#I know they encourage you to fill them in decently but did you go maximum effort with it

[serrurie]

Hello, friends. I hope your day yesterday was filled with blessings and joy. How’d you like the first blog? Did it feel tough? Crucial? If you haven’t felt insulted by it yet, I guess I have my work cut out for me. (Just kidding. Mostly.)

Today is day two of my wonderful new series, ‘Getting Your Life Together-Day 2: Smile’. So, do you have any guesses about today’s topic? Because, friends, it isn’t just about smiles. You smile with your eyes. You smile with the way you hold your hands, and the way your feet are pointed. We smile by showing how we take care of ourselves.

Be honest. Do you take care of yourself?

If you’re reading this lovely blog of mine, probably not. I just want you to know now, right at this very moment, that you look so amazing right now. It’s nearly unexplainable how beautiful we all are.

But, if you don’t put on your smile, you aren’t going to look near as beautiful as you are. Are you smiling right now? If not, you probably look grumpy, ticked off, like you have someplace else to be. You probably do have someplace else to be. But this is important.You are important.

And can I guess why you are so grumpy; you don’t like how you look, now do you?

Looks are one of the least important things I can cover, but in a way, their insignificance is what makes them so important. We need to recognize that looks aren’t everything. You are so much more than a face, and letting our good, inner person shine through is what we really need to focus on.

That being said, if you still aren’t happy with your looks, I am telling you right now that sulking about it isn’t the answer. If we are to change ourselves inside and out, for the better, than lounging around telling yourself that you're ugly is the worst possible thing you can do. 

I’m not saying to change yourself. I’m saying to better yourself. Get that face moisturizer on! Build that personal workout! Get out and do! It’s the only way you’re going to make a change.And if you don’t have motivation, take mine. I’ll give it up. Message me if you want a daily reminder from me, if you need a bit of encouragement in the next blog post about it, than go ahead! I’m ready to be here to help you meet your goals.

There’s a typical mistake I think you’re going to make if you start working out. It goes a little something like this:

I’ll start on a way too simple workout to make sure I don’t go overboard.

Wow, I didn’t get abs yet after doing this five minute workout for just one week.

*Gives up out of sadness that their body just can’t have abs*.

Of course, I dramatized it so you would get a better picture. But, this is a mistake I don’t want you to make. You can’t expect major results if you're treating your body like that of a preschooler’s. You need to make sure you are at the perfect interval for yourself. I do not want to see someone contacting me on here saying that they nearly passed out from their workout. That is not the way. You need something not too hard, and not too easy. The goal of working out is to create tiny tears in the fibers of your muscles, which then reform to create bigger muscles. (Link to information here: howmusclerepairworks)That's where the pain comes from. If you’re not feeling a decent amount of tension/pain, get yourself a more intense workout.

You may be asking yourself, ‘how do I know where I stand?’ Great question, friend. There are plenty of tests to measure where you’re at for different parts of the body.Here are some examples that I would encourage:

Step test- this measures cardiorespiratory endurance; measuring how long it takes to get your heart rate down to normal after stepping up and down on a stool for three minutes. To get your pulse, count the number of beats of your heart, multiply by four. That’s your heart rate. The shorter the amount of time, the better.

Repetition maximum- this measures how much you can lift without any injuries. If you have some weights at home, great! If not, find some items and put them on a scale, or try to find them on a website like Amazon to find their weight.If you don’t feel any tension, keep going up in weight until you do. Where you feel pain is where you need to work.

Stretching is extremely important when working out. If you don’t want cramps or to feel like a walking penguin when you're done, stretch before and after.

I bet you’re asking yourself why you should even go to all of the trouble to do all this. I’ll give you an answer. There is so much goodness waiting to blossom inside of us, but we can’t share that goodness to others unless we take care of ourselves. 

I’d like everyone reading this to try one of the tests and see where you’re at. Record your results in the comments. I really want to help you guys!

That’s it for today, friends. I hope your weekend is filled with love and kindness.

I love you!

         -Serrurie

[meichenxi]

4, 13, 15! :)

Hey!

(for my other asks, I’m so sorry, I’m getting to them, I’m just....slow...)

4) How long have you been learning the languages you’re currently learning?

The only languages I’m currently focusing on are Chinese and Esperanto. Chinese...is a little tricky to say. I first went to China way back in February 2017, and picked up the first bits of Chinese then. At the time though I didn’t have any lessons, and when I got back to the UK I more or less forgot about Chinese for a year. I then went back to China in the summer of 2018 and learnt a little in preparation for that, but not much. My current actually-continuing-learning-Chinese-with-something-like-discipline has been going on since almost exactly this time last year - I learnt my first characters on Skritter on March the 24th, just as lockdown started!

Esperanto - I’ve been learning this for about a month and a half now :D

13) What do you think about language learning/teaching at school in your country?

One moment here exemplifies how disastrous UK language teaching is: with my A-level German teacher (that’s LEAVING SCHOOL qualifications for all you non-UK peeps), when I showed her the sentence obwohl ich das nicht hätte machen können. Now German subordinate clauses usually send the conjugated verb to the end of the sentence, so I was expecting machen können hätte. I now know that hätte is just a weird exception to this rule, but when I asked my teacher about this at the time, do you know what she said?

She said it must have been a printing error.

I hated languages at school. I HATED them. I loved languages, and I took various exams outside of school and early because I spent all of my time learning them (I know now that’s called a hyper fixation...), but I couldn’t stand language education. In the UK we have a real problem of thinking language learning is talent, because the only people who learn languages well (aside from bilinguals etc) are those that learn despite the atrocious school system, not because of the atrocious school system. And so every time I talk about languages the reaction is - wow, you’re so talented, I was never any good at languages. And I want to SCREAM!!!! It’s not that you’re not ‘good at’ languages, it’s that - really - how much French can you be expected to learn when you only get one hour a week, and it’s taught totally in English, for a maximum of three years? That’s the extent of language education in the UK. None of these ‘amazing’ linguists in Belgium or Denmark or The Netherlands or Switzerland are so good because they decided, individually, that they wanted to become polyglots - they are surrounded by language, they have (more or less) highly functional school systems, language learning is encouraged not discouraged, and there are real economic and social motivations for acquiring English and other languages. God. I cannot express enough the pure visceral hatred with which I view the language teaching system in the UK. 

15) Have you ever failed to learn a language? What one(s)? Do you know why?

I don’t think I’ve ever failed to learn a language that I’ve truly committed to learning. I’ve certainly stopped learning languages at certain points that I could have continued. But like most language learners, I think different languages serve different purposes at different points in your life - and some languages are just designed to cross your path with a fur coat and sultry gaze and then, with a smouldering look under their lashes, turn the corner and vanish from your life. 

At various points in my life I’ve dabbled with Norwegian, Icelandic, Hindi and Basque to various degrees, as well as Italian, Irish, Japanese and so on. The reason I don’t feel guilty about ‘abandoning’ them in the same way I feel guilty about letting my French or my Spanish slip is that I never really learnt them for anything apart from fun. I couldn’t even say hello in Basque now - and that’s ok, it was a delicious two weeks that has since been wiped from my memory in a wine-filled haze. 

I think the languages I most regret ‘failing’ to learn are actually dead languages that I spent some with and then haven’t continued learning, such as Latin, Old Norse and Old English. I did Latin, Old Norse, Old English, Old Irish and Medieval Welsh for a year in university, and whilst my two old Celtic languages are an absolute disaster, I was getting somewhere with the other three after the year was over - Old Norse in particular is stunningly beautiful, and by the end of it I was reading sagas with difficulty and a dictionary, but reading, not just deciphering. Quite honestly though Chinese takes up enough of my time now. I love those three - again, Old Norse in particular - enough to know that I’ll come back to them in the future when I have more time and space. 

The language that I came the closest to ‘failing’ was actually Chinese, right when I started learning before going to China for the first time. It was the most fiendishly impossible thing I had ever tried. It broke me. I genuinely cried at various points. It didn’t listen to any rules of grammar I had learnt, and the pronunciation was awful. Bear in mind as well at the time I was in probably the worst mental state of my life and had built my entire self-worth around being a language learner, writer etc - and then Chinese comes along and is just impossible, right in front of my salad. If I hadn’t gone to China, there’s no way I would have continued. The grammar frustrated me so much that I ended up throwing out the only book I had. In the end that ended up being a blessing, because I just went outside and grumpily had to communicate with everyone, whilst accepting that it was going to be awful. I sort of sulked my way to success. 

Hence why, come lockdown 1.0, I decided to go back and start learning again. I had put so much time - eight months in total in China - into learning decent pronunciation and a ‘feeling’ for the language that it seemed only right that I honour my past grumbles and actually knuckle down and learn. It’s no lie that Chinese has been entirely responsible for teaching me humility and the value of failure. 

What about you?

[pinkbabechix]

V-Live Mishap (Part 1)

“Jungkook-ah!” Taehyung yelled with a boxy grin spreading across his face as he pressed the doorbell repeatedly. “We know you're home! We can hear your music. Open up!”

Jimin tried his hardest to contain his smile but it was difficult when Taehyung had finally reached maximum level of obnoxiousness.

There was no response which encouraged Taehyung to continue ringing the doorbell. The constant ringing of the bell had finally hit a nerve in Jimin making him yank Taehyung's arm forcing him to stop.  They stood there in an awkward silence, not saying anything to each other for a good minute when finally there was a response.

“Go away, Tae,” came a rather monotone voice from the wall speaker. Taehyung's pouty face instantly appeared.

“Aww, Jungkook-ah, that's not very nice. But we're your friends. You're not going to leave your friends abandoned in the hall, are you?”

“We?” Jungkook asked with confusion in his voice. Taehyung realized he was blocking the camera for the speaker and stepped to the side.

“Jimin is here too!” he said enthusiastically as if it was going to make a difference in Jungkook's decision. Embarrassed by his friend, Jimin shook his head as he gave an awkward wave to the little camera above the speaker.

“Hi Jimin,” Jungkook said casually before shifting to a more tiresome tone, “Now, go away Tae-hyung. I don't have time to play with you.”

Jimin smirked as he enjoyed watching Taehyung being rejected. Taehyung leaned closer to the camera and began whining again. Taking advantage of the distraction, Jimin began discreetly shifting his weight back and forth to help ease the pain in his feet. The three hour long dance practice he had moments before being dragged along on this ridiculous adventure, was finally catching up to him making his feet feel numb with thin needles constantly poking at them. On a normal day after practice, he would go home to soak in a tub filled with streaming hot water and bath salts as a way to help relax his tense muscles; however, somehow Taehyung was able to convince him that going to all the member's apartments was a much better way to spend the evening - how stupid of an idea.

“But we're here to show off your apartment. Remember? We promised our fans we would  show all our places if our title song got an 'all kill’. See? Say ‘hi’ Jungkook-ah!” Taehyung turned the cellphone around on the selfie stick, which was purposely hidden from the speaker’s camera view, showing Jungkook the phone's screen of the live broadcast of the V-Live app. Jimin wanted to facepalm himself since doing this just recorded the wall camera which he knew was the last thing fans wanted to see.

Jungkook didn't say anything, which was rather odd for the situation. Normally, if they were ever caught off guard by a V-Live, they would quickly say some sort of awkward greeting and reveal their faces just to satisfy the fans. However, right now it seemed as if Jungkook was avoiding them.

“Hold on,” he said through the speaker. Jimin could be reading too much into the situation but it maybe they really did caught Jungkook at an awkward time. Jimin couldn't help but assume that he must've just gotten out of the shower which is why he was avoiding the V-Live.

The door made a magical tune and then opened. To Jimin's surprise, Jungkook was dressed rather nicely for a night at home - not at all showing any signs of just stepping out from a shower.  His toned chest was being shown off with his maroon fitted shirt as his sculpted thighs were well defined in his black skinny jeans. He wore his normal hoop earrings with his normal non-styled hair, but something about the whole look made him appear more…mature. Jimin snapped out of his daze to check his phone assuming Jungkook might had messaged him about going out later based off of how he was dressed. Disappointed, Jimin saw he had no new messages.

“Finally!” Taehyung said as he let himself in pushing Jungkook out of the way. He kicked off his shoes, not bothering to put them on the shoe rack, and walked into the main living area. Jimin followed him, patting Jungkook's shoulder in an apologetic way before kicking off his own shoes.

“I was in the middle of something so try to make this quick,” Jungkook called out to Taehyung who effortlessly ignored him.

Jungkook’s apartment was nothing to brag about. Out of all of their places, his was probably the plainest as well as the smallest. The walls were kept the eggshell white color with hardly any decoration covering them and very minimal furniture. In the middle of the living space was an L-shaped black leather sofa facing an abnormally large plasma screen surrounded by multiple sized speakers. Behind the sofa was a desk with two large computer screens containing even more speakers. The apartment was eerily quiet especially since the boy normally had some sort of music playing in the background. Next to the entry is a decent size table for eating and the kitchen (like all of them) had stainless steel appliances that rested peacefully on top of marble countertops which were oddly, right now, covered with food and cooking supplies.

“Jungkook-ah, are you cooking?!” Taehyung gasped as he showed the fans the kitchen. Not believing what he was seeing either, Jimin walked behind Taehyung to get a better look. Glancing back at Jungkook, Jimin could see the discomfort on his face as he played with the short hairs on the back of his neck.

“Yeah, I was hungry and bored so I decided to make something,” Jungkook muttered but Jimin could see right through him. The only thing Jungkook could cook, or even cared to cook on a regular basis, is instant ramen noodles. Everything else was either delivery or what their managers brought for them that day.

Before Jimin could think anymore about it, a sudden shock of pain shot up his left leg as his feet were becoming unbearable to stand on anymore. Ignoring Taehyung's teasing comments of Jungkook's cooking, he slowly walked out of the kitchen towards the dining room table trying to stay out of the camera's frame. Taehyung’s voice could be heard as he grew bored of the kitchen and have moved on to Jungkook's computers where he played Overwatch on a regular basis. Not hiding his annoyance to even the fans, Jungkook followed Taehyung everywhere like a shadow trying to prevent him from touching his things but failing miserably.

As Jimin pulled out a chair, he froze realizing there was something already sitting in it. The tote bag was simple, something you would see from a street vendor, but knew instantly it didn't belong to Jungkook. Jimin hesitated because he desperately wanted to look inside the bag to uncover more information but somehow found the strength to resist. He wasn't raised to be the kind of person that snoops through other people's stuff. Curious yet confused, he took another look around the room. Ignoring the two airheads at the computer, Jimin scanned to see if he could find anything else out of place like the tote bag. Besides the cooking and nice outfit, he couldn't find anything out of the norm... there! How did he missed that? On the shoe rack of the entry way laid two small white pair of tennis shoes. Jimin had the smallest feet of the group and he could he easily say the shoes didn't belong to him nor the others. Feeling like a fool for not noticing what was truly going on, Jimin began laughing at himself.

“You have to see Jungkook's surround system. He has it connected throughout his whole apartment!” Taehyung excitingly explained to the phone as he skipped over towards the television. Jungkook looked defeated as he leaned on the back of his sofa for support. Taehyung tried to get his phone connected to the Bluetooth but was failing. Out of frustration, he began complaining to Jungkook who just simply ignored him. Tired, Jungkook looked up at Jimin, his eyes pleading for help. Still chuckling a little, Jimin nodded Jungkook to come over.

He didn't move at first, but it didn't take Taehyung long to finally get his phone connected and started blasting some Jazz through the speaker system. Making a face, Jungkook reluctantly dragged his feet over to Jimin - obviously done dealing with Taehyung. When Jungkook finally made his way over, Jimin grabbed his shirt collar and yanked him lower surprising Jungkook. Jimin leaned up, lips brushing against his ear, and whispered the question that was eating away at his mind.

“Where is she?”

To be continued...Part 1 of 2

(Part of “The Prince” series - if you are enjoying, don't forget to follow<3)

Click here for the MasterList

[televinita]

Zoo 3.11, “Cradles and Graves”

Maybe, you’re gonna be the one that saves me

I don't know if I'm more upset that this show had the gall to unironically use (a cover of)“Wonderwall” for dramatic effect, or that after 3 days of my inability to stop watching this episode, it's actually working for me.

I distinctly remember bursting out laughing when the first lyrics hit my ears, and now I'm like, teary eyed and nodding sagely through that whole montage. "Wow. So deep. So profound and meaningful."

------

A list of things I did not care for this week: the IADG bullpen unless Tessa was talking. Now that we've got that out of the way... Some things I like about the first 5 minutes -Imagining the Darkest Timeline version where they are all already dead by the time Clem finds them. -The (unintentional?) hilarity of the fact that Jackson's blood waits for the exactly perfect moment to ooze under the door for maximum dramatic effect -The fact that Mitch is found on the stairs instead of where he was shot, which suggests to me that he got to feel the full horror of seeing both Max and Jamie on the ground before he succumbed to his own wound (which is probably just an irresponsible directing choice because if he had, I'd think he'd be a little more grateful about the whole them-not-being-dead part, but it's fun to think about! Otherwise I just get bogged down again in wondering about the logistics of GSW injuries.) Ctrl + Z I loved it, but my parents and I could not stop laughing during the entire resurrection scene. "So I guess everybody's actively dying and no one can help us, but it's cool. Just gimme some of that tank serum (totally valid medical term) and mix it with water (just your basic home remedy recipe), and then we'll suffocate them back to life and five minutes later their mortal wounds will be fine and we can get on with the real problems." A.K.A. So there's example 57 or so of an entire episode's worth of possible plot being pushed aside because this show refuses to take a breath. We could have wrung so much more emotion out of Clementine, whilst ignoring her own signs of labor, trying to triage her father, grandfather, adoptive mother, surrogate uncle I'm pretending she is already attached to more than I'm sure she is, and other surrogate uncle who is also her best chance of saving her baby, the most important of all, if something goes wrong in delivery. ...and GDI now I gotta go find a special episode of Grey's Anatomy to get my mass tragedy fix. But I'm grateful that even at Zoo speed, they still gave me a little taste (in two flavors!) of people suffering the after-effects of injuries the serum couldn't fully fix. You're Responsible, You're the One to Blame, It's Your Fault :( to everyone being too busy hating her to notice Jamie cradling a clearly injured arm. But I love absolutely every sentence in this 7-way argument, including but not limited to Mitch's strangled "are you full term? how long was I out?!", the group-wide reveal of when exactly Mr. Duncan disappeared, Jackson's deadly-quiet anger, Jamie's valid defense of her actions, Mitch trying to take his daughter and blow this popsicle stand at a doubled-over limp, Clem taking her sweet time mentioning the quarantine, Max and Jamie's "oh" realizations about the plane, and Mitch's fabulously cranky echo and "what now" attitude. Last but far from least, the disgusted "I can't even look at you" was kind of my favorite part? I dig it when one member of an OTP is that intensely furious at the other out of hurt. (see also: Castle at the end of season 4)

A+ Comic Relief Laughing for 1 million years at Clem hopping off the exam table pantsless while all the men in the vicinity double take and look away* (except for Sam, whom Mitch hilariously whacks on the arm for his impudence, in my favorite sight gag since "Special Consultant") *the fact that Abe also does this, while understandably instinctive and appropriately respectful, is also kind of hilarious given where he just was 

Oh My Darling(s, Sam &) Clementine (who can't make a good shipmanteau to save their life) I don't have enough interest to do it myself, but it sure sounds like the story of how they met would make a pretty great YA novel plot. Anyone who doesn't actually want to spend the month trying to be a paid author need a NaNoWriMo prompt? Particularly someone who likes world-building, because this show leaves things wide open to fill in the details of U.S. society outside New York and the plane. Speaking of which! Did Clem happen to share with him the part of her backstory about being raised as an orphan basically the same way for the same reason? Because that seems like it would decently bond them. I like this parallel. Also update, I am getting a lot fonder of his face, mostly because he shut up and stayed out of the way except when I needed him to chime in to be sweet and supportive of Clementine (or side with her dad about ranking her over the baby on the priority list). He seems like he's really tried/is trying to be a good partner, and I'm impressed that he holds his ground despite a faceful of largely unwarranted hostility from her. I might actually be okay with him being the head of his family, even though up until now my head has danced with visions of Clem raising her baby under Mitch (and Jamie)'s purview and/or roof, Last Man Standing style. (although I guess there's always Reba-style, where both young parents are under that roof) (I realize I'm making a lot of assumptions about everyone's ability to stay alive and/or live a semi-normal life)

Beta Ship 2.0 / My Wonderwall** There's something immensely funny to me about the juxtaposition of Jackson being in his Brooding Cave Of Isolated Despair while Tessa is in a brightly ilt location, in the middle of the hustle and bustle and basically being like, "Buck up and stop being so melodramatic." (Jackson: The prophecies have spoken. Food turns to dust in my mouth. A great wave shall fall upon us all. // Tessa: is your plane out of groceries again?) But on a serious note, I love so much that he's thisclose to broken until she pulls him out of it that I'm not even gonna whine about him asking Tessa to do the same thing he's punishing Jamie for. Though in his defense, he did say "stop" her and not "kill her,” which is an important distinction for him. **My friend once wrote a Jim/Pam (The Office) parody of Jim/Pam stories using this title, and that is at least 50% of why I can't take this song seriously even though I actually have always loved it. 

I Don't Know What To Do My Whole Brain is Celebrating "How do you know the name of Jamie's scorpion?" "Because my son and Jamie have, uh, very lively pillow talk."** !!!!!!!!!! NO BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE.

The fact that Abe pipes up despite a sucking chest wound just so he can help take the mick out of Mitch is glorious. The cranky and ineffectual "shut up" in response is THE BEST. I love that Mitch has just always blatantly refused to publicly acknowledge how he feels about Jamie, despite the fact that everyone and their mother is like,  "Oh yeah, I know Mitch. Snarky scientist, walks around with hearts in his eyes to match the one on his sleeve?" (Mitch, in the distance: I do not LOVE her, okay, I just...miss her when she's not around, think about her all the time, and I imagine us one day running towards each other in slow motion and I'm wearing a brown suede vest.) I doubly appreciate this exchange because I was wondering when the hell these people actually sleep and I was getting worried there was no recognizable place in canon that they might have both had a chance to go to bed at the same time. **This writer could not have more clearly been flagging us with a fic prompt. Max Morgan, Love Doctor My very favorite of the small moments in this ep is Max insisting that Mitch let him patch him up. I was all on board for some serious injury, but I loved the subversion of his attention being caught by the scars I thought the show had forgotten about instead. "Oh, Mitch."

That just kills me. I want to unpack their relationship right here so much more, but also, it's 7pm on the night of new Zoo. Suffice to say Mitch isn't the only parent who suffers over the thought of his kid being in pain tonight, and that's beautiful. And gosh do I love him quietly, individually, nudging Mitch and Jamie back towards each other. The promise that Mitch will understand eventually was an immediate balm upon my soul. If Max says a thing about my ship, it must be true! Mitch + Being A Mess of Emotions About His Daughter (if anyone wanted to make a gifset off of this theme I would not be opposed) Words cannot express how thrilled I am that Mitch gives zero bothers about Sam's baby daddy rights and takes up prime positioning to stroke Clementine's hair nonstop throughout the whole labor,* even stealing the requisite final "you can do this" encouragement. He also gets to be the first one to hold the baby and it's amazing.

* and makes some pretty wonderful faces over how hard it is to see her in pain and not be able to do anything about it -- and remind me I've got either some meta or a story scrap about how this is what Audra was on the front lines for all those years he selfishly hid away, telling himself it was for the best P.S. As much as I love that Mitch just falls apart in full Worried Dad mode and can't seem to process a single medical term or physical symptom as it pertains to pregnancy, you know that if Abe weren't a sex doctor and the writers weren't butts, Mitch would absolutely be whipping out the stethoscopes and telling us all about the time he delivered a baby gorilla so this is basically the same thing -- I imagine Clem would take loud offense here -- while roping in Jamie as a delivery nurse to follow his instructions to the letter (because there are some things fathers just should not do no matter how brilliant they are). Things I would like to know Why Mitch -- who apparently had a through and through -- is the only one whose gunshot wound is still bothering him Why Clementine didn't once ask where Jamie was. (at which point I'd really like to see Mitch try and explain that one.)

It is straight up ridiculous to me that 19-year-old girl in labor, surrounded by men, would not want a woman with her, particularly one she loves. This is the most "what...man...[wrote] this" moment I have ever had about TV.

Did I just miss it, or is it kinda weird that Sam doesn't bat an eye upon finding out Charles Duncan is actually a different person and his girlfriend's father? 

Leftover Thoughts

This show is so nuts, I am just now realizing I didn't even stop to wonder how the hell Abigail reanimated herself last week before now.

Mitch being a testy bitch @ Abe is a thing that just does not get old. ("You put hybrid goo in my daughter? Was that not worth a little chat?")

Aww @ Mitch's mini pep-talk about being a good parent, followed by the "OK time to go" and the sweet "I'm having this baby?" / "You are having this baby."

I also really enjoy Mitch deciding to be cranky about Sam just because he's there and he can. It's kinda like sniping at Logan, but more fun and with way better reasons. (Which I hope is exactly what Mitch says when Clementine inevitably tells him to knock it off)

"Goodbye frequent flyer miles" lmao

I love that instead of shutting down the beacon by cutting the wire, they multiplied its effect by a thousand and destroyed a city, to which the response is basically, "Whoops."

"You've been good for my son. Take care of him for me." So I LOVE THIS, but also: dammit Max that is not what "die for our ship" means.

But I love the moment where Jamie and Max, individually, hear the baby crying. The joy dawning on their faces is so pure it actually makes it worthwhile that they're not present at the birth itself.

(I know we're especially mad about Jamie. But honestly, if it means All Mitch All The Time, that's an OK trade to me.)

tl;dr if something is not mentioned please assume I loved it

COMING SOON:

(will be links shortly) Mini essays analyzing Jamie V. Jackson, Mitch/Jamie and Max's death.

In conclusion: I spent my entire night writing this, but it was worth it. Future Me is gonna love looking back.

[midnightproductionsstudio-blog]

Magic Valley Stampede: Opening Video

The Project:

We were approached by a client about a month ago that had a need to create a video. The original goal of the video was just a 2-3 minute montage of old rodeo footage that he wanted to use to help mask the clean up and prep that had to happen after the big national anthem introduction.

He had an idea of taking the flag girls who typically open the rodeo and utilizing them in this montage. He was very inspired by the Calgary Stampede promo video that he found while perusing YouTube. His initial thought was to have 30 seconds of them in the video at maximum and focus more on the archive footage of the old rodeos.

Now you may have noticed the girls got a lot more time in the video than initially planned and that was mostly because we got so much footage that both the client and us loved.

The Planning:

We researched for a couple days about what other rodeos were using for their opening or promotional videos. It was a bit of a mixed bag of quality and there actually wasn't as many as we thought there would be. Lots of dramatic shots of the competitors getting ready, strong lighting and silhouettes and other than the video that inspired the client initially not a lot of flag girls. So we debated what the real purpose of the video was, and most of it was getting people distracted from the rodeo grounds and getting them hyped up. 

So the focus of the video become this ride (all puns intended) to the competition. The flag girls are typically the first thing either before or after the anthem that rodeos have. Almost like the heralds of the rodeo announcing the beginning of the competition or like the torch of the olympics. 

We knew that we wanted to capture a lot of footage of them riding in formation and at a decent speed. Getting that driving force, constant movement towards their end goal. A good music bed is also important to further emphasize that rhythm of the horses hooves.

We did a location scout 3 days before and determined where we were going to set up our shots. We discovered this amazing little grove of trees that had a path straight through it. It was a must shoot, just because we knew most of the rest of the shots would be in pretty wide open spaces.

We then started looking at playing with water and dirt. Having some slow motion shots of the particles and water droplets flying around is always a great effect. We also thought the slower motion would help capture the beauty of the horses and their power. Further the speed change gives some contrast to the high action shots from the rodeos archival footage. This small creek was a great option for our flag girls and the horses to ride through and we could capture safely in multiple angles.

One of the things we knew from the beginning that we wanted was a wide open meadow that we could shoot in. Something that would allow the horses to really cut loose and cover some ground. Plus with our ability to get some aerials with the drone it would be something really special. We finally settled on this meadow in one of the back pastures.

We had to give up on a couple of locations because the cattle were actively grazing the area or they had been watered so throughly we would get stuck. But with the 3 locations selected plus some notes to get some more stationary shots at the corrals, we were feeling pretty excited to get shooting.

The Shoot:

We posted a video earlier this week that showed some of the shenanigans we got into while filming out at the ranch. Below is some more info that wasn’t captured in the video.

The day finally arrived and we showed up around 6AM to start getting setup. We had to get ATV’s and Razors coordinated with the ranch hands as well as prepping all the equipment. Some major challenges we had were actually the fact that we were so far out in the middle of nowhere in Idaho there was no service. So when our talent and their horses got lost looking for the location, they couldn’t even call. So needless to say, we start about an hour later than we wanted. The other issues is that the ranch is active and so we had times when vehicles would be in our shots and we either had to re-shoot or in two cases deal with the footage as is.

While getting the girls to the location was a bit of a task, once they were there they got a two-way radio so that as they were riding we were able to communicate with the lead rider if we needed them to turn back or re-shoot. We also laid out a schedule for the day and tried our best to communicate what our expectations and needs were going to be throughout the day. We also strongly encouraged them to let us know what they or their horses needed throughout the day.

We started shooting in the alley because we knew it was going to be the shot that took the most time to set up. The rest of the locations were easier to access and setup. Unfortunately, this was also pretty muddy so we got the horses and the girls speckled in mud within the first few takes. 

We did several takes of the girls riding up and down the alley in slow mo which we shot of the GH5 with its pretty amazing VBR settings and the iPhone X which also has pretty great slow mo capture. We then caught some in full speed and with the drone as they entered and exited the alley. 

Then was when things got interesting and messy. We really wanted to capture them as they were going through the alley so Kris and myself both squeezed on an ATV with iPhone and a gimbal and rode in front of them. We actually got some great shots of the mud being kicked up into the frame by the ATV as we were shooting the girls which added a fun texture to the shot. However, the girls were not as impressed when said mud started fling back in their direction.

We wrapped in the alley and moved on to the creek. Here we had to fight the horses as most of them wanted to spend more time playing in the creek than running through it. As with anytime you introduce animal actors into a video shoot, you spend a lot of time waiting for them and trying to get them just right. These horses were very well trained and after the first 2 or 3 takes they started to get what the goal was and nailed the next couple of passes.

We utilized the GH5 as a wide shot and the iPhones and action cams to capture the close ups in the water as the horses rode through. The action cams were key, so that we could get the shots from multiple angles without having the cameras or camera ops in the shots.

We headed to the corrals next, to capture some of the shots of the “girls headed out” on this big ride. With steel fences that extend into the horizon and the ability to really play with focus allowed for some great artistic shots. We had some dirt in the corrals that allowed up to capture some controlled shots of one of the girls stomping her boot and of the horse galloping through the frame in slow mo.

My favorite shot we captured here was the girls leaning against the fence as we rolled the focus from a flag in front to the girls in the back. Its just a cool shot and makes the girls from the very beginning look confident and strong.

Our final location was out on the meadows. We did a walkthrough of the path with the horses as there were some ditches and pot holes in the field that popped up out of nowhere. Our highest priority throughout was safety, we didn’t want to injure any of the animals or the talented you women riding them.

Once the path was set, Luis hopped in the Razor with iPhone and gimbal in hand as I sat next to him to make sure he didn’t fall out if he decided to lean too far out the cab. We started driving our route back and forth with the horses in a full gallop. The Razor drove behind, next to  and in front of the horses and they rode in perfect formation. We had more troubles near the end as the wind picked up, which then started trying to and sometimes succeeding in stealing the girls hats.

The last thing we had to capture were some aerials shots of the girls riding through the meadow. I piloted the drone over several paths and captured them from a few different angles so we had a lot to choose from in post. Thats when Trevor had a brilliant idea. He said, “Let’s replicate that scene when the Nazgul are chasing Arwen”. If you don’t know the reference, watch this clip from YouTube and you’ll see. It was an awesome idea and we only had to shoot it once to capture the take. Once we had that, it was a wrap as the girls, the horses and us were all exhausted and ready to go home.

The Editing:

We captured a ton of footage during the shoot and we didn’t really have to worry so much about not having enough but instead making the decision of what was the best of the best. We shot a lot of the footage at the ranch in 4K even though the final product was going to be in 1080. This allowed us to creatively crop shots in post if we needed to.

The most arduous task of this whole project was actually sorting through the 6 hours of archival rodeo footage. As the footage was in standard definition and in 4:3 aspect ratio. In our world of HD and 16:9 this was a bit rough just to look at. Fortunately, there are way less entertaining things to watch than these bull riders, ropers and bronc busters performing at a professional level.

We chose to scale up the rodeo footage as large as we could without too much distortion and then placed a large version of the footage behind the foreground with a gradient blur to fill out the rest of the landscape view. It is a common solution to the making a square video fit in a rectangular display.

We started with a song that the client had initially said he liked. I put about half of the clips in place and sent him a demo just to make sure we were headed in the right direction. It was a good thing I did because while he loved the song and the direction, his board of directors did not like the song. At least not all of them, so we had to go back to the drawing board and find a song that was more traditional country feeling than the more rock focused music we started with. I would like to say that even when you think everything is set, sometimes things like boards of directors or a freak weather storm can derail even the best laid plans. Its a hazard of the industry.

Once the head honchos found a song that they could all get behind the new editing process started. Trying to make footage shot for music of a different style was a bit rough at first, but once I found rhythms and accents in the music to highlight movement or moments in the footage the pieces just seemed to fall into place. 

After the rough cut was done, and approved we started finessing cuts and timings. Horse bucking to drum beats, cowboys crashing on specific cymbal hits, lyrics talking about certain aspects of the rodeo. 

Then playing with color correction, trying to get the footage shot on all of these different cameras to feel homogenous. Then adding some style on it, I loved the idea of playing with the sepia and gold tones on the video similar to old western movies, as stereotypical as that sounds. Those colors really helped communicate a wide open prairie feel. Making the dirt a rich brown versus just a dead light brown. And of course, using secondary HSL to bring some of the blue back into a often overexposed sky. You can see a side by side comparison below.

Conclusion

In the end, we had a ton of fun on this project. I am always a firm believer that communication is the number one skill you can have in any industry but especially in creating something like this. We had some hiccups in our communication with the client’s bosses which would have saved us some editing time. On the flip side, our planning and communication with the talent allowed us to capture some amazing footage and create a great product.

This is the first of many blog posts to come. We encourage your feedback as we develop our style and experiment with different tutorials, product reviews, and posts like these. Below is an equipment list of what we used on this particular project.

Equipment List:

Lumix GH5

Sigma 18‑35mm F/1.8 DC HSM ART Lens

Metabones Canon EF Lens to Micro Four Thirds T Speed Booster‎

Atomos Ninja Inferno

DJI Ronin

Manfrotto Tripods

iPhone X 

Gimbals

iPad Pro

DJI Mavic Pro

ND filters

Yi Lite 4K+ Action Cams

Edited in Adobe Premier Pro

[jobs-in-dubai-uae]

While classroom learning process is important in university education, internships are proving to be equally necessary as they provide workplace experience, according to career counsellors. However, students allege that many companies are making them work for long hours without any pay, or asking them to work in positions outside of their study area. InternsME, UAE's largest internship job website, received more than 17,500 applications just this year from students who were looking for internship opportunities. What happens when companies are taking advantage of students who are "desperately" seeking for internship experiences? Who is monitoring the rights of students who want work experience? Jean-Michael Gauthier, the founder of InternsME, told Khaleej Times that his firm vets the companies that are offering internships to students through their website. InternsME currently works with more than 1,000 companies who are looking for talented interns and to fill part-time and graduate roles. "We spend a lot of time vetting the companies who come onboard with us and making sure to host quality jobs because the safety of our community is of utmost importance," he said. "Everyone who is participating in the workforce in some way can approach the UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation and file a complaint or communicate any mistreatment that they may be facing. If anyone is caught in a tough situation with supervisors and/or heads of departments, and if there are no possible resolutions, then he or she should approach the MoHRE." Gauthier added that more than 90 per cent of internships on InternsME are paid and that the salaries vary depending on the industry and the role.

Students encouraged

Legal experts are encouraging students to approach the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) if they feel they are being exploited at their internship. Maisoon Sulaiman, advocate office manager, MBH advocates and legal consultants, said students who are doing internships have the same rights as full-time employees under the UAE Labour Law. "Such violations and exploitations will have place, if an intern lets them happen. From the beginning, right from the very first interview with prospective employer, a candidate has to know his basic labour rights and ask related questions to his interviewer. Then, he has to make sure of implementing his labour rights and discussed terms and conditions, as well as nature of his work and wages in his contract/agreement before signing it," she said. "If an intern is employed in a company officially, with the registered contract and labour permit under the youth or student category, his labour rights will be more important compared to other labour categories." Naila Sarwar, a solicitor at TWS Legal Consultants, said that in terms of the pay of an intern, it depends on the type of the company and/or the industry the intern is 'employed' at. "It is a widely held view that media and non-profit organisations offer unpaid internships while professional services companies offer a reasonable salary - in the UAE this can range from Dh2,000 to Dh3,000 per month," she said. "The Labour Law refers to the employment of 'youth'. If the intern falls under the definition of youth, the maximum working hours shall be six hours per day with one-hour rest. They must not work for more than four consecutive hours nor is the employer permitted to retain the worker for more than seven consecutive hours in the workplace. "College and university students who are sponsored by their educational institution are permitted to work part-time with the relevant visa. Expats over the age of 18 can seek short-term work permits up to 60 days, which may be renewed prior to the expiry date of the permit. Short-term work permits are not applicable to GCC or the UAE Nationals. The hiring of interns within a freezone has its own rules and work permit requirements and duration."

Students say they feel betrayed during internship

One former intern, Mike Meijer, spoke to Khaleej Times about his tragic experience during an internship in Dubai. The Dutch expat said he was given the "opportunity" to intern for a radio station, where he would get to learn about the broadcasting industry. Little did he know that the firm was looking for people who could do secretarial work with absolutely no pay. "Getting to the location, being handed surveys, and being told we would be manning the radio boot - purely for promotional purposes with no actual radio equipment present - felt like blatant betrayal, especially because we were told the idea (and the brand) that we would get to see the inner workings of a radio station," he said. "We were a group of six and we just kind of laughed it off and got to work since we figured it still counted towards our grades. It was a pretty bad experience, which left a lasting negative impression on us." Another student, Ahmad El-Rashid, was offered an internship at a marketing firm. As a marketing major, he thought the apprenticeship would stand out on his resume after graduation. However, like Meijer, he was tricked by the firm into doing free work. "I was mostly doing customer service at the company and wasn't learning anything about marketing. They were short staffed, so maybe they were looking for affordable, or in my case, free labour. Companies need to stop using interns to do work that someone else should be getting paid to do as a full-time employee," he said. "I was working from 9am to 5pm and it was starting to effect my grades, which is when I decided to quit."

Internship must be mutually beneficial for both student and employer

(Andy Pacino, teaching and learning coordinator, Dubai campus, Murdoch University) In an age of high youth unemployment, it is vital that youngsters gain the benefit of higher education in order to secure themselves a decent start in life, and a good career. A high degree grade shows employers that candidates are able to attain a certain level of expertise in a certain sphere over a certain length of time. The grade indicates a level of dedication and intelligence, and the better the grade; the better a student demonstrates his ability. With so much competition for so few jobs, there is an added pressure of bringing experience to the table at an interview, and the best way of gaining that all-important hands-on knowledge comes in the shape of an internship. Interns are an integral part of many workplaces, and they provide great proving grounds for prospective employees, and give employers the chance to test out a prospective worker. Even better is direct experience in the field of study. An IT student with a couple of months work at one of Dubai's many tech companies, for example, offers a competitive edge and a far better chance of landing an IT job than someone who is fresh out of university with only theoretical knowledge to offer. I am a big fan of internships, however, I believe they must be mutually beneficial for both student and employer. At Murdoch University, I am responsible for ensuring the right candidate gets the post that serves him best. An intern should never replace a full-time worker, neither should they merely hang around and shadow another employee. The idea is that the company gets the benefit of an extra pair of hands while the intern gains vital inside knowledge of the workplace. It's a heuristic learning curve as the dynamics of the work place is worlds apart from university life, and that cannot be gained in the lecture room. Time management is also very important, and a 40-hour a week post would be detrimental to studies. Ideally, the internship should be a couple of hours a day after studies, or a full day or two, like a weekend job that allows classroom theory to be put into practice. A real world workplace also means real world money, though internships are an in-between, so while some internships pay nothing, I am a firm believer that there should be a small stipend to cover at least travel and food allowance. This has a double benefit: it shows commitment from the company, and encourages the intern to attend the post in a professional manner. I have received numerous letters of thanks and encouragement from former interns and companies alike, and have heard very few horror stories, and there are plenty of examples of students and post-graduates who end up working with the companies they intern at, and the huge majority say their experience was extremely beneficial. Murdoch University has recently launched a dedicated careers portal that links employers to students and graduates with keywords and search terms, matching the ideal candidate to their perfect job, whether it is an internship or full time position. The service operates on a similar platform as many other intern websites, though it is entirely free for employers. In a nutshell, internships are of great value to employers, students and graduates, and my advice is to give it a go.

How do you look at internship opportunities in the UAE?

Kevin Matthew Phillips I worked at an events company as a graphic designer. I was given heavy tasks and worked for a week. I left the company with a negative impression of doing internships for small time companies. I would say companies should be more transparent with students. Avoid telling them they'll pay a certain amount by the end of the work and not paying as it creates an ethical situation. Farhan Hassan Considering the state of the market, many companies are abusing their interns or taking advantage of people's desperation to find a job. But there are two sides of the story. In my defence, for my companies, I do keep interns as trainees, but honestly I may not hire them. But I have to put them through the training because the visa costs for someone might be extremely costly. Pranav Dileep I know a lot of friends who were hired as interns for as cheap as Dh500 a month on the promise of visa after the visit period only to waste their 90 days and go back. Then they would hire someone else and repeat. Its a cheap labour strategy with no real cost. It's exploitation, no doubt. I mean sweatshops in China have more decency. At least, they are straightforward. They should stop exploiting the youth.

KT Nano Edit

Help them learn Internships are wonderful opportunities for students to whet their appetite before taking a plunge into full time employment space. But companies should not take undue advantage of this. Students are there to learn the ropes, get an exposure - not to be pushed around to do menial work. Companies should use this opportunity to vet talent and scout for their next best employees. © Khaleej Times via Edarabia.com

[edarabia]

While classroom learning process is important in university education, internships are proving to be equally necessary as they provide workplace experience, according to career counsellors. However, students allege that many companies are making them work for long hours without any pay, or asking them to work in positions outside of their study area. InternsME, UAE's largest internship job website, received more than 17,500 applications just this year from students who were looking for internship opportunities. What happens when companies are taking advantage of students who are "desperately" seeking for internship experiences? Who is monitoring the rights of students who want work experience? Jean-Michael Gauthier, the founder of InternsME, told Khaleej Times that his firm vets the companies that are offering internships to students through their website. InternsME currently works with more than 1,000 companies who are looking for talented interns and to fill part-time and graduate roles. "We spend a lot of time vetting the companies who come onboard with us and making sure to host quality jobs because the safety of our community is of utmost importance," he said. "Everyone who is participating in the workforce in some way can approach the UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation and file a complaint or communicate any mistreatment that they may be facing. If anyone is caught in a tough situation with supervisors and/or heads of departments, and if there are no possible resolutions, then he or she should approach the MoHRE." Gauthier added that more than 90 per cent of internships on InternsME are paid and that the salaries vary depending on the industry and the role.

Students encouraged

Legal experts are encouraging students to approach the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) if they feel they are being exploited at their internship. Maisoon Sulaiman, advocate office manager, MBH advocates and legal consultants, said students who are doing internships have the same rights as full-time employees under the UAE Labour Law. "Such violations and exploitations will have place, if an intern lets them happen. From the beginning, right from the very first interview with prospective employer, a candidate has to know his basic labour rights and ask related questions to his interviewer. Then, he has to make sure of implementing his labour rights and discussed terms and conditions, as well as nature of his work and wages in his contract/agreement before signing it," she said. "If an intern is employed in a company officially, with the registered contract and labour permit under the youth or student category, his labour rights will be more important compared to other labour categories." Naila Sarwar, a solicitor at TWS Legal Consultants, said that in terms of the pay of an intern, it depends on the type of the company and/or the industry the intern is 'employed' at. "It is a widely held view that media and non-profit organisations offer unpaid internships while professional services companies offer a reasonable salary - in the UAE this can range from Dh2,000 to Dh3,000 per month," she said. "The Labour Law refers to the employment of 'youth'. If the intern falls under the definition of youth, the maximum working hours shall be six hours per day with one-hour rest. They must not work for more than four consecutive hours nor is the employer permitted to retain the worker for more than seven consecutive hours in the workplace. "College and university students who are sponsored by their educational institution are permitted to work part-time with the relevant visa. Expats over the age of 18 can seek short-term work permits up to 60 days, which may be renewed prior to the expiry date of the permit. Short-term work permits are not applicable to GCC or the UAE Nationals. The hiring of interns within a freezone has its own rules and work permit requirements and duration."

Students say they feel betrayed during internship

One former intern, Mike Meijer, spoke to Khaleej Times about his tragic experience during an internship in Dubai. The Dutch expat said he was given the "opportunity" to intern for a radio station, where he would get to learn about the broadcasting industry. Little did he know that the firm was looking for people who could do secretarial work with absolutely no pay. "Getting to the location, being handed surveys, and being told we would be manning the radio boot - purely for promotional purposes with no actual radio equipment present - felt like blatant betrayal, especially because we were told the idea (and the brand) that we would get to see the inner workings of a radio station," he said. "We were a group of six and we just kind of laughed it off and got to work since we figured it still counted towards our grades. It was a pretty bad experience, which left a lasting negative impression on us." Another student, Ahmad El-Rashid, was offered an internship at a marketing firm. As a marketing major, he thought the apprenticeship would stand out on his resume after graduation. However, like Meijer, he was tricked by the firm into doing free work. "I was mostly doing customer service at the company and wasn't learning anything about marketing. They were short staffed, so maybe they were looking for affordable, or in my case, free labour. Companies need to stop using interns to do work that someone else should be getting paid to do as a full-time employee," he said. "I was working from 9am to 5pm and it was starting to effect my grades, which is when I decided to quit."

Internship must be mutually beneficial for both student and employer

(Andy Pacino, teaching and learning coordinator, Dubai campus, Murdoch University) In an age of high youth unemployment, it is vital that youngsters gain the benefit of higher education in order to secure themselves a decent start in life, and a good career. A high degree grade shows employers that candidates are able to attain a certain level of expertise in a certain sphere over a certain length of time. The grade indicates a level of dedication and intelligence, and the better the grade; the better a student demonstrates his ability. With so much competition for so few jobs, there is an added pressure of bringing experience to the table at an interview, and the best way of gaining that all-important hands-on knowledge comes in the shape of an internship. Interns are an integral part of many workplaces, and they provide great proving grounds for prospective employees, and give employers the chance to test out a prospective worker. Even better is direct experience in the field of study. An IT student with a couple of months work at one of Dubai's many tech companies, for example, offers a competitive edge and a far better chance of landing an IT job than someone who is fresh out of university with only theoretical knowledge to offer. I am a big fan of internships, however, I believe they must be mutually beneficial for both student and employer. At Murdoch University, I am responsible for ensuring the right candidate gets the post that serves him best. An intern should never replace a full-time worker, neither should they merely hang around and shadow another employee. The idea is that the company gets the benefit of an extra pair of hands while the intern gains vital inside knowledge of the workplace. It's a heuristic learning curve as the dynamics of the work place is worlds apart from university life, and that cannot be gained in the lecture room. Time management is also very important, and a 40-hour a week post would be detrimental to studies. Ideally, the internship should be a couple of hours a day after studies, or a full day or two, like a weekend job that allows classroom theory to be put into practice. A real world workplace also means real world money, though internships are an in-between, so while some internships pay nothing, I am a firm believer that there should be a small stipend to cover at least travel and food allowance. This has a double benefit: it shows commitment from the company, and encourages the intern to attend the post in a professional manner. I have received numerous letters of thanks and encouragement from former interns and companies alike, and have heard very few horror stories, and there are plenty of examples of students and post-graduates who end up working with the companies they intern at, and the huge majority say their experience was extremely beneficial. Murdoch University has recently launched a dedicated careers portal that links employers to students and graduates with keywords and search terms, matching the ideal candidate to their perfect job, whether it is an internship or full time position. The service operates on a similar platform as many other intern websites, though it is entirely free for employers. In a nutshell, internships are of great value to employers, students and graduates, and my advice is to give it a go.

How do you look at internship opportunities in the UAE?

Kevin Matthew Phillips I worked at an events company as a graphic designer. I was given heavy tasks and worked for a week. I left the company with a negative impression of doing internships for small time companies. I would say companies should be more transparent with students. Avoid telling them they'll pay a certain amount by the end of the work and not paying as it creates an ethical situation. Farhan Hassan Considering the state of the market, many companies are abusing their interns or taking advantage of people's desperation to find a job. But there are two sides of the story. In my defence, for my companies, I do keep interns as trainees, but honestly I may not hire them. But I have to put them through the training because the visa costs for someone might be extremely costly. Pranav Dileep I know a lot of friends who were hired as interns for as cheap as Dh500 a month on the promise of visa after the visit period only to waste their 90 days and go back. Then they would hire someone else and repeat. Its a cheap labour strategy with no real cost. It's exploitation, no doubt. I mean sweatshops in China have more decency. At least, they are straightforward. They should stop exploiting the youth.

KT Nano Edit

Help them learn Internships are wonderful opportunities for students to whet their appetite before taking a plunge into full time employment space. But companies should not take undue advantage of this. Students are there to learn the ropes, get an exposure - not to be pushed around to do menial work. Companies should use this opportunity to vet talent and scout for their next best employees. © Khaleej Times

[dreamersrazor-blog]

Some Advice on What You Can Do When You Feel Hopeless (right now, by yourself)

Well, the first thing should be “Don’t look up lists of what to do about it.” I learned that today. Everything I found on such a search made me feel worse, somehow. No joke, one suggestion was literally “fall in love,” like that is something one can just do. Whatever, let’s move on. Coarse language warning.

Feeling like the world is just having a grand ol’ time shitting in your mouth nonstop is possibly one of the worst sensations a person can feel. Sorry for the imagery, but it’s my best way to describe it when decent-folks terminology just falls short at explaining to someone how downright insufferable everything is in that moment.

When I feel hopeless – and I mean legitimate, absolute, can’t-be-bargained-with hopeless – the only thing I want is for something, anything, just one fuck-mothering thing to go right in my life, just for a moment, and give me something to smile about without immediately kicking me in the balls afterward.

Unfortunately, that outcome is rare for me. If you’ve been drawn to this post, then I’m guessing it’s rare for you, too. I can’t say I have a miracle cure for feeling like your life is a train wreck where all the cars were filled with eggs, live ammunition, and orphans; but I do want to share the coping methods I’ve been using when Google just offers me suggestions that, were I able to act on, I wouldn’t be so hopeless in the first place.

For the record, I promise that statement does mean more than just that absurd “fall in love” tip above. It just seemed like a good note to start with. An important aspect of this post is to assume that you basically only have an internet connection and a few minutes to spend on yourself. I do list some examples with things that you might not own, but they are largely secondary to the points made. Just as well, they don’t involve anyone else.

 My first suggestion might sound counter-intuitive, but it helps me for some reason or another. I have some theories on it, but we’ll get to that. The suggestion is to subject yourself to something sad on purpose, within certain “safe” boundaries. Now, what does that mean, and why on Earth would we do that? Well, hear me out.

This can be a movie scene, a story, a picture – whatever works for you. In my case, it’s a couple of songs. The key thing here is that it’s a… healthy(?) kind of sad stimuli. i.e. something that can make you feel things, spring up some (manly) tears just a bit, but not necessarily a song to cut your wrists to or whatever; or something that you’re overly emotionally invested in.

For me, one such experience is the song 1,000 Words from… from whatever Final Fantasy game it’s from. I’ve never played the game, the lyrics don’t apply to me in any way, but the song is a rubber mallet straight to the feels for me, regardless. While it might conjure up some (extremely masculine) misty eyes, it’s a different sensation than the self-loathing, hopelessness, and general give-me-one-reason-not-to-die-right-now sensations that drive me to it. I find myself in a better overall state of mind after totally-not-crying to it for a few minutes when I’m at my lowest.

The potency of this method can be diminished if you draw from the well too often, so to speak. (if it worked for you to start with, anyway.) My therapy song won’t work near as well if it’s something I listen to frequently or have heard a gazillion times already. The aforementioned tune did absolute wonders for me the first few times, but after hitting that one a few too many times, I had to move to another one to achieve the same effect. Still worked, though.

 While it might seem like a “bash thumb with hammer to cure toothache” kind of solution, I think it’s a less-invasive method of self-harm. I’ve never intentionally hurt myself, so I don’t personally understand the mindset of cutters and such. Having known a couple, however, a common purpose of self-harm seems to be a sense of control. I feel that my sad-time-song has that same effect of inflicting a normally-undesirable sensation on myself; but it’s something I choose to do, something I have control of.

The thing is, it’s an emotion that doesn’t make my current situation worse, which is something sad stimuli tends to otherwise do. Hence my emphasis on it being a “safe” source of feels. My advice isn’t just “make yourself sadder on purpose,” it’s… I guess I’m saying “make yourself a different kind of sad.” I think. I don’t know.

For example, another such feels-y moment for me was the very end of the movie Logan. The thing X23 does right before the credits. You know the part. Thing is, that was a leaky-eyes moment for me, but purely on a symbolic level. I’m not specifically a fan of Wolverine, or the X-Men in general; so that bit, to me, is a “safe” sad.

In contrast, the opening minutes of the movie Arrival hit really close to home for me. Dwelling on that one doesn’t produce feels, it produces legitimate sorrow. This is an “unsafe” sad, because it makes these negative emotions worse; or adds to them.

Now, I get that not everyone can immediately think of something in the “safe-sad” category for them. If that’s you, I’d just suggest keeping an eye out for such sensations going forward. Something that can tempt your face to leak, but not because it reminds you of your own troubles or struggles.

 My next suggestion is something of an extension of the first. A spinoff, if you will. While I certainly encourage you to do anything (within reason) that you feel might improve your mindset, I know a mistake I inadvertently made quite often was to indulge in things that would inadvertently make it worse.

This is meant more or less as a direct disclaimer to the common advice of “engage in your hobbies!” or “make time to do something you enjoy!” because frankly, that can be dangerous in some cases.

To borrow terminology from myself, there are basically “safe” and “unsafe” variants to the good things as well. Identifying the difference can make a huge… difference. This part gets a bit sob-story, so I totally understand if you want to skip it.

The gist of it, though, is that when trying to distract yourself from the overwhelming shittiness of your situation, you must be mindful with what you turn to. Some things that you might think are beneficial or helpful might actually be harming you under the surface, and determining what “good” things to avoid can be the key to lessening the weight of hopelessness.

 Anyway, my bit is as follows; with some examples of things that I thought were helping, but were, in fact, making it worse.

I love metal music; and on a good day, I can listen to it all I want without issue. The thing is, in my darkest hours, watching the Little V Mills cover of Heavy Day, despite essentially being my favorite thing ever, does more harm than good to my psyche. Perhaps I’m just slow, but I dug myself into that pit several times before I made the connection as to why such an otherwise feel-good endeavor would backfire on me when I needed it most.

I played guitar for a few years – it was easily one of my favorite things to do for a long while. Because of [medical] I haven’t been able to play it for many years now, and will likely never be able to play it again. Even though I love the song and Little V, listening to it in bad times is just a subconscious jackhammer to my dead guitar dreams.

“That’s the easiest connection in the world to make” you might have said just then, but please understand, my guitar dreams died long ago, and I haven’t otherwise been bitter about it. I don’t watch a musician play something and consciously think “oh, if only I could still do that!” or reminisce lovingly about all the one-man shows I used to put on in the kitchen for my mom and dogs. (shut up.)

That whole chunk of my life is honestly a non-issue at this point, as far as my conscious thoughts go. Beneath the surface, however, those wounds are quick to reopen when you’re grasping at anything to distract you from how terrible things are at the time.

I love the shows RWBY and Death Battle, but watching them in low days just hammers home my failure as an aspiring animator. I rely on ASMR videos to sleep at night; but when every last ounce of shit in life is hitting fan blades I didn’t even know existed, I find it better to deal with insomnia than for the lovely ASMRtist ladies to be a frustrating reminder of how painfully single and lonely I am.

Now, I know that when you’re in a bad enough spot, you can look at anything you do in that sort of self-defeating light and use that to make your hopelessness worse. As of writing this, I’m actually in such a spot. Fun fact: being reasonably proud of my passable grammar and wordsmanship without any tangible recoil from it is the entire reason I’m writing this tonight.

So, explore with caution, I guess. If you feel overwhelmed by finding a self-defeating aspect of everything you do, then just do nothing. I’m not saying to quit your job or whatever, but sometimes the best answer is to not seek answers, if that makes any sense.

In the “do nothing” category, I find Youtube channels like TED and TEDx Talks quite efficient at filling my brain with something neutral to listen to; depending on which subject you click on, of course. That conveniently segues into…

 Third suggestion: Learn Something Irrelevant. As with the other two, this one is highly subjective; but hey, so is this entire topic. Another coping method I’ve come to rely on is to just space out with a bunch of useless trivia I have absolutely no need for.

The speeches given on those TED channels are a great example of this. They’re nice and long for maximum time absorption, while slotting neatly into the “mildly amusing” category most of the time (for me.) The big asterisk on this is to not invest yourself into something that does draw your active attention.

That probably didn’t explain much. Another example: I love reviews. I don’t know why. I can listen to a professional-sounding reviewer talk about pretty much anything and be at least marginally entertained by it. Perhaps you don’t feel that way, but give me a second.

I watch Anthony’s Customs in such circumstances. He reviews collector’s action figures and such. This is a subject I have roughly zero interest in, but that’s what makes it good for me to learn about in bad times. Watching reviews for something I do care about, say, video games I can’t afford or movies I can’t go see, just makes the crushing hopelessness worse. (I know, duh.) This ties back to the second suggestion – ingesting a review for something I desire just shines a spotlight on my inability to obtain it.

This is probably more of a simple distraction tactic than anything specifically helpful, but that’s not to say it doesn’t work. Giving the brain something else to chew, it will stop poking at the ulcers in its mouth. Imagery!

 Fourth and final suggestion, to be taken with a very large grain of salt: Embrace the Bitterness… Carefully. I’ll go ahead and put that “please hate responsibly” or “scowl in moderation” disclaimer up front and center. It’s a fairly obvious tip that I’m sure many people already act on. Maybe this is more of a warning for how to do safely.

If you’re like me, raised on the idea that negative emotions and mindsets were bad for you, then the act of feeling bad in your bad situation probably makes you feel worse. I felt like being in a bad mental place was a sign of weakness on my part, like I was failing for feeling such things.

Think back on those Saturday morning cartoon moral lessons – things like how the bully is only hateful because he has a broken home. A tragic villain, but still a villain. No, being mean to others isn’t the right way to handle your stresses; but just like the other entries above, there are “safe” alternatives.

I suggest watching channels like CinemaSins, which comedically picks apart every little thing “wrong” with movies, or looking into reviews for films or products you know are bad, just to revel in someone else’s failures. An easy suggestion would also be an RPG or something where you can choose to be the bad guy.

Heartless? Probably. Healthy? Maybe – in moderation. The guideline here is to get your catharsis from something that won’t actively hurt someone. I’m not saying to find a way to justify being an asshole, I’m just saying to find a way to come as close to being an asshole as possible.

The reason I gave those examples is because they’re as close to a victimless attack as you can get, I think. When your pent up bitterness explodes in the voice chat of Overwatch and you tell your incompetent teammate the exact number and volume of bags of dicks they can eat, that dingus Genji main might have deserved it, but he or she is still a victim, and you’re still being an asshole to them.

Meanwhile, bathing yourself in the glorious misteps of something like Mass Effect Andromeda is a reasonably healthier way to throttle that hate-boner, for a number of reasons. For one, content creators know full-well the risk they take in putting their work out there, and are usually prepared for at least some level of backlash. Second, being a passive consumer of such media, such as watching a highlight reel of ME:A’s awful facial animation, is much better for you than actively calling someone mean and hurtful things.

Therein lies my warning. As my circumstances and mental state got worse, so did my already-lacking social skills. If anger and catharsis-by-proxy are solid tools for dealing with your anguish, then use them; but be mindful of their cost. Putting on a fake smile and small-talking your way through your interactions is a horrible way to live, but the alternative is letting your problems become toxic to others around you.

That’s not to discourage reaching out to friends or family for help, but a central aspect of this post was the idea that you might not have such a network. It still applies to the randoms you meet online, though. It can do wonders to vent that bitterness and resentment; but do so in a safe, controlled manner that won’t cost you existing relationships or sour the day of someone you don’t know.

 Such were my suggestions for coping with hopelessness. I can’t offer much in the way of finding new hope to actually cure the underlying problem, primarily because that depends immeasurably on everyone’s individual trials; but also because I haven’t gotten my own ducks in a row, yet. All I can do is share what works for me and… well… hope that you might benefit from it.

 Stay safe out there.

[jobs-in-dubai-uae]

While classroom learning process is important in university education, internships are proving to be equally necessary as they provide workplace experience, according to career counsellors. However, students allege that many companies are making them work for long hours without any pay, or asking them to work in positions outside of their study area. InternsME, UAE's largest internship job website, received more than 17,500 applications just this year from students who were looking for internship opportunities. What happens when companies are taking advantage of students who are "desperately" seeking for internship experiences? Who is monitoring the rights of students who want work experience? Jean-Michael Gauthier, the founder of InternsME, told Khaleej Times that his firm vets the companies that are offering internships to students through their website. InternsME currently works with more than 1,000 companies who are looking for talented interns and to fill part-time and graduate roles. "We spend a lot of time vetting the companies who come onboard with us and making sure to host quality jobs because the safety of our community is of utmost importance," he said. "Everyone who is participating in the workforce in some way can approach the UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation and file a complaint or communicate any mistreatment that they may be facing. If anyone is caught in a tough situation with supervisors and/or heads of departments, and if there are no possible resolutions, then he or she should approach the MoHRE." Gauthier added that more than 90 per cent of internships on InternsME are paid and that the salaries vary depending on the industry and the role.

Students encouraged

Legal experts are encouraging students to approach the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) if they feel they are being exploited at their internship. Maisoon Sulaiman, advocate office manager, MBH advocates and legal consultants, said students who are doing internships have the same rights as full-time employees under the UAE Labour Law. "Such violations and exploitations will have place, if an intern lets them happen. From the beginning, right from the very first interview with prospective employer, a candidate has to know his basic labour rights and ask related questions to his interviewer. Then, he has to make sure of implementing his labour rights and discussed terms and conditions, as well as nature of his work and wages in his contract/agreement before signing it," she said. "If an intern is employed in a company officially, with the registered contract and labour permit under the youth or student category, his labour rights will be more important compared to other labour categories." Naila Sarwar, a solicitor at TWS Legal Consultants, said that in terms of the pay of an intern, it depends on the type of the company and/or the industry the intern is 'employed' at. "It is a widely held view that media and non-profit organisations offer unpaid internships while professional services companies offer a reasonable salary - in the UAE this can range from Dh2,000 to Dh3,000 per month," she said. "The Labour Law refers to the employment of 'youth'. If the intern falls under the definition of youth, the maximum working hours shall be six hours per day with one-hour rest. They must not work for more than four consecutive hours nor is the employer permitted to retain the worker for more than seven consecutive hours in the workplace. "College and university students who are sponsored by their educational institution are permitted to work part-time with the relevant visa. Expats over the age of 18 can seek short-term work permits up to 60 days, which may be renewed prior to the expiry date of the permit. Short-term work permits are not applicable to GCC or the UAE Nationals. The hiring of interns within a freezone has its own rules and work permit requirements and duration."

Students say they feel betrayed during internship

One former intern, Mike Meijer, spoke to Khaleej Times about his tragic experience during an internship in Dubai. The Dutch expat said he was given the "opportunity" to intern for a radio station, where he would get to learn about the broadcasting industry. Little did he know that the firm was looking for people who could do secretarial work with absolutely no pay. "Getting to the location, being handed surveys, and being told we would be manning the radio boot - purely for promotional purposes with no actual radio equipment present - felt like blatant betrayal, especially because we were told the idea (and the brand) that we would get to see the inner workings of a radio station," he said. "We were a group of six and we just kind of laughed it off and got to work since we figured it still counted towards our grades. It was a pretty bad experience, which left a lasting negative impression on us." Another student, Ahmad El-Rashid, was offered an internship at a marketing firm. As a marketing major, he thought the apprenticeship would stand out on his resume after graduation. However, like Meijer, he was tricked by the firm into doing free work. "I was mostly doing customer service at the company and wasn't learning anything about marketing. They were short staffed, so maybe they were looking for affordable, or in my case, free labour. Companies need to stop using interns to do work that someone else should be getting paid to do as a full-time employee," he said. "I was working from 9am to 5pm and it was starting to effect my grades, which is when I decided to quit."

Internship must be mutually beneficial for both student and employer

(Andy Pacino, teaching and learning coordinator, Dubai campus, Murdoch University) In an age of high youth unemployment, it is vital that youngsters gain the benefit of higher education in order to secure themselves a decent start in life, and a good career. A high degree grade shows employers that candidates are able to attain a certain level of expertise in a certain sphere over a certain length of time. The grade indicates a level of dedication and intelligence, and the better the grade; the better a student demonstrates his ability. With so much competition for so few jobs, there is an added pressure of bringing experience to the table at an interview, and the best way of gaining that all-important hands-on knowledge comes in the shape of an internship. Interns are an integral part of many workplaces, and they provide great proving grounds for prospective employees, and give employers the chance to test out a prospective worker. Even better is direct experience in the field of study. An IT student with a couple of months work at one of Dubai's many tech companies, for example, offers a competitive edge and a far better chance of landing an IT job than someone who is fresh out of university with only theoretical knowledge to offer. I am a big fan of internships, however, I believe they must be mutually beneficial for both student and employer. At Murdoch University, I am responsible for ensuring the right candidate gets the post that serves him best. An intern should never replace a full-time worker, neither should they merely hang around and shadow another employee. The idea is that the company gets the benefit of an extra pair of hands while the intern gains vital inside knowledge of the workplace. It's a heuristic learning curve as the dynamics of the work place is worlds apart from university life, and that cannot be gained in the lecture room. Time management is also very important, and a 40-hour a week post would be detrimental to studies. Ideally, the internship should be a couple of hours a day after studies, or a full day or two, like a weekend job that allows classroom theory to be put into practice. A real world workplace also means real world money, though internships are an in-between, so while some internships pay nothing, I am a firm believer that there should be a small stipend to cover at least travel and food allowance. This has a double benefit: it shows commitment from the company, and encourages the intern to attend the post in a professional manner. I have received numerous letters of thanks and encouragement from former interns and companies alike, and have heard very few horror stories, and there are plenty of examples of students and post-graduates who end up working with the companies they intern at, and the huge majority say their experience was extremely beneficial. Murdoch University has recently launched a dedicated careers portal that links employers to students and graduates with keywords and search terms, matching the ideal candidate to their perfect job, whether it is an internship or full time position. The service operates on a similar platform as many other intern websites, though it is entirely free for employers. In a nutshell, internships are of great value to employers, students and graduates, and my advice is to give it a go.

How do you look at internship opportunities in the UAE?

Kevin Matthew Phillips I worked at an events company as a graphic designer. I was given heavy tasks and worked for a week. I left the company with a negative impression of doing internships for small time companies. I would say companies should be more transparent with students. Avoid telling them they'll pay a certain amount by the end of the work and not paying as it creates an ethical situation. Farhan Hassan Considering the state of the market, many companies are abusing their interns or taking advantage of people's desperation to find a job. But there are two sides of the story. In my defence, for my companies, I do keep interns as trainees, but honestly I may not hire them. But I have to put them through the training because the visa costs for someone might be extremely costly. Pranav Dileep I know a lot of friends who were hired as interns for as cheap as Dh500 a month on the promise of visa after the visit period only to waste their 90 days and go back. Then they would hire someone else and repeat. Its a cheap labour strategy with no real cost. It's exploitation, no doubt. I mean sweatshops in China have more decency. At least, they are straightforward. They should stop exploiting the youth.

KT Nano Edit

Help them learn Internships are wonderful opportunities for students to whet their appetite before taking a plunge into full time employment space. But companies should not take undue advantage of this. Students are there to learn the ropes, get an exposure - not to be pushed around to do menial work. Companies should use this opportunity to vet talent and scout for their next best employees. © Khaleej Times via Edarabia.com