#I was most interested in the studies that were done on things like the dam-removal effect and riparian vs agriculture streams

[girlscience]

Last paper I was going to read has been read... it was the most interesting to me. It was about low-head dam removal and it's effects on the community make up of the fish populations in those streams. It was not a study performed by the guy I am talking to tomorrow, it was actually a grad thesis by a student that worked with him in the aquatic sciences center. Now I just have to figure out the answers to a couple questions I was recommended to have answers to because they seem likely to be asked.

[ai-katsuu]

Jack and Audrey (4/5)

chapters: 1   2   3   4   5

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favorite chapter right here^^

She turned around, “And if I may ask, what are you doing up so late?” Jack greeted her from below. 

The look of surprise turned into a lazy smile, “Isn’t it obvious? Look at it.” she motioned to the field, lake, and sky. 

“Yes I figured. Beautiful.” he looked at it “Where I come from you can’t possibly get the sky to look like this. A perk of living outside the palace walls.”

“I would come here every night just to do this. I’m lucky others haven’t found it yet, I don’t want them to, even if that sounds a little selfish.” she told him

“Not at all,” he agreed “Anyone would want to keep a place this beautiful to themselves. With the rapid technology and empires they’re conquering, they’re not leaving much left for nature. What a wonderful life you must have had, seeing this whenever you want.”

 Audrey turned to him “How about you? What did you do before becoming part of the F7?” 

“Me?” he turned his head to her and thought for a bit, “Before a prince I wasn’t..that well off. After a series of events though I became a normal prince. Several studies to keep up with to groom me for the throne. I took an interest in fashion and well, overall beauty products and jewelry.” 

“Obviously,” she chuckled.

“I was at average on academics, but I did play a lot of games with my physical education teacher. I had a good instinct and was good with my wit and..charms.” he combed his hair through his fingers, causing Audrey to playfully roll her eyes. “Aside from that..fencing, etiquette, attending meetings, and..dancing.” 

“Dancing?” she asked right away. 

“Hm? Yes, it was a must for a prince who went to several parties and balls.” 

“Huh..” Audrey thought. 

“Have..you ever danced?” Jack asked

She laughed “I wish. I travel from town to town and I haven’t really been to any balls, parties, just festivals.” 

Jack paused for a moment, “Would you like me to teach you?” 

Audrey raised her eyebrows, “Really?” 

He nodded “Obviously I can’t teach you like this so you’d need to close your eyes. A bit risky but interesting, no? I promise I won’t let you fall or trip. Trust me.” he told her. 

Audrey stared at him for a bit then nodded. Jack smiled then turned around walking a few steps away from her before facing her again and bowing. Audrey curtsied with her skirt. 

“Alright, close your eyes,” and she did as he said. 

When he had lifted his head back up his human face was revealed.

He walked towards her, stopping for a moment before taking her hand with his own and raising it to the side. “Just put your hand here,” he said softly as he guided her other hand to his arm and he put that hand on her waist. “Nervous?” he asked in a soft whisper. 

“A bit,” she admitted. 

“It’s alright, I’m right here, in front of you. Follow my lead.” he brushed his thumb over her hand in assurance and couldn’t hold back a smile. 

He started gently first swaying left and right. Once he saw that she had gotten comfortable he turned in a different direction. Audrey got the hang of it and soon they were circling the field. A smile had adorned her face as she was relaxed now. The movement of her feet around grass had caused the fireflies to come out. Neither of them noticed however as one was blind and the other, well, was focused on her.

They were so caught up in their dance that they hadn’t noticed that they had shifted from land to water. Jack had spun Audrey several as they laughed. He had dipped her several times, as her feet skidded across the moonlit starry lake. Jack looked at her face, clearly love-struck. It was then and there that he knew he wanted to have more nights with her, just like this one. For Audrey, the word ‘happy’ wasn’t enough to describe what she was feeling. This was something that only happened in a fairy tale.

She had dreams of falling in love with someone like this. Audrey knew for sure that she wanted to be with Jack, regardless of whether he broke his curse or not.

Moments later they sat on the lake, Audrey’s hand over Jack’s. 

Audrey finally opened her eyes “Oh..we’re on the lake,” she looked around and chuckled. 

“I only noticed when we stopped, pretty right?” Jack said and she nodded in agreement. There was silence for a moment.

“Hey, Jack?” 

“Hm?” 

“..Can I ask about your curse?” 

Jack paused, “What about it?” 

Trying her words carefully she asked, “How do you break it?” 

He let out an empty laugh, “I was sure you were going to ask that sooner or later,”

Audrey looked at him and he could only look away, “I didn’t want to tell you because..well I don’t want you to feel like you have to help me.” “

“Regardless of what it is I’m still going to help you, that was a given,” she told him. 

Jack faced her a bit with a small smile, “Thank you..” he took a deep breath, “In order to break the curse..” he paused, “you’d have to kiss the most beautiful woman in the world.” 

She looked shocked for a bit, but Jack still didn’t look at her. “I see..”

…

“..and you thought a fish would break that curse?”

Jack looked at her mortified as she tried to hold back a smile, which wasn’t really working. 

He used his free hand to splash a large amount of water to her face “Honestly, Audrey! Be serious!” he cried out with laughter as did she, and this action only proved his prevoius point about being himself around her.

 Once they had calmed down they continued. “So..a kiss from the most beautiful girl huh?” she said. 

“Yes but...I think I finally understand what that truly means.” he told her “I don’t...I don’t think the princess who cursed us literally meant for us to kiss the most beautiful woman in the world. One would think that meant she had to be gorgeous and stunning, but I think otherwise.” Audrey listened to him intently “After seeing how Merlin and Snow broke his curse, I think the word beautiful doesn’t mean beauty or looks,” he looked at her

“It’s about the person you find who is beautiful in heart and virtue,” 

Audrey stared at him and he looked her in the eye. He put his other hand on top of hers, 

“Audrey, I kept thinking about it ever since we escaped the woods, it was a process but after tonight I think..no, I know I want to still know you even more after this.” 

Her eyes went into a light shock and her face went a bit pink “But..” 

“I know; if you don’t feel the same or don’t want to kiss me, I can respect that.”

“No..! No, I,” she smiled a bit “I feel the same way about you. I wouldn’t have it any other way” When he heard that Jack felt as if nothing else mattered. He was beyond happy and nothing could ruin it.

He put his other hand on hers “Close your eyes,” he whispered. 

She gave a soft smile and did so. Jack lovingly looked at her, telling himself that this was the one thing he was so sure of, that he wouldn’t have any regrets.

 Audrey felt her head leaning in so close that she could feel his breathing near her lips. And that’s when it started. The flashbacks of what happened on May 28th. She was scared. No..this can’t happen.

“No!” she pushed him away, scared. 

Jack, who still held on to her hand, looked confused and hurt, “Audrey? Are you okay?” 

“No, Jack,” she suddenly looked worried for him, “I’m sorry it’s not you. It’s..” she took a deep breath and looked at the passing fish underneath them, “Remember when we met Average earlier?” 

“You’re in love with him?!” he looked shocked. 

“No! No, god no.” she assured him, “No, what he said about me doing something on May 28th.” “

I paid no mind to that, everything he says is rubbish anyway.” Jack shrugged.

Audrey looked at him, nearly tearing up before giving an empty laugh, “God, you’re making this so much harder,” he didn’t say anything to let her continue “Something did happen that day five years ago. There was a flood,” she recalled “I went to a village with a friend of mine and on that day their dam broke and the waters came crashing down on the village. I could’ve saved them but at the time, my friend had fallen into an ice lake and was drowning. I wasn’t close enough to use my powers to save them both. I had to pick one.” 

She inhaled a large amount of air then let it go, “I chose my friend, Jack.” she laughed and this time couldn’t hold back the tears that pooled in her eyes.“I let several lives be ruined, lives I could’ve saved instead of one.” 

He quickly responded “Audrey, you’re not responsible for their lives. It was a natural disaster, it happens. You need to help those around you before you help others-” 

“Jack,” she cried out, “I can’t be the girl with virtue and heart. Kissing me won’t work.” 

“But, Audrey,” he let out a laugh, “I-” 

“I don’t deserve to be with you. I’m sorry, Jack. I can’t be that girl for you.” she removed the invisibility cloak and draped it on him. 

Jack stared at it then at her, “Audrey, what are you-”

“Goodbye, Jack.” she let go of his hands and he fell into the water. 

“No wait-mgh!” Audrey moved her hand forward so that the current would gently push him onto the shore. 

Once she had done so she ran across the water. As he got onto shore Jack’s vision became blurry. He saw he was human and reached out to a small figure in the distance before he passed out.

[normal-thoughts-official]

Umm teenage malec au where Magnus is a chem-genius and Alec is a secret superhero in need of a Chem-genius...

i smell shenanigans???? mayhaps a secret identity drama??????? mutual pining???? do i hear the sounds of cliché drama 2nite?

really tho. call me cliché and uninspired but. Alec knows Magnus from uni. Magnus is still majoring in chemistry but hes clearly so talented and smart he already has made some incredible discoveries and is working and studying in like doctorate level classes. he's a genius, and he's creative, and he wants to use his knowledge to create good and accessible stuff. hes also beautiful and fine maybe Alec has a crush on him.

"sue me" - Alec, probably

but hes never really had,,,, the Opportunity to talk to him? theyve done a few group projects together and they got along fine but Magnus is always busy with his research and his thousands of groups and studies you know

anyway Alec is like.... an unwilling superhero because his sister is fucking crazy but also he loves her and ain't gonna let her deal with criminals™ alone so now he's her sidekick. his superhero persona is even grumpier than his usual persona and that is definitely saying something

anyway, they need magnus' help with some shit, i dont know, identifying some supervillain who leaves these weird substances behind? dude i dont know

so naturally Alec is like "well we could get magnus' help... you know.... hes smart...... and right there...... and hes nice hed probably help us" and izzy is like "yes Alec you should totally ask him out" and Alec is like "shut up"

so he goes to magnus as his superhero persona and asks him for help? and of course it isnt as simple as it looks so they need to come to magnus for help A Lot and him (as his superhero persona) and Magnus become pretty good friends and ah yes fuck this crush is starting to grow

magnus becomes kind of an honorary member of their little team after that and helps them with most cases. theres always something he can help them with. even when its not chemistry-related, hes smart and good at profiling and reading people. and he helps Alec relax. you know. and that makes it easier for everyone. right? yea

but look, look. he needs to keep his distance. its dangerous enough as it is and if magnus gets too involved that's gonna put him in danger. the last thing he wanted was to get another person he loved liked knew in danger. and if Magnus knew about their secret identities that would compromise izzy and he cant do that. not even their little brother Max knows!! so like, distance. totally

except he sucks, of course, and finds himself talking to Magnus for hours on end instead of actually doing his thing more often than not. and he totally falls in love. like completely. fuck

and on magnus' end........ well, hes hurt, because hes falling for this grumpy little weirdo whos so attached to rules and yet is willing to throw them out of the window to protect his little sister, who is genuinely interest in magnus' babble that only the other chem guys listen to (but are too busy trying to prove theyre better than him to actually have a nice, interesting conversation), who cares for his interest, cares for him. asks how hes doing and demands that he sleeps well and listens to his complaints. you know. he likes the both of them a lot, and for the first times he feels not only like he belongs, but like he's allowed to be. not to mention wanted and cared for.

but they dont trust him. which, look - its stupid. they dont owe him anything! and they are friends. they do tell him stuff that matters. he knows everything about their lifes but their names and the names of the people in their lives. and they have a lot at stake! and Magnus is an eccentric weirdo anyway. its good enough that theyre friends! really!

but hes pining, because theres this guy whom Magnus doesnt even know the appearance of, and who likes him, but doesnt trust him. he knows if it were up to the sister theyd have told him by now and it hurts that he doesnt trust him.

but it makes sense, too, again, Magnus shouldn't be demanding him that. but fuck hes fallen in love with him and he doesnt even trust magnus in return

it just hurts

and theres lots and lots of mutual pining and issues and Magnus not voicing his concerns because its fine!!! and he has no right to be upset!! and hes being stupid anyway and theyre right not to tell him

and he closes off in that way he does - by always being extra smooth and casual and using that as armor. and Alec is hurt, too, because he knows Magnus is closing off, but who the fuck is him to ask? Magnus just thinks their whole superhero thing is interesting. and he cant really demand anything out of Magnus when he cant be open with Magnus, either, and anyway he deserves better than this mess

anyway theres lots of drama for a while until eventually of course the dam breaks somehow. idk, i like to think Alec decided to tell him rather than him finding out on accident, but i dont know what exactly would lead him to do that. maybe he just gets tired of it and snaps. maybe he just shows up at Magnus' in civilian clothes like "hello it is me". maybe he just gets tired one night and it's like. hes already tired of lying and hiding and Magnus is already in too deep anyway, and hes thinking it over, he is, hes gonna tell him... and then something happens that would mean it would be slightly inconveniencing for him to turn around so as to not reveal his identity (like, idk, he needs to look at something but he cant see right with the mask lol) and hes like "fuck it [removes mask] my names Alec btw" and Magnus is like "woah ur the hot guy from that group project????"

anyway because im really slowburning today that doesn't mean they tell each other how they feel, of course. Magnus is still convinced Alec isnt into him (hes just told Magnus who he is! really, this is more than enough) and Alec is still an idiot. but it does have the upside of them getting to talk during the day and stuff! which is great, except awful because now they can Pine at any time of the day

anyway i dont even know how this gets solved tbh irhejdndkd its already too long, i dont wanna go the "Magnus is kidnapped and Alec realizes life is short" route because this is cliché enough but. uhh i dont know Magnus gets some prize on his research on uuuhhhhh clean energy? fuck if i know. and Alec attends and hes just so proud of him and so happy for him he kind of does the whole "i love you" thing and Magnus is like "you do??" and Alec is like "Magnus. Of course" and they kiss the end

[elliemarchetti]

Losers at Hawkins and the Death of Will Byers

A little long but that’s because I had to put two different stories in only one chapter. Hope you enjoy.

Words: 4260

IN DERRY

The terror, which would not end for another twenty-eight years -if it ever did end- began, so far as I know or can tell, with a boat made from a sheet of newspaper floating down a gutter swollen with rain. The boat was of a twelve year old boy and his big brother done it and gave him as a gift. Jonathan was not a much loved guy, and he certainly did not have many friends, but he loved his little brother, and he was not ashamed to spend time with him. That day he would come out with Will, really, if only he had not been sick. He could not go out and risk worsening the situation: he could not lose other days at school. Jonathan did not have good grades, but not because he was not smart. He was bored at school. He dreamed of studying photography, and going out with the beautiful and intelligent Nancy, one of his classmates. From time to time it happened that he went to dinner at her house, because his brother and the youngest of the Wheelers were good friends. He had never had the courage to talk to her. This was what Jonathan Byers thought while his little boat  bobbed, listed, righted itself again, dived bravely through treacherous whirlpools, and continued on its way down Witcham Street toward the traffic light which marked the intersection of Witcham and Jackson, followed by his brother, wrapped in a yellow wax and with red rain boots on his feet. About three-quarters of the way down the block as one headed toward the intersection and the dead traffic light, Witcham Street was blocked to motor traffic by smudge pots and four orange sawhorses. Stencilled across each of the horses was DERRY DEPT. OF PUBLIC WORKS. Beyond them, the rain had spilled out of gutters clogged with branches and rocks and big sticky piles of autumn leaves. The water had first pried finger holds in the paving and then snatched whole greedy handfuls-all of this by the third day of the rains. By noon of the fourth day, big chunks of the street’s surface were boating through the intersection of Jackson and Witcham like miniature white-water rafts. By that time, many people in Derry had begun to make nervous jokes about arks. The Public Works Department had managed to keep Jackson Street open, but Witcham was impassable from the sawhorses all the way to the center of town. But, everyone agreed, the worst was over. The Kenduskeag Stream had crested just below its banks in the Barrens and bare inches below the concrete sides of the Canal which channeled it tightly as it passed through downtown. Right now a gang of men - captained however by a woman - were removing the sandbags they had thrown up the day before with such panicky haste. Yesterday overflow and expensive flood damage had seemed almost inevitable. God knew it had happened before -the flooding in 1931 had been a disaster which had cost millions of dollars and almost two dozen lives. That was a long time ago, but there were still enough people around who remembered it to scare the rest. One of the flood victims had been found twenty-five miles east, in Bucksport. The fish had eaten this unfortunate gentleman’s eyes, three of his fingers, his penis, and most of his left foot. Clutched in what remained of his hands had been a Ford steering wheel. Now, though, the river was receding, and when the new Bangor Hydro dam went in upstream, the river would cease to be a threat. Or so said Ted Wheeler, who worked for Bangor Hydroelectric. As for the rest-well, future floods could take care of themselves. The thing was to get through this one, to get the power back on, and then to forget it. In Derry such forgetting of tragedy and disaster was almost an art, as Jonathan Byers would come to discover in the course of time. Will paused just beyond the sawhorses at the edge of a deep ravine that had been cut through the tar surface of Witcham Street. This ravine ran on an almost exact diagonal. It ended on the far side of the street, roughly forty feet farther down the hill from where he now stood, on the right. He laughed aloud -the sound of solitary, childish glee, a bright runner in that gray afternoon- as a vagary of the flowing water took his paper boat into a scale-model rapid which had been formed by the break in the tar. The urgent water had cut a channel which ran along the diagonal, and so his boat travelled from one side of Witcham Street to the other, the current carrying it so fast that Will had to sprint to keep up with it. No twelve-year-old boy, raised in a normal family, behaved that way, but Derry knew that the Byers were not all normal, so none of the neighbors noticed the lonely kid chasing a paper boat, therefore, the water that sprayed out from beneath his galoshes in muddy sheets went unnoticed and so his strange death who arrived because of two disquieting yellow eyes locked inside the storm drain. Or at least, this was what Will thought. He saw them by accident, when his little boat ran straight into the storm drain, and he cursed in hopes that a dirty word would help him to take it back. When even the owner of those eyes, a clown resembling a cross between Ronald McDonald and Bozo, saw him, greeted him by calling his name. The clown was holding a bunch of balloons, all colors, like gorgeous ripe fruit, in one hand, and in the other he had Will’s paper boat.

“Want you boat, Will?” the clown asked, smiling. If only Will had been older, or if only his brother had not been sick and could have accompanied him, the boy would never have responded to that smile. Perhaps, but it is only a hypothesis, his boat would never have ended up in storm drain and Pennywise the clown would not have brought further suffering to that family. But Will was just a naive boy, and his brother was not there with him, so he smiled at the clown, as if he had met him at the annual fair in Derry and not in a storm drain. 

“I sure do,” he said.

The clown laughed. “I sure do. That’s good! That’s very good! And how about a balloon? “

"Well… sure!” He reached forward… and then drew his hand reluctantly back. “I’m not supposed to take stuff from strangers. My brother said so.”

“Very wise of your brother. How old is he?” asked the clown, interested. 

“Sixteen.” replied Will, but he was looking at the boat.

“Did you brother made this for you?” asked Pennywise, kindly. Will nodded.

“And why he’s not out there, playing with you?”insisted the clown.

“He’s sick. But he promised that we’ll go out to play together again when he will be better.” replied Will, proud. He loved his mother, but he loved his brother more, because when his dad left he also left so much love to give to a male figure, and Will decided to give it all to Jonathan. For the greater of the Byers it was the same, although it held a grudge for the father. He remembered well, that disturbed man and how he had managed to treat both his sons and his devoted wife badly.

"So I guess you want it even more!” the clown exclaimed. “But if you cannot take anything from strangers, we must first introduce ourselves.” Will liked how that clown solved problems simply. 

“I, Will, am Mr. Bob Gray, also known as Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Pennywise, meet Will Byers. Will, meet Pennywise. And now we know each other. I’m not a stranger to you, and you’re not a stranger to me. Kee-rect? “ 

Will giggled. "I guess so.” He reached forward again… and drew his hand back again. “How did you get down there?”

“Storm just bleeeew me away,” Pennywise the Dancing Clown said. “It blew the whole circus away. Can you smell the circus, Will?" 

Will loved the circus. He had only been there once, when he was a child, but he still remembered the scent of hot roasted peanuts and fries with white vinegar, even if his favorite thing was the cotton candy, but it did not have a perfume so intense as to overcome the others.��His mother had even taken him a cotton candy bubble bath, and it was all blue and made him smell like candy. 

In the storm drain, however, he only felt the scent of frying doughboys and the faint but thunderous odor of wild-animal shit. He could smell the cheery aroma of midway sawdust. And yet, under it all, the smell of flood and decomposing leaves and dark storm drain shadows. That smell was wet and rotten. The stink he had smelled a couple hours before, when he went down in his house’s cellar. But the other smells were stronger, so he said he could smell the circus scent. 

"Want your boat, Will?” Pennywise asked. “I only repeat myself because you really do not seem that eager.” He held it up, smiling. He was wearing a baggy silk suit with great big orange buttons. A bright tie, electric-blue, flopped down his front, and on his hands were big white gloves, like the kind Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck always wore.

“Yes, sure” Will repeated, feeling a little guilty for letting the circus thought distract him from recovering his brother’s present. 

“And a balloon? I’ve got red and green and yellow and blue…”

“Do they float?” asked Will, interrupting the clown. 

“Float?” The clown’s grin widened. “Oh yes, indeed they do. They float! And there’s cotton candy…”

George reached. And Pennywise knew he had hit the right button, so he seized the boy’s arm. And that was the moment when Will Byers knew he had signed his own death sentence. 

MEANWHILE, IN HAWKINS

To be autumn, it was a particularly serene night, in Hawkins, with the sky full of stars and not even the trace of a cloud. The four kids, well hidden in the Tozier cellar, could hardly imagine that something so awful was happening at such a beautiful evening at the Hawkins National Laboratory U.S. Department of Energy, not when the thing that most troubled them was the noise of sprinklers in the garden. Anyway, the guys heard those damn irrigators for the whole time, but Richie would not have told his parents it was time to change them. He was just a kid and they would never listen to him. They never did it.

“Something’s coming, something who’s th-thirsty of blood.” said Bill. They were playing Richie’s new fantasy war-game. It was about Middle Earth, Tolkien’s world, and Bill was advantaged, he had read The Lord of The Ring, so he already knew which characters were more powerful and which were not, so they decided to make him a moderator. Richie was a little sorry, but the friend seemed to be having fun. Despite his stuttering, he was a good reader, and when he was very involved in reading he could almost not stutter. 

“A shadow grows on the wall behind you; it swallows you into the dark.” Bill went on, and Eddie leaned a little closer on the table, careful. After the moderator’s intervention, it would be his turn. 

“It will be there soon.” he ended, and Richie started making supposition on what could that be with Eddie. Stan also entered the speech, and Bill waited until they came to a standstill.

“An O-orcs Army attacks th-th-the shelter!” Bill exclaimed, moving the toy army. The other boys laughed. It was something easy to defy. 

“Just a moment.” spoke again Bill, making all the other guys shut. “That sound. B-boom, boom, and boom!” he nearly yelled, banging open palms on the table. He was a good actor. Richie had been the one who taught him, otherwise the other guys wanted to exclude him completely from the game. Richie would never have allowed it: Bill, despite his oddities, was his best friend, and he would always be close to him, ready to help him. 

“That sound d-didn’t came from the Orcs, that sound ca-came from something else.” he said, leaving the three players a moment to concentrate, the he slammed on the table the infamous black monster. “The Demororgon!”

The other kids cursed, already thinking about the next move. 

“Eddie, your turn.” ended Bill. 

“I don’t know!” exclaimed the other guy.

“Use the fireball! “ Richie suggested. 

“But…” started Eddie, but he was interrupted by Stan.

“Too risky, use a preservation spell!”

“Don’t be girly, use a fireball!” repeated Richie. 

“Use the spell!” insisted Stan. 

Bill slammed his palms against the table, but not harder as the first time:” The Demogorgon is tired of your silly arg-arguing. He’s coming for you, boom!”

“The fireball Eddie!” exclaimed, hurried, Richie.

“The spell!” yelled Stan, but his voice was covered by another one of Bill’s boom. 

“Fireball!” exclaimed Eddie. He wanted to make Richie proud. He was like a mentor to him. Someday, he wanted to be like him. Maybe less foul-mouthed. So he threw the dices and they dropped on the floor. Eddie’s ears started to be hotter, and he knew they were all re, but he jumped up with his friends, trying to be the first to see them. 

“Where are them?” asked Bill, searching them under the table. 

“I don’t know!” replied Richie.

“I’m sure it was a thirteen” added Stan.

“How could you know?” asked Bill, crawling between the chairs.

“Oh my God, oh my God.” he began to chant Eddie. He was having a headache. 

And then the door opened, and Richie knew it was his mother. 

“We are in full military campaign!” tried Richie, but he knew the night ended.

"Just finished.” the woman corrected him. “It’s already … a quarter past eight!” she exclaimed, looking at her wristwatch. Richie did not understand why his mother could not be careless like that of Bill, a failed pianist who spent her time dusting the shelves and washing dishes, or like Stan’s, that the only rule that gave him was to pray three times a day. No, he had the career-woman mother, who made his son live following a rigid regime of rules that she was the first to not respect. Hypocritical.

“Come on, wait another twenty minutes!” Richie begged. “At half past eight your friends must be at home, tomorrow you have school and you have to rest, you will end next weekend.” Richie knew that he really just wanted to drive the other three kids off to stick to the bottle of some cheap liquor. He was no longer a child; he realized that his parents’ marriage was not working and that his mother was too stressed out of work. Besides, his father did not care much about what the woman did or didn’t, so Richie had been in vain for some years that they stayed together just to keep the respectable family façade, which Hawkins seemed to rely on above all. He looked at his mother, her brown curls, the pink shirt that screamed as advertising, and realized that it would be useless to say that in that way they would interrupt the rhythm, that the game would not be equally beautiful, the following week . She would simply limit herself to pointing out that they had been playing for ten hours, and that for a week it was more than enough. “Dad!” he tried, but his father replied, from the living room, where he was supposed to be sitting in front of the TV, that he would have to listen to his mother. Always the same answer. Richie rolled his eyes and turned to his friends. "You heard." he said, surrendered. "Do not worry, your mother is right, you know how my mother becomes if I do not come home on time.” Eddie answered. It was hard to forget it. Once he was back at 8.35 p.m. and she was furious, even threatening to call Mrs. Tozier. It would not have been a bad scene, and finally someone would have told that woman she was definitely not a good mother, but then Richie would not have been able to bring friends home, and they would have to find another place to meet. 

“I found a dice.” said Bill, handing it to Richie. 

The other kids had already finished dressing, while Bill was still without a jacket. “Hey guys.” Stan said, picking up a pizza carton “does anyone want it?” “How long have it been there?” Eddie asked, with a hint of disgust. “Ten hours?” Richie asked, but he already knew the answer. “How disgusting!” exclaimed Eddie. “Do you know how many germs could have been there?” “Do you never keep leftovers?” asked Stan, stunned. “Sure, but we’ll put them in the fridge as soon as we’re done eating, and mom knows how long it takes for all the different ingredients to deteriorate, so we do not risk taking any sickness.” the boy explained. “Diseases lurk in the disorder that reigns in your home.” Richie joked, while his friend passed him on the stairs that separated the cellar from the upper floor. Eddie punched him in the ribs, but not too hard to make him feel bad. The three boys politely greeted Richie’s parents, who barely seemed to notice their presence. Mrs. Tozier must have already started drinking and her husband was enchanted by the TV screen, which could have always transmitted the same program all day, but it would have fascinated him anyway. Richie led his friends out, where they kept the bicycles with they had arrived that morning. They were all brand new, with even a beacon, so that if they had met any cars during the night, they would not risk getting hurt. It was an idea of Mrs. Karspbak but in the end everyone had adopted that solution, a bit to not making feel Eddie alone,  a little because it could really come in handy, especially to Bill, who did not live right next to the other guys and had a piece of road to do by himself.

“See you tomorrow!” Eddie and Stan greeted him, and they left faster than Bill. 

“See you tomorrow.” he repeated, and started ride to reach his friends.

Richie, distracted by the flickering light of the driveway, could not reply.

As for the three kids it might seem dark, and although the days had already visibly shortened, and the sky was pitch-black, on the way back they met some schoolmates, who had probably just gone out to join their friends. After all, they had just entered the Junior High School while their older mates were adults. 

Like that madman of Henry Bowers, or his hateful friend, whom everyone called Vic. Bill hated them, and perhaps even for that reason he did not care much who passed through the streets at that time of night. The first to leave was Stan. He was the one who lived closest to Richie’s house, and wished them goodnight, though a little in his own way. Richie had infected him with his trash mouth, even if at home he never spoke badly: he was too afraid that his mother would go crazy.

“Let’s d-do a r-ra-race!” proposed Bill. 

“Is the prize a comic book?” Eddie asked. He liked comics a lot, and it was a pastime that his mother did not think was dangerous. Bill also read many comics, but recently he had gone to books, those without figures or anything else, just words written neatly on white and delicate pages. He just nodded in response, ready to win the comic number 66 of the X-Men. He liked that story, and often he felt like an integral part of that group of outsiders. Bill knew he was different from his friends. Not really different, only perceived differently. He also knew he was strange. Although he did not like to speak often, partly because of his situation, he was a master at observing and understanding. He started pedaling faster. Although his words often failed him, his body did not do the same. “Hey!” Eddie shouted behind him. It was an unfair thing, focusing on his friend’s obsession with security and loyalty, but also a good way to pay him back for what he had told Richie. Although the Tozier’s only child was his best friend and tried to protect him from everything, Bill knew that the other kids had confided to him. They did not want him in the group, and it was understandable, because even the teachers teased him at school when they thought he did not hear them. But to point it out to Richie, the only one that had always been there for him, was a low blow. Too much to not deserve a little spite.

Bill knew he had the victory in his hand when he reached the descent. It was the only one in the whole city, and a difficult climb to take, especially in the summer. He took speed, and barely heard his friend scream at him that he had not yet told go, that the race was not valid. Bill did not really care about the comic, even if, one way or another, he would get it. At that moment he did not care about anything, with the wind in his too long hair and little desire to brake before the intersection. 

“Come back!” Eddie shouted, though he was sure his friend would not. He felt a little guilty for having said those things to Richie. But Stanley had gone down a lot heavier. The two boys split like that, without even saying a goodbye, and even if the next day they would meet again at school, nothing would ever be the same. 

Bill came home with a smile. It had not been the happiest day of his life, but not even the worst. Also that bicycle ride had served to clear his mind. He entered the house while his mother seemed desperately looking for something among her scores. She must have lost one. It was disturbing, sometimes, to hear her play at night. “Hi boys,” she said, without even looking up, when she heard someone had opened the door. Bill had hardly made his own copy of the house keys, but now, with the fact that he had started junior high school and that he was going back and forth from school alone, weather permitting, it seemed right to both of his parents to give him this gift.

“Boys?” asked Bill. “I’m alone, tomorrow I have school an-and I’ve b-been w-with t-th-the b-bo-boys all day.”

“Bill, where’s Georgie?” asked his mother, and he looked at her perplexed.

“I don’t know, I was at Richie’s.” he repeated.

“He said he wanted to meet you before you arrived at home, you didn’t saw him?” asked his mother, worried. Bill barely managed to shake his head.

The next morning only three bicycles were parked in front of the school. No other student was doing that drudgery when he could still ask for a ride to his parents and the older ones already had their own cars. Or at least a scooter. Richie and his friends wondered why the most problematic member of their group was not present that day, but none dared to ask it out loud. They had other things to think about. Henry and Vic, in fact, were not the only bullies of the school, and that day a reduced and approximate version of the Losers Club discovered it. They weren’t the most loved kids in town. Bill, on the other hand, had accompanied his mother to the police station. She looked crazy, with disheveled hair and eyes out of their sockets. She did not want Bill out of her field of vision, for any reason in the world, and almost did not allow him to go to the bathroom, even if he tried to hold back for an hour. When he returned, he found his mother lighting up what was supposed to be the third or fourth cigarette of the morning. The sheriff had not yet arrived, though his secretary must have called him at least a dozen times. “Mrs. Denbrough, I promise you this time will be the good one.” Florence said. The sheriff amazed everyone with a dramatic entrance. He greeted his colleagues and barely noticed the intruders, at least until his secretary pointed them out as neatly as possible with a nod. He led them gently but firmly into his office, and Bill’s mother immediately started accusing him of not being able to do his job well, making them wait too long, losing sight of the main problem.

“My brother’s missing.” said Bill, without stuttering. It was the first sentence he had managed to say clearly since his mother had told him that his brother had disappeared. 

“Could not he just have skipped school?” the sheriff asked. “But you do not read the reports of your men? We were here tonight and …” Bill stopped listening to his mother’s ramblings, focused on what the sheriff was writing with his typewriter. George Denbrough had officially joined the long list of missing children in America.

[postproductionsoftwarekenh9-blog]

10 Apps to Help You Manage Your how to create a schedule for film post production workflow

What does media asset management mean?

How can I send large files?

Apple is the latest company to get on board, currently offering Final Cut Pro X free for 90 days – voted by us as one of the best video editing software programmes around. Final Cut Pro previously came with a free 30-day trial, but Apple has extended this amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

Any structured information which's purpose is to define a specification of any form of data is referred to as metadata. "An item of metadata is a relationship that someone claims to exist between two entities". "Think of metadata as data which removes from a user (human or machine) the need to have full advance knowledge of the existence or characteristics of things of potential interest in the environment". At first the term metadata was used for digital data exclusively, but nowadays metadata can apply to physical data as well as digital one.

Publitio offers URL-based API for on-the-fly transformations & high-quality media processing and transcoding solutions for fast content delivery and repurposing. With Interplay

After you deliver the final movie, you can delete source files. By default, Premiere Pro stores rendered previews, conformed audio files, and captured audio and video in the folder where you store the project. Moving a project file later may require moving its associated files as well. Premiere Pro creates a folder on your hard disk at the start of each project. By default, this is where it stores the files it captures, the preview and conformed audio files it creates, and the project file itself.

MAMs Integrate Video Production Applications

This is the best option when a project is complete and you are prepping it for archiving. If you have manually synced VFR footage in previous versions of Premiere Pro, resync that footage when opening the project in Premiere Pro 12.0.1 or later versions.

Is Dam it a bad word?

Content management (CM) is the process for collection, delivery, retrieval, governance and overall management of information in any format. The term is typically used in reference to administration of the digital content lifecycle, from creation to permanent storage or deletion.

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Types of assets. The two main types of assets are current assets and non-current assets. These classifications are used to aggregate assets into different blocks on the balance sheet, so that one can discern the relative liquidity of the assets of an organization.

See how "hearting" a project can help get your team started and move forward. Apple's XSAN (Apple platform) Quantum Stornext (Redhat Linux / SUSE Linux / Windows 2003 platform) as the sharing of SAN management software. The above nine workstations and server through a 10Gb NT-HBA and optical cable are connected to the high-speed ExaSAN Switch. Xsan and metadata management requires separate metadata spaces.

Through Curator, a proxy is generated and stored on EBS storage, and a Curator asset is created which records the location of the proxy, hi-res and technical metadata for the hi-res. The project file meanwhile is automatically stored by Curator in its AWS RDS database and can be retrieved at any time. So far, we’ve majored on the opportunities from a proxy workflow, however, we can’t forget about the need to complete some aspects of an edit against the original high-resolution files.

This business needs some new ways to ensure that people get consistent colors.

Other frequently-used tools can be pinned as well to create a custom working space.

Data Production and Process (DPP) Management software securely collects data from multiple sources in a variety of formats, then merges the data and readies it for the card personalization process.

It also offers easy-to-use brand templates for users to create new marketing content right on the platform.

Understanding Standard Projects

Can I buy Adobe Premiere?

Open the Effects panel (Shift+7), enter change to color in the search field, and drag the Change to Color effect to the clip. Open the Effect Controls panel (Shift+5). In the Change to Color section, use the From eyedropper to sample the color you want to replace. The color changes to red by default.

Issuu Story Creator enables InDesign users to transform any part of their InDesign file into a Story playable on social media (Instagram, Snapchat, FB) or web (via AMP). Motion Factory is a Project Management tool with a powerful Media Browser to make asset management and working with MOGRT a lot easier. Get any Pantone Color into your design file, with loads of other helpful and team-ready features to save you time.

A broad review of a 30-year history of film by Miller and Shamsie showed a shift in both film consumerism and the film business, where the Golden Age of film experienced a period of stable success and then a downturn. Continuing the focus on the economic perspectives of film projects, in studies by De Vany and Walls , the commercial successes of films were assumed to be a primary indicator of film project success. Further, De Vany and Walls documented the unpredictable and extremely high financial risks of pursuing a film project.

As the Mystery Box post makes clear, Premiere Pro is anticipating you to be working in a Rec. Premiere, After Effects, Encore, Prelude, Media Encoder and Photoshop all use the same memory pool so the RAM is assigned between them. Press on any video thumbnail to jump immediately to the timecode shown. Premiere Pro lets users render previews based on a number of selections, like Work Area, Selection, or just Effects. They are America's number one computer builder and they offer customized workstations for Premiere Pro.

Desktop Film Scheduling Software

With JIRA Core dashboards, you can get a high level view of the whole project. Now, project managers can be post production editing companies for documentary nyc armed with the tools they need to orchestrate the project and ensure that things get done on time.

Eliashberg, Elberse, and Leenders also supported the assertion that filmmaking had unpredictable results in terms of profits . It is generally accepted that the project management profession exists within a spectrum of industries, ranging from engineering and construction to information technology and manufacturing. Of course, other industries engage in project management, but their practices may be less documented or publicized. The most versatile film budgeting software on the market, Showbiz Budgeting allows you to actualize your film budget at the detail level, and display your actuals in column format alongside the original. One Integrated Solution, automating the operational and financial processes for producers and content creators into one, easy to use system supporting Pre-Production, Production, Post-Production, Asset and Transmission organizations.

[adventurecatalog2015]

In Retrospect

In May of 2015, I set out on a backpacking trip through Europe. It was supposed to last two months, but I came home after only five weeks. 

While I still have a lot of mixed emotions about the trip, it did teach me a lot about myself. Namely, that it's not a great idea to go to backpacking when you're in denial about your eating disorder.

CW for descriptions of disordered eating behaviours, including bingeing and restricting.

The bus ride to Munich took five hours, and I cried the whole time.

For what it’s worth, it was a nice bus. I mean, it had wifi, and a USB plug in so I could charge my phone, which I took advantage of to watch the latest season of Orange is the New Black while I sobbed softly, occasionally looking up to wonder why no one was asking me what was wrong.

The tears had been building up in my chest for a while, and I’m not sure what specifically broke the dam—maybe watching the buildings of Prague whiz past the window in a daze and thinking gee, I’d like to go to Prague someday, even when I’d spent the past 48 hours exploring the city. Maybe it was the comfortable seat, or how when I finally sat down I could actually feel how twisted and bloated my stomach was. Maybe it was the knowledge that as tired and as sick as I felt, I still had four more weeks of what was supposed to be the best experience of my life stretching out endlessly before me. I tried to imagine Greece and Rome—the white sandy beaches I had been so looking forward to visiting, the ruins, the beauty of Cinque Terre that everyone had told me I absolutely had to see—but when I did I only felt lonely, and tired, and numb.

I don’t think I’ve ever truly experienced depression, but when checked into my hostel room in Munich later that day and sank to the floor sobbing before I could even take off my backpack, I was closer than I’ve ever been.

I had set out on my quintessential backpacking journey five weeks earlier, after months of planning. I had carefully budgeted $6000 for my two-month trip from Ireland to the UK, mainland Europe, and the Mediterranean. I was “winging it” as much as I could—I hadn’t booked any hostels or flights, and had only a loose idea of the things I wanted to do and see. This would leave me open to experiences, I reasoned.

For the record, I still like this approach to backpacking, and my chosen method of travel was not the problem.

The problem was that for the previous two years I had been fostering disordered eating habits that had lead me to lose almost fifty pounds in ten months while simultaneously descending into a hellish binge/restrict cycle that occupied most of my waking thoughts.

I’m still not comfortable saying I had (have?) an eating disorder; “disordered eating” feels better for some reason. I’ve always dealt with anxiety, and maybe OCD, so the way I see it, an obsession over food and exercise was just a fun new way for my mental illness to manifest. At the time, though, I didn’t see it as mental illness.

When I boarded my flight from Vancouver to Dublin, I still thought that my obsessions and anxiety were a flaw. Just like the way I sometimes opened the cupboards and ate everything in sight, my fears were something to be conquered. If I could just grit my teeth and get over my stupid neurosis about food, I could have a good time in Europe, god dammit. I mean, it’s Europe! Once I got there, I told myself, I would be so distracted by the cool things around me that I wouldn’t have time to have a panic attack because I ate a fucking French fry.

As soon as I boarded my flight, my thoughts turned to food. What would they be serving? Would it have protein? Would it be fried? If there was a dinner roll, could I resist eating it? If I couldn’t sleep, I would be hungrier—I would probably end up eating a whole extra meal just because of the time change. What if I ended up eating two breakfasts? I could always just not eat the protein bar I had stashed in my purse; that could make up for it… Shit, the mere thought of my protein bar made me want it. I wasn’t hungry, but I ate it, and then felt simultaneously terrible that I had caved and relieved that it couldn’t taunt me anymore.

I watched movies on the in-flight TV. The first meal came, and I ate the dinner roll, with butter. In the bathroom, I lifted up my shirt and studied my stomach. I’m still okay, I thought. If I don’t eat all of the breakfast meal, I’ll be okay.

I ate all of the breakfast meal.

By the time I had landed in Dublin and found my hostel, almost all of the shops were closed. I ended up getting Subway, because I still remembered how many calories were in my favourite sandwich. I ate it in the restaurant and thought about how many meals I had eaten that day—too many.

It’s okay, I told myself. If I just have a light breakfast tomorrow, I’ll be okay.

I did not have a light breakfast.

So here’s a thing about hostels—they’re cheap. And guess which food macro is the cheapest? That’s right: carbs! My hostel in Dublin offered several breakfast food choices: corn flakes, Muesli, and toast.

I avoided it for as long as I could. I thought of buying eggs from the shop next door and cooking them, but a quick tour of the hostel kitchen ruled that out—it smelled like garbage and there were flies crawling on all of the dishes.

I walked into the dining hall and surveyed my fellow travellers, eyeing their sugar-topped cornflakes and white bread with Nutella disdainfully. I resolved myself to have one bowl of Muesli with milk and a cup of tea. That would be okay. But after that I was still hungry, so I poured myself another bowl.

Fuck, I thought as soon as I sat back down. I really fucked that up, didn’t I? God dammit. Well, if I just eat this last bowl, I’ll be okay—I can still save this.

And then that thing happened. My heart started racing, and my brain was filled with two opposite sentiments: hey, when in Rome! You’re in Europe! Enjoy the food! and Fuck fuck FUCK you fucking failure, what the hell are you doing?

So what the fuck do you do then?

Well, you get another bowl. And another. And the whole time though your brain is screaming at you to stop, for the love of all that’s holy, STOP but you keep getting up, you keep pouring yourself bowl after bowl, and when you realize how spectacularly you’ve fucked up you just and pour yourself some cornflakes, too, with sugar, and make yourself some toast with Nutella, because if you’ve already failed so badly what’s 500, 1000, 2000 more calories anyways?  The whole time you try to be casual about it, you hope no one notices, but you’re sure they do.

By the time I met up with my travel buddies I was so full I could barely move. And it only got worse from there.

Now, I’m not going to relive every time I binged in Europe—that wouldn’t be very interesting, because every time kind of looks like that. Every binge starts with me hating myself for eating, and every one ends with me in pain, short of breath, and promising myself that that this will be the last time.  

I won’t relive every binge, but I will tell you about a few of the worst ones.

In London, I stayed with an acquaintance who I had met through a mutual friend, and who had graciously invited me to stay with her. While I was there she went to work as normal, and I filled my days with sightseeing in the big city. She also very kindly gave me permission to eat whatever was in her cupboards—a nice, normal thing to do. But for me, it was terrifying.  

One day I got home before she did. I decided to have a snack—peanut butter on toast. The peanut butter was good, and slightly different from the stuff we have in Canada. Peanut butter has always been one of the things I am most afraid of—delicious and high calorie, it was one of my favourite binge foods. I had banned it from my house, and even got mad when my partner bought it solely for himself. Consequently, I hadn’t eaten peanut butter in a very long time.

So, I had another piece of toast. And another. And then I didn’t even bother toasting the bread. And then I started eating it by the spoon.

I paced the kitchen, spoon in hand, horrified at myself. Why was I doing this? This wasn’t even my fucking food. Surely my friend would notice how much of her peanut butter I had eaten. It was a smallish jar, and it had been almost full when I started.

And still, it taunted me from the cupboard. My mouth watered. She wouldn’t notice one more spoonful missing, would she?

It took me just over an hour to consume the entire jar, and it was one of the worst hours of my life. I felt sad, sick, out of control, and guilty. At a certain point I decided the only way to fix what I had done was to finish the peanut butter altogether and buy another, identical jar to replace the one I had stuffed myself on.

I still remember lying on Kaitlin’s bed after it was over in the fetal position, in pain, clutching my stomach, yet feeling almost victorious. I had eaten it all. I had replaced the jar. She wouldn’t know what I had done and now I felt so sick and awful that I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt I would never, ever, binge again: this was the low point. The fever dream was over now; I could see clearly at last, and I would be better now.

In case you haven’t guessed it already, that’s not what happened.

Another version of this story: I’m staying with relatives in Holland. They’re distant cousins, all removed and various degrees of separated from me, but they’re some of the most welcoming and hospitable people I’ve ever met. One day they leave me alone in the house. In a daze I rummage through their drawers for food, stuffing myself on cheese, meat, cookies, chocolate, sprinkles—anything I can get my hands on. I pace the house, berating myself but unable to stop. I’m out of breath so I lie down and think this is it; it’s over; I’m done, but that lasts five minutes before I get up and eat another cookie. When they get home I wait for them to say something—to make some surprised comment at how half their food is missing—but it never comes.

Another version: I’m staying on a farm in rural Ireland. They eat mostly bread and potatoes, and I should be grateful that they’re feeding me but all I can think about is how much I hate that the nice old Irish grandma making my dinner insists on making up my plate herself. She sets it in front of me and I feel bile rise in my throat. After dinner they take me to a gathering with a few of their friends and I eat the meat and cheese and bread they’ve laid out until I feel like I might puke. In the bathroom I lift my shirt and stare at my stomach—to my eyes it looks distended, bloated, horrific.

Another: I’m walking through downtown Brussels with an American girl I met at my hostel, eating from a mixed bag of chocolates. I laugh about how I don’t even care that it’s my breakfast, lunch, and dinner but I feel panic rising in my throat, and because I don’t know what else to do or how to stop myself I eat the whole bag.

I’m sitting on the back steps of a hostel in Amsterdam. An Australian boy is sitting beside me, waxing poetic about British Columbia and its wonderful natural beauty, and I’m eating my fifth peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The calories are all I can think about.

I’m in the train station in Berlin, trying to find something to eat for breakfast. I get candy and cookies and eat them while I wait for my train. By the time I get on board I feel like I’m bursting out of my clothes; I give the remainder to the girls sitting beside me and silently congratulate myself for not finishing the bag.

I’m in a cat café in Prague. The cats aren’t very social but there are free snacks; I keep making passes by the table to grab fistfuls of peanuts and cookies before returning to the cats. I play with them as best as I can and try not to cry.

I hold out until an hour later, when I board the bus to Munich.

When I check into my hostel later that day, the boy at the counter looks at me with concern. I don’t quite know what I looked like then, but it couldn’t have been great after five solid hours of crying on a bus.

“Do you need anything?” he asks uncertainly as he hands me my room key. A few sad tears leak out of the corners of my eyes and I shake my head. As I walk away to the elevator, I wonder if he thinks something terrible has happened to me.

I make it to my room, but just barely: as soon as I shut the door everything I’ve been holding inside my chest spills out and I’m sobbing with all my heart, gasping, clutching my face with my hands. Somehow, I manage to call my mom, and she answers.

“What’s wrong?” she asks.

“I can’t do it,” I say between sobs. “I thought I could do this, but I can’t. This is so much worse than I thought—I’m so much worse—and I don’t know what to do now.”

“That’s okay,” she says. “You don’t have to—you can come home.”

“I can’t,” I say, thinking of the hotel I booked on a small Greek island and my return flight from Rome that doesn’t leave for another four weeks. Oh god. Four more weeks of this? It seems like an eternity, and the thought fills me with a deep, aching exhaustion I can feel in my bones.

“Don’t think about money,” my mom says. “If you need to come home, you need to come home.”

When I finally make the decision to cut my trip short, it’s the best I’ve felt in weeks. I find the cheapest—and soonest—flight back to Canada that I can, and book it before I can second-guess the decision. My hostel is noisy and uncomfortable so I check into a hotel for the last two days of my time in Munich.

Those two days are filled with more anxiety, more binges, and more pacing around my hotel room. Eventually I find my way to the airport and board my flight home.

I wish I could say that when I got back I was instantly better—that being back in a familiar environment with people I loved somehow fixed me. I wish I could say that, after some reflection, I realized that the good memories of my trip outweighed the bad, and I didn’t regret going.

The truth is, I shouldn’t have gone to Europe. Two years later, the memories are still painful, and even though there were some good times and cool experiences, what I remember more than anything else is my obsession with food. Thinking about it, fearing it, and bingeing till I couldn’t move or breath and I hated myself more than anything.

At the same time, that trip was a wake-up call. Would I have realized the extent of my eating disorder if I hadn’t gone? Or would I have just kept going—kept counting every calorie, measuring every spoonful, spending hours every day working out on an empty stomach until I couldn’t take it anymore and binged again, only to redouble my efforts to restrict in the morning.

I don’t know. But I think I’m glad things happened the way they did. The most valuable thing to come out of my experience was the realization that I wasn’t okay. The things I thought were simply character flaws ran much, much deeper, and it just wasn’t possible to grit my teeth and will myself better.

My journey back from that hostel room in Munich didn’t end when I got off the plane in Canada. Two years later, I’m still working to repair my relationship with food and my body and to figure out how to deal with my anxiety.

I haven’t shared this story too freely, because I think a big part of me is still ashamed. Not just because I bought into the toxic attitudes towards food and our bodies that society pushes on us every day, but because part of me still buys into them. Part of me still thinks my life would be better if I was thinner, even though I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that that’s not the case. This belief is the product of decades of messages telling me that the only way to be valuable is to be thin; decades of people all around me repeating this simple truth ad nauseum. Not always with their words, but with their actions, spurred on by their own self-hatred; their own attempts to strive for nonexistent ideals.

This is what I am trying to unlearn.

I haven’t weighed myself in years, but I’m pretty sure I’m back to where I started. It’s hard to make peace with that, especially now that I know what it feels like to be thinner, like I’ve wanted to be since I was eight. Every time I have to buy clothes in a bigger size I panic, and all the old feelings come up again—if I just eat less, if I just exercise more, if I just…

But if I did those things, I know I wouldn’t be happy in the long run. Whatever satisfaction I got from being thinner was hollow. Sure, it made me feel better about myself in the short term, but it was more like a fleeting ego boost than any genuine increase in self-esteem. Because no matter how smug I felt about losing weight, my sense of satisfaction was always, always coupled with fear. More more than anything, I was absolutely terrified that I would slip and lose control and gain everything back. That terror drove me to restrict, and it drove me to binge. I don’t want to be in that place again.

I don’t count calories anymore, nor do I restrict or over exercise, and I haven’t binged in a long time. I finally enjoy eating out at restaurants again, and panic doesn’t grip me when my coworkers bring treats to work. That didn’t happen overnight, and some days are still hard. But you know what? I think that’s okay.

Truthfully, I’m afraid to share this. I’m afraid that you will judge me, or think less of me, or maybe that you won’t even believe me. But maybe someone will see themselves in my story. To you I say: please know that you are not a failure. Please know that it is okay to ask for help. And if you want, I’d love to talk.

[devereuxxo-blog]

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In two months The brand new hair shaft will start to emerge once the telogen phase is total. The procedure results in typical hair loss often known as shedding. Growth inhibitors and Diseases[edit] As we described, DHT is connected to hair loss and male pattern baldness, and saw palmetto performs to dam Your system’s generation of DHT. https://www.pinterest.com/healthhomeremedies/steptoremedies/ ’s also made use of as an herbal solution for an enlarged prostate and to boost Guys’s sexual intercourse drives. Tips on how to use: You can utilize amla juice with coconut oil or amla oil for your head therapeutic massage. You may as well include some amla powder inside of a hair mask. Just after viewing product or service detail web pages, look below to search out a straightforward technique to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Chemical treatments, use of heat appliances and vigorous styling can actually influence the hair root, producing hair loss (which might not have transpired or else). So hold them for Specific instances only. Shopping for the best hair loss shampoo for men and women may be tricky. With a lot of marketing ploys and Bogus statements, it could be tough to convey to which goods are truly productive and which of them are basically a fraud. " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB1IExS4Kp0 assumed I am going to never ever have healthy and thick hair. I did not experience with my hair graft.. I got precisely the same effects, for less than a cup of coffee! I look and feel fantastic!" The greatest motive Adult men reduce hair is due to follicle DHT-sensitivity, and ketoconazole is established to beat this. This helps make the layer of pores and skin deliver molecular indicators into the hair follicles- causing quick hair growth. Stem cell therapy for hair would be the most efficient therapy for hair growth. Ebook an appointment at Labelle clinics in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Vizag and Vijayawada for undergoing stem cell therapy. If you want superior-high quality models, we’ve place jointly a listing of the best hair loss and regrowth shampoos for men that work, setting up with Ultrax Labs Hair Surge. These anti-hair loss and stimulating shampoos are analyzed to obtain favourable effects, and proceed to consistently rank among the ideal-rated products and solutions available in the market. Take a look at our guideline beneath to seek out testimonials of the best shampoos for thinning hair and balding Adult males! I don’t at any time go away responses on posts, but This really is unbelievably properly penned. I do content marketing for any living, And that i’m Tremendous impressed. Thanks for the great information Hi there pals I would want to share my knowledge in this article concerning the onion juice. I'm 39 yr aged, 3 to four years back again I started off dealing with hair falling and dull hair so I began applying coconut oil everyday nonetheless it didnt assistance me Substantially, Afterwards my hair stated turning white and followed by dropping it. I had been greatly concerned about it. I couldnt afford transplanting hair that time so i did study on Web and I stumbled on onion juice. I used it on my scalp for 2 times and retained overnight but it had been really not comfortable to sleep so i started it implementing in the morning on my scalp and kept it for half an hour or so then i would wash it with water no shampoo or no cleaning soap i used i didnt even therapeutic massage my hair Considerably because it could break so I might pour 3 to four mug of lukeworm drinking water drinking water on my head. I did this activity for approximately 6 to 8 months pretty frequently. It labored properly. Rapid impact was it cured my Persistent dandruf trouble in just two times my hair turned thoroughly even though combing. Every little thing you have to know about the best shampoos for hair loss Hair loss in both men and women may range between mild and insignificant to serious. I have an entire head of hair but am Virtually 23 and need to try to keep my hair as entire and thick as possible for as long as achievable. I had been heading to get started on using a single of such shampoo’s pre-emptively do you think that this would be a good idea?

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And vitamin C is a robust antioxidant, and it helps to remove hair harming free of charge radicals which have been produced normally inside our bodies. But as we age, their selection keeps on growing. This treatment method functions by building little puncture wounds inside the dealt with region. When done correctly, the wounds should trigger no pain or scarring; however, they however initiate the healing procedure. Mobile differentiation takes place throughout the hair growth system at The bottom of your hair follicle (in the Dermal Papilla (DP)). You may or may not know that The main reason DHT leads to the hair follicle miniaturization procedure is as the DHT leads to an immune reaction in opposition to the particular hair follicles in regions of the scalp which might be genetically predisposed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-vFharetTU ended up addressed with CsA for 6 hrs, and a microarray Evaluation was taken. These were being the effects: mix of necessary oils, carrier oils, and cleaning brokers to attain the outcome you’re on the lookout for. I remember how it feels. Experience helpless that I was little by little going bald and there was practically nothing I could do about this. The transplant method might be damaged into two measures. First, hair-bearing skin is removed from an area of the scalp often known as the ‘donor site’. 2nd, the donor skin and hair is then grafted on to the ‘recipient web page’. Similarly, in the event you use limited variations on a daily basis, it will eventually place a pressure on the hair roots, producing hair loss Eventually. I’ve experimented with quite a few matter’s but I'm nonetheless not able to control hair loss today I am making use of peppermint oil and Dermaroller Healthline shares 5 tricks to keep your locks healthful and powerful in the course of menopause, when hormonal imbalances usually result in hair loss. Over time, by getting rid of the things which damage your micro organism and including in things which boost balanced bacterial growth your microbiome will go back to its normal, nutritious state furnishing The body with every one of the involved well being Rewards. Men and women generally have difficulties distinguishing alterations in mood due to consumption of foodstuff sorts, this is solely a consequence of being from touch with the body and may enhance when you carry out additional ways shown in our hair loss training course. I've menopause now my hair is thining and possess bald sopts any ideas for a home cure thanks.

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Even the so-named natural shampoos may not support. This is because the natural detergents in them have a tendency to possess a bigger pH, While our scalp incorporates a reduced pH (all-around 4. Adding some drops of such oils on your oil treatments, masks, and shampoo is a great way to offer your scalp an additional boost. Check out introducing 5 drops of 1 of these beneficial oils: Lavender This medication goes by the title Avodart. It is used for the treatment of BPH also called enlarged prostate. However, you'll find numerous end users using it for your off label reason of dealing with hair loss. Try to remember the five alpha reductase we talked about that Propecia blocks? Maintain the Hairline gives thorough coverage on the newest tested and possible hair loss treatments. Our internet pages are up to date on a quarterly basis, delivering you Together with the freshest data and cutting-edge solutions. "This informative article assisted me see what I necessary to do to get started on acquiring my hair back again to growing. I noticed in the final handful of weeks my hair was starting to return from the entrance. I have been building smoothies with the different types of points inside the posting."..." more VS Viki Sharma Healthcare industry experts must distinguish hair loss from breakage on the hair shaft from hair loss on account of decreased hair growth. Apple cider vinegar is Employed in a complete gamut of house solutions offering something for everyone. Together with curing... In case you Totally have to dye your hair, try a natural henna dye, which can in fact nourish your hair in lieu of harming it. I signify, it seems pretty noticeable, quick, and easy, so I’m likely to try it. Y’all should consider it. Also I set my nickname at college as my title bc I have a tendency to get incredibly angry extremely very easily so my close friends gave me that identify. Curry leaves are a standard cooking component for individuals native to India’s subtropical and tropical regions. The curry leaves are... Find out how having a vitamin D deficiency can add to hair loss and what you can do to maintain healthful vitamin D ranges in Your whole body. Vegans and vegetarians normally eat a lot less protein than meat eaters, because you will find much less protein-hefty selections. When you’re vegan or vegetarian, spend close notice in your protein ingestion to ensure that you’re finding as much as you require. Simply because caffeine can counteract the damaging results of testosterone that bring on male pattern baldness, we suggest you buy a shampoo solution which contains caffeine to Increase the wellbeing within your hair and scalp. This step is optional: I do like to utilize a herbal tea rinse to condition and incorporate glow. In addition it helps you to tackle the smell.

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These tablets block conversion of testosterone to DHT. Concurrently, these tablets nourish hair follicles creating hair sturdy and prevent hair fall. You should allow me to know if you have some other sickness or irregular symptoms. In any other case, this is definitely managed with our wedel capsules. Shea Moisture is actually a nicely-acknowledged brand from the organics elegance care sector. The corporation is most effective recognized for making African black cleaning soap that assists with quite a few ailments like acne. This shampoo from the brand names stays genuine on the natural branding. There's also an absence of knowledge about regardless of whether biotin is productive for hair growth in nutritious people. So I got the aloe Vera juice, and only immediately after getting again dwelling did I understand you'll find preservatives in it. It's sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate. In addition it has some sorbitol. Find out how getting a vitamin D deficiency can add to hair loss and what you are able to do to take care of wholesome vitamin D ranges in Your system. Of course egg is a wonderful cleanser. But use not more than once per week. In-concerning you can use a herbal tea or shikakai shampoo to freshen your hair. As being the identify suggests, this hair growth shampoo is made of the main component as soya protein and is ideal for conditioning in the hair as well as the scalp. The Human System Quiz can assist you understand your little-acknowledged human body areas! Get this quiz to learn more about your system and what goes on inside of. Vitamin A also aids pores and skin glands make an oily substance called sebum. Sebum moisturizes the scalp and assists hold hair healthy (2). Looking at one's loved ones may give an individual at very best an informed guess about how they will convert out. Studies are ongoing in this discipline, and latest study has become inconclusive with regard to the inheritance patterns. Synthetic or synthetic hair implantation process is executed by capable and seasoned physicians working with hair implant gadgets. To find out about the method, cost, and side effects of artificial hair implant goto Practo Treatment-Wiki. You can't constantly avert hair loss in men, however, you can find out more regarding how to reduce or avoid hair loss. Look into seventeen of the best fixes and… Will not self-diagnose or deal with by yourself according to the knowledge presented in these content articles. We further assert, please find clinical tips and do not disregard healthcare information, or discontinue healthcare treatment by relying upon the data delivered on this Web site. External inbound links to movies along with other Web-sites furnished Here's purely for information reasons and Practo will not warrant or promise the precision, genuineness, trustworthiness of such back links/websites. Why we like it: Scientifically demonstrated anti-hair loss system suited to both Guys and women. It may possibly lessen hair loss by approximately 60 percent!

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Have you at any time seasoned your hair falling off like autumn leaves or turning gray overnight? Effectively, I've. I had been undertaking all the proper things such as consuming healthful, doing exercises, but Swiftly I'd a deluge of hair fall. Just like most medication, you will discover Unwanted side effects. Make sure to discuss with your doctor about Propecia to see whether it is best for you. Propecia can not be utilized by women of childbearing prospective since the drug can result in start defects. Also, it will not be productive in older women. A more robust drug In this particular identical class is Avodart (dutasteride). Within this section the epidermal cells lining the follicle channel go on to grow as usual and should accumulate around the base in the hair, quickly anchoring it in place and preserving the hair for its natural objective without having taxing the body's assets desired through the growth period. Whilst the Mix doesn’t incorporate biotin, we propose you take a biotin complement to even more boost the consequences of this shampoo. Caffeine isn’t only excellent for any early morning boost. Hair loss shampoos that incorporate caffeine happen to be shown to lengthen hair shafts and enrich hair follicle production, especially in males. Pregnancy is one particular illustration of the type of Bodily pressure that could potentially cause hair loss (that and hormones). Pregnancy-associated hair loss is found more typically immediately after your child has been sent as an alternative to actually in the course of pregnancy. “Giving beginning is pretty traumatic,” says Dr. https://twitter.com/steptoremedies/ . All informed, Manatebolism’s Hair Growth Vitamins consist of thirteen vitamins, all of which add to hair growth and strength by, amid other factors, stimulating blood stream to the scalp. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hair_loss are highly useful for faster hair growth simply because they are packed with protein and likewise incorporate iron, sulfur, phosphorus, zinc, and selenium. You should utilize an egg hair mask no less than once a month. One of the most long-lasting solution for whoever has lost or are losing their hair is hair transplants. Follicles are harvested from the back of The top and seeded into bald regions. Approaches have vastly enhanced and no longer do these seem like bogus “plugs”. In the Sanford-Burnham Health care Research Institute, they showed that stem cells derived from human pores and skin to grow hair when grafted on to the pores and skin of mice. A paper describing this exploration, which was posted on January twenty first 2015 can be found listed here in the PLOS 1 healthcare journal. Dr. Alexey, a member with the analysis crew produced the next prepared assertion: “Our stem cell strategy gives a vast supply of cells from your client for transplantation and isn’t confined by the availability of existing hair follicles. https://www.facebook.com/steptoremedies/ am ninety five% vegetarian and occasionally eat some meat. So I get my quota of protein and iron from Tremendous healthy and super yummy lentil (dals) and beans, which I largely sprout. Hair Rush is a successful, Secure way to treat hair loss and addresses the basis results in of hair loss. It will cause no side effects while strengthening and nourishing hair from inside follicles. more info from stepto remedies revitalizes dull strands whilst strengthening and supporting follicles, hair and scalp well being. Great for All those looking to repair service weakened hair and help fight hair loss, this shampoo is usually a guaranteed winner. Just discovered this website. Have browse some great Details. Might be hoping the new oils. I've bad hair problems from more than twenty years or chemical compounds. Many thanks for the data.

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If you believe your hair thinning or balding stems from poor treatment, then Pure Biology might help reduce more hair loss and stimulate balanced growth. It does not involve ketoconazole, in contrast to the massive three version, not less than In keeping with its list of components. For hair transplant clinics, That is the last word intention. Bald persons would make a mad sprint to their clinics to get their new heads of hair. Because more info of hair transplantation surgical procedure is the amount of hairs is often harvested with the back from the scalp ahead of it seems slender, stem cloning (the growing of dermal papilla cells) will remedy that trouble in totality. Join our mailing list and receive the most recent news about developments in hair loss avoidance know-how. We maintain our viewers updated on what is actually working, what is not, and what's around the horizon. Will the above-described hair loss products and solutions however function if the problem is by now serious? Also, very good to note that caffeine is sweet but drinking a lot of espresso won’t help. Although stories about hats choking off follicles or extensive hair pulling to the roots can be more folklore, repeat hair trauma like tightly woven hair pulled back and consistent friction can perhaps worsen or trigger localized hair loss in some people. Heat styling can fry your hair, rendering it brittle and weak, which, in turn, will hold it from growing extended and strong. Go get more info on very hot styling hair equipment, Except you need breakage and frizz leading to long-lasting problems your locks. We’d really like to hear your feedback regarding hair loss shampoos. We wish to hear what you think and we promise to respond promptly. Argan oil normally takes Heart phase With this shampoo, and this key ingredient is stuffed with vitamin E and fatty acids to market balanced hair and skin. Hi Ive generally experienced slender hair but about 15months ago I had toddler and started to note my hair was falling out now I’m trying to find a solution simply because my hair is basically thin now mostly on my appropriate aspect and in the again I’ve under no circumstances thought about how as being forced to locate the correct shampoo so I’m like not at all educated on this so do I just get these and use them and see if it works for me or what other I’m sorry if im not producing perception like in which do I start off Even though men and women frequently blame alopecia areata on "pressure," in truth, it could be the other way all-around; that is certainly, possessing alopecia could lead to anxiety. Equally concerns are simple adequate to reply. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-SiXXn3EKKI2t7btdwEplw ’ll find the key dissimilarities in a very facet-by-side comparison of each and every solution’s ingredients; Huge 3 contains ketoconazole, which the massive five does not, while the Big five provides natural substances for instance argan oil, and observed palmetto. ” A similar article also claims that it’s uncommon for women to stick to a male sample Until there is abnormal production of androgens in her physique. Their Natural Argan Oil Hair Loss Shampoo is really a trustworthy solution for males and women aiming to stay away from chemicals on their journey to preventing hair loss. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96gAQhEJ9lw for guys will for good alter the way you prevent slender strands.

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SM04554 inhibits the DKK-one protein, a protein that regulates cell overproduction from the Wnt pathway. Do not forget that these are the first indications that your system doesn’t perform effectively Using these foods, hair loss is usually a symptom that happens further more down the line, as a result of extended-time period autoimmune responses and inflammation. Use a hair mask each individual two months to situation and nourish the hair extensively. Frisk two egg whites with a little bit of lemon juice and use it with your hair. Generally, delayed allergic reactions are likely to speed up the hair loss procedure, And that's why it’s important to identify foods which can be producing it, if you'd like to quit any even further loss. Just before utilizing Minoxidil, while, take into account that positive effects will stop shortly following use ends. This is due to Minoxidil functions to only take care of the signs or symptoms; it doesn’t treat the actual trigger. Additionally, you might experience quite a few side effects, including: Hair transplantation. Hair transplantation involves the relocation of plugs of skin from areas of the scalp made up of active hair follicles to bald areas. Someone might have many hundred plugs -- implanted ten to sixty per session. The transplanted hair may perhaps fall out, but new hair ordinarily begins to grow within the transplanted follicles in a number of months. Observing new hairs grow naturally together your hairline, experience the hair thicken, creating up with just the occasional hair over the pillow are incredibly motivating to carry on. Actually, even little (but quite distinct) adjustments to your eating plan and Way of living may have a huge effect on if you keep on to shed hair. As with most prescription drugs, you can find side effects. Make sure you talk to your medical doctor about Propecia to see if it is best for your needs. Propecia can not be employed by women of childbearing opportunity since the drug may cause beginning defects. Also, it may not be efficient in more mature women. https://en.search.wordpress.com/?src=organic&q=hair+growth Within this exact same course is Avodart (dutasteride). I’ve been exploring and writing about hair loss for a lot more than 5 decades now And that i’ve observed treatments appear and go, but these are the ones which have caught about. Chemical treatments, use of heat appliances and vigorous styling can in fact influence the hair root, resulting in hair loss (which might not have transpired if not). So hold them for Specific situations only. Tips on how to use: You can utilize amla juice with coconut oil or amla oil for a head therapeutic massage. You can also incorporate some amla powder within a hair mask. Probably via stepto remedies to read the full post about hair growth shampoos is the opportunity to tailor them to suit your precise needs. So, no matter if your scalp is oily, dry, or a combination, you could experiment to see what works greatest. Individuals have been claiming a ‘cure for hair loss’ are going to be available in ‘5 year’s time’ for so long as any one can don't forget.

[premimtimes]

Ask a random stranger from Enugu West senatorial constituency, you will likely hear of how their village had been without electricity a few years ago and how it is now fully electrified, or how it was impossible to access his village with his car but how the road there now is comparable to a road anywhere. You may also hear of how his widowed mum is being empowered with literacy and empowerment skills, or how his sister in school is on bursary. Ask who is behind it, the likely answer is Senator (Dr) Ike Ekweremadu.

Enugu West Senatorial zone is made up of five local government areas namely, Udi, Ezegu, Oji-River, Awgu and Aninri.

The people of the area are largely farmers who are known for their dedication, honesty and peaceful disposition. Perhaps, it is because of this their peaceful disposition that they were in the past neglected by past governments in the state and at federal government when it comes to distribution of public amenities like good roads, water good schools, etc.

But all that changed with the election of Senator Ekweremadu into the Nigerian Senate in 2003.

Prior to his coming, the people of the area had serious infrastructural challenges. Most parts of the area including his Mpu hometown had no motorable road. This was exacerbated by muddy, hilly and difficult terrain which made it a costly venture to embark on road construction in the area.

This affected the communities’ development drastically as the farmers could not move their goods out while other businesses found it hard to bring in goods. As a result the many people migrated out of the area leaving the area largely desolate.

However, Senator Ekweremadu has since demystified the road construction myth in the area as he has attracted numerous road projects to the five local governments in the zone which have opened up the zone.

A recent visit to the area shows that the area has been transformed by these projects which have been strategically spread to various parts of the zone according to the needs of the communities.

Roads and erosion control projects

In Aninri local government area alone, Mr Ekweremadu, who is presently the Deputy President of the Senate, has attracted over 15 projects to the local government area alone.

In Awgu local government, another fifteen of such projects have also been attracted by the Senator to the people of the area which has assuaged the road transport challenges of the area noted for its hilly and difficult topography.

Oji River have witnessed the citing of over 20 erosion or road projects by the Federal government courtesy of the Deputy Senate President while Udi and Ezeagu local government has over 12 and nine projects respectively.

An erosion control project by Ike Ekweremadu

Some of the major road projects are the Achi-Mmaku-Awgu- Mpu- Okpanku- Akaeze road. Akaeze is in Ivo local government area but because it shares a border with Mpu it was included in the road project.

Speaking on this project, Senator Ekweremadu recalled how the contractor first went and constructed a one kilometre road that pass by the senator’s house, thinking that would please the man.

“When the road was awarded the contractors thought they were going to please me so they went in front of my house and did one kilometer of asphalt road. I asked myself how do I get to that road because I have to do another 30 kilometers to this house, I said to them, I am not interested in this just do me the favour and remove that asphalt road go and start from the beginning, I would wait. I insisted and they went and removed it, people thought I was crazy, and they started the construction until they got everywhere,” he said.

A road constructed by Ike Ekweremadu

Another of such road is the Nenwe-Oduma-Uburu road. The road construction attracted by Senator Ekweremadu is the first time asphalt will be laid on the road.

Mr Jonathan Umahi in a reaction on the road has this to say, “the road was impassable in the past. It was so bad that you will have to take up to 5 hours to get to Enugu but today it takes just about 45 minutes. It has boosted activities in the area. We now earn meaningful income from our farm products as people come from all parts of the country to buy from us”

According to a resident of the area, Mr Obiora Obasi, prior to this time the people of the area had who were noted for their rice production prowess had a difficult time transporting their goods out.

“Senator Ekweremadu on a campaign visit to the area saw the suffering of the people first hand and wept. He swore that he must make sure the road is constructed even if that is the only project he will do”.

A road constructed by Ike Ekweremadu

“Today, the road has been completed. We cannot thank the Senator enough for what he has done. Now we can comfortably transport our rice to the market or to butyers anywhere in the country and this has increased our zeal to farm as we are sure to find the market for the products easily”, Mr Obasi stated.

Another of such project is the Ugwueme-Nenwe-Ezere-Mgbidi-Mmaku-Agwunta and Obeagu road. The road is in a difficult topography which made it almost impossible for road construction.

There are also the Ozalla-Agbani-Apugo, Amagunze road and the Nenwe-Nomeh-Mburumbu Nara road with a spur to Oduma.

A road constructed by Ike Ekweremadu

The road construction being carried out by IDC involved the breaking of a mountain into two in the middle to create the access road. Before the construction communities in the area resorted to taking motorcycle to the villages as there was no motorable road.

Water provision

Before the coming of Senator Ekweremadu, most communities in the senatorial district had no portable water. They relied on streams for their daily consumption and other water needs.

As a result the people suffered serious sicknesses from water born diseases. Senator Ekweremadu saddened by the situation worked hard to attract many water projects to the area from the Ministry of Water and other agencies of government. He laso has a comprehensive understanding and plan for it, as he explained.

“What we have done in Udi and Ezegu is to buy a rig machine to drill water for my people there because they have underground water. But we can’t say the same thing for Anniri and Owu and some of Oji-River but we need to provide for them.

“There is coal deposit underground that part so the implication is that you cannot get underground water no matter how you try so the alternative is to do dam for them. So, we brought about 3 dams going on in that area. One is at Ivonko that will service Anniri, I am sure if you go you can see the overhead tanks coming up and the dam is almost completed. Even though dam is constructed to provide water, irrigation, and power but my interest now is to provide a dam so that they will have access to water.

A water project

“Then we have one at Ungbo that will serve the people of Owu, Ungbo and environ so that has been fixed and completed but unfortunately we’ve not been able to recreate it due to budgetary constraint it’s not been put to use and also we intend to clean it up a deploy water there into people’s home. We have another one at Ugbo that will serve the other part of Owu local government and possible part of Oji-River. And so wit that we’ve covered our people with water provision.”

With this vision, later launched the Enugu West Water For All Programme which has supplied water many communities in the area.

Dr Luke Mgbo, from Udi local government and an Aide to Mr Ekweremadu said the procurement of a rig to dig boreholes made it easier and cheaper to provide water to more communities.

He said that this has led to a drastic reduction in the number of cases being recorded in hospitals as a result of water born diseases contacted from the people from disease ridden water.

The Ivo dam project attracted by the Deputy Senate project is another project that when completed will enhance the standard of living of the people of the area.

Another water project

The Ivo water Dam project will benefit communities in Aninri in Enugu state and Ivo local government in Ebonyi state. It wis expected to enhance agriculture in the area as it has irrigation facilities that will enable farmers farm all year long rather than the once a year farming they normally do.

Other projects

Senator Ekweremadu has also attracted the building of many school classrooms, ICT Centres and Libraries to different schools in the zone. The Highlight was getting the National Open University to open a centre in Awgu local government area.

There are also numerous Health Centres, five Youth Development Centre, one for each of the five local governments, supply of drugs to community health centres, building of town halls.

A library constructed by Ike Ekweremadu

In power, the Senator has donated numerous transformers to various communities in the zone to help energise such communities and replaced some damaged ones. Also many communities in the zone have also benefited from the solar power street lightening projects of the Senator.

Ekweremadu also has scholarship and bursary schemes aimed at helping indigent students in universities and tertiary institutions. A lot of them testify that without Senator Ekweremadu’s magnanimity they may not be able to complete their studies.

Aside supporting young students, Senator Ekweremadu had conceived a unique inclusion strategy for women with literacy challenges. He recruited school teachers in villages across the constituency to use their free hours to teach women basic literacy and numeracy, to help them integrate with the past moving society.

A school block constructed by Ike Ekweremadu

The programme has added so much value to the lives of these women and has attracted commendation for Senator Ekweremadu, with the state government indicating interest to replicate that.

In his Mpu community, Ekweremadu has another indelible project, this time a personal one; a magnificent church he donated as a serene place to worship by members of the community.

How he does it

In a system chockfull with stories of diverted or mismanaged constituency projects, Ekweremadu stands out as one who not only seeks for projects but one lawmaker that ensures that the projects are executed to the latter, and in the best form.

First, he goes all out through diplomacy and legislative lobbying to get the the projects into the budget, and then follow it up with ensuring the execution is well funded.

“If I want a water project, I do not need to wait for minister of water to come to my office, I go to his office and I follow up with him. When you take that time to go and see a minister, for instance, he would feel humbled and feel respected, he might even do something out of his way just to please you for the fact you have shown respect. It does not change anything I am still the deputy senate president, the fact that I came to see you as a minister has not changed anything”.

A bridge constructed by Ike Ekweremadu

Having achieved that, the deputy senate president follows up to ensure that contractors don’t sabotage or play with the execution.

“So because they know I don’t have any interest except in the completion of the project they take it seriously and they know what will happen if they don’t take it seriously. So I have cause sometimes to report to the police to arrest the contractors and stuff like that and get them back to come and complete the work.

“So the contractors have already known that am not going to ask for any money, am not going to ask for any cut, am not going to demand anything less than the completion of the project so they to work and do it. Because sometimes when you get the so-called cut, you reduce the amount of money available for the project, so most times the project will not be completed. So if you want to help your people, you’ll have to go all the way and make all the sacrifice to help.”

Enugu West has benefited a lot from the sagacity of the legislator and vast experienced which has transformed the zone with roads, bridges, electricity, schools, youth development centres and so many other life enhancing

Suffice it to say that Senator Ekweremadu to the people of Enugu West has surpassed all expectations; little wonder his people have elected him to the Senate on three occasions, and are still eager to keep him there. His constituents who are members of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, have also given him the ticket to contest next year’s general election and return to the Senate in 2019.

Ekweremadu’s indelible footprints in Enugu West Ask a random stranger from Enugu West senatorial constituency, you will likely hear of how their village had been without electricity a few years ago and how it is now fully electrified, or how it was impossible to access his village with his car but how the road there now is comparable to a road anywhere.

[dbamountaineer]

When we reached Hyden, the town where the famous Wave Rock and other tourist spots such as Hippo’s Yawn and Mulka’s Cave are located, my excitement heightened. Because of the same interesting tourist spots, the town became famous to visitors and guests, and being enjoyed with over hundred fifty thousand visitors every year.

Hippo’s Yawn 

Our first stop in Hyden was not far from Wave Rock. We stopped here to have a quick look of the famous rock called Hippo’s Yawn which said to be connected to Wave Rock. Many visitors are curious to see the rock as it is one of the tourist spot to enjoy in the area and a great place for photo souvenir. The name of the rock derived as it is because the rock shape shows its resemblance to the yawning hippopotamus.

Hippo’s Yawn

After a short visit at Hippo’s Yawn, the next destination of our group was for our lunch. We arrived at the Wildflower Shoppe and Wave Rock Cafe where it consist of many establishments inside of it, all of businesses inside are related to tourism. Its location is just at the other side of Wave Rock Road and incorporates the Wave Rock Visitor Centre, Cafe and Country Kitchen, Wildlife Park, Wildflower and Souvenir Shoppe, Lace Place, and Tours and Airport Booking Office.

Along Wave Rock Road

Wildflower Shoppe Cafe

Our group had pre booked lunch at Country Kitchen where we had a buffet lunch. During lunch, I was able to mingle with other tourists. When I was done with my lunch, I explored the place and found lots of interesting stuff inside it. The shops inside sells different kinds of unique things as souvenirs and gifts.

Model T Ford (1919)

One of the noticeable displays seen inside the Wildflower Shoppe & Wave Rock Cafe is a vintage car that is Model T Ford (1919). The classic vehicle became a great spot for visitors photo souvenir shot where I had one for myself.

Model T Ford (1919)

Wave Rock Wildlife Park

The entrance of Wave Rock Wildlife Park is in Wildflower Shoppe, I explored it after lunch time. I thought its just like a mini-zoo, but the park is three hectares of natural bush land which nice haven for the native and exotic animals. During the visit, I found an interesting creatures that I haven’t seen by my naked eyes before.

At the Entrance to the Wildlife Park

Bobtail Lizard (Tiliqua rugosa)

I found a little creature called bobtail lizard, while exploring the park and it’s not inside of any fence. I had a chance to see it up close and its like wildlife animal enjoying its freedom. This Tiliqua rugosa which is another name of it is also known as shinglebacks, stumpy tails, pinecone lizards and boggi.

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Bobtail Lizard

Some of the animals that I was able to capture with my camera in Wildlife Park were black swan, sulphur-crested cockatoos and wombat.

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Black Swan

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Sulphur-crested Cockatoos

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Wombat

Hyden Rock

After visiting the Wildlife Park, we returned to our bus to visit Hyden Rock where the Wave Rock can be found. The drive towards the rock was just few minutes from Wildflower Shoppe since it’s just around the corner. We reached the parking lot and then we walked towards Hyden Rock. I was really excited at that time because I knew for myself that in few minutes I will be able to reach and see the main feature of the tour which is the Wave Rock. During the visit in the area, I was able to do Wave Rock Walk and Hyden Rock Walk.

At Parking

Wave Rock Walk

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Information Board

Looking towards the parking

Looking towards the Wave Rock

Wave Rock

The Wave Rock Walk starts from the parking lot up to the Wave Rock itself. Wave Rock is a natural rock formation, a granite cliff with 15 meters high and 110 meters longs with a shape of tall breaking ocean wave. Its shaped has been caused by weathering and water erosion which have undercut the base and left the rounded overhang. It has cultural significance to one of the aboriginal people called Ballardong, and they believed to be created by rainbow serpent (often seen as creator god in aboriginal religions in Australia) when it dragged its swollen body after consuming all the water in the land.

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Wave Rock

After enjoying the Wave Rock, I had a chance to trek the Hyden Rock following the Hyden Rock Walking Trail which gave me a chance to see more about the rock and its surrounding areas from the top. I enjoyed my time and took a lot of photos including the Lake Magic from a distance and other chain of salt lakes.

Hyden Rock Walk

Walking Trail Towards the top of Hyden Rock

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Hyden Dam – are now used as backup to the town water supply

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Chain of salt lakes

Lake Magic and The Humps

Some information learned about the said lake are its clear salty water and the its base is made of gypsum which also used as fertilizer. The lake is just 1 km distance from Wave Rock.

From a distance, I had seen what they used to call The Humps where Mulka’s Cave can be found and also features walking trails similar to Hyden Rock.

Lake Magic (at the middle) and The Humps (hill from a distance)

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Some parts of Hyden Rocks

Low stone walls above Hyden Rock was built in 1928 to channel water to Hyden Dam, up on the outcrop.

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Catchment Walls

Farms

The Humps and Mulka’s Cave

After spending time in Wave Rock, the next destination we visited is what they call “The Humps” which is another similar large granite outcrops exist just 16km distance. It is the location where Mulka’s Cave is located. And the details of the legend of Mulka are displayed.

Old Salmon Gums

The Legend of Mulka

The legend of Mulka has major regional importance. Different aspects focus on different parts of Noongar culture, but the story that follows contains the key elements of the myth:

Mulka was the fruit of love between man and woman with forbidden marriage. He was born with crossed eyes that hinders him to become successful hunter. Because of this, he turned to eat children that caused his community to condemn him. Then, he lived in Mulka’s Cave. He even killed his own mother whom really worried about him. Aboriginal people hunt him down until he was caught in Dumbleyung. They left his body for the ants – a punishment for those who break the law.

“Mulka was the illegitimate son of a woman who fell in love with a man to whom marriage was forbidden. As a result, Mulka was born with crossed eyes. Even though he grew-up to be outstanding man of colossal height, his crossed eyes prevented him from aiming a spear accurately and becoming a successful hunter.

Out of frustration Mulka turned to catching and eating human children, and he became the terror of the district. He lived in Mulka’s Cave, where the impressions of his hands can still be seen much higher than those of an ordinary man.

His mother became increasingly concerned with Mulka, and when she scolded him for his anti-social behaviour, he turned on his own mother and killed her. This disgraced him even more and he fled the cave, heading south.

Aboriginal people were outraged by Mulka’s behaviour and set out to track down the man who had flouted all the rules. They finally caught him near Dumbleyung, 156 km south west of Hyden. Becaue he did not deserve a proper ritual burial, they left his body for the ants – a grim warning to those who break the law”

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Mulka’s Cave

To Mulka’s Cave

Mulka’s Cave

The Art Work of Mulka’s Cave

Below are the excerpt that I got from the information board that I had chance to capture.

Mulka’s Cave contains the largest collection of Aboriginal paintings in the south-west of Western Australia. Hand stencils and other motifs occur quite commonly in the region, but while most other sites have fewer than 20 there are over 450 at Mulka’s Cave. This is a clear indication of the significance of the site and the associated myths that connect the areas from the desert of the coast.

Most of the artwork takes the form of hand stencils. These are made by placing the hand on the rock then blowing over with pigment. When the hand is removed a negative impression remains. The reason for making hand stencils are many, but principally they are a form of signature left by those who had rights to an area.

When the cave was studied through mapping and recording, they were able to summarize the result:

A Summary Of The Artwork In The Cave

1. Total of 452 motifs were recorded – front chamber has 131, main chamber has 318 and rear shelter has 3

2. Eighteen distinct motif types plotted, 69% of total (313 in all)

3. Solid sprayed areas are another feature, while other motifs are small simple graphics.

4. Left hand outnumbered right hand with a ration of 3:2

5. Four different techniques were recorded, with stenciling dominating (86%)

6. Printing for 8%, painting for 5%, and drawing for 1%

7. Seven colors were recorded, purple-red for 50%, white for 25%, orange-red  for 10% and the remaining being divided  between brown red , yellow, cream and orange.

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The Art Work of Mulka’s Cave

Before we finally return to Perth, along Lovering Road near Lake Gounter Nature Reserve before reaching the town center of Hyden we did stop along the way to checkout some wildflowers which only blossom during spring season. And there we found lots of pigface flowers or carpobrotus. The other name used for this flower are ice plant, sour fig, and hottentot fig.

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Pigface (Carpobrotus)

Spending time in Hyden for me was a well worth one. There are other places that I haven’t seen due to time limit that we had. I suggest to spend at least whole day in the town to appreciate it more.

Until then.

Notes : 1. Plan to visit Hyden ? Please check latest information here. 2. Location : Hyden, Western Australia, Australia 3. Directions to the town of Hyden: Transportation : a. Join Day Tours from Perth or b. Drive towards Hyden WA 6359, Australia Official Website : Hyden , Wave Rock

  Hyden – Home of Spectacular Wave Rock When we reached Hyden, the town where the famous Wave Rock and other tourist spots such as Hippo's Yawn and Mulka's Cave are located, my excitement heightened.