#China group tours

[junotter]

Part 2 of my modern avatar au, The Gaang (part 1)

[theexploretibet]

Here are some general tips to help you find affordable Tibet tours

Finding the best price Tibet tours can depend on various factors such as the time of year, the duration of the tour, the services included, and the reputation of the tour operator. Here are some general tips to help you find affordable Tibet tours without compromising on quality:

Research Multiple Tour Operators: Start by researching several tour operators that offer tours to Tibet. Look for companies with positive reviews, good reputations, and transparent pricing policies.

Compare Prices and Itineraries: Compare the prices and itineraries offered by different tour operators. Keep in mind that the cheapest option may not always be the best value, as it might lack certain services or have hidden costs.

Look for Off-Season Deals: Traveling to Tibet during the off-season (typically winter) can often result in lower tour prices due to reduced demand. However, be aware that weather conditions may affect accessibility to certain areas during this time.

Group Tours vs. Private Tours: Group tours tend to be more budget-friendly as the costs are shared among participants. However, if you prefer a more personalized experience, private tours might be worth the extra expense.

Book in Advance: Booking your Tibet tour well in advance can sometimes result in discounted prices or early bird deals offered by tour operators.

Be Flexible with Dates: If your travel dates are flexible, you may be able to take advantage of last-minute deals or discounted rates for specific departure dates.

Check for Inclusions and Exclusions: Make sure to carefully review what is included in the tour package and what additional expenses you may need to budget for separately.

Negotiate: Don't hesitate to negotiate with tour operators, especially if you're booking a private tour or traveling in a group. They may be willing to offer discounts or additional perks to secure your booking.

Read Reviews: Before making a decision, read reviews and testimonials from past travelers to gauge the quality of the tour experience offered by different operators.

Consider Local Agencies: Sometimes, local Tibetan tour agencies can offer more competitive prices compared to international operators. Just make sure they are reputable and have good customer feedback.

By following these tips and doing thorough research, you can find a Tibet tour that offers good value for your budget while ensuring a memorable and enjoyable travel experience. You can contact Explore Tibet for your best price Tibet tours and deal with our best team

[homunculus-argument]

This may be an urban legend and I will preface this by saying that I don't even remember where I heard it, but going to bigger cities in Finland always reminds me of it nonetheless, so I'm telling you now.

There was a student group from either China or Korea - I can't recall which one, but Asian nonetheless - who were in student exchange to Finland, in Helsinki. The finnish hosts did their best to make them feel welcome, touring them around the city on the first day out and about, but they noticed the asian students seeming uneased by something. Not in a way of just being timid about being in a foreign country, but glancing at each other like something was off, and looking at each other with this air of "you're seeing it too, right?" but none of them wanted to be the first to bring it up to their finnish hosts. Both cultures are the high-context type, so they had clearly concluded that since the finns didn't point out the obvious unpromptedly, the subject might be too sensitive to talk about.

Eventually one of the exchange students decided to brave against this potential taboo, and delicately asked: "has something... Happened here?" And there was mutual surprise when the finns had no clue what they were talking about. This was pre-covid, nothing bad had happened there. And one of the exchange students - who still weren't sure whether they're breaching a taboo of something One Does Not Talk About - bravely elaborated. The streets are empty. It's eerie. They're in the central of the capital city and the streets are almost deserted. Has there been some calamity? A plague, an earthquake, have the people fled or been evacuated somewhere? Is it safe to even be here?

And they were just as baffled when the finnish hosts confirmed that no, this is a normal amount of people to see on the street on a normal day. Finland just looks like this. And for the sake of clarity, this is what Helsinki city centre looks like on a normal saturday morning at 10 am:

Both pictures taken by me, this morning.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The majority of censorship is self-censorship

I'm on tour with my new novel The Bezzle! Catch me TONIGHT in SAN DIEGO (Feb 22, Mysterious Galaxy). After that, it's LA (Saturday night, with Adam Conover), Seattle (Monday, with Neal Stephenson), then Portland, Phoenix and more!

I know a lot of polymaths, but Ada Palmer takes the cake: brilliant science fiction writer, brilliant historian, brilliant librettist, brilliant singer, and then some:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/02/10/monopoly-begets-monopoly/#terra-ignota

Palmer is a friend and a colleague. In 2018, she, Adrian Johns and I collaborated on "Censorship, Information Control, & Information Revolutions from Printing Press to Internet," a series of grad seminars at the U Chicago History department (where Ada is a tenured prof, specializing in the Inquisition and Renaissance forbidden knowledge):

https://ifk.uchicago.edu/research/faculty-fellow-projects/censorship-information-control-information-revolutions-from-printing-press/

The project had its origins in a party game that Ada and I used to play at SF conventions: Ada would describe a way that the Inquisitions' censors attacked the printing press, and I'd find an extremely parallel maneuver from governments, the entertainment industry or other entities from the much more recent history of internet censorship battles.

With the seminars, we took it to the next level. Each 3h long session featured a roster of speakers from many disciplines, explaining everything from how encryption works to how white nationalists who were radicalized in Vietnam formed an armored-car robbery gang to finance modems and Apple ][+s to link up neo-Nazis across the USA.

We borrowed the structure of these sessions from science fiction conventions, home to a very specific kind of panel that doesn't always work, but when it does, it's fantastic. It was a natural choice: after all, Ada and I know each other through science fiction.

Even if you're not an sf person, you've probably heard of the Hugo Awards, the most prestigious awards in the field, voted on each year by attendees of the annual World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon). And even if you're not an sf fan, you might have heard about a scandal involving the Hugo Awards, which were held last year in China, a first:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/science-fiction-authors-excluded-hugo-awards-china-rcna139134

A little background: each year's Worldcon is run by a committee of volunteers. These volunteers put together bids to host the Worldcon, and canvass Worldcon attendees to vote in favor of their bid. For many years, a group of Chinese fans attempted to field a successful bid to host a Worldcon, and, eventually, they won.

At the time, there were many concerns: about traveling to a country with a poor human rights record and a reputation for censorship, and about the logistics of customary Worldcon attendees getting visas. During this debate, many international fans pointed to the poor human rights record in the USA (which has hosted the vast majority of Worldcons since their inception), and the absolute ghastly rigmarole the US government subjects many foreign visitors to when they seek visas to come to the US for conventions.

Whatever side of this debate you came down on, it couldn't be denied that the Chinese Worldcon rang a lot of alarm-bells. Communications were spotty, and then the con was unceremoniously rescheduled for months after the original scheduled date, without any good explanation. Rumors swirled of Chinese petty officials muscling their way into the con's administration.

But the real alarm bells started clanging after the Hugo Award ceremony. Normally, after the Hugos are given out, attendees are given paper handouts tallying the nominations and votes, and those numbers are also simultaneously published online. Technically, the Hugo committee has a grace period of some weeks before this data must be published, but at every Worldcon I've attended over the past 30+ years, I left the Hugos with a data-sheet in my hand.

Then, in early December, at the very last moment, the Hugo committee released its data – and all hell broke loose. Numerous, acclaimed works had been unilaterally "disqualified" from the ballot. Many of these were written by writers from the Chinese diaspora, but some works – like an episode of Neil Gaiman's Sandman – were seemingly unconnected to any national considerations.

Readers and writers erupted in outrage, demanding to know what had happened. The Hugo administrators – Americans and Canadians who'd volunteered in those roles for many years and were widely viewed as being members in good standing of the community – were either silent or responded with rude and insulting remarks. One thing they didn't do was explain themselves.

The absence of facts left a void that rumors and speculation rushed in to fill. Stories of Chinese official censorship swirled online, and along with them, a kind of I-told-you-so: China should never have been home to a Worldcon, the country's authoritarian national politics are fundamentally incompatible with a literary festival.

As the outrage mounted and the scandal breached from the confines of science fiction fans and writers to the wider world, more details kept emerging. A damning set of internal leaks revealed that it was those long-serving American and Canadian volunteers who decided to censor the ballot. They did so out of a vague sense that the Chinese state would visit some unspecified sanction on the con if politically unpalatable works appeared on the Hugo ballot. Incredibly, they even compiled clumsy dossiers on nominees, disqualifying one nominee out of a mistaken belief that he had once visited Tibet (it was actually Nepal).

There's no evidence that the Chinese state asked these people to do this. Likewise, it wasn't pressure from the Chinese state that caused them to throw out hundreds of ballots cast by Chinese fans, whom they believed were voting for a "slate" of works (it's not clear if this is the case, but slate voting is permitted under Hugo rules).

All this has raised many questions about the future of the Hugo Awards, and the status of the awards that were given in China. There's widespread concern that Chinese fans involved with the con may face state retaliation due to the negative press that these shenanigans stirred up.

But there's also a lot of questions about censorship, and the nature of both state and private censorship, and the relationship between the two. These are questions that Ada is extremely well-poised to answer; indeed, they're the subject of her book-in-progress, entitled Why We Censor: from the Inquisition to the Internet.

In a magisterial essay for Reactor, Palmer stakes out her central thesis: "The majority of censorship is self-censorship, but the majority of self-censorship is intentionally cultivated by an outside power":

https://reactormag.com/tools-for-thinking-about-censorship/

States – even very powerful states – that wish to censor lack the resources to accomplish totalizing censorship of the sort depicted in Nineteen Eighty-Four. They can't go from house to house, searching every nook and cranny for copies of forbidden literature. The only way to kill an idea is to stop people from expressing it in the first place. Convincing people to censor themselves is, "dollar for dollar and man-hour for man-hour, much cheaper and more impactful than anything else a censorious regime can do."

Ada invokes examples modern and ancient, including from her own area of specialty, the Inquisition and its treatment of Gailileo. The Inquistions didn't set out to silence Galileo. If that had been its objective, it could have just assassinated him. This was cheap, easy and reliable! Instead, the Inquisition persecuted Galileo, in a very high-profile manner, making him and his ideas far more famous.

But this isn't some early example of Inquisitorial Streisand Effect. The point of persecuting Galileo was to convince Descartes to self-censor, which he did. He took his manuscript back from the publisher and cut the sections the Inquisition was likely to find offensive. It wasn't just Descartes: "thousands of other major thinkers of the time wrote differently, spoke differently, chose different projects, and passed different ideas on to the next century because they self-censored after the Galileo trial."

This is direct self-censorship, where people are frightened into silencing themselves. But there's another form of censorship, which Ada calls "middlemen censorship." That's when someone other than the government censors a work because they fear what the government would do if they didn't. Think of Scholastic's cowardly decision to pull inclusive, LGBTQ books out of its book fair selections even though no one had ordered them to do so:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/06/books/scholastic-book-racism-maggie-tokuda-hall.html

This is a form of censorship outsourcing, and it "multiplies the manpower of a censorship system by the number of individuals within its power." The censoring body doesn't need to hire people to search everyone's houses for offensive books – it can frighten editors, publishers, distributors, booksellers and librarians into suppressing the books in the first place.

This outsourcing blurs the line between state and private surveillance. Think about comics. After a series of high-profile Congressional hearings about the supposed danger of comics to impressionable young minds, the comics industry undertook a regime of self-censorship, through which the private Comics Code Authority would vet comings for "dangerous" content before allowing its seal of approval to appear on the comics' covers. Distributors and retailers refused to carry books without a CCA stamp, so publishers refused to publish books unless they could get a CCA stamp.

The CCA was unaccountable, capricious – and racist. By the 60s and 70s, it became clear that comic about Black characters were subjected to much tighter scrutiny than comics featuring white heroes. The CCA would reject "a drop of sweat on the forehead of a Black astronaut as 'too graphic' since it 'could be mistaken for blood.'" Every comic that got sent back by the CCA meant long, brutal reworkings by writers and illustrators to get them past the censors.

The US government never censored heroes like Black Panther, but the chain of events that created the CCA "middleman censors" made sure that Black Panther appeared in far fewer comics starring Marvel's most prominent Black character. An analysis of censorship that tries to draw a line between private and public censorship would say that the government played no role in Black Panther's banishment to obscurity – but without Congressional action, Black Panther would never have faced censorship.

This is why attempts to cleanly divide public and private censorship always break down. Many people will tell you that when Twitter or Facebook blocks content they disagree with, that's not censorship, since censorship is government action, and these are private actors. What they mean is that Twitter and Facebook censorship doesn't violate the First Amendment, but it's perfectly possible to infringe on free speech without violating the US Constitution. What's more, if the government fails to prevent monopolization of our speech forums – like social media – and also declines to offer its own public speech forums that are bound to respect the First Amendment, we can end up with government choices that produce an environment in which some ideas are suppressed wherever they might find an audience – all without violating the Constitution:

https://locusmag.com/2020/01/cory-doctorow-inaction-is-a-form-of-action/

The great censorious regimes of the past – the USSR, the Inquisition – left behind vast troves of bureaucratic records, and these records are full of complaints about the censors' lack of resources. They didn't have the manpower, the office space, the money or the power to erase the ideas they were ordered to suppress. As Ada notes, "In the period that Spain’s Inquisition was wildly out of Rome’s control, the Roman Inquisition even printed manuals to guide its Inquisitors on how to bluff their way through pretending they were on top of what Spain was doing!"

Censors have always done – and still do – their work not by wielding power, but by projecting it. Even the most powerful state actors are not powerful enough to truly censor, in the sense of confiscating every work expressing an idea and punishing everyone who creates such a work. Instead, when they rely on self-censorship, both by individuals and by intermediaries. When censors act to block one work and not another, or when they punish one transgressor while another is free to speak, it's tempting to think that they are following some arcane ruleset that defines when enforcement is strict and when it's weak. But the truth is, they censor erratically because they are too weak to censor comprehensively.

Spectacular acts of censorship and punishment are a performance, "to change the way people act and think." Censors "seek out actions that can cause the maximum number of people to notice and feel their presence, with a minimum of expense and manpower."

The censor can only succeed by convincing us to do their work for them. That's why drawing a line between state censorship and private censorship is such a misleading exercise. Censorship is, and always has been, a public-private partnership.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/22/self-censorship/#hugos

[multifanhoe99]

Kinktober Day 2- Sex Machine

Pairing: The8 (Minghao) x Idol!AFAB!reader

Warnings: Nicknames (my love, baby, good girl, love, slut, bad girl, my girl), pampering, lingerie, toys, app-controlled machine, long distance, phone sex, slight dom!Minghao, orgasm denial (kinda), begging, overstimulation, multiple orgasms.

=Let me know if I missed any.=

18+ MDNI

PROMPT LIST

MASTERLIST

Dating an idol is not easy especially if they are out on a world tour but you love Minghao more than anything. You loved him back home in China so much that when he wanted to follow his dreams you followed him to Korea. Even if you weren't dating then you couldn't deal with being away from your best friend since childhood for that long so you came with him. Now, you are dating, and living together, and both are members of very successful groups.

You are very proud of him and the success of Seventeen but now that they are on tour and your group is not while you work on the next album you are cursing that success. Of course, you two talk whenever you can but some things just aren't the same over the phone. For instance when either of you needs release. He is very good at talking you through pleasuring yourself while he gets off just watching you but your fingers or the toy by itself with his words guiding you aren't always enough. That is until today. You came home and saw two packages delivered to the house you live in with Minghao. One of the packages is a huge box and the other is a smaller box that says ‘OPEN ME FIRST’ on the front. After bringing both boxes inside you open the smaller package. There is a note and another box inside.

The note reads, “ Hello my love. I know this may come as a surprise but I figured you would miss me a lot while I am gone so I planned this surprise for you. I got you some things that I think will make you miss me less while I am gone. If I timed it right we should be on a break right now so video call me when you've followed the rest of the directions. I love you! -Mingao ;p”

If you weren't curious before you definitely are now. You open the smaller box that was with this note and inside is a lingerie set that you two were looking at before he left and a new dildo. Something is different about this one though because it looks strangely familiar rather than just a standard factory-made toy. Before you can wonder about it anymore another note falls out of the lingerie set when you pick it up.

This note reads, “I hope you like this pretty little outfit I picked out for you. I want you to pamper yourself a little. Take a nice hot shower and then put this on for me. When you have done that you can open the big box. Also, don't you think that toy looks a little familiar?”

He's too much always spoiling you. You do as he says and go take a nice, hot, relaxing shower. When you get out you put on some lotion and the new set he got for you. It is his favorite color, crotchless, and fits you perfectly. You spray on a little of his cologne just to feel him close to you and go back out to the main room to open the big box. Inside the box is a machine and instantly everything clicks. You pull out the machine and like clockwork out floats another little note.

“ I know how much you miss me fucking you dumb baby so I got you this to see if it will help while I am gone. I can control it from anywhere through the app and I even made that new toy so it would be like I am actually deep in you just how you like. Go get yourself all set up and then call me so we can see if it works.”

You do as he says feeling yourself getting wetter at the thought of him doing all this just because he knew you'd miss him. When everything was ready you video-called him and he answered after a couple rings.

“Look at you baby,” he says as his greeting, “ You follow directions so we'll.” You blush at his praise, feeling a warmth spread through your body.

"I always do for you," you reply softly, biting your lip. Minghao's eyes darken as he takes in your appearance.

"Turn around slowly for me, let me see all of you," he commands gently. You comply, moving deliberately to give him a full view. When you face the camera again, his gaze is hungry.

"Perfect," he purrs. "Now, why don't you lie back and get comfortable? I want to see how well my gift works." Heart racing with anticipation, you position yourself on the bed, angling the camera so he can see everything.

"Good girl," Minghao says approvingly. "Let's start slow, shall we?" You hear a faint buzz as the machine whirs to life. The dildo begins to move, and you gasp as it enters you slowly. The cloned dildo of Minghao's cock feels the closest to the real thing than any other toy has before. You moan softly as the dildo pushes deeper, your body quickly responding to the familiar shape and size. Minghao's eyes are glued to the screen, drinking in every reaction.

"How does it feel, baby?" he asks, his voice low and husky.

"So good," you breathe out. "It feels just like you."

A satisfied smirk plays on Minghao's lips. "That was the idea. Now, let's see what this machine can really do." The pace suddenly increases, making you cry out in pleasure. The dildo moves in and out with perfect precision, hitting all the right spots. You arch your back, gripping the sheets as waves of sensation wash over you.

"Look at you, taking it so well," Minghao praises, "You're so beautiful like this, all spread out for me." His words send a shiver down your spine. You moan Minghao's name, your eyes locked on his through the screen. His gaze is intense, filled with desire and adoration. The machine continues its relentless pace, bringing you closer and closer to the edge.

"That's it, baby," Minghao encourages, his voice thick with arousal, "Let me hear you. Show me how good it feels." Your cries grow louder, more desperate as the pleasure builds. The dildo moves perfectly inside you, mimicking Minghao's familiar rhythm. You can almost imagine it's really him there with you, driving you wild with his touch.

"Minghao, please," you whimper, teetering on the brink of release, "I'm so close."

"Not yet," he commands softly. "Hold on for me, love. I want to savor this." You whine in frustration and as you do the machine slows to a torturous pace.

“Awe,” Minghao coos, “Such a slut for my cock you can't even be patient and let me enjoy watching you huh? I want to make you cum baby but not yet. Can you be patient for me or are you going to be a bad girl after being so good for me so far?” You take a deep breath, trying to regain some control.

"I'll be good," you promise breathlessly, "I'll wait for you."

Minghao's eyes soften with approval. "That's my girl. You're doing so well for me." The machine continues its slow, teasing pace. Every thrust sends sparks of pleasure through you, building the tension without allowing release. You whimper and squirm, but force yourself to stay on the edge, determined to please Minghao.

"Look at you," he murmurs, his voice low and full of desire, "So beautiful, so obedient. I wish I could touch you right now, taste you..." His words make you shiver, imagining his hands on your skin, his lips trailing kisses down your body. The ache for his physical presence intensifies, but the toy inside you, the smell of his cologne on your skin, and his voice in your ears help him feel closer.

"Tell me how much you miss me, baby," he says, "How much you need me."

"So much," you whimper, your hips unconsciously trying to grind against the dildo for more friction, "I miss you every day, Hao. I miss your touch, your kiss, your voice in my ear. I need you here with me."

He hums appreciatively, "I miss you too, my love. Every night on stage, I imagine you're there in the crowd, watching me. It makes me dance harder, and sing better." The machine suddenly increases its speed. You can tell by his voice that Minghao is getting close to cumming as well. Your breath hitches as the machine's pace quickens, matching Minghao's growing arousal. His eyes are dark with desire as he watches you writhe on the bed.

"That's it, baby," he encourages his voice husky, "Show me how good it feels. Let me hear you."You moan loudly, no longer able to hold back. The dildo hits all the right spots, mimicking Minghao's expert touch. Your back arches off the bed as the pleasure builds to an almost unbearable intensity.

"Hao, please," you beg, teetering on the edge, "I need to cum. Please let me cum."

Minghao's breath is ragged as he responds, "Not yet, love. Just a little longer. You're doing so well for me."The machine's relentless pace continues, pushing you closer and closer to the edge. You whimper, your body trembling with the effort of holding back your orgasm. The pleasure is almost overwhelming, each thrust of the machine sending shockwaves through your body. Minghao's eyes are fixed on you, drinking in every reaction, every moan, every shudder.

"God, you're beautiful," he breathes, his voice strained with his own arousal, "I wish I could taste you right now, feel you clenching around me." His words send another wave of heat through you. You're so close, teetering right on the edge of release. The machine continues its relentless pace, the dildo hitting your sweet spot with every thrust.

"Hao, please," you beg, your voice breaking, "I can't... I need..."

"Okay, baby," Minghao finally relents, his own breathing heavy. "Cum for me baby.”As soon as the words leave Minghao's lips, you feel the floodgates open. The pleasure that's been building crashes over you in waves, your body arching off the bed as you cry out his name. The machine doesn't slow, prolonging your orgasm as you writhe and moan.

"That's it, baby," Minghao groans, his voice thick with arousal, "Let me see you fall apart for me." Through half-lidded eyes, you see him on the screen, his hand moving rapidly as he chases his own release. The sight of him pleasuring himself to you pushes you even higher, a second orgasm building quickly on the heels of the first.

"Hao," you whimper, overwhelmed by the sensations, "I'm gonna cum again."

"Fuck," he hisses, his movements becoming more frantic.

"Cum with me, baby," Minghao commands, his voice strained, "I want us to finish together." The machine's pace increases one final time, pushing you over the edge. You cry out Minghao's name as your second orgasm washes over you, even more intense than the first. Through the haze of pleasure, you hear Minghao's deep groan as he reaches his own climax. For a moment, there's nothing but the sound of heavy breathing from both sides of the call. The machine slows to a stop, and you whimper softly as the dildo slides out of you. You feel boneless, completely spent, but deeply satisfied.

"That was..." you start, still catching your breath.

"Amazing," Minghao finishes, a soft smile on his face. "You were incredible, love."

You blush at his praise, “Baby, if we keep doing this I think I might just survive you being away on tour,” you say with a giggle and he laughs along with you.

Minghao's eyes soften with affection, "I'm glad it helps, my love. I hate being away from you."

You stretch languidly, feeling pleasantly sore, "This was such a thoughtful gift, Hao. Thank you."

"Anything for you," he says softly, "I wish I could hold you right now."

You hum, pulling a blanket over yourself, "Soon. How much longer until you're back home?"

"Three more weeks," Minghao sighs, "But I'll call you every chance I get. And maybe we can have more fun with your new toy."

You feel a flutter of excitement at the thought, "I'd like that. I love you, Hao."

"I love you too, baby. More than anything." His smile is tender, "Get some rest now. I'll call you tomorrow."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Honestly, thank you to the Anon who requested this. It was so fun to write and imagining the made me need a cold shower. I hope you enjoyed this kinktober is turning out to be really good so far.

[roadtophantom]

Phantom of the Opera World Tour in China - Stills and group shots

[soojinieshifts]

INTRO TO…

MY LE SSERAFIM DR

Hana Arie Anná, mononymously known as Ari, is a Chinese actress, singer, and rapper of girl group LE SSERAFIM under HYBE’s Subsidiary Label Source Music. She had her solo debut on June 12, 2024 with the mini album “Dark Dreams”.

!★☆ 𝑨𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝑴𝒆

#☆…! Name: Han Arie Anná

#☆…!Stage Name: Ari

#☆…!Race: Asian

#☆…!Gender: Female

#☆…!Sexuality: Lesbian

#☆…!Pronouns: She/her

#☆…!Birthday: June 10, 2002

#☆…!Age: 21

#☆…!Zodiac sign: Gemini

#☆…!Place of birth: Wuhan, China

#☆…!Siblings: Kevin, Rachel, handong, xiaojun, ningmei (twin sister)

!★☆ 𝑰𝑫𝑶𝑳 𝑺𝑻𝑼𝑭𝑭!!

#☆…!Brands: Chanel, Calvin Klein, Adidas, and Sanrio

#☆…!Positions: Lead Rapper, Lead Dancer, Sub-Vocalist, Center, and Producer

#☆…!Titles: Chinas Princess, Face of China, 4th gen’s hot girl, 4th gen rapper, 4th gen it girl

#☆…!Solo fandom: Ariboos

#☆…!Rep. Emoji: 🦊

#☆…!Projects: GLITZY! by Girls Generation (ft. ARI of LE SSERAFIM) - 2022, Dream Girl by Chungha (ft. ARI of LE SSERAFIM) - 2023, Diamond by KAZUHA (ft. YEJI of ITZY and ARI of LE SSERAFIM) - 2024 , Luv Me by JENNIE (ft. ARI of LE SSERAFIM) - 2023, Wish You hell (My pre release single before my solo debut) - 2024, DARK DREAMS (my official solo debut!) - 2024 , Magic by nayeon (ft. ARI of LE SSERAFIM) - 2024

#☆…!Trainee time : 6 years and 3 months

!★☆ 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒔!!

🐯Chaewon — Best friends! Was close during her Iz*one days and have gotten stronger since. SHES ALSO THE MOST DELUSIONAL BITCH YOU WILL EVER MEET LIKE MY GOD. She has an obsession with gummy bears and other fruity candy currently. And she’s back with her ex (this is a good thing! I love them together!) so she’s finally stopped screaming ripping her hair out over her! I love giving her songs to cover cause it’s fun. And her vocal tone makes me ascend to the heavens tbh.

🌸Sakura — THIS IS MY MOM!! I actually love Sakura so much and I’m so mad that freaking swing RUINED her voice. Her natural voice is so pretty and I used to have her sing me lullabies back when I was scared to sleep alone because of the massive hate I got in 2022. She’s so amazing and it makes me so sad that people don’t see it and I love her talent and wished she didn’t feel the pressure to be the best all the time. I love her and Mina together (I want them to adopt me.) but I don’t love seeing them make out in the living room. I watched her once fall to her news because of my “alleged” project with Sabrina carpenter as she proceeded to beg me to take her to meet her…..(I did).

🦒Yunjin — SIGHHHH. Jennifer huh…(or as I call her Jenni!). We started off as basically attached by the hip,! Like this girl was my best friend fr and then we started dating 😭 (she asked me out in the most craziest way tbh…). Probably one of the most amazing things ever cause she was literally the most perfect gf….until she wasn’t. Long story short: we broke up and it was messy as shit. Then I got with ryujin and She started getting mad at me for weird reasons and then we were back to best friends like we used to be…AND THEN ON FREAKING TOUR SHE TOLD ME SHE WANTED ME BACK EVEN THOUGH SHE KNOWS IM HAPPY WITH RYUJIN??? Long story short….we’re just friends now but not as close as once were and it makes me sad cause..Jenni ☹️😞

🦢Kazuha — MY ZUHAAAAA MY SWEET SWEET BABY!! I actually was the main one who talked to her during trainee days and we still are just as close! This is basically my little sister and when she had her solo debut I freaking SOBBED because of the song she made for me :(. She’s my sweet little swan and has a very big collection of white tennis shoes…SHE ALSO STARTED DATING BELLE FROM KIOF AND I ABSOLUTELY LOCE THEM!! Ballerina and the princess is what they are.

🐈Eunchae — so this is my daughter Eunchae!! I’m not joking when I say I spoil and baby her. She’s literally my little and I just love her and her chubby lil cheekies. She goes through weird phases like how she used to always say “Gyatt” whenever I walked in the room….She always comes to me mainly whenever she’s overwhelmed or when things do become too much for her and I try my best to make sure she gets to live her life as a kid since she still is one. She has had a few cutie crushes on ppl but I don’t think she’ll date anyone right now. (And she’s scared to date rn…)

!★☆ 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬!

#☆…!Friends: NingNing, Seijun, Jennie, Jungkook, Soyeon, Hobi, Beomgyu, Felix, Jisung, Yeji, Garam, Jaylie, Natty, Jiheon, Maeyo, Keeho, Nabi, River, Reverie

#☆…!Gf: Ryujin of ITZY

#☆…!Exes: Jurin (2021-2021), Yunjin (2022-2024 I think ???)

[svt-kiki]

　( 𝐉. )　HER FAVORITE DELIVERY BOY　

𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝗀𝗈𝗍 𝖺𝗇 𝗎𝗇𝖾𝗑𝗉𝖾𝖼𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗀𝗂𝖿𝗍, 𝗐𝗁𝗂𝖼𝗁 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗎𝗌𝗎𝖺𝗅 𝖼𝗈𝖿𝖿𝖾𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗎𝗇𝗎𝗌𝗎𝖺𝗅 𝗌𝗐𝖾𝖾𝗍𝗌

2024.　pairing.　kiki ( fem!oc ) × joshua　wc. 1.4k

cw.　no proofread, mentions of her past mental issues / jun’s absent in the next tour, kinda angst comforting fluff ( ? ), overworking

an.　MY FIRST SCENARIO OMG ?? i bet there’s thousands of grammar errors but here u are...

REBLOG to send the author over the moon

it was almost midnight when kiki felt so much weariness on her eyelid suddenly. she let out a sigh, took off her blue light glasses and pinched the bridge of nose. she should stop now, close the laptop and go home, get in bed. but she knew she wouldn’t. since the group’s comeback and world tour are near at hand, there’s so much to do. and it’s not a secret that kiki is pretty much a workaholic. while she’s in the zone, she just can’t stop clearing the decks and pushing forward, forgetting to get rest or eat properly. actually, she was. since she had a major equilibrium disturbance from 2019 to 2020 that made her take an official hiatus for a couple of months, the boys strictly told her to not do that again for everyone’s sake. it was valid — especially seungkwan and seungcheol begged her almost with tears.

their face popped into her head. she can’t keep doing this — but, oh.

since jun had gone to china and jeonghan will be absent due to the enlistment, all of the formations spontaneously make difference in the next world tour. she wanted to do her best for jeonghan of course, and jun. kiki never told anyone about this before — because all of the members would say ey don’t think like that — but she always felt guilty for jun. from the debut, kiki had opportunities for the acting job time to time, made appear to several dramas and movies. and jun was always there, expressed pure joy and delight every time she got a new job. she knew jun fully supported her and was happy for her from the bottom of his heart. although never doubted his tons of messages about the drama she was in — kiki couldn’t stop thinking about the disparity, between herself and jun on the other hand. it’s not that she got it more than she should. it’s always him, deserves so much more than he wants.

she always knew jun’s wish to pursue his acting career alongside as an idol, as seventeen just like her. so she was over the moon when he got casted in the new movie in china. she always believed he deserved it, the big role in the big project like this.

therefore, isn’t it a matter of course that she should do her best? so that jun can devote himself in there without any concerns?

but not in this way — seungkwan inside her head pointed out. and that’s true.

“just one more hour,” she said herself and back to the laptop only to be failed by someone.

“knock knock,” the familiar voice sounded from the door of the lesson room. a second later, joshua’s head poked from behind the door.

“shua,” kiki widened her eyes. “what are you doing? i thought you already went home hours ago.”

“right back at you,” he let out a gentle smile, slipped himself into the room. he was wearing a soft beige cotton shirt and a pair of faded navy jeans, his bare face was covered by black flame glasses.

“just one more hour, hmm?” he leveled his eyes on her face from between the glasses, raising an eyebrow. “well, i,” kiki stuttered while scratching the cheek. “i can wrap up the most of it that i need to do this week and... we have a shooting tomorrow, so,” she looked down her knee. joshua hadn’t said anything, but she could hear his thoughts.

“i realized i forgot my stuff in here after leaving the restaurant, so i thought i can get back here, partly as a walk after the meal. then i asked the manager if the floor was still open, he said yes and added that you were still in here when he left,” he walked down next to her.

“what’s that?” kiki gave the motion to point to the boxes he holding.

“a special delivery.” he giggled before putting down the boxes beside himself. “i thought you need a break,” then he opened it. “and some sweats.”

plain sugar, chocolate, matcha. it was donuts. the box was filled with the nice plumpy dough. “almond milk latte with honey, right?” he held out the coffee cup. “it’s decaffe since already late.”

“wow,” she let out a small sigh. “how could you find a cafe that still open at this time?”

“it was technically closed,” joshua said, “but she just flipped the sign, so i asked politely that i would buy the rest of the donuts in the showcase too,”

“that’s why you bought six of them?” kiki laughed before he nodded.

“thank you,” she replied, taking a sip from the cup. she could feel the taste of honey beneath the warm latte.

“would you really wrap up and go in an hour?” she knotted the lips for his question. “i think so, after finishing a donut,”

“then i’ll wait.”

“what? no, you don’t have to,” she quickly shook her head with frown eyebrows, turning down someone’s devotion as always.

joshua followed her, frowned his eyebrows as well and tilted his head. “i thought you’ve already overcome this bad habit? now i can see something going wrong in here. if you put back things and go home now, that’s fine. if you wanna go home after an hour, that’s also fine. i can wait to watch drama or something. besides, i have donuts here,” he shook a hand that holding a donut jokingly. “but i can’t just go back leaving you here alone. last time something like this happened was a shortly before you had a breakdown,” he suddenly bit his lips, silent as a pang of guilt lingered. that guilt was hers, not his. “i’m sorry,” is all she could say.

“you don’t need to apologize.” he gently patted her head, fixing the bangs as well. “i’m just worrying about you, okay? besides, you should feel lucky it was me who found you tonight. it was way more drama if it was mingyu or dino or seungkwan.”

“i know,” she let out a small smile, almost a sneer, disbelief on herself.

“i-,” kiki shuttered her eyes while looking up at the ceiling. “i just can’t shake off this feeling, that i’m- i’m cheating,”

joshua blinked with a silent shock by her unexpected words. “cheating? what do you mean by that?”

“jun,” her breath started shaking. “he is going to absent the rest of schedules in this year — it was necessary for him, i couldn’t be happier that he is finally able to chase his acting dreams after all these years. i’m thrilled to see him in a big project that take this long to shoot, but from the outside — it looks like he values his personal career more than as an idol, which was never a truth, because of me.”

he remained silent, lost in thought. kiki continued with darken eyes — eyes, that appears when her mind goes to a deeper place.

“because i decided very firmly, that i won’t be absent to seventeen’s schedule due to my job as an actor. but all happened because i was lucky, it was just a fortune, that i was able to accomplish it anyway. but now that bless put him in a bad light, shua. i can’t bear that. people comparing me and his circumstances which were never the same, and it unfair to do so. they have no idea how much he cares about this team, how much he devoted everything for this, nearly a decade. i know i might be overthinking, i know this is the last thing jun wants for me, but i can’t help it. i’m trapped, joshua,”

the donut was no longer tasted. he put back the one with bites to the box, rubbing sugar off from his finger with a paper towel. “kit kat... since you seem like already knew that your mind started driving in the very wrong direction, there’s nothing much i can say,” he slid himself into the very next to her, hugged her tight in an arm from the side.

“you felt guilty for him? all these years?” she nodded, then shook her head. “yes, i mean no, i was... able to control the direction most of the time. knew it was wrong, overthinking, but this time was... it was different, you know,”

“everything would be different in a couple of months,” he replied calmly, knowing she trying. god, she is.

as her finger run through the hair, kiki took few sips from the cup. “i will be fine, shua, i promise. i won’t let that happen again.”

after observing her expression for few seconds, joshua put a soft smile on his lips. “i will trust you for this.”

after all, he is her soulmate like people says. he composed his words perfectly. a trust — the thing she never fails to keep it true and real, she hates to betray.

but after this night, he is also her favorite delivery boy.

(    📁    )   :   NAVI   :  MASTER LIST     

(    tag list    )   :   @smh-anon @jennwonwoo @angie-x3

[simply-ivanka]

Corporate tax hike advocate Tim Walz had his China travel company shut down by the Nebraska government for failing to pay a minor business operating tax in 1998, according to corporate records.

Educational Travel Adventures, Inc., which Walz founded with his wife in 1995 to run group trips to China, was dissolved by Nebraska’s secretary of state for "non-payment of occupational taxes"—just $26 annually—in April 1998. The company was left defunct for years, even as Walz continued to organize group tours to China.

In 2008, after Walz was elected to Congress, he repaid 10 years of back taxes and interest, amounting to $235, to get the company reinstated, records show.

[perioddramapolls]

Period dramas dresses tournament: Blue dresses Round 2 Bracket!- Wil be updating with the links once esch poll is posted

Group A

Laeta, Spartacus vs Wu MeiNiang, The empress of China

The princess, Donkey skin vs Isabella of France, Braveheart

Juliet Capulet, Romeo and Juliet vs Catherine Gordon, The white princess

Viola de Lesseps, Shakespeare in love vs Françoise d'Aubigné, L'aillée du roi

Group B

Max, Black sails vs Louise de la Tour, Outlander

Catherine of Russia, The great vs Orlando, Orlando

Umrao Jaan, Umrao Jaan vs Christine Daae, Love never dies

Parvati Chakraborty, Devdas vs Daphne Bridgerton, Bridgerton

Group C

Lajjo, Heeramandi: the diamond bazaar vs Mary Crawley, Downton abbey

Anne Shirley-Cuthbert, Anne with an E vs Katherine Lester, Lady Macbeth

Emily Dickinson, Dickinson vs Ann Walker, Gentleman Jack

Duchess d’Antan, Impromptu vs Isabelle de Merteuil, Dangerous liaisons

Group D

Kosem sultan, Muhtesem yuzyil Kosem vs Rosaline, Love's labour's lost

Anne Boleyn (2), The other Boleyn girl vs Ki Seung Nyang, Empress Ki

Vannozza Cattanei, The Borgias vs Nergui, Marco Polo

Lygia, Quo vadis? vs Ariadne, Atlantis

[pedripics]

Pedri via Residency - May 28, 2024

What is something you still want to accomplish in life? - " A lot of things. I am still very young or do you already want to kill me?"

Favourite teammate at Barça? - "I am close with the group in general but Ferran"

Do you play any instruments? or would you like to learn how to play one? - "Better not for the sake of the rest of the people. I like to listen to music but not much else" Favourite series or movie? - "Mi reno de peluche and the one about chapo guzman; favourite favourite is Prison Break and La que se avecina"

Do you know anything about Armenia? - "not too much, to be honest… but recently a very nice driver took me to a shooting was from there. His name was Ara"

Favourite moment of the season? - "It wasn't the best season. On a personal level, I would say the brace."

How do you deal with criticism? - "I try to stay out of it, although it's not always possible, of course... you have to try and keep going and keep believing in yourself"

How do you feel about being able to play for Spain after such a long time? - "Very happy. I haven't been able to play for Spain for a long time. Hopefully we will have great EUROs and also a great 24/25 season with Barça"

How did you feel after the brace? - "crazyyyyy"

"I always try to stop and sign, because I remember when I asked for signatures as a kid"

Plans for the summer? - "I hope to go on vacation, but in a month and a half… that will mean that we go far in the euro with the national team"

Have you eaten German food before? - "Yesss... a member of my marketing team is German and he made us German food a long time ago, with sausages and so on"

How is your English? - "I still have to improve a lot. Give me a few months and I will answer in English"

Do you miss doing anything in your daily life? - "I can't complain. I like to live in peace"

Would you like to go to China? - "Of course, yes. Althpugh in the season there is not really time for anything and during holidays I prefer to stay close and rest. Let's see if we ever have a tour in China"

How many trophies have you won? - "With Barça, La Liga, Copa and Supercopa"

Do you feel ready for the EUROs? - "Siiii"

5 UCL Trophies or a World Cup? - "I don't want to choose. I would like to win it all"

Would you like to play against Portugal in the EUROs final? - "Sure. As long as we play in the final, I don't care against who it is"

Pele or Maradona? - "Maradona... Because he played for Barça and my father told me about him when I was younger. I remember the day he died very well because it was my 18th birthday"

Have you been to New York? - "Yes"

Favourite team to play against? - "Obviously Barça" (he did NOT understand that question lmaooo back to duolingo it is)

Visit Uruguay? You have a lot of fans here - "Ronald also told me once... We'll have to listen to him, because otherwise he gets angry"

How was it going to the Spanish GP in 2022? Are you going this year? - "It was a crazy experience. I don't think I can go this year because it clashes with the EUROs"

Do you like going to concerts? - "I haven't been to many, honestly... I have yet to go to one of Quevedo's. And last year they invited me from Spotify to see Coldplay in Barcelona but in the end I didn't go and I regretted it a little. Teammates went and they love it" (who tf turns down coldplay tickets??? 😭)

Your dad is a great person. - "The best"

How do you feel about receiving so much love? - "Very proud and privileged"

Do you want to score for Spain during the EUROs? - "Clarooo. Let's see if I can make it happen, because I haven't scored for Spain yet"

Red or blue? - "Azulgrana"

Do you like to cook? - "I'm not very good at cooking... My brother and mother are much better"

Pedri or Pedro? - "Pedri... Pedro sounds strange to me. From a young age they already called me Pedri, because there was another boy in the team whose name was Pedro and it was to differentiate us... and everyone calls me Pedri"

What do you think of Alexia, Aitana and Marta? - "They are top footballers!"

Is it difficult to have a 'normal' life? - "It's not easy, but mine doesn't change that much because I really like to be quiet and at home"

Only fish or only meat? - "I prefer meat... but for nutrition, fish"

When you were a kid did you make trouble in class? - "I was more of a quite kid"

Who do you think will win the Golden Boy award? - "Well, I hope a Barça teammate. Lamine, and if not Cubarsi"

What inspires you to perform at such a high level on the field? - "I do what I like the most"

What do you think of your season at Barça this year? - "I was saying this the other day. It hasn't been an easy season and I hope the next one will be much better in every single way and we will win titles"

Have you ever wished to have a sister? - "My mother always wanted to have a daughter, but in the end she had to settle for Fer and me hahaha"

How do you feel for the EUROs? - "Very good. Better and better"

Blue or Black? - "Blue"

[white-cat-of-doom]

The cast of the upcoming International Tour started rehearsals last Thursday (29 August 2024), and took time to take a nice group photo.

Interestingly, some of the cast has also started to learn their makeup!

Deja Linton, who plays Tantomile, shared a clip of her lesson yesterday.

The casts opens in China on 11 October 2024.

[theexploretibet]

Get to Know Why China Tibet Train Tour is so Favorable

Many people have always wanted to visit Tibet, and the majority of visitors think that the best way to do so is by riding the Qinghai-Tibet train. The quickest route to the plateau is via plane to Lhasa, however, this isn’t always the most economical or efficient choice. If you want to save on travel costs, you might think about using the Tibet Train Tour rather than flying. Train travel to…

[peachburger]

Hey sorry if you already talked abt it so i probably just haven’t seen the post, but could you go more in depth with your AU? I just think it’s really interesting and would love to know more! The designs are AWESOME btw !!

Strange Beginning AU(LMK)

Context: set in the Song Dynasty in China, humanity has never seen demons because they were in hiding to blend into the crowds of humans. However that changes when a certain demon monkey meets the monkey king and his warrior.

MK grew up in a small demon village, living with his adopted father Pigsy and his friend Sandy who supported him during his life. However MK was the only demon monkey in that demon village, that’s when he realized he must have been from The Monkey Kingdom in flower fruit mountain which he wasn’t fully aware of till he discovered the stories from Sandy and Pigsy. MK being quite adventurous attempted to travel all the way to The Monkey Kingdom.

During his travel, he’s met small human villages but knew a couple things of being hidden as he hid his tail and ears from them. It worked successfully and he managed to leave the villages and continue his journey- only to find the wrong location..The Bull Demon Fortress.

MK snuck inside only to meet Mei and Red Son. Who had caused the three to become startled by one another, the two royals were close friends- specifically only friends from being restricted by the outside world. Which makes them astonished to see a demon monkey in person, the two immediately started asking questions and giving MK a tour besides turning him in to their parents. After awhile, they let MK secretly stay for the night and find out MK was searching for The Monkey Kingdom. So the three had agreed to help each other.

The trip wasn’t long as MKs old trips before he met the two royals, and it was a relief for the young simian. As they inch closer to The Monkey Kingdom, they were ambushed by a group of simians who were in the lookout, startling everyone and preparing to fight. However during the fight it was cut off as Macaque had cornered the three down. MK was astonished by seeing many demon monkeys, specifically to Macaque by seeing his ears while Mei and Red Son were too busy trying to escape them.

Macaque had brought them in and informed the king about the three intruders, instead of them being taken to be punished. The king was quite immature than Macaque, laughing and joking towards the children- he was actually excited to see them and introduced himself as Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong and Macaque had discussed with the three young demons, MKs main purpose was to find where had came from and lead him to travel here. It left the two simians confused as they had never been informed of a missing simian child from their kingdom. Leaving everyone concerned and confused, MK wasn’t originated from this kingdom and it left everyone wanting more answers. During the time, Wukong had decided to give the three children a tour around the kingdom since they never had guests at all. Macaque kept guard of him and Wukong kept teasing about it, MK had noticed their dynamic was strange but he didn’t know what it was.

MK has stayed in the kingdom for quite some time, having permission for Pigsy and Sandy to visit at any time. It was later announced that MK would be trained by Macaque to fight much better, seeing that he was a poor fighter in general. But as the two train more and more, MK learns a lot of things about the royal guard. Revealing that macaque isn’t a regular demon monkey but instead a celestial like wukong. Along with a possession of a strange ability that manipulates shadows. The two had kept it secret till it was the right time to tell the others.

Besides the demons point of view. humans were inching closer into finding out about their kind and beginning a uprising of killing all of them. A couple of demon monkeys were found and tortured as well as being held in captivity. Causing the monkey kingdom to grow worry as they noticed a couple of their friends and families going missing.

During that time, macaque and MK went out of the kingdom to start their routine, but while they head to their spot they found a human village near the kingdom. But what had caught MKs eyes were cages of bloody corpses of familar simians, MK informed macaque immediately and without macaques permission, he had went out to try and help a few escape. It was successful but unfortunately the two were caught and had begun running back to the kingdom, sadly the humans were inching closer to them and Macaque had decided to hold them back to let MK and the other simians to escape easier. Only for the dark furred simian to be struck in the eye by an arrow as he was too distracted fighting with many humans.

MK made it back to the kingdom and informed Sun wukong, seeing the king become pale and shock had startled MK of seeing his cheerful expression disappear.

Sun Wukong went out to save his companion, Macaque, only to see his beloved friend injured and bleeding out on the floor. However he wasn’t dead due to his immortality but he felt regular pain regardless. It had angered the monkey king and left him into a frenzy.

(THATS ALL I HAVE FOR NOW BUT HERES SOME INFORMATION OF THE LOCATIONS)

The Monkey Kingdom

Set in flower fruit mountain, this kingdom is filled with many primates from Large to Small. The main temple/castle is hidden behind the curtains of a waterfall and their emperor is none other than The Monkey king AKA Sun Wukong.

The kingdom is quite far and hidden, but they are known to be a good asset of strength and agility. However, they’ve never interacted with other kingdoms in the last century.

Besides their emperor, they have a second command and also the royal guard who protects Him, The Six Eared macaque.

They celebrate a lot and have many festivals with foods and drinks, known for their tropical fruits.

Sun Wukong wasn’t the original founder of the mountain but instead was the third (and permanent from being immortal)

The Bull Demon Fortress

It’s the second strongest kingdom in China, known for their manipulation of power and flames

The kingdom associates with the dragon kingdom making them close allies (which is why Mei and red son are friends)

Despite their brute force, they have exotic foods as well but mostly meat and spices which they sell and gain more wealth.

The Demon Bull King hates the monkey kingdom because the last time he visit wasn’t a warm welcome (so the relationship of these two kingdoms isn’t good but they keep their distance towards each other)

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The unexpected upside of global monopoly capitalism

I'm touring my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me TODAY (Apr 10) at UCLA, then Chicago (Apr 17), Torino (Apr 21) Marin County (Apr 27), Winnipeg (May 2), Calgary (May 3), Vancouver (May 4), and beyond!

Here's a silver lining to global monopoly capitalism: it means we're all fighting the same enemy, who is using the same tactics everywhere. The same coordination tools that allow corporations to extend their tendrils to every corner of the Earth allows regulators and labor organizers to coordinate their resistance.

That's a lesson Mercedes is learning. In 2023, Germany's Supply Chain Act went into effect, which bans large corporations with a German presence from using child labor, violating health and safety standards, and (critically) interfering with union organizers:

https://www.bafa.de/EN/Supply_Chain_Act/Overview/overview_node.html

Across the ocean, in the USA, Mercedes has a preference for building its cars in the American South, the so-called "right to work" states where US labor law is routinely flouted and unions are thin on the ground. As The American Prospect's Harold Meyerson writes, the only non-union Mercedes factories in the world are in the US:

https://prospect.org/labor/2024-04-08-american-workers-german-law-uaw-unions/

But American workers – especially southern workers – are on an organizing tear, unionizing their workplaces at a rate not seen in generations. Their unprecedented success is down to their commitment, solidarity and shrewd tactics – all buoyed by a refreshingly pro-worker NLRB, who have workers' backs in ways also not seen since the Carter administration:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/14/prop-22-never-again/#norms-code-laws-markets

Workers at Mercedes' factory in Vance, Alabama are trying to join the UAW, and Mercedes is playing dirty, using the tried-and-true union-busting tactics that have held workplace democracy at bay for decades. The UAW has lodged a complaint with the NLRB, naturally:

https://www.commondreams.org/news/alabama-mercedes-benz

But the UAW has also filed a complaint with BAFA, the German regulator in charge of the Supply Chain Act, seeking penalties against Mercedes-Benz Group AG:

https://uaw.org/uaw-files-charges-in-germany-against-mercedes-benz-companys-anti-union-campaign-against-u-s-autoworkers-violates-new-german-law-on-global-supply-chain-practices/

That's a huge deal, because the German Supply Chain Act goes hard. If Mercedes is convicted of union-busting in Alabama, its German parent-company faces a fine of 2% of its global total revenue, and will no longer be eligible to sell products to the German government. Chomp.

Now, the German Supply Chain Act is new, and this is the first petition filed by a non-German union with BAFA, so it's not a slam dunk. But supermajorities of Mercedes workers at the Alabama factory have signed UAW cards, and the election is going to happen in May or June. And the UAW – under new leadership, thanks to a revolution that overthrew the corrupt old guard – has its sights set on all the auto-makers in the American south.

As Meyerson writes, the south is America's onshore offshore, a regulatory haven where corporations pay minimal or no tax and are free to abuse their workers, pollute, and corrupt local governments with a free hand (no wonder American industry is flocking to these states). Meyerson: "The economic impact of unionizing the South, in other words, could almost be placed in the same category as reshoring work that had gone to China."

The German Supply Chain Act was passed with the help of Germany's powerful labor unions, in an act of solidarity with workers employed by German companies all over the world. This is that unexpected benefit to globalism: the fact that Mercedes has extrusions into both the American and German political spheres means that both American and German workers can collaborate to bring it to heel.

The same is true for antitrust regulators. The multinational corporations that are in regulators' crosshairs in the US, the EU, the UK, Australia, Japan, South Korea and beyond use the same playbook in every country. That's doubly true of Big Tech companies, who literally run the same code – embodying the same illegal practices – on servers in every country.

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has led the pack on convening summits where antitrust enforcers from all over the world gather to compare notes and collaborate on enforcement strategies:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cma-data-technology-and-analytics-conference-2022-registration-308678625077

And the CMA's Digital Markets Unit – which boasts the the largest tech staff of any competition regulator in the world – produces detailed market studies that turn out to be roadmaps for other territories' enforces to follow – like this mobile market study:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/63f61bc0d3bf7f62e8c34a02/Mobile_Ecosystems_Final_Report_amended_2.pdf

Which was extensively referenced in the EU during the planning of the Digital Markets Act, and in the US Congress for similar legislation:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/2710

It also helped enforcers in Japan:

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Technology/Japan-to-crack-down-on-Apple-and-Google-app-store-monopolies

And South Korea:

https://www.reuters.com/technology/skorea-considers-505-mln-fine-against-google-apple-over-app-market-practices-2023-10-06/

Just as Mercedes workers in Germany and the USA share a common enemy, allowing for coordinated action that takes advantage of vulnerable flanks wherever they are found, anti-monopoly enforcers are sharing notes, evidence, and tactics to strike at multinationals that are bigger than most countries – but not when those countries combine.

This is an unexpected upside to global monopolies: when we all share a common enemy, we've got endless opportunities for coordinated offenses and devastating pincer maneuvers.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/10/an-injury-to-one/#is-an-injury-to-all

[lesbiancarat]

it pisses me off so much when jun has quite literally been flying back and forth from China to Korea every other day so he can still participate in svt schedules like fansigns, etc. while he's filming in China but ppl still have the audacity to act like he's abandoning the group for an acting career 🧍‍♀️like he's literally not even on hiatus from svt for christ's sake he just can't be on the tour