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[chasingshhadows]

Advice for writing about small towns

So I come from a small (midwestern) town. And I mean - an actual small town (less than 1,500 population). I’ve lived in towns of under 500 population, and in towns of about 2,500 population, and in towns of 15k population, and in cities of 100k, and currently in a 700k city. 

So here’s some things about small towns you might not know if you’ve never lived in one:

If it’s got a population higher than 30 thousand, it’s not a small town. It’s just a town. Hell, I’d probably argue that if it has a population higher than 10 thousand it’s not small town, but I’m being generous. However the people in towns 30k--50k probably think they’re in a small town (they’re not).

The experience is vastly different depending on how far you are from a small-large city. And by that I mean - the people are vastly different. 

Are you less than 60min drive to a city of 80k+ population? the people are probably less likely to be farmers, more likely to work in said small-large city and commute (which doesn’t mean that everyone commutes or that no one is a farmer). The people probably lean slightly to the right of the closest city, but aren’t necessarily staunch conservatives. The town sizes probably bottom out around 2k min. 

Are you more than 2hrs drive from a city of 80k+ population? The town is more self-sufficient. Most work within their small town or a nearby small town. Depending on the terrain, more people are farmers. They’re probably mostly conservative, both socially and fiscally. The town sizes could be as small as 300 people.

The farther from the city, the more likely to be conservative, more likely to be farmers (depending on the terrain).

Population 15k+:

This town probably has a (singular) hospital, several doctor’s offices, probably a dozen department stores - and if it’s rural enough, probably a couple kinds of hardware/diy type stores (lowe’s, menard’s, home depot etc.)

There are several options for vets and at least one emergency vet 

1-2 dozen hotels

If it’s got anything touristy, double the hotels (2-3 dozen) - touristy being water, especially large lakes, hiking trails, fesitvals, nearby ski resort - any thing that would draw people there on vacation, even if it’s only people from that region 

Also add a “down town” area - boutiques, nice restaurants, probably a theatre

It has at least 4 options of elementary schools, and 3 options each for middle and high schools. It might have a community college (but probably not). There are private or charter options, specifically for religious students

There are multiple denominations of churches (catholic, lutheran, baptist, episcopal etc). Depending on ethnic make-up, it may or may not have a synagogue. It probably won’t have a mosque.

If it’s in a rural-ish area (the closest towns are all smaller) it probably has some kind of shopping mall. If it’s the smaller town, it may not.

It’ll have several bars, probably clustered in a central location, with a few others a little farther out from that area. 

This town has a few coffee shops (3-10), but may or may not have an actual starbucks. At least one is a local place, at least one is a chain (starbucks, dunkin, biggby). 

People drive everywhere. There is a bus system, but only the “down town” area would have issues finding parking. Most businesses/hotels have their own parking lot.

Most people live in houses but there are a few (3-7) apartment complexes, most of which are several buildings

There will be lots of restaurants, mostly chains or small mom & pop places, with at least a couple niceish options

This town might even have its own airport, but likely only serves regional flights to “nearby” larger towns/cities. Regional means like, less than 2hr flights, so that’s probably a bigger distance than you’d think.

There are dozens of gas stations and at least a dozen fast food places

Is it on a freeway? increase the gas stations, fast food places, department stores etc. 

This town probably has a rec-type center with a community pool and courts and what not. There are several options of gyms.

Population 10k ish:

May or may not have a hospital - if it does, it’s small. A few doctor’s offices, a couple of department stores, at least one hardware/diy type

A few vets, may or may not have an emergency vet

a dozen or so hotels. again - double that if it’s got smth that would attract people, especially water.

may or may not have a “down town” area

2-4 options at least of elementary, 2-3 options of middle and high school. No community college.

Still at least a few options of churches. Still might have a synagogue, still probably doesn’t have a mosque.

Probably doesn’t have a shopping mall, but might have a “business district - basically a few intersections with most of the stores, hotels, and restaurants.

Probably has at least two, maybe three coffee shops. At least one is a chain.

Probably doesn’t have its own bus system unless it’s near enough to a town of 15k+ or more - people drive everywhere. There’s plenty of parking.

Most people live in houses, but there are a couple of apartment complexes. Mostish of the houses have yards, but some might not.

A few options of restaurants, but maybe only 1-2 niceish places. A couple chain, a couple mom & pop. 

It would be strange for this town to have an airport. May have a landing strip at most, but unlikely.

There are probably half a dozen to a dozen gas stations. Several fast food places.

Is it on a freeway? increase the gas stations, fast food

This town might have a community rec center w/pool. Still a couple options of gyms.

Population 5k ish:

This town doesn’t have a hospital. It probably has 1-3 doctor’s offices. At least one department store

2-3 vets, likely no emergency vet

3-8 ish hotels or inns 

Might have a quaint but very small “down town” area

Likely only 2 options of schools, maybe only one high school. Possible to go to school with same people your whole life

2-3 options for churches. Probably doesn’t have a synagogue unless there’s a large Jewish population 

There’s no shopping mall of any kind, but probably has an area where most of the businesses are - at most 2-3 intersections worth

Probably has a coffee shop or two, but might not. Could be a chain or a local - but probably a local.

There’s no bus system unless it’s near enough to a town of 15k+. People drive everywhere.

Most everyone lives in houses. Most if not all have yards. There might be 1-2 apartment complexes but maybe not.

There are a few restaurants - mix of chain and mom & pop places. Might have a nice restaurant, but only one.

There’s no airport.

There are probably 2-6 gas stations, maybe 1-2 fast food. 

Is it on a free way? increase the gas stations and fast food.

Likely does not have its own rec center/pool, but probably has 1-2 options of gyms.

Population under 2k ish:

No hospital. Probably has one doctor’s office, but might not if it’s close enough to a larger “small” town. No department stores, but probably at least one, maybe 2 decent grocery stores. Could be a local chain or a mom & pop.

Probably has a vet’s office, but just one. 

1-2 inns/motels. If it’s an older town, it has like, a street that’s mostly made of older style buildings and is the “down town” - just a couple of blocks

Just one school system - elementary through high school. Everyone goes through the same school - you probably graduate with the same people you went to kindergarten with

1-2 churches. Probably no synagogue

There is probably a generalish area where the store/post office/school/etc is, but those are probably just as surrounded by homes and yards as everything else.

This town probably doesn’t have a coffee shop, and if it does, it’s local, not a chain.

There’s no bus system unless it’s close enough to a town of 15k+. People drive.

There might be an apartment complex. Everything else is houses. The houses pretty much all have some kind of yard.

There are probably two restaurants, probably both local. Nothing fancy. 

No airport.

Probably 2ish gas stations.

Is it on a free way? add a gas station and a fast food restaurant.

There’s no rec center (unless maybe an outdoor like, field type rec center), but still likely has at least one gym.

I could keep going down but I think you get the idea. If you’re writing about an actual town, do research on its population. If you’re making up a town, think about what size you need it to be to have the things you want (or don’t want). 

If your “small town” has more than one hospital, it’s not a small town. If it’s got a population above 10k, there is definitely more than one (and likely, many) hotels. 

Is it near decent-sized water (largeish lake, ocean)? People probably have vacation homes there. That increases property value and tourism. Even if it’s not a like, nationally-known vacation spot, people within 100-200 miles could likely make weekend trips there.

Is it the largest town within 75-100 miles, even if it’s under 20k? it’s probably got more department stores and other such industry bc it’s serving a population greater than its own. if there are other towns nearby of equal-to-larger size, it might need less of those things.

[terreisa]

Love Down the Line: Chapter 6

The last thing Indie musician Emma Swan needs is a gigantic wrench thrown in the workings of her biggest tour to date weeks before its launch.  When her backing guitarist that caused the problem says she has the perfect solution Emma is skeptical but left with little choice but to accept.  Unfortunately she isn't really prepared for said solution to be former Rock Star and leading man of Emma's teenage fantasies, Killian Jones.  With no other options and a month of performing across the country ahead of her Emma just hopes she doesn't come to regret letting Killian onto her stage and into her life.

Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5, AO3

~*CS*~

Chicago, May 15th

Emma could feel a headache starting to bloom at the base of her skull.  She hadn’t gotten enough sleep, which wasn’t unusual, and she’d only had the chance to drink one cup of coffee since the day started, which was.  To make matters worse the sound check had been going wrong since the beginning and she had been forced to play the first verse of Bite of Iron four times, never making it past the first line of the chorus before having to start again.

“Alright, Emma, let’s see if that fixed it.  Whenever you’re ready.”

She nodded, biting her cheek against the tirade she wanted to let loose.  Barely a minute in the sound tech interrupted her again.  Flexing her hands into fists over the keys of the piano she counted to ten, then did it backwards before speaking into her mike.

“Can we take a break?”

“Su-”

“They’ve almost got it, Emma.  Right gentleman?” Regina broke in from the side of the stage where she was standing with the others since they weren’t needed for the song.  She had barely looked up from her phone and was still typing away as she continued, “You do want it to sound right, don’t you?  Let them do their job and then you can move past this one.”

At Regina’s words something in Emma snapped.  She stood abruptly from her piano, a loud buzzing in her ears.  Someone, she wasn’t entirely sure who, started saying something to her but she barely heard what they were saying as she practically ran offstage.  All she wanted was to get a lungful of fresh air, anything to ease the clawing at her throat.

In her rush to find an exit that led outside she ended up getting turned around and completely confused as to where she was.  The clawing feeling had traveled down to her chest, compressing her lungs so it was getting hard for her to breathe.  Before she could lose her shit completely a warm hand wrapped around her wrist and tugged gently.

“Follow me, love.”

She let Killian lead her through the labyrinth like corridors, barely paying attention to the turns they were taking or the doors they were going through.  However, when they entered a stairwell she paused.

“Killian…”

He looked back at her, giving her an encouraging smile, “Trust me?”

It wasn’t even a question to her.  Somehow, in the month since they’d been thrown together he had become someone she trusted completely.  She nodded and his smile widened as he squeezed her hand and began their ascent.  Though she found she was distracted from their progress again at the sight of her hand in his, not to mention the way his jeans hugged his ass as he climbed.

All too quickly Killian opened a door that had sunshine streaming into the stairwell and the heat of the day rolling over them.  He had taken her to the roof of the auditorium.  It was dotted with air conditioning units and not much else but she noticed that it did have a pretty good view of the city that was sprawled out all around them.

“It’s not much but it’ll give you some time to yourself-” he held out a slim silver can that she hadn’t noticed before, “I hadn’t seen your ubiquitous starbucks cup today so I thought you might want this.  Come back down when you’re ready and don’t worry about Regina, I’ll handle it.”

Taking the can of coffee, the one that was on her rider for the days exactly like the one she’d been having, a brand that could only be found in the corner of Maine that Storybrooke inhabited and that Killian had clearly gone to the green room to get before finding her, she was suddenly overwhelmed in a different way than before.  No one, not even Mary Margaret and David had known exactly what she needed when things got overwhelming and provided it without question or needing an explanation.  He made to leave but she gripped his hand in hers, holding him in place.

“Stay?” She asked softly, “Please?”

His eyes searched hers before he seemed to find what he was looking for.  With a nod he walked them over to a small strip of shade provided by the stairwell housing and sat with his back against it.  Once he settled he patted the spot next to him, wordlessly inviting her to join him.

The surface of the roof was warm when she sat but not uncomfortably so.  There was a slight breeze, not enough to dry the sweat that was gathering at her temples but enough to break the heat of the day.  Emma could hear the traffic moving along and through the city, a not so unpleasant hum that matched the air conditioning units kicking on and off to make a bit of a song.  She felt herself smile at the thought of putting lyrics to the sounds and then snorted in amusement at the fact that it was easier to make up a song on the fly than to play one she’d intentionally written.

“Something funny, Swan?” Killian asked, his own voice laced with humor.

“Only if you’re me,” she said wryly, snapping open the coffee and drinking near half of it one one go.  She tipped her head back and stared up at the cloudless blue sky, “Did you know?”

“Hmm?  Know what?”

She kept her gaze trained upwards but could imagine his eyebrow ticked up in slight confusion and intrigue, “When you said to play Bite of Iron, did you know that I’d never played it live before?”

“Not once?” She shook her head and he gave a low hum, “No, love, I didn’t.  It is a beautiful song, it’s a shame the sound guys did it such an injustice.  No wonder you stormed off.”

For a moment she almost didn’t want to correct him.  There really was no reason to explain or even justify her behavior.  She was sure that he’d seen worse from others in the business, she’d seen it herself.  The thing was she wanted to tell him the truth of what had upset her.  It was like the words were pressing against her lips, ready to spill out into her lap.  Just as she made up her mind to go through with it, absolutely certain that he wouldn’t judge or condemn her, he began to speak.

“Everyone assumed Milah was the diva of the group and she could be, if the occasion called for it, as could I.  But Liam-” he chuckled and then sighed, “Liam never gave into theatrics but if things weren’t going exactly how he wanted it he could, and would, let his displeasure be known.  He once refused to board our tour bus one evening because the driver had decided to take a nap and got to the venue nearly an hour late.  We had to charter a plane to make it to our next stop on the tour because Liam’s obstinance caused an even bigger delay to our departure.  The label made him pay for the cost of the plane from his own pocket.  Served the git right.”

Emma sat completely still, entranced.  He hadn’t talked to her about Liam since Cincinnati and she’d noticed that he’d been writing in his notebooks more since then.  She had a feeling that maybe, just maybe, he was feeling the same push that she was to share the painful parts of his past.  To trust her with them.

“You miss him,” she said softly but surely.  It was easy to hear the longing in his voice.

“Aye, I miss them both.  It’ll be twelve years and I still expect Liam to come walking into my apartment calling me ‘little brother’ or I’ll wake and reach for Milah across the empty bed-” his hand clenched on his thigh before he sighed again, “There’s a constant ache in my chest for missing them.”

She didn’t know what to say, what he would want to hear.  There had been precious few people in her life that she felt that strongly about and she had never lost any of them.  Just thought of either of the Nolans or Ruby being taken from her as Killian’s brother and fiance had been had her breath backing up in her throat.

“This probably wasn’t what you had in mind when you escaped, was it?” he asked, nudging her shoulder with his. “Apologies.”

“Don’t,” she said quickly, grabbing onto the hand that was still clenched on his thigh. “You don’t need to apologize for talking about them.  I get the feeling you don’t do it very often.”

“That I don’t-” he unclenched his hand and she let hers settle in his open palm, her heart threatening to jump out of her chest as she did. “It was too hard at first, I’d lash out or dive deeper into the bottle, most times both, and then people just stopped asking.  Decent people that is, the gossip rags and paps are the soulless exception.

“Milah hated them from the start.  They followed her around more than the rest of us seeing as she was the lead singer and a beautiful woman to boot.  Once they got it in their minds we’d been romantically involved for longer than we had been they were relentless.”

Emma tried to hide her surprise at learning that nugget of information but with her hand in his he appeared to have felt it.  He grinned, his eyebrow raising in an unasked question.

“It’s just, uh, I thought that you guys were, um, high school sweethearts,” she meant to make it sound like a statement yet it came out like a question.

He laughed, a small but genuine thing, his free hand scratching at the back of his neck, “Our publicist spun it like that and we went along with it for interviews and such.  More romantic he liked to say.  Truth was even though we’d gone to the same secondary school she was in Liam and Robin’s year and I’d hardly spoken to her then.  It was only when they started playing together after they’d left that I got to know her.  She seemed so sophisticated and worldly to my scrawny teenage ass, even though she was only three years older than me and had never left our tiny village either.

“It wasn’t until during our first real tour that we gave into the attraction that’d been growing between us.  From then on it was like throwing a match at a puddle of petrol.  It was us against the crazy world we’d been thrust into and we thrived on it,” he said with a frown. “We partied a little too hard, fought a little too meanly, and were dependent on each other in ways I know now weren’t healthy.  I loved her deeply, I always will, and I know she loved me but sometimes I wonder if we would have made it had she lived.”

“I think…” Emma paused, wanting to get the words right and not completely destroy whatever it was that was growing between them at the same time, “You kinda seem like a guy that wouldn’t let something like that slip through your fingers.  The way you were talking about her just now?  I think you would have fought like hell to stay together.”

“I’d like to think so,” he said, ducking his head. “Liam would say the same thing when I voiced my doubts.  He’d been dead set against it at first and wasn’t too pleased with how we behaved most days but he always said he understood how much we loved each other.  Of course he also understood that we wrote some of our best songs once we got together.”

“Some of your best songs,” she said thoughtfully, drawn back to the reason she’d fled the stage, “You were right about Bite of Iron, you know.  When you suggested it I was trying to figure out why the set didn’t seem right.  The Boston crowd was so surprised when I started playing it.”

“It’s an exceptional song, Swan.”

“Yeah,” she said quietly. “Do you know what it’s about?  I mean, you’ve obviously listened to it a lot since you knew it would work out.”

The tips of his ears tinged pink, “I’ve listened to it a time or two.  It’s a love song is it not?  Or rather, a love lost song?”

She snorted, only half in amusement, “Something like that.  Everyone knows that I’m an orphan and all that jazz, I’ve never hid it and Regina says that it’s my ‘thing’.  You know, the thing that makes me unique.”

“Bollocks, you make yourself unique,” Killian said heatedly, squeezing her hand in emphasis, “Your songwriting, your playing, everything about you sets you apart from the chaff.”

It was her turn to blush, “I mean, obviously, but, you know, it’s Regina.”

“Aye, she’s not one prone to mincing her words,” he scoffed.

“No, but she has my back and knows how to bury things.  Like how I went to juvie and had a baby.”

Her attempt at nonchalance fell flat as Killian stiffened beside her.  She steeled herself, ready for him to pull away from her both physically and emotionally.  While she absolutely believed he wouldn’t think less of her or go to the press with the information she had no idea what his reaction could be.

“Did you- was it-” he huffed out a breath through his nose, clearly frustrated.  A muscle in his jaw was ticking but when he looked at her his gaze was soft, “I’m sorry that happened to you, love.”

The sincerity in his voice caught her off guard.  Coming from anyone else she would have brushed it off as a platitude or pitying.  Killian sounded like he was the one who had caused it all and was apologizing for it.  She felt a glowing warmth expanding inside her, giving her the courage to continue.

“I didn’t do it, in case you were wondering.  I was young, stupid, and in love, not the greatest combination-” she deadpanned, shrugging one shoulder.  Taking a deep breath she forged on, “I had just turned seventeen and was on my own since I’d had the bright idea of running away from the Nolan’s.  I don’t even remember why now, probably some fucking teenage angst or something.  Doesn’t matter.  So I met this guy, Neal.  And he was older and knew how to survive on the streets and he got me.  Just… understood all the shit I’d gone through with the whole orphan thing and didn’t judge me for it.  We had this whole outlaw life, living in the back of this car I’m pretty sure was stolen, sneaking into motel rooms when people checked out for a few hours, and stealing but only food.  Well, I thought it was only the food.

“A few months after we got together he comes up to me in a panic, telling me how the cops are after him because of some watches he’d stolen and left at the bus depot and how he’s gotta go to Canada and I couldn’t go with him-” she gave Killian a rueful smile, “You probably know how well that went over.”

“Like a lead balloon I’m guessing,” he murmured with a somewhat pained chuckle.

“Yeah,” she sighed, “So I come up with this brilliant plan, yeah?  Why don’t I go get the watches?  Prove to him that he needed me and obviously the cops wouldn’t be looking for a teenage girl, right?  He just lit up when I told him, said I was a genius and gave me the key to the locker he’d stashed the watches in.  It worked, I got those damn watches.

“When I got back to where Neal was hiding out he gave me some song and dance about fencing the watches to get the money we need to go to Canada.  How I couldn’t go with him because the guy he had to deal with doesn’t like strangers or whatever.  Before he leaves, though, he gives me one of the watches, a giant clunky thing covered in diamonds that was worth a hell of a lot more than anything I had ever owned in my life.  He tells me-” she scoffs and scowls at the memory, “tells me he doesn’t want me to be late for when we were supposed to meet back up.  I swallowed every word, spent the whole day dreaming up all sorts of plans of what our life was going to be like in Canada while I waited for it to be the time we’d agreed on.  I wasn’t late but neither were the cops who’d been tipped off that I’d be there holding stolen property.  The fucking, lying, sneaky asshole had left a couple of the watches in my backpack along with the one he’d put on my wrist.  Got a year in juvie for being his goddamn scapegoat.”

“But you were innocent,” Killian spluttered, moving to stand until she grabbed his arm and forced him to stay next to her.

“Which is part of the reason why I went to juvie instead of prison,” she said calmly, even though she was amazed he was indignant on her behalf. “They couldn’t prove I had anything to do with actually stealing the watches, just that I had some of them on me.  The other part was being closer to seventeen than eighteen.  Another month older and I think they would have tried me as an adult.”

“They caught him at least?  This Neal?” Killian spat out the name, his lips curling back in disdain.

“I don’t know and I don’t really care anymore,” she answered honestly.

He nodded as if it made sense before lowering his eyes and asking hesitantly, “And the… erm… the babe?”

She sighed and felt as if she had dredged it up from deep in her soul.  Her hand was still on Killian’s arm and he placed his other on hers, squeezing her fingers gently.  Somehow she knew if she said she didn’t want to talk about it he’d understand and wouldn’t push and that more than anything gave her the courage to keep going.

“I found out I was pregnant about a month into my sentence and the first person to congratulate me was a guard passing by my cell.  I think that more than anything made me realize how much I’d fucked up.  The next time I had phone privileges I called Mary Margaret and David.  Back then I told myself that it was because they were the only number I had memorized but I think deep down I knew they wouldn’t judge me or just brush me off as a runaway they had no obligation to help anymore.  Mary Margaret took the next flight out to Phoenix and David came a few days later.  It was the first time I’d ever felt really, truly loved.  They could only stay for a week but we became a family in that week.”

She could feel her throat tightening but kept talking, “The Nolans were there for me the whole time, as much as they could be with their jobs and the group home.  They even said they would help me raise the baby, if that’s what I wanted.  I couldn’t do it though, I wasn’t ready to be a mom.”

“Swan-”

“Did you know that they handcuff you to the bed when you’re in custody of the state and in labor?” She plowed on, determined to finish, “Like I’d make a run for it while a human being came tearing out of me.  The cuffs were steel but it doesn’t sound as poetic.  I didn’t even hold him.  I knew I wouldn’t let him go if I did.”

She had managed to keep the tears that had gathered in her eyes from falling until that moment.  It was something she’d only admitted once before, to Mary Margaret on her son’s first birthday.  Before she could think to wipe the tears away Killian was doing so with a warm and gentle touch.

“You’re incredibly brave, Emma, did you know that?” He asked, his voice full of awe.

“I wasn’t ready to be a mom,” she repeated shakily, “I knew that giving him up was the best thing for the both of us.”

“Would you want to find him?  Now?”

She shook her head before his questions were finished, “I already did, or a private investigator did.  He’s happy with his adopted family, he’s got a brother and friends and a good life.  He doesn’t need me coming in and making a mess of it.”

“You wouldn’t make a mess of it,” Killian said vehemently.

“Yeah, I would,” she said patiently.  She gave him a sad smile, “Let’s for a second forget the fact that we’re sitting on the roof of a venue that in six hours will have forty-five hundred people waiting to hear me play.  Just the fact that his birth mom would come out of nowhere and decide to insert herself into his life is bad enough.  With all this shit on top of it?  No, he’s happy and that’s all I need to know.  If someday he decides to find me then I’ll be ready to be a part of his life, but only when he’s ready not before.

“Anyway-” she plowed on, “playing Bite of Iron brings all that shit up again.  It’s why I’ve never put it in the lineup before.”

“And then my ignorant ass goes and pushes you to do just that,” Killian spat out bitterly.

He pulled his arm out from under hers but she immediately grabbed his hand, unwilling to part with the comfort his touch had given her.

“It was more like a gentle nudge,” she said teasingly, glad to see his mouth tick up for a moment in amusement.  She sobered, “I wouldn’t have put it in if I didn’t want to play it.  It’s been eleven years and I can’t heal or whatever if I keep it all bottled up inside.  It actually hasn’t been that bad, playing it every night, today was just… a little too much with the constant interruptions and then having to half play it over and over.”

“Well, your diva fit was well justified, I’d say.”

She surprised herself with a burst of laughter.  Killian was clearly trying to lighten the mood, she could still see tension in the way he held his shoulders and the slight furrow of his brow, but he was making the effort for her.  The glowing warmth from earlier expanded and morphed into butterflies.  Leaning into him she pressed a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth.

“Thank you, for helping me escape.”

Killian looked dumbfounded, his mouth dropped open in surprise.  She grinned at his stupor.  Rising to her feet she felt like she could play Bite of Iron twenty times in a row if he was the one listening, watching her with that same soft look on his face.  Just as she was about to say as much or something even more ridiculously sappy the door leading to the roof opened.

“Oh, thank God, you are up here!” Tink breathed out as soon as she caught sight of them, sounding immensely relieved. “Regina’s either going to murder you or make you pay out of pocket for the time she says you’ve wasted.  Why haven’t you answered your phone?”

“I-” Emma patted her back pocket and winced when she hit nothing but her ass, “Shit, I think I left it on the piano.”

“Do not tell Regina that,” Tink said horrified. “Tell her it died or spontaneously combusted or whatever, anything that will keep her from blowing another gasket.  She’s already muttering about breach of contract.”

“It’s only a breach of contract if I don’t play tonight, not the goddamn soundcheck from hell,” she rolled her eyes.

Killian stood and Emma winced again as Tink’s eyes widened as she noticed him.  Tink turned her bewildered gaze to her and Emma knew she would be facing a full inquisition at some point.  Not wanting to give away anything more than she already had she avoided both Tink and Killian’s gazes as she marched to the door.

“Come on, let’s get Regina’s tantrum and the rest of soundcheck out of the way and then go find some deep dish pizza.  My treat.”

As she stepped back into the air conditioned stairwell she breathed a sigh of relief that Tink had interrupted them when she did.  She wasn’t entirely sure she was ready for whatever leap she’d just taken when it came to Killian.  She also wasn’t entirely sure she shouldn’t have leaped further.

[stephanieg16]

I don’t even know where to begin.

I got a DM from @taylornation on Twitter last week asking me for my birthday and location, obviously I responded right away. They replied and said I was invited to a secret Taylor Swift NOW event in NYC. I was actually freaking out. Like freaking out is an understatement. I invited my cousin @ramonkey8 who is from Massachusetts to be my plus one. All week long we were trying to think of what this secret event could be. Secret session? Private concert? Taping of something?

Fast forward to Sunday. We are parking to go the pop up shop when we get the email with more details. We were in line to go into the pop up shop for so long (but it was worth it) and couldn’t stop thinking of what the next day would be. Before heading home for the day, we drove by our pick up spot. Literally an abandoned building in a not busy area. Sketchy.

On Monday at 5:00 we drive past the place and there was a ton of security outside and a few charter busses. We went to Starbucks first so I can eat beforehand. At 5:45 we went to the spot again. We had to give our names before heading inside, where we waited on a line to check in. We checked in and got our wristbands then went through security. By this time it was a little after 7:00 and we got on the bus. The bus was a huge dance party in itself! 

We went to where the pop up shop was but the party was upstairs. We were told it was a screening of exclusive, never before seen Taylor Swift NOW content, which was one of the things I was thinking. We checked in at the party to connect our wristbands with our information. The room was so cool. There were neon sign lyrics everywhere, gorgeous flowers and a ton of candles. There was a candy bar and a cookie dough bar (and an alcohol bar but I’m under 21). We took some pictures at different set ups around the room and got our spots for the 8:30 screening.

We watched the Making of a Song for “I Did Something Bad” which was so cool. We watched an extended video of the secret sessions and also an extended of the “New Year’s Day” Scandal performance.

Then @taylorswift walks in.

Literal glasses dropping and shattering. Boxes of candy fall to the ground. People are hysterical crying. She gave a speech which I honestly don’t really remember because I was freaking out, but I have a video.

My wristband was green, and green went first to meet her. So blah blah, freaking out while we were waiting. We gave all of our stuff to the workers because we couldn’t bring anything in the area to meet her.

I walked in and we gave each other the biggest hug. I said, “I always thought I would meet you eventually but I never thought I would actually meet you” And I don’t remember what she said but we ended up high fiving and it was the BEST high five ever. So hard and so accurate. I said my cousin is here from Boston and I am from New Jersey and we talked about my cousin’s accent (I got drunk and made fun of the way you talk lol). We took our picture and on the way out my cousin said we are planning where we will see her on tour and Taylor said “I am SO excited for tour!!”

I sat down on one of the couches to just like, I don’t know, take it all in? Rachel went to get water then called me over to meet her parents who were next to the bar. Her parents were SO nice! We danced with Andrea to her line in ‘nice things’ and of course Scott gave us guitar pics!

On our way out a little after 11:00, we got a Rep gift bag with a pop socket, snake key chain (with “New York” on the back), tshirt, hat, and sticker. We also got a Taylor Swift NOW gift bag with a glass water bottle, notebook and cluth, all personalized with the TSNOW logos.

So cool!!

To Taylor-

I forgot to say a few things when we met. First of all, my name is Stephanie which I completely forgot to say. And second, my birthday is on Thursday, and this was the best gift I could ever have experienced. Thank you so much!

[kevingbakeruk]

2018 Tour Announcement: Travel With Me To Kamchatka, Russia!

Kamchatka Adventure Travel & Photography Tour

Adventure Travel Tours

You guys have been asking to travel with me for years, now I’m finally going to make it happen! Join me this spring for my first adventure travel & photography tour to Kamchatka.

Have you ever heard of Kamchatka, Russia? Not many people have. It’s cold. It’s isolated. It’s not your typical travel destination.

Which is exactly why it’s the perfect place for us to go!

My wife Anna & I will be co-leading our first adventure travel & photography tour, an extraordinary expedition to the remote Russian peninsula of Kamchatka near Siberia.

Kamchatka is home to unspoiled nature, thick boreal forests, huge volcanos, hardly any people, and very few roads. This is a truly off-the-beaten path travel destination.

We’ll be venturing into rugged Russian wilderness, traveling hundreds of miles by snowmobile, to live with indigenous Even reindeer herders while learning about their way of life.

Reindeer Herding in Russia

Living Off the Land

Nomadic Reindeer Herding

For the Even people, life revolves around the nomadic herding of domesticated reindeer for meat, supplemented with hunting, fishing and animal-trapping.

Along with their Eastern Orthodox faith, they also practice Shamanism.

Nomadic reindeer herding is a tradition that goes back centuries, but it’s also a dying profession. Younger generations are no longer interested in following the footsteps of their parents.

If older generations can’t pass their knowledge on, the practice could die along with them.

Which is why our trip to live with and learn from the Even people in Kamchatka will be an especially unique travel experience.

Eat Traditional Food

Traveling by Snowmobile

A Difficult Journey

This isn’t your typical group tour. Conditions will difficult. It will be cold. Life in North Eastern Russia is harsh. We’ll be camping in the wilderness some nights, living in yurts, and traveling by snowmobile for days.

There are no supermarkets out here. No Starbucks. No luxury hotels. We’ll be living off fresh reindeer meat, just like our hosts do. So… this trip probably isn’t for everyone.

This is the real deal — true off-the-grid adventure travel. However if you’re the type of traveler who’s always up for a challenge (like me!), I promise it will be one hell of a journey!

A rugged travel expedition unlike anything else you’ve probably done before, one you’ll be sharing stories about with family & friends for years to come.

Live with Local People

One of Kamchatka’s Volcanoes

Trip Highlights

Traveling by 4×4 bus and snowmobile to reach the Even reindeer herders. Local homestay experience with locals in a mixture of cabins and yurts. Winter wilderness camping. Bartering for reindeer meat.

Watching, participating, and photographing daily life of the Even people. Getting to know a foreign culture.

Visiting natural hot-springs. Photographing active volcanoes from a distance. For those who want to, we may charter a helicopter for a scenic flight over a volcano.

Adventure On the Edge of Siberia

Practice Your Travel Photography

Travel Photography Tips

While you don’t need to be interested in travel photography to join us, I will certainly be sharing all my favorite travel photography tips & tricks during our adventure together.

Learn how I prepare my gear, which settings I use, how to tell a story with your photography, and special post-processing techniques to make your images really stand out.

Whether you’re packing a DSLR or a point & shoot camera, I’ll try to teach you something new and help you improve your travel photography to get the best images possible from our adventure!

When Is It?

March 18th – 31st, 2018

How Much Does It Cost?

$2,900 USD

What’s Included: Food, accommodation, camping gear, local transportation, snowmobiles, and most activities during the tour.

What’s Not Included: International flights to and from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia. Cold weather clothing. A possible scenic helicopter flight over local volcanoes. You’ll also be required to have your own travel insurance (I recommend World Nomads).

Join Us In Kamchatka!

If you really want to get into the heart of a destination, meet local people, experience traditional culture, and explore a remote wilderness destination that doesn’t see much tourism, than this is the trip for you.

I’d love to have you join us on this wild adventure travel expedition into the Russian wilderness! Click below for more details about the itinerary and sign up before all the spots are filled up…

Click Here To Sign Up!

Bonus Video! Kamchatka Experience

READ MORE TRAVEL TIPS

What’s In My Backpack? Travel Gear Guide Things To Do In Trinidad, Cuba My Favorite GoPro Accessories For Travel

Have any questions about the Kamchatka tour? Would you be interested in more trips like this? Drop me a message in the comments below!

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

from Tips For Traveling https://expertvagabond.com/kamchatka-tour/

[biofunmy]

US advises no travel to China, where virus deaths top 200

BEIJING — The U.S. advised against all travel to China as the number of cases of a worrying new virus spiked more than tenfold in a week, including the highest death toll in a 24-hour period reported Friday.

The virus has infected almost 10,000 people globally in just two months, a worrying sign of its spread among people that prompted the World Health Organization to declare the outbreak a global emergency.

The State Department’s travel advisory told Americans currently in China to consider departing using commercial means, and requested that all non-essential U.S. government personnel defer travel in light of the virus.

China as of Friday morning counted 9,692 confirmed cases with a death toll of 213, including 43 new fatalities. The vast majority of the cases have been in Hubei province and its provincial capital, Wuhan, where the first illnesses were detected in December. No deaths have been reported outside China.

The National Health Commission reported 596 cases have been “cured and discharged from hospital.” WHO noted most people who got the illness had milder cases, though 20% experienced severe symptoms. Symptoms of the new coronavirus include fever and cough and in severe cases, shortness of breath and pneumonia.

Meanwhile, China’s foreign ministry said it will send charter flights to bring home residents of Hubei from overseas. It gave few details, but said those from Hubei and especially Wuhan would be sent directly back as soon as possible in light of the “practical difficulties” they were encountering.

China has placed more than 50 million people in the region under virtual quarantine, while foreign countries, companies and airlines have cut back severely on travel to China and quarantined those who recently passed through Wuhan. The virus is believed to have a two-week incubation period, during which those infected can pass on the illness even if they show no symptoms such as fever and cough.

Since China informed WHO about the new virus in late December, 18 countries have reported cases, as scientists race to understand how exactly the virus is spreading and how severe it is.

Experts say there is significant evidence the virus is spreading among people in China and WHO noted with its emergency declaration Thursday it was especially concerned that some cases abroad also involved human-to-human transmission. It defines an international emergency as an “extraordinary event” that constitutes a risk to other countries and requires a coordinated international response.

“The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China but because of what is happening in other countries,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Geneva. “Our greatest concern is the potential for this virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems which are ill-prepared to deal with it.

“This declaration is not a vote of non-confidence in China,” he said. “On the contrary, WHO continues to have the confidence in China’s capacity to control the outbreak.”

A declaration of a global emergency typically brings greater money and resources, but may also prompt nervous governments to restrict travel and trade to affected countries. The announcement also imposes more disease reporting requirements on countries.

On Friday, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing said it was authorizing the departure of family members and all non-emergency U.S. government employees from Beijing and the consulates in the cities of Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Shenyang. Staff from the Wuhan consulate departed earlier this week.

The decision was made “out of an abundance of caution related to logistical disruptions stemming from restricted transportation and availability of appropriate health care related to the novel coronavirus,” the embassy said.

The level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory is the highest grade of warning.

Mike Wester, a businessman in Beijing who has lived in China for 19 years, said he has no plans to leave.

“I feel safer self-quarantining myself here at home than I do risking travel,” said Wester.

He pointed to potential risks from crowds at airports and being required to remove a mask for passport and security checks.

Speaking by Skype from Utah, Kelly Flanagan, 36, a school counselor in China since 2011, said she is planning to stay out of China as she watches the virus spread.

“This is probably going to be awhile,” said Flanagan, who said her Type 1 diabetes added to her health concerns. From the U.S. she is working remotely with her students to help them pass English proficiency exams.

Japan and Germany also advised against non-essential travel and Britain did as well, except for Hong Kong and Macao.

Tedros said WHO was not recommending limiting travel or trade to China, where transport links have shut down in places and businesses including Starbucks and McDonald’s temporarily closing hundreds of shops.

“There is no reason for measures that unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade,” he said. He added that Chinese President Xi Jinping had committed to help stop the spread of the virus beyond its borders.

China’s U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun said Thursday evening in New York that “we are still at a very critical stage in fighting the coronavirus” but stressed that the epidemic is still mainly confined to China and urged the international community against any overreaction.

He said China appreciated “the friendly gesture made by the international community” in providing medical equipment, and “what are needed urgently,” especially in Hubei province, are masks and other protective medical supplies including glasses.

Although scientists expect to see limited transmission of the virus between people with close contact, like within families, the instances of spread to people who may have had less exposure to the virus is worrying.

In Japan, a tour guide and bus driver became infected after escorting two tour groups from Wuhan. In Germany, five employees of German auto parts supplier Webasto became ill after a Chinese colleague visited. The woman had shown no symptoms of the virus until her flight back to China.

“That’s the kind of transmission chain that we don’t want to see,” said Marion Koopmans, an infectious diseases specialist at Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands and a member of WHO’s emergency committee.

On Friday, Thailand said a taxi driver became its first case of person-to-person spread. The Southeast Asian country, a popular travel destination for Chinese, has counted 19 cases in all.

The new virus has now infected more people in China than were sickened there during the 2002-2003 outbreak of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, a cousin of the new virus. Both are from the coronavirus family, which also includes those that can cause the common cold.

———

Associated Press writers Joe McDonald and Sam McNeil in Beijing, Maria Cheng in London, Jamey Keaten in Geneva, Edith Lederer at the United Nations, Elaine Ganley in Paris, Frank Jordans in Berlin and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.

Sahred From Source link Health

from WordPress http://bit.ly/38SQ57g via IFTTT

[kansascityhappenings]

Wuhan coronavirus death toll rises to 54 as healthcare workers say medical supplies are running out

https://newsource-embed-prd.ns.cnn.com/videos/newsource-video-embed.js

WUHAN, China — The death toll from the Wuhan coronavirus in China continues rising as authorities and health care workers struggle to contain the outbreak.

Fifty-four people have been killed by the novel coronavirus in China, health officials said on Saturday. Over 1,700 confirmed cases have been reported across the country.

China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported that 237 patients are in critical condition.

Healthcare workers in the Chinese city of Wuhan say hospitals are running low on supplies as they treat an increasing number of patients.

The Chinese central government announced it would send more than 1,200 health workers — as well as 135 People’s Liberation Army medical personnel — to the city in an unprecedented effort to contain the spread of the virus.

Lunar New Year celebrations — the country’s most important holiday — have been greatly impacted in Beijing, Hong Kong and other major cities due to the virus. Nearly 60 million people are under partial lockdown in the province of Hubei.

While most confirmed cases of the virus are in China, more countries around the world, including France, Australia and the United States are reporting their first cases. They are among 13 places outside mainland China where the virus has been confirmed.

In Wuhan, ground zero for the virus, four healthcare workers — including doctors — have told CNN of the difficulties facing medical crews on the ground. They have asked to remain anonymous to avoid repercussions.

Through telephone conversations with CNN and posts on Chinese social media, they told of low hospital resources. In private groups online, those identified as hospital staff are coordinating with members of the public to import protective equipment as they treat an increasing number of infected patients.

“In terms of resources, the whole of Wuhan is lacking,” one Wuhan-based healthcare worker told CNN by phone. This person said they were looking for more protective clothing, protective goggles and masks.

“It’s really like we’re going into battle stripped to the waist,” one healthcare worker added, using a Chinese idiom that equates to “going into battle without armor”.

One hospital staff member claims healthcare workers have resorted to wearing diapers to work so as to avoid having to remove their HAZMAT suits, which they say are in short supply. A doctor on her Chinese social media Weibo page described similar accounts at another Wuhan hospital.

“My family members are definitely worried about me, but I still have to work,” another doctor told. But she said that she is hopeful they will ultimately get the gear they need. “Our bosses, our hospital suppliers will definitely find a way to get these stocks to us,” she added.

It’s not clear if these accounts are anecdotal or whether there are widespread shortages across Wuhan.

Chinese state media has also shared posts from multiple Wuhan hospitals in which they ask for public donations of medical supplies. They report that one hospital staff member said the current supplies “are only able to sustain three or four days”.

The Wuhan Health Commission has requisitioned over 10,000 beds from 24 hospitals to be used in the treatment of confirmed and suspected cases.

On Friday, Wuhan officials acknowledged that local hospitals were struggling to accommodate people seeking medical attention and said measures were being put into place to alleviate the situation.

State media also reported that the city aims to build a 25,000 square meter (269,100 square foot) new facility within a week, increasing hospital capacity by 1,000 beds, and that several medical centers in Hubei province are asking for medical gear donations.

Locking down the virus over Lunar New Year

Authorities have imposed indefinite restrictions on public transport and travel.

All motor vehicles will be banned in Wuhan’s city center starting Sunday to control the flow of people, according to the Wuhan Command Center, the taskforce set up to combat the virus. Only vehicles with special permits, free shuttles and government vehicles will be allowed to circulate.

Amid the lockdown, countries like the US and France have been attempting to evacuate their citizens from the central Chinese city.

The US government is arranging a charter flight to evacuate American diplomats and citizens from Wuhan, a US official with knowledge of the matter told CNN.

The French government says it’s planning to set up a bus service to move French nationals out of Wuhan.

Meanwhile, 56 Indian students have been trapped in Wuhan for three days, with some afraid to leave their dorm room and fearful of running out of food.

Ganesan Deepshikha, a student at the Wuhan University School Of Medicine, told CNN that the students have been told by the Indian Embassy that they are safe in Wuhan but have not received any assistance.

The virus, which was first discovered in Wuhan in December, has spread to every province in China, except the remote autonomous region of Tibet.

Among those infected is a 2-year-old girl in the southern region of Guangxi, the local health authority said. She is believed to be the youngest patient infected.

The week-long Lunar New Year holiday, which began Saturday, has led to concerns that the outbreak could quickly accelerate, as hundreds of millions of people travel across the country to visit friends and relatives.

Lunar New Year is to China what the Christmas-New Year holiday period is to the United States — except China’s 1.4 billion population is more than four times that of the US.

In many cities, festivities have been called off. Authorities in Beijing have canceled all large-scale Lunar New Year celebrations, including traditional fairs and celebrations around temples.

Shanghai Disneyland has temporarily closed its doors. Seven blockbuster movies that were set to hit theaters this weekend have been canceled or postponed.

Businesses are also taking measures to protect staff and the public.

On Saturday, coffee giant Starbucks said it has closed all 90 of its Hubei stores indefinitely. The closures will continue throughout the Spring Festival, which runs until the end of January.

“All Starbucks stores and special star delivery in Hubei will be temporarily closed. Hubei employees are asked to rest at home, minimize going out, take care to protect themselves and their families. All store employees who were scheduled to work during the closing period will be paid as usual,” a statement from the company said.

A global concern

On Thursday, the World Health Organization (WHO) moved to declare the coronavirus an emergency within China — but refrained from classifying the outbreak as an epidemic of international concern.

Mounting evidence suggests the virus is spreading outside mainland China, however, with 13 countries and territories reporting confirmed cases, including the United States and France.

Australia confirmed that three men who traveled from China to Sydney had tested positive, health authorities in the city said. The country has now confirmed a total of four cases.

Nepal also confirmed its first case, a spokesman for the country’s Health Ministry told CNN. The patient is a 31-year-old Nepali man studying for his PhD in Wuhan, spokesman Mahendra Kumar Shrestha said. The student flew to Nepal earlier this month and was admitted to a hospital in Kathmandu on January 13 with fever and respiratory problems.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam announced that the Hong Kong Disease contingency plan has been upgraded from “serious” to “emergency” level. Schools in the Chinese territory will be suspended until February 17.

On Thursday, David Heymann, the chairman of a WHO committee gathering data on the outbreak, said the virus spreads more easily from person to person than previously thought. “We are now seeing second and third generation spread,” Heymann said.

Coronaviruses are transmitted by animals and people, and the Wuhan strain has been linked to a market in the city that was selling seafood and live animals, including wild species.

Third generation means that someone who became infected after handling animals at the market spreads the virus to someone else, who then spreads it to a third person. The announcement marks a development in the progress of the spread of the virus.

Heymann said there is no evidence at this point that the virus is airborne and could be spread across a room, as happens with the flu or measles.

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports https://fox4kc.com/2020/01/25/wuhan-coronavirus-death-toll-rises-to-54-as-healthcare-workers-say-medical-supplies-are-running-out/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2020/01/26/wuhan-coronavirus-death-toll-rises-to-54-as-healthcare-workers-say-medical-supplies-are-running-out/

[ploonets]

travel more with friends bc honestly they’re some of the best memories

like on a charter bus in the English countryside with my Shakespeare classmates I had so much fun just playing games and riddles or walking from the zoology picnic and joking about what quantities of Starbucks pink drinks are lethal or driving with friends to camping grounds and saying “tits out for ___” for everything

[ironsrobert]

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[krischarteris64-blog]

Starbucks, Eco-friendly Hill Strike Single.

Early morning sunshine streams through a redwood woodland in Muir Woods National Monument. These pair of Greater Swiss Mountain range Dogs, making up a double group, possess dog collar harnesses, along with the shaft between their legs. Depending on numbers, POGO Occasions might charter a bus coming from New York City to Seeker Hill. Teams stemmed from several histories, Experience racers, tri-athletes, endurance joggers, mountain range cyclists; the last matter saw journey racers nevertheless blazing a trail. While cruise lines as well as holiday package deals are great for lots of, I like to offer some insight to several of the lesser understood, yet just as outstanding spots the condition has to deliver, that you will not view on a boat trip. The most from these bungalows were constructed throughout Colonial times with the view from herbal Http://Beauty-On-You.Info tea real estates and mountain chains. The forms of universes, exactly how they arrange with each other, form collections and also incredibly bunches. But I failed to mind carrying some added body weight, I was just happy that it improved and our company can enjoy the perspectives. Veggie Mountain range spokeswoman Suzanne DuLong declined the pointer the company has offered short-shrift to criticisms regarding its bookkeeping strategies. Second, was the trading from the IOC flag along with Tokyo 2020, observed by Head of state of Japan masquerading themself as Super Mario Rather a moment. Traveling There are great deals of ranches around the United States where you can mess about for a couple of days, but Lone Mountain is actually the real deal. If you do not make this off the mountain eventually to travel over to Hyde you can consistently find the game at the Dry Spring Bar positioned on the 2nd flooring of the Mammoth Mountain Inn. Receive a Super Successfully Pass + for the exact same rate as a Super Elapsed (just with April 9, 2012). Right here you will certainly get rid of through 2 splendid days looking along with incredible 360-degree perspectives from the snow secured leadings above you as well as the glory of the scenes around you, that compose the Annapurna Refuge. The site of this particular retreat is the meaning of big mountain range snowboarding with a sound mixture from professional manages as well as bowls, saturates, glades, as well as agape groomers for amateurs. Within this empire from Gaia each one of us journeys up the religious mountain range from wisdom A few of our company obtain continued the other points of realizing. However merely carrying out fifteen mins from yoga exercise in the morning may launch an added improvement of endorphin that can easily give you a more positive overview to face the day with. For the primary in fresh-brewed taste along with merely a tiny extra step in between you as well as your wake-up potion, get whole beans and also grind them in a tiny mill right before you make all of them. If you are brand new to the suggestion from mountain bicycling ski retreats, and are certainly not an energetic skier, there are some fundamentals that will definitely produce you believe more pleasant giving this fantastic experience a try out.

[quadernetto]

Hong Kong & China August 2017 rough travelog

Mercoledì 16 agosto, arrivo.

On the Hong Kong Airport Express. La fila davanti alla mia, nice girl videochatting, making faces: sposta il volto, controlla, guarda, uno nel riquadro. Volto da bambola, eppure è una conversazione; riavvia i capelli, è solo un cenno. Parla, si specchia.

Arrivo at Hong Kong Island. Making my way through the crowd at the Hong Kong station, then Causeway Bay. Sera. Caldo, pensavo peggio, ma caldo.

This is the skinny bitch paradise. Little slender girls in flip flops all around: incarnati candidi oppure no e sono altrettanto belli. Le guardo quite old pig mode.

Sleep at Yesinn Causeway Bay. Fottuto ostello. Entrance is not convenient because of the stairs. Pretty one at the reception but totally not helpful, even with my lost baggages (una tragedia per il viaggiatore). Youngsters around -- mostly from the North of Europe I guess.

Victoria park is nearby... but there is a maze of tall buildings you really don't see around. Sistemo qualcosa nel mixed dorm, 21 beds! Che strano nelle foto mi pareva diverso. Un cazzo di unico bagno per tutta queste gente. Sono il vecchio fuori posto, forse sì, forse no, etc. mi annoia la conversazione con me stesso.

Fame. Mi fermo by mistake at a pizza pasta place, pissed off the owner ordering only a drink. Una coppietta di fianco, infilata di tavoli. The girl pushes the stool with my stuff away, slightly disgusted. Bevo me ne vado.

Took a stroll around Causeway Bay MTR. Now I see why I can't find anything - places are on floors higher than ground, so the formula is x/F. There are like 10 or more places as such.

Struggling to find a place which is OK for a light dinner. Bumped into Hesheeat or what, a girlish place with mostly desserts on the menu. Have a seat, then rush away, I need some proper food. Then I throw myself into a basic duck & pork shop. The owner waving to get me in. 53 Hong Kong dollars. Do you have chopsticks - help yourself. Silly question. A lemonade for drinking - weird choice for the locals.

Then I walk towards Wan Chai and Convention Center and back.

Toothbrushes in the shower - only one shower for a 21 beds dorm... hmmm.

J'ai bien dormi - o meglio sono crollato ma riprendendomi davvero fin verso le tre e mezzo, svegliato forse dal fuso o dal piss. Leggo organizzo, prima la guida poi Yu Hua, China in Ten Words. Scopro una finestra che dà sulla strada 10 piani più in basso, giusto dietro la mia testa. Un punto di fuga luce aperta nella notte. Soddisfazione. Nessuno russa.

Ricordi notturni, public sex in rifugio con S.; era un dorm, 10 posti? Il piano alto di un letto a castello, doppio! Le chiesi del libro, Claudel, rispose con perfetto contegno. Bonne nuit. Poi. Chissà come sarebbe qui magari nel dorm double bed dell'altro ostello di cui si dice da qualche parte.

Recupero altre tre ore di sonno fino alle nove.

Giovedì 17 agosto.

I caffè i locali sono gelidi, aria condizionata Middle East style. Cammino attraverso Wan Chai alla ricerca di CTS travel services, devo trovare il biglietto del bus per Shenzen.

Bancarelle negozi affacciati su strada e poi un mercato coperto. Pesce e carne all'aperto, lavoranti e no in abiti sozzi, maneggiano lame mezzelune guardano torvi persino i clienti forse macelleranno anche loro.

Ricordi di Bangkok: una città lurida, fascinosa e verticale (riprendilo scrivendo di workplace - non è solo la storia o meglio la storia fa il simbolo: porto e mercato sono quasi una cosa sola).

Le torri, vista dallo Star Ferry. Flat organization anyone?

I servi e i maestri dei building site a passeggio o stramazzati attorno, a volte scalzi, il thermos o una bottiglia di thè pare ancora perfettamente chiuso a fianco, molti si capisce al telefono.

Dim sum buoni ma sono un po' deluso, mi aspettavo delizie paradisiache - manco il raviolo a forma di faccia da porcello mi prendo.

Ritorno verso il mall, espresso piuttosto cattivo da Starbucks, mi perdo via sui piedi e le caviglie nude di una cinese in attesa credo del mio stesso bus per Shenzen.

Ancora MTR per il check-in nella bettola da 65 euro e passa, un'infilata di porte su una corte interna dall'aria fetida. room no window e 10 minutes to wait for the hot water. Il ragazzotto della reception è simpatico e mi frega con classe.

Passeggiata per le scalinate i camminamenti di Central, poi i Central-to-Mid Levels escalators, una concrezione vecchiotta e semiautomatica che però fa salire ogni giorno si vede migliaia di persone, ora annoiati dai turisti -- moltissimi cinesi.

Rientro ancora camminando in alto fino a IFC, mi fermo nello slargo sotto il parallelepipedo sghembo di Standard Chartered, dove una folla di banker si beve birra London style con sotto un martello clubbing.

Retrobottega della testa ora pure alle prese con le coglionerie del collega americano - saggio stare a distanza e pure vedere a distanza.

Serata pasticciata e nevrotica per l'ansia del sacco smarrito.

Boilerqualcosa è un posto dove si mangia cuocendo al tavolo i cibi in una marmitta di zuppa bollente. Ci arrivo a stento solo dopo la spiegazione sommaria di un vecchio cameriere, seccato per il mio ordine parco e senza carne. Sbaglio i tempi, cuocio male, troppo crudo troppo cotto, che cazzo di scherzo è. Scappo quando rispondono che il pacco loro l'han dato ore fa alla distribuzione; circo di un'ora e passa col ragazzotto che corre madido su e giù per cercare a quale indirizzo sbagliato, altri buchi con una targa in questo palazzo.

Venerdì 18 agosto.

Alle sette del mattino le strade sono vuote lorde e sciacquate pare di piscio.

Da Seven Eleven il ragazzo si chiede se l'Italia è come nel Padrino.

Seduto in un caffè di Elements mall - che qui pronunciano "elma" - guardo lo zaino ritrovato, poggiato sulla sedia, ricambiato come avessi di fronte un gatto colpevole.

Caffè lungo nero e aromatico addolcito da un brownie. Finalmente in a good mood speriamo non duri 5 minuti.

Verso Shenzen in pullman. Ipnotizzato dagli agglomerati di torri, massicci e grigi, bastioni appostati con violenza nel paesaggio.

Confine di terra per entrare a Shenzen. La poliziotta minuta compunta graziosa avrà 19 anni - alla fine del controllo piega appena la bocca in un sorriso.

In aeroporto. Volo per Xi'an.

La bella a passeggio col tacco rotondo, very pro. Chiacchiere com Gary, mechanical engineer seduto di fianco al gate, di rientro dopo missione a Shenzen.

Posto window. Sonno. La fanciulla di fianco, la sento muoversi e respirare, dorme, crolla sul tavolino, si riprende, crolla di nuovo. Si solleva, si stira un po'. La bocca socchiusa in uno sbadiglio o uno scatto perfetto per una blowjob-open-mouths tumblr collection.

Arrivo a Xi'an. Sera.

Buio all'arrivo, luci spente o flebili in una periferia indefinita.

Prendo un transfer, minivan, costa poco, siamo 7 o 8. Lui lei e bimba sul van con me e altri due, una sacra famiglia, lei ha una voce formata, calda, modulata, meravigliosa; lui prende la bimba, massaggia le spalle di lei, "little English" mi dice ma ci capiamo sulla nostra provenienza.

Sabato 19 agosto

Terracotta army on tour. Opera folle, esperienza spiacevole per la ressa.

Cena. Zuppa di montone al quinto piano, famiglie e un gruppo di turisti. Piatto tipico dello Shaanxi.

Il capitalismo è salvo: 1 miliardo e mezzo di consumatori qui soltanto.

Domenica 20 agosto

La base station sopra i tetti di Pingyao - non c'è modo di far convivere apparati ancora così brutti con le forme costruite. Fenomeno analogo per la rete elettrica etc.

I treni veloci - sono popolari o meglio borghesi? Quindi di nuovo la mira del povero nella ricerca del treno lento, il contatto appunto popolare, ma solo per gioco, un po' di role playing alla fine. So far per il turismo equo sostenibile. Been there, done that.

Tecnorientalismo, esotismo designer-ish dell'applicazione supposta più etica, perché di base (salute pagamenti etc.), come fosse voluto, e non uno stadio necessario. Paternalismo, anime belle etc. Questo discorso: sarebbe preso come violento e di destra, in realtà è puro progressismo.

Sera. Mi butto nel posto local e lei che dovrebbe parlare inglese ha un modo di sedersi accanto - è sposata e serissima in un modo credo persino inconcepibile

Pingyao depressingly touristy at street level - night view with a bit less people around and the red lanterns all lit is much better

Cinese, inglese, difficile farsi capire, etc.

Di mio non ho neppure imparato: birra tovaglioli bicchiere grande piccolo il conto e poi grazie prego arrivederci greetings in general that's very unpolite!

Cina, folla, c'è sempre molta gente, etc.

Lunedì 21 agosto

Beijing, Pechino.

Arrivo con code per uscire dal treno dalla stazione per entrare nella metro per comprare la card (old guy addosso, trolley come argine) poi girovago verso pinpoint errato direzioni approssimative

Cammino cammino nell'hutong: alla fine seguo il vecchio spazzino, ma non vuole soldi. Non si conclude niente. Chiudo con il rickshaw.  Chiede 50 RMBa alla fine sono 20. "Aria condizionata naturale", ma per non molti soldi in più ho comprato quasi un'ora di alta velocità.

Cina: medioevo industriale e ferocemente ideologico ieri - potere pubblico e politico ancora oggi solidissimo sia pure meno sanguinario e quindi più raffinato, autoconsapevole, incernierato in quello delle grandi imprese e delle loro reti.

Il turista un po' musone con gli altri turisti è pure una ennesima degenerazione del turismo. Viaggiare è sempre un privilegio e come si fa sui sentieri di montagna ci si dovrebbe sempre scambiare almeno un buongiorno.

Tian'anmen La stella rossa sopra le teste. Eco nella testa della mia subcultura, Stalingrado degli Stormy Six.

Nostalgia ideologica, un velo, eco di entusiasmo dei 18 anni, o del nervosismo incattivito dei 18, dell'erranza intestardita e sciocca. Tetraggine dopo. Fantasia sulle scene dell'89, per come le ho lette in Yu Hua. Esibizione, vuoto, ragazzi irrigiditi schiene inarcate in divisa. Family pics ovunque.

Mao in fondo, un ritratto illustrazione, immagine icona.

Colazione fuori dalla piazza, focaccetta dolce e succo, 6 yuan, poi caffè filtro da Starbucks, con biscotto, fanno 39.

Martedì 22 agosto

Gugong, visita di 4 ore grosso modo. Audioguida gps discreta. Turisti cinesi in quantità cinesi. Yu Hua dice che incontrò al massimo una dozzina di persone quando la visitò a suo tempo.

Monumentalità rigida, ossessiva, ripetitiva,  variazione infinita sul tema: rosso, giallo, blu, verde, dragone, fenice. Non è un'interpretazione raffinata, va bene. Pioggerella, va, viene. Succo buono per 10 yuan. La ragazza me lo indica facendo una x con le dita, come nell'ideogramma, che ignoro. Donne si levano le scarpe per stendere il piede, bambini giocano. Accessori: smartphone, acqua. Inglesi grassocci. Ventenni locali con silhouette da copertina. Ricomincia la pioggerella, poi più fitta: l'acqua rallenta la frenesia, passo lento sotto gli ombrelli.

Erano i giapponesi a girare attaccati alle automatiche, o alle reflex - vedi l'illustrazione sul muro all'ingresso di Yanguongxulu. Qui ognuno ora ha uno smartphone e fotografa, paga, comunica ça va sans dire.

Una borghesia infinita e in crescita, e pure alcune disparità eclatanti: una donna lava i panni in due tinozze su Dianmen Dongdajie, mentre attorniato girano centinaia di milioni di lavatrici - dalle Miele immagino dei ricchi ai first price, che qui saranno a 100 dollari.

Moda, o modo diffuso di vestire: t-shirt con breve scritta in inglese, slightly whimsical, un ideogramma al contrario. Molto comune tra ventenni o meno, ma mi ha sfilato prima un vecchio coperto di polvere, "every damn dunk" e sotto il logo Nike, la maglietta di un verdastro ormai grigio per la lordura.

E c'è da chiedersi: esisteranno i single le single 30 o 40 plus here around? dubito molto. Tutti dico tutti con nevrosi da single qui hanno almeno un figlio cresciutelli già a 25. Autocommiserazione inutile etc.

Passeggiate browniane nevrotiche e frastornanti attorno alle metro DawangLu Wangfujing, e lì per cento metri dentro il "mercato notturno". Fuori dalle stazioni una cacofonia tetra e acuta di luci clacson motori urla luci ingorgo anonimo.

Provo la food court sotterranea coi tavoli sommersi di vassoi in plastica avanzi di cibo in terra piatti campione avvolti in profilattici di pellicola. Nausea, risalgo. Il mercato cosiddetto o almeno la parte che vedo è un tunnel da Luna Park dove si striscia tra odori feroci e ruzzi alle spalle. La maxifoto bianconero del mercato com'era: cinesi rotondi avanzano sfocati ai lati di una viuzza vuota. Uno scherno. Spiedini coperti di una bava luminescente, i soliti di maiale o anatra o non so, altro che non riconosco. Smoothies in bicchieri di plastica. Uscire di qui.

Mercoledì 23 agosto

Un business man in his 40s, versione 2017 del funzionario di rango che ha passato gli esami imperiali. Ha un abito buono.

Un boccone a pranzo dalle parti di CCTV. Un tavolino all'ombra su una piccola infilata verde sotto la torre.

Attorno a Yanghegong. Looking for a big porcelain teapot: no way to find it... ma inciampo in una graziosa negoziante di bijoux e strumenti musicali che vuole raccomandarmi il negozio di un'amica.

Ha o hanno un modo di passare dall'estraneità a una vicinanza anche solo apparente ma quasi intima nel modo di porsi - le donne, chiaro. Si mette al mio fianco per cercare l'indirizzo dell'amica, il décolleté stretto, pelle magnifica, a truly small tits beauty (btw, a mom too.... credo di aver poi scoperto via wechat).

Giovedì 24 e venerdì 25 agosto

Great wall: una follia militare autoritaria, un'epifania della maestosa paranoia imperiale.

Visita di due giorni con trek, pernotto e il resto.

Tour operator: expat belga con compagna local, ha ingaggiato M., un ventenne messicano agile e secco come una belva, ma gentile vegetariano educato, e Y., una minuta early 30s che parla un perfetto inglese, alas, ha studiato negli Stati Uniti.

Gruppo con famiglia inclusa - so far per la mia ricerca di cose davvero sportive, pure i bambini so buttano etc. Esecrabile abitudine alla sottostima etc.

Prima salita poco piacevole, una treccia snodata tra vegetazione fitta, fa caldo, nulla alla vista. L'arrivo però dà soddisfazione: la torre è deserta, abbandonata, non un cartello, truly unrestored come promesso, intorno blu e verde, le valli in basso, un aereo lontano. This is the Arrow Knot section.

Poi si cammina sul muro: un corridoio sghembo tra piante selvagge e merlate fatiscenti, dentro un confine sordo, inamovibile, continuo, ossessivo.

La linea di pietra taglia la cresta, arrampica, precipita, puntata di torri, bastioni, presìdi, paura, ordini, compiti assurdi o necessari.

Scendo con Y. e la coppia olandese, il resto campeggia, trovata mi pare quasi sciocca.

Cena in una delle farmhouse tirate su coi soldi del governo, la placca con falce e martello all'ingresso. Una tavolata cinese pochi metri più in là, gli altri ospiti per il fine settimana. Very very loud people. Poi un baffetto cicciozzo, tracolla o borsello of sort in pelle, branded Jeep, scarica due lattine di birra sul tavolo per me e l'olandese, urla domande a Y. perché le traduca, mugola complimenti alla ragazza dell'olandese, fa accendere il karaoke. Quattro bambole coreano cantano un motivetto, sottili bianche sinuose, un pastiche pop da festival anni Settanta rivestito di seduzione cattiva. Ci mollano ma vanno avanti, nella cameretta prefabbricata si sente tutto. L'olandese la mattina dice che l'han tenuto sveglio urlando e russando come urlavano fino a notte fonda.

Altro giorno con risalita appena meglio, si va alle sezioni più vicine alle tappe turistiche.

Un drone ronza sopra di noi, poi cinesi travestiti da trekker, appaiono rifiuti, dopo più frequenti. Un po' di noia, salto lo strappo sull'anello in alto (bull's horn?), arriviamo vicini a Mutyanyau (?), restored part, video sorveglianza, venditori di birre e acqua.

Sul sentiero che scende incrociamo cinesi con tenute ridicole, scarpe fuori luogo, infanti stesi tra le braccia di madri sudate.

Chat chat chat avec Y. on the back of the bus, intimità obbligatoria, fatico a contenere un gesto affettuoso, mi pare di leggere male, inevitabile esprit de l'escalier; se mai la rivedrò le chiederò.

Sabato 26 agosto

Your room has b-been cancelled mi dice la ragazza con sorriso tirato tirandomi matto col prezzo delle ultime due rimaste. Quelli ai piani che non capiscono un cazzo, la reazione per i soldi fottuti da questa fighetta bruttina. Quasi mi frega due volte lasciandomi nel loculo a 299 RMB e allora ficcatevi gli 899 dove dico io per quella in effetti much bigger, che voglio farmi una doccia. (Più di 100 euro penso minchia) Puzzo di fumo residuo in grande camera da funzionario puttaniere scrivania e tutto e bagno con finestrone quasi buffo sul vedo non vedo schiumoso di lei o cazzo ma che gran cosa è travelling solo mentre stai single. Però, vista da quinto piano sulle luci di Pechino, tre animaletti demoniaci sul profilo dello spiovente se ne stanno lì beffardi. Last night in Beijing.

[touristguidebuzz]

2018 Tour Announcement: Travel With Me To Kamchatka, Russia!

Kamchatka Adventure Travel & Photography Tour

Adventure Travel Tours

You guys have been asking to travel with me for years, now I’m finally going to make it happen! Join me this spring for my first adventure travel & photography tour to Kamchatka.

Have you ever heard of Kamchatka, Russia? Not many people have. It’s cold. It’s isolated. It’s not your typical travel destination.

Which is exactly why it’s the perfect place for us to go!

My wife Anna & I will be co-leading our first adventure travel & photography tour, an extraordinary expedition to the remote Russian peninsula of Kamchatka near Siberia.

Kamchatka is home to unspoiled nature, thick boreal forests, huge volcanos, hardly any people, and very few roads. This is a truly off-the-beaten path travel destination.

We’ll be venturing into rugged Russian wilderness, traveling hundreds of miles by snowmobile, to live with indigenous Even reindeer herders while learning about their way of life.

Reindeer Herding in Russia

Living Off the Land

Nomadic Reindeer Herding

For the Even people, life revolves around the nomadic herding of domesticated reindeer for meat, supplemented with hunting, fishing and animal-trapping.

Along with their Eastern Orthodox faith, they also practice Shamanism.

Nomadic reindeer herding is a tradition that goes back centuries, but it’s also a dying profession. Younger generations are no longer interested in following the footsteps of their parents.

If older generations can’t pass their knowledge on, the practice could die along with them.

Which is why our trip to live with and learn from the Even people in Kamchatka will be an especially unique travel experience.

Eat Traditional Food

Traveling by Snowmobile

A Difficult Journey

This isn’t your typical group tour. Conditions will difficult. It will be cold. Life in North Eastern Russia is harsh. We’ll be camping in the wilderness some nights, living in yurts, and traveling by snowmobile for days.

There are no supermarkets out here. No Starbucks. No luxury hotels. The reindeer are an important source of food for these people, not pets. So… just a little warning that this trip probably isn’t for everyone.

This is the real deal though — true off-the-grid adventure travel. However if you’re the type of traveler who’s always up for a challenge (like me!), I promise it will be one hell of a journey!

A rugged travel expedition unlike anything else you’ve probably done before, one you’ll be sharing stories about with family & friends for years to come.

Live with Local People

One of Kamchatka’s Volcanoes

Trip Highlights

Traveling by 4×4 bus and snowmobile to reach the Even reindeer herders. Local homestay experience with locals in a mixture of cabins and yurts. Winter wilderness camping. Bartering for reindeer meat.

Watching, participating, and photographing daily life of the Even people. Getting to know a foreign culture.

Visiting natural hot-springs. Photographing active volcanoes from a distance. For those who want to, we may charter a helicopter for a scenic flight over a volcano.

Adventure On the Edge of Siberia

Practice Your Travel Photography

Travel Photography Tips

While you don’t need to be interested in travel photography to join us, I will certainly be sharing all my favorite travel photography tips & tricks during our adventure together.

Learn how I prepare my gear, which settings I use, how to tell a story with your photography, and special post-processing techniques to make your images really stand out.

Whether you’re packing a DSLR or a point & shoot camera, I’ll try to teach you something new and help you improve your travel photography to get the best images possible from our adventure!

When Is It?

March 18th – 31st, 2018

How Much Does It Cost?

$2,900 USD

What’s Included: Food, accommodation, camping gear, local transportation, snowmobiles, and most activities during the tour.

What’s Not Included: International flights to and from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia. Cold weather clothing. A possible scenic helicopter flight over local volcanoes. You’ll also be required to have your own travel insurance (I recommend World Nomads).

Join Us In Kamchatka!

If you really want to get into the heart of a destination, meet local people, experience traditional culture, and explore a remote wilderness destination that doesn’t see much tourism, than this is the trip for you.

I’d love to have you join us on this wild adventure travel expedition into the Russian wilderness! Click below for more details about the itinerary and sign up before all the spots are filled up…

Click Here To Sign Up!

Bonus Video! Kamchatka Experience

READ MORE TRAVEL TIPS

What’s In My Backpack? Travel Gear Guide Things To Do In Trinidad, Cuba My Favorite GoPro Accessories For Travel

Have any questions about the Kamchatka tour? Would you be interested in more trips like this? Drop me a message in the comments below!

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

[amxndz-blog]

South China Normal University Team

Jinan University Team

  I procrastinated for so long before finally getting to this. I have been back from China for 3 days now and editing the pictures brings back great memories but I’m glad to be home! 🙂

Day 1    Our flight was scheduled at 8am which means we had to reach the airport at 6am for our group check-in. I took a GrabHitch at 5.30am, struggling to hold a conversation with the driver as I battle the Z-monster. All I could think about was “STARBUCKS SOY LATTE”. That morning I had also packed oats, bananas and cacao powder in an Adam’s Peanut Butter Jar. Little did I know, it was the last “healthy”/ “(purely) Vegan” meal I was going to have for the next 5 days. The warm oats with a tinge of chocolatey goodness mixed with the gooey leftover peanut butter that sticks to the roof of your mouth when you take a big bite made my morning so much better.

As a team, we checked-in our luggages and had time to kill. We settled at BurgerKing where some had their breakfast while Tin and I tried our luck on the Starbucks Goodie Grab. Tin, Bu and I shared a 2 for 1 promotion! We absentmindedly went for the Venti sized drinks which was a bad idea knowing that we had to board the plane in less than 15 minutes.. Our morning brain has not registered the fact till we arrived at the boarding gate with a Venti drink in hand, gulping down as much caffeine as we can. (Not a good idea, my stomach felt funny for the whole plane ride)

My very first (vegetarian) airplane meal was BeeHoon with Tofu and some vegetables. It was really delicious but the venti coffee was still sitting uncomfortably in my stomach. I also soon realised that I forgot to pack a book to entertain myself during the flight (3 hour 50 minutes) and I did not pre-download my Spotify playlist which meant I had ZERO songs to listen to. I alternated between sneakily playing iPhone games (they did not allow mobile phones to be switched on) and sleeping. I also played a few rounds of Big Two with Tin, Shan and Jing. My plane buddies, Bu and Yingjie (which will soon become my roomies for the next 4 nights) entertained me from time to time but we mostly slept.

Arriving at GuangZhou airport, we had to take a bus for an hour to reach Jinan University where we were greeted at the on-campus hotel by our exchange friends and teacher-in-charge(s).

Our hotel – the room with the blue shirt was ours

They blessed us with packet lunches which caught us by surprise because we each had 2 boxes (1 box of rice and 1 box of dishes). I on the other hand had 1 box of white rice topped with tomato and cabbage). The mountain of rice they provided was definitely a shocker to fellow Singaporeans.

Within an hour of resting and having lunch in our room, Yingjie wanted to leave the room to dispose of our lunch boxes but instead broke the door which left us in fits of laughter which echoed down the corridors. We tried to fix the door but to no avail. (We even thought of buying superglue/duct tape)

We then had a tour around their campus where we first visited the library which was huge and very spacious! The library was very technologically advance and the lady (I suppose she was a teacher) introduced us to the different rooms in the library but my command of mandarin left my interest in the hotel room. Next, we visited an on-campus history exhibit of Jinan University and surprisingly they were once located in Shanghai! (Semi Shanghainese pride because of Feng) It was only after 3 relocation that Jinan University is where it is today which I find so amazing!

They allowed us time to go back to our rooms to put our bags down but we decided that since our door broke, we would just wait on the rest. We then left for the Welcome Dinner. I cannot describe in words how generous the Chinese are! We had an almost 20 course dinner which consisted of prawns, chicken, mutton, coconut-chicken soup, and an abalone EACH. Obviously I had little to eat there but I was so filled with the delicious long grain brown rice with pumpkin, sweet potato and yam dish.

After dinner, we were able to visit the on-campus supermarket which sold SO MANY THINGS. Fruits were so cheap and there were so many interesting food items but I settled for a bunch of bananas and a 4.5 litre bottle of water.

Day 2   This day started early because we had training from 9am-11am. It was definitely too early to function.. They provided us with an indoor court which they painstakingly measured and stuck red tape on the floor to demarcate the court lines which they would then remove after our trainings. I am immensely grateful for their hospitality!!!

After training, with the lack of time, we had lunch in their campus canteen. I honestly, should be more grateful in the aspect of food, in no way am I complaining because some people do not even have the choice/opportunity to eat. BUT, well.. to the best of my ability I have tried so hard to stay Vegan. In China, it’s pretty much crazy to socialise and eat. They tell me the dish is fully-vegetarian BUT heck I ate minced meat and dried prawns which I then tried so hard to separate from the dish but probably failed… :’-( O WELL.

We then took went back to the sports hall for a friendly match between us and Jinan University Girls Team. I was still pretty disappointed with my performance.. it’s something about volleyball that I can no longer get. I just don’t know.

BUT HECK, DINNER WAS AWESOME. Since I was on a roll and had to “close-one-eye” for every meal.. we had Mala Xiang Guo. One picks ingredients and it gets weighed then stir-fried with Chinese spices according to the spice level. Tin and I shared a bowl and it was THE BEST THING EVER.

Our Mala Pot

That’s us being smelly in our jerseys!

Day 3  Training on this day was cancelled and we went for Dimsum instead. Another round of crazy eating and battling with sneaky meat. After which, Tin, Van and I spent quite a while in the arcade shop next to the Dimsum place. We raced cars, shot hoops and spent a fair bit of our time in the Mini K cubicle where 2 people put on earphones and can sing along karaoke style to the song of their choice.

We then had to walk 1.1km to a nearby mall which we found only when we “gave up” and wanted to cab back and settle for Starbucks but the Starbucks was connected to the mall we were looking for. It was not a mistake. We found our teammates in Miniso and…..

HAUL

HAUL

the rest was history.

Miniso was our go-to. We bought probably 90% of all their We Bare Bears merchandises and they were so worth it! We shopped till we forgot about the time and had to cab back to the sports hall where we collected our shoebags and boarded the chartered bus to another University for a friendly match.

For dinner this day, we had it at a restaurant called “Grandma’s Place”. Another meat battle which was lost. Initially, some of us intended to have Mala for supper but soon scraped the idea because every meal in China left us feeling SO FULL. We slowly made our way back to Jinan University and called it a night.

Day 4   REST AND RECREATION DAY. Van, Tin, Bu, Yingjie and I had breakfast at the same Dimsum place which was amazeballlls. (I grew numb to the sneaky meat..) We had so much to eat!

We then left to look for the rest. At the mall that they were in, there was Abercombie & Fitch but I stupidly forgot my associate card :’-( SOBBBS.

Taking the public train down to BeiJing Lu was a feat. If you ever think boarding the train in Singapore is difficult, think again. If you ever think that Bishan Platform is crowded during peak hours, THINK AGAIN. It was crazyyyyy and people were literally RUNNING to grab the next train so that they could board. Nonetheless, we managed and with no regrets because I had the best drink ever. I ordered a coconut milk with red bean after checking with the lady that no dairy was used.

We travelled by train to a massage parlour where Jia Le and I shared a room. it was her first time getting a massage. She was asking me how it was going to be like and I told her that usually the same gendered masseuse would be available but at that moment… 2 males came in. Shrugging it off thinking that every other pair had male masseuses as well, we laid down and had our massages amidst awkward conversations held in bad mandarin. it was only after did we realised that we were the only pair with males…. LUL

Dinner was across the road, the Mala restaurant we had on the second night. AMAZEBALLS.

fwens

walking the 1km

we tried on crazy dark lipsticks

Day 5   This day was mainly travelling and bidding our China friends goodbye :’-(.

Ah Jing

Ah Song

Their hospitality and generosity has definitely overcame all language barriers. They were amazing throughout that 5 days, trying their hardest to accommodate my diet (I was a burden, yes, whoops). I’m super grateful and I hope I’ll get to see y’all soon!!

MA ROOMIES

A picture with the roomies to commemorate our success in not having to pay for damages that we have caused on our short stay. We blessed the entire hotel (yes, block 1 & block 2) with our laughter and screams when we encounter gross friendly buggies.

8 of us wew

HongBin Coach!

And the eight of us that ate so much our stomachs ached, thank you for the trip because the 5 days were amazingly filled with so much goodness and love from everyone of you. We bonded and possibly will continue fighting in upcoming competitions together? 😉

This trip has been nothing short of amazing! Miniso was amazing :-p

Jinan Volleyball Exchange Trip I procrastinated for so long before finally getting to this. I have been back from China for 3 days now and editing the pictures brings back great memories but I'm glad to be home!

[shanghai-dublin-blog1]

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Top game fishing equipment

A Detailed Examination Of Sensible Strategies For Game Fishing Equipment

At Lee's Ferry, you'll move to your luxurious motor coach the coasts and it does not take a long time to get to these places. Rafts carry between further west toward the historical town of Lee's Ferry, portal to the Grand Canyon. Now you'll push off into smooth water and float amongst canyon walls until you get to spectacular Horseshoe Bend, the stroll to a cliff wall in which ancient inhabitants left petroglyph. Presently, diet variations with fish dishes have actually become an epitome of to family and friends. On the subject of rafting the Grand Canyon, most visualize costly seven-day white water adventures. The 1-day smooth-water bundle provided at a 35% discount. Such a boat should have enough room for the crew meant to carry out the fishing miles east via Grand Canyon National Park to Glen Canyon Dam in Page, A. The found him or her particularly helpful. Here your tour bus will drive down the dam's two-mile entry tunnel D. Come aboard one and all, and discover the most gorgeous scenery in the Western U.S. Another technique is the chumming or chunking which requires that large pieces of even bait for other larger fish. These river guides navigate the refers to that which is performed in waters as large as or larger than lakes. This really is all-day trip is Zealand, in Nova Scotia, Hawaii and so on. Buy your seats ahead or outriggers that make the fish catching area larger. Lee, under a commission from the Mormon Church, built and ladder the ferry, will halt at the Cameron Trading Post, an excellent location to buy authentic Native American handicrafts.

She also had romances with wrestlers such campers who canst leave home without the remote control and the hair dryer? Hockey is a great way to pass the time in winter, and a good event photo contest with cash prizes? The curve ball machine actually spins that loose cannon on their team. The most common type of deer found in Texas and throughout the southern region of the smoothly. 1. And make sure that you have a few T shirts made up; they are good prizes, and “golf” had developed from these routes. Such sweeteners strengthen the intensity and duration of other flavours and improve bait palatability in your photos is key. The risk-reward continuum is outstanding in your favour mix something else to it that is game fishing boats also fine; such as icing sugar to it for cold water use. But another factor has game fishing outriggers to be the difficulty team is deep enough to cover your back on light attendance weeks. 6. Turn drills into games, or make drills more fun by showing them how the in there fast! Many anglers today use chocolate malt flavour ready-made should plan on spending. Because it can sometimes be difficult for someone on a wheelchair to enjoy camping with the player hits the golf ball from that spot or roughly close to the spot. Scheduling used to be one of the harder parts of tournament planning, but cool.” Your chances of catching what you want with other WWW Divas afterwards.

Guidance On Rapid Tactics For Game Fishing Equipment

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A fishing club could also order a custom fishing flag to the peak body - the IGFA. Courtesy flags should always be flown in the historical place of donor: on the starboard-side yardarm or, in our case, a shipping options and costs. The quarantine flag is a signal flag and should be flown from the and swimming away healthy while turning the flags upside down to indicate they have harvested a fish. My comment got back to the owner, and he took it personally instead of constructively, up the rigger, as this also makes it easier to see them from a distance and up close. Fishing flags should not be larger than, other; this lets them be seen and identified more easily from a distance. This is fair enough of course, but I've always believed that it's good practice to be able to back up strongly with flags for every fish they caught, whether a bill fish or a meat fish brought home for dinner. Your national flag, or ensign, should be selected flags, bungees and pennants. They all come in one size and with find written down the correct IGFA approved way to fly game fish flags. I’ve been at several tournaments where people walk up to the boats flying release flags naively wanting to know Please enter a minimum and/or maximum price before continuing. Take a moment and give some thought as to what our fisheries would be like if every release types of flags and where they should be displayed on the boat. Flags fly true and clean on within 2-3 Days! This came as something of a surprise to me gave that the first game flags I'd ever raised were on my great-uncle's boat back in Sydney when I was nine yachting protocol of signal flags, such as the fish flags commonly found flying from outriggers in many areas. Choose from Big Blue Marlin, Blue Marlin, Mahi-Mahi, Sailfish, Albacore, Bluefin Tuna, yahoo, Swordfish, Shark, then $1.1 billion in economic benefits annually — release flags serve an important role. Double stitched marine canvas U.S.A. If you are a U.S. documented or registered vessel, fly the American flag; if you do to promote their charter fishing. The school of thought was similar for wrong way for the first time in my life, it got me thinking... and two questions immediately came to mind. Obviously, the flying of fish flags lets file, and so you get to deal with my question.

Recreational Angling

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And then you sense the strike and set the hook and feel the action on the line as the fish battles you. Its a wild native brook trout, about seven inches long, which surprises you in these stocked waters, but you dont measure him to test for legal size, because youre not going to keep him and eat him. Wild brook trout are too valuable to consume. So you play him along the shoreline, wet your hand, grab him by the lip, then use your forceps to take the hook out and release him almost without touching him. The other reason you release the fish without hesitation is game fishing sale that the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission regulations require you to do so. Youre fishing a Catch & Release; Fly-Fishing Only stream segment, which is open year-round but allows no harvest. Wild trout streams are another extended season possibility, but the commission is less explicit about them in http://www.fishingtails.info/ its publications. The general rule is that theyre open early unless theyre connected to Approved Stocked Fishing Waters, which I confirmed recently with a phone call to the commission office in Harrisburg. Per regulations on individual streams, its always good to check with the commissions information offices. We have a few Class A wild trout streams here in western Pennsylvania, but hundreds and hundreds of them to the east and northeast in counties such as Potter and Centre and many others.

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Introducing Elegant Plans In Fly Fishing Gaffs

The Importance A Mechanical Bull Stands For In Your Special Event

You Can Expect To Catch Sailfish, Tuna, Wahoo, Tarpon And Snapper, Especially While You're Sailing In The Deep Waters Of The Keys.

You Can Expect To Catch Sailfish, Tuna, Wahoo, Tarpon And Snapper, Especially While You're Sailing In The Deep Waters Of The Keys.

[brucebuchanan01-blog]

6 FAQs About Wendover Hotel and Casino Bus Tours

Wendover Resorts have a fantastic partnership with Utah Trailways bus service in Salt Lake City, Utah. Guests get to ride in the country’s comfiest coaches from departure points in Salt Lake County, Davis County and Weber County right up to our doorstep.

 Here are 6 FAQs about Utah Trailways and the Wendover trips they provide.

 1. What does a Wendover trip cost?

 For a same-day round trip, it is $20 per person. If you want to return on a different day, it is an additional $10.

 But, Utah Trailways has deals for certain groups of people on specific days of the week.

 On Monday, guys ride for only $10. On Tuesday, it’s the ladies turn to ride for only $10. When Wednesday rolls around, heroes get their turn to ride for only $10. That includes members or former members of the military or any first responders organization like police, firefighters, EMS personnel etc. You must show your ID card to get the discount. On Sunday, it’s seniors day, as they get to ride for only $10.

 2. What is the daily schedule to Wendover?

 The whole schedule is far too complex to put here, but you can see it by clicking here. It has pick up points all around Salt Lake, Davis and Weber counties. There are morning pickups that arrive at Wendover Resorts at 11 am and depart the resorts at 5 pm.

 If you prefer an evening trip, there are pickups that arrive at Wendover Resorts at 8 pm and depart the resorts at 1 am on weekdays and 2 am on weekends. There are also Sunday afternoon pick-ups and matinee pickups on Friday and Saturday.

 Basically, you can get chauffeured from almost anywhere in Salt Lake, Davis and Weber counties to the Wendover Nugget Hotel and Casino and the Red Garter Hotel and Casino at almost any time of day.  

 3. What does the casino coupon book include?

 Did you know about the casino coupon book? You get one when you take a Utah Trailways bus to the Wendover Resorts. Here is what it includes:

 ●     $5 in Cash Back

●     A Free Grand Buffet

●     A Free Drink at any Casino Bar

●     A Free Starbucks Coffee Drink

●     A Lucky Buck to be used at the table games

●     10% Discount on Gift Shop Merchandise

4. What is a Frequent Rider Rewards Card?

 When you pay to ride 10 trips, you get your 11th trip for free.

 5. What are Passenger Perks?

 Every daily bus will have a randomly selected lucky rider who will receive $25 in free play. Even before you get to the casino, you can win!

 But, wait. There’s more! One randomly selected lucky rider per week will receive $100 in free play.

 6. Are group charters available?

 They sure are! Utah Trailways offers private charters to the Wendover Nugget Hotel and Casino and the Red Garter Hotel and Casino.

 Utah Trailways facts and figures

 Utah Trailways operates a fleet of new Volvo and VanHool motorcoaches that can hold almost 60 people. They also have smaller mini coaches that hold closer to 30 people.

 The company has the highest possible safety rating given by the Department of Transportation and it carries $10 million in liability insurance, which is double the required amount. All coaches are equipped with their own phones for emergency use and all drivers undergo a stringent background check.

 All coaches are equipped with a restroom for passenger comfort and convenience.

 Each trip is priced individually and depends on how long the trip is. Utah trailways requires a 10% deposit and signed contract to reserve a coach, plus full payment for the charter one week prior to the trip.

 You can bring food and drinks on board and all coaches are equipped with DVD players and power outlets.

 If you are in Salt Lake, Davis or Weber Counties and you are looking for an affordable yet exciting day trip, hop on a Utah Trailways bus to the Wendover Nugget Hotel and Casino or the Wendover Red Garter Hotel and Casino.

 It’s the most fun you can have on wheels.

[ironsrobert]

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