Asians and Africans are more plentiful here), trust me, we know what we sound like 😂! Most of us code-switch, as we learn standard English in school and, until more recently, where more people are 3rd gen+ immigrants as opposed to 2nd, we actually tend to pick up MLE slang from experiences outside the home as we grow up. At the same time, some people really don’t care at all and don’t change how they speak for anyone haha. I don’t recommend trying to write code-switching if you’re not extremely familiar with MLE because you’ll probably lose the flow and also, Hobie only eases up a little bit after his intro.

My point is though, that not every single sentence needs to have slang in it. Most should, but if you’re trying to be serious or sexy, for example, and you feel the need to tack on some slang just to convey Bri’ishness, even if it doesn’t really fit, don’t do it cause it’s no more authentic than just writing plain English in those scenarios.

When talking to people from his own dimension, however, slang it up if you’d like, because the expectation would be that a (working class or ethnic) Londoner would understand him. 

For humour, mocking and teasing, we love to use slang because a lot of it is funny, even to us. Like I said, we know what we sound like. Those are the moments when more obscure slang (such as Cockney rhyming slang) might come out for comedic effect.

It’s good to have some balance, so not every word needs to be substituted. If you couldn’t read it without a fucking huge glossary, you’ve probably done a bit too much.

Writing the Accent

It’s good in moderation. ‘Luv’, ‘ain’t’, replacing the last g with an apostrophe in -ing words - you all have those things down, it works, good job. 

HOWEVER, it is very clear that a lot of you have no clue what letters we do and don’t drop/change and in what words, as well as a lot of you going OT with removing the T’s from the middle of words. I know it kind of sounds like that to you but it reads like an over-exaggeration or mockery, particularly because most London accents, including Hobie’s, are much lighter in comparison to Brits from other areas, in which such omissions and alterations of letters would be somewhat appropriate but still, in moderation. I don’t recommend typing out the accent often, just sprinkle it around for a bit of flavour but don’t consistently write in that way because your writing loses legibility and it gets quite distracting.

Content

The stereotype of British people liking sarcasm is true for most and, in general, we like to have, what we call, ‘a bit of banter’. We’re a jokey people, even if those jokes can be a bit harsh or teasing. Confusingly, even if we are joking around, it doesn’t mean necessarily we’re being friendly, joking is just how we communicate (e.g. “Oh boy, humbling reality Spider-Man has arrived”, “What does that do?” “Apart from having a great name?”, “super humane and not creepy”, “this is a great look…”). I think most people have got this down really well, so keep it up guys 😎🤙

Another thing is cussing, swearing, profanity, whatever you wanna call it. We do it a lot for no reason, mainly spamming the word “fuck(ing)”. So have fun with that if you aren’t already.

We’ll get into it more in the terms of endearment section of Section B but, basically a lot of Londoners are typically not too mushy or affectionate, as is the stereotype for big city people and, additionally, British people in general aren’t the most direct in their words. Obviously, some people are but it’s not the culture if you’re trying to write proper ‘authentic’ haha. For a lot of us, saying sweet stuff can be quite laborious when sincere or cheesy or confrontational levels of direct really 😂 We ain’t the friendliest of types through our words so I'd recommend relying more on context for the sweet factor unless it's a stand-out moment.

Different parts of the UK, even within England itself, have different slang

Idk what else to say about this but yeah, there’s some phrases I’ve seen people use that have me scratching my head cause “nobody [from my area] says those words in that order” but I’m guessing it’s down to people incorporating slang which is more commonly heard up North because it’s all classed as British/U.K. slang when you look it up so, just be wary of that.

Section B: Grammar and Vocab (the thing you’ve been waiting for 😂)

I’ll link a document here so I don’t clog up your dash more than I already have. Feel free to bookmark it or anything, I’ll update it if needed. The contents are links to the relevant section so you can just click those if you’re not trying to read the whole thing.

I only included some highlights of the things that are easy enough to explain just by writing them out with their meanings but it’s by no means an extensive list. I’ve studied a few languages but I’m not a linguist so I just did my best.

If you want to go more heavy with the Cockney slang, I’ll leave it to someone who’s more familiar with it (or not… lol) to explain those terms and when to use them properly.

Section C: References

Of course, it’s all good and all that I’ve given you instructions but to make it sound natural, you’d need a point of reference. Here are some references of black North West Londoners from the early 80s, black East Londoners, black Londoners more generally and a Daniel Kaluuya interview so you can get a better feel of how we sound:

Clip from ‘No Problem’, the first Black British Sitcom

The accents within this one group of siblings is very varied and none of them use MLE, as per the time period. The two younger sisters have accents most similar to Hobie’s. The show follows a group of siblings of Jamaican descent living in a council house in North West London, first released in 1983.

Clips from ‘Chewing Gum’ by Michaela Coel [CW: they're awkwardly talking about sex in a lot of the clips + don't listen to Candice's boyfriend, Aaron, he's not from London lol]

The show takes place in Tower Hamlets, which is in East London and was first released in 2015. Tracy has a similar accent to Hobie and also uses a mix of more general/Cockney-influenced slang and MLE, so this one should both be a fun watch and be useful, you’ll also want to pay attention to Candice who has a more MLE lean to her speech.

Clips from the Foot Asylum crew most of them are MLE speakers, see some examples of our banter with friends lol

Clips from ‘Top Boy’

Another show that takes place in East London, this time in Hackney, which is an area known for being kind of rough in terms of gang activity. Almost all the characters speak exclusively MLE in this show. If you want to watch it, TW for violence and gang activity, death, etc. (18+). You can tell based on the ones I’ve chosen that Sully’s my favourite character lmao.

Fun fact, as you might hear the character, Dushane, reference, Sully lives on a canal boat for a while as a form of refuge. I know a bit about boat dwellers in London from a lecture at uni but if anyone wants me to do more research and do a post and explain the waterways and stuff, again, feel free to drop an ask and I’ll do it :)

Clip from ‘Love Island’ just pay attention to the black islanders, Tyrique and Whitney

I just finished watching this year's Love Island UK so I thought I’d throw the clip of Whitney, Lochan and Tyrique fighting in here lmao

& Daniel Kaluuya talking about Spiderpunk to bring us full circle✨

[impossiblesuitcase]

In wires and nerves one of the guards in the palace is seen wearing a pointed Asian rice farming hat and a thrown over vest. That’s got to be racist or stereotypical because 1. It’s the future and even now that would be horrible armor to wear, and 2. Why would royal guards be wearing rice farming hats? They have tons of money to fund their army and guards’ attire

I personally thought they were inspired by Joseon dynasty guards:

The illustrated hats looked closer to this to me than the Chinese farmer hats.

Based on how incompetent these guards were at stopping Cinder from kidnapping Kai, I would say this guards are mostly decorative, like the ridiculously dressed British royal guard:

The impractical attire usually suggests that they are more for show than actual combat. The palace would have an official swat team that handle bigger threats than the guards and they would be dressed accordingly.

Ultimately, we should never trust the Wires and Nerve art anyway.

[star-sim]

THE I CAN FIX HIM SYNDROME IS GETTING TO YOU VANYA... RUN WHILE U CAN 😭

looks like he had to negotiate his way into earth is crazy... but i have seen people i know like some Interesting Creatures i will trust ur judgement...?

i don't know how gpa works also can someone explain i go to a british school 😓

I CANT FIX HIM HE GOT A PERM 😭😭😭

lord save all the asian men in southern california who act like bangers who one day decide that they need a perm

ppl are always like “ooh asian ooh socal with the beach waves 😍” WRONG we have so many boys here that either 1) don’t shower or 2) wear cologne and suddenly think that they are THE shit, i feel like it’s universal for men to be disappointing

idk how to explain the gpa system without using even more american terms but for scale, a 1.0 is failing every single class, a 1.2 is justtt right above that

[triviareads]

do you have diverse modern romance recs?

Yep! I've (mostly) organized it by author:

Naima Simone: I'm obsessed with literally everything this woman writes, both Harlequin and not Harlequin. Naima writes a lot of fabulous Black heroines (and she writes great body diversity as well) and a decent amount of POC heroes as well. My favorites include . Black Tie Billionaire (Black heroine, Asian hero), Secrets Of A One Night Stand (Black heroine, Pacific Islander hero), and Trust Fund Fiancé (both the hero and heroine are Black). The best thing about Naima's books is just the uniformity in how she writes every body type as attractive and desirable and the sex is very hot. Would absolutely recommend.

Katrina Jackson: I haven't talked about Katrina enough, when she's out here doing the most for mafia romances and spy romances with diverse characters. I could happily read her novella Beautiful & Dirty over and over, but it's a prequel to the mafia series which ends with my favorite, The Don, which has a Black heroine. Katrina also wrote a spy series (The Spies Who Loved Me!) and the first in that series, Pink Slip, has a Black heroine who's lusting over her married bosses (the wife, Monica, is Latina I believe) and surprise, they're both into her too.

Angelina M. Lopez: Angelina writes excellent Latino rep. Her fictional town Freedom, Kansas, which is the setting in multiple stories, has an amazing Mexican-American community she builds on. I'd recommend After Hours on Milagro Street, which has a Mexican-American heroine, as well as her upcoming Full Moon Over Freedom, which is next in the series. The way she melds culture, magic, and romance is gorgeous. Also! Lush Money, which is set within this universe, has a Latina heroine and is very fun and worth reading.

Tara Pammi: If you want to read about Indians in India or Bollywood-centric romances, Tara is the author. I liked Claiming His Bollywood Cinderella and The Secret She Kept in Bollywood (that man is suuuch a DILF he's great).

Jadesola James: I've talked about her before (see here) but Jadesola has written a couple Harlequin Presents stories set in Africa. I'd recommend The Royal Baby He Must Claim and The Princess He Must Marry, which are about sisters who are Nigerian princesses.

Talia Hibbert: The Brown Sisters books are bangers, sexy and emotionally comforting at the same time. I'd recommend all of them: Get a Life, Chloe Brown, Take a Hint, Dani Brown, and Act Your Age, Eve Brown. I also love her novella Guarding Temptation, which has both a Black hero and heroine and Wanna Bet? which has a Black heroine and a British-Indian hero (thanks for reminding me @viscountessevie).

Wrong to Need You by Alisha Rai: The hero and heroine are in-laws (well, her husband, his brother, is dead) so the romance was very emotional and slow-burn, but the pay-off was absolutely worth it. The heroine Sadia is Pakistani-American, and the hero Jackson is of Japanese and Hawaiian ancestry. Alisha also delves pretty deep into South Asian family dynamics which hit a liiiittle too close to home, but I can't deny the accuracy.

Reel by Kennedy Ryan: This a romance between an actress and her director (both are Black) and I particularly appreciate the amount of research Kennedy Ryan put into the Harlem Renaissance, Black artists of that era (she created a fictional artist to base the movie off of), as well as their contributions to the Civil Rights movement which I think isn't discussed enough.

Sink or Swim by Tessa Bailey: See here.

From what I recall, Katee Robert did a pretty good job of body diversity without super explicitly mentioning race in her Fairytale Villains Who Fuck Wicked Villains series.

[thissmycomingofage]

I understand where you're coming from about Chappell, I really do, but cmon dude. She's been working so hard for 10 years and now she finally gets an opportunity to perform at the VMAs? Can you imagine turning something like that down? It's not her fault at all, it's her management, but it's a human error at the end of the day. She's human, she's bound to make mistakes. I understand how disappointed and upset you must feel not being able to see her but she can always come back to Paris another time, there's only one VMAs. No hard feelings, peace and love ❤🧡🤍💘💜 (Also be kind to Chappell please)

Oh buddy I'm sorry but I'm not going to be nice to this one. And trust me I mean it when I say I'm sorry because you don't seem like you want to start anything, but I'm not okay. I'm not at all and I need to vent, and it's not gonna be structured.

I have been her fan for years, okay ? I was here before good luck babe, before TRAFOAMP. So don't come at me saying I don't know she was skyrocketed to fame. I do not put her on a pedestal, if anything I'd say it's people like you saying she is so right to do what she does and is taking the best decision for her career that glorify her every moves. She did something I think is shitty I criticize her.

Also fuck you man I didn't turn on her, the fuck?? I defended her like crazy when she put out her statement about her right to privacy, don't mix me with this bag. I criticize what is to be criticized, and yes, I'm especially passionate on this case because I'm involved, as every human being is more touched when he's literally touched!

"There will be other shows", yeah, now that she reached superstardom and there's no way to ever see her again for a reasonable price. Of course canceling shows in small venues is worth it for her, but devastating to me and people who were lucky to get those tickets. And what a stupid argument it is, and, sorry, that really makes me think you must be American, or at best British. Because those people are the only one who do not get how it's just not true to state "You can just go to another show" My city and my country don't get 5 shows a week! And I'm still way luckier than Asian or African concert enjoyers so I feel bad for complaining when I know some have it worse so how about you stop with your ""advices"""?

Once again she can cancel shows like she wants, but I do not have to agree with it. I very personally in my very humble opinion think it's shitty behavior to cancel shows your fans who always supported you were so excited to attend just to go to the...VMAs? Man who cares about the VMAs?? It's not the grammys! Who remembers what song or what artist got what prize at the vmas for real ???

"It's not her it's her management" STOP INFANTALIZING GROWN UP WOMEN. She CANCELLED shows. She cancelled events that were supposed to take place in less than a week and were planned for a year! She had WEEKS to plan this and waited last minute. She made her choice and in a very poor way. And I'm mad about it, yes. That is undisputably unfair to those who paid to see a show to have it cancelled for her to go promote her songs on American tv.

I fucking know she's not plotting against me, when the hell did I accuse her of that ? She did something that is for me a disgusting choice for an artist, but a good choice for a business woman. But I'm not one to praise business women, so she made an artistic decision that sucks.

I'm so tired of fandoms being so against the bare minimum of criticism now. I will always criticize my favorite artists' decisions. This is normal behavior. You all defending her every moves is not. I've never been mean to Chappell or any other artist I'm expressing a criticism toward. I'm expressing disappointment. And like anyone who feels wronged it hurts bloody hard when you see people (not concerned at all) saying you're whiny and mean. Chappell said it herself, she's not my friend, she's an artist whose music I like. And now she's an artist who made a move I'm highly dissapointed by. I treat her like I would any other people I don't know. You all are the weirdos saying she's a "poor lesbian" who needs to "teach us a lesson". Get her own message through your head and treat her like a human being. Human beings can be shitty and yesterday she was very shitty.

[thelivebookproject]

Reading Wrap Up | October - December 2023 + 2023 Recap

One more year has gone by, I almost can't believe it and yet it's already time to review how the year was.

[Jan-March] [April-June] [July-Sept]

Code: books read in English are in black, books read in Spanish in red, books read in French in blue & books read in Portuguese in purple.

OCTOBER (3)

West With the Night - Beryl Markham -> 4/5

Desencajada - Margaryta Yakovenko -> 3/5

Death and the Penguin - Andrey Kurkov, trad. George Bird -> 2.5/5

My favourite was definitely Markham's: as a British woman in colonised Kenya, I was wary of starting her memoir, but it actually was a really pleasant surprise. Her love for the country where she grew up in was palpable with each description of the land and the sky, and her life as a rancher, horse trainer, and chartered pilot was fascinating and full of adventures. Desencajada was a good insight into the life of a second-generation immigrant, but it was too similar to Supersaurio (by Maryam El Mehdati), which I read earlier in the year, to offer anything different. Kurkov's book was curious, but not enough for me to really recommend it.

NOVEMBER (4)

O Alquimista - Paulo Coelho -> 2/5

The Intimacy Experiment (The Shameless Series #2) - Rosie Danan -> 4/5

Greek Mythology: The Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes Handbook: From Aphrodite to Zeus, a Profile of Who's Who in Greek Mythology - Liv Albert (ilustrado por Sara Richard) -> 3/5

The Housekeeper and the Professor - Yoko Ogawa, trad. Stephen Synder -> 3/5

Coelho's was for a book club and it was as simple and as bland as I expected, but it was my first ever book read in Portuguese so yay for a landmark! Rosie Danan's was great, and I actually added her new book to my TBR because in just two books she's become a trusted author for romance.

DICIEMBRE (7)

A Viagem do Elefante - José Saramago -> 3.5/5

Infocracy: Digitalisation and the Crisis of Democracy - Byung-Chul Han, trad. Daniel Steuer -> 4/5

My Roommate is a Vampire - Jenna Levine -> 2.5/5

Demigods & Magicians (Percy Jackson + The Kane Chronicles) - Rick Riordan -> 3/5

In Bed with the Stablemaster (The Rogue Files #6.5) - Sophie Jordan -> 2.5/5

¿Para qué sirve realmente la ética? - Adela Cortina -> 2/5

Le Testament Français - Andreï Makine -> 2/5

December was very good in terms of numbers but not in terms of quality. Infocracy was super interesting and I do really recommend it as a good intro treatise on contemporary debates about democracy and information. Saramago's was also fun if a little overlong, and as usual Riordan is a good comfort read. But the rest of them? I've already forgot what they were about, definitely meh.

As usual, if you want to have a chat about anything I read just send me a message!

Yearly Recap

[Hello 2023 post]

Reading (at least) 55 books [59/55]

12 books in French [4/12]

12 books in Spanish [12/12] [Plus several books translated into Spanish!]

12 non-fiction books [11/12] [So close and yet so far...]

12 LGBTQ+ books [3/12]

12 books by European writers (excluding British ones) [10/12]

12 books by African/Afro-Caribbean writers [1/12]

12 books by Asian writers [3/12]

4 books by writers from Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, etc.) [1/4]

4 books by Latin American writers [4/4]

Okay, so I didn't do THAT great in my goals, actually. A couple of them were reeeeeally close, but some others were so far away it's actually a little embarrassing. But oh well, we live and we learn, and we try again...

I'm actually fairly happy with how my reading year went, even if I didn't manage to read one single 5-star book in the whole year (something to improve for next year for sure!). I think that after a couple of years of stallment and block, I'm really getting my groove back and I'm really excited for what the new year will bring! I have also been curating my TBR this past month to make sure everything on it brings me joy, and now all of my picks excite me. I can't wait to get to them in 2024; you can follow my reading adventures over in GoodReads if you want to take a look at my shelves :)

I hope you all close out 2023 in style and have a wonderful start to 2024. May it bring happy adventures and many good books!

[mamas-filly]

Oh my a would you rather? I simply must know them all

Big, thick, fluffy diapers or absorbent fitted diapers?

Big Thick, fluffy, clothes ruining diapers are for me, all the way

Cloth diapers or disposable diapers?

I think it definitely depends? But if we were avoiding leaks, its disposable without a doubt. But if we are encouraging leaks instead? Cloth are so so so much softer.

Sexy/slutty clothes with a diaper, or childish clothes with a diaper?

Sexy or slutty all the way! Having to wear childish clothes outside of those times is just a bonus

Too big for diapers but still needs them, or not big enough to be out of diapers?

Not big enough to be out of them, I just can't be trusted!

Sexy bras, demi-cup bras, soft sports or bandeau bras, or no bras at all?

No bra at all!

British schoolgirl/plaid skirt or Asian schoolgirl/sailor suit?

Really out of my wheelhouse on this one? Between what i've looked at so far Asian Schoolgirl would be better, if only because plaid has the wrong energy to go with diapers to me.

Lolita frills or overalls?

Frills though! All the way! Lace, pinks, puffy outfits! They're hard to get sized right (and EXPENSIVE) but I've always wanted something cute like that!

Knee socks, ankle socks, stockings, or tights?

Ankle socks with a pair of patent leather shoes, no contest.

Mommy/daddy roleplay or dirty uncle/babysitter roleplay?

Where does dirty mommy/ sister roleplay fall? Because that's where it's at.

Plastic potty or antique chamber pot?

Plastic, please just give me the plastic

Bottle-feeding or spoon-feeding?

For aftercare, nothing beats a bottle feeding, held close to where you can hear their heartbeat, suckling and losing yourself in the moment. For a scene though, spoon feeding, rough and fast and MESSY if I don't want to clean my face after, it wasn't good spoon feeding, in my humble opinion.

Forced masturbation, or no masturbation allowed?

Forced masturbation, even 10 days was getting difficult to manage with my low willpower 🙁

Hand-spanking, slippering, paddling, or caning?

There's a special intimacy in a hand spanking, even when i've previously earned a paddling (by the end I was wet in EVERY way) they warmed me up with their hands, which was so special.

Spreader bar, or tied to the rocking horse?

Tied to the rocking horse, Diaper long overdue for a change, maybe a wand on low, trying desperately to get some kind of stimulation, I could keep myself going for hours. Also its a horsie! I love those!

Shown off in front of everyone, or confined to a secret nursery?

I love being seen by everyone, but in a way where I am expected to be ignored, like if they choose to grope me or interact with me, its their choice, and their benefit, but i'm expected to go on otherwise, like a piece of furniture.

[wen-kexing-apologist]

You would love one of my professors because their whole thing is about queerness and the idea of the 'monster', me and a friend of mine actually introduced him to shows like Word of Honor and the Untamed (and by extension asian queer shows)

Nice! Yes I have many a rant about monsters and queerness, or just monsters and like...any historically dehumanized identity. It is actually a conversation I have been having with one of my straight friends as we watch Black Sails because he has not been able to pick up on the queer coding of James Flint, and would not have realized he was queer until approximately 5 seconds before Flint and Thomas kiss in Season 2 if I hadn't been pointing out specific moments.

He asked me about what I look for when it comes to identifying if a character is queer or not and one of my first statements was about how Flint had a monologue in Season 1 where he was essentially like "England called me a monster, and so I became the monster they wanted me to be" or something. And when a white, British, male says shit like that there is only one explanation.

Monstrosity and queerness go so hand in hand in my mind, because society finds queer love disgusting and grotesque and has used the image of disgust, fear, and abnormality to dehumanize us for centuries. Of course we are going to see ourselves in monsters. I have yet to see as beautiful a trans allegory as Nimona, full of love and hope and joy, and sadness, rage, and loneliness, itchy in the body of a girl for too long, wild, and hunted, and trying to remain untouched by others hatred of her, until the people she loves and trusts aren't capable of seeing her for who she is.

I have yet to see as beautiful an allegory for queerness, whether it was intentional or not, in Adam. Built by Frankenstein, brought to life, and then abandoned for something he can not control. The hideousness that sends him fleeing town after town after town, desperately craving love no one will give to him, asking only for the love of his father and getting nothing in return. Asking for a partner, and watching them destroyed before his very eyes because Viktor was so disgusted and frightened at the thought of his creations having sex (and reproducing yes, but I think the metaphor holds).

Two of the biggest themes that make me read something as queer is if either:

a) there is a monster

or

b) two characters who love each other cannot touch

[queermuslimarchives]

Hijra (ہیجڑا)

Hijra is a pejorative term, mostly used in South Asia for transgender woman, eunuch, transvestite, androgynous, non-binary & intersex individuals. They lives in well-organized households and communities, led by a guru. Hijra community have a distinct subculture, secret language, cults and traditions. Hijra individuals maintain non-binary & matrilineal kinship within their community. Not all south asian trans femme, non-binary, queer folks are part of Hijra subculture.

Traditionally, the hijra are known as individual of “separate gender” in South Asian society. Most hijras are born as male and very few are born as intersex. Most Hijras present themselves in feminine attire, while other may present themselves in masculine or androgynous attire. The hijra use feminine name & pronoun for themselves. While other may use masculine & gender-neutral name & pronoun. The hijra are officially recognized as ''Third gender'' in Bangladesh, Pakistan, India & Nepal.

The word “Hijra” came from the Arabic word Hijr. While others argue that the word came from the Farsi word Hīj. In Arabic, Hijra literally means migration, leaving own tribe/clan. In broadest definition it means spiritual transformation, transcending boundaries. Despite having a sacred meaning, the word hijra has become a slurr in most parts of South Asia.

In India, many transgender folks like to avoid hijra for themselves. Instead they prefer Kinnar/Kinner, Shiv-shakti, Aravani, Mangala-mukhi, Moonaam Lingam, Kothi, Thritiya Linga, Tirunangais, Thirunangai, Tirunaṅkai, Thirunambi, Khwaja sira, Trans man, Trans Woman, Non-binary, Brihannala, Shikandi, etc for themselves. In Pakistan, hijra term is mostly used in a derogatory manner. This is why, non-hijra transgender & hijra transgender folks preferred Khawaja sara/Khwajasira, Mukhannath, Mutajannas, Moorat for themselves.

History

The existence of hijras or eunuchs first documented in the royal harems of Delhi Sultanate.In the 7th century, Hijras became trusted servants in the Mughal courts. (Please note:The term eunuch in reference to hijras or transgender in southeast asia is now considered pejorative; however, historical research finds the terms eunuch and hijra used interchangeably).

In those days, Hijras or transgenders were allowed to travel freely between men’s quarter and women's quarter, administrate the royal harem, & take care of the harem's children. Different travelogues documented that Hijras were also “intimate servants” and “beloved” of kings, princes, queens & princesses. During the mughal era, Hijra community played important roles in royal court,in royal households,in diplomatic and military affairs.

During the colonialism:

Mass Persecution of hijras/gender variants & gays in Indian subcontinent started during the British colonialism. In early 1850s, British colonial authorities deployed various strategies to eradicate India's gender & sexual minorities, whom they saw as "a breach of public decency." Further Britishers viewed hijras as incapable of moral transformation & assimilation. Therefore, they were subjected to eliminatory policies. In 1860, hijras became subjected to anti-sodomy law Section 377 which allowed British authorities to prosecute hijras (for their existence).

In 1861, authorities of the North-Western Provinces (NWP) sought to enact a 'Special law' against hijras/gender variants. By 1870, no high-ranking British officials argued against the implementation of special legislation to address the 'hijra problem; thus solidifying a violent anti-hijra campaign all across the Indian subcontinent. Anti-hijra laws were enacted; whereas a law outlawing castration, a central part of the hijra community (although not required for community membership), crossdressing, community gathering, ritual practices. The hijra were included in the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871 and labelled a "criminal tribe", now subjected to compulsory registration,strict monitoring, and stigmatization. Because of economic costs, which were the main impetus behind British colonialism, Hijras and other so-called "criminal tribes" were unable to be collectively sequestered from colonial society. This act forced the hijra community to go underground. British authorities considered “eunuchs” responsible for sodomy, kidnapping, and castrating male children (Hinchy 2019). Although the Criminal Tribe Act was rescinded in 1952, a collective memory still paints hijras as historical gender deviants with a criminalized sexual variance. After independence, hijras survived these barbaric colonial extermination attempts.However, the centuries-old stigma & shame continues as transphobic legacy in Southeast Asia.

Culture & Lifestyle

Transgender, MTF transvestite, effeminate/kothi, non-binary, and intersex individuals who live in Hijra community must undergo an initiation rite. Through this initiation rite, one can be a part of hijra community. Many hijras practice castration & emasculation, for attaining a high level of spirituality & sacredness. Not all hijras do castration.

The hijra gharanas are symbolic units of lineage, called a house, guiding the overall schematic outlining of the social organization of the hijra community in Indian Subcontinent. Hijras community follow a guru-chela kinship system, in which guru leads her chelas, provide them money, foods,shelter & other resources. This kinship originally developed on the basis of sufi discipleship of Pir-Mureed. In hijra community guru called their chelas daughters or son & chelas called their guru mother. Guru's guru are called nani guru (sometimes grandma). Nani gurus has the highest rank within hijra community.

They usually earn their money by collecting donations, ritual blessings (badhai), begging in streets, singing & dancing in social occasions, sex work. Collecting donations or alms, ritual blessing, sex work are common sources for their income. But now they are quitting such professions & doing various works for living.

[harrowfaints]

So I thought of a lot of ways do to this, but I ultimately decided to go through what I reread the most (TLT is exempt from this list because obvz I love that) and just know that if you're already in the sapphic fantasy book scene, you've probably already heard of/read these:

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone: This is honestly one of the most stupidly romantic books I've ever read that I think everyone should read. It's not too long. And let me reassure you, I hate time travel story lines, but I emphatically love this book. The first time I read it, I literally did so in one sitting because I was so captivated by the beautiful letters exchanged between two spies on opposites of the war. PLEASE read it if you love sapphic scifi/fantasy. The Abyss Surrounds Us duology by Emily Skrutskie: I've usually sold people on these books via "there are pirates and government sanctioned and manufactured sea monsters to fight the pirates." But it features two young heroines in a deliciously complicated situation with muah complications in their relationship. The Jasmine Throne/The Burning Kingdom series by Tasha Suri: An exiled princess and her hand maid with ulterior motives. I was so sucked into the plot and also especially the world building of these books. The writer is British with a South Asian background and an academic history with that literature I believe and it's amazing. Youngblood by Sasha Laurens: If you love vampire narratives but hate the age gap issue, this is a really great read. It's one of those great twilight-esque highschool narratives with all the complicated relationship webs, but it really sings and does its own thing. I was especially in love with the Taylor, the baby butch vampire. Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon: If you're into something like Games of Thrones or anything else that utilizes sociological story telling, this is a great book. That's not always my thing, but I found all the characters compelling. There is a queen and a handmaiden whose relationship that drew me in a lot 1) in the various ways their relationship was complicated over the novel and 2) in the ways intimacy was expressed between them. Gearbreakers duology by Zoe Hana Mikuta: The government has power ranger robots and the rebels have task forces that specialize in taking them down. Two people on opposite sides of the war end up tentatively joining forces. Again, deliciously complicated relationships and trust issues being explored.