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acquavergine · 1 year ago

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So what do you like to cook? How did you begin cooking? How did you learn?

I like to cook really simple food with fresh ingredients.. (I don't buy anything with conservatives or colorants obviously...) I wouldn't call it Italian food per se... I am much more interested in the Mediterranean ingredients themselves than any specific type of cooking.. although I do like the structure of the Italian meal: antipasto(they say you should never start eating on an empty stomach), primo, secondo, contorno, nuts and fruit.. really long and drawn out, jovial conversation ideally. I never force people to eat big portions (I believe forcing people to overeat is abusive, although I know it can stem from food insecurity)... I like to put the dishes in the center so the eater can choose how much they want on their own plate.

Weekday cooking around here splits the long meal into two... lunch: primo & salad... dinner: secondo & contorni... and that makes sense and seems nice to me although I am not an expert on nutrition... I personally prefer to have pasta for lunch as opposed to dinner, not everyday of course, other kinds of primi: polenta, risotto, farro salad, pesto-y orzo, hearty minestra, etc...

I describe the food I make like this: inspired by typical daily dishes, but lighter, always keeping vegetable dishes meatless (there is a tendency to add animal fats to everything here..) all my cooking is produce forward anyway. If I am preparing a full meal, I put equal importance on primo/secondo/contorni (sides): portion sizes I guess I mean... for example: not too much pasta, a smallish piece of meat or fish and a lot of vegetables! Plus I like to wait kind of a while between courses... I like to rearrange familiar flavor combinations and also do experiments.. (when Matteo eats something I prepared we play this game where he guesses all the ingredients/spices/which region the olive oil is from/etc..)

Anchovy (garum/fish sauce), fennel (bulb, seeds, dried yellow flowers), and lemon (fresh and preserved in salt) are my favorite flavors. I also love coffee and chocolate. The significant importance of "broth" is always on my mind. I save all kinds of scraps in the freezer to make special broths depending on the dish or my mood or the weather. I collect salt because I think its type/size is also of significant importance. The iconic pancake is something I treasure... not just the American kind we know and love in the modern world (with maple syrup which I also treasure)... but also the way it seems each culture has their own version of a "pancake", at least something cooked on a hot flat surface, sweet or savory it doesn't matter, even the kind I read about in the ancient Roman cookbooks... with warm honey or covered in poppy seeds or used to soak up sauce... the point is I think pancakes are a brilliant idea that comes from the deep collective consciousness. I rotate through a few key "Rachel" recipes, and if you know me then you know what they are because I really prepare them often: pancakes are one of them... some particular soups... "fake parmigiano" (almonds/cashews/miso/salt blended)... polenta with a poached egg... whole roasted fish... pasta arrabbiata... arugula pesto... tortilla di patata... meatballs... wilted garlic-y bitter greens... broccoli pasta. zucchini pasta. braised radicchio... sweet and sour bell peppers... slow cooked potatoes and fennel (sometimes blended)... fennel/orange/black olive salad... cabbage/celery/apple/lemon/almond salad... red cabbage and red onion risotto... breaded and roasted thickly sliced white onions... my famous chocolate and olive oil cake... ginger bread... wine and black pepper biscuits... etc. I am always searching for satisfaction/balance of the taste buds (mine and others) and I love when I feel it. I remember everyone's dietary restrictions, even people I barely know. It means a lot to me to share off the same plate with someone.

I guess the first real memory I have of cooking myself is breading zucchini (flour, egg, breadcrumbs) and frying it to eat with sour cream... maybe I was 8 or 9. I have a lot of food memories from my childhood. My nonna (who immigrated to the states when she was 12) always cooked big Sunday meals and I would watch her. And my great grandma on the other side kind of reminded me of Julia Child and I remember she always had a bowl of freshly whipped cream in the fridge that we would eat with cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on top. I also watched a lot of Food Network shows when I was young, Nigella Lawson & Ina Garten. Once I lived on my own, I started cooking with my friends, but I never imagined I would work in the restaurant industry. There were some particular friends along the way who left a mark on my cooking journey, by giving me a nice sharp knife (I always used the standard "nonna knife" before then), or showing me techniques and foods and restaurants I had never heard of. Then I guess in SF is where I started working in professional kitchens... the first job I could find when I moved there in 2010 was as an office manager for this tiny, fancy cake shop. It was just the owner and me. She was super hesitant to hire me with no experience running a small business and also with a timid voice, but she saw herself in me and thought it was important that our paths crossed. She's one of those who had done a lot of acid/meditating in the 70s and can see time and space in a different way (we're still good friends and write each other long emails about once a year, she's now retired to Hawaii)... Anyway, I'll never forget one day she was making a taco-shaped cake (this was way before the cakes-shaped-like-other-things movement was trendy!) and she was struggling making enough white chocolate that look like shredded cheese, she was squeezing little piece by little piece between her fingers making each shred individually. The person was coming to pick-up and she was on the verge of a panic attack, so I asked if I could help (she didn't like help with her cakes)... and I found an actual cheese grater and simply graded the block of chocolate so we had enough "chocolate cheese" in a matter of minutes. The next morning she told me to put an ad on craigslist for a new office manager and I thought she was firing me but really she was "moving me to the kitchen" and that's how my baking days started.

After my time in San Fran came to a dramatic end (because of someone who lived on the edge of Lake Merritt actually now that I think of it...) I started working at a bread bakery in Providence. And that was my dream job, and I would still be working there now if it hadn’t gone up in flames (figuratively). Shortly after that, I somehow convinced the chef/owner of Loïe Fuller's to let me cook on the line but only on the busiest nights of the week because I wanted to learn quickly and with him..(he was reading a book about Alice Waters at the time and I came to him with the idea to do a dinner on tuesday nights going off the menu and using up all the food that would otherwise be thrown away... and after a while we did do it, and we mixed it with live music and called it Incidental Tuesdays and it was a hit) anyway, I did learn a lot: about cooking (the chef had learned to cook under someone who headed the kitchen on a marine ship, so my training was not “culinary” but more so “pirate”) and the way restaurants are run (inventory/finances/dynamics/events/etc). That job was really beautiful and I made some important friendships, but it also came to an abrupt end about a year later when that same person flicked lamb's blood on my chef whites as a joke and I walked out on the spot. The next morning (which would be my last shift) he brought me a mason jar full of weed, a fancy nitro-iced coffee, and a hundred dollar bill (that he owed me for screen printing t-shirts) but I quit nonetheless... and started planning a trip to Italy. But now I'm rambling...

Since then, I have worked in some beautiful restaurants and catering projects in Nyc, London, Italy and Western Mass.. I have also done some special pop-ups and secret dinner club events. I could write about cooking a lot more... but I want to answer some of your other questions now.

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bailey-writes · 4 years ago

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So You Want Your OC to be Jewish

So you’re writing a story and you want to make a Jewish character—great! I’m here to help. I always want more Jewish representation but I want good Jewish representation, so this is my attempt to make a guide to making a Jewish character. What are my credentials? I’m Jewish and have been my whole life. Obligatory disclaimer that this is by no means comprehensive, I don’t know everything, all Jews are different, and this is based on my experiences as an American Jew so I have no idea, what, if any, of this applies to non-American Jews.

If there’s anything you want me to make a post going more into detail about or if there’s anything I didn’t mention but you want to know please ask me! I hope this is helpful :) Warning, this is long.

Jew PSA

If you are Jewish you can use the word Jew(s), e.g. “She’s dating a Jew.” If you are not Jewish you cannot use the word Jew(s). This is not up for debate. Non-Jews calling us Jews has a negative connotation at best. Don’t do it and don’t have your characters do it.

Basics, Plus My Random Thoughts that Didn’t Fit Anywhere Else

A confusing enduring issue is, what is Judaism? It’s a religion, but some Jews aren’t religious; is it a race? A nationality? A culture? A heritage? The only constant is that we are seen as “other.” There’s a lot of debate, which makes it confusing to be Jewish and as such it’s common for Jews to struggle with their Jewish Identity. However many people agree that Jews are an ethnoreligious group, aka Judaism is a religion and an ethnicity.

Temple/Synagogue/Shul = Jewish place of worship. Shul is usually used for Orthodox synagogues.

Keeping kosher = following Jewish dietary rules: meat and dairy can’t be eaten together and you can’t eat pork or shellfish. Fish and eggs are pareve (aka neutral) and can be eaten with meat or dairy (but again not both at the same time.) When eating meat it has to be kosher meat (e.g. kosher Jews are allowed to eat chicken, but not all chicken is kosher. I know it’s kinda confusing I’m sorry.) Kosher products in stores will have symbols on them to identify them as kosher. If someone is kosher they’ll probably have separate sets of utensils/plates/cookware/etc. for meat and dairy

Shabbat/Shabbos/Sabbath = holy day of the week, day of rest, lasts from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. Depending on observance Jews might have Shabbat dinner, attend Shabbat services, or observe the day of rest in its entirety (making them shomer Shabbat)

Someone who is shomer Shabbat will refrain from any of the prohibited activities. These can easily be looked up but include: working, writing, handling money, cooking, and using technology.

Bat/Bar/B’nai Mitvzah = tradition where a Jewish boy/girl becomes a man/woman. Celebrated at 13-years-old for boys, 12- or 13-years-old for girls. Girls have Bat Mitzvahs (bat means daughter in Hebrew), boys have Bar Mitzvahs (bar means son in Hebrew) and twins or two or more people having one together have a B’nai Mitzvah. They will study for this for months and then help lead services and, depending on observance level, read from the Torah. The ceremony is often attended by family and friends and followed with a celebration of sorts (in America usually this means a brunch and/or party.)

Goy/gentile = non-Jew. These words are not slurs, they are literally just words. Plural of goy is goyim and is a Yiddish word, plural of gentile is gentiles.

Jewish holidays follow the Hebrew calendar, meaning that according to the current solar/Gregorian calendar the dates of our holidays are different each year.

Jewish law recognizes matrilineal inheritance. This means that Jewish law states your mother has to be Jewish for you to be Jewish. This is because of reasons from biblical times that I can explain if you wanna come ask, but as you can imagine is a bit outdated. While Orthodox Jews might embrace this idea and only consider someone Jewish if their mom is Jewish, many Jews are more flexible on the idea (and yes, this does cause tension between Orthodox Jews and other Jews at times.)

Judaism =/= Christianity

Some people think Judaism is just Christianity without Jesus (some people don’t even realize we don’t believe in/celebrate Jesus so newsflash, we don’t) and that’s just wrong. Yes both religions share the Old Testament, so they also share some history and beliefs, but the entire ideologies of the religions are different. In brief, they are similar in some ways but are not the same.

What seems to me to be the biggest difference is that Christianity (from what I understand) has a heavy focus on sins, more specifically repenting for/gaining forgiveness for your sins. In Christianity you are born tainted by original sin. In Judaism we believe everyone is born pure and free from sin and everyone is made in God’s image. Judaism has some concept of sin, but doesn’t focus on them and instead focuses on performing Mitzvot (plural, singular form is mitzvah. Direct translation is “commandment” but basically means good deed or act of kindness. It also relates to the commandments, so following the commandments is also performing mitzvot.) Examples of mitzvot include anything from saying a prayer or lighting Shabbat candles to helping a stranger or donating to charity (called tzedakah). One of the main tenets of Judaism is tikkun olam, which directly translates to “repair the world” and means exactly what it says on the tin. Instead of focusing on being forgiven for doing bad Judaism focuses on doing good. The only day we focus on past wrongdoings is Yom Kippur, one of our most holy holidays, discussed below.

Holidays

Rosh Hashanah – The Jewish New Year, occurs around September and lasts for two days, though Reform Jews often only celebrate the first day. Day of happiness and joy, celebrated by eating sweet things for a “sweet new year” (often apples dipped in honey) and circular challah to represent the end of one year and beginning of another. Also celebrated with services and blowing the shofar (rams horn.) Some spend the day in prayer and/or silent meditation. Possible greetings: chag sameach (happy holiday; can be said on almost any holiday), Shana Tovah, or happy new year (which is what Shana Tovah means, some people just say it in English.)

Yom Kippur – Day of Atonement. Occurs ten days after the start of Rosh Hashanah. One of if not the most solemn day for Jews, but also the most holy. The day is spent reflecting on yourself and any past wrongdoings and atoning. The day (sundown the night before to sundown the day of) is spent fasting, a physical way of atoning. We do this in hopes of being “written in the Book of Life” and starting the year with a clean slate. The shofar is blown at the end of the holiday. Most Jews will end the fast with a grand meal with family and friends. Most common greeting is “have an easy fast,” but happy new year is still appropriate.

Sukkot – Celebrates the harvest, occurs on the fifth day after Yom Kippur and lasts seven days. Celebrated by building a temporary hut outdoors called a sukkah and having meals inside it, as well as shaking palm fronds tied together (called a lulav) and holding a citrus called an etrog. Very fun and festive holiday. Possible greetings include chag sameach or Happy Sukkot.

Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah – Some Jews (mostly Reform Jews and Jews living in Israel) combine both holidays into one day while some celebrate them as two separate days. Either way they occur immediately after Sukkot. Shemini Atzeret is similar but separate from Sukkot and features a prayer for rain; Sukkot is not mentioned in prayers and the lulav isn’t shaken but you do eat in the sukkah. Simchat Torah celebrates finishing reading the Torah, which we will then begin again the next day. It’s a festive holiday with dancing and fun. Some Temples will roll the entire Torah out and the children will run under it. Appropriate greeting for both would be chag sameach.

Rosh Hashanah through Simchat Torah are referred to as the High Holidays.

Chanukah – We all know about Chanukah, celebrating the reclaiming of the Second Temple and the miracle of the oil lasting eight days. The most represented Jewish Holiday there is. Unfortunately it’s one of the least significant holidays for us. Occurs around November or December and lasts eight days and nights. Celebrated by lighting candles in the Menorah each night with a prayer and kids usually get gifts each night. Also celebrated with spinning tops called dreidels, fried foods like doughnuts (sufganiyot in Hebrew; usually the jelly filled ones) and potato pancakes called latkes. Greetings: happy Chanukah or chag sameach.

Tu B’Shevat – Birthday of the trees, basically Jewish Arbor Day. Minor but fun holiday, sometimes celebrated by planting trees. Occurs around January or February.

Purim – Celebrates how Queen Esther of Persia defeated Haman and saved her people, the Jews. Occurs in Spring. Festive holiday traditionally celebrated by dressing in costumes, eating sweets, and giving tzedakah (it’s also technically commanded you get drunk so woohoo!) Whenever Haman’s name is mentioned you make a lot of noise, booing and using noisemakers called groggers. Greetings: happy Purim, chag Purim, or chag sameach.

Passover/Pesach – Celebrates the Jews being freed from slavery in Egypt. Occurs in Spring and lasts eight days. The first two nights (some only celebrate the first night) are celebrated with seder, a ritual meal with certain foods, practices, prayers, and readings from a book called the Haggadah and often attended by family and friends. Most famous prayer/song of the holiday is the four questions, which ask why that night is different from all other nights and is traditionally sung by the youngest child at the seder. The entire holiday is spent not eating certain foods, mostly grain or flour (the food restrictions are complicated and differ based on denomination so look it up or ask a Jew.) We eat a lot of matzah during Pesach, which is like a cracker kinda. I personally hate it but some people actually like it. Greetings: happy Passover, chag pesach, or chag sameach.

Tisha B’Av – Anniversary of the destruction of the Temple. Occurs in Summer. Very sad, solemn day. Some celebrate by fasting from sunrise to sunset. Not the most widely celebrated holiday. Some also commemorate the Holocaust (also called the Shoah) on this day as it was the destruction of a figurative temple.

Denominations

There are a bunch of denominations in Judaism, we’ll go into it briefly.

Religious denominations:

Reform/Reformed: This is the least religiously observant level. Often Reform Jews don’t keep kosher or observe Shabbat, their services on Shabbat will use instruments. Reform Jews probably attend services for the high holidays at the very least and probably had a Bat/Bar Mitzvah. Might say they consider themselves more culturally Jewish. Their Temple/Synagogue will be the most “liberal”—aka have more female/diverse Rabbis and a more diverse congregation. I’m Reform and my Temple’s lead Rabbi is a woman and we used to have a Rabbi who’s a queer single mother.

Conservative: More religiously observant and more generally traditional. Might keep kosher or observe Shabbat, but not necessarily. Services likely won’t use instruments (not supposed to play instruments on Shabbat). Most likely had a Bat/Bar Mitzvah, but girls might not read from the Torah, though this depends on the congregation. They do allow female Rabbis, but in my experience it’s less common.

Modern Orthodox: Very religiously observant but also embrace modern society. Will keep kosher and observe Shabbat. Men will wear kippot (singular=kippah) and tzitzit under their shirts. Women will cover their hair (if they’re married), most likely with a wig, and wear modest clothing (only wear skirts that are at least past their knees and long sleeves). Emphasis on continued study of Torah/Talmud. Parents will likely have jobs. Might have larger families (aka more children) but might not. Services will be segregated by gender, girls won’t read from the Torah publicly, and female Rabbis are very rare. Children will most likely attend a religious school. Will attend shul services every Shabbat and for holidays.

note: there are some people who fall somewhere between modern Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox, or between any two denominations really. as you can imagine people don’t all practice the exact same way.

Ultra-Orthodox: Very religiously observant and not necessarily modern. Will keep kosher and observe Shabbat. Men will wear kippot or other head coverings and tzitzit under their shirts, and are also often seen wearing suits. Women will cover their hair (if they’re married) with a wig or scarf and wear modest clothing (only wear skirts that are at least past their knees and long sleeves). Emphasis on continued study of Torah/Talmud. Men might have jobs but might instead focus on Jewish studies, while women most often focus on housework and child-rearing. Don’t believe in contraception (but this is kinda nuanced and depends). Will often have very large families because having children is a commandment and helps continue the Jewish people. Might be shomer negiah which means not touching members of the opposite sex aside from their spouse and some close family members. Services will be segregated by gender, girls won’t read from the Torah publicly, and there won’t be female Rabbis. Children will attend a religious school. Will attend shul services every Shabbat and for holidays.

Ethnic denominations (the different denominations do have some differences in practices and such but tbh I don’t know much about that so this is just the basics):

Ashkenazi: Jews that originate from Central/Eastern Europe. Yiddish, a combination of Hebrew and German, originated from and was spoken by Ashkenazim and while it’s a dying language it’s spoken among many Orthodox Jews and many Jews of all levels know/speak some Yiddish words and phrases. Majority of Jews worldwide are Ashkenazi.

Sephardi/Sephardic: Jews that originate from the Iberian Peninsula, North Africa, and southeastern Europe. Ladino, a combination of Old Spanish and Hebrew, originated from and was spoken by Sephardim. It is also a dying language but is still spoken by some Sephardim. After Ashkenazi most of the world’s Jews are Sephardic.

Mizrahi: Jews that originate from the Middle East and North Africa.

Ethiopian Jews: Community of Jews that lived in Ethiopia for over 1,000 years, though most have immigrated to Israel by now.

Stereotypes/Tropes/Controversies/Etc.

There are so many Jewish stereotypes and shit and I ask you to please be mindful of them. Stereotypes do exist for a reason, so some people will fit stereotypes. This means your character might fit one or two; don’t make them fit all of them. Please. Stereotypes to keep in mind (and steer away from) include:

All Jews are rich.

All Jews are greedy.

All Jews are cheap/frugal.

All Jews are [insert job here]. We’ll go into this more below.

All Jews hate Christians/Muslims/etc.

All Jews are white.

First of all Ethiopian and Mizrahi Jews exist, many Sephardi are Hispanic, and today with intermarriage and everything this just isn’t true.

All Jews have the same physical features: large and/or hooked nose, beady eyes, droopy eyelids, red hair (this is an old stereotype I didn’t really know existed), curly hair.

Many Jews do have somewhat large noses and curly hair. I’m not saying you can’t give these features to your characters, but I am saying to be careful and don’t go overboard. And don’t give all of your Jewish characters these features. As a side note, it is common at least among American Jews that girls get nose jobs. Not all, but some.

Jews are secretly world elite/control the world/are lizard people/new world order/ any of this stuff.

STAY AWAY FROM. DO NOT DO THIS OR ANYTHING LIKE THIS. If you have a character that’s part lizard, do not make them Jewish. If you have a character that’s part of a secret group that controls the entire world, do not make them Jewish.

Jews have horns. If you have characters with horns please don’t make them Jewish.

Jews killed Jesus.

The blood libel. Ew. No.

The blood libel is an antisemitic accusation/idea/concept that back in the day Jews would murder Christian children to use their blood in religious rituals and sometimes even for consumption (did I mention gross?) Not only did this just not happen, but it’s actually against Jewish law to murder, sacrifice, or consume blood. Yes these accusations really happened and it became a main reason for persecution of Jews. And some people still believe this shit.

Jews caused The Plague.

The reason this conspiracy exists is because many Jews didn’t get The Plague and the goyim thought that meant it was because the Jews caused it/cursed them. The real reason Jews didn’t get it is because ritual hand-washing and good hygiene kept them from getting it. Sorry that we bathe.

Jewish mother stereotype.

Ok, listen. I know stereotypes are mostly a bad thing but I have to admit the Jewish mother stereotype is not far off. Jewish moms do tend to be chatty and a little nagging, are often very involved in their children’s lives, and they are often trying to feed everyone (although they don’t all cook, my mom hates cooking.) They also tend to be big worriers, mostly worrying about their family/loved ones. They also tend to know everyone somehow. A twenty minute trip to the grocery store can turn into an hour or two long trip because she’ll chat with all the people she runs into.

Jewish-American Princess (JAP) ((I know calling Japanese people Japs is offensive. Jews will call girls JAPs, but with a completely different meaning. If that’s still offensive I am sorry, but just know it happens.))

This is the stereotype that portrays Jewish girls/women as spoiled brats basically. They will be pampered and materialistic. Do these girls exist? Definitely. I still recommend steering away from this stereotype.

Names

Listen. Listen. There are some names that Jews just won’t have. I won’t speak in definites because there are always exceptions but you’ll rarely find a Jew named Trinity or Grace or Faith or any form of Chris/Christopher/Christina etc. Biblical names from the Old Testament? Absolutely Jews will have those names they’re actually very common.

I’m in a Jewish Sorority. My pledge class of ~70 girls had five Rebeccas and four Sarahs. Surprisingly only one Rachel though.

When it comes to last names I have two thoughts that might seem contradictory but hear me out: a) give your Jewish OC’s Jewish surnames, b) don’t give your Jewish OC’s the most Jewish surname to ever exist.

By this I mean I would much rather see a character named Sarah Cohen or Aaron Levine than Rachel Smith. Just that little bit of recognition makes a happy exclamation point appear over my head, plus it can be a good way to hint to readers that your OC is Jewish.

On the other hand, please don’t use the most stereotypical Jewish names you’ve ever heard. If you have five Jewish OCs and one of them is Isaac Goldstein then fine. If Isaac Goldstein is your only Jewish OC I might get a little peeved. There are tons of common Jewish surnames that are recognizable and easy to look up, so don’t revert to the first three that come to mind. Maybe it’s just me, but I find it yucky, for lack of a better word.

Jobs

We all know there are certain jobs that are stereotypical for Jews to have. We’re talking lawyer, dentist, doctor, banker type stuff. To an extent these stereotypes exist for a reason, many Jews go into those careers. Do not make these the only careers your Jewish OCs have. Stereotypes might have reasoning behind them but it doesn’t mean they aren’t harmful. If you have multiple Jewish OCs some of them can have these careers, but not all of them. I do know a lot of Jewish lawyers, dentists, and doctors. I also know accountants, people involved in businesses (“mom, what does Brad do?” “he’s a businessman” sometimes there just aren’t more specific words), people involved in real estate. I don’t actually know any bankers personally, and with money and stuff being one of the most common and harmful Jewish stereotypes I would suggest steering away from that.

These are common fields for Jews, but Jews can have literally any job. Please feel free to get creative. And if you have more than one Jewish OC you can think about making one of them a Rabbi, but DON’T do this if they’re the only Jewish OC. Please.

Yiddish

So I mentioned Yiddish earlier. Like I already said, it’s not a very widely used language anymore but there are some words and phrases that are still used by a lot of Jews (in America at least.) Here’s a list that is absolutely not comprehensive:

Oy vey = oh no

Shvitzing = sweating (but not just a little bit. Shvitzing is like SWEATING)

Kvetch/kvetching = whine/whining or complain/complaining

Mazel tov = congratulations; this is the same in Yiddish and Hebrew

Chutzpah = nerve or gall (e.g. “He’s got a lot of chutzpah for breaking up over text like that”)

Kismet = fate; I just learned this is Yiddish

Bubbe and Zayde = grandma and grandpa

Schelp/schlepping = drag/dragging, can also mean carry or move (e.g. “I had to schlep the bag all around town” doesn’t mean they literally dragged it)

Schmutz = dirt or something dirty (e.g. “you have schmutz on your face”)

Schmatta = literally means rag but can be used to refer to ratty blankets or clothes

Plotz = collapse (usually used in the sense of “I’m so tired I might plotz” or “she’s gonna be so excited she’s gonna plotz”)

Schmuck/shmendrick = both mean more or less the same, a jerk or obnoxious person

Shtick = gimmick, routine, or act (can be used like (“I don’t like that comedian’s shtick” or “he always makes himself the center of attention it’s his shtick”)

Spiel = long speech, story, or rant

There’s so many more so look them up and think about using them, but don’t overdo it. A Jewish person isn’t gonna use a Yiddish word in every sentence (or even every day or every few days.)

Israel

In my community at least it’s very common that by the time your college-aged that you’ll have been to Israel at least once.

Israel is a controversial topic within the Jewish community and in the world. It’s sensitive and complex. I really, really suggest not getting into it. Just don’t bring it up because no matter what you say someone will be unhappy. Just don’t do it.

Ashkenazi Disorders

Ashkenazi Jews have some sucky genes (I’m Ashkenazi so I can say this, you cannot.) These sucky genes cause certain disorders to be more prevalent for us. Children only get the disorder if both parents are carriers of the disorder, so Jews usually get genetic testing done before having children. If both parents are carriers the risk of the child getting the disorder is high, so parents might reconsider or have some indecisiveness/fear. Some of these are:

Tay-Sachs

Cystic Fibrosis

Canavan Disease

Familial Dysautonomia

Gaucher Disease

Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Fanconi Anemia

Mucolipidosis IV

Niemann-Pick Disease

Torsion Dystonia

Bloom Syndrome

Ashkenazi Jews also have a high prevalence of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer in women and increase the risk of breast and prostate cancer in men.

Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and Lactose Intolerance are also very prevalent

In a dorm of like 40 Jews, six of them had Crohn’s.

Ways to Show Your OC is Jewish

Wears Jewish jewelry, e.g. Star of David (also called Jewish Star and Magen David), Chai symbol (means life), jewelry with Sh’ma prayer, or hamsa (but beware this symbol is used outside of Judaism).

Mentions their temple, their Rabbi, having a Bat/Bar Mitzvah, going to Hebrew School, Shabbat, or a holiday coming up.

Have someone ask them a question about Judaism.

Have someone notice they have a mezuzah on their door.

Most Jews will have a mezuzah on the doorframe of the front door of their house/apartment, but they could even have one for their dorm room or whatever. It’s traditional to kiss your hand then touch the mezuzah when walking through the door, but most Jews don’t do this every time, at least not most Reform or Conservative Jews.

Have them call out antisemitism if you’re feeling spicy

The end! I hope this helped and if you have any questions my ask box is always open!

#writing advice #writing tips #writing help #jewish characters #judaism #writing resources #writeblr community #wtwcommunity #i said i would make this post literally months ago but i finally did it!

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obeythedemons · 3 years ago

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Picky Eaters [Obey Me! Barbatos/Lance]

Note: My dietary restrictions are complex...I only eat local birds for meat, ‘cause I got super sick when I tried to go vegetarian...Barbatos would hate trying to feed me ahahaha

Obey Me! Masterlist

“Lucifer,” Barbatos started to get the Avatar of Pride’s attention. “I’m afraid I have another of the Young Lord to deal with.”

Lucifer glanced at the butler over the rim of his glass of demonus. “What do you mean?”

“Lance is also a picky eater.”

Lucifer let out a snort of amusement. “It’s more like he’s allergic to a lot of things.”

Barbatos shook his head. “No, he also just doesn’t eat a lot of things. He only ate things with you to be polite. Did you know that he doesn’t eat mammals? That he only eats fish if he’s by the ocean?”

Lucifer narrowed his eyes in confusion. “What kind of rule is that?”

Barbatos sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m not entirely sure. He also despises cabbage, tomatoes, pickles, and anything that’s bitter.”

“At least some of the foods he doesn’t like overlap with Diavolo.”

“Is there something about me that attracts picky eaters?” Barbatos swirled the demonus in his own glass. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Have you tried hiding those foods in the meals?” Lucifer questioned, referring back to when Barbatos tried to hide pickles and bell peppers in Diavolo’s food.

Barbatos leaned back and rolled his head so he was looking up at the ceiling. “With any luck, Lance would have an allergic reaction to something in the meal if I attempted that.” Barbatos looked back at his glass and downed the rest of the demonus in his glass. He poured some more. “I’ve even started a log to document their reactions to the meals.”

“You’re joking.”

“I wish I was. I sort recipes into different boxes, too. One box is for when both Lord Diavolo and Lance enjoy the meal. There are two more for when only one likes it. Lance’s box is periwinkle – took me a long time to find that box. Then, the trash is for when neither of them like the recipe.”

“You just throw out the recipe?” Lucifer asked as he tried to hide his amusement from the butler that was slowly becoming more and more intoxicated.

“It’s very upsetting when neither of them like the meal. Lance tries to eat it with a smile on his face, but I can see that he’s forcing himself to choke it down. It physically pains me when he does that. I discovered the foods he didn’t like by gauging his reactions.”

“You didn’t just ask?”

Barbatos paused. “I should have just asked.”

Lucifer sighed and downed the rest of his drink. “Doubt he would have told you. He wouldn’t want to inconvenience you with the foods he doesn’t like. We barely got it out of him with what foods he knew he was allergic to.”

“That does sound like him,” Barbatos said with a small giggle. He took out his DDD. Lucifer watched with a raised eyebrow as a light blush covered the demon’s cheeks. Barbatos was always more honest when he was drunk.

“What are you doing?”

“Tell him that I love him even though he’s a picky eater.”

Lucifer shook his head and poured some more demonus. He wasn’t sure if Barbatos was referring to Diavolo or Lance. It was probably both in their group chat.

#Obey Me #Obey Me!#Barbatos #Obey Me Barbatos #Lance #MC!Lance #Main Character #Original Male character #Lucifer #Obey Me Lucifer #Diavolo #Obey Me Diavolo #Food #Food Mention

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confused-stars · 3 years ago

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Kurogiri’s Nanny Service - Part Five: Shinsou

(part one) (part two) (part three) (part four)

There's a lot of small challenges that come with having a ragtag, ever-rotating group of children to look after. Kurogiri has grown rather proficient at keeping track of things, as that was always one of his main purposes with Tomura, but he still occasionally has to duck his head into the main room of the bar to do a headcount when he's planning a meal, just to make sure he doesn't forget anyone. There's always enough to feed all of them, of course - they make it work despite All for One's refusal to provide them with more funds - but every one of Kurogiri's children has certain dietary restrictions and preferences.

Himiko and Keigo, for instance, need a higher amount of red meat than the others. Tomura is allergic to sesame and needs a lot of carbohydrates to combat his abnormally fast metabolism. Neito can't have wheat or mushrooms, and won't eat anything with a 'too mushy' consistency. Dabi hates fish, and they have to avoid anything chewy because his jaw gives him trouble a lot. Not that he would ever admit that, so Kurogiri has to keep an eye on him instead.

It's rather challenging.

But it's still not overloading his mind in such a way that he doesn't notice the additional child present in his bar when he does his cursory glance around as he's planning out lunch in his head.

He pauses for a long moment, looking at the little boy in worn, too large clothes, who is staring back at him like a deer caught in the headlights.

Then, Kurogiri looks for either of the Takamis. Who else would be bringing in strays? But not even Keigo is present at the moment, off doing some petty crime with his father, no doubt.

Himiko is sprawled on the floor near the boy, watching him as she kicks her legs in the air, chin resting on her hands. "Can I touch your hair?"

The boy jumps, tearing his gaze away from Kurogiri and back to what must be the closer potential threat in his mind. "Uh, no? I don't-"

"Just leave him alone, Toga," Dabi drawls from the shadows. He's leaning against the wall with a bottle in hand that Kurogiri definitely did not allow him to take. Much closer to the action than he usually prefers. Interesting.

Kurogiri feels a headache coming on. He fully steps out of the kitchen and rests his hands on the bar. The boy's eyes flick back to him, tired but alert.

"Do you have any food allergies I should know about?" Kurogiri asks.

There's a little crease between the boy's brows. He looks very serious for being likely no older than Himiko - and very tired, with bags under his eyes that are dark enough to almost resemble bruises. Kurogiri feels an odd twinge in his chest, along with an impossible sense of deja-vu. He's never seen this child before. How strange.

"... no," the boy says finally, "B-but- but you don't have to..."

Dabi snorts. "He's gonna feed you whether you want him to or not. Trust me on that one. He looks creepy, but he's a regular old mother hen."

There's really nothing Kurogiri could say to argue that point.

"You're the one who showed up with a baby in tow." Tomura has his back turned to the rest of them and is currently in the process of setting up one of his video games on the big tv screen Takami showed up with with no explanation a few months ago.

"I'm nine," the boy murmurs under his breath.

"A baby," Tomura repeats insistently.

Kurogiri looks to Dabi, now apparently trying to sink more into the shadows like he's used to doing. "You're going to have to tell me exactly what happened. After you've had lunch." He hasn't seen Dabi in a handful of days, and while the boy can somewhat take care of himself, that doesn't mean he actually does.

Dabi scoffs, crossing his arms over his chest. "Nothin' to tell. He just looked like a sad puppy or something, so I figured you'd be thrilled."

Kurogiri isn't sure he likes the implications of that, but, again, the boy is not wrong. Thrilled is not the word he would use, but he would rather any child in need be in here, where he can feed them and lend an open ear, than out there fending for themselves.

"Someone's going soft," Tomura murmurs, eyes transfixed on the screen as he scrolls through a menu way too fast for Kurogiri's eyes to be able to follow.

"Fuck off, creepy asshole," Dabi says, glaring with fire in his eyes.

"Dabi." Kurogiri waits until the boy turns to look at him, and feels some satisfaction when he wilts after a moment.

"Sorry. Fuck off, Tomura," he corrects himself, with a little more inflection in his voice than usual.

It's about as much as can be expected. Kurogiri is fine with them using whatever kind of language they like - he isn't their parent, and language is the least of their problems - but he doesn't like them insulting each other's person. A teenager's self-esteem is a fragile thing, even if they like to pretend it isn't.

"Be nice, children," he reminds evenly, "I'll have dinner ready in half an hour." They'll settle for something simple and filling tonight. He has no idea how well this new child has been eating, it's hard to tell with the baggy clothes he's wearing, so it's safer to go with easy to digest food for now. Rice and... something with chicken. He'll improvise.

It's only once he retreats into the kitchen that he realizes he's forgotten to ask for the boy's name. How terribly impolite. Oh, well.

Kurogiri has barely started cooking when Dabi slips into the kitchen. It's not unexpected, even though Kurogiri would be more reassured to have him out there, keeping an eye on the younger children. Especially because Tomura is going to be engrossed in whatever video game they were all planning to play.

But it's hardly Dabi's responsibility to look after any of them as if they were his siblings. He's eighteen, but he's a ways away from being an adult yet.

"He's got a foster home to go back to," Dabi says, grabbing a cutting board and getting to work on an onion. Kurogiri gently takes it from him and directs him toward the tomatoes instead - his scarred tear ducts always end up giving him trouble when he's dealing with onions.

"A safe foster home?" Kurogiri knows that most of those places are alright, with stressed out adults who just want to give some children a chance at stability. It's... a little like what Kurogiri is doing, in all honesty.

But there's always the outliers, especially in these parts where villain activity is through the roof and heroes rarely bother to venture.

Dabi shrugs. "Decent enough, for Kamino. Says they mostly let him run free."

It's not ideal, and Kurogiri doesn't like the nonchalance in the way Dabi said it, but he's right. It's depressing, but he's right.

Kurogiri wonders if Dabi has been in any foster homes. Family is a large red flag for him. All for One seems to be aware of something Kurogiri isn't, and often smiles to himself when they talk about Dabi, like he's in on some private joke, but Kurogiri never wanted to push Dabi into telling him. He's a permanent installment now, but he still seems like a stray cat - only sticking around as long as they don't do anything to spook him.

"So why did you bring him here?" Kurogiri asks carefully, keeping his tone neutral and gentle.

Dabi doesn't answer for a moment. There's just the sound of their knives on the chopping boards, and the soft bubbling of the rice cooker.

"Kids shouldn't just be left on their own," the boy finally says, "Kids need parents."

Kurogiri wisely decides to leave that statement to stand by itself in silence.

By the time they've finished cooking, the main room of the bar has become much livelier with the addition of two feathered beings of chaos. It's a good thing Kurogiri always, always prepares extra food.

The new boy - his name is Shinsou Hitoshi, Kurogiri has since remembered to inquire - seems even more overwhelmed by the general energy that especially Keigo brings to the mix. But he's still here, sitting with Tomura and their video game, clearly using it to distract himself.

"Awesome, food!" Red feathers shoot across the room and into the kitchen to open various closet doors as Keigo immediately gets to setting the table. Or, well, setting out dishes for all of them to grab and eat where they like. There's so many of them now that they don't fit around a single bar table anymore like they used to.

"Heard this is your first stray, firecracker," Takami says, leaning across the counter to roughly ruffle Dabi's hair. Dabi miraculously lets it happen. Only Takami is allowed freedoms like these. There's some odd connection between them, an understanding that Kurogiri can't relate to, but it seems to be good for the boy, so he's not going to question it.

"Shut up," Dabi huffs, "Like you're not constantly on the lookout for kids that need help. 's almost heroic of you."

Takami gasps, dramatically clutching his chest. "Betrayal! You were my favorite!"

Dabi snorts.

"I thought I was your favorite," Keigo speaks up, a few feathers wrapped around chopsticks whizzing through the air so close to Dabi's head that Kurogiri almost wants to scold him for it. But he knows Keigo is just showing off. He always tends to show off when Dabi is around.

"You're blood," Takami says and waves a dismissive hand, "You're on a whole other ranking system."

"Means you're at the top 'cause there's no one else," Dabi helpfully points out, and laughs when Keigo flips him off.

Kurogiri lets the warm wave of fondness flood through him - he's long since given up on battling the feeling. He even goes so far as to brush a hand over Takami's when he steps out from behind the counter. There's a brief, instinctive flutter of wings that almost makes Kurogiri chuckle. They're not the type to shower each other in physical affection, although Takami is plenty affectionate with the children, and little touches like this always take by surprise whoever isn't initiating them.

He can feel Takami's eyes on him even with his back turned, but that gaze rarely makes him uncomfortable anymore. There's no distrust in it like there used to be.

Kurogiri moves over to crouch next to where Tomura and Hitoshi are still intensely focused on the game they're playing - something cooperative, with Tomura pausing every once in a while to explain some mechanic that Hitoshi picks up quickly like only children can. Seeing Tomura reign in his impatience and teach gives Kurogiri a strange feeling of pressure behind his eyes that he has to blink away.

"If you boys could pause for a little while, food is ready." Kurogiri likes to eat together whenever it's possible. It feels nice. The children talk about their days, Takami tells some far-fetched heist story that somehow they all take for the truth, and Kurogiri allows himself to pause and just listen.

That's not to say he insists on shared meals when one of the children doesn't want to. Tomura has his days when he won't come out of his room, barely even leave his bed, and all Kurogiri cares about then is that he eats at all. Himiko is much like that, though her bad days are rarer and often more destructive. Keigo's smiles are brittle sometimes, and his usually energetic movements seem sluggish, so they make sure he has a quiet space and doesn't have to deal with everyone else if he's reached his limit. When Dabi is in a bad mood, he just doesn't like people to watch him while he eats. The only one who is somewhat uncomplicated is Neito. But he's also the only one who lives in a regular household with a regular family. His only problem are his genetics, and the one who gave them to him.

Speaking of, Kurogiri needs to inquire about Hitoshi's quirk. All for One will want him to find out, even if he's never directly influenced Kurogiri's children before - aside from Tomura and Neito, of course. There's no option of disobeying, mainly because a quirk is one of those things that always gets talked about eventually. It's best to ask early so Kurogiri can be prepared for if All for One takes an interest in the boy.

In the end, of course he doesn't have to ask because Himiko does it for him.

They're all scattered around the bar with their food, and Hitoshi has squeezed himself into a corner, clearly trying to be invisible. It's nearly working, with Keigo excitedly chattering more at Dabi than with him, and Takami quietly telling Kurogiri about how boring their day really was.

But then Himiko leans across the booth and gets right up in Hitoshi's face. "So what do you do?" she asks, all innocent curiosity, "I bet your quirk is something cool, but quiet. But Dabi's quiet, too, and his quirk is really flashy..."

Hitoshi shrinks away from her, not an unnatural reaction to Himiko's lack of boundaries, but then he lowers his eyes and shakes his head, and, ah. It's an issue with his quirk, isn't it?

"Are you quirkless?" Himiko asks, eyes wide, "I'm sorry! I know that's really tough, there was this girl at my school who-"

"I'm not," Hitoshi murmurs, barely audible. But at this point, all other conversation has died and they're all watching him with interest. It's probably a bit much.

"You don't have to tell us if you're not comfortable," Kurogiri says, "Unless it's something you need specific accommodations for."

Hitoshi looks up at him in surprise, then shakes his head.

"I can turn myself into other people," Himiko supplies helpfully, clever enough to pick up that she shouldn't push further, and empathetic enough to turn the conversation around to her own quirk. It might help Hitoshi feel more comfortable.

"You're so proud of your kids, I can feel it comin' off of you in waves," Takami murmurs, leaning in close.

Kurogiri huffs. "That's only natural, I'd assume."

Takami's hand lands on his knee and squeezes, once. "You're a good dad."

It's ridiculous. Kurogiri isn't even a parent. He's just a caretaker, and even that is just by design. There's no universe in which he would not do his best to take care of his children.

"You're trying to charm me again," he says, and Takami laughs.

"Always."

Across from them, Tomura makes a disgusted noise, and Keigo and Dabi laugh.

Hitoshi is looking at Himiko with fascination, so Kurogiri tunes back into their conversation. "Blood? Really? And they're all... okay with that?"

Himiko shrugs, unbothered, even if Kurogiri's alarm bells ring. It still gives her confidence issues, the way other people treated her for her quirk. Hitoshi doesn't seem judgemental, but still.

"People at home weren't. My parents didn't like it. Other kids didn't like it. But it's different here! Taka-san taught me that being a predator is natural! Some of us are just born like that. Why is drinking blood weird when people cook with it all the time?"

Kurogiri does, in fact, pre-cook the blood he supplies Himiko with, only to let it cool again and stick it back in the fridge. He's just worried about disease, that's all.

"I... huh?" Hitoshi says. It's relatable. Even Kurogiri didn't know how to talk to Himiko when she first came into his care, and he'd already had experience with Tomura and Keigo at the time.

But luckily Himiko doesn't expect an answer at all. She just happily rambles on. "I mean, it's true that it's hard to tell when it's okay to take blood from someone and when it isn't, but I've been getting better at it! Blood's supposed to stay inside the body! It's just a shame because it's so pretty, but we've all got to make sacrifices." She shrugs and picks up the bag of blood Kurogiri prepared with her meal.

Hitoshi glances down at it with slight unease, then seems to force himself to relax. "Uh, my quirk's not... physical like that," he says, "But people don't like when I use it, either. They say... they say it makes me a villain."

Hitoshi is a child. And he sounds so defeated when he says it. Kurogiri wants to have words with the adults in his life.

"Nothing wrong with that," Tomura comments, "They just call everyone a villain who doesn't fit in. But you're not a villain just because of your quirk. That's stupid. It's a choice."

"A choice," Hitoshi echoes. To children, there's often more authority in what older kids say than what adults say. He looks around at them all again, and then shakes his head.

Kurogiri reaches over to scoop some more chicken onto his plate. "Everyone here will understand. But you don't have to talk about it until you're ready."

If All for One wants to know desperately, he can always check the quirk registry. Kurogiri isn't going to push a small child who already seems scared of setting boundaries. He's trying to provide a healthy environment here. Where they can be comfortable and feel safe. Hitoshi needs that feeling just as desperately as the rest of them.

Kurogiri is not going to let anything ruin that.

#nanny service au #j writes #hawks tag #mmh this is just some nice fuzzy feelings #i love this au it's always soft and domestic

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ryanleonitus · 2 years ago

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Holiday party at work was enjoyable. Well, at least up until the food portion. LoL! I really don’t like all the attention on folks’ dietary restrictions and whether or not they choose to partake based on those restrictions. I know the joke (or insult depending) is you always know when the vegan is in the room because they’ll tell you BUT when we just decline food, y’all KEEP asking until we are damned there forced to say it. That’s for one. For two, once it’s said there’s usually some naming of all the foods we *could* eat. Most of the time -I kid you not- what’s named isn’t vegan. That alone will make me not touch anything because you just confirmed for me you don’t understand the restriction.

And then there’s my favorite phrases like “eat around [the meat]” and “pick [the meat/cheese] out” and “fish isn’t meat.” I just told you I don’t eat it though…

Then there’s the one or two…or numerous that want to talk about it just to keep attaching: “I don’t see how you do it” and “What DO you eat?!” and “I GOTTA have my meat.” As though me finally saying I’m plant based was also me passing judgement.

I’m content not eating at gatherings or bringing my own food. I don’t want you standing over it picking it apart. And I sure as hell don’t want to hear about it for the next 30mins because I didn’t ask!! Lemme lone! 😂🤣

One of the funnier moments was when the one coworker who kept talking trash about me not eating finally sat down to eat her food. First bite and she’s pulling hair out of her mouth. Everyone at our table looks at me and I start cackling ‘cause…being plant based ain’t the only reason I don’t eat at particular parties. Needless to say, everyone in our little group lost their appetite. She goes, “That’s what I get for fuckin’ with Rine!.” I’m not sure about that but ummm, that’s fucked up mayne. 🤣🤣

Party was cool though. Next time I’m exiting stage left when the plates come out.

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sigmaleph · 3 years ago

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@serinemolecule asked me for hot takes on this 2006 article on Argentinian food, which I am now reorganising into a proper post for y'all's consumption. you're welcome.

First of all: the titular thesis that you should eat two steaks a day. I am forced to clarify that as 'should's go you should eat zero steaks a day, but this is ethical rather dietary advice and I don't follow it as well as I should, so, y'know. I would engage with this on the level it was stated, but I actually have no opinion on it. Moving on...

Argentine beef really is extraordinary. Almost all of this has to do with how the cows are raised. There are no factory feedlots in Argentina; the animals still eat pampas grass their whole lives, in open pasture, and not the chicken droppings and feathers mixed with corn that pass for animal feed in the United States.

This is, as it happens, completely false. There absolutely is plenty of feedlot beef being eaten in Argentina, and this was also the case back when this article was written. There's grass-fed beef too, and maybe the writer structured their life around only eating those, but the claim that there are no feedlots is just not true.

if you let them make the call, you get a two-inch thick of meat[...]The Argentine steak stands alone, towering three inches over the plate,[...]This gorgeous specimen is called a lomito; it's a standard lunchtime steak, clearly so thin that the Argentines are embarrassed to send it out into the world without a protective wrapping of ham and cheese

I have no idea what their obsession with steak thickness is; meat exists at various levels of thick and thin to suit various tastes. If you like yours thick that's fine but quit the projecting, y'know.

As you might expect, vegetarians will have a somewhat rough time here. For most people in Argentina, a vegetarian is something you eat. One's diet will accordingly lean heavily on pastas, gnocchi, salads, and (for the less squeamish ) fish. Vegans will not survive in Argentina.

This is, unfortunately, true (well, hyperbole, but). Rinna had a rather bad time trying to find vegan food when fae came over for visits. The situation is improving slowly, at least.

The homemade cookies bought in the minimarket downstairs taste of steak. [picture of alfajores de maicena[

Jesus. Find somewhere better to buy your snacks.

It should be no surprise that the land of beef also has excellent milk and butter. The milk comes in plastic bags that would give any American marketing department a heart attack. They proudly advertise "GUARANTEED 100% BRUCELLOSIS AND HOOF-AND-MOUTH FREE". One brand even brags that its bacteria count never exceeds 100,000 per mL, and prints daily statistics to prove it (only 82,000 bacteria/mL on Monday! mmm!).

Are you under the impression American milk doesn't contain bacteria and that when it spoils it's because of the molecules' sheer willpower? Or do you just object to the reminder that they exist?

This menu is delicious, but with rare exceptions it is all you are going to get. People coming for more than a few weeks are advised to bring a discreet bottle of Tabasco sauce.

Eat at better restaurants.

With any order from the master menu comes the Bread Basket, which should be treated as you would treat a basket of wax fruit, that is, as a purely decorative ornament. It is considered bad form to actually eat anything from Bread Basket

What are you talking about. Do all your dining companions just suck, eat some bread.

Dulce de leche is a culinary cry for help. It says "save us, we are baffled and alone in the kitchen, we don't know what to do for dessert and we're going to boil condensed milk and sugar together until help arrives". This cloying dessert tar is so impossibly sweet that you wish you were ten years old again, just so you could actually enjoy it. It is everywhere. There is a special dulce de leche shelf in the supermarket dairy case, and the containers go up to a liter in size. Even the churros are stuffed with it - the churros, Montresor!

It is rare that I feel insulted for the sake of my country, but this? How dare you.

Yes, of course we fill churros with dulce de leche; the real question is why anyone doesn't, short of dietary restrictions. Finding out that people do otherwise was like learning that in other countries, "sandwich" just means two slices of bread. Live a little. Eat a real godsdamned churro.

I spent a considerable amount of time trying to figure out how meals work in Argentina, and they remain a mystery to me. Dinner is clear enough: people tend to go to restaurants beginning at ten o'clock (for those with small children), with the main rush around eleven, and dinner is pretty much over at one or so in the morning. And breakfast - or rather, its absence - follows as a logical consequence of eating a steak the size of a beagle at midnight. But I have yet to figure out whether people eat some kind of meal in the afternoon, and if so, when.

At... noon? Like. We eat lunch. Usually somewhere around 12:00. I am eating lunch right now, and I have done so essentially every day of my life. This is just baffling.

I've come to think the culprit in the missing Argentine lunch scene is yerba mate.

how.

Where the ignorant foreigner may see just another kind of herbal tea (yerba mate is a very unassuming shrub that grows in the northern parts of the country) the Argentine sees a taste treat of unimaginable subtlety, and a tonic for all his problems. The Wikipedia article on proper mate preparation should give you a warning of the level of obsessiveness attainable here (the Urugayans are even worse). To the virgin palate, mate tastes like green tea mixed with grass clippings. The beverage is traditionally drunk out of a little gourd, through a metal straw called a bombilla, with hot (but not boiling!!) water poured into it (without wetting the surface!! clockwise!!) from a thermos.

Yeah, this is accurate. Well, not the clockwise part, never heard anyone complain about that and I can't imagine it mattering.

What distinguishes mate from coffee and tea is the social context - two or more people share a gourd, with a designated pourer in charge of refilling it with hot water after each turn. The ritual is low-fuss but indispensible. You can buy mate gourds and thermoses in any grocery store, and get your thermos filled with hot water at any convenience store or gas station, but you will never see mate served in restaurants or sold in little disposable paper gourds, to go. it's not that people refuse to drink mate alone - anyone working a solitary shift will have a gourd in hand - but that the concept of being served mate by someone who does not share it with you seems impossible.

This is also true. Attempts have been made to sell to-go mate but it's never very popular, the social ritual is important. Also unfortunately a disease vector, I haven't had any mate in a year and a half.

Mate aficionados will tell you that mate contains a special compound, mateine, that serves as a tonic and mild stimulant, promoting alertness without making it hard to sleep, reducing fatigue and appetite, helping the digestion and serving as a mild diuretic. Scientists will tell you that mateine bears a suspicious resemblance to a chemical called caffeine. Mate aficionados will then grow indignant, explaining that mateine is really a stereoisomer (mirror image) of caffeine, with different effects, which will in turn irritate the scientists, who will snap that caffeine doesn't have a chiral center, so it can't have a distinguishable mirror image, and why don't the mate aficionados just put a sock in it.

The first part of this is true; some people definitely think "mateine" is different from caffeine and it absolutely isn't. Never heard the stereoisomer claim before but googling it does confirm some people say so.

still have no idea what any of this has to do with lunch, though. I promise you nobody skips lunch because mate is just too filling.

The wine here is very good (something has to stand up to that steak), but Argentina has no liquor to call its own, relying on whiskies like Old Smuggler and the low-maintenance Don Juan cognac to carry the flag.

There's a fundamental omission from this list and it's called fernet.

Beer is ubiquitous and comes in a bewildering variety of sizes, although there is a skittishness about the full-on liter. Things level off at 970 mL. In my case, it means I end up drinking 1940 mL of beer as a kind of personal protest, and all is well with the world. To make up for the abundance of sizes, beer comes in only one variety, Quilmes, which inevitably comes served with a tripartite platter of snacks - nuts, salty cylinders, and aged potato chips.

I never had trouble buying beer by the litre, but I confess I never tried to do so in 2006 on account of being under 18 at the time.

Anyway, beer comes in a lot more varieties today, thankfully, because Quilmes sucks. I'll never be a beer person, but at least these days there's options I tolerate.

[original post]

#dreamwidth crosspost

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bedbellyandbeyond · 4 years ago

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Break Up

(Story Post)

“What about Ben? Yeah, I—No, but—” Jeffrey sniffled. “Well go then! Don't come back!” Nathan was just coming out of a meeting with Korsgaard when he caught the end of Jeffrey’s phone conversation. Jeffrey was in the hall carrying Ben strapped to his chest and after hanging up the phone, he just pressed his head against the wall and sobbed. “Whoa, hey…” Nathan rushed over quickly and placed a hand on Jeffrey’s back. “…What’s up? What happened?” Jeffrey flinched but relaxed when he realised it was Nathan. He quickly wiped his eyes. “It’s Bler… He just broke up with me…” “No way.” Nathan wasn’t surprised at all considering how little Bler seemed to be involved with his family based on what Jeffrey had shared in group, but he still felt bad for the boy nonetheless. “I’m so sorry. That’s terrible.”

“He did it through text too!” Jeffrey sniffled, holding up his phone. Ben was visibly getting upset as Jeffrey did, but he didn’t cry. “Who breaks up with someone over text?!” “You were just on the phone though…” Nathan remarked. “He texted me during my counseling, but I called him as soon as I saw it after…” Jeffrey said. Nathan didn’t even think young adults made phone calls anymore, but he didn’t bring it up. Instead he searched his pockets and found one of the twins’ toys, a little squishy octopus, and handed it to Ben. He hoped it would entertain him enough in the moment to keep his attention off his father’s breakdown. “…Break ups are difficult. Not to mention, it must be even harder when you have a baby between you… If there’s anything I can do to help, just ask.” Jeffrey slumped his back against the wall and wiped his eye again. “I… I just don’t know what to do…” Nathan nodded and rubbed Jeffrey’s shoulder. “Who’s picking you up today?” “No one…” Jeffrey answered. “Ollie’s at work until later and Korsy’s in, like, Montana or something… I took transit.” Nathan shook his head. “I’m not letting you go on transit like this. How about you have dinner with us? Then when your cousin gets off work, he can get you. Or Dax’ll drive you.” Jeffrey hesitated for second. “That’d be cool, I think… Thanks…” “I’m on wolf cycle which means I’m eating in the cafeteria this week which is good for us because we don’t have to go all the way home, but it also means you can’t stay too late,” Nathan explained. “But I’m headed to my room right now if you’ll join me.” Jeffrey nodded. “Sure.” Nathan offered to carry Ben for the way down and Jeffrey took the break thankfully. He was quiet the whole time as he was guided down to the resident floor, but he wasn’t crying anymore which Nathan hoped was good. Ben watched Jeffrey the whole time with his big wide eyes, almost like he was studying his father. When Jeffrey noticed, he pulled a silly face for him and pet his head. When they got to the room, Nathan let them in with his key. Wano, who had been watching the twins, got up from the floor by their play pen and came to the door. The tall stranger overwhelmed Jeffrey and he stepped back a pace before Wano was standing over him. “Who is this?” Wano asked, tilting his head as he scanned Jeffrey’s face. He glanced at Nathan and then pointed to Ben. “And this. This is not yours, Nathan.” “No, this is Jeffrey and his son Ben,” Nathan said. “He’s in my pregnancy group.” “Uh, Nathan… Who’s this guy?” Jeffrey asked. Then he lowered his voice. “You’re not sleeping around on Mr. Olivier, are you?” “What? No!” Nathan patted Wano’s arm. “This is Wano. He’s under my care at the moment.” “So… You’re fostering him?” Jeffrey asked. “Sometimes it feels that way…” Nathan chuckled. “But, no. It’s sort of like a sponsorship. He stays with us to get some more time outside of APID.” “But this is APID,” Jeffrey said. “Yeah, he still has to come back when I’m on my cycle, but when we’re home, he gets to come live with us,” Nathan said. Wano was still looking Jeffrey over. He pointed to Ben again. “You made this?” Jeffrey’s pride took over and he grinned. “Yeah, baked him myself.” “So, you are a parent?” Wano asked. “That’s right,” Jeffrey said. “Recently single parent.” Nathan watched how Jeffrey’s eyes flicked down Wano’s torso and a sudden realisation of what he might’ve just started filled him with worry. “You’re ra bit small, though,” Wano commented. “How do you fit a child inside? You’re not as tall as Nathan. He can fit two children.” “I think most pregnant people on Earth are usually closer to Jeffrey’s height or shorter actually,” Nathan said. “But I guess you haven’t met many parents here yet, have you?” “You and the fish,” Wano said. He looked at Jeffrey again and nodded. “You are closer to the fish size. I understand. Probably only one baby at a time then. That’s fine.” “I bet I could handle twins,” Jeffrey said, placing his hands on his hips. “No problem.” “Really? That is admirable,” Wano said. “I cannot carry children. I can only plant seeds.” “That’s totally fine by me,” Jeffrey said. “Okay, you know what, I’m really hungry,” Nathan said to try to slow the roll on wherever that conversation was going. “How about we go to the cafeteria now and I can text Dax to meet us there?” “Alright,” Jeffrey said. “Is Wano joining us?” “Of course,” Nathan said. “Wano, could you help me get the twins in their carriers, please?” Wano nodded and went to grab them. Nathan handed Ben back to Jeffrey so he could carry one of the twins while Wano took care of the other. He didn’t have to message Dax as the teacher came strutting down the hall to meet them at the door. “Hello!” he saved waving. “Looks like I’m not too late! Hello, Jeffrey. It’s nice to see you again.” “Hi, Mr. Olivier!” Jeffrey said quickly. “Or, uh, Dax, right?” “Of course! I'm not your teacher anymore. Just call me Dax,” he insisted. “Okay cool. Feels kinda weird but I guess I'll get used to it…” Jeffrey said. “Jeffrey’s cousin can't pick him up until later, so I invited him to have dinner with us,” Nathan explained. “Sounds good. I'll put my book bag down inside and then we can head over,” Dax said. They went down to the cafeteria all together and chose a table to sit at. Nathan left the twins with Dax while he took Jeffrey up to get food first. While they did that, Dax and Wano set up a highchair for Ben too. “The food's really good here,” Nathan said as they lined up. “If you don't have dietary restrictions, it's pretty much a buffet. Desserts are portioned out for the residence, but you can have mine.” “Do I have to pay for any of this?” Jeffrey asked. “No, no. It's free for anyone with entry into the facilities,” Nathan said. “Just tap your APID card at the end over there.” “Cool. Nobody told me there was free food…” “Yeah, it’s great. How old’s Ben? Can he eat solids?” Nathan asked. “Oh, yeah. He's big into Cheerios and yoghurt,” Jeffrey said. “And he’s ten months old.” “Ooh, a birthday soon, nice,” Nathan said. “They should have some options for Ben at the end by the desserts.” “This is pretty cool. I might come here more often,” Jeffrey said. “So uh, where’s Wano from?” “Um, Eclul. He’s Eclulan,” Nathan explained. “Listen, about Wano—” “Are they all purple like him?” Jeffrey asked. “More or less,” Nathan answered. “I’ve seen darker shades, but they don’t really vary in hue like Yulinians.” “Bler’s species wasn’t very different from us,” Jeffrey said. “His skin’s tiny bit green and his eyes are big, but that’s about it. Ben mostly just got his hair and eyes.” “Good for fitting in, I imagine,” Nathan said. “If that’s what your going for anyway.” “Yeah, when I go out grocery shopping with him or something, sometimes little old ladies come up and tell me my son has such beautiful eyes,” Jeffrey said. “But he could’ve also got that from me, ‘cause I used to get a lot of compliments on my eyes. You know, since they’re a little pink.” “They are a really nice colour,” Nathan considered. “Is that the fairy side?” “Ollie says so,” Jeffrey said. He looked back at their table. “I don’t think I could date another Prilarian…” “May be for the best,” Nathan said. “I think the best thing after a bad break up is to have some time to yourself. I didn’t even think I could ever date again after my last break up. But I guess, that was for more personal reasons.” “Maybe… Maybe not,” Jeffrey said. “And I’m thinking about Ben here. He needs a dad.” “Well, is Bler not going to be around at least for his son?” Nathan asked. “Nope. He has to go back to Poland,” Jeffrey said. “He said Canada deported him back there because it’s where he landed and he has a criminal record or something… He doesn’t think it’s worth it to try and fight to come back because he could be deported off planet… Korsy warned me this could happen because it happens a lot to Prilarians since they tend to ignore the law. I just think Korsy hates him. He’s probably the one who got him kicked out…” “Wow, that’s… Well… I don’t really know anything about Prilarians,” Nathan said. “Yulinians seem to be the majority at APID.” “What about Eclulans? Are there a lot of them?” Jeffrey asked. “I think they’re like a far second,” Nathan said. “Yulinians are mostly here to work as ambassadors in their fields but Eclulans are mostly here to make a better life for themselves. The thing is that most of them are pretty stubborn and typically come to Earth under false VISAs because they won’t admit they’re refugees of war on their planet.” “So, they’re runaways?” Jeffrey said. “That’s kinda hot.” “I don’t know about hot, but it means a lot of them get deported,” Nathan said. “Wano himself is in the middle of getting deported which is why we insisted he stay with us so he can see a bit more of Earth before he goes.” Jeffrey frowned. “Oh no… You’re fighting it, right?” “Yeah, but all we could get so far was an extension,” Nathan said. “It seems like he might have to go back to Eclul and reapply to return. It’s hard to know he’ll be safe though if he goes back.” “Oh…” They got their food and headed back to the table. Jeffrey smiled to Wano as the Eclulan got up to get his dinner with Dax. Nathan wondered if Dax was picking up any of this, or if Wano was even aware of how interested Jeffrey was. Jeffrey got Ben out of his carrier and placed him into the highchair. He put out a bowl of dry cereal for the baby to try and Ben seemed more than happy grabbing from it and shoving pieces in his mouth. “What do you do for fun?” Nathan asked as he started to eat. “Play video games mostly,” Jeffrey answered. “I'm starting to stream. I'm hoping I can build up some fans again and make some money. Reggie's helping.” “Again?” Nathan asked. “Yeah. I used to livestream when I was pregnant with Ben,” Jeffrey explained. “People paid to see me getting bigger. They seemed to know before I did that I was pregnant though. I was just trying to gain weight. Turns out I'd been wasting my time since my fairy genes won't allow it. But I got Ben out of it, so there's always that.” “I see…” Nathan said. “So you've stopped making those types of videos?” “Yeah. APID pretty much made me delete my account,” Jeffrey said. “I did give birth to an alien on camera, so they wanted to shut that down pretty quick. I do miss it though. I really enjoyed being big and round and just so tight and full… I was hoping Bler would give me another child but it seems that's not likely…” “You want to get pregnant again?” Nathan asked, a little more worried. “Of course! Don't you?” Jeffrey asked. “Not even a little bit, no,” Nathan said. Jeffrey waved a hand. “That's fine or whatever, but I want to be pregnant again so bad. I loved just how big I was, just waddling everywhere. And I want Ben to have a sibling to play with.” “Don't you worry about that getting in the way of your ambitions?” Nathan asked. “That is my ambition. That's why I want to do the gaming thing,” Jeffrey said. “Gaming is something you can do from home and you don't have to worry if you're pregnant. It's not like there's a boss that needs you in the office or whatever. It's flexible. You're your own boss. You create content whenever you feel like it and make bank.” Nathan wasn't sure Jeffrey was being too realistic. “That's if you get really famous, right? Until you start making that money, if you're supporting a family, you need a day job too. It costs a lot of money to raise children.” “Well, that's why I don't want to do it alone,” Jeffrey said. “The sooner I start dating again, the sooner I find someone who can support myself and my kids. It’d be much harder alone.” Nathan reached over and took Jeffrey’s hand. “Listen. I still think it'd be best for you to take some time to yourself. Process your break up before you jump into anything you'll regret.” Jeffrey frowned and took his hand back. “I appreciate your opinion, but I didn't ask for it.” The others came back at this point but before sitting down, Dax tapped Nathan's shoulder. “Oh, I got the meat lasagna instead of the veggie. I’m gonna go back up. But Nathan, they had your favourite bagels out. Did you see?” Nathan looked up at his partner a bit confused but he saw the insistence in Dax's face and realised he wanted him to come with him. “No, I didn't see. If they're my favourite I should get one.” Nathan got up and grabbed his plate. “We'll be right back.” Nathan and Dax drifted off back over near the buffet and Dax dropped a hand on his shoulder. “What's going on here?” Dax asked. “Are we on a double date?” “Oh god, I hope not…” Nathan sighed. “So, you're getting that vibe too?” “Less of a vibe, more of a big blinking billboard,” Dax said. “Wano has been very explicit about how he'd like to bed Jeffrey and fill him with offspring.” “Ew… Now that Bler's officially dumped him, Jeffrey seems to be ready to jump into bed too,” Nathan said, starting to panic a bit. “I didn’t realise they’d be like this. This is all my fault for inviting Jeffrey to dinner.” “No, no. You were just being nice,” Dax said. “This happens, I guess. They're young. Or, actually… How old is Wano?” “Physically? I don't know. Emotionally, ten. Maybe thirteen, tops.” “Mm, well… They are adults. There isn’t much we can do,” Dax pointed out. “If they both like each other mutually, then it isn’t really our place to try to break them up.” “But if they do get together and they do have a child, what then? From what I know from our group sessions, Jeffrey already barely has the means to support Ben and Wano is literally getting deported. And, I mean it's not breaking them up if they haven't gotten together yet, right?” Nathan said. “It's prevention.” “I think at this point it's breaking them up,” Dax said, pointing past Nathan. Nathan turned around and sighed. Jeffrey had slid around to sit beside Wano and they were feeding each other their dinners. “Fucking hell…” Nathan groaned. “Well, Wano has to stay with you so technically, they shouldn’t really have much of a chance to be alone, right?” Dax said. “And when he's alone in the house, he has to watch the kids.” “You’re right…” Nathan was still a bit unconvinced. “But I’m still worried.” Dax pursed his lips. “Well, if you don't want them to start making out in front of the kids, we should probably get back.” “Yeah.” They rejoined the table and Nathan sat across from Jeffrey now that they were on opposite sides. “Hey, um. Have you let Ollie know you’re here with us?” “Oh, not yet,” Jeffrey said pulling out his phone. “I'll text him now.” “Who is Ollie?” Wano asked curiously. “My cousin,” Jeffrey said as he typed. “I can't drive but he picks me up all the time.” “Cousin?” Wano inquired, unfamiliar with the word. “Yeah. My mother's sister's son.” “Ah. You are blood.” “Yep.” “Wano, you ate all your green beans,” Dax remarked. “Good job.” “They were not disgusting,” Wano said. “Very tolerable.” “I'm glad to hear it,” Dax said. “Yes, Jeffrey made them enjoyable to eat,” Wano said. “He made spaceship noises.” “Oh...” “Shit, it doesn’t seem like Ollie can get me tonight…” Jeffrey interrupted after receiving a text message. “Dax'll drive you then,” Nathan said. “Right, Dax?” “Sure,” Dax confirmed. “I'd be happy to." “‘Kay,” Jeffrey accepted. “You guys are so chill. I always figured teachers were really boring and dusty, but you’ve always been pretty cool, Mr. Olivier. Or, Dax. Sorry.” “No, that's alright and thank you,” Dax said. “Let me know when you're done eating and then we can head out.” “Is there a rush?” Jeffrey asked, sliding his hand onto Wano's knee. Nathan tensed when he noticed. “Well sort of. You know, I have my condition. Too late and it could be dangerous for you.” “Does Wano stay in your room while you guys are living at APID?” Jeffrey asked. Wano shook his head. “I have my own room. It's smaller, but the wi-fi is good and the bed is nice.” “Well, if it gets too late, then I could hang out in Wano's room,” Jeffrey said. “No, no… Uh, doesn't Ben have a bedtime you wanna stick to?” Nathan mentioned. “Yeah, I guess.” Jeffrey patted Wano's leg. “Another time then?” “Yes. You can see my rock collection,” Wano said. “Ooh, are they really hard?” “Yes, they are rocks.”

#lore #Nathan #Jeffrey #Wano #Dax #Ben

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surveys-at-your-service · 3 years ago

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Survey #479

“war sends our sons to slaughter / another failed attack; there is no turning back”

Have you ever boycotted something? Yes: Chick-fil-A. Homophobic, transphobic pieces of shit. Has anyone ever borrowed something from you, and not returned it? Yes, a video game when I was little. I was so mad, lol. Do you vent a lot on social media? No. I don't want people to get annoyed with me. What was your first bill you started paying on your own? I haven't been responsible for any bills yet. What is your favorite charitable cause to donate to or volunteer for? I can't/don't do either really, but if I could, I'd probably donate to uhhhh... suicide prevention organizations. As for volunteering, definitely something with animals. Have you ever dated someone who wasn’t at all your usual type? No. What is something you have no patience for? Waiting at the doctor's office. Have you ever received a misdiagnosis? Yes. What’s that you’re listening to? I'm watching Gab play The Evil Within 2. What kind of relationship do you have with the last person you kissed? We're a couple. What is your biggest accomplishment in life? Still being alive. What is one thing that you really wish you could understand, but don’t? Political stuff. Economics. Have you ever been tutored or tutored someone yourself? I had an Algebra tutor the last time I was in college, and I had to strangle an anxiety attack down because I wasn't understanding the material AT ALL and felt so dumb and annoying. I never did it again. What was the last thing you said out loud (singing doesn’t count)? "It's really embarrassing," to Mom. It really is fucking humiliating that my ankles are swollen from walking/standing more and pushing my desk chair back against the resistance of the carpet. That's pathetic. I'm trying to focus on the fact it's good my body is even reacting to moving more, though. Is everything you have on actually yours? Yep. Do you ever just randomly drive around when you’re upset about something? I don't drive, but if I did, that would NOT be my method of de-stressing. What was the last act of creativity you displayed? Writing an RP post. What’s your favorite department in Wal-Mart? Uh, I guess where you can go see the plants and flowers. Do you find kite flying boring? I LOVED it as a kid. I'd still probably find it kinda fun. Do you have any interest in visiting Japan? Yes, but it's not a massive interest. I've heard the humidity can kill a bitch, and I am NOT into that. Have you ever run a cash register? Yes. I sucked. Have you ever worked as a server? No. Have you ever done the Bratz challenge on YouTube? No, but I saw James Charles do it and it was v unnerving, holy shit. Would you rather paint or carve a pumpkin? Carve. What was your worst experience in high school? My depression as a whole. How much did your senior prom dress cost you? I don't remember. Have you ever been in a serious romantic relationship? Three, if you include my current one. Which part of your body is the most muscular? Uh, nothing? What is the first site you check when you get online, generally? KM. Are you good at creative writing assignments? That's my forte. In elementary school, I actually won a I think county-wide creative writing short story assignment. Not to brag, but I've always been very proud of that, ha ha. Or would you rather just do an informative essay? That's easy for me too, but I prefer writing creatively. Are you more attracted to the badasses, or the goody-goody types? Definitely the goody-goodies. The "bad guys" have never appealed to me romantically. Do you raise your hand or participate in class? I did if I really wanted to ask something or was confident in an answer. What is something BIG you want to do with your life? Make a difference, somehow. What do you think of people who own wild animals? Do NOT just casually take in animals from the wild. That's selfish and just generally disgusting. If you're going to keep an animal generally described as wild and undomesticated, you'd better have a license and deserve that license. Know what you're doing and be certain that keeping the animal in captivity is in the animal's best interest for its unique case. Are you good at explaining things, in general? NOOOOOOOOO, I suck at that. Do you like visiting the mall? Why or why not? Not our mall, no. Its stores suck/are extremely limited, and SO much crime has happened there. Do you like window shopping? Why or why not? YESSSSSSS, mostly on Morph Market, a mostly reptile selling hub online. You can browse TONS of breeders and literally thousands of reptiles, especially ball pythons. They even have a tarantula section I like to look at sometimes. If you lost your job/home/etc., who would likely help you? If I'm losing my home, I'm assuming my mom is gone, so my dad. Why did you first kiss the last person you kissed? We were a couple and I felt like I was supposed to. At that time I didn't see him romantically, but I desperately wanted to. Funny how we're back together and I've no reservations against kissing him now. Feelings change, for sure. Plans for tonight? Girt and I will probably play some WoW Classic together. We've started playing that together, and it's lots of fun with him. :') Has anyone seen you kiss the last person you kissed? Actually, no. Have you ever been kissed in a car? Yeah. Do you think anyone has feelings for you? I know Girt does. Is there anyone in your life that knows right away something’s wrong with you? My mom. Who last made you smile? Girt, 'cuz he's a sweetheart. Where is your mother? She's in bed in her room. She feels like shit. Like, you would think she WASN'T vaccinated, though her long-time doctor has said she'd probably be dead without it while having Covid. Would you rather look at clouds or stars? Stars. Think about your biggest mistake, would you go back and change it? I absolutely would. Are you dating the person you last kissed? Yeup. What is the most immature item you own and actually use? Um. Idk. Do you always take a shower after you have sex? I... didn't know people did this? Like I know women are advised to pee after sex, but full-on showering? No. Do you like chocolate popsicles? Oh hell yeah. Are your parents proud of you? They claim to be. I don't see how. Are you interested in the ocean? Yeah; it's inarguably so fascinating. Hot dogs or hamburgers? I prefer burgers. Have you ever been to a Chinatown in any of the cities you’ve been to? No. Have you ever been to couple’s counseling? No. Do you have any dietary restrictions? No. Have you ever turned down a job offer? No. What’s the largest animal you’ve ever had as a pet? A dog named Cali that was a boxer mix. Do you ever pray, even if you don't believe in God? What exactly is the point if you don't believe in God...? Anyway, I don't. Have you ever been to Mexico? No. Have you ever gotten stuck in quicksand before? No. What's the shortest or longest length you've ever had your hair grow? To around the small of my back. The last nest you saw - was it a bird nest or a hornet's nest? I think a bird's? Do you enjoy Jeff Dunham? I don't know if I'd like him as a person, but I do think he's a funny comedian. Who is your favorite character from Frozen? I was never into the movies. I do think Elsa is kinda cool (no pun intended, lol), though. I like that she has her flaws. Did you finish high school? If not, do you plan on doing so? I did. Have you been in a simulator that mimicked a submarine or rollercoaster? A rollercoaster, yes. How often do you go out to eat instead of cooking for yourself? Mom and I try to avoid fast food for our health. We do a pretty good job at it, but sometimes for convenience's sake, we do eat it. What is the largest family of siblings that you know of? This is probably gonna come across as very judgmental, but... it really bothers me. I don't know how many kids she has now, but one of the dance moms from the studio has SO many children; I've completely lost count. Now if you want that many kids and can provide for them, that's cool. But that's not the case. She uses the "if God wants me to have a baby, then it will happen" mentality, and I'm just like... um, no hunny. Poor choices are leading to kids you're not adequately providing for. She uses no methods of protection and literally has twins whose room is a fucking closet. Ugh it just really bothers me. What foreign languages were offered to you at school? A whole lot. Only Spanish and I believe French were offered as in-school courses, but there were lots of online classes. If you were required to take a course right now, what would you choose? Photography. Team Biden or Team Trump? Over my dead body would I have voted for Trump. My vote went with Biden. What is an animal native to your country that may not exist in others? Bison are factually exclusive to North America. Note that bison and buffalo are different. What are some of your favorite autumn activities? Taking pictures of fall scenery. <3 What are some of your favorite winter activities? Going out in the snow. :') Especially with a camera. Do you eat a shit-ton the week before your period? uuugggghhHHHHHH yes Wendy's, McDonalds, or Burger King? Wendy's. What's the weirdest question you've ever asked Alexa? I've never asked Alexa anything. Do you prefer your apple cider to be warm or cold? I've actually never had it. Do you prefer your coffee hot or iced? Y'all know the story of me and coffee. Can you sing the alphabet backwards? I can't. Have you ever sent flowers or chocolates to yourself before? Ha ha, no. Is there any meat that you won't eat? Yeah, fish and ANYTHING that comes from a wild animal. Does your cat use anything other than it's scratching post as a scratcher? When we got him a scratcher WITH CATNIP, the lil butthead ignored it. -_- He scratches the carpet instead. Did you go through a vampire craze before? Are you still going through it? Nah. Have you ever forged your parents' signature on a poor test paper, etc? No. Has a bird ever pooped on you before? Omg, no. I'd die. Have you ever been sprayed by a skunk before? No. Are black jellybeans delicious or disgusting? I HATE them. Have you ever rolled down a grassy hill before? I have! I miss that.

#survey #surveys #random questions #lyrics: ''black rain'' by ozzy osbourne

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fleetwoodmoth · 4 years ago

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Crypt pt. 2

More since this is all I think about anymore

Part 1

Valentine belongs to @silver-handed

Control

River recognized the young detective, Taylor Prince, who exited the hospital room, she had been vying for a detective position before he had left the force and it seemed that she had finally made it. He stood from where he had been sitting beside Valentine, motioning to get her attention.

“Detective Ward, or rather… Private Investigator Ward,” she said, her voice flat.

“Detective Prince, congratulations on your promotion,” he said, trying to keep his voice pleasant.

“Feels more like I’m a glorified errand runner. What do you want?”

No small talk I see.

“Has she said anything?” He asked.

“No, other than asking what her name is. She’s got no memory of anything really, it’d be better to rely on the girl’s testimony,” she said with a sigh.

River nodded, glancing past her at the room.

“You can go in,” she said before turning to leave, clearly ready to be done with the conversation.

River watched as she entered the elevator, he wondered if this nameless woman would even impact Prince. He turned to Valentine, who looked up from where he had rested his head back against the wall.

“Go home Val, get some rest, I’m going to check in on her, don’t want her being alone in here,” he said.

The three girls they had found had been reunited with their parents hours before, and NCPD had taken over processing the evidence found where they had been kept. He would need to work on his witness reports anyways, he didn’t want to keep Valentine just to watch him write the same thing over four times.

“Nah, I’d rather stay here, I told you I’d help you finish the case, and until everything is figured out well,” he shrugged as he stood, pulling on the lapels of River’s jacket, before leaning against him, looking up at the tired PI “I’m all yours.”

“Thank you,” he said quietly, he didn’t want to admit it but having someone with him was comforting, since he left the force he had to adapt to only having a handful of people backing him up, and Valentine hadn’t disappointed in keeping him company through it all.

“Don’t have to thank me for something like that,” Valentine said, giving a tug on River’s jacket who leaned down to kiss him.

“I’m going to check on her,” River continued after they separated, and Valentine could see the tension had been released from his shoulders, ever so slightly.

“Okay, I’ll be here,” Valentine said.

River paused before turning, “actually, could you do me a favor?”

“Sure, what is it?”

“Can you go get a burger for her? The synth food they serve here is basically scop,” he said.

“I can do that, I’ll be right back.”

River smiled, giving him a nod before turning to the frosted glass of the hospital room. The lights were off, only the glow of the city could be seen from the hallway. He slid the door open as quietly as he could, knowing that she would probably be up, but he still didn’t want to startle her. The monitors gave off a dull blue light that gave half the room a ghostly atmosphere. She was sitting up in the hospital bed, dressed in grey standard sweatpants and a tank top, she didn’t turn to look at him when he stepped inside.

“Hello,” he called, pausing for a moment to be sure that she knew he was there before he pulled one of the chairs to the end of the bed, he figured it would be better to give her distance.

“I bet you’re pretty hungry right now, huh?” He asked after a minute had passed.

She finally turned to him, fixing him with a stare, large brown eyes unreadable, but at least he got her attention.

“You like burgers? My uh--” he paused “partner is gonna go get you something,” he finished.

She didn’t reply, only seemed to observe him, taking in his outfit, he could follow her stare, it went to each place everyone else did. First the eye, then the hand, then the jacket. He was used to it.

“Can I call you by something?”

She returned her gaze to his.

“I know Prince said you asked about it, but I’m afraid none of us have your information.”

She remained silent. River shifted forward, resting his elbows on his knees, trying to be a less imposing figure.

“My name is River, if that helps,” he said.

He expected her to stay silent, maybe ask the same question she had with Prince.

“I don’t know my name,” she replied.

River perked up at her voice, it was his first time hearing it after all.

“Well, what about a nickname then? Until we figure it out.”

Again there was a pause.

“I wouldn’t know what to pick.”

Her voice was flat, but rough, he wondered how long she had been in that coffin.

“Well,” he thought back to when he found her.

“Petra means stone? Maybe something like that?”

She thought about it for a minute before shaking her head.

“Well, maybe something that starts with a V? That was on your…” He paused, if she didn’t remember her name, then she probably didn’t remember the pod itself.

“V?” She replied, pulling him from his thoughts.

“Yeah, ‘Subject V’.”

She seemed to mull it over, and he noticed how she would wrap the edge of the blanket around her fingers as she thought.

“V then,” she said with a nod.

River smiled, “nice to meet you, V, that’s gonna get confusing when my partner gets back,” he said half to himself.

They sat in silence again, but it was at least slightly more comfortable than before.

“Will you have anywhere to go, y’know, when all of this is over?” He said, gesturing around the room.

She shook her head, returning her attention back to the edge of her blanket. River didn’t want to overwhelm her, but he figured he needed to get the standard questions out of the way.

“Is it okay if I ask you some things? I know you’ve probably heard them a few times by now, but I need to make sure, I don’t work with the cops anymore so I need to get my own answers. That make sense?” He asked.

She nodded.

“Alright, do you know about the others who were found with you?”

“You mean the girls?”

“Yes.”

She shook her head.

“Okay, what about the lab you were in?”

“Lab?” The question seemed to pique her interest, dragging her away from her fixation for a moment.

“I found you in a lab, underground. NCPD they, well, I didn’t think to mention it to them.”

Really he didn’t want Arasaka to know that he had been poking his nose in a possible abandoned lab and with the way half of the squad was in Arasaka’s pocket, he didn’t feel like it was smart to risk it. She stared at him, but it was like she was seeing something else, something he couldn’t.

“I-- I can’t,” she whispered, eyebrows pulling together as she tried.

“Don’t worry about it, really, if you don’t know you don’t know,” he said putting a hand up.

“How about instead of me asking you questions, why don’t you ask me some, I’m sure you have to be a little lost, maybe I can help,” he said, deciding to put their energy in a different direction.

She nodded, leaning forward more, the light of the outside world catching on her face, casting a gentle orange glow against her skin. He had a feeling no one had actually asked her something like that so far.

“What day is it?” She asked.

“Monday, February 22nd, 2077.”

She nodded, chewing at her lip as she processed the information.

“Where are we?”

“Night City, Free State of Northern California.”

“Why were those girls in there with me?”

“I can’t answer that, it’s an open case.”

“You said you would answer my questions.”

“Ones that I can, unfortunately if you aren’t involved then I can’t tell you, it could jeopardize the case.”

“I thought you said you weren’t a cop anymore.”

The tone made him smile, it wasn’t intentional, but he liked how she spoke, like she had a vendetta, which meant she had an opinion.

“I’m not,” he replied.

She sat back in the bed, looking him up and down again, that same flat tone returning.

“Do you think I’m crazy?”

The question caught him off guard.

“No, why?”

She shrugged “heard one of those…” she twisted the blanket tight around her knuckles “NCPD people, they said I was crazy, making it harder to close the case.”

River frowned, dropping his gaze to the floor, that was like them.

“Well they were wrong, you’re worth looking after, and figuring out where you came from. I’m sure someone is looking for you,” he said.

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” she turned, watching out the window for a minute “I don’t think I’m from this time,” she said softly.

“What makes you say that?”

“I can’t… remember.”

He nodded, sure this was more frustrating for her than it was for him.

“Well, we’ll figure it out.”

She turned back to him and for a moment they just sat together, quiet, she hadn’t been told that before clearly. A knock at the door drew River from his seat, giving her an apologetic smile before going to answer it, on the other side Valentine held up several fast food bags. River put his hand up to stop him before turning back to V.

“Is it okay if Valentine comes in with some food?”

After a moment of consideration she nodded.

“C’mon,” River said, turning back to Valentine who followed him in.

“This is V,” River said gesturing to her “and this is Valentine, who I also call V,” he said with half a chuckle.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Valentine said.

V nodded in response, doing the same to Valentine that she had done to River, taking him in from head to toe, but she stopped when she saw the bags of food. Valentine stepped forward, holding out one of the bags before taking the drink that he had balanced between his arm and his stomach and handing it to her. She took no time in opening the bag and fishing out the burger.

“I didn’t know if you had any allergies or dietary restrictions or… anything so I got you just something simple,” Valentine said, stepping back and holding out a bag to River.

“Oh, you didn’t have to get me something,” River said, despite his stomach growling at the smell.

“What and make her eat alone? Plus you haven’t eaten since before the stake out last night,” Valentine shoved the bag firmly into River’s hands before opening his own, dragging a chair beside him.

“If you don’t mind of course,” he said, turning to V.

She had already torn open the wrapper and was digging in, her mouth full of food she shook her head before returning to it, absorbed in her meal. Valentine sat down, the three of them silent as they ate, and V wasn’t the only one who was near ravenous, River hadn’t realized how hungry he was until he had the burger in his hands.

“Do you have someone we can call for you?” Valentine asked after he had finished his meal, collecting the wrappers in his bag as he spoke.

V who had nearly licked her wrappers clean shook her head “even if I did, I wouldn’t know how to reach them.”

River liked how relaxed she had become from the start of their conversation, whether it was the food or just her taking a liking to them he wasn’t sure, but he wasn’t about to question it either.

“Well there’s gotta be someone who knows who you are.”

“Oh, maybe Arasaka,” River said, remembering the logo that had glowed ominously from the cracked console screens of the lab.

“What did you say?”

The energy shifted, all the air felt like it had been sucked from the room at the mere mention of the mega-corp. Valentine had stopped his cleaning, turning to look at River, waiting for his answer.

“What did you say?” V asked again, but this time her voice was hoarse.

“Arasaka?” He repeated.

River’s attention was drawn to the heart monitor as it began to beep quicker, the name had an affect on her clearly.

“I don’t want to talk anymore,” she said abruptly and River felt his stomach twist, unsure if he had fucked it all up.

“Okay, we’ll go, thank you for talking to us,” he said, standing slowly, trying not to spook her more than she already was.

She didn’t say anything to them as they made their way out, didn’t make eye contact either, instead she was back to staring at her hands knotted in the blanket. As the door slid closed behind them Valentine shoved the bags of trash into the can before turning to corner River near where they had been sitting beforehand.

“Why didn’t you tell me she’s connected to Arasaka earlier?” He asked, although his tone was not accusatory it was clear he was concerned.

“I didn’t think to, I was going to, I swear it just-- I got so caught up in helping I forgot,” he said sheepishly.

Valentine nodded with a sigh “well what is this about Arasaka? Talk to me.”

“I found her in some kind of lab, the other side of that opening was a bunch of panels and servers, I turned on the screen and it had the Arasaka logo on it.”

Valentine chewed at his lip for a moment, “what kind of tech was down there?”

“Old tech, the oldest had to be from the 20s, maybe 30s, the newer stuff was from the 50s at least. She was in some kind of cryo chamber, like a pod meant to preserve her.”

Valentine’s eyebrows knit together for a moment, clearly this wasn’t normal Arasaka bullshit, especially if it took him by surprise, he had nearly reached the top before he was ‘fired’.

“I need to see it, can you take me there?”

“I can tomorrow, NCPD will be all over that place for a while.”

Valentine nodded “alright, tomorrow then.”

#Cyberpunk 2077 #River Ward #Valentine Rivera #Vesper Banjeeri #CP2077 #my writing

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purplesurveys · 3 years ago

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1220

The person you had the strongest feelings for dies, do you care? I imagine so, yeah. I’d check up on her family and help in any way I can, if it’s still welcomed.

Is there something you’re happy about at the moment? I share this all the time in surveys at this point but I’m just really giddy that it’s a Friday evening hehe. Also, I’m seeing Angela, Hans, and (finally!!!) Reena later! We’ll be going to UP to shoot some photos since Angela and Reena are graduating this year and we wanna take pictures with the sunflowers in the campus before they die out. I also never got to take sunflower photos when I graduated last year, so it will be my chance to do so as well.

Do you want someone dead? Wow, no.

Do you ever wonder what your ex is up to? It almost never crosses my mind, honestly.

Have you ever fed or taken care of a stray animal? I’ve fed many of them before, yup.

What is something you tend to worry about? Pending deliverables at work, especially ones that are out of my control.

What is something you do that is unhealthy? Be in front of a screen as soon as I’m awake until the second I turn in.

What is something you do that is good for you? I’m no longer afraid to prioritize myself when necessary.

What last caused you to force a smile? Ooh I’m not sure. I haven’t had to do that in a while, which is a good thing. What was the last video game you played? Was it fun? Probably Mario Kart on the Switch, but it’s been a WHIIIIIIIIIIIIIILE. Yeah it’s one of my favorite series for a reason.

What is something not many people know about you? The fact that I’m obsessed with anything classic Hollywood and I’m a big Audrey Hepburn fan. The topic never gets brought up so I don’t really get the chance to say anything about that interest of mine.

What word describes your basic style? Casual, laidback. I’m more than happy with just a simple t-shirt and denim jeans these days and I think I’m over my jumpsuit/romper phase haha.

Have you ever been told you were going to Hell? It was referred to/threatened to me, but not directly with these words.

Have you ever wanted to kill yourself? It was a regular occurrence before.

If yes, what convinced you not to go through with it? I think overall I was just scared of fucking it up and fucking up my brain for life as a consequence. Also I knew no one was going to take care of Kimi as well as I do, and I would never leave him behind.

Have you ever rejected a guy, only to have him push the issue by asking “why?” and insisting that you just need to get to know him better? Nope.

Is there something that you believe everyone should do and you can’t believe that some people don’t do it (e.g., recycle or go to the dentist regularly)? It’s definitely an Asian thing but it will sometimes hurt my chest when I see people wear shoes in their homes.

Regarding the last good choice (healthy choice, kind choice, selfless choice, etc.) you made, what was your real motivation behind it? I wanted to be kind to myself and finally let go of what had been keeping me from starting to be happy and pleased with where I am and have.

What is something that you have had to practice at to get the hang of it? If you can’t think of anything, that’s okay, what’s something you are currently practicing at and trying to master? This is such a shallow answer lol but I’ve recently gotten into this rhythm game called Rhythm Hive that I found impossible to master at first, but after weeks of practicing I now breeze through all the songs at their hardest level.

Have you ever gone to the store to buy something, like a video game, when it came out at midnight? I haven’t done that, but I’ve watched a movie premiere at midnight - for both times the Breaking Dawn movies came out.

Regarding the last novel you read, was there a romance included? If so, was it central to the plot? Yes and yes.

Have you ever done relaxation meditations or listened to relaxation guides or positive-thinking/healing recordings? Nope, they don’t really work on me. I have my own outlets that help me relax.

Do you have any interests that are also often shared by children? Coloring is one. Also animated movies; I never grew out of those.

Is there something that could be a solitary activity but you really only like to do it with other people (e.g., watching movies, playing video games, etc.)? Definitely eating out. I’ve done it a couple of times before by myself and it does feel nice, but I also always can’t help but think it would be a lot more fun and that I would be much happier if I was sharing the experience with someone else.

Are you satisfied with the interior design or decoration in your home? Or do you think it needs a total home makeover? Ugh god I need to rearrange and upgrade my room STAT. My K-Pop merch are starting to pile up but they’re all currently in just lazy heaps scattered around in my room since I don’t have any shelves or anything to properly display them on.

Is there something that you’d like to own but you can’t find it anywhere? If not, can you a remember a time when you wanted something? Did you ever end up finding it or did you eventually stop wanting it? This is always me with BTS merch...

Who makes you smile the most? My friends.

What piercings do you want/have? Just one on each earlobe. I’m not looking to have any more.

What's your favorite website? Twitter.

Do you own a fish tank with fish? We never had one, no.

Do you like the movie 300? I’ve never seen it and will probably never have plans to. It’s not my cup of tea.

Do you pop your knuckles? When I feel stressed or when my knuckles feel strained, yes.

Do you have Photoshop? Nope, I have no use for it.

Do you use tinypic or photobucket? Way back in the day. I’m not even sure if those websites still exist.

What’s your favourite song from the 1980s? Heaven Is A Place On Earth.

How about the 1990s? I’m not sure I have one.

Have you won anything recently? Yeah we played this online game over Google Meets with my co-workers just this afternoon, before clocking out. My team won twice.

How often do you make Excel tables? What for? Oh everyday. I work on a handful of sheets every single day at work, but I also like making spreadsheets for personal use haha. Right now the one I’m currently super invested in is my tracker for all the merch I’ve been buying so I can keep note of my pending payments and which ones I should already be asking for updates on.

What was the last baby animal you saw in the wild? Not sure, I’m barely outdoors.

Are you always available or online? Yup.

Do you have dietary restrictions? Or do you just eat what you like? No allergies or restrictions.

Do you prefer gold, silver or steel jewelry? Or no jewelry at all? Silver.

Have you been binge-watching any shows lately? If so, what? Not really. I’ve stopped watching Hwarang for now, but I do have plans to come back to it someday. I guess I just haven’t been in a K-drama binge-watching mood lately.

If you dye your hair, do you do it yourself or go to a salon? I’ve never had my hair dyed.

If you have any, do you like your in-laws? I don’t have any. < Same.

Would it bother you, if your partner had cut contact with their parents? It depends on the story behind it, but mostly no. How close they are with their family isn’t a priority matter for me.

Have you ever wondered whether you were adopted? All the time, especially as a teenager who wasn’t getting any emotional support at home.

What’s the best physical feeling in the entire universe? When you work on something and expect mediocre results and feedback, but it ends up getting praised instead and you feel all the hard work pay off.

Have you ever grown a berry bush? Nope.

Have you done something new to your hair recently? It’s been untouched since the very start of the pandemic. My sister actually suggested that since I had it cut right when the pandemic started, I should wait out till the end of it and see how long it’ll reach. It sounded intriguing enough so now I’m indefinitely growing it out hahaha.

Do you have bad anxiety? If so, do you take any kind of medication for it? I’m sure I have it, I’ve just never been diagnosed before.

One thing you’ve experienced that you thought you never would have? Managing to get over a rough breakup quicker than I ever expected to.

What was the last thing someone said to you that kept repeating over & over in your head? It was when I was leaving Angela’s house yesterday and an “I love you” to her parents rolled out of my tongue so naturally I almost didn’t notice it; and when they said it back in a heartbeat. It’s when I realized that her parents are really like my second parents and that her house is a second home at this point. My heart was filled the entire drive home.

How often do you have late nights out? Never because we still have a curfew.

If you could, would you work from home? Do you think that would make you more or less productive? I don’t have a choice; it’s the set-up we’re required to live in. I’m pretty productive here at home but then again I don’t have a point of comparison considering I got my first job already in the midst of the pandemic.

If you had the ability to change the weather, what would you change it to right now? I would like to bring snow to the Philippines.

Is there something that you really need to do, but can’t seem to get motivated to do it? Upgrade my room and invest in shelves and other home decor/interior design stuff that would make the space more comfy and homey. Right now it just looks like a warehouse with my merch piled up in scattered places.

Most disturbing movie you have ever seen? Eraserhead or I’m Thinking of Ending Things.

Has a life goal or dream ever come true for you yet? If yes, what is it? If no, do you think you’ll achieve it? I have multiple life goals - some of them I’ve achieved, like getting into my dream university and simply getting employed, and some of them I’m still working my way towards, like getting a promotion. Yeah I feel like I’ll achieve my goals someday. I don’t like losing LOL so when I want something I usually put it above everything else.

Have you ever had food poisoning? Yup.

What are you listening to? Blue & Grey by BTS.

Do you think there will be a WWIII? I find it inevitable at some point down humanity's future. People are too hateful for it not to eventually. < Yeah, let’s go with this too.

Has anyone ever asked you if you were emo? No.

Has someone ever liked you that you never thought would? Yes. Tbh I never expect anyone to like me so I’ve always been surprised when I hear about someone who does.

In all honesty, can a person be too nice? Yes, especially if they’re starting to be taken advantage of.

Has one of your friend’s boyfriends ever tried to cheat on them with you? No.

Is mental abuse really as bad as physical abuse? Any abuse is bad. :/

Do you shop at Sephora for make-up? Nope.

Zelda: Twilight Princess or Ocarina of Time? Twilight Princess only because I grew up with it and never got to play Ocarina of Time.

Do you own a rosary? I did - I went to Catholic school. But I lost mine all the time because I didn’t really care for them lol I always had to buy new ones at the school bookstore.

If you were homeless, how would you cope? I don’t know.

#survey #surveys

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oztrekk · 4 years ago

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Quarantine in Australia: Staying in the hotel

Hi again, everyone! My name is Radka and I’m in my second year at the University of Melbourne Dental School. I was fortunate enough to receive a travel exemption to travel back to Australia in order to complete my degree (you can read more about my experience flying back to Australia during COVID here!).

Once I found out that I had to complete a 14-day mandatory quarantine, I began scouring the internet for anything to help me prepare for my upcoming mission. Unfortunately, the material I found on the web was scarce and often depicted a rather negative experience.

Now, if it is of any consolation to you, I would like to let you know that quarantine is in fact not as bad as you may read about it being and I actually had a very pleasant experience. If you are going to be quarantining or if you are just a little curious then please keep reading!

My Hotel Room After arriving in Sydney, I was taken to the Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel. My room was just your regular clean hotel room, complete with a queen bed, a desk, a sofa, a clean bathroom, and a fantastic view (I got really lucky with the view!). There was also a kettle to use for your coffee, tea, or soups, and a mini fridge to store extra food or water. There was also a hotel laundry service; however, that came with a fee of $35.

Tip: Pack lots of extra comfy clothes so you don’t have to worry about doing laundry. Or, if you would like to hand wash your clothes, consider packing a small amount of laundry detergent.

The hotel staff also brought by fresh towels and extra toiletries halfway through quarantine, so don’t fret because you in fact do not need to ration your toilet paper or clean towels! Of course, regular guest hotel services were available 24/7 with just a quick phone call to reception, so don’t be afraid to request whatever you may need. I ran out of toothpaste on day 3 of my stay and when I requested some from the guest services, they delivered a few tubes to my door.

The Food Before you check into your hotel room, the hotel staff will give you a form as ask you to identify any dietary restrictions, preferences, or allergies.

Breakfast was scheduled to arrive between 7 and 9 a.m., but it consistently arrived around 7:30 a.m. at my room.

Tip: Set an alarm to get out of bed to collect your breakfast around 7 a.m. so you don’t miss it!

Breakfast usually consisted of a bag of cereal (cornflakes, Kellogg’s All-Bran, Sultana Bran), a carton of milk, yogurt, and a cold fruit juice. Sometimes we would also have bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon or some banana bread. All very delicious and very filling versions of breakfast!

Lunch would arrive around noon. This was by far my favourite meal of the day during quarantine. Lunch usually consisted of a colourful salad with some sort of protein (smoked salmon, chicken, beef), bread with butter, and a fruit. Since the breakfasts were very filling, I was never hungry for lunch… but I ate anyway. The odd time we had warm lunches, such as pad Thai, rice and chicken, or a delicious meat pie with mashed green peas.

Dinners were delicious as well, but not quite as good as the lunches, in my opinion. I had lamb with potatoes and baked carrots, steak with veggies and mashed potatoes, chicken parmigiana, and lots of different meals with fish and pasta! Dinner was served anywhere from 7 to 9 p.m., but most of my dinners arrived consistently around 7 p.m. Our dinners always included bread and butter, some sort of fruit, dessert, and a big, cold bottle of water.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy most of the desserts. Sometimes we were given lemon tarts and apple tarts and those were my absolute favourite! Other times we were given small cakes and I did not enjoy those as much.

Tip: Bring lots of pre-packaged snacks because you might get bored or you might not like the snacks delivered with meals.

On my very last day of quarantine, the staff delivered a generous slice of red velvet cake to congratulate me on completing my 14-day quarantine. I thought that this was a very kind gesture and was a great way to end off my quarantine! (Unfortunately, my friends quarantining over at the Four Seasons did not get a farewell cake.)

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with how healthy and nutritious the meals were; however, I recommend packing some vitamin D supplements because the one thing your body will be deficient in during quarantine is sunlight access!

When I was craving something different, there were plenty of food delivery services available. My go-to is always Uber Eats, and thankfully my favourite treat (“Poke Bowls” from Poked) was near the hotel, so I ordered them a few times. I also gave the in-room dining menu a try and ordered a pizza. The hotel’s in-room dining prices have been reduced 30% for the quarantining guests to enjoy, so hopefully your hotel will offer you some sweet discounts as well!

The Drinks I was worried about how much water I would be provided, but thankfully I received plenty of water. I was given one bottle of cold water with every dinner. However, I recommend keeping the water bottles and refilling them with water and storing them in your fridge (this way you will always have cold, refreshing water available).

The hotel room was equipped with a kettle, a mini fridge, and the drawers were stalked up with lots of instant coffee and tea. The instant coffee did get a little boring after a few days, but thankfully a flat white was just one phone call away to Guest Services. It was $5 for a small coffee from the hotel but as soon as you order it they bring it up to your room with the receipt 🙂

If alcohol is something you would fancy, (Quarantininis, anyone?) the in-room dining menu served alcohol until 9 p.m. There were also alcohol delivery options available through third-party restaurants.

Staying busy This is very important because I am sure we can all agree that 14 days is a looong time! Thankfully, time flew by because I made sure to bring all my favourite hobbies with me. I love knitting so I made sure to pack lots of yarn for my quarantine. I also really enjoy sketching and so I would sketch on my iPad. I am a sucker for Australian reality TV too, so I binged watched the latest Married At First Sight (PS: lots of drama) and other fun shows on the 9now website.

Tip: Pack an HDMI cable to watch your favourite things on the hotel TV. You can only watch so many shows on Netflix sideways in bed!

I also spent half my day talking to loved ones back home on FaceTime and having daily workout sessions with my friend group back in Canada! Speaking of exercising, try to move around as much as possible. It’s so easy to spend the whole day sitting down, but I set alarms on my phone to remind me to get moving in any way possible.

Tip: When you are on the phone with your family and friends or listening to podcasts, try pacing up and down the room rather than sitting in a chair.

And don’t worry if you don’t have any hobbies or you cannot physically bring your hobbies with you during quarantine. You can use this time to learn something new!

COVID-19 Testing The hotel nurses will knock on your door on Day 3 and Day 10 to conduct mandatory COVID tests. At the end of my stay a doctor and an officer knocked on my door to provide me with a certificate that stated that I had tested negative for COVID-19. You will need to keep these documents with you because the hotel staff will ask to see them on the day of your check-out. The doctor also provided me with a bracelet that said “COVID19 NSW SATURDAY.” I assumed this was so hotel and airport staff would know that I had completed my quarantine.

The nurses will also call you daily to check up on your physical health and your mental health status. The nurses are very friendly and want to help you, so don’t hesitate to talk to them and tell them how you’re feeling. If you become sick or require medical help at any point during your quarantine stay, there are doctors and nurses available 24/7 to provide you with medical assistance.

Final Thoughts Overall, my quarantine experience was pleasant (believe it or not). I love to relax and I really value my “me time,” so I approached quarantine as an opportunity to enjoy lots of relaxation.

With all that being said, I encourage you to sit back, relax, and try your best to enjoy your two weeks with a cleared schedule, no alarms, no appointments, and no daily obligations. Embrace your time off my friends and really, really try to make the most of it! Your quarantine experience may be a story you will be telling for the rest of your life, so why not make it a pleasant one to tell your great grandchildren!

Take care everyone and thanks for your time! 🙂

Sincerely, Radka

#covid quarantine #australia quarantine #study in australia #university of melbourne students #hotel quarantine

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awsugar · 4 years ago

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hey I’m curious—can frank eat eggs?

like I know he’s vegan due to dietary restrictions but idk if he can eat eggs

frank isn’t vegan, never has been, and isn’t even a vegetarian anymore due to his stomach problems. there was a whole debate a few years ago where people were mad that he ‘pretends to be vegan’ but admitted in an interview that he’s reintroduced poultry and fish to his diet bc of the aforementioned stomach problems. he hasn’t posted anything about food in a while but when he does it’s often vegan and i think he does try to eat plant-based as much as his condition allows. vegans don’t eat eggs. not sure if that’s what you were asking. i’m not sure if he eats eggs or not though. i assume he probably does.

#anonymous #answered

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mszegedy · 5 years ago

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mszegedy’s nutrition guide for people who want to lose weight without getting another ED

This post was prompted by an acquaintance of mine who asked for help losing weight for trans reasons. It is written from a DID-centric point of view (because we both have it), and is intended for people who’ve already been through an ED, and are trying to be careful to not get another one. That said, most of the information in this guide is useful to everyone.

I know I am dipping my toes in a deep pool here, on a website where people have strong opinions about nutrition science, and about EDs, and about body positivity. Let me say this much: if you are currently experiencing or recovering from an ED, this guide is not for you. This is not a guide that will magically let you jump from hating your body and diet to being both thin and healthy. This is for people who already have a degree of confidence in themselves, and a degree of love for their body, and are just afraid of trying to make any changes to their weight at all, because they worry they’ll get an ED. If you still have an ED, then you need to get help for that first, and then, once you’re more confident, come back and read this guide.

Alright, so, as a system with a host who’s a trans biochemist with an interest in nutrition chemistry, and as a system that’s had an ED before (basic binge/restrict anorexia, but motivated by money rather than weight), this is what we’ve got to say about healthy weight loss:

First of all, the body positivity mantra, which I’m sure you’ve heard before but needs to be the headline of any weight loss guide: the healthiest weight is whatever makes you the happiest. It is not healthy to push yourself too hard to lose weight. It is also not healthy to hate your body. Find a comfortable balance between the two. For us, as a system experiencing gender dysphoria, that first meant putting a lot of effort into looking the way we wanted to, and then gradually easing up as we got more comfortable with the peculiarities of our body.

The single aspect of your diet that impacts your health the most is regularity. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to get the same amount of each nutrient every day, or even the same amount of calories per day. What it does mean is that you have to add eating each day to your schedule. If you have a history of ED, you may simply forget to eat most of the time. (I know we do.) That’s why you have to manually take control, and nail down a time window each day when you can eat. Even if it’s just once, although you should work your way up to two or three eventually. I don’t know how your system works, but in ours, basically, I do all the diet planning and execution, and everyone else whines about it (even our host, who shares our job as a biochemist).

Calories are good. Calories are fuel. If you are consuming calories, you are alive. Be far more afraid of not consuming enough calories than of consuming too many. Extra calories are ballast, supporting you on days when you can’t eat as much. Missing calories are death. Every calorie you eat is precious brain and body fuel. Your peak performance, especially brainwise, is when you’re not missing any fuel. Start worrying about whether you’ve had enough calories each day. But don’t count them! The number doesn’t matter! Trust me on this, the only meaningful part of your calorie intake is the digit in the thousands place, and if you try to calculate that, you’ll just end up counting calories again like a chump. Instead, just check whether you’re going to bed hungry or not. If you’re not hungry at the end of the day, and you’ve actually eaten, you’ve won that day. Learn to eyeball how much food lets you end a day like that.

Now that you’re forbidden to mess with the amount of calories you’re getting (beyond just making sure you’re getting enough), what can you mess with? Your diet’s nutrient breakdown. This is where knowing biochemistry comes in handy, because there’s SO many different kinds of nutrients to keep track of. First of all, the stuff that contains calories:

Sugars: The primordial fuel source. Pure energy, as far as your body is concerned. Avoid when trying to lose weight, but don’t feel guilty if you’re supplementing your calorie intake with it in small amounts on days when you otherwise wouldn’t be getting enough. Remember that there’s a really easy way to tell whether something contains sugar, namely whether it’s sweet. (Some things, like milk, aren’t sweet and still contain sugar. You just have to memorize those. And of course some things have non-sugar sweeteners in them, but in that case it’ll be obvious.)

Digestible starches: Sugars with a price. Still no nutritional value beyond energy, although they tend to come bundled with other nutrients like proteins. Again, not great if you’re trying to lose weight, but there’s no need to cut them out completely, unless you really don’t care about not being able to eat, say, potatoes. (There are also people who are helped by no-carb diets in other ways than weight loss for mysterious reasons, probably relating to allergies, but it’s not the end-all be-all of healthy diets that keto people make it out to be.)

Fats: A pretty inconvenient source of energy; breaking them down puts annoying, difficult-to-metabolize acids into your blood, and doesn’t net you all that much energy anyway. An ideal calorie source for losing weight; just make sure to consume as few sat fats as possible, and preferably no trans fats at all, which should be easy if you stay away from fast food places and stick to establishments that change out the oil in their fryers every, idk, 3 hours or so.

Amino acids and proteins: Now we’re getting somewhere! These guys are the “worst” energy sources out there. Breaking them up is very expensive, and turning the resulting amino acids into digestible calorie sources is a complicated and annoying process. But amino acids are a nutrient in their own right; every cell in your body is making tons of proteins continuously, some of them building important structures like skin and muscle, and they need a continuous supply of amino acids to do it. So, proteins? Great. Fantastic. You can’t have enough of them. Eat eggs and cheese and soy products, and if you’re that kind of person, meat. You can tell it's got amino acids and/or proteins in it when it tastes savory ("umami"); that's mainly the taste of glutamate, an important amino acid. Gluten is also made of proteins, but it’s even harder to digest than most other sources of protein, so you might have problems with it; and it comes bundled with a lot of starches, so, ehhh.

So, now for a couple non-calorie sources:

Vitamins: Vitamins have nothing in common with each other collectively; they’re just a bunch of random minor nutrients. If you’ve got your vitamins A, C, and D sorted out, then the only ones I’d worry about are folate (B9) and cobalamin (B12). B9 because it’s important for your brain, and tends to be missing in sufficient quantities from modern diets; we take methylfolate supplements every morning to make sure we get enough of it. B12 because it’s important in general, and may be missing in sufficient quantities from your diet, depending on what you eat. It’s only found in animal products, like meat, dairy and eggs. If you’re eating at least one of those regularly, I wouldn’t worry about it too much.

Omega-3 fatty acids: Technically contain calories, but not enough of them to matter. Found in fish, and good for your brain. We’re vegetarian, but we take two capsules of these every morning, because they really help with depression and memory, which are both problems for us.

Iron: Found in meat, beans, falafel, spinach, and lentils, among other things (like cocoa!). Needed to replenish blood. You shouldn’t need supplements for this unless you actually get diagnosed with iron deficiency, or lose a LOT of blood in a short time (which, uh, happens).

Water and sodium: Long story short, your blood is counterfeit seawater. Land organisms don't actually exist; we just brought the sea with us when we crawled out of it. To counterfeit seawater, you need water and sodium. Hence, why they're important nutrients to us. Your kidneys do an excellent job of maintaining a particular level of sodium in your blood, but if you eat too much more sodium than you drink water, or drink too much more water than you eat sodium, then they won't be able to keep up. You usually shouldn't have to worry about this, but if everything you eat is salty, then maaaybe you should drink more water, or dial down the sodium in your diet. (Anything wet contains water, from energy drinks to the juices of fruits to sauces, so it's not very hard to get water. But some things contain a higher sodium-to-water ratio than you need, so they won't help you balance out a salty diet. Be mindful.)

Dietary fiber, aka non-digestible starches: I don’t have anything interesting to say about these. Conventional wisdom about fiber seems to be correct, as far as I know. I only listed it because it’s in most nutrition facts in the US.

So, now that you know the roles of the various kinds of nutrients, just eyeball the correct amounts of them for your diet. Broadly, the less carbs you eat, the more weight you’ll lose, but it’s not a race. Find a nutritious diet that makes you happy. Think about all your favorite foods and ingredients, and think about their nutrient breakdowns. Mentally award yourself points for eating nutritionally diverse foods. It’s a healthy thing to turn your ED instincts towards. Good luck!

(If people ask for sources I’ll add them, but I’ve already spent way too much time on this guide, so I won’t do it immediately.)

#biochemistry #nutrition #did #trans #ed #weight loss #nutritron science #eating disorders #health

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