#His concerts. Let's draw that statistics.

[riverswater]

Louis is sooo patient if I had strangers constantly telling me to "drink water!! 🥺" I would start biting people like a rabid dog. Believe it or not he's an adult and people need to stop treating him like he's a helpless child <3

[bizarrequazar]

GJ and ZZH Updates — December 18-24

<<< previous week || all posts || following week >>>

This is part of a weekly series collecting updates from and relating to Gong Jun and Zhang Zhehan.

This post is not wholly comprehensive and is intended as an overview, links provided lead to further details. Dates are in accordance with China Standard Time, the organization is chronological. My own biases on some things are reflected here. Anything I include that is not concretely known is indicated as such, and you’re welcome to do your own research and draw your own conclusions as you see fit. Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or additions. :)

[Glossary of names and terms] [Masterlist of my posts about the situation with Zhang Zhehan]

12-18 → The Instagram posted four photos. The first is from the same photoshoot from 2021-08-09 that the current pfp is from, the others look to have been promotional shots from the concert that was never formally announced. Aka they were all taken in July 2021.

→ The stolen song got to #2 again on iTunes because whalers have zero critical thinking skills.

12-19 → Gong Jun made a post on his personal Weibo announcing that the rescheduled birthday livestream would be held on 12-21. Caption: “Then it's done, let's chat on the 21st! #Informal New Year's Eve Party#” His studio reposted it with the added caption: “This year’s livestream is late but it’s here! No leave of absense this time, come late on the 21st to have a chat with boss @ Gong Jun Simon. 😎”

→ 361° posted a clip from their livestream with Gong Jun last month to tease an upcoming product.

→ Hsu Fu Chi posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

→ Kangshifu posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

→ The stolen song continued to rise and fall dramatically on iTunes, definitely not looking articifial at all. /s It stayed consistently lower after the title changed from Chinese to English (a change that would have been made on the part of the uploaders, not iTunes), so whalers / hired goons pushing the song blamed this as the reason. It definitely wasn’t that they had just only hired water armies until that specific hour mark, oh no. /s

12-20 → BEAST posted two photo ads featuring Gong Jun advertising their New Year’s product line. (1129 kadian)

→ Gong Jun posted a photo of gifts he recieved from Louis Vuitton to his personal Weibo and Instagram. Caption: “Starting from polka dots, experience Yayoi Kusama's unique artistic style. Sharing the avant-garde and stylish @展开全部 #LVxYayoiKusama# cooperation series Keepall handbag, full of good mood for holiday trips ☀”

→ The Instagram posted a clip of another stolen song. This song was posted to international streaming services and again showed the same very obviously manipulated statistics, though this time for a shorter period of time. This song was also given an “explicit” marker on iTunes despite not containing anything that would auto-flag as such, indicating that the people who posted it chose to flag it as this, as likely another intended smear.

12-21 → Colgate posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

→ L’Oreal posted a video spoken by Gong Jun announcing a livestream for the following day. He stated in his livestream later this day that it had originally been planned for 12-16 but had to be rescheduled.

→ Gong Jun held the rescheduled birthday livestream. [Recording] Written summaries [here] and [here]. 

Highlights / Fan Observations:  -  He said that the livestream wasn’t held on 11-29 because he was supposed to go to Chengdu but was unable to, and his staff weren’t able to come to where he was in Yunnan because of pandemic restrictions. He spent the week in Yunnan with his family,* and stayed in Yunnan for twenty days. * “Us fi— My family”  -  He didn’t attend the GQ event the previous week because he had COVID, the poor boy. He said that he was now better and testing negative, but he was still sniffling a bit.  -  He’s already signed the contract for his next drama, but wouldn’t give any information other than that it’s a role that will be making him step out of his comfort zone.  -  He recently filmed a variety show in Hangzhou but couldn’t say more because it hasn’t been announced yet.  -  He ended the stream with “Thank you to my Junweixians [deliberate pause] Thank you everyone.”  -  The person he had helping him offscreen was completely silent, compared to previous years where you could always hear at least some muffled laughter and whispering once in a while from his staff. At one point he called the person “ge”.  -  The sweater he was wearing throughout most of the stream is by Ponder.er, a “genderfluid menswear” brand that aims to redefine expectations of masculinity. Also the cutouts are FULLY cut out, there’s a reason he was wearing a shirt underneath.  -  The plate he was using is from a line that was popular a few years ago as a wedding gift.

→ Gong Jun trended on Twitter, and there were multiple Weibo hotsearches related to the livestream.

→ The Instagram posted three photos of “Zhang Zhehan” and seven pieces of fanart for the stolen songs.

12-22 → Gong Jun’s studio posted four photos from the previous day’s livestream. Caption: “The winter solstice is here! Delivering the handmade dumplings from last night's boss @ Gong Jun Simon, eat a bowl of hot dumplings, and spend this winter safely and warmly 🥟”

→ Gong Jun posted two photo ads for 361° to his Xiao Hong Shu. These were also later posted by 361°. (1129 kadian)

→ Fresh posted a commercial featuring Gong Jun, shortly followed by a photo ad. Gong Jun also posted the commercial to his personal Weibo shortly after.

→ LockNLock posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun advertising the water bottle he had used during the livestream.

→ Hsu Fu Chi posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun. Part of their caption included, “I don’t know if our handsome @ Gong Jun Simon eats dumplings or tangyuan on this day~” 🤡

→ Kangshifu posted a clip from Gong Jun’s livestream.

→ Gong Jun appeared in a livestream for L’Oreal. [Recording] [written summary with clips]

→ Gong Jun’s studio posted nine photos from the livestream. Caption: “Boss @ Gong Jun Simon brings a warm winter surprise, enveloping the winter full of warm atmosphere~”

12-23 → Honor posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

→ Gong Jun’s studio posted an announcement that the AI Gong Jun Jifeng will be appearing for a New Year’s event on 12-31. 

→ LockNLock posted a promotional video spoken by Gong Jun, filmed prior to the 12-21 livestream. This was later reposted by his studio.

→ Yang Yang, the L’Oreal livestream host, posted three photos from it of himself and Gong Jun.

12-24 → One year since Zhang Zhehan’s case was accepted by the Beijing Chaoyang Police.

→ Gong Jun posted fifteen travel photos in Yunnan from earlier in the month, as he mentioned he would during the birthday livestream. The banner he’s standing under in one photo says “Place happiness as the main point to repeatedly recite” Caption: “Let's go, enjoy the ginkgo!” This was later reposted by MUJOSH. He also posted the photos to Xiao Hong Shu, caption: “Let’s go! To enjoy the ginkgo!” and as two posts on Instagram [1] [2], captions: “Doesn’t it look nice” and “The shots look alright!” Fan Observations:  -  People found the hotel in the last photo. The room is for two with only one bed, and the hotel specified that the pool was designed to fit two people.  -  I have a theory about the water marks on the side of the pool.  -  The various photos from this trip have shown Gong Jun with both a film camera and a digital one, yet the sunrise pictures posted last week were taken with a phone? 🤔

→ Charlotte Tilbury posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

→ The Instagram posted ten photos of “Zhang Zhehan”, the first of which has the figure’s face completely obscured by a Santa emoji and several of which are supposedly “behind the scenes” from the white haired photos.

Additional Reading: → Flora’s daily fan news thread

<<< previous week || all posts || following week >>>

[glassheartstonesoul]

Criticisms of Qatar are racist. This mustn’t be misconstrued as I agree certain criticisms are valid. However it must be stressed that these criticisms would not even exist if Qatar were a western country. The migrant worker deaths must be investigated and appropriate compensation must be given to their families. However almost all countries facing rapid development/industrialization have committed the same atrocities Qatar has, yet no one has brought attention to them. Furthermore most if not all countries who have hosted the world cup have committed the same acts. Not to mention western media have grossly exaggerated the statistics to fit their narrative. They failed to mention that a large percentage of the deaths were due to natural causes. These human rights violations are only highlighted because the country hosting the Fifa World Cup is Qatar. These issues would not be brought to light if a western country were to host the World Cup. The hypocrisy in this situation is un-fucking-believable. Please keep the same fucking energy for the next World Cup which is going to be hosted in the United States. I can guarantee that in four years no one is going to be talking about all the injustices occurring in the USA. The only reason Qatar is facing this much criticism is because of western hypocrisy. Where was this energy when Russia was hosting the World Cup. Literally just type “World cup 2018 human rights” and look at the results. Over 110 North Korean workers died building a stadium. This is a quote from one of the articles “International experts describe the workers from North Korea as both slaves and hostages.” Let’s not forget the strikes in Brazil in 2014 protesting worker exploitation or the xenophobic attacks in South Africa during 2010. So ask yourselves why is Qatar facing the most heat ? The simple answer is xenophobia coupled with the recent trend of woke culture and performative activism. People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones !! All these western nations criticizing Qatar should look inwards and rectify the corruption and human rights violations in their own countries before acting so righteous. Moreover Grant Wahl may he rest in peace was not killed by the Qatari government. Wahl himself stated "My body finally broke down on me. Three weeks of little sleep, high stress and lots of work can do that to you," Wahl wrote. "What had been a cold over the last 10 days turned into something more severe on the night of the USA-Netherlands game, and I could feel my upper chest take on a new level of pressure and discomfort. Furthermore Wahl said on his podcast that he visited the clinic once more and even admitted to canceling all his plans and staying in. There quite literally no proof of foul play and you cannot draw conclusions based on your own prejudices and one emotional video from his brother. Ask yourself why is a reporter so important to Qatar that they would go as far as killing him ? There are thousands of articles criticizing Qatar and there have been dozens of cases of people wearing lgbtq+ clothing or arm bands during the World Cup this year. If you think Wahl wearing one rainbow shirt and writing a few critical articles for him killed then why haven’t other journalists or lgbtq+ supporters gotten killed ? This is complete and utter bullshit. Qatar has its flaws and yes it is not a country that is accepting of lgbtq+ people and yes they’ve violated human rights but why the criticism now ? The hypocrisy of the west is disgusting. The hypocrisy of celebrities is disgusting as well. So many singers are speaking out against Qatar yet are still holding concerts in stadiums built through human rights violations and still hold concerts in countries committing the same acts Qatar has. Celebrities, politicians and public figures are so eager to speak out against Qatar but refuse to talk about other human rights violations (Iranian govt, Israel-Palestine, BLM, roe v wade). Where was all this lgbtq+ allyship when the World Cup was hosted in Russia ? A very anti-lgbtq country. Basically screw all you hypocri

[hauntedbythefanficsofmypast]

Hironette

Marinette graduated high school at sixteen before moving to San Fransokyo with Luka. With promises from both Kagami and Chloe that they'd join them in a year. Jagged and Penny both helped them find a home that would fit four. Marinette did not think he would buy them a mansion, but she really should've seen it coming. Their neighbors were the Fredericksons. A wealthy family, that Jagged had known for a while. Penny also helped them with the emancipation papers since both were sixteen and seventeen respectively.

She also helped Marinette set up her new shop right next to the Lucky Cat Cafe. The shop was ready and running after only two months, and Marinette had enough workers that she didn't even need to be there everyday. Luka was her main model while he was on breaks from his concerts with Jagged.

Marinette absolutely adored San Fransokyo, the city was beautiful and had so many places filled with creation energy. She also loved her neighbor Fred, his obsession with heros helped inspire her with a few outfits. Her and Fred hung out anytime he wasn't at San Fransokyo Institute of Science. She was surprised to find out he doesn't attend the school but all his friends do.

Fred loved the awesome girl that lived next door to him. He was constantly telling the crew about her, to the point they pretty much demanded to meet the 'angel who's cooking could end a war'.

Fred- Sure thing dudes! If we head out now we can catch her as she closes her shop! Let's roll!

When they arrive they are all confused on why they are at the Lucky Cat Cafe. Fred just snorts before entering the shop next to the cafe. Loudly announcing himself causing Marinette to leave the back room excitedly.

Hiro's eyes widened as he stepped behind Wasabi panicking to himself.

Hiro-No, no, no! I am not ready to talk to her yet!? Oh my god what do I do!?

Baymax- Your heartbeat is rising to a worrying level, and your temperature is getting higher. Should I set up a doctor appointment?

Hiro- What? No! Baymax I’m fine! I just well, I may have a tiny crush on the girl in there and I am panicking a little.

Baymax- Accessing the internet about crushes. After a brief search, I have determined that the best solution to your predicament is to tell the female your feelings and ask her on a date. Statistics have shown a fifty percent chance that she’ll say yes.

hiro-What-no! Baymax just stop!

Honey, Go Go, and Wasabi stare at Hiro and Baymax for a bit before beginning to laugh silently to themselves.

Honey places her hands on Hiro's shoulders pushing him towards MDC Boutique. She pushes him when he starts panicking again, telling him to just be himself. Marinette slimes brightly at them as they walk in, Fred introduces everyone. MArinette is immediately taken by Baymax when he gently grabs her hand, bandaging a few cuts she from sewing earlier. She gushes over him before turning to Hiro asking all about his primary functions. Hiro stutters at first before launching into a long explanation about Baymax functions and how he was made. By the time he is finished Jagged Stone is already waiting outside for her. Marinette blinks in surprise before inviting them all over for dinner.

Wasabi- We’d love to but we barely fit in my car on the way here.

Marinette-Oh you don’t have to worry about it! My Uncle is waiting for me outside, we can all ride with him!

Wasabi- What do you mean ride with him-is THAT A LIMO!?

Marinette laughed ushering them out before locking the store up. The driver opened the door greeting Marinette politely. She gets in and soon the others follow everyone but Fred, marinette, and Baymax staring at Jagged Stone in shock.

Go Go-Jagged Stone is your Uncle?

Marinette- Well not really but he kind of unofficially adopted me as his niece and it stuck. Jagged meet my new friends!

Jagged- Rock on! Anyone friends with my rockstar niece is welcome around me!

The ride is filled with laughter and jokes until they arrive at the Mansion. Luka and Penny waiting on the steps for them. Once out of the car Marinette gives Lukas a big hug, causing Hiro to frown thinking Marinette was already dating someone.

Penny and Luka greeted them happily before inviting them inside saying dinner was almost done. Marinette introduced everyone and then showed them around the manson. She stopped at their main hangout area allowing everyone to spread out. It was Honey that asked them if Marinette and Luka were dating causing them to both start laughing.

Luka- I love Marinette and her song is so beautiful. However she is not the one for me you see because I assure you everyday I am gay.

Marinette hit him with a pillow laughing telling him to stop rhyming. Before turning to them smiling and saying that they only think of each other as siblings. This piece of information lifts Hiro’s spirits and he begins talking even more to Marinette, unaware of Luka’s knowing smile aimed at him.

Over the next few weeks Marinette spends more and more time with the group. Even going over to the Institute of Science on her off days to see their experiments. Along with visiting the cafe on her lunch breaks and after she has closed.

Her and Hiro grow closer and closer, however neither can find it in them to admit their crush, which exasperates their friends to no end. That is until Marinette and Luka are involved in a terrible car accident on the way back from one of Luka’s concerts. 

A drunk driver blew a red light slamming into the side of their limo causing it to roll twice and land on its roof. 

Their driver is only knocked out on impact with a broken wrist. Marinette and Luka are not as lucky they did not have seatbelts on in the back of the limo. In the end they were violently thrown around the back. Luka comes out of it with a broken leg, left arm and nose sling with a broken rib that pierced his lung. Marinette breaks her leg in three places, three ribs and dislocates her left shoulder. Both of them are covered in bruises and bleeding. 

They are rushed to the hospital and into surgery, while in surgery the Doctors do their best to fix their major injuries before working to pull all the broken glass out of their skin. It was in the surgery that they discovered Marinette had suffered from a spinal injury as well. Jagged and Penny have them put in the same room together, but they don’t wake up the next day, in fact they don’t wake up a week later.

After a few days the Doctor determined that both of them had entered a coma, because of how badly they were injured. Everyone was heartbroken when the Doctor explained that if the two did wake up they may not even remember themselves. Then he tells them of Marinette’s spinal injury, telling them that until she wakes up they wont know if she’ll ever be able to walk again.

They remain in a coma for two months being visited everyday by their friends and family. Hiro visits consistently every day with Baymax always sitting by Marinette’s bed. After a week he begins talking or reading to her, after Baymax says that there are a few reports of people being able to hear what's going on around them the entire time. At one point he confesses his feelings to her begging her to wake up so that he can find out if she feels the same.

Luka wakes up first extremely confused. The only thing missing from his memory is the night the crash happened. Everyone is ecstatic and greets him with hugs and tears explaining what happened. After a few days he begins physical therapy, during one of his sessions Hiro is with Marinette again. This time he is telling her how he felt for her and how he would purposely walk past her boutique before they met just to see her. He holds her hand gently telling her again that he loves her. He is greatly surprised when MArinette’s hand squeezes back weakly. When he looks up at her she is smiling weakly, her eyes barely opened as she responds her voice breaking slightly.

Marinette- I love you too…

Her wake up is met with more tears especially when she realizes she can’t feel her legs. A month later they are released from the hospital both leaving in a wheelchair but only one remaining in it. MArinette is heartbroken and drops into a depressive state for a while, but Hiro refuses to leave her side. He is over every day always sitting by her while drawing up designs for a new invention, something to help Marinette feel independent once again.

Hiro creates a motorized wheelchair that can lift Marinette higher when she needs to grab something. He creates a neural transmitter that is fitted as a headband, with the headband Marinette can move the wheelchair in whatever dissection she needs. He immediately begins building it, with the help of the others. He finishes it a month later and gives it to Marinette smiling nervously. When Marinette moves in her wheelchair she begins crying and thanking him. She begins leaving the house with him more slowly leaving her depressive state. A year after they start dating Marinette introduces the entire group to the Kwami. Tikki absolutely adores them, given that they are all creation souls. Plagg warms up to both Hiro and Fred loving their loud personalities.

Fred goes crazy when he realizes that Marinette was THE Ladybug. Causing Marinette and Tikki to giggle until she points out that Luka was Viperion causing Fred to freak out more.

Luka- I wonder if he is going to react the same to Chloe and Kagami.

This caused Marinette to snort laughing hard, causing the others to join soon after.

Fred- Is seriously no one else totally stoked to find out they are heroes?!

Go Go- Fred you idiot! We were heroes too!?

Fred- Oh ya I forgot, this is still really awesome though! Like when I found out my dad was a hero!!

Marinette- Mr. Fredrickson is a hero?? Huh, I never saw that coming.

@justafanwarrior

[lesbian-kyoru]

What do you think is each character's favorite subject in school?

tohru: not a surprise but baby girl loves home ec!! kind of has to work her butt off studying for her other classes, so she gets to enjoy herself and do something she’s naturally super good at in home ec. loves making little snacks in class for her friends and then sharing them at lunch. the sewing unit takes her fashion game to the next level. when they do a project where they take care of fake babies, she definitely ends up caring for half of the class’s infants like they’re her own. kyo is her partner and everyone teases them about it but she still has a really nice time and thinks kyo would be a great dad :’)) highest home ec grade of all time in their school

kyo: says his favorite is PE but it’s actually math. gets a 5 on the AP calc exam. tells no one but tohru, who then tells everyone and kazuma throws a party and kyo is Not Pleased. isn’t a great math tutor though because he can’t really explain how he gets his answers—he just Knows. checks tohru’s homework for her before she turns it in (read: fixes all her wrong answers when she’s not looking so he can see her huge smile when she gets a good grade back. only feels a little bit guilty). watches math tedtalks. nerd disguised as a jock

yuki: favorite subject is lit!! bullshits his way through class discussions and papers without ever actually reading the books because he’s smart and charismatic. has a premium account on sparknotes. favorite class specifically was one on ancient greek literature and epic poetry—spent the entirety of the class critiquing heteronormative readings of the iliad and taking the piss out of other students because “achilles and patroclus are clearly gay if you have eyes”

kakeru: …...i’ll be real he doesn’t like school lmao. senioritis personified. on his phone during classes constantly. laptop open playing world of warcraft or candy crush or neopets. could not tell you anything the teacher said in the last hour. doesn’t take notes because “i’ve got it all up here yun-yun…..” but doesn’t actually do half-bad on tests. only reason he does homework is because he can pretend to study with yuki while actually just flirting with him. if there’s one subject he doesn’t hate it’s history because he “thinks the fight scenes are fun” (yuki: “you mean world war 1??” “yeah it was exciting”)

uo: autoshop. hates the stereotype that just because she’s a lesbian she must like tools and machinery and automotive tech.....having said that she is a lesbian and she does like tools and machinery and automotive tech. gets a 100 on her project where she fixes a busted up motorcycle, and now she has two motorcycles. all the boys in the class call her senpai and worship the ground she walks on. smells faintly like motor oil all the time but she Absolutely makes it work

hana: creative writing. school is not her thing but she thrives in creative writing because her creativity is 100/10 and her stories are absolutely off the walls. excels in writing spooky yet also homoerotic ghost stories in particular. reads them aloud in class with the lights turned off and a flashlight illuminating her face. has made students cry out of fear. shigure beta-reads her writing. likes to subtly imply that her stories actually happened to fuck with kyo. it works

momiji: band/orchestra!! all the older students lose their minds over how well he can play. first chair violinist from day one. has a solo in every concert; tohru sits front row and films them, always cries. he’s the life of the party at Band Camp(™). even the grumpy bass clarinetists like him. doesn’t get in trouble when he talks waaaaay too much during rehearsal because the teacher loves him

haru: mr space cadet himself isn’t much of a science guy but LOVES astronomy. gets Ds on pretty much every test but he doesn’t care because his mind is expanding. buys a super nice telescope so he can look at constellations at 3 in the morning. develops very specific opinions about each planet. stans the moon. gets really into sleeping at last’s astronomy-themed album. becomes that guy whose personality is “i like space” until the class is over and then he never talks about it again

rin: art! she takes several art classes throughout high school. really loves drawing and painting, but also really likes doing ceramics projects because she likes working with her hands :’)) does a watercolor portrait for tohru as a graduation gift but gets really flustered when tohru sobs into her arms over how beautiful it is. also secretly likes doing little doodles of her and haru—he sees them once in her sketchbook and will never let her live it down

kagura: says her favorite is PE and it actually is PE. goes ham for capture the flag, tends to play too rough when capturing and gets taken out of the game. only person who is actually good at volleyball so she is constantly spiking, setting, and diving for the ball all in the same game, while the rest of her team just kind of fumbles around and tries to stay out of her way. gets first place every time they run the mile even though it’s definitely not a competition. definitely knows her mile time even though it is not a timed activity

hiro: this kid screams history nerd, but like Male History Nerd with a niche interest in military history and very specific opinions about how *insert historical figure* wasn’t actually all that bad. gets his ass handed to him in class discussions on the daily but won’t admit it. is genuinely really smart and has Better Opinions by the time he graduates, so he starts using his history nerd powers For Good as an adult—as in, arguing about inaccurate historical memes on facebook in his free time

kisa: choir. singing stresses her out, but she’s figured out that she can just mouth the words and no one can tell that she’s not actually singing! loves being in the group and hearing the beautiful music around her :’)) everyone is in awe of how cute she is in her lil choir robe. tohru comes to all of kisa’s concerts as well and films them from the front row, also while crying

machi: woodshop. gets sawdust on her clothes and loves the smell. obsessed with digging through piles of splintering and warped scrap wood. loses her damn mind when she gets to use the jigsaw. really enjoys making like…misshapen birdhouses and crooked tables, but woodshop is mostly participation grades anyway so her teacher gives her A’s on all of her grotesque wood creations. she is at peace and is One with the Wood. doesn’t wear safety goggles while chopping wood because she likes Risk

kimi: loves speech & drama. emphasis on the drama. it’s a chance to talk for a long time and everyone has to look at her and listen to her or else they’ll fail!! which is how she likes it. goes three minutes over for every speech but the teacher can’t get her to pause long enough to stop her. comes to auditions in a full professionally-made costume. knows her lines and everyone else’s

nao: AP statistics on the pre-accounting track. has known he wants to be an accountant since he was in diapers. does slightly below average in the class. still studies accounting in college because it’s too big a part of his personality to quit at this point. becomes an accountant. never quite feels fulfilled

[alexazbofficial]

[INTERVIEW] An Interview With AleXa: Why This AI “Villain” Is Actually A Down-To-Earth Sweetheart

What The Kpop recently had the opportunity to sit down with K-pop idol AleXa for an interview. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we held the interview via Zoom. However, even across the internet, AleXa’s warm personality shined through, charming our staff with her down-to-earth way of speaking and thoughtful answers.

The popular solo artist will soon be releasing a new track entitled “Rule The World” on September 4th. The song is a collaboration with gaming music star TheFatRat. In addition, she has confirmed her comeback for October, making fans excited for the news that her title track will be produced by famous hitmakers LDN Noise.

Before her new releases, however, get to know more about this talented artist by reading our interview below! From her tastes in anime to which female role models helped form her into such a strong woman today, read below for questions that she’s never been asked before.

WTK: Hi, AleXa! My name is Amy, and I’m from What The Kpop. First of all, I just thank you for meeting with us today. I know that you’ve got a busy schedule, so I’m glad that you were able to take a few minutes to speak with us.

AleXa: Oh, you’re very welcome.

WTK: Before you were actually a K-pop idol yourself, you did so many different things! You’ve done cosplay in the past, you’ve done voice acting, you’ve been on shows where you tried out for different things, you’ve taken part in long training, etc… all leading up to this point in your career. So, first of all, just to get things started, can I ask you what’s been your favorite part of the journey so far?

AleXa: Let’s see. I mean, from way back until now, I think the thing that I liked the most about my journey is not just one thing. Since it’s still ongoing, it’s just the fact that I get to see myself improve, that’s the thing. So, improvement for me is probably the thing that I really enjoy about this process.

WTK: Since your debut, you have had quite an unusual concept. For those that don’t know, it’s about a multiverse and you’ve had a trilogy of songs: “Bomb,” “Do or Die,” and “Villain.” You’re avatar or AI escapes into a physical body and then goes into the real world, right? We know this suits you really well since you’re a fan of dark concepts and horror and science fiction. So, if this were to ever happen to you in real life and you became an AI, whose body would you want to take over?

AleXa: Dwayne the Rock Johnson! (laughs) Because I just want to be the Rock! I mean, who doesn’t want to be the Rock? (laughs again) So, definitely Dwayne the Rock Johnson! Yeah!

WTK: When we watched the making video for your recent “Villain” MV, we saw you doing the Naruto run and already knew that you’re into anime. I know your schedule probably doesn’t allow you too much time anymore, but are there any animes that you’re into recently? Or are there ones that you’d like to recommend for your fans to watch?

AleXa: I haven’t watched anything recently. The most recent thing I watched was the anime adaptation of some of Junji Ito’s work. If you didn’t know, his collections were turned into an anime. If you like horror, I recommend that. But one of my all-time, go-to shows is always “Death Note” or “Full Metal Alchemist.” So, those are ones I wouldn’t mind re-watching again if I find time.

WTK: Your fans, or AI troopers as they’re called, refer to your music as a cultural reset when it comes to how you’ve changed the game. For you, which artist or even what genre was the cultural reset in your own life?

AleXa: I feel like without a doubt I do have to say K-pop was the cultural reset for me. Had I not stumbled into K-pop, I wouldn’t be doing what I am now. Then there was someone also like SHINee. They’ve been a pivotal group, a pivotal senior for me in my career. So, they were my cultural reset.

WTK: Apart from SHINee, I know that you also got into K-pop after hearing artists like Super Junior. Going from a K-pop fan to a K-pop idol yourself, what has the experience been like? Is is still kind of surreal for you or how would you describe the experience?

AleXa: Oh man, it’s definitely surreal! I never thought that in my wildest dreams I would find myself being an idol for my career. Being able to stand on the same stage in music shows as so many wonderful and talented seniors… like it’s incredible. It’s definitely been very surreal for me thus far.

WTK: Recently, you held your own virtual concert, and you also opened the show for IN2IT in India. How did the two experiences differ as far as opening for one group versus having your own concert? Did it affect you that your first solo concert was a virtual concert? If so, what were some of those challenges like?

AleXa: I mean, it definitely is very different having my own concert versus opening up for a senior group. I will say that being able to open up for their concert two times was a really good experience because I learned crowd management. Also, I learned how to feed off of people’s energy for the concert performance. Then when it comes to my own solo concert, even though it was digital, I could still feel everyone’s love and support through the comments because there was a live monitor where I could read all the comments in real time. So, even though there weren’t people there in person, I still felt the presence of them. I’m an extrovert and I’m someone that draws energy from other people. So, virtual concert or online concert, it’s just both a really fun experience for me.

WTK: So many people did tune into your concert, and I know that a lot of people were leaving comments also, so it was a great success! Do you feel like from here on out that online concerts are going to be more of a staple in K-pop, even once things like COVID-19 slows down and things are as back to normal as possible? Are virtual concerts here to stay?

AleXa: However fast the pandemic does come to an end, I do feel like online concerts, online fan meetings, and everything else that’s been happening in the industry during this time is something that is here to stay. Because you never know what could happen in the future. So, I believe everybody learning the ways of online concerts, the data, the statistics, the reactions, how fans work.. I think it’s something we’re going to wind up keeping in the future.

WTK: You exude this natural charm, charisma and confidence. So, what would you say to younger fans, especially those who are coming up and trying to find their own persona and sense of self confidence? How did you become who you are today and grow into this confident young woman that we know as the singer AleXa?

AleXa: Thank you for that. Let’s see. I don’t know. I would just say, don’t get lost in the crowd I guess. People will always find ways to try to belittle you for ways that you’re different, for ways that you stick out. But embrace those and make those your strong points. Don’t let anybody try to define you as a person. You alone can define yourself. So yeah, take comfort and joy and pride in your individuality.

WTK: Now, I don’t know if you’re familiar much with the Reddit sub-threads for K-pop, but ever since the music video for “Villain” dropped, your fans have been busy analyzing the trilogy and making all these theories about the Alexa universe. I don’t know if you’ve read any of these online, but there is a really popular thread on Reddit and also one on Twitter about the Alexa universe. The summary is that they believe there are different versions of AleXa and that she embodies the different human emotions that each AI version has discovered. What do you say to all of that? Can you give us any hints or have you been able to read any of these fan theories yourself?

AleXa: I mean, I’ve dabbled a bit here and there on Twitter. I’ve been looking at a lot of tweets, and I read the comments. There’s some interesting theories. I mean, when we go into these comebacks and pre-releases and stuff, we know the plot. We know what we’re trying to get into. But then whenever I’m with my staff, we read things in the comments. We’re like, “Oh, well, that’s an interesting take on why we thought of that.” But it’s really cool to see how how imaginative and smart and observant everyone is. Because they catch and piece things together. And I’m like, yes! Those are my smart, beautiful fans! Yes!

WTK: Coming from your label, which is a video production company, have there ever been things that your fans noticed about the videos that maybe you didn’t even notice yourself at the time?

AleXa: Oh, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen some comments noting some things and seeing the background or like they’ll think a certain layer goes with a certain thing. I will say though, this is not something we intended for, but with the release of “Villain”— of course, we do have a small, kind of floating, pyramid-looking thing at the end, and I do this [thing] with my hands. But it’s kind of funny because some people thought we were alluding to the fact that we are a part of the Illuminati! But we are not. (laughs)

WTK: Yes, just to make that clarification! (laughs) So your music, like we said, features the image of this strong, independent woman where you are like cyborg, pop, diva (and we love it, by the way). When you were growing up, did you have many strong female role models? Who inspired you?

AleXa: If we’re talking about strong females, then of course, one pivotal character has been my mother. She is honestly one of the strongest women I know. If we’re talking in an artistry sense, since my parents raised me on older music, then people like Cyndi Lauper, Joan Jett, and Whitney Houston. Into the more modern age and as I was starting to grow up a bit, then Rhianna, Brittany, Christina. This is the kind of aura of artists and people that I really looked up to and enjoyed their work.

WTK: If you were ever able to branch out— maybe not on your main comebacks but for special songs or covers— are the genres of music from the artists you just mentioned something you would like to dabble in? Or is there any other type of music that you would like to try for something different?

AleXa: I mean any opportunity I would be given to branch out and just try something that I’ve never done before, I want to try of course. I would love to take the bull by the horns and just go at it! So, whatever and whenever those opportunities arise, yes definitely.

WTK: We know that you have like a “sad boi” playlist when you’re feeling down. When you’re feeling happy or pumped up, however, what do you like to listen to?

AleXa: If I’m having a good mood and I’m just going for a walk or something, I listen to lot of Queen, Fleetwood Mac, some Dolly Parton. Believe it or not, Dolly Parton is the only country artist I will make an excuse to listen to.

WTK: Well, she’s one of the ultimate divas herself so…

AleXa: She really is, she really is! But I don’t know… just kind of like older pop I guess, without all this like synth and heavy bass we have now. Just old style pop music, I guess, is kind of my music sphere.

WTK: I know also that you were a musical major in college, and I am a huge fan of musicals myself. So, I have to know something! Musicals are so popular in Korea, and it’s a big scene there. So, if you ever got the chance and you could work in a musical there, is there a specific musical that you would want to be cast in?

AleXa: A lot! But if I could be cast in any musical I wanted, I think it’d be fun to try Maureen from Rent or Veronica in Heathers. I feel like these both are fun roles [and I’d like] to give it a go.

WTK: One more question! Fans really enjoyed hearing the lyrics you wrote for your last song and are looking forward to hearing more of your work in the future. We know all songwriters have lyrics written in journals, so if you have any saved, do you mind sharing a previously unreleased lyrics with our readers? Just something that you haven’t yet shared with the world?

AleXa: Sure! I mean, I am one of those people that has journals upon journals upon journals of song lyrics. I keep them in my phone as well too actually. If I were to share something real quick, right off the bat, what would it be? What would it be? What would it be? (laughs while looking through phone) See! There’s a lot in here. Yes, yes, yes. Doot, doot, doot, doot. (laughs again) Oh, I don’t know. These are all just kind of… deep. Let’s see. Ok, I’m just going to read these two lines. It’s just something I wrote once. ‘Do I have to rearrange the stars and have them spell our names in the sky?’ That’s it. (smiles)

WTK: Thank you, AleXa! We look forward to hearing how you will use that in a song one day, and we look forward to hearing more from you in both your music and your lyrics too! Before we go, do you have any last words to people that might be reading about you for the first time, as well as to fans that have been with you since the beginning of the journey?

AleXa: Sure! Whether you’ve been with me for a day, an hour, or five minutes, or five years, thank you so much for staying by my side throughout this wild roller coaster journey that has been my career thus far! And I promise to keep working super hard to become a better artist and a better person that you can enjoy in the future. Thank you so much. I love you!

© WhatTheKpop

[primrose-bridal]

Swedish House Rules If You Turn It On Turn It Off If You Open It Close It Poster

The rolling stones bridges to buenos aires is out on november 8 and available to order now from bridges to buenos aires is the latest concert film release from the rolling stones archive the full length show from their five night sell out residency at the river plate stadium in argentina s capital city has been restored in full and features a Swedish House Rules If You Turn It On Turn It Off If You Open It Close It Poster very special guest appearance from bob dylan. Sheesh ️ ️ ️ so honored and grateful to be apart of greatness p s man o man that starting 5 vs any franchise all time let s get it lakeshow kingme mamba diesel ️ magic kingskyhook. Every once in a while rather than performing the usual encore if the audience was really lucky jim morrison would throw away the time limits and perform until he couldn t stand up anymore jim had this thing about limits he liked them best broken this performance at detroit s cobo arena was such a night danny sugerman the doors performed at the cobo arena in detroit michigan on this day in 1970 during the roadhouse blues tour the concert was originally scheduled to end before midnight but didn t wrap up until 1am this resulted in the band being banned from the cobo arena due to the late end being against union rules the show recordings were later released as a live album live in detroit

Source: Swedish House Rules If You Turn It On Turn It Off If You Open It Close It Poster

Swedish House Rules If You Turn It On Turn It Off If You Open It Close It Poster, Hoodie, Sweater, Longsleeve T-Shirt For Men and Women

Swedish House Rules If You Turn It On Turn It Off If You Open It Close It Poster

See more: Beatboxing Girl Noun Like A Normal Girl But Cooler T-Shirt

Premium Trending This Summer Season will Presents Who Love:

Golden shield voyager ii by smith corona ‘the deluxe line’ lotta words for a Swedish House Rules If You Turn It On Turn It Off If You Open It Close It Poster machine that types like a rattletrap hanx. Love this nude new velvet lip kit todd kraines launching tomorrow at 3pm pst for my mom s birthday. Q tonight you face crystal palace away at selhurst park there is only three days between matches so how is zlatan prior to the match and how do find time for recovery zlatan the whole team have had a good recovery q crystal palace is in 15th place in the league and in theory they shouldn t be a problem for man utd what is the key to not walk out on the pitch with that attitude and lose points zlatan all matches are difficult that s precisely why you can t have that attitude q alan pardew the manager for crystal palace held a press conference before the upcoming match and spoke openly about his admiration for you among other things he said that his swedish wife s family loves ibra surprised zlatan haha good to hear q in the europa league draw you got st etienne which statistically should be a favorite opponent for zlatan ibrahimovic care to comment zlatan it will be a good game for us and it s a plus that I get to go back to france See Other related products: Angry Koala Not Angry Just Mad T-Shirt

[amoralto]

Playgirl: Paul! (June, 1982)

(Note: I’ve been wondering if I should include more full articles/interviews on the blog, i.e. pieces that are not already available and/or hosted online. This is one of them - more of an overview/feature piece, but worth a read nonetheless. For Paul and Linda’s 1985 interview w/ Playgirl, I typed it up a while ago here. Previous quote posts from both articles: here, here.) 

-

by Mark Rowland

He turns 40 this month, and if he is anything like the rest of us, the last 20 must feel as close as yesterday. Was it really so long ago that four working-class chums from a dingy English port town sang and laughed and shook their mop-tops to signal a crumbling of the old order and a hailing of the new? You look for the signs of age in recent photographs, but the changes are so subtle—a slight hollowing of those cherubic cheeks, perhaps a hint of wariness in eyes that used to sparkle with playful coquetry. Yes, time has been a gentle thief.

The lad who stole girls’ hearts all ’round the world is a husband of 13 years standing, and the father of four. The inveterate rock ’n’ roller divides his time between home and studio, now surfacing to promote a new album (Tug of War, Columbia), soon disappearing back into the mists of his Scotland farm. Which is just as it should be. Paul McCartney, handsome and rich and brimming with easy charm—and still the mirror in which we seek the reflection of our own youthful dreams.

“I like Walt Disney cartoons—they sort of live forever.” Paul McCartney

In fact, the last decade has not treated Paul all that kindly. When it becan he was, quite simply, a hero. By its close he’d become the subject of casual ridicule, a turnabout engineered in part by the mocking comments of his former best friend and musical compatriot, John Lennon. Any critical appraisal of his band, Wings, was bound to include unflattering comparisons to the Beatles and/or snide references to the credentials of its keyboard player, who just happened to be Paul’s wife.

And then there was Wings’ disastrous final episode, a triumphant tour of Japan that abruptly terminated when customs officials unearthed a hefty cache of marijuana in Paul’s luggage. Instead of Budokan’s concert stage, McCartney commenced a 10-day engagement “live” in the local jail, regaling his fellow inmates with renditions of “Yesterday” and “Mull of Kintyre”. Then he was deported.

“He certainly received quite a shock,” recalls Michael McCartney, Paul’s brother and the author of an affectionate family history entitled The Macs (Delilah Communications, Ltd.). “But even worse was the way the media deliberately distorted his situation. When I said I was angry at what was happening, for instance, they made it sound like I was angry at Paul. So just at the crucial moment, when the court is weighing judgment, they read the papers and think, ‘My God, even his own family thinks he’s a fool.’ It could have gone to his detriment, you know. He could have been locked up for years.”

Paul’s problem, of course, is that he has always appeared just a tad too sexy, too suave, too eager to please. His equipoise looms like a red flag to critics ready to knock him down a peg, and no matter that his temperament is genuinely affable. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him in a bad mood,” contends rockabilly great Carl Perkins, a friend of nearly 20 years standing. “I’ve worked with a lot of greats, from Elvis to Dylan, and they could all get pretty moody at times. But Paul’s not like that. I’m sure he has a time and place, but it doesn’t interfere with his outward personality.” Though McCartney is far from invulnerable, it has never been his style to exorcise personal demons in public, a la John Lennon. Instead, he turns inward, to his family and his music. When the Beatles broke apart, Paul did both—he formed a new band with his wife.

“If you want the Beatles, go see Wings.” George Harrison

“I think I’m good. I like me, I’m good. I can dig me. Can you?” Paul McCartney

“He sounds like Englebert Humperdinck.” John Lennon

Wings took flight in 1971, when Paul and Linda joined forces with old pal Denny Laine (from the Moody Blues) and drummer Danny Seiwell. It endured, in various incarnations, for eight more years and eight more albums. Paul first conceived the band as a vehicle for playing small clubs and halls, a return to his rock roots and an emergence from the isolation that, in Paul’s view, had ultimately destroyed the Beatles. As a traveling show, Wings was a hit from the start—who wouldn’t want to hear Paul play the local pub?—but a succession of pop hits soon propelled him back to superstar-sized arenas and concert halls.

Critical acclaim was not so readily forthcoming. Without the Beatles’ special alchemy Paul’s romanticism tended to drift toward pap, lacking the spark of originality that characterized the best McCartney-Lennon collaborations. His most acrid critic, to Paul’s everlasting chagrin, turned out to be Lennon. For years they squabbled like ex’s unable to leave behind a stormy marriage, but when it came to sarcastic repartee John was in a class by himself. Japes like the one about Humperdinck, or the picture of John hoisting a pig by its ears (a wicked sendup of Paul holding up a sheep on the cover of his Ram album) wounded Paul deeply. He still has not entirely recovered; in a recent interview he claimed to draw fresh solace from his conversations with Yoko Ono. “She tells me something very important,” he revealed, “that John still loved me, after all.”

“Of course my brother and John loved each other,” declares Michael McCartney, “same as my brother and I do. Brothers have their feuds—you love ’em and you hate ’em. Oh, it’s easy enough to put all the negative parts under a microscope. I could have written a book called Paulie Dearest, slagged him to death and made millions. But it wouldn’t have been the truth. With Paul and John, though, all the dirty linen was brought out in public.”

Despite, or perhaps because of, such controversy, Paul continued to pour his energy into the music, and by 1976, his faith had been rewarded. Wings toured America that year like conquering heroes. McCartney was hailed on the cover of Time, and the band’s crack performances drew wildly ecstatic crowds and rave reviews. Amidst all the hoopla, however, Paul and Linda remained serene and jocular, causing one associate to marvel that McCartney was the only touring rock star around who knew how to keep a grip on his sanity.

”Groupies, chicks. It was fabulous. I loved it. There was no stopping me after a (Beatles) show. I was the biggest raver out. But I got to thinking, ‘What am I doing with my life? Who am I getting to know? What one chick do I know as a pal?’ And there weren’t any… Mainly, I’d sown enough wild oats. Making love does become a sort of commitment—I love the idea of vows and stuff. To tell the truth, it keeps me kind of straight.” Paul McCartney, 1974

“I’m not sophisticated, a good conversationalist, looking good all the time. I don’t think of myself like Jacqueline Kennedy or Patricia Nixon.” Linda McCartney, 1974

Paul was always the most desirable of the Beatle bachelors, and by the end of the sixties, he was the only one left. Any whiff of serious romance merited close scrutiny by the press. Thus, Linda “no relation to Kodak” Eastman was in for some rough sport, when, after a relatively swift courtship, she and Paul tied the knot in 1969. A rock photographer at the Fillmore East who’d enjoyed acquaintanceships with various rock figures previous to meeting Paul, she was dubbed the “Park Avenue groupie”—a sobriquet that says more about rock’s inbred sexism than Linda’s character. (Years later, Rolling Stone slurred Joni Mitchell in much the same fashion.)

Nonetheless, Paul and Linda took to the life of domestic bliss with remarkable dispatch, a condition rather smugly documented on their first two records together, Ram and Wild Life. Since then, however, they’ve managed to sustain the ideal of traditional marriage and family—no mean feat in this era of celebrity swapstakes. Though rumors of discord surface from time to time, from all indications, their marriage remains solid. Indeed, one of the highlights of the Wings Over America tour was Paul’s impassioned rendition of “My Love”, crooning the hook “my love does it gooood” while a smiling Linda posed before the multitudes, hands on hips, letting no one miss the implications of that particular song.

“Paul would be sort of a Republican.” John Eastman, Paul’s brother-in-law and business manager

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Paul McCartney is “the most honored man in music.” One is naturally inclined to trust Guinness in these matters, and Paul’s statistics do tell an amazing story—over 100 million album sales, 100 million singles sales and, separately, 43 million-selling songs. Since 1970, all 10 of Paul’s records (solo and with Wings) have been certified gold by the Record Industry Association of America. The last five releases have also gone platinum (over a million units sold), and his newest, Tug of War, which features Ringo, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Carl Perkins, is certain to do the same.

During the sixties, however, only a small part of the Beatles’ fabulous success translated into personal wealth. For many years the band relied on a loose network of acquaintances to handle their financial matters—most proved either honest or competent, but rarely both. But under the guidance of John Eastman, Paul has since realized a vast financial empire, with an estimated annual income, mostly from record and publishing royalties, of about $40 million. His publishing house, MPL, originally established for tax purposes, is the largest independent song publisher in the world, holding the rights to scores from Grease, Annie, Hello Dolly, A Chorus Line, Bye Bye Birdie and Mame; standards from “On, Wisconsin” to “Stormy Weather” and “Autumn Leaves”; the entire catalog of Buddy Holly songs, rags by Scott Joplin, songs by Ira Gershwin, even the theme to the Dinah Shore TV show. And in a recent twist of fate, Paul and Yoko are currently negotiating with British mogul Sir Lew Grade to buy back Northern Songs, the catalog of early Beatles hits (including “Yesterday”) that was sold during the sixties. The whimsical Beatle has turned out to be one savvy entrepreneur.

Less publicized, however, are McCartney’s frequent gestures of charity. He’s performed various benefits for UNESCO, and, in 1979,, following a plea from then-Secretary General of the United Nations Kurt Waldheim, he personally organized a giant pop concert to raise the emergency relief aid for Kampuchea. The event and subsequent album, Concerts for the People of Kampuchea (featuring the Who, Queen, the Pretenders and Elvis Costello, among others), has netted UNICEF over $600,000 to date, according to organization officials. A concert movie will also be released around the United States and Europe this summer.

McCartney’s generosity crops up in smaller, more personal encounters. “When I first decided to become a writer, I sent a bunch of stuff to Paul,” recalls Laura Gross, now a radio interviewer at KRLA, the “Beatles station” of Los Angeles. “Then, when he came to L.A., I knocked on the door of his hotel, and he said ‘Oh yes, I’ve read your stuff, you ought to send us what you’re doing. Linda and I are very interested.’ Here I was, a stranger and a nobody, and he took the time to be kind. He gave me encouragement at a time when that was very important to me.”

“He was my boss,” observes Wings guitarist Laurence Juber, “but he was also my teacher. At one point he gave me a fairly substantial budget just so I could develop my own ideas. He’s an extremely benevolent sort of person, but he doesn’t shout about it. He’s aware of his responsibility to other talents, otherwise he wouldn’t be a nice person, and he is a nice person. Of course, he’s always got that element of cockiness about him, because he’s come such a long way. Don’t forget, he was just a kid off the street in Liverpool. That’s all any of them were.”

“Phony Beatlemania has bitten the dust.” The Clash

“I love Paul, he’s my favourite—brown, white, red, blue or green! He is the Beatles.” Little Richard, interviewed by KRLA’s Laura Gross

In 1974, Mark Lapidos decided to put together a kind of giant swap meet and communal gathering for Beatles fans. He called it Beatlefest, rented a hall, and ended up admitting 7,000 people and turning away thousands more. This year, Beatlefest will span 11 days in four different U.S. cities, as interest continues to mount in a group that called it quits more than a decade ago. “We’re not living in the past,” Lapidos insists. “You take surveys now and ask young people their favourite group and what do they say? The Beatles! Their music will not die. It is the cultural phenomenon of the century.”

Lapidos may be right. The past year has evidenced yet another spate of books and articles about the Beatles, along with discoveries of long-dormant radio recordings and master tapes by the Fab Foursome. And if anything, the hideous murder of John Lennon in December 1980 seems to have inspired fans to rekindle the flame of memory. “We simply couldn’t let that act destroy such an important part of our lives,” explains Lapidos. “Actually, we became more like family, pulling closer together after we’d lost our brother.”

The man who knew John Lennon best was devastated by his murder. Paul’s friend, Paddy Moloney of the Chieftains, remembers seeing McCartney looking “stunned. He said it was useless and tragic, (but) I don’t think it had penetrated that John was gone forever. I’m sure it took a few days for that to sink in.” When it did, Paul turned, as he always did in times of crisis, to his closest ally—music. At the suggestion of friend and producer George Martin, he shifted base from London to Martin’s studio on the Caribbean island of Montserrat, away from the obtrusive glare of the media. Once settled in with Linda and the kids, he called up Ringo, Wingsmate Denny Laine, Carl Perkins, Stevie Wonder, and embarked on the most ambitious and painstaking project of his musical career.

“I have never met a more dedicated musician than Paul McCartney. He’ll work all night on a little guitar lick until he gets it just the way he wants it. He’s a perfectionist.” Carl Perkins

The intensity of his commitment on Montserrat became its own kind of therapy. Between sessions the musicians would swim, sun on the beach, or take Jeep rides along the scenic island trails. But after two months, McCartney and Martin returned to London, where they continued to refine the material for another year. The sessions had produced two albums worth of music; the second set was still in its final stages of completion when I phoned Martin’s studio in March. A spokesperson remarked that McCartney was anxiously awaiting its public reception. “I think Paul wants to have a truly ‘musical’ success this time, not just a popular one,” she declared. “He really wants to be recognized for achieving something.”

In the past decade, McCartney’s most trying periods have often fostered his best work—McCartney and Ram, following the Beatles split; Band on the Run in 1973, when Wings was coming apart at the seams, and to a lesser extent, Back to the Egg in 1979, amidst persistent rumors that Paul and Linda’s marriage was on the rocks. But all of those efforts pale, I think, beside Tug of War. Here Paul has finally cast off the aureole of calculated cuteness that marred so much of his seventies music, and penned lyrics that are evocative, unsentimental and deeply personal. At the same time, the album’s sheer range and spunky, let’s-try-it-on spirit recalls the Beatles at their most ambitious, from the daring juxtaposition of rock ’n’ roll rhythm and big band texture that propels “Ballroom Dancing” to the graceful, quirky country swing duet with Perkins, to the hothouse funk of “What’s That”, a six-minute corker with Stevie Wonder that bears favorable comparison to Wonder’s own “Superstition”. Yet the record’s most eloquent moment is its most elemental—a quiet, heartfelt paean to McCartney’s fallen brother, entitled “Here Today.”

And if I said I really knew you well, What would your answer be? Well, knowing you, You’d probably laugh, And say that we were worlds apart If you were here today… here today.

Every era has its myths—from Jesus to Camelot to the Beatles—and every myth exists to fill the special needs of its culture. As Beatle Paul, he will always play the courtly knight, the crooning Lancelot in shining Nehru jacket. But the real Paul McCartney is no more or less than a talented musician with wife and kids, nearing middle age and trying, along with the rest of us, to sort out the various slings and arows of life’s fortune. It is no put-down to say that nothing he ever does, no matter how accomplished, can again approach the majesty of the legend he once helped create, precisely because it is a legend.

“Why should the Beatles give more?” John Lennon once asked, with characteristic bluntness. “Didn’t they give everything on God’s earth for 10 years? Didn’t they give themselves?”

So now Lennon is gone, though his restless, vibrant spirit survives among the living. And now Paul McCartney, unarguably one of the premier artists of his generation, continues with his own life’s work, which is simply to make music for the world to hear and enjoy; perhaps even be touched by.

[sixpillarsofgenesis]

XX1 - AU Forgiven Devotion

Once, they were a pair, two mages of Hydaelyn seeking to understand the light and all that it touched. Their curiosity was boundless, an infinite being of power beyond all others - save for their devotion to one another. In the end, their curiosity brought them to the primordial light - Aether that had existed since the very beginning of the cosmos. But such power was not meant for curious mages, and nearly ripped them apart. It was only their love for one another that prevented them from being torn apart.

Sin Eater Alasondria the Curious Sight had been her medium for discerning the world - her first sense that she relied on explicitly within her lifetime, only to lose it in punishment for her arrogance in breaching the Aether’s core. She often features in fairytales as the Lonely Maiden, a young woman who had been the pioneer of a class lost to time. While the Class has since been revived as the Dancer Class, the lost arts of the magical path she took have not, and have yet to be rediscovered. She is but one half of Forgiven Devotion, and can often be found impersonating statues in old, ruined cities. So long as one does not touch her, she will allow travelers to pass peacefully. When pretending to be a statue, she is often holding her halo before her, so as to observe events around her. Prior to her pioneering the Dancer’s forgotten magical class, Alasondria wielded magical tomes and a staff.

Sin Eater Luther the Guardian Formerly an Arcanist, Luther often traveled to far-off destinations with Alasondria, back when she was a dancing mage. He later became a Scholar to help further their understanding of Aether together, seeking to create a union of more than one kind. When an attack left Alasondria with a damaged ear, he took up the mantle of Dragoon, wielding a spear in combat to protect her. He features in fairytales as the devoted bodyguard, the dashing hero, or the rescuer of maidens - of which he has done all three at one point. He could have escaped the fate of becoming a Sin Eater, but instead, threw himself after her, refusing to let her live an eternity alone. The other half of Forgiven Devotion, Luther often can be found perched in high places, keeping an eye out for those that might harm Alasondria. Like his other half, he will allow travelers their peace should they pass them by undisturbed, but any attack towards Alasondria will be met with vicious counters.

Statistics:

Alasondria the Curious: Level 65 || Level 80 (rematch) HP: 1.45 Million || 6 Million Resistance: Ice, Lightning, Sleep Immunity: Wind, Blind, Stun Weaknesses: Fire, Heavy, Bind Attack Type: Slashing Magic Type: Untyped Unique Status Attack: Petrification

            Attacks: Aetherbloom: A draining attack, Alasondria will fly above and swoop down to plant a kiss upon the lips of the unwary, drawing the lifeforce of the enemy. Increases Aggro from Luther, single target. Heavy Crown: A combination defensive move with Luther, Heavy Crown folds their wings together to allow them to take any attack with no damage. Will last for twenty hits, or survive an otherwise fatal attack. Used sparingly between 100% to 45% health, used more frequently between 25% to 5% health. All-Seeing: An AOE attack, Alasondria brings her Halo eye in front of her, using a massive blast of magic to petrify the enemy. Petrification status has a 15% chance of being inflicted. Holy: Targeted AOE attack. Alasondria will fly to the heavens and cry tears of light that will plummet to the grounds below, often accompanied by Luther’s Ravages of Time. 10-15 hits, multiple targets within range. Umbrage: A fierce attack, Alasondria will utilize the power of the wind to create devastating slashes of air, occasionally allowing one of the four rings that rest upon her wrists and ankles to follow up for a stunning attack. Inflicts Stun, two targets max. Blooming Light: A blown kiss that can petrify the enemy. Single Target, no damage, but increases Aggro from Luther. If the previous move used was Aetherbloom, doubles Aggro from Luther, and has a 50% chance of Petrification.

Luther the Guardian: Level 65 || Level 80 (Rematch) HP: 2 Million || 9 Million Resistance: Fire, Earth, Slow, Stun Immunity: Ice, Lightning, Sleep, Poison Weaknesses: Wind, Blind, Silence Attack Type: Piercing Magic Type: Wind

           Attacks: Scholarly Pursuit: A single target chase across any field, Luther will aim to strike an enemy’s weakness. If hit from behind, will always be a critical hit. Heavy Shield: A combination defensive move with Alasondria, Heavy Shield folds his wings over her all-seeing eye, allowing them to take any attack with no damage. Will last for twenty hits, or survive an otherwise fatal attack. Used sparingly between 100% to 45% health, used more frequently between 25% to 5% health. Rage: Often the most common attack after Aetherbloom or Blooming Light. Channels his jealousy into a frenzied series of sweeping slashes to cause AOE damage. Can hit up to twenty meters away in all directions. Stopga: Freezes enemies caught within the lens of his halo, focusing all of his attention upon them. Increase Aggro with Alasondria, has a 15% chance of inflicting Bind. Ravages of Time: Similar to the Dragoon class High Jump, Luther takes to the skies and becomes a falling star to impact the ground at breakneck speed. Often done in concert with Alasondria’s Holy. Devotion: An AOE attack, Luther will teleport between Alasondria and an attacking enemy to rain a hail of spears towards the enemy. 2-5 hits, multiple targets possible. If the previous move is Ravages of Time, will become 5-9 hits for anyone before him.

Unique Status Effect - Petrification: Unique to Alasondria, the Status Effect Petrification is similar to a stasis attack. The target remains frozen in place, but the more hits the target takes, the bigger the damage multiplier becomes. This is also true for healing or items used. If the target is healed multiple times during Petrification, the effect will stack until it becomes a 6x multiplier. The same is true for attack. If both are applied to the target, then the damage is subtracted by the healing, and any leftover damage or healing is applied to the target.

Weak Points:

Alasondria the Curious: Primary Weakpoint is her All-Seeing Halo - will receive a 1.5x multiplier damage if successfully hit. A secondary weakpoint is her headband - breaking the hairband will result in temporary paralysis. Alasondria will be unable to move until the headband is repaired. The bracelets on her wrists and ankles can also be broken, which decrease her attack effectiveness. Her wings can also be broken, which will result in a 4% chance of Heavy Crown to fail.

Luther the Guardian: Primary Weakpoint is the halo above his head - will receive a 1.5x multiplier damage for every successful hit. Secondary Weakpoint is his tattooed eye - striking it successfully will result in temporary paralysis. Luther will be unable to move until his eye regenerates. His spear can be broken, which decreases attack effectiveness, and his shield can be broken as well, resulting in a 10% chance for Heavy Shield to fail.

                                                        Sin Eater Combat Concept for @celeine

[10000badframes]

Why I Left Music

To understand why I left music, you've got to start with why and how I got into music.

When I was little, I was deaf, and when my hearing was restored, it came back in stages. I would listen, rapt, to a My First Symphony tape as the sections of the orchestra were introduced one by one, and as time went on, each became more intelligible. High pitches were easier to discern, so the flute stood out like a beam of light in the darkness. What's more, I was surrounded by music on a daily basis. My dad is a wildly creative and intuitive musician, proficient on a number of instruments, my mother and brother sang beautifully, and my sister had been singing and playing violin from an early age. We sang as a family at home and at church, and I was in choir and handbell choir from my earliest memories on. I don't remember not being able to read music.   I started with piano, and moved to flute once my arms were long enough for the starter headjoint, in about fourth grade. My first teacher was the principle flute player with the Rochester Philharmonic, and when I moved to Iowa, I learned from the principal of the Des Moines Symphony. Both teachers made the smart move of throwing repertoire at me which was much more advanced than the usual stuff at my level, and because I didn't know it was supposed to be hard, I rocketed forward at a feverish pace. I continued with choir and handbell choir, and as my skill became more evident, I added youth orchestra, honor band, and pit orchestras, and that was just after school. During school I was in marching band, concert band, jazz band, and orchestra. I attended elite months-long summer camps for the nation's best young musicians. I competed regularly, and at one point was considered to be one of the top three musicians in my age bracket in the country. My first tattoo was of a treble clef. As a shy child in a talented family, I was pleased to have found my talent, the thing I didn't have to work very hard at in order to achieve great things. I rested my self-confidence on that talent, and when opportunities came up to show it off, I didn't turn them down. Nobody forced me to do any of the activities above; it came with a built-in social life and plentiful affirmation, so I almost never paused to think about whether or not this was something I actually wanted to do forever. It was simply assumed, as inherent a fact of life as the sunrise.   I probably should have known it wasn't for me when practicing was boring; almost unbearable. I heard about people enjoying practicing, and assumed that they were lying in order to look good. I would avoid it however I could, and did pretty well regardless. I loved ensemble work because I loved music, but listening to myself for hours on end, however good the result was, was miserable. At the worst of times, I assumed that my hatred of practicing meant that I was lazy and undisciplined, inherently a bad artist, and probably a bad person. I heard talk about 'flow state,' and how it made the time fly. Having never achieved it, I assumed that it was a lie. Since I'd specialized to such a high degree, music was the only course to follow in college. The culture surrounding classical music then became much more evident, divorced as it was from my little Midwestern fishbowl. I learned about the way I was expected to present my gender, and was pressured by my teacher to grow out my pixie cut out of concern that I wasn't feminine enough to be a flute player. I learned about the ingrained gender divide, and how child-bearing was considered the knell of doom for female musicians. I learned that I was one of thousands of young musicians all competing for the same handful of jobs, which could wait for perfection to walk through the door as the market was so flooded. I learned that blind auditions don't mask your gender if the judges can hear you inhale. Most depressing of all, I learned that my chances of getting an orchestral job - the only thing which I enjoyed about being a musician - were so small as to be statistically impossible. I would have to join the military, become a teacher, or quit. At first, I quit. Two years into my bachelor's degree at a prestigious school, I quit, leaving my family and community reeling in shock. They had all invested faith, time, and money in my dream of being a musician, and I had thrown it away. To them, it appeared to be an impulsive, flaky, and selfish decision to make, flying in the face of every opportunity I'd been given. To me, I was trying to stand up for myself. I was lost, depressed, occasionally suicidal, and suffering from ulcers. I was still battling the notion that I was lazy and undisciplined, and now everyone I knew saw me in the worst possible light. I leaned into my new failure status, and piled bad choices on top of bad choices, embarrassing myself and my family. Years later, when I had leveled out somewhat and come to terms with the fact that I needed a bachelor's degree in order to be taken seriously on the job market, I wanted to do anything except for music. I enrolled in a community college and took math, science, and art courses, the latter having been a hobby of mine since I was young. I'd been drawing cartoons to put in my boyfriend's lunch for years, and in my drawing and painting classes, I honed the skill. When the time came to transfer my credits to the state college, the majority of my post-high school credits were in art and music. I applied at the state's art school, and was turned down. My financial reality became clear; in order to get a bachelor's degree in under three years, the majority of my transferrable credits were in music, so to music I had to return. I was accepted at the music school, and went back to rehearsals, practicing, and competing. It was much the same as the last time, in ways both good and bad, with the notable difference that this time I was resigned to the impossibility of it all. Whenever people said they'd had a satisfying practice session, I lied through my teeth and said I had, too. I incurred my debt, got my degree, and left with zero intention of pursuing a master's, surfing a new wave of disappointment from teachers and my community alike. The shambling zombie of my career ambitions followed me when I moved to New York City due to my husband's job, and I paid hundreds of dollars for lessons from eminent professionals at Juilliard and the New York Philharmonic. I took masterclasses, invested in new equipment, and auditioned. Nothing substantial ever came from it, as the statistics had foretold. I watched my classmates move into the military and teaching, with a lucky few going on to teach at the collegiate level, and even fewer achieving a performance career. I practiced, and hated every minute. Then, at my breaking point, I watched Monsters University. It's such a weird way to switch gears. People took a number of things away from their experience of MU; mine was the message that you can be amazing at something and still never hope to make a career of it. What you have to do when you've faced up to that truth is to find what you loved about the career you thought you were going to have and apply it somewhere else. Adapt. Something better might be waiting. I thought about how live music is being replaced with synthesized music and orchestras are dying across the nation. I looked at my dusty art portfolio. There were dozens of animators in that credits sequence after MU, I thought. There are two flutes in every orchestra. The next day, I sat down with my husband at lunch, and said, "let's move to California. I want to be a 3D animator." This was surprising coming from me; I'd only ever reluctantly taken to digital media, and barely knew how to use Photoshop. My reasoning was that if I wanted to be at the forefront of a growing industry, and if I re-trained in animation, I would have a better chance of getting work than I had now (there was nowhere to go but up in that respect.) There would be more opportunities for both of us out in California, where his company had a major office, and where several prominent studios were housed. He agreed immediately, and got me The Illusion of Life for my 29th birthday. Maya is a hell of a tough program at the best of times. It has a mind of its own, and even when everything is running smoothly, you have to contend with such gauntlets as the graph editor (a mathematical representation of motion over time.) You know what you want the characters to do, but you have to use this thorny, labyrinthine program to do it, and I've cried many tears of frustration over it. You are responsible for every single movement, every blink, every shrug, every breath. It is dizzyingly easy to mess up, and impossibly, sixteen-dimensionally complicated. And yet. Flow state, that thing I thought was a lie? I found it. It was about six months in, while I was still wrestling with the program. I was grappling with the reality that I'm not naturally good at this, that my talent lies elsewhere, and any progress I make in this quarter will come from elbow grease alone. I was making adjustments to a scene, and realized that four hours had passed unnoticed. I felt energized and satisfied. I craved more. At thirty, I found out that I wasn't lazy and undisciplined, that I didn't hate hard work, that I wasn't a terrible person - I was just very, very good at something I didn't truly want to do. Now, I struggle and weep and sink weeks and months into seconds worth of footage, and I love it. Wild horses couldn't keep me away.

[pbacklinks]

How To Propose To Your Boyfriend

New Post has been published on https://pingbacklinks.com/how-to-propose-to-your-boyfriend/

How To Propose To Your Boyfriend

How To Propose To a Man  When He Doesn’t Propose To You

Although we are inarguably living in a modern society, one where the average woman doesn’t stand there waiting for a man to happen by to open a door for her any longer, there has not been any sort of uptrend in one area; women proposing to their boyfriends. In this ebook, we intend to investigate the phenomenon of women proposing to men, why the trend hasn’t taken off, and if it is the right choice for you and your boyfriend.

can a woman propose to a man

YES

In the first section, we’ll look at the social stigmas that are attached to women proposing to men. We’ll help you with your decision on proposing to your boyfriend being the right decision for you, and if it is, when you should pop the fateful question.

  Then, we will jump right into how to make the proposal phenomenal. Nobody wants to be asked for their hand in marriage inside of a port-a-potty at a Molly Hatchet concert, so we will help guide you into a scenario where you stand the best chances of your boyfriend uttering the phrase you are bucking tradition to hear, “yes, yes, a thousand times, yes”.

  Finally, we will cover the possible outcomes. The elation and celebration following a “yes”, and the way to gracefully deal with the answer if it is “no”. In addition, we’ll discuss the option of buying a ring to present for engagement, other possible engagement tokens, and how to successfully keep your boyfriend from feeling emasculated when you make the decision to make an honest man out of him.

  So, strap on your laciest garters, ladies, and let’s explore proposing to your boyfriend who hasn’t, or won’t, propose to you.

  When Should You Begin To Consider Proposing To Him?

Prior to proposing, you need to have a serious conversation with yourself about where your relationship currently stands. Most women are much more mature than men much more quickly, so you may be thinking wedding bells and baby buggies, but he is still content to play Playstation all day and eat Hot Pockets. Those are two entirely different outlooks on a relationship, and it may lead to you getting your feelings hurt if you propose to a guy who just isn’t in the commitment frame of mind.

  If the two of you have discussed marriage, children, your future together, and you have similar plans and goals, then you might be in the clear. However, if you can’t even agree on what his major is supposed to be, you are probably not in a place in life, or in your relationship, where proposing marriage will end in a satisfactory response for you.

  Traditionally, marriage was more of a business arrangement between families or clans that was put in place to successfully hand over land or provide protection for families. In current times, we have real estate agents and police forces for that, so marriage is free to be whatever you choose for it to be with you and your spouse. Currently, there are a lot of couples who are child free and intend to stay that way for life. Other married couples are in business together, and their finances would be greatly affected by divorce.

  There isn’t a current day scenario that requires people to have a spouse any longer. There are a lot of people who have never married, and they don’t ever want to . You need to know your boyfriend well enough to know how he feels about engagement, marriage, children, and all of the division of duties and day to day struggles that come along with agreeing to partner with another for the remainder of your lives.

  Prior to agreeing upon proposing to him being the right move for you, ask yourself these questions about your relationship and your boyfriend, and answer honestly:

  Are you currently living together? How is your home life together if you are cohabitating? If you aren’t yet living together, why not? Does he have extenuating circumstances, like children from previous relationships or a prior marriage? Do you live within thirty minutes of one another currently, or are you in a long distance relationship?

What are his views on marriage? On children? Do they align with your views on the subjects? If not, how substantial are the differences in your beliefs? Are they trivial differences in the grand scheme of life, like the number of children you plan to have? Are they potentially relationship destroying differences, such as one of you is polyamorous and the other is monogomous?

Are his beliefs in other areas of life pretty traditional, or is he a general forward thinking type of guy?

  If the two of you are already married, without the marriage certificate to prove it, then you will probably find he answers yes. He is more than likely already comfortable and settled into his life and routine with you. However, if you live on opposite sides of the country and only communicate via Skype on Sunday, you may be setting yourself up to have your heart broken. Answer yourself honestly when asking, “Is he really ready to be a husband? And is he really ready to be a husband to me?”

I’m Pretty Sure He’s In It For The Long Haul…

If you have decided that this is definitely a step that the two of you should be taking, and are both prepared to take, draw some motivation from famous women before you who grabbed their relationships by the stones.

Pink proposed to Carey Hart. He said yes.

Liz Taylor proposed to her 2nd husband. He said, yes, for a while anyway.

Kristen Bell proposed to Dax Shepard. I know, right?!?

Queen Victoria proposed to Prince Albert. Nevermind the fact they were cousins.

Zsa Zsa Gabor proposed to all 9 of her husbands. Let that sink in for a minute.

  Many women before you have decided that they were ready to take the plunge, and that they didn’t need to wait for their boyfriend to make the decision to marry them, so they instead did the asking. If you think that you and your guy are at that point, then, by all means, let’s get you prepared to take the next step.

  Is Asking Your Boyfriend For His Hand Appropriate?

Interestingly, unlike with any other topic up for discussion, the answer received from everyone from millennial to senior citizen, male and female, polled is “no”, this is still a role that isn’t appropriate for a woman to take upon herself. From 18 to 78, it seems as though the overwhelming response to this question is that it will not become a tradition that is lost with time, as many of the other traditions have over the years.

  Although many famous women over the years have proposed, they haven’t yet sparked the landslide of proposing women that one might suspect. It seems that in our hurry to shake off the weight of tradition where gender roles are concerned, most people aren’t anxious to let men proposing to women be one that is cast aside.

  Both the humor surrounding leap year and women proposing, and the Sadie Hawkins lore, are centered around unwanted or unattractive women essentially pushing men to agree to marry them. Cartoons, memes, jokes, and crude humor have surrounded these two “historically” female proposal driven dates, and neither of them look upon women asking for mens hands in marriage favorably. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Only old maids and women to be pitied are out here on one knee.

  Statistics show that 97% of heterosexual married couples polled stated that the husband popped the question. However, it is often noted that the couple had discussed marriage for a substantial time frame prior to the proposal, even so much as doing the engagement ring shopping together.

Even with that being said, the wives stated that they would not have preferred to do without the grand gesture, even going so far as to say that they wouldn’t have accepted the proposal without the show and spectacle behind the question popping.

  Of the women that were polled, it is interesting to note that most were self-proclaimed modern women, driven and “ruthless” in the career fields of their choosing. When asked why they didn’t care for the idea of women proposing to men, they offered the explanation that after being so aggressive in their careers, it was nice to be wanted and effeminate in their relationships.

  So We’re Ready To Do This…But, How?

The point that is noted again and again when asking about men being comfortable being proposed to, emasculation is mentioned again and again. In order to prevent your boyfriend from feeling emasculated by your proposal, we’ve put together a list of things you need to consider during the proposal that will help you avoid stripping him of his manhood.

  Do It Privately: In most cases, engagements are often the talk of the family and inner circle of the couple. However, your guy may accept, but not necessarily be comfortable with his friends or family knowing how it occurred. Leave the telling of the details up to your guy; make it a private affair between the two of you.

Think About His Ego: You know your guy. Is this proposal going to make him feel resentful or as though he didn’t do something in the right way? If your guy is the type to become miffed at a woman taking the first step, reconsider.

Make It Meaningful: We’ve all jokingly said things like “I would marry you for”” or something jokingly along those lines. Make your proposal serious and meaningful, you want to ensure that he knows that everything that you are saying is serious, and this is an actual proposal, not just you saying something that sounds like one.

Explain What He Means To You: Let him know, you think he is the bees knees. Tell him how he meets your list of perfect guy qualities. Whatever it is that you think is so terrific about your guy, tell him as much. He should know why it is that you have decided that he is so great, you needed to propose to him.

Plan For His Possible Reaction: There is a chance that his answer isn’t going to be a resounding yes. As terrible as that sounds, it will feel even worse. The fact is, if you’re taking the chance, you need to steel yourself for the possible outcomes. It is important to be honest with yourself, and be ready for whatever his answer may be.

DON’T PUSH IT: If you know he will respond poorly, get upset or even angry, do not propose. There’s no sense in going forward with something that you know is going to be poorly received and will cause a possible problem between the two of you. When in doubt, it’s better to just put it aside for now.

  To Ring, Or Not To Ring

We wondered about engagement rings, and how it would work in the cases where the roles are reversed. In most cases, the men were not presented with an engagement ring. However, there are lots of other fun gifts that you can give to your guy as a token of your love and devotion. What does your guy like? Is there something he really wants, a watch, a man cave, a trip?

  If you’re going to go the non-traditional route, you need to understand that you don’t have to present him with a ring for engagement. Your engagement gift can be as unique as your proposal to him. Think about what it is that he truly loves and either wants or needs in his life. The gift he won’t buy for himself because he considers it selfish to do so, or too extravagant. Exactly what a huge diamond is when a man buys it for you. That is the gift you should try to give him if he accepts your proposal for marriage.

  A surprising statistic is that over the past five years, the number of people searching for engagement gifts to give a guy when popping the question has increased 336%. That tells us you are certainly not alone in your desire to both pop the question, and provide a gift that is going to wow him and mean something at the same time.

Some of the great ideas that we came across are notable, authentic, and unique gifts:

  Locket cufflinks, when you open them there are tiny pictures of the two of you inside them.

Engraved tool kits, with your names or the date of your first date on their handles.

Customized bar kits if your guy likes to entertain. Depending on your budget, this can range from an entire customized bar for his man cave to actually building him a man cave that includes a bar.

What is your guy’s hobby? Golf? Customized clubs or balls. Camping? A bluetooth speaker that doubles as a lantern. The list goes on and on, just put some thought into it.

  The biggest factor is that you know the ins and outs of your man. By giving him an awesome, personalized, thoughtful gift, you’re telling him you know the things that matter to him, and that it’s important to you to provide those things to him when you can. That doesn’t mean you have to blow your entire budget for food this year, it just means that you should do the most awesome gift giving that your funds provide for.

  If your guy is into vintage Rolex, but you only have Timex funds, you may want to focus on another hobby and collection of his. However, if you put some time and thought into giving a great gift, you should be able to do something unique and special to his heart that will really blow his mind.

  How To Go About Proposing To Him

The best sort of proposals are said to be fun and romantic. When you’re talking about proposing to your guy, it can be a little tricky to plan a proposal that is both of these. Some of the ideas for proposing to a woman don’t necessarily translate well to proposing to your guy. A list of a few great guidelines are:

  Propose using one of his hobbies or favorite pastimes: The best way to get him to not only enjoy the proposal, but to make it a great time for both of you is to employ the use of his hobbies. If he is a hiker and camper, scout out a great camping trip, and lay down the plans to take him. If he is a fan of the beach, plan a weekend getaway to a private beach, and propose to him at sunrise. The sky’s the limit when it comes to utilizing your man’s favorite things to show him you know him, and you want to spend your life with him.

Try a new adventure together: Has he always wanted to go bungee jumping? Maybe he has voiced the fact that he would like to visit a winery? Whatever new hobby or adventure he has mentioned wanting to try, or something that you know he would think is the coolest thing ever, perhaps you could set it up for both of you to take part in it. This will lay the groundwork for you to propose, and show him that you are down to learn and partake in the things that he thinks are pretty awesome.

Cook for him: The old adage still rings true, you can speak best to a man’s heart through his stomach. Make his favorite food, or bring his favorite take out home to have together. If you can’t cook, though, you may want to stick with the take out. It probably won’t go over as smoothly if you try to make his mom’s chicken and dumplings recipe and fail miserably at it.

  Some of these might be a little more your man’s style, especially if he is a younger guy:

  Turn it into a treasure hunt: If he is an adventurous type of guy that enjoys being in the woods, try creating a cool treasure hunt by hiding things out in a nice campsite, and taking him on a hiking trip to find them. Some of the things you could hide would be small trinkets that mean something to you guys as a couple, such as movie stubs under a rock, or coasters from your favorite spot tacked to a tree. The point is to make him remember the great times you guys have together, and all of the things in common that you two have. You could make your engagement gift the last thing to find on the treasure hunt, and then propose to him once he locates it.

Make a YouTube video for him: Let’s face it, it’s hard to get your guy to pay attention for very long unless it is in video form, usually involving animals doing something funny, or someone getting injured enough to be funny. Of course, we aren’t suggesting you hurt yourself, but making a YouTube video for him, maybe highlighting all of the amazing things about your relationship is a great idea. You could even propose to him in the video, which might work well for you if you tend to trip over your words when you are nervous.

Relive your first date together: This might work for you if you had a quiet and laid back first date, because you want to try to keep the proposal based where just the two of you are involved. So if your first date was the movies or a crowded restaurant, this probably isn’t going to work very well for you, but it may if your first date was a picnic.

  Some Of The Reasons Proposals Have Been Rejected”

When looking into the options of proposals, it is always important to look at some of the reasons that marriage proposals have been rejected. This will help you prevent doing something that could possibly turn a yes into a no. Some of the reasons are fairly obvious, but none of them really go without saying, as they have been a legitimate reason for someone else to say no:

  An Unromantic/Uncomfortable Setting: With all of the options that we have given you on settings to use for your proposal to your boyfriend, please don’t commit this violation of the rules. If you know that your guy hates being the center of attention, and you go to his office to propose to him in front of 200 coworkers, don’t say that you weren’t warned. Try your best to choose a setting that is quiet, romantic, and special to the two of you.

Terrible Wording: Saying something along the lines of “you are my best rebound boyfriend ever” or “at least you have a car” is pretty much guaranteed to get a no on your marriage proposal. You should put a lot of thought into the way that you’re going to pop the question. Don’t just say the first thing that comes to mind. Try making some notes. Practice your speech on your dog, or in front of the mirror for a while. If it doesn’t sound good to you, it probably isn’t going to sound good to him either. Think about what you’re going to say in the case of your proposal being rejected also.

Scared Of Commitment: If you know for certain that your guy is terrified of being in a committed relationship, you might want to reconsider what you’re doing. You don’t want to set yourself up for failure. Asking a commitment phobe for their hand in marriage is almost a surefire way to end a relationship.

Hoping To Salvage A Relationship: So you have been going through a rough patch in your relationship lately, maybe you guys have decided to take a break. Now is not the time to propose marriage in hopes he will say yes and everything is going to magically be repaired. It won’t. If you aren’t in a good place in your relationship right now, it isn’t the right time to ask him.

You Were Caught Cheating: This is one of those we wish we didn’t need to say, but unfortunately it seems it is necessary. The fact that this has happened enough in relationships that it is listed as one of the top reasons to reject a marriage proposal is a disturbing fact. If your boyfriend suspects you’re cheating, or you have recently been caught cheating and he has taken you back, we cannot stress to you enough that this isn’t the right time to propose to your boyfriend.

To Stabilize Your Relationship: If you have a volatile or abusive relationship, we need you to please sit down and think about what you are doing for about 2 years. If you aren’t happy in your relationship, but you think that asking him to marry you is somehow going to suddenly fix all of the problems in your relationship, that just isn’t going to happen.

    The Stage Is Set, You’re Ready, So Now What?…

We already know that this marriage proposal is going to go one of two possible ways. Now the options for the yes answer are pretty awesome, but the other…not so much. First, let’s cover what to do if he says no to your marriage proposal.

  In most cases, after a proposal for marriage is rejected, the relationship doesn’t last very much longer. The reason for this is, of course, that the two of you don’t necessarily see the relationship in the same way, and probably have different ideas about the future. In some cases, he just may not believe that you’re the one, which may be the reason that he never asked for your hand in marriage.

  You need to prepare yourself for the fact that this could very well be a defining moment in the relationship, and not in a good way, either. Let’s take a look at some of the possible outcomes if he does answer with a no to the proposal of marriage:

  If You Live Together: There is a good possibility that if the two of you are living together, and he rejects your proposal, you may need to think about who will move out. Make sure that you have an alternative plan together for what is going to take place if he does not say yes to your proposal and the relationship ends. Will you move? Will he? Are you financially ready to make a change at this moment? Be sure that you have not put yourself into a position that isn’t fiscally impossible for you at this exact moment.

Do You Have The Same Friend Circle?: One of the worst things throughout the process of a breakup is choosing who keeps which friend. Having mutual friends as a couple is something that naturally takes place over time, but can impact a breakup in a big way, and make breaking up even more difficult. If you are hanging out with mostly his friends, you may want to consider contacting some of your friends and setting up a support system for yourself, just in case you need people to talk to after a rejected proposal. You simply aren’t going to need to be spending that time alone, and it’s going to more than likely be pretty emotional for you.

Who Keeps What, Pets, Etc: Even if you guys don’t live together, you may own things together or have pets together. If you have pets together, who will your pet stay with? If it is you, do you have a safe home for the pet to go to along with you? You want to be sure to fully think about the aftermath and what a potential break up is going to mean for you, your things, and your pets.

  How To Handle A “No” With Grace”

Although most of us would probably want to curl up into a ball and wait for the earth to swallow us, that isn’t the way that you need to handle a proposal rejection. Really, it isn’t. Instead, listen to what he has to say. He may be in a different place mentally about the relationship. Maybe he has something else taking place, such as a possible career shift or an ill family member, and he feels as though it may affect things between the two of you in a negative way. At least hear him out, because when you are replaying it in your mind, you will ask yourself why things didn’t go the way that you thought that you would.

  However, you want to remember that there is nothing wrong with you. You shouldn’t lose hope in all relationships and marriage just because this didn’t go the way that you planned for it to go. You will find someone who thinks that you’re absolutely terrific and who wouldn’t dream of saying no to a proposal from you. It just isn’t this guy.

  In order to keep from falling into a depression and swearing off dating forever, try to follow some of these tips so you can stay positive about the matter, and positive about yourself:

  Try To Date Yourself: Take yourself out, and focus on doing the things that matter to you. If you like visiting museums and botanical gardens, go and do those things. If you want to ride horses or scuba dive, take yourself on the trips to make those things possible. Do the things for yourself that you may have been waiting for the right partner to do them with. There is no time like the present to date yourself.

Focus On Your Career: Throwing yourself into your work is a great answer to a breakup. Not only does it help to do more at your job, but you could possibly see better income from it, and that is always a good thing after a breakup because now you have to consider the fact that you’re paying the bills without any assistance. However, it can be necessary to take a day or two of vacation time or sick time immediately after so that you aren’t crying or emotional at work. The fewer people at your job that know about it, the less likely they are to ask, setting you off into crying spells while at work. Crying or being emotional at your job is never advisable.

Broaden Your Horizons: So you and he loved to go bowling every Friday, then movies every Saturday? Stop doing those things for a while, and explore some new options for yourself. Try taking up a new hobby, or visiting new places. Make some new friends, join a new social group, anything that helps you to focus on you and the new things that you can do and accomplish.

Stay Away From Social Media: You don’t necessarily need to give up all social media altogether, but places like Facebook and Instagram can be brutal after a break up. Just take a break from places that will have pictures of the two of you and reminders of your relationship for a while. There is plenty of time later to change your status and delete pictures. Now isn’t the time to do such things, especially while you are still emotional about things.

Remember How Great You Are: Just because one guy couldn’t see how absolutely amazing you would be as a wife doesn’t mean that nobody will. Focus on keeping your health and mental state positive and don’t allow yourself to get lost in ice cream and old reruns. Get up, exercise, run with your dog, and take care of yourself as you always have. You’ve got this. Things happen, you’ll be ok. Seriously. You’ll be ok.

  But He Said Yes”

Well, outstanding! This is terrific news! So, what should you do now?

  Throw An Engagement Party: If you just got engaged, what better time to share the news with your friends and loved ones than with an engagement party? There are a lot of interesting party ideas that can help you plan a bash that is suitable to your personalities, and can really reflect the love that you two have for one another. Some great engagement party themes are:

Backyard BBQ, With Games And Family Friendly Entertainment

Vintage Cocktail Party With Themed Dress

Luau, With Pig Roasting

Clam Bake

A Weekend Away With Your Best Couple Friends

If the two of you would rather keep it solo, there are plenty of amazing ways for you to celebrate as a couple that are themed as well.

Movie Night At Home

Dinner For Two, Either Take Out Or Your Favorite Restaurant

Pizza Night And Arcade Games

  What Next?

The great news is that you are now an engaged couple. You can begin to plan for your engagement, such as sharing the news with family and friends. You can start to plan your wedding, or decide together that you aren’t necessarily a big fan of weddings, and would rather just have a quiet civil ceremony with those closest to you.

  The fact is, it is a relationship between the two of you, so it’s all about what you two want for yourselves as a couple. You are the two that are going to be having a life together, so at the end of the day, what anyone else thinks or wants for you just isn’t important. If you want to be unique and do things your own way when it comes to engagement and marriage that is your right.

  Celebrate the fact that you two have a love for one another and have found someone to enjoy the rest of your life with. Be happy. Have a great life together. It’s exactly what you signed up for when you decided to ask your boyfriend to marry you.

  An Overview:

Prior to proposing, you need to have a serious conversation with yourself about where your relationship currently stands. Most women are much more mature than men much more quickly, so you may be thinking wedding bells and baby buggies, but he is still content to play Playstation all day and eat Hot Pockets. Those are two entirely different outlooks on a relationship, and it may lead to you getting your feelings hurt if you propose to a guy who just isn’t in the commitment frame of mind.

  If the two of you have discussed marriage, children, your future together, and you have similar plans and goals, then you might be in the clear. However, if you can’t even agree on what his major is supposed to be, you are probably not in a place in life, or in your relationship, where proposing marriage will end in a satisfactory response for you.

  If you’re going to go the non-traditional route, you need to understand that you don’t have to present him with a ring for engagement. Your engagement gift can be as unique as your proposal to him. Think about what it is that he truly loves and either wants or needs in his life. The gift he won’t buy for himself because he considers it selfish to do so, or too extravagant. Exactly what a huge diamond is when a man buys it for you. That is the gift you should try to give him if he accepts your proposal for marriage.

  A surprising statistic is that over the past five years, the number of people searching for engagement gifts to give a guy when popping the question has increased 336%. That tells us you are certainly not alone in your desire to both pop the question, and provide a gift that is going to wow him and mean something at the same time.

  Propose using one of his hobbies or favorite pastimes: The best way to get him to not only enjoy the proposal, but to make it a great time for both of you is to employ the use of his hobbies. If he is a hiker and camper, scout out a great camping trip, and lay down the plans to take him. If he is a fan of the beach, plan a weekend getaway to a private beach, and propose to him at sunrise. The sky’s the limit when it comes to utilizing your man’s favorite things to show him you know him, and you want to spend your life with him.

Try a new adventure together: Has he always wanted to go bungee jumping? Maybe he has voiced the fact that he would like to visit a winery? Whatever new hobby or adventure he has mentioned wanting to try, or something that you know he would think is the coolest thing ever, perhaps you could set it up for both of you to take part in it. This will lay the groundwork for you to propose, and show him that you are down to learn and partake in the things that he thinks are pretty awesome.

Cook for him: The old adage still rings true, you can speak best to a man’s heart through his stomach. Make his favorite food, or bring his favorite take out home to have together. If you can’t cook, though, you may want to stick with the take out. It probably won’t go over as smoothly if you try to make his mom’s chicken and dumplings recipe and fail miserably at it.

  If his answer is a no, most of us would probably want to curl up into a ball and wait for the earth to swallow us, that isn’t the way that you need to handle a proposal rejection. Really, it isn’t. Instead, listen to what he has to say. He may be in a different place mentally about the relationship. Maybe he has something else taking place, such as a possible career shift or an ill family member, and he feels as though it may affect things between the two of you in a negative way. At least hear him out, because when you are replaying it in your mind, you will ask yourself why things didn’t go the way that you thought that you would.

  However, you want to remember that there is nothing wrong with you. You shouldn’t lose hope in all relationships and marriage just because this didn’t go the way that you planned for it to go. You will find someone who thinks that you’re absolutely terrific and who wouldn’t dream of saying no to a proposal from you. It just isn’t this guy.

  If his answer is yes, the great news is that you are now an engaged couple. You can begin to plan for your engagement, such as sharing the news with family and friends. You can start to plan your wedding, or decide together that you aren’t necessarily a big fan of weddings, and would rather just have a quiet civil ceremony with those closest to you.

  The fact is, it is a relationship between the two of you, so it’s all about what you two want for yourselves as a couple. You are the two that are going to be having a life together, so at the end of the day, what anyone else thinks or wants for you just isn’t important. If you want to be unique and do things your own way when it comes to engagement and marriage that is your right.

  Celebrate the fact that you two have a love for one another and have found someone to enjoy the rest of your life with. Be happy. Have a great life together. It’s exactly what you signed up for when you decided to ask your boyfriend to marry you.

  We are wishing you the best, and certainly hope that your decision to forego tradition works out the best way possible for you. You are doing brave things, and it speaks to your character as a woman.

ways for a woman to propose to a man .

[blogsarahjames]

Facts You Didn't Know about Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

He is known as one of the best players in the Premier League and has kicked the ball for different clubs such as Southampton, Arsenal, and Liverpool during his professional career.

The 26-year-old made his debut for the senior England team on 26 May 2012 and later he received a surprise call-up to the England squad for UEFA Euro 2012, becoming the second youngest player ever to represent England in the European Championships behind Wayne Rooney. He was also called up for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

A few days ago we saw Perrie Edwards, his girlfriend, talking about him, live on Good Morning Britain as she made a joke that isolating with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is like dealing 'with a child who has been given Coca-Cola and sweets'. It has to be mentioned that like many others, the pair are self-isolated due to the breakdown of Coronavirus COVID-19.

Facts you should know about Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Are you ready? Let’s keep on.

Early life

Born in Portsmouth, Alex was born in a small family. His mother is named Wendy Oxlade while his father is Mark Chamberlain and he also has a brother named Christian Oxlade Chamberlain. Mark Chamberlain was the former Stoke City, Portsmouth and England international player, while Alex’s uncle, Neville Chamberlain, was also a professional footballer, as is his younger brother, Christian, who plays for Notts County.

He was young when he attended the independent St John's College in Southsea. He grew up as an Arsenal supporter while he also played rugby union as a scrum half or full back and nearly chose that sport over football when he was offered a trial at London Irish. However, that was not all for the boy as he also played cricket as a wicketkeeper, bowler and opening batsman with south east Hampshire. He was offered trials as a wicketkeeper batsman with Hampshire, but declined because it conflicted with his youth footballing duties.

It also has to be mentioned that Alex has Afro-Jamaican ancestry on his father’s side while he is of English descent on his mother’s side.

Body Statistics

Oxlade-Chamberlain is 5 ft 8½ inch or 174 cm tall while he weighs 71 kg or 156.5 lbs. He has got black hair and dark brown eyes.

Girlfriend and relationships

Alex Oxlade Chamberlain is neither married nor engaged. In February 2017, Oxlade-Chamberlain was confirmed to be dating singer Perrie Edwards of the girl group “Little Mix” since December 2016.

There is no leaked news about Chamberlain’s previous relationships while Perrie was formerly engaged to Zayn Malik until their 2015 split.

Alex was first linked with singer Perrie Edwards in November 2016 after she was spotted supporting her new boyfriend at the Emirates Stadium in London during Arsenal’s English Premier League fixture. Subsequently, Alex was spotted in the crowd during Little Mix’s performance at The X Factor final. The public confirmation came in the form of a picture of the new couple kissing in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Alex Chamberlain Favorite Things

It would be interesting to know that Alex’s Soccer Icons areThierry Henry, Gianfranco Zola, while his non soccer favorite athlete is Usain Bolt. The 26-year-old player is a fan of Drake’s concerts and he likes Las Vegas as his travel destination. His favorite TV show is Sons of Anarchy (2008-2014), while he likes  Shawshank Redemption as his favorite film.

Surprisingly Chamberlain’s dream Job is to be a singer or rapper. Did you have any idea on that?

Strengths and Weaknesses

He is well known for his talent at passing, dribbling, speed, acceleration, surging runs through the middle, stamina, mobility and physical presence, while his weaknesses are in tackling, defensive contribution, tactical discipline, and focus.

Club career

First of all it has to be said that he is best known for playing as a winger and midfielder for Arsenal and England national teams, while he was referred as Arsenal joker during his time at the club.

Southampton

Oxlade-Chamberlain joined the Southampton Academy at the age of seven and on 2 March 2010, he made his first-team debut for Southampton, at 16 years 199 days, coming off the bench in a 5–0 victory over Huddersfield Town. Starring in the game, he became the club's second youngest ever appearance maker behind Theo Walcott. He continued playing for the team and at the beginning of the 2010–11 season, made his first competitive start on 10 August against AFC Bournemouth in the first round of the League Cup. During the match, he scored the second goal of Southampton's 2–0 victory, which was his first senior goal.

On 20 August 2010, shortly after his 17th birthday, Oxlade-Chamberlain signed his first professional contract lasting for three years. His first league start came in a 2–0 loss at home to Rochdale on 4 September 2010 and his first league goal came in a 2–1 victory over Oldham Athletic on 23 October 2010, which proved to be the match winner. He scored two more goals and also got an assist in a 4–0 win over Dagenham & Redbridge on 2 November 2010, when he was voted Man of the Match in a league match for the first time.

Chamberlain finished the season with nine goals as Southampton were promoted to the Championship; he was named in the PFA League One Team of the Year for the 2010–11 season.

That was the end for the young player in Southampton as he was subsequently the subject of transfer speculation and in June his father, Mark Chamberlain, stated he was eager for his son to join Arsenal "as soon as possible" to "continue his development".

Arsenal

Finally on 8 August 2011, Oxlade-Chamberlain signed his contract with Arsenal and joined the Gunners. It also has to be mentioned that though neither club involved revealed details of the contractual arrangements, press sources indicated that the fee was a £12 million initial payment which could rise to £15 million with "add-ons".

Later, on 28 August 2011, Alex made his debut for Arsenal in the 8–2 defeat away to Manchester United, as a 62nd-minute substitute for Francis Coquelin, thus becoming the 150th player to represent Arsenal in the Premier League. One month later and on 20 September 2011, he scored his first goal for Arsenal in the 58th minute of a League Cup match against Shrewsbury Town, with a drive from 25 yards. Arsenal won that match with a 3-1 result.

Just 8 days later and on 28 September 2011, the brilliant midfielder, scored the opening goal in the eighth minute of his UEFA Champions League debut against Greek team Olympiacos, running diagonally onto an Alex Song long pass and past several defenders before finishing into the corner of the goal. In so doing, he became the youngest Englishman to score in the Champions League, surpassing teammate Theo Walcott's record. What an honor! Huh?!

Oxlade-Chamberlain started his first Premier League match for Arsenal in a 2–1 defeat to Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on 22 January 2012, contributing an assist to a Robin van Persie goal. Arsène Wenger replaced him with Andrey Arshavin in the 78th minute, with the score at 1–1. After that decision, not only did Arsenal fans boo Wenger to take Oxlade-Chamberlain off, Van Persie also remonstrated with the manager. On 4 February 2012, Oxlade-Chamberlain celebrated his first two Premier League goals in a home match against Blackburn Rovers which finished in a 7–1 victory to Arsenal. Following this match, Wenger praised Oxlade-Chamberlain for his fast development.

Later after the second leg of the Champions League second round against Milan, Oxlade-Chamberlain earned many plaudits for his impressive run of form, and for his display against strong European opposition; he was described by Marco van Basten as a "gem", while then-Arsenal captain Robin van Persie stated Oxlade-Chamberlain was the future of both Arsenal and England.

At the end of his first season in the Premier League, Oxlade-Chamberlain was nominated for PFA Young Player of the Year while he was the youngest player on the shortlist and he eventually lost out to Tottenham Hotspur's Kyle Walker, three years his senior.

With the beginning of 2012–13 season, Oxlade-Chamberlain scored his first goal of the season from 25 yards out in a 6–1 home victory over Coventry City in the League Cup.

Later on 19 December 2012, the club announced that Oxlade-Chamberlain, along with Aaron Ramsey, Kieran Gibbs, Jack Wilshere and Carl Jenkinson, have signed a new long term contract with Arsenal. Surprisingly, Oxlade-Chamberlain scored his only Premier League goal of the 2012–13 season in a 7–3 home win against Newcastle United.

On the opening day of the 2013–14 season, Oxlade-Chamberlain assisted Olivier Giroud's goal in a 3–1 defeat at home to Aston Villa. However, sadly he came off injured and it was later revealed he would be out for between six weeks and three months. This accident caused him miss England's remaining World Cup qualifiers against Poland and Montenegro.

Anyway, no matter what, despite not playing for Arsenal since picking up the injury, Oxlade-Chamberlain was still nominated for the Golden Boy Award 2013 in recognition of his performances earlier in the year for England and Arsenal.

On 2 February, Oxlade-Chamberlain scored his first two goals of the season in Arsenal's 2–0 win over Crystal Palace. Later on, he missed the last few weeks of the season, including the 2014 FA Cup Final, after picking up a groin injury.

The 26-year-old began the 2014–15 season by winning the 2014 FA Community Shield with Arsenal beating Manchester City 3–0 at Wembley Stadium. On 27 September, he scored in the North London derby in a 1–1 draw against Tottenham. He continued the season by scoring a goal in Arsenal’s UEFA Champions League match against RSC Anderlecht which eventually finished 3–3. He also scored in the round of 16 match against Monaco in February. Two matches later, he was injured in a 2–1 win against Manchester United in the FA Cup and had to be withdrawn just after half-time. Eventually the hamstring injury made him miss the games for three to four weeks. On 30 May 2015, Oxlade-Chamberlain came on as a substitute in the 2015 FA Cup Final and set up Olivier Giroud to make it 4–0 which was the final score against Aston Villa at Wembley Stadium.

On 2 August 2015, the English footballer scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Chelsea in the Community Shield. His only league goal that season came away to Bournemouth, which was the first goal he scored for Arsenal in a league match away from home.

On 23 February 2016, he suffered another serious injury, this time in knee, in a 2–0 home defeat by Barcelona in the Champions League. The injury was initially expected to prevent him playing for up to eight weeks, but later in May and during training the situation got worse and in the end he was forced to be out for  the rest of the season, including the summer UEFA Euro 2016 tournament.

In 2016–17 season, Oxlade-Chamberlain started on the bench for Arsenal's opening day defeat to Liverpool, however he replaced the injured Alex Iwobi to score Arsenal's second goal in a 3–4 defeat. Oxlade-Chamberlain also created an assist for Olivier Giroud's last minute equaliser at Old Trafford as Arsenal sealed a 1–1 draw with Manchester United. The brilliant midfielder also scored a goal against West Ham United and created an assist for a goal from Alexis Sánchez in Arsenal's first away match at the London Stadium, where they won 5–1. He scored three times in Arsenal's 2016–17 EFL Cup campaign where they reached the quarter-finals of the tournament.

Later on 23 April, Chamberlain won the man of the Match Award in the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City, having provided an assist for Nacho Monreal to score an equaliser. This was his second match in a new wing-back role. He also provided assists for both goals in a 2–0 win in the home fixture against Manchester United on 7 May. This way he finished his days at Arsenal, shining as the star he always was.

Liverpool

On 31 August 2017, Oxlade-Chamberlain signed a five-year contract with Arsenal's Premier League rivals Liverpool for a £35 million fee. He made his debut for Liverpool on 9 September 2017, coming on as a substitute in a 5–0 loss to Manchester City. He scored his first goal for the club on 17 October, coming off the bench to score in a 7–0 Champions League win over Maribor, a result which was the joint-largest ever away win in the competition, and the largest away win by an English club. On 4 November 2017, he scored his first league goal for Liverpool in a 4–1 victory over West Ham. Later on 14 January 2018, he scored the first goal in his side's 4–3 victory over Manchester City, ending their unbeaten run in the Premier League that season.

On 25 April 2018, the young player, once again, suffered a serious injury to his knee in the 15th minute of the Champions League semi-final first leg 5–2 victory against Roma, which prevented him playing further during the season, or participating in the World Cup finals.

During the 2018–19 season and on 18 July, Liverpool confirmed that Oxlade-Chamberlain will miss the majority of the season, with Klopp stating: “It feels like now is an appropriate time to tell people that for Ox this coming season will be about focusing on recovery and rehab". However, later on 28 December, Klopp stated that Oxlade-Chamberlain's rehabilitation was going "ahead of schedule" and that "if he makes further steps like he did in the last few weeks then he can play Premier League football this season, which is nice to know". Finally on 26 April 2019, Oxlade-Chamberlain made his return as a substitute in Liverpool's 5–0 league win over Huddersfield.

It was time for 2019–20 season to start in a different way. In the beginning of the season and on 22 August, Chamberlain signed an extension to his contract until 2024. Back to fitness following the extensive rehabilitation, in late October and early November, Oxlade-Chamberlain scored three Champions League goals in the space of two weeks against Genk, as well as a long-range effort against former club Arsenal in the League Cup on 30 October. He scored his first league goal of the season the following month, slotting home a ball from Jordan Henderson to provide the first in a 3–0 away win over Bournemouth, on 7 December. Exactly two weeks later, on 21 December, Chamberlain started for Liverpool in the FIFA Club World Cup final against Flamengo, playing 75 minutes until he was forced off due to an injury after "falling awkwardly on his ankle"; Klopp later confirmed how Chamberlain will miss the remaining two games of 2019, as he sustained "damage to his ankle ligament".

International career

That was not all for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as he also has done a lot in international scale. He was called up to the England Under-18 squad for the match against Poland which took place on 16 November 2010 at Adams Park. England won the match 3–0 and Oxlade-Chamberlain played the first 45 minutes before he was substituted.

Not much later he was called up to the England Under-19 squad to face Germany on 8 February 2011, but on 2 February he was promoted into the England under-21 team for a friendly match away to Italy on 8 February. In the match, he came on as a 60th-minute substitute, replacing Henri Lansbury. England lost the match 1–0 with the Italians scoring from a penalty two minutes from time.

Oxlade-Chamberlain made his first start for the Under-21s against Azerbaijan on 1 September 2011 and claimed two assists during the game. He also made a brief appearance against Israel on 5 September, coming on in the second half to claim three assists to push England from a 1–0 deficit to a 4–1 comeback victory. A month later, he scored a hat-trick against Iceland as England won 3–0 in Reykjavík. Later on 10 November 2011, young Alex played in 5–0 win for the under-21s against Iceland, to remain top of Group 8. On 29 February 2012, he netted a late penalty as England made certain of at least a play-off spot for the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship with a 4–0 victory over Belgium.

Senior team

Euro 2012

Finally on 16 May 2012, Oxlade-Chamberlain was called up to the 23-man senior England squad for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine. He made his debut for the senior England team on 26 May 2012 in a 1–0 win against Norway in a warm-up match, coming on as a substitute for Ashley Young in the second half. Then on 2 June he made his first senior start for England playing 66 minutes before being replaced by Theo Walcott in a 1–0 win against Belgium at Wembley Stadium, another warm-up match, and England's final match before the tournament. On 11 June, he made his major international tournament debut when he started in England's opening match of the Euro 2012 tournament against France.

World Cup 2014 qualifiers

On 12 October 2012, Ox scored his first senior international goal, in a 5–0 victory over San Marino. He scored again in the return match against San Marino on 22 March 2013, which England won 8–0.

Almost 2 month later and on 2 June 2013, he scored against Brazil in the official opening of the refurbished Maracanã Stadium, with the match finishing 2–2. He came on as a second-half substitute and scored on a half-volley to bring the score to 1–1.

On 16 May 2018, due to injury Alex was left out of Gareth Southgate's 23-man England national team squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Net worth

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has an estimated net worth over £13.1 million in 2020, including all of his assets and incomes. He currently receives weekly wage of £120,000 while his annual salary is £6,240,000. As of now, his market value is recorded to be £40 million.

[istjproblems]

Hey I'm in between ISTJ and INTJ right now, could you say what convinced you you were definitely not an INTJ?

the fact that if everyone who actually knew me well IRL knew as much about MBTI as I did, they would all say I was an ISTJ

people who knew me in childhood would tell you that I was almost always in my own world (which was, honestly, the biggest thing that kept me thinking I was an intuitive for so long), but they would also tell you I had an unusually strong memory, wanted things to be the same exact way every time, very rarely stepped out of line unless you made me change direction or upset my sense of how things are supposed to be, paid attention to details, acted mature relatively soon, ate like four things and KNEW if someone had put some unwelcome ingredient in the cookies, described things with unexpected but understandable comparisons, was constantly working on drawing realistic art, when I got into something I was in it for the long haul, and sometimes when I got creative in a new way it was just absolutely weird.

people who know me now describe me as down to earth and consistent, among other non-typology related things, and some people have told me that I’m good at relating things to stories of times they had completely forgotten about.

sometimes, a lot of times, people are wrong about you. but if a majority of people who actually like you would give overwhelming evidence against your self perception, the evidence is at least worth considering.

addressing stereotypes with the fact that Si is subjective

this seems obvious, but if you actually think about it, it flies in the face of a lot of people’s perceptions of SJs. the stereotypical SJ is probably a middle class white dude who grew up in the American midwest or south, consumed all the same media as his peers, went to college for a practical major just like his parents, and landed an office job that he never had a compelling reason to leave. obviously no one actually believes that’s what all SJs are like, but we still have to be careful not to hear about how statistically normal they are and associate them with our cultural perception of normal. all you have to do is imagine our aforementioned stereotypical SJ being raised by musicians in Portland and you’ve got a completely different person. change enough variables and you could easily come up with ways for this person to feel distant from their own cultural norms. 

I may be off here, but I tend to think of type as a template for your personality, not actually your personality itself. you fill it in with your values, interests, experiences, etc., and you’ll keep doing that your whole life. 

mbti-notes has some really detailed descriptions of the functions, and they describe Si by what it does with the values and goals you already have, not as being the goal setter. 

the things that were or were not relatable about INTJ descriptions

a huge portion of well written INTJ content is relatable… with the exception of gut feelings and sensory overload

it’s not that I don’t ever get “gut feelings,” it’s just that I can probably count the times I’ve had them on one hand. but even then, once it comes I will immediately start backing it up with evidence. like, of course this career path feels right, look how many ways it lines up with my skill set. and then that arsenal of evidence propels me to follow it, keeps me going when I lose inspiration, and creates the greatest source of confusion when things don’t work out. can I be single minded? absolutely. but I create that singlemindedness from real life sources.

same goes for sensory overload in situations that aren’t inherently unpleasant - it happens, but very rarely, and there’s usually something else going on (EDIT: when I wrote this I was specifically thinking of the fact that I don’t mind environments like concerts and busy cities where there’s a lot going on all around. Turns out my relationship was sensory overload is a little more complicated than that, but the point is, I couldn’t relate to intuitive doms who felt out of their element just because of the *amount* of sensory information to take in).

accepting other characteristics about myself that would be more understandable if I were an ISxJ

you know what does happen though? novelty overload.

a few years ago I ended up doing a lot of traveling. all of us who went were in agreement that we would do as many things as we could that were unique to the places we were visiting, and it was a great experience. but after weeks of exploring different streets with different people every week, pointing at pictures on menus to order, and not solidifying plans until the morning of, every recognizable thing you let yourself have - a starbucks, an album in your earbuds you’ve played 74 times, a store you have at your local mall - starts to feel like taking your shoes off after a 12 hour workday (even if it still feels a bit like you’re cheating in the game). new experiences are beautiful and important, but the constant mental background noise of “I don’t know what I’m doing” was tremendously exhausting for me in a way that I don’t think it was for the people I went with. we all had our things we had to work through, and that happened to be mine.

back to when I was figuring out my type - in addition to novelty overload, there were plenty of other Si/Ne seeming things I had to explain, such as:

 - really low patience for people who read too much into things

 - a near paranoia when I’m in a public place about doing things the way they are normally done, not being in places where I feel like I shouldn’t be, etc.

 - thinking of acquiring new sensory skills as being an extremely personal process (like instruments, sports, etc.)

 - reacting to traumatic events by expecting them to repeat themselves any minute

I don’t know if all ISxJs have those issues specifically but I knew I was reaching hard to call them Ni things.

considering other options for interpreting my internal monologues

debating current issues to try and explain why things are the way they are? all based on observation and a desire to have my observations not conflict with each other - trying to resolve cognitive dissonance is just human. drawing connections between the music I listen to and other things? music is sensory, I was literally entertaining myself with a reference system, next question. the mental block against coming up with specific examples? nah, dude, there are always examples, I just don’t often think they’re good enough.

being open to the possibility of being a different type, and ultimately embracing it

once I finally decided that I was open to changing my self typing, it became very easy to see my “new” type as a strength worth taking pride in, as cheesy as that sounds. it explained everything that I didn’t even realize I was working to explain away. everything I did, every thought I had over the next week or so, seemed to be another demonstration that I should have figured this out a long time ago, and I was honestly enjoying every minute of it.

.

anyway, I don’t know you, so I can’t possibly make that judgment for you. IxTJs can look very similar, although you wouldn’t know it from the way they’re caricatured. just because ISTJs are more common doesn’t mean you are one, but even if you were one it wouldn’t make your complete personality common. I would recommend finding good sources - mbti-notes has a ton of masterposts, otterdot is posting adaptations of source material, there’s a lot of stuff even on tumblr. thanks for the ask, and good luck!

[kraftdinnermac]

- INCOMING LONG AND EMOTIONAL POST -

I am completely devastated, and not entirely sure where to begin…

I guess I’ll start where it all began: when I was 5 years old my brother brought home a CD that was dominating the charts upon its release, that album was Linkin Park’s “Hybrid Theory”. As the youngest child, I always had great fun stealing my older brother’s things, and one of my favorite things to take from his room was easily this CD. It was the anthem of my entire upbringing and completely shaped the foundation of my musical tastes today. That album, still to this day, remains my most listened to album on this earth. Hands down.

I was so captivated by Linkin Park and how unique they were. They had rapping, turn tables, samples, screaming, and heavy guitar riffs. They were arguably the most innovative band that I still have ever encountered. They broke through barriers viciously and with full force. In the beginning no body liked them, and no body wanted to sign them, and they would try to change their band by saying “no screaming” or “no rapping”, but they stood true to themselves and proved everyone wrong, and showed the world that they were legends.

Chester Bennington was the first screamer I ever came to love. Before I even really knew what metal music was, or especially what scream vocals were and how they could sound good, I was obsessed with Chester. His screams sound like he has 3 different pitches being sung at once, and his soft clean vocals sound so gentle they could put you to sleep. Even from a young age I knew this man was talented, and I simply couldn’t get enough of him.

Flash forward to today. I still site Linkin Park to be one of the biggest influences on me in terms of musical taste, I still know Hybrid Theory and Meteora back to front, upside down and backwards, and I still get goosebumps whenever I hear Chester sing. I still find myself going back to watch some live videos, particularly their “Live in Texas” DVD performance, where 15 minutes into the concert Chester is already completely soaked in sweat because he’s giving it 110%. I am forever feeling nostalgic when I hear Chester’s voice, and I still enjoy him just as much today.

I literally can’t express enough how big of an influence Linkin Park has had on my life, and Chester specifically as well. I remember whenever I used to draw people when I was young and I would always deck them out in tattoos and piercings, I would always draw red and blue flames on their wrists, just like Chester had. I also remember how I always wanted to wear my hair spikey, and Chester was probably 75% of the reason why. As much as I loved the entire band, and each member for their own reasons, Chester always stuck out to me and always caught my attention. Even today as I am trying to teach myself to become a screamer, I am often going back to Chester’s tracks for inspiration and guidance.

Today I learned that Chester Bennington committed suicide, and it felt like dunking my head under freezing water. I was completely shocked and frankly couldn’t believe that it was true. I heard the news within minutes that it hit the internet, and for the following hour or two I was scavenging articles to see if there were any more sources to confirm this. Sadly, I then stumbled across a tweet by Linkin Park band mate Mike Shinoda who confirmed that it was true. My stomach sank.

There have been many celebrity deaths to happen in my day, some more painful than others, but I have to admit this easily takes the cake. Chester was so close to me, so important and so significant. To me he was untouchable, he was an icon that was simply too talented and too amazing. To think that probably one of my biggest hero’s since I was 5 years old was still vulnerable to pain and suffering to the extent he was, and to be driven to such a horrific end, it was nearly impossible to imagine. But it was true, regardless of what I thought or how I felt, it was all true. For the first time with any celebrity death, this one left a hole somewhere.

Chester passed away on July 20th, 2017, the day that would’ve been Chris Cornell’s 53rd birthday. For those of you who don’t know or are unaware, Chris Cornell was a singer (Soundgarden and Audioslave) who died by suicide on May 18 of this year, just over 2 months ago. Chris was a very close friend to Chester, and it was clear he was deeply impacted by the loss of his friend. Not long after his passing, Linkin Park performed “One More Light”, a song off their May album by the same name, live on Jimmy Kimmel in memory of Chris. The lyrical content of this song is about “who cares if one more light in the sky goes out” which of course is a metaphor for someone dying, in which Chester responds “I do”. It’s a beautiful song and given the meaning of the performance it was incredibly powerful. Chester was choking up during his performance; you could see his tearing eyes hiding behind his sunglasses, and you could see his mouth shaking as he tried not to break down. The entire performance was incredibly moving.

Statistics have shown that when someone commits suicide, their family, friends, and loved ones become at greater risk of suicide themselves due to the inability to cope with the loss of a loved one. It pains me so much to see how this is most likely what happened to Chester. By listening to his lyrics over the course of his career, it’s obvious Chester was no stranger to pain, but for his passing to happen the day of Chris Cornell’s birthday…I truly believe that this “second hand suicide” was the case, which saddens me so much.

I had such a difficult time trying to choose the best song to accompany this post. Entire songs and lyrics have been racing through my head ever since I heard the news. Truthfully, I could choose a good number of songs that would suit this post; however, instead of choosing my favorite Linkin Park song, or choose the one single that everyone will seem to recognize, or Chester’s favorite Linkin Park song (Breaking the Habit), or even their current single from their new album One More Light,“Heavy”, which talks about carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders and how he can’t seem to just let it all go (such a sad song and now it’s even more sad given his passing…), I eventually decided to use this song: Leave Out All The Rest (from their album “Minutes to Midnight”)

Every single lyric in this song speaks to all of us about what has happened right now. As I listen to Chester sing the chorus…

“When my time comes; Forget the wrong that I’ve done; Help me leave behind some reasons to be missed. And don’t resent me; And when you’re feeling empty; Keep me in your memory; Leave out all the rest, leave out all the rest”

…I can’t help but picture him singing this to all of us from above. Almost as if he’s comforting us all in this time of grief and suffering. It’s a message to all of us to remember the good things about one another. Every word of this song resonates with this horrible tragedy; and I don’t know about you but I think it’s incredibly overwhelming.

Chester Bennington was an absolute icon to not only me, but to millions of others. Without Chester and Linkin Park music would not be the same today, and that involves other genres than rock/metal. The influence Linkin Park has had on the music industry is unmeasurable, spanning across decades. The role that Chester played in Linkin Park and their success was absolutely huge, and it’s impossible to properly gauge how much of a loss it is for this world to lose such an incredible, smart, funny, and talented human being. He will be missed profoundly by myself and millions others all around the world.

If you ever have thoughts of suicide, or know somebody that does, or even if you’ve just thought about the option harmlessly a few times, please please please don’t hesitate to reach out! Talk to a friend, a family member, a teacher, a mentor, a coach, a family friend, or call one of the many help lines out there. (Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 - Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868) You are not in this alone, and mental illness can be beaten!!! And if you are someone who has a friend or loved one who you think may be suicidal or going through intense hardships with mental illness, reach out to them! Tell them how much you appreciate and love them, and reassure them of how important they are in your life. Even if it’s just a quick and harmless text, saying “I care about you” just once could decide the difference between life and death.

I know this was a very long post, and if you made it this far then i thank you sincerely for taking the time to get through all of this. I wanted to keep this post as brief as possible, but with the way that I explain myself, and the level of impact this news has had on me, there was no way I could contain this to a simple paragraph. So again, thank you.

I love you all, you are all beautiful. We’re going to get through this life together!

Rest in peace, Chester Bennington. An undeniable legend! March 20th, 1976 - July 20th, 2017

[justalittlebluetiefling]

Chapter 43: Sometimes I Can’t See Myself

Rating: T Fandom: The 100 Pairing: Bellamy x Clarke Chapter: 43/68 Word Count: 1774 Words

Chapter Summary: The one where Clake isn’t happy with her art history TA.

Also on AO3; Start from the beginning on AO3

It was still unclear how her alarm didn’t get set, but most of the seats were full by the time Clarke made it to class. She found a seat as close to the front as possible and set up her stuff. Some students always gave her weird looks on the first day of any class. Most of the people she knew used laptops for note taking, but she preferred to write things out. She also needed somewhere to sketch while she waited for the class to start.

A stack of papers landed directly on top of her notebook, forcing her to mess up on the bunny she was drawing. She scoffed and glanced up at the TA, who was apparently an asshole, and gasped loudly.

Bellamy put on a stern face. “Take one and pass it down please.”

Clarke didn’t have time to formulate a response before he smirked and continued down the line. Usually, syllabus days were Clarke’s favorite. An entire overview of the course material, a layout of all the assignments, the schedule of all the quizzes and tests? Structure was… calming. But today, all she could do was watch him doing whatever the hell his job was as the TA. It didn’t help that he kept catching her eye with some fake innocuous expression that might fool anyone else, but she could read him like a fucking book. Like the world’s most obnoxious fucking book.

He had laughed at her when he saw ‘From Athena to Lady Gaga: Art in the Modern Imagination’ on her schedule. She had tried to counter by listing everything in the class description.

“The Lascaux caves, Bellamy.” “Lady Gaga, Clarke.” “Raphael. Michelangelo. The Baroque movement. The neo-classicist movement.” “Lady Gaga.” He smirked. “Monet. Picasso. Jackson Pollock.” “Lady Gaga’s in the fucking name, Princess. How am I supposed to take a class seriously when Lady Gaga’s in the name? What does she have to do with art history?” “Oh, come on. Have you seen her outfits? Have you read anything about her?” “You refuse to listen to her music. You refused to go to that concert with O last year.” Clarke shrugged. “I’m not a fan of surrealism and her outfits are a little much for me. That doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the fact that it’s technically art and some people may enjoy it.”

The professor started to discuss the assignment list, snapping Clarke back to reality. She refused to look at Bellamy’s stupid grin. But that was when it finally dawned on Clarke. Two short five-page papers, a midterm, one longer ten-page paper, and then a final… and Bellamy fucking Blake would be grading all of them.

There were fifteen minutes left when the professor said, “That’s about it for the day. My TA, Bellamy Blake, has the list of groups for discussions and peer edits. Stop by and get your group info before you leave.” There was an hour before her next class, so Clarke let most of the class rush to line up at the front before her under the guise of packing up her stuff. She ended up behind a pair of girls who wouldn’t stop giggling about the “hot TA”. One even pulled her shirt down a little before she leaned over the desk to look at the list. To his credit, Bellamy only glanced at her before looking up at Clarke. She stuck a finger in her mouth and pretended to gag, smiling when he had to choke back a laugh.

She smirked at him when she finally reached the desk. He plastered a grin on his face. “Name?”

“Clarke Griffin,” she said, struggling to hold in a smile.

Bellamy ran his finger along the list and put his chin in his other hand. “Hmmm, I’m not seeing any royalty on this list.”

Clarke rolled her eyes and pulled the list away from him, leaning in. “Lady Gaga, huh?” She barely exhaled the question.

“I’ve heard she’s a fantastic artist,” he muttered.

“You saw this class on my schedule.”

He nodded and murmured assent with a serious look, as though they were talking about assignments or attendance or anything else.

“You knew.”

He nodded again.

“You didn’t say anything.”

“I wanted to surprise you.” She looked up from the paper she was writing her group information on to see a stupid grin on his face again.

The person behind her chose that moment to clear their throat loudly and she realized it probably looked like they were flirting. Bellamy was already starting to glare at them when Clarke turned around to glare herself. She absentmindedly hoped that the guy wasn’t in her group as she turned back to Bellamy and tried to sound as cheerful as possible. “Thanks. See you Wednesday.”

The science building was on the other side of campus. Clarke dug her phone out of her purse to check it as she made her way through the masses.

Monty 10:10am Calc isn’t the same without you. Jasper’s been moping the whole class. Why did you decide to take Stats instead?

Wells 10:16am Did you wake up on time? I told you that hiding behind that bench waiting for Miller to come by was a bad idea. He wasn’t even that scared.

Octavia 10:21am Important question. How many classes do you think I can skip and still pass? Like, you still have all your old psych notes right?

Bell 10:27am Surprise, Princess!

Clarke stopped walking so she could angrily type out a reply to the last one. It wasn’t even entirely clear to her why she was suddenly so mad at him, but the more she thought about it, the angrier she got.

Clarke 11:51am How in the hell did you land a TA gig for an art history class?

She stared at her phone for a few minutes, waiting for a response, until someone bumped her as they walked by. She was about to yell, but realized she was standing in the middle of the sidewalk. Frustrated, still for no real reason which was even more frustrating, she shoved her phone back into her purse and finished her walk to the science building. Once she found an empty bench nearby, she sat and took her phone back out.

Bell 12:01pm Your Roman art history class last quarter really piqued my interest. My grad advisor hooked me up.

Clarke 12:06pm You didn’t even tell me you were going to be a TA for any class. You told me you were thinking about it. Not that it was a real thing that was happening.

Oh. That’s why she was mad. She’d looked into being an undergrad TA, but opted not to in the long run. It was pretty demanding just as an undergrad. It would be twice as much work for a grad student.

Bell 12:07pm You’re not going to lose your hookup at the café. I’ll still be there on the weekends.

Clarke You’re not going to have time to hang out anymore. Isn’t that basically a job? When am I even going to see you?

Bellamy didn’t respond. He was ruining syllabus day for her and he didn’t even bother to respond. Clarke stared at her phone for a solid five minutes before she grabbed her things and found her class. Thankfully, there were no surprises during her physics class, but she had another hour to kill before statistics. The math building was right by the science building so she found a place to sit again and pulled out her phone. It was still blank.

She was halfway through typing out a moderately scathing text when a floating iced coffee drink covered in whipped cream appeared in front of her. Well, it wasn’t floating. It was attached to a hand that was attached to an annoyed looking Bellamy. She glared before reluctantly accepting it. He just had to pick that moment to remind her that he knew her coffee order in any weather. A white paper bag landed in her lap as he sat next to her, too. There was a turkey sandwich inside.

“Bribery isn’t going to work, Blake.”

“Come on. I know you’ve got some time to kill. I also know that you weren’t going to eat lunch and that you probably skipped breakfast.” She scoffed and took a bite of her sandwich. He nudged her knee with his and smiled at her. “I mean, I don’t know about you, but I did not want to get up this morning. Miller was still super pissed, by the way.”

Clarke snorted and took another bite. Miller’s face was priceless. It was what he deserved, telling them his routine. Campus security guards were supposed to be more random with their routes and they agreed that he needed some encouragement.

They ate in silence for a few minutes and it gave Clarke a little time to calm down. When she was done with the first half of her sandwich, she folded her hands in her lap and looked over at him. He was happily chewing a bite and lost in people watching, so it took him a moment to realize she was watching him.

“Don’t be a creep, Princess,” he said after he swallowed.

Clarke frowned. “Sorry for getting freaked out. You know I—”

“You don’t like surprises on syllabus day. I know.” He put his sandwich down in his lap and shrugged. “I thought I’d be a nice surprise.”

“Oh, come on.” Clarke elbowed him gently. “Of course you’re a nice surprise. If I have to be surprised, I’d rather it be you.” He smiled at her and she frowned. “You’re going to be so busy, though. You’re not going to have time for the little people.”

“You know you’re never going to be little people. Come on.” He slung his arm over her shoulder and pulled her into his side. “Plus, you’ll see me every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for at least an hour and a half. I’m like a built-in lunch date this quarter.”

“And you’re a creepy stalker who remembered that I have a break between my classes on Monday and Friday.”

“And an even longer break on Wednesdays, because you don’t have Physics.” Clarke laughed out loud and set her head on his shoulder. He squeezed her one more time before pulling away. “I’ll be busier this year, sure, but you’re my… one of my best friends. Plus, you live with my sister. You’re never getting rid of me.”

Clarke looked down at her lap, trying to hide her smile. Bellamy Blake was probably the best surprise she’d ever had in her life.

[38-planes]

How the couple behind Come From Away created a Canadian musical hit

The Globe and Mail, 17 February 2017

Come from Away creators David Hein and Irene Sankoff struggled as artists, found each other as life and business partners and became the dynamic duo of the Canadian musical

For Valentine’s Day week, here’s a love story, times two.

It’s about how a Prairie dreamer with a guitar and a Toronto realist who always had a backup plan got together as romantic partners – and then, a decade later, saved their relationship and discovered a unique voice that would take them to Broadway by getting together again, as artistic partners.

Come from Away’s creators David Hein and Irene Sankoff, whose Newfoundland-set hit about the 38 planeloads of people stranded in Gander after 9/11 opens in previews on 45th Street on Saturday, told it one morning before departing for New York, in the living room of the two-storey Toronto home they bought in 2006 with the help of their parents, day jobs and a 35-year mortgage no longer offered by banks.

A decade later, they have a three-year-old named Molly, are working as artists full-time – and, financially, the picture looks a heck of a lot different. Best-case scenario, if Come from Away sells out in Manhattan the way it did in Seattle and Toronto, as sole authors of the work, they could pull in $27,000 (U.S.) a week – more every seven days than the average Canadian author or writer earns in a year.

That’s my estimate based on industry standards – but money is the one topic these two children of divorce who both, at times, lived in humble circumstances with their single mothers are sheepish about. “We grew up without a lot of money, so the whole thing makes me really nervous,” Sankoff says.

Hein further cites the statistic that only one in five shows on Broadway makes a profit. “Literally, we’re the fifth show out of five to go to Broadway from Canada – and one of them [2006’s The Drowsy Chaperone] has already made it!”

Falling in love

Their first love story is beautifully conventional: Hein, born in Regina, and Sankoff, from the Toronto suburb of North York, met on the first day of frosh week at York University in the 1990s. “Irene thinks it was a welcome barbecue; I think it was at a welcome pancake breakcast,” Hein says.

“Because it was outside, right?”

“You can eat pancakes outside.”

The aspiring songwriter and aspiring actress both loved theatre – but, musically, were divided. Hein, as a kid, through visits to the Winnipeg Folk Festival with his mother, had developed a taste for bands such as Blue Rodeo and Great Big Sea (a similar sound pervades Come from Away’s score), while Sankoff was a musical-theatre nut who danced all her life and bonded with her mother over old movie musicals. “My mom would come back after working to 11 or whatever on Christmas Eve and we would start watching Top Hat … or those old Gene Kelly musicals,” she recalls. “I was obsessed.”

But Sankoff was also an academic overachiever feeling pressure from the science-focused side of her family – and, while she acted extracurricularly at York, she graduated with a double major in psychology and creative writing.

The young couple’s first major fight was, as only a young couple’s could be, about whether theatre could change the world. They went at it until the sun came up – the dreamer trying to convince the realist.

Hein didn’t win the argument – but, on the verge of applying to do a master’s in speech and language pathology, Sankoff did decide to at least give acting a try professionally.

New York

So, in 1999, Sankoff and Hein moved to New York. Sankoff began studying at the Actors Studio – as seen on TV – and Hein, who has dual citizenship, began work as “assistant everything” at a music studio where The Muppets recorded, borrowing the equipment to record his own songs at night.

The pair lived in a residence called International House in Upper Manhattan along with grad students from 110 countries – and that’s where they were when, on Sept. 11, 2001, planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center. That night, windows shut to keep the smell of smoke out, scared students from around the world gathered around a piano in the residence for an impromptu concert – a moving experience Sankoff and Hein would later draw on for Come from Away.

But 9/11 had a more immediate impact on them. A month later, Hein woke up and said, “Hey, why don’t we get married?” They were already engaged – but on Oct. 12, 2001, they headed down to City Hall and secretly eloped.

Playbills from Hein and Sankoff’s New York years still hang on the kitchen wall of the house they share with their daughter and two cats, one named Elphaba (after the Wicked witch) and the other Gambo (after the Newfoundland town).

But it was not always a dream: Savings dwindled, the studio Hein was working at shut down, and Sankoff – who had an agent and was getting gigs – separated a shoulder in a dance class.

Uninsured, she took a trip to Toronto to see a doctor – and it turned into a move back home.

The second love story

Back in Canada, Hein and Sankoff had to build an artistic community from scratch. She landed a role in The Mousetrap; he released an album called North of Nowhere. And so it went for years – pursuing art at night and paying bills through tutoring or graphic design. Soon, they were married homeowners, but they barely got to see each other and grew lonely, especially when Hein was off on tour. Was this living the dream?

And this – in 2009 – is where the second love story begins.

Hein had written a song called My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding – based on his own experience as the son of a woman who came out later in life and remarried – that was popular on tour. More than most of his work, it was influenced by the musical theatre that Sankoff had introduced him to over the course of their relationship. What if, he wondered, they could expand it into an actual musical – and, at the very least, spend some time together?

Marrying their skills, Hein and Sankoff began trying to turn their family’s story into a fictional musical – at first, a conventional “book musical” where an invisible fourth wall descends in front of the audience and scenes and songs alternate to tell a story.

But an epiphany Sankoff had on Valentine’s Day led the pair to a different writing style – one they later refined with Come from Away.

At the gym that day, Sankoff was talking with an enthusiastic friend about Wiccan Wedding – and heard her say, “The best thing about this is that it’s based on a true story.” A light bulb went on.

“I came home to David and said, ‘We’ve got to throw it out. Let’s tell the real story.’”

The new version the couple started working on during an unorthodox Valentine’s date would eventually feature Hein sitting on a stool in his Glass Tiger shirt, singing songs about his mother’s coming out, how he introduced his two moms to Irene at a Hooters and the history of same-sex marriage in Canada, using a troupe of actors that included his wife to tell the stories.

The sweet and direct show became a hit at the Toronto Fringe Festival that summer, then was picked up by producer David Mirvish to play at the city’s 700-seat Panasonic Theatre he had just purchased – and Sankoff and Hein’s career as commercial musical-theatre creators was launched.

When the idea to write a show about what happened in and around Gander, Nfld., in 2001 was proposed to them shortly thereafter by Michael Rubinoff at Sheridan College, it could not have been a more ideal project for them.

They had seen how strangers from around the world bonded, with music, on Sept. 11, and seen how music played a role in bringing them together – and they had found the right aesthetic for such a story, having learned that a musical could be a true story set in our times, told with plenty of direct address, and that authenticity was as important to winning over an audience as craft in lyrics and lines.

Armed with a $12,000 grant from the Canada Council, they headed to Gander for Sept. 11, 2011, to interview locals and “come from aways” returning to commemorate the 10th anniversary.

Hein and Sankoff’s subsequent five-year journey – buzz-creating workshops on both sides of the border, a bidding war by commercial producers at a showcase in New York, record-breaking runs in San Diego, Seattle, Washington and Toronto – has been told in these pages before.

Now, the last chapter is about to be written as final adjustments are made in a preview period ahead of a March 12 opening.

As the statistics show, Come from Away may not make them rich. Canadians who have had what are referred to as “flops” in the harsh language of Broadway – such as Cliff Jones, whose Rockabye Hamlet closed in a week in 1976; and Neil Bartram and Brian Hill, whose The Story of My Life did the same in 2009 – have advised the couple to just enjoy the ride.

In any case, the two have a bigger goal beyond making money, Hein says, “Especially now, it feels important to talk about welcoming refugees off planes, strangers into our communities.”

Yes – he’s finally won the argument about whether theatre can change the world.

Sankoff came around after meeting senior citizens who changed their minds on same-sex marriage after seeing Wiccan Wedding, and receiving letters from Come from Away audience members about how it’s inspired them to be better people.

“I still have my moments where I’m like, ‘It’s a drop in the bucket,’” Sankoff says. “But at least it’s a drop.”