#There are more than 2000 natural stone arches

[fotos-art]

Double Arch seen through Cove Arch, Arches National Park, Utah, USA

© Jeff Foott

Minden Pictures

Picture a red horizon and bright blue skies. That’s how you’re greeted by Arches National Park in Utah! This unique landscape began forming 65 million years ago, when an ancient dry seabed occupied the spot where these incredible arches now stand. Over time, the forces of nature shaped the sandstone, forming mind-blowing structures. And there are quite a few! There are more than 2,000 natural stone arches, the largest concentration in the world. In today’s image, we can see two of them: Double Arch, framed by Cove Arch. The largest arch in Double Arch spans an impressive 43.9 metres and soars 34.1 metres into the air. In 1929, this natural treasure was protected as a national monument, and on this day in 1971 it officially became a national park.

[deathonyourtongue]

Sanguine Nocturnus | 6

Summary: Even after 2000 years, the world can still surprise you. Pairing: AU!Henry Cavill x OFC Word Count: 2.2K Warnings: It’s a vampire fic. Death. Blood. Gore. Sex. Horror. Blasphemy. Not for the kiddies or the squeamish. I mean it. A/N : If you’re a Catholic, you may want to skip this chapter.

The apartments of the Elder in Situ had several access points, not only for housekeeping purposes, but security as well. As the sun fell behind the hills of Rome, Henry found himself using one of these less conventional ways to enter Gregory’s sitting room, preparing himself for a bit of a wait, since younger vampires tended to sleep more than their older counterparts. The door that led off one of the coven’s many claustrophobic staircases opened directly behind the Elder’s headboard, and gave anyone coming in a full view of the spacious room; it had come in handy many times throughout history, when a quick scan of the space meant the difference between life and death for their kind. Getting an elder out of danger quickly was a forgotten necessity these days, but back when most Romans still wore togas, it was a skill that earned a vampire a place of honor among those who were under an Elder’s rule.

Instead of a sleeping fledgling however, Henry was met with an eyeful. Facing the door, Gregory’s form bounced furiously against Fares’ thighs, the two entwined like the vines that covered some of Rome’s older buildings. There was no mistaking just how enjoyable the moment was for their young Elder, as his cock flopped lewdly up and down, his seed spraying over the fine sheets, reminding Henry of a hose under high pressure. 

Though he immediately looked away, Henry knew there was no hiding his tall frame from the two men who would notice his presence at any moment. Clearing his throat to speed up the process, he pinched the bridge of his nose, already irritated. Though the night had only just begun, Henry had woken with ruffled feathers, a dream having brought back memories he would sooner rather forget about. His mind had taken him to a time when he was, despite his cursed eternity, happy. A quick visit to Lucrezia hadn’t helped, as she and Vinicius were curled up like two house cats, having just finished their breakfasts. Though he counted the two as family, there were times when opening up to the pair was too daunting a task; instead, he’d talked about nonsense and his plans for the night before making a hasty exit.

“Hey! Don’t you knock?!?” Gregory cried out when he finally opened his eyes, quickly getting off Fare and leaving the older vampire only half-satisfied, his orgasm ending on the sheets and not in his lover. 

“Actually, as your teacher, I have no such requirement, nor any compunction in exercising that freedom. Get dressed, we don’t have time to waste.”

“I don’t appreciate you addressing me so cavalierly,” Gregory hissed as he threw on his suit jacket, following Henry out onto the wet cobbles. Balmy from the rain, the light glistened off all the drops that still clung to statues and facades, making the city seem dotted with stars that had fallen from the heavens. It would have been a wonder to behold with a slow, ambling pace, were it not for the task at hand.

“I don’t appreciate you not being ready for your lessons. You have all day to enjoy Fares’ company. You knew full well you had a schedule to keep and yet, you made me not only wait downstairs, but also come find you. Addressing you with the level of respect you currently deserve should be the least of your worries.”

Gregory stopped in his tracks, an impish grin crossing his face. “And what if I choose not to attend my lessons at all? What then, hmm? As Elder, I could very well do away with the requirement, could I not?” 

“You could, but then someone would wake one of the others, and your head would be on a pike in the back garden before morning. The rules are in place for a reason, Gregory. They’ve kept us alive for millenia, and you trying to exercise what little power you have in the grand scheme of things, will only be crushed like a dead leaf underfoot. This position isn’t about you being special, or having privilege. It’s about keeping a villa full of demons in line until you get to rest six feet under for a while. Is that clear? Now let’s go.” 

They walked in silence for a moment, before having to stop for an ambulance going full speed, its lights and sirens cutting harshly across the otherwise-quiet night. Henry’s eyes closed as he immediately took in the scent of death emanating from the vehicle. To his left, he could hear Gregory taking deep pulls at the air, smelling the same acrid scent. 

"You should not fear death, for it can no longer touch you." Henry explained to Gregory as the road once more became clear, their steps echoing softly off alleyways as they passed. 

"What can harm us, then?" The fledgling inquired, his eyes fixed on Henry. A group of young ladies passed them with wanting eyes, their smiles and near-silent chatter serving to make Gregory blush and Henry smirk.

"Holy water is a fallacy; as are crosses, crucifixes and stakes through the heart. Here, I'll show you." He smiled, adjusting the collar of his dress shirt and buttoning the top button so as to look more conformed as he led Gregory towards one of the older and smaller churches in Rome.

Henry could feel Gregory’s anxiety rise as they stepped across the threshold. The younger vampire’s mind raced as he watched Henry dip his fingers into the holy water and hold them there until Gregory’s gaze could look nowhere else; no sizzling, no burn, no melting of flesh could be seen as Henry removed his digits and swiped them across his forehead, an impish smile on his face.

Moving down the center aisle, Henry nodded at one of the three priests that occupied the place of worship, the man nodding back as he swayed a thurible across the expanse of his path. Henry could barely contain his lecherous smile as he knelt beside the first row of pews, crossed himself and slid into his seat. Gregory followed his actions, mimicking the old Catholic rituals, having had no personal experience with the church when he was alive. Shortly after they took their seats, the mass started and in the Pre-Tridentine tradition, the priest stood with his back to the pious, speaking solely in Latin.

"What fools they are. Following like sheep lead to slaughter. If they only knew that their salvation could be found in their own blood, this place would be desolate." The last word was spit from Henry’s lips as though it were a smoldering ember, teeth clenched in defiance of the group behind them.

“If you hate them so much, why bother coming here?” Gregory spoke, forgetting his volume and quickly being shushed by one of the parishioners. 

“Because you need to learn not to fear the church when it comes calling, as it likes to do every century or so. Some overzealous monk will get it into his head that the old stories are not merely fables, and with or without the church’s blessing will make his way through the histories of old to try and end us once again. When that happens, if you are lucky enough to be in your current position, you will need to know that their tools cannot touch a hair on your head. God himself would have to send Michael’s sword, to even try to singe us.”

“So why wait until they come to us? Why not bring the fight to them and end this once and for all?” Gregory continued, intrigued by the thought of vampires fighting priests with each side of the theological pendulum watching from their respective sides. 

“Simple. Priests taste like unwashed nethers and, to put it plainly, we don’t start fights; we finish them.”

The two waited until it was time to receive the Eucharist, both vampires following the other worshipers as they made their way up to the altar. When they reached the priest, Henry crossed his arms over his chest and bowed his head, allowing the man to utter a blessing onto him before moving aside to kiss the foot of the Virgin Mary. 

“Liar,” he whispered under his breath, the word directed at the matriarch of the religion, Henry keeping his eyes closed so as to not give his true nature away to those who might be looking. Standing to his full height, he continued his procession. 

Confusion was written clearly on Gregory’s face as he watched Henry heading past their pew and towards the door, walking faster as he came closer to the massive wooden doors.

"Why are we leaving?" He hissed quietly when he caught up to the older vampire, the two moving through the doors despite the silent protests from the two ushers who stood guard on either side.

"Because this place is filthy and I need a bath. Also, there is more for you to learn tonight besides the fact that you are more powerful than this god they worship." Henry nearly snarled, spitting on the stone steps of the church purposely as he jogged down the shallow stairs.

Gregory dared not read his thoughts, afraid to see just what turn of events had caused such hate for the clergy and the religion as whole. Being an atheist, he was indifferent to religion, the practices of others having no effect on his daily life. But he could tell that something must have happened in order to make Henry as abhorrent as he was about the subject.

“I’m hungry. What else are we learning today, that’s so important it can’t wait for a meal?” Henry did his best to keep his face neutral as he checked his watch, knowing full well it had been less than two hours since Gregory’s last feeding. Like the monarchs of old, the Elder’s every move was carefully recorded, and save for times of extreme privacy, or the odd moment when an Elder managed to sneak away from his appointed handlers, those who needed to know were always privy to the Roman head’s every move. 

“Will you perish before we make it back to the house?” Henry asked, one eyebrow arched witheringly, his original instinct on bringing a fledgling to the helm growing stronger the more he spent time with Gregory.  Gregory, still under the delusion that he was the most powerful vampire in Rome now that he’d been put in the seat of power, merely glared and scoffed, following the older vampire’s lead nonetheless. 

“You will respect me. I am your elder.” 

“You’re my elder in the same way the Queen of England rules over Canada.” 

Henry ignored the stares of the other coven members as they made their way back into the coven’s luxurious surroundings, wanting nothing more than the cleansing of steaming-hot water and perhaps a glass of ‘92 O negative to bring down his irritation. In truth, he wanted to go back to his place, to familiar surroundings and none of the constraints that being under the coven roof required. 

“You have an hour to feed. Don’t dally,” Henry said in warning as he and Gregory split off in the upper hallway, his words intentionally quiet, lest someone’s prying ears pick up on how he was speaking to the Elder.

The shower in his chambers was nowhere near as pressurized as the one in his own home, and while the heat felt good, the rain-like trickle did little to bring Henry’s shoulders down from his ears. The blood--pulled from the source instead of one of the machines--did relax him, but the comfort of ritual was short-lived, as Henry finished, healed the young woman, and once more put on his suit to go fetch Gregory. 

Were his blood still able to pump through his veins, Henry knew his would be boiling. Much as before, Gregory was in a state of disarray, his pants gone, white shirt stained with a mix of banked blood and Fares own recently-refreshed supply. Not saying a word, Henry merely went back the way he came, knowing it would be futile to continue the rest of the night’s lessons, when it was clear his pupil would pay no attention. 

Irritated beyond reason, he left his feet guide him blindly, the cooler air of midnight doing little to ease the fire inside him. In his younger days, he’d have taken out his fury on the soft body of someone he’d fed from, someone already at death’s door. With age came wisdom and better murder investigations, so ending his life sources was no longer an option, and becoming a progenitor was out of the question. So, Henry did the next best thing; he walked. 

After nearly an hour, he found his steps stopping in front of the carved doors of Romulus and strangely, the scent of Carla’s perfume eased his anger quicker than any other measure he normally employed. Careful not to use his full strength, Henry opened the door and stepped in, finding the main room as empty as it usually was near closing time. 

“What can I...Hey!” Carla greeted, her smile warm and genuine, and without thinking, Henry finally dropped his shoulders, taking a seat and returning her smile with one of his own; his first all day.

[kbstories]

impression//expression

“It’s not like Kirishima had come all this way to U.A. to immediately break the promise he made to himself upon arrival.

It’s just that Bakugou is as feral as they come, and the moment Kirishima recognizes it’s fear he felt crawling up his spine that day, he makes it his personal mission to face it head-on until it’s gone.”

(Or: Being friends with Bakugou Katsuki is anything but a linear experience. Kirishima Eijirou would have it no other way.)

Tags: Kirishima POV, Developing Friendships, Protective Baku, Soft Baku, Stargazing

Chapter 1. Chapter 2. Minor content warning for (discussions of) self-esteem issues. Chapter 4. Chapter 5. Chapter 6. Chapter 7. Chapter 8. Chapter 9.

***

“Bakugou.”

With an absent hum, Bakugou turns the page, squints, scribbles down a line in his neat, tight handwriting. A piece of black fabric separates his hand from the paper, the same wrapped around his pen, too.

Kirishima leans forward, over his own book-and-notepad combination dotted with scrawled comments and colorful post-it notes. It’s been an hour since any of it has made sense to him.

“Bakuuu. C’mon.”

A sigh, annoyed. Another line is added. Then: “The fuck d’you want?”

It takes a few seconds until the silence has stretched enough for Bakugou to look up and into Kirishima’s pleading eyes. Bakugou’s expression barely changes beyond a raised brow, unimpressed. It’s the one reserved for when Kirishima’s being especially dense – slightly more severe than muttered curses and slightly less so than that God-help-me roll of his eyes he premiered during their last study session.

Which was yesterday. Kirishima would be proud of unlocking a new Angry Bakugou Face in record time… if U.A.’s grumpiest genius wasn’t the only thing standing between him and a frankly impressive row of failed grades.

Final’s Week is brutal, even for heroes-in-training. Especially for heroes-in-training. So: Desperate times, desperate measures.

“Slap me”, Kirishima tells Bakugou, hushed in their corner of the library. “As hard as you possibly can.”

The arch of Bakugou’s brow climbs higher, utterly devastating in its wordless criticism. He says, “What”, tone Aizawa-levels of flat, and it’s not a question. It’s a command: Explain or else.

Kirishima is in no state to resist. The confession bubbles out of him in a whiny rush.

“Dude, I slept like… zero hours last night ‘cause Kami got Pokémon Colosseum – y’know, the reboot? So cool – and we kinda lost track of time. I know, I know, it was a stupid idea, I swear it was an honest mistake!”

Bakugou continues to stare as he puts down his pen and wipes his palms on the edge of his shirt. Kirishima ducks his head, hiding behind the limp strands of his hair.

“Don’t look at me like that, man. I’m seriously about two minutes from passing out here and there’s like a hundred pages of this thing I haven’t read yet, let alone understood, and oh shit Mic will hand me my ass with words tomorr–”

It all happens so quickly: Kirishima catches a blur of motion headed his way and squeaks; his skin hardens about half-way before there’s sparks and his cheek smarts, and a hissed “Motherfucker” sounds right in front of him.

The sharp slap! noise registers only after the fact, when Kirishima holds his face and Bakugou holds his hand and they both stare at each other in mutual bafflement as their skin turns red with the impact.

That moment is like glue, clear and sticky as it extends past its natural limit – then Bakugou snorts and starts to laugh, a cackling hyena-laugh that Kirishima’s never heard in full and certainly not like this, loud and unrestrained, and all hopes of holding back his own laughter is lost as he cracks up, too.

They laugh and laugh, until Kirishima’s stomach starts to cramp up and there’s the sheen of tears in Bakugou’s eyes. “Your f-fucking face”, Bakugou wheezes at some point. “Fucking bastard, you almost broke my hand! With your fucking face!”

All it does is send them into another round of hysterics.

At some point, Kirishima glimpses some of their classmates poke their head around the bookshelves secluding their study corner from the rest of the library, faces ranging from exasperated to deeply disturbed. There’s Ashido, giggling at the sight of both of them bent over and struggling to get some sort of grip, and Kaminari, who just mumbles “What the hell, guys” while straddling the line between sleep-deprived and intensely fascinated by what he’s seeing.

And hey, at least Kirishima’s really freaking awake now. There’s the problem of trying and failing to breathe without dying, his face helplessly flushed and sweating, but the world’s colors are back to being bright and sharp. Across from him, Bakugou isn’t faring much better, shaking his head and the back of his hand covering the broad smile he can’t seem to get rid of.

“Fuck you, you stupid, moronic idiot. For fuck’s sake, Kirishima.”

Kirishima rubs at his chest, the ache in his lungs starting to lessen now that he’s marginally back in control. “I’m so sorry but like”, he waves at himself and he can’t help his grin despite the stinging protest coming from his cheek. “Thanks, dude!”

“Eat a dick.” There’s no bite whatsoever in Bakugou’s grumbling as he sits back down and digs his nose into his book once more, thoroughly ignoring their flabbergasted audience.

After a moment of pantomiming what amounts to I’ll tell you later to their friends, Kirishima joins him, ready to tackle the final boss that is the English language.

*

Nitro!! (Baku 💣💥 )

yo nitro (sent 17:48)

where u at? (sent 17:48)

-

why (received 17:52)

-

why what 🤔 (sent 17:53)

OH uh to hang out? (sent 17:55)

dw dude it’s just me (sent 17:55)

-

[location] (received 18:10)

-

bakugou katsuki what are you doing in the middle of the woods??? (sending…)

NO WAY (sending…)

signal’s gone AGAIN i’m going feral (sending…)

screw it (sending…)

*

The GPS signal craps out twice more before Kirishima heaves himself onto the edge of a cliff and spots a familiar silhouette. Sheltered by a bend in the rock bed, the glow of a fire illuminates a backpack set aside, a pair of discarded hiking boots – and Bakugou, leaning against solid stone with his arms crossed behind his head.

“Took ya long enough”, he says, the lazy smirk on his lips cut in flickering shadows.

“Listen.” Kirishima wipes beads of perspiration off his temple; a spontaneous rock-climbing session by the last light of day is not what he had hoped for after hours of exhaustive quirk training. “We already have a perfectly good camp. There’s, like, leftover curry and hot springs and stuff down there.”

Bakugou scoffs. “Yeah. And a bunch of extras.”

There’s an exasperated reply on his tongue – They’re called classmates, genius. Y’know, friends? – but Kirishima knows it’s pointless to even start that debate. He snipes him with his sweaty headband instead, celebrating his own marksmanship when it hits Bakugou square in the chest with a wet thwap.

“Wha– Shitty Hair!”

“You made me climb this stupid cliff in the middle of the night. Deal with it.”

Bakugou just throws it back, the force of an explosion propelling the thing past Kirishima’s shoulder and off the mountain entirely. Kirishima watches singed white fabric disappear into the abyss, bidding it goodbye with a somber salute.

“Well, that’s lame.”

“You’re lame, fuckface.”

“Bro.”

Shaking his head, Kirishima laughs and joins him by the fire.

It’s quiet for a bit while he gets comfy and Bakugou throws a chunk of wood into the flames, sparks bursting into life immediately. This far up, the air feels… brittle, in a way, thin and cold enough Kirishima wouldn’t have been surprised to see his breath mist. The breeze ruffles the crowns of the trees around them, the rush of rustling leaves in the distance strangely soothing.

Bakugou’s gaze is lost in the night sky when he starts to speak. “Been thinking of borrowing my parents’ car and driving out here by myself. Y’know, once I got my license and shit. ‘s got some good trails, people were talking ‘bout it on those shitty hiking forums. Forums, like we’re in the fucking 2000s.”

His elbows on his knees and his head propped on his hands, Kirishima hums and looks up as well. The moon is a thin island of white in an ocean of indigo blue growing steadily darker, a myriad of stars coming out to keep her company. “Yeah?”

“Mh”, Bakugou makes around a soft breath. “Guess they’re all shit out of luck though ‘cause it’s the personal playground of pro heroes, apparently. It’s a miracle none of our idiots got fucking lost coming out here.”

‘Our idiots’, huh? Kirishima nudges his chin lower and into his palms to hide his smile. “Kinda far of a trip to make just for some hiking, isn’t it?”

A casual shrug, followed by a nod upwards. “Not for this. The lodge is the only structure for miles in any direction and even with us here, it’s got fuck all on an entire city. Get it?”

“Yeah! No light pollution, right?”

“Yup”, Bakugou confirms, popping the ‘p’. A small grin is shot Kirishima’s way, teasing rather than mocking. “What’s this, huh? Don’t tell me you paid attention in fucking physics after all.”

Kirishima breathes an offended huff, mock-hurt.

“Pshh, please. Y’know how everyone has that one niche thing they randomly obsessed over as a kid? That was me with astronomy. Back in Middle School I had like, a huge model of all the planets in my room and my favorite constellations mapped across the ceiling with those glow-in-the-dark stars. Years of useless knowledge, all stored right here.”

Kirishima’s thumb taps his forehead as he smiles at Bakugou; Bakugou’s lips pull into a smile of his own, small but there. When he turns back to the stars, Kirishima does the same, sighing wistfully.

“If Thirteen’s class were just about that I’d freaking ace it, dude. I get that I’m kinda dumb with literally anything else, but space is my jam. Did you know that–”

“You’re not.”

The train of thought Kirishima was about to gleefully jump onto screeches to a halt. “…huh?”

Bakugou frowns at him. “You’re not”, a vague wave in his general direction, “stupid or whatever.”

Perhaps the dumbfounded blinking Kirishima’s doing in response is already enough to prove Bakugou wrong on that. Still, Kirishima sits up a bit straighter, eyebrows pulling together tightly.

“Um. I appreciate you saying that, bro, but I’m only here ‘cause Aizawa decided to get in touch with his merciful side after all. Like, Cementoss totally wiped the floor with me back home. There’s no point in lying to myself about that.”

“So you’re calling me a fucking liar, is that it?”

“Huh?”

Kirishima can only watch as Bakugou’s mouth twists beyond the usual doom and gloom and into something… frustrated. Genuinely annoyed. An iron weight settles in Kirishima’s gut, heavy and hard to ignore. “I didn’t– Look, man, can we not fight over this? I’m just saying I wanna face my mistakes and do better, that’s all.”

“Then say it!”

There’s a severity to the words that catches Kirishima off guard. Bakugou is staring him down with eyes so intense they possess their own gravitational pull, closer to black than crimson in the fire’s light–

Kirishima likes to think he knows Bakugou, at least a little. What makes him tick, what makes him angry – because there is a reason and a rhyme to his anger, a pattern to the things that set him off that Kirishima has yet to properly figure out. It’s just that Kirishima isn’t usually one of those things, not anymore.

“You lost me, Baku”, he admits, quietly, after a beat or two of tense silence. “What do you mean?”

Bakugou sighs, a harsh noise between them. The deep breath afterwards is new, however, a sharp inhale followed by a calmer exhale before Bakugou points at him, a wordless listen up.

“Just– Okay. You fucked up and wanna learn from it? Cool, fucking say that then. Not some bullshit about being too dumb to do shit ‘cause you’re not. Fuck right off with that.”

Mouth opening, Kirishima is stopped by a flurry of firecracker sparks and a terse growl of “Shut the hell up, I’m not done.” Finally, Bakugou’s look snaps elsewhere, one sock-clad foot kicking at a loose rock in clear irritation.

“Studying isn’t your strength, who gives a fuck? You got into U.A. top-fucking-two, you’re one of the only capable fuckers around and if you seriously think you don’t deserve to be here because Cementoss got lucky one fucking time then you got another thing coming.”

Kirishima sits there in a state of mild shock until Bakugou huffs and glares at him again. The threat behind it is ridiculously empty considering the impromptu speech he just gave and holy shit, Bakugou Katsuki is praising him. Kirishima Eijirou.

He might actually cry.

“What? You’re competition, bitch, so don’t make me a fucking liar by pretending otherwise.”

Scratch that, tears are definitely part of the picture now.

Wet-rimmed eyes and a quiet sniff, that’s as far as Kirishima gets before Bakugou’s expression suddenly falls, crestfallen to an almost comical degree. Kirishima does laugh then, a watery little chuckle that doesn’t seem to make things much better, either.

“Sorry, just… Damn Nitro, I think that’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me. You really think so?”

And okay, yup, that’s a real glare, this time. Bakugou throws up his hands. “You’re so– Urgh. Did I fucking stutter?”

Kirishima rubs the moisture out of his eyes and smiles. “Nope.” Faint embarrassment heats his cheeks; he focuses on the warmth curling in his chest instead, glowing bright and comforting like the embers at their feet and the stars above.

“Good”, Bakugou mutters.

More wood is tossed into the fire and rekindled with red-hot palms. Scooting closer, Kirishima holds out his hands and hums happily as it chases away the ever-cooling temperatures. They can’t stay up here forever – Aizawa will have his hide for sure if he doesn’t show up to the remedial course tonight – yet Kirishima figures they have a few more minutes.

Bakugou goes right back to his earlier sprawl, unaffected by the cold: arms crossed, eyes on the sky like he can’t get enough of the sight. Kirishima thinks of glow-in-the-dark stickers, faded over time. Quietly, he wonders which constellation is Bakugou’s favorite.

“Kiri.”

“Hm? Yeah?”

Shoulders relaxed, voice even, Bakugou says: “Tell me something. About space, I mean.”

As complicated as being friends with Bakugou can get, it can be so, so easy, too. Just a while longer, Kirishima decides as he settles in next to his best friend and starts talking.

>>Chapter 4

[anjumkhanna]

Anjum Khanna - Top 10 best places to visit in USA

I'm Anjum Khanna from India and I will share with you my best places in the USA where I visited. Pleasing Planet's movement specialists have scoured the States to present to you our main 10 underestimated, restored and incredible spots to visit in 2020. From normal marvels to enrapturing coastlines and exceptional urban areas, these objections guarantee enormous things this year.

1. California’s Redwood Coast

Lose all track of time (and cell signal) along California's Redwood Coast. Film buffs may perceive the district's scene-taking sceneries from Hollywood blockbusters like Jurassic Park, E.T. furthermore, Star Wars. In any case, the full marvel of California's 2000-year-old redwoods – some arriving at 20 stories high – is difficult to catch on any screen. Gaze toward the woodland shelter: that last 100ft of redwood development marks a long time since Redwood National Park was built up in California's tree-embracing win over logging. What's more, this year, in the festivity of their 100th commemoration, Save the Redwoods League is without offering passage to more than 40 redwood state stops each second Saturday of every month.

In 2020, another sort of greenery has been standing out as truly newsworthy as California presents the state-wide legitimization of pot. However, the draws of the Redwood Coast far outperform changes in this industry, welcoming explorers to accomplish a definitive California smooth with its peculiar shops, brewpubs, espresso roasters and calm cheerful hours.

2. Boise, Idaho 

Home to a lively expressions network, a blast of grant winning wineries and specialty bottling works and a socially dependable shopping locale, Boise is what cool resembles before the remainder of the world has made sense of it. Fun celebrations have large amounts of Idaho's capital from downtown's Treefort Music Festival (hailed as the new option in contrast to SXSW) to the Boise Brew Olympics and Punk in Drublic – a lovely marriage of underground rock and specialty lager. 

Being in closeness to an abundance of characteristic wealth, metropolitan experiences effectively progress into outside departures. Wander through the Boise River Greenbelt, a 25-mile park in the core of the city, or head into the encompassing mountains and lower regions for climbing, mountain biking, skiing and stream boating.

3. Chattanooga, Tennessee

When minimal in excess of a refueling break among Atlanta and Nashville, the nature-driven 'Noog has changed itself into a stronghold of raised Southern living. Outside lovers rush to Chattanooga for the absolute best stone moving in the nation, bunch climbing and mountain biking trails and wild rides on the Ocoee River – one of America's best positions for whitewater boating. 

Foodies, hopheads and nerds aren't a long ways behind, either. Chattanooga's revived midtown – focused on the $20-million makeover of the city's unique train station into a multi-reason nightlife and diversion objective (counting a top notch guitar historical center) – is overflowing with journey commendable New Southern food, refreshing distilleries and nerd satisfying web speeds. Meet the New South!

4. Florida’s Space Coast

Space the travel industry is a rising star, with 2018 set to check the dispatch of the world's first lunar the travel industry departure from SpaceX. Try not to need to lose your life reserve funds down a dark gap? Visit the following best thing, Florida's Space Coast: home to the Kennedy Space Center and the setting for innumerable notable dispatches including Apollo 8 – the world's previously monitored rocket to circle the moon – which praises a long time since launch in 2020. 

View satellite dispatches from Cape Canaveral and Titusville or visit the new ATX (Astronaut Training Experience) at the Kennedy Space Center, where wannabe space travelers can go on a mimicked mission to Mars. Proceed your amazing experiences with an evening time kayak in the bioluminescent waters around Merritt Island and watch settling ocean turtles on an eco-accommodating visit.

5. Cincinnati, Ohio Set among steep slopes with the scaffold throne Ohio River swashing its edge, Cincinnati has consistently been a looker. Presently brew, expressions and clever neighborhood advancement are giving it some strut. The new Brewing Heritage Trail recounts the larger story: how Cincy was a main maker through the last part of the 1800s, its residents swallowing 2.5 occasions the public normal. Today Rhinegeist and other present day lager producers have assumed control over the relinquished distilleries, a considerable lot of which are walkable in Over-the-Rhine, an old German neighborhood of lavish block structures, new restaurants and crazy shops. 

2020 invites another section for the city's creative symbols as the Music Hall commends its 140th birthday celebration subsequent to going through enormous redesigns, and the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company subsides into their new powerful exhibition space.

6. Midcoast, Maine

Single word says everything: 'Ayuh'. What could be compared to 'mm-hm', it's Mainers' typically eccentric and unassuming go-to answer. Is it valid, you solicit, that about 90% of Maine is forested (the most noteworthy level of any state), making it ideal for experience exercises and getting away from traveler swarms? Ayuh. Also, what about Midcoast Maine's wonderful sea exhibition halls and detonating foodie scene of art bottling works, neighborhood grape plantations and gourmet ranch-to-table cafés? It's not the tranquil woodlands it used to be. Ayuh. Indeed, 2018 will check the area's 70th Maine Lobster Festival and a transitioning as an inexorably energizing social focus of elite workmanship historical centers and exhibitions, isn't that so? Ayuh.

7. Richmond, Virginia

River City has flipped from modest to occurring, however the 'hello you all' friendliness remains. Scott's Addition, when an abrasive assembling region, drones with microbreweries, cideries and buzzworthy cafés, while the James River baits swashbucklers with whitewater rapids in addition to another 52-mile bicycle trail along its banks. 

Creative features incorporate midtown's splendid wall paintings, the eccentric Quirk Hotel (highlighting interesting plan components and its own craft display) and imaginative transitory shows at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The American Civil War Museum – an ongoing solidification of three separate Civil War locales – investigates Richmond's function as the capital of the Confederacy. One consistent? Patrick Henry requested freedom or demise at reenactments each Sunday in summer at St John's Church.

8. Kentucky Bourbon Country The territory of Kentucky is known for its moving slopes finished off with masterful pony cultivates, its wild commitment to school ball and, above all, its whiskey. The state's refining legacy runs profound, and those searching for a taste should make a beeline for Kentucky Bourbon Country, the brilliant triangle between Louisville, Lexington and Elizabethtown where this prepared soul becomes animated. You'll locate a luring organization of the nation's most notable refineries and first class eateries with whiskey motivated menus. 

Yet, this industry isn't so saturated with custom that it overlooks progress – create distillers are opening their entryways, long dead whiskey locale are being rejuvenated, and in 2020 the Frazier Museum will be named the official beginning stage of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

9. Minneapolis, Minnesota

In spite of arriving on arrangements of 'generally moderate' and 'generally reasonable' urban areas – and in a state positioned the USA's most joyful – Minneapolis appears to be a piece overlooked. In any case, after its chance at the center of attention during the current year's Super Bowl, that could very well change. The city endeavored to tidy up for the large occasion, specifically with redesigns to downtown's primary avenue Nicollet Mall presenting awesome light highlights, craftsmanship establishments and creative social spaces. 

The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden likewise got a redo, with 18 new works by well known chiselers. Furthermore, Target Center, the city's NBA and WNBA field, got a fan-accommodating $145 million makeover. In the interim, new boutique inns and present day ranch to-table cafés (hefty on neighborhood fixings) are springing up with cool verve.

10. Southeastern Utah Arches National Park's colorful sandstone ranges. Island in the Sky's Colorado River-cut vistas. Landmark Valley's sky-puncturing towers. Southeast Utah's significant milestones have been firm top picks among voyagers for quite a long time. As of late, nonetheless, lesser-realized territorial destinations like the forested levels of the new Bears Ears National Monument have become hot-button news things because of political tussles in Washington, DC over securing characteristic and social assets. 

This tremendous quarter of the Beehive State holds numerous outstanding outside objections, from the lodging filled experience town of Moab and uncrowded Capitol Reef to the environmental Ancestral Puebloan vestiges of Hovenweep. Water has slashed the desert scene here, cutting the sandstone into alarming structures, for example, the pleasant Natural Bridges and huge Lake Powell. This is a quintessential Americana excursion nation.

Anjum Khanna launched his career as a freelance illustrator, and this started with covers of paperback books where he developed and displayed his penchant for realistic depictions of fantastic scenery. To achieve this, Anjum often used handmade maquettes and posed models for reference.

About Anjum  Khanna

Those who love fantasy tales and dinosaurs would be great admirers of the works of Anjum Khanna. After all, he's the author of the famous book series about dinosaurs coexisting with humans in a fictional setting. 

[wasalwaysagreatpickle]

Friday 8 August 1828

7 50/60

12 1/2

All ready to be off, and breakfast in 20 minutes at 9 20/60 – Read Scotland tourist – saunter out to watch the arrival of the coach (from Edinburgh to Newcastle through Jedburgh) at 10 – said last night would send my luggage by it, and walk myself by Driburgh to Jedburgh – but determined this morning to miss Driburgh, and go by the coach – all in vain, the coach so full could not even take my luggage – wonder it did not break down – 

Off in a chaise at 11 10/60 having put into the post office in passing a line or 2 ‘to the mistress of the Crown and Mitre Inn and coffee house Carlisle ‘to say my return there was uncertain, and begging her, at all rates, to send off my box by the York coach on Monday without fail – fine view of the Eildon hills (Scotland tourist 309/415), at 11 50/60 pretty hill-seated village of Newton – lodgings to let there could live there for a while – very hilly road – look over wide hilly plain! – pillar erected by the marquess of Lothian to the memory of those who fell at Waterloo, very conspicuous in the distance – fine rich country – 

Turn left down to Driburgh suspension bridge (erected by the earl of Buchan Scotland Tourist 314/415) and alight at the bridge at 12 5/60 painted white – great white wooden suspension pillars with a transverse lying across them as a binder – not near so pretty as Melrose suspension bridge – the [zonic] round red sandstone temple to the 9 muses, on a little eminence at the end of the bridge, with a white Belvidere apollo in the middle of it – not in the regular grounds – not connected with anything – why put there? – Sir William Wallace, too, quite [white] on large red sandstone pediment at the top of ridge of hill among wood – 

The abbey a considerable and beautiful remain but made up with garden walls, and orchards – the woman let me to what she called the hall – some of the gothic arch work round the stalls repaired in wood – and full of trumpery plaster of paris busts – in a niche – in one of the walls a good stone bust of the present lord Buchan when 59 – Sit Walter Scott’s burial place recorded as given to him in 1791 – his wife lies there – the house a modern good-looking sort of common reddish sandstone gents house closed up by fence walls – his lordship now in his 86th year, must always have been a man of sickly taste – his a natural son with him, but his nephew, Andrew Esskime, must succeed him – the scenery around the house would be beautiful if properly thrown open  - scenery along the river pretty – precipitous red banks, and wooded slopes to the water’s edge – Lord B- [Buchan] takes toll or pontage for the bridge – the same rate for foot passengers at least as at Melrose – 

Got back to the chaise at 12 50/60 it had just begun to rain before I left the abbey – inside for above an hour – till fair – rained very heavily for some time – some very fine timber about Ancrum house Sir William Scott, bart. 

At 1 50/60 2 miles beyond Ancrum (right) see the long line of fir wood belonging to Chester (Ogilvie Esquire) – leave Ancrum 1/4 ? m. right – very hilly road – fine rich country – yellow corn – fine, green hedges and fir woods about the different [gentlemans] seats – especially the Marquess of Lothian’s Teviot hill – Lord Minto’s place among the wood on the hill, above and behind Chesters – at 2 pass over Ancrum bridge 3 red sandstone arches over broad shallow Teviot – turn left along beautiful little valley of the Jed – Jedburgh looks well – its new jail or castle on the hill and the fine old ruined abbey the tolbooth (old jail now partly turned into a library) in the town below fine objects – 

Alight at the Spread Eagle Jedburgh at 2 40/60 See going towards the abbey inquire my way of a Mr White a brewer – very civil – even went all over the abbey and to the top of it with me – the abbey belongs to the Marquess of Lothian – by his sufferance they have a church in it – £2000 raised by subscription laid out in repairing the old tower (going to fall) a year or 2 ago – the marquess subscribed £200? – the present parapet round the top of the tower not like the old one good – but a great pity to have attended it – very large [remainder] – the largest I have seen – larger than Melrose – finer? if seen to advantage – too much choked up – the church in it spoils it – from the abbey to the castle or new jail – opened in 1822 – cost 6 or 7 thousand pounds 27 cells – a mill to grind barley for broth, instead of a tread mill – 2 men cannot work it longer than 5 minutes at a time – only 3 prisoners in for debt and 2 others – 1 man for attempt to murder, and a boy for petty theft – very neat, well-kept airy prison – went to the top – rather thick – or would be very fine view – fine view as it was over the town etc. –

[weens] Mr Cleghorn on the Newcastle road, about 7 miles off – went into the post-office (a booksellers shop) for a print of the abbey – the man very civil – sent to get me the best, though a bad one at 4d [pence] and then walked with me to see the point of view whence taken – took me to see ‘the philosopher’ James Veitch a self-taught mathematician and optician – a very John Oates but more learned – excellent microscope 4 guineas on a new principal, and a chromatic telescope when finished would be 12 guineas – both cheap – a very clever genius of a man – very civil to me – I talked about Euclid (algebra) etc. – he shewed me how he made an equal (a perfect) screw – shewed me a clock he had made which did not vary 4 seconds in a month – Lord Minto, and many other gents go and spend hours with him – he is a joiner by trade – likes Vincés astronomy - Lalandés and Callets logarithms – 

Then my friend and I walked a little up the valley beautiful and continuous so for 4 miles – the Jed running along between fine red and wooded banks, the road crossing perpetually from 1 side to the other – picturesque straw thatched cottages – very beautiful little valley – at about the end of the 4 miles you turn off to weens on the Roole (as pronounced) water – Mr Cleghorn has lately lost an estate that had cost £12,000, and had to pay up arrears – it was bought on a bad title – he thus loses 1/3 of what he has, but this will not injure his respectability in the neighbourhood – his wife much liked – he quite a man of Science – has a taste for architecture etc. Travelled much abroad in Italy etc. – his father’s partner Mr Wilson who retired about 12 years ago has lost all he had but about £200 a year by buying on bad title – the cause came before the house of lords, and was lately decided against Messers Wilson and Cleghorn – 

Walked round the great 3 branched oak tree – 6 yards round the bottom of the bole – ‘a very great tree for Scotland’ – my friend (Mr Renwick) gave me an egg cup made of the tree that grew in the abbey from the time of Surrey’s destroying it, 400 years – Mr Wight too met me again in the town and gave 3 little views 2 of Jedburgh and 1 of Kelso abbey – never met with people so civil – got back to the Inn at 6 10/60 – off Jedburgh a picturesque pretty little town – straw thatches going up to the castle – but picturesque - 

In a chaise at 6 20/60 – hillyish road through a fine rich fertile well cultivated country – improves towards Kelso – Fleurs large handsome looking white-house (left) – beautiful descent down wooded road down upon the fine bridge and fine river (Tweed) – town very beautifully situated – beautiful and picturesque though not large remainder of the abbey – handsome square, or grande place – alight there at the Cross Keys – Yule, at 7 55/60 – (the white Swann the best inn) 

 Dinner at 8 40/60 – afterwards settling accounts and writing out today till 11 1/2 – rain from about 12 1/2 for above an hour and from about 6 1/4 to near 7 – went inside the first 35 minutes from Jedburgh – a gentleman would gladly have come with me from Jedburgh and paid 1/2 the chaise – declined – the poet Thomson educated in the school at Jedburgh near the abbey – born at Ednam near Kelso – upstairs at 11 3/4 –

In margin: Jedburgh abbey private property – belongs to the marquess of Lothian – by sufferance that the town has a church in part of the abbey – on this account repaired by subscription – the court of exchequer would have done it, but not being crown property, has nothing to do with it –

[worstfruit]

This is so dumb and funny but I have a few things I’ve decided about some of the races and religion:

The first and most important is that having a big dick is a bad thing in elven society. You want to be lithe and muscular and have small hands and feet and a small package and tits and tight holes. This is horrible I know. But this is how it is.

Elves excell at medicine both magically and scientifically and holistically. Their approach combines the two practices, despite their reluctance towards non magical technology. They have the premier medical facilities (in fantasy land this just means really nice mattresses and down comforters and fur blankets in big stone rooms with great views and water falls, but the it’s the apothecaries and doctor barbers that really make it matter. Infirmaries are like spas and always have sprawling bath houses and saunas as an integral part of the center. Working along side medical professionals who actually cut people open and sew them back together are masseuses and chefs and alchemists and herbalists and a whole littany of people who just go over and above the call of duty to not only heal but just. Pamper patients. Due to their devotion to all forms of life, elves offer their services to all members of their ‘kingdom’* as well as travelers and even some political enemies.)

The center of the elven territory is the head of commerce and social life and to a lesser degree, more white collar industry and trade. The mostly dwarf inhabited mountain range just outside the northern walls curves down into the center of this territory where a MASSIVE petrified tree stump sits at its base. According to the elves, they came from this tree. According to the dwarves, the tree was a kind but powerful ent who ruled over nature and fathered all trees on the continent— and the elves fucking killed him and used his corpse as a home base. Who’s to say who’s right! Regardless, the elves DO use this stump as the structure for their sprawling palace. This thing literally spans miles, with a rough diameter of approximately 300 miles (the stump isn’t perfectly circular however and due to the sprawling nature of some exposed rooted, it’s longer than it is wide). It’s been carved into very intricate halls and arches, so much so it acruallt doesn’t really resemble a tree stump much at all. The interior is where elves conduct most of their business and where the more powerful ones live, however being so large this is more like a gigantic basilica full of offices and inns and taverns and shops and such. Humans and halflings are more than welcome inside but tend to not set up businesses within, but rather just outside of the stumps perimeter. There’s plenty of exceptions however, and not all elves reside within the stump. There’s different districts of course, but for the most part there is a massive, collumned hallway that bisects the length of the structure where people, horses, and even carts can pass through all the way up to the northern gate. Rarely is the stump referred to in its entirety due to its size, but when it is the elves call it a few names. The Great Mother, The Halls of Ælfgefū or just The Halls. At its very epicenter, at the tallest spire resides the oldest known living elf. Her name is Ælfgefū and as far as anyone knows she’s is at least 2000 years old, and she’s like. A fucking horrible husk. She can no longer communicate verbally and relies solely on the elven hive mind to express herself, however she is also the most powerful telepath known and has the ability to link with any intelligent creature she comes in contact with. But, due to her location and nature, she only ever sees elves. she is a bastion of knowledge and leadership but also insanely old and sorta losing it because of that. No one know why she’s so old, and other races question the validity of her knowledge, but she is at the very least kind. She also does not technically RULE the elves, but is sort of like a mix between the control brains from zim and the queen of England irl.

Other races tend to call the stump the stump, the foot of the mountain, elf mountain, etc. the elves really hate the term ‘elf mountain’. The old lady isn’t brought up much but again, when she is sometimes she’s called silly things like mama elf or just the old lady. Her name is not a strictly elven name, it’s actually from a northern human dialect however this is the root word for ‘elf’ which just means man more or less. Person. Whatever.

I think I had more to say about halflings and humans but I will in a different post now actually

[ricandhaiz]

Blindsided, Chapter 3

The day was warm and sunny with a slight wind as Nic made his way to the university’s main plaza to meet Allie. Given the burned portions of skin’s hypersensitivity to the sun, he’d opted to wear a long sleeve denim shirt and jeans with a baseball cap. While navigating through the throng of students coming and going to campus, he noticed that most of the people gathering for the men’s acapella group’s lunch time performance were women. He spotted Allie and Charlie sitting on a patch of grass underneath a large jacaranda tree not far from the arched gateway separating the upper and lower portions of the plaza. Charlie wagged his tail and barked in acknowledgment as he approached them.

“Nic, is that you?” Allie asked.

“You weren’t kidding when you told me this show was popular with the girls,” Nic replied as he sat down next to her. “I’m surprised there aren’t more men here. This place is practically swarming with women. I think I’m outnumbered three to one, which are great odds for any single guy who’s looking to pick up a girl.”

Allie smiled. “You think so?”

“Absolutely,” Nic replied as he thought about what his pre-accident self would have done in this situation. “It’s their loss, I guess. Lucky for me, I’m already sitting next to the prettiest girl on campus.”

“Wow,” Allie exclaimed, giggling. “You do have a way with words. My B.S. meter is usually pretty good at spotting a player a mile away but the way you just said that almost sounded believable.”

“You think I’m lying?” Nic replied.

Just then, a petite brunette wearing a red t-shirt and jean shorts arrived with arms laden with food and drinks. She greeted Allie with a warm hello as she bent down and handed her a can of Coke and a tuna sandwich. She turned to Nic as she sat down next to Charlie and said, “You must be the guy that Allie’s been talking my ear off about. You’re Nic, right?” Nic glanced at Allie, who was blushing. He nodded. She extended her hand to him and said, “Hi, I’m her roommate, Nicole.”

He shook Nicole’s hand and said, “I can’t imagine what she could’ve said about me. I’m really not that interesting.”

“Oh please,” Nicole replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Your name rang a bell as soon as she mentioned it, so being the overprotective and nosy friend that I am, I took the liberty of looking you up on the internet. You’re one of the Spanish soccer players who got into that horrific car accident in L.A. two years ago, right?” Nic nodded again, feeling decidedly uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was taking. “It was all over the news.”

His face fell as he recalled all the news clippings about the accident that his abuela had shown him when he had first returned to Spain. “Have you talked to anyone else other than Allie about me?” Nicole shook her head. Relieved, he added, “I’d appreciate it if you could keep what you’ve learned about me to yourself. It was a very painful period in my life and it took a long time for me to come to terms with what happened. I had to undergo months of physical and psychological therapy to get to where I am now. During that process, I decided that I needed a fresh start. That’s why I came here to study.”

“Of course,” Nicole replied contritely. “Mum’s the word.”

“Have many people asked you about your accident?” Allie asked as she popped the tab on her soda can.

Nic paused, then said, “It hasn’t really come up in any of the conversations I’ve had with my professors and classmates. I think they’re savvy enough to realize that it’s a sensitive issue for me and have chosen to respect my privacy in that regard.”

“Allie tells me that you’re in an MBA student,” Nicole said in a tentative voice. “Do you know where you’re going and what you want to do after you graduate?”

Nic sensed that her question had a lot to do with her concern for Allie and where a possible relationship with him might lead. In an attempt to assuage her concerns, he replied, “My family has been in the wine business for generations. Naturally, my papá would like to pass the business on to me once he retires but nothing’s set in stone. I could decide to stay here after I graduate. It’s too early yet for me to say for sure one way or the other.”

“Some of the articles I read said that your father also played professional football,” Nicole said.

“Yes, he did,” Nic replied, grateful that the focus of the conversation had at least temporarily shifted away from him. “He was one of three goalkeepers chosen to be a part of the Spanish national football team at both the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cups. He played for Real Madrid and Barça for years before he retired in the early 2000s.”

“Is he the reason why you decided to be a footballer too?” Allie asked.

“In part, but it was mostly because I loved playing the game too. My madre told me that I was playing with footballs even before I learned to walk.”

Allie then asked him, “Did people often compare you to your father?”

“All the time,” Nic replied as he reflected on his padre’s storied football career. “I didn’t mind. Most of the time, it just motivated me to work harder, especially since I’m two inches shorter than he is. Most goalkeepers are usually at least six feet tall.”

“Was he very involved in your sports career?” Allie asked.

Nic reflected on her question, then said, “He only gave me advice when I asked for it. He made it clear to me early on in my career that he wanted me to succeed on my own merit.”

“I bet your mom’s mighty proud of what you’ve accomplished,” Allie said. “Not many people have the skill or the talent to make it to the professional level of football like you did.”

“I’m sure she would have been,” Nic replied slowly. “She died of breast cancer when I was a teenager.”

Allie gasped in surprise and bit her lip. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have—”

“There’s no need for you to apologize,” Nic interjected. “You didn’t say or do anything wrong.”

After a brief pause in the conversation, Nicole leaned in as she placed her hand on Allie’s shoulder and said, “Well, now that Nic’s in the picture, maybe Conner will finally take a hint and go and find someone else to bother.”

“It doesn’t sound like you like him much,” Nic chimed in.

“No, I don’t,” Nicole replied matter-of-factly. “And neither does Allie but she’s just too nice to tell him to buzz off.”

“Is that true?” Nic asked.

Allie sighed. “He’s all right, but what irritates me most is his tendency to treat me like an invalid who can’t do anything for herself.”

“He’s such a tool,” Nicole said, shaking her head as she took a bite of her ham and cheese sandwich. “I know he’s a family friend and all, and that your aunt and his mom are close but that doesn’t mean you should feel obliged to put up with him like you do.”

“I know,” Allie said. “But it’s not like I haven’t tried to—”

“But nothing,” Nicole cut in. “You need to stop beating around the bush and tell him to back off, especially now that I’m not going to be there to help run interference for you.”

“You’re leaving?” Nic asked.

“My boyfriend recently got an advertising job in L.A. and asked me to go with him. I graduated this past spring and have been working as a nurse at the university hospital. I’ve already got a few interviews lined up so I don’t think I’ll have much of a problem landing a job.”

“It’s a great opportunity for both of them,” Allie said with a touch of sadness in her voice despite her obvious effort to sound upbeat. “Nicole’s been dying to move to a big city like L.A. ever since we met my freshman year here.”

Nicole nodded. “Hilton City’s alright for a college town but I can’t see myself living here long term. I need to be in a place with a faster pulse, you know what I’m saying?”

Nic glanced at Allie and said, “What does this mean for you?”

Allie shrugged and patted the top of Charlie’s head. “I can’t afford the apartment we live in on my own so I’m probably going to have to move back in with my aunt and uncle for a little while. I’d rather find another roommate but that’s tricky, especially with me being blind. Nicole’s the best. It’s probably going to be near high impossible to find someone like her on such short notice.”

“Where do you live?” Nicole asked.

“My friend, Matt, helped me find a room in a house just two blocks from the south side of campus. I live with an elderly couple whose son recently moved out. They rented out his room to me as a favor to Matt.”

Nicole’s eyes seemed to widen in apparent excitement. He wondered why. She asked, “Are you obligated to stay there for the entire school year?”

“No,” Nic replied.

She quickly followed that up with a few more questions. “Do you smoke or drink?”

“No, and a lot less than I used to.”

“Are you neat? I mean, like, do you tend clean up after yourself or are you the type that leaves his stuff lying around the house?”

“I’d like to think so.”

“Have you had roommates before?”

Nic shook his head, then swiftly added, “But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be a good one.”

Nicole paused, looking thoughtful as she tapped her finger to her cheek. “Would you mind having to share space, like a bathroom with someone, if you had to?”

“What’s with all the questions?” Allie cut in.

Nicole nudged her in the ribs and said, “Isn’t it obvious? I’m trying to find out if Nic would be a good replacement for me.”

“What?” Allie asked, appearing utterly confused.

“Can you just see it?” Nicole replied, clapping her hands together in delight. “Trust me. I have a sixth sense about these things.”

For a moment or two, Nicole’s suggestion rendered both Nic and Allie speechless.

“Well, say something!” Nicole said. “You know I’m right.”

“Umm…I don’t know. My aunt might not approve of me living with a guy.”

Nicole rolled her eyes and said, “Your aunt needs to bring herself into the twenty-first century. People of the opposite sex live together all the time. Isn’t that right, Nic?”

“Yes, I suppose so,” Nic replied cautiously.

“What do you think?” Allie asked.

“I don’t see why not.” Nic replied as his eyes darted back and forth between Allie and Nicole. “But I’d only do it if you’re one hundred percent okay with it.”

“Really?” Allie asked, sounding slightly off-kilter. Nic was finding it hard to gauge whether Allie agreed with Nicole’s assessment of the situation or not. But then she said, “Before you commit to anything, you ought to come by our apartment and take a look around first.”

“Are you doing anything this afternoon?” Nicole asked expectantly.

“I have an accounting class at two o’clock, but I could drop by any time after that,” Nic replied.

Nicole answered, “Why don’t you swing by at six? Allie and I will make spaghetti.” She patted Allie’s knee, adding, “Sound good?”

“Are you sure?” Allie asked, furrowing your brow as she turned her head in Nic’s direction. “We’re just getting to know each other. The last thing I want to do is make you feel like I’m pressuring you into moving in with me out of some misguided sense of obligation or pity.”

Nic placed his hand over Allie’s and gave it a squeeze. “Believe me, if I do agree to do it, feeling sorry for you definitely won’t be the reason I say yes.”

Just then, a member of The Warblers spoke up. He thanked the crowd for coming and then announced their opening song, “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Nic was grateful for the diversion. As the very real possibility of living with Allie began to sink in, he couldn’t help but think of this unexpected turn of events as the best stroke of luck that he’d encountered in a very long time. Although there was a part of him that was wary of being exposed to possible disappointment and heartbreak, the desire to love and be loved was much stronger. And so, he decided to keep an open mind and see how things would pan out later this evening.

 It was five till six when Nic looked up at the number on the white door and compared it to the piece of paper upon which Nicole had scribbled her and Allie’s apartment number and address earlier that day. It had been a pleasant and relatively short walk from the university library to their two-bedroom ground floor apartment. He’d stopped and sat on a park bench for a little while so as not to arrive too early and amused himself by watching children feed the ducks which were congregating at the edge of a small pond.

He knocked. A tall, sandy-blond haired man wearing a black t-shirt and shorts opened the door. For a second, Nic wondered if he was in the right place and was about to take a second glance at the paper in his hand when the man said, “Are you Nic? I’m Brandon, Nicole’s boyfriend. Come on in.”

Nic smiled and waved at Nicole and Allie, who were in the kitchen with Charlie, and followed Brandon to the living room. He was immediately struck by how neat and tidy the apartment looked. He glanced at an assortment of flowers in a glass vase on the coffee table and saw numerous pictures of the girls with friends and family hanging on the walls and side tables. He thought these things gave the place a decidedly homey feeling. Brandon motioned for him to take a seat on a red futon which had multicolored throw pillows on each corner.  As he sat down, his eye fell on a picture of a man in a fireman’s outfit holding a little brown-haired girl in his arms.

“That’s Allie and her dad,” Brandon said, following Nic’s line of sight. “I think Nicole told me that that picture was taken just a week before he died.”

“What happened to him?”

“He was one of the hundreds of firefighters who died on 9/11 at the Twin Towers. Allie was five.”

Brandon asked Nic if he wanted a beer. He said yes. The sound of pots and pans clanking and clattering in the kitchen filled his ears as the smell of freshly baked bread and pasta wafted through the air. He glanced at the forty-inch flat screen T.V. against the wall directly opposite the futon and the bookcases on either side of it which were filled with even more pictures, textbooks, audiobooks and CDs.

After returning to the living room with a beer in each hand, Brandon handed one to Nic and plopped onto a white bean bag next to the futon. “Nicole tells me that your thinking about moving in with Allie.” Nic nodded. “She’s a sweet girl, and Charlie’s the best. The neighbors are all right and the landlord’s usually pretty responsive to the girls whenever they’ve had a problem. Personally, the only thing that I think is kind of annoying about this place is how thin the walls are.”

“I’m a pretty deep sleeper so that shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Good. I was told that dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Would you like to see Nicole’s room?”

Nic shook his head. “I can wait. I wouldn’t want to do that without her being right there with me.”

“Not a problem. She’s the one who told me to ask you.” Brandon stood up and motioned for Nic to follow. “Let’s go.”

Brandon led Nic down a short hallway and then flicked on the light to the room furthest back. He stepped aside to give Nic a chance to take a peek inside. It was small bedroom with a closet which contained a twin bed, desk and dresser. He pointed to a door opposite the closet and asked, “Where does that lead?”

“The bathroom,” Brandon replied. “Did the girls tell you that you’re going to have to share it with Allie?”

No, not exactly, he thought as he tried to recall everything that Nicole had said to him earlier that day. He replied, “We really didn’t have much time to talk particulars before The Warblers’ set began.” After a brief pause, Nic asked, “Do you think Allie will have an issue about living with a roommate of the opposite sex?”

Brandon shrugged. “I doubt she would have asked you in the first place if she did. But…”

“But what?”

“Her uncle, Big Mike, might look at you sideways and give you the stink eye at first, but I’m guessing that even he’ll come around once the dust settles and he gets to know you better.”

Wonderful, Nic thought as he leaned against the doorframe and stuck his hands in his pockets. Just then, he heard light footsteps heading in his direction. He turned and saw Nicole coming toward him. She patted him on the shoulder and said, “I’m so glad you’re here. Allie’s been beside herself ever since I opened my big mouth and suggested that you move in with her.”

Nic frowned. “Is she having second thoughts?”

“God no. Just the opposite. She’s worried that I might’ve scared you off and that you’re going to say no.”

“Nicole has that effect on people,” Brandon chimed in, grinning. “Is dinner ready?” Nicole stuck her tongue out at Brandon before answering in the affirmative. Brandon replied, “Let’s get some chow. I’m starving.”

Nic sat down next to Allie, who was already seated at a square shaped wooden dining room table. Her long, wavy brown hair was down, and she was wearing a floral summer dress with sandals. Nic reached out for Allie’s hand and said, “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you.” Allie blushed.

Brandon placed a large bowl filled with spaghetti and meat sauce in the middle of the table. Nicole came up behind him holding glasses of champagne. She placed one in front of each person, and then looked over at Nic and asked, “So, what do you think?”

Nic felt Allie’s grip on his hand immediately tighten. She leaned over to Nic and said in a low voice, “You don’t have to decide this very minute if you’re still not sure what you want to do.”

Nic smiled and said, “I think your apartment is very nice and I can’t think of a single reason why I shouldn’t say yes.”

Allie beamed. Nicole let out a cheer, then said, “Just give me a sec. I’ve gotta run back and get the champagne.”

When Nicole returned, she promptly filled every person’s glass to the brim. Brandon stood up and said, “A toast, to roommates old and new.”

Everyone clinked their glasses together. As Nic raised his glass toward his lips, he felt profoundly grateful to be in the company of these down to earth and friendly people. While the others filled their plates, he glanced at Allie and then up at the ceiling. He silently said a prayer of thanks. After more than a year of self-imposed isolation, he finally felt that now was the time to take a chance and let someone special into his life and heart.

[i-am-very-very-tired]

The best things to do in Malibu, California!  Discover the most picturesque beaches, celebrity hot spots, and natural hidden gems.

When you want to escape the hustle and noise of Los Angeles, head up the Pacific Coast Highway to explore the spectacular cliffside shoreline of Malibu, California.

It’s hard to believe this laid-back coastal town is only 40 minutes away from the big city lights of LA.

Malibu might be most famous for being the place that many celebrities call home. It is an exclusive town with a lot of privacy hedges and million-dollar homes nestled on the Pacific Ocean.

If you’re lucky, you might even run into a celebrity as you explore the city.

Nicknamed “the ‘Bu” by surfers and locals, Malibu residents will boast that they have “21 miles of scenic coastal beauty” for all to enjoy.

This photogenic coastline is loaded with little nooks of pocket beaches that will dazzle your senses. The climate is consistently comfortable and usually stays between 76 F and 49 F degrees year-round which makes it perfect for beach time.

These are our picks for the best things to do in Malibu, whether you’re visiting for the first time or you’re a local.

Head to the Beach

Zuma Beach

Zuma Beach is one of the largest (1.8 miles) and most popular beaches in Los Angeles County known for having long, wide sandy areas and excellent surf.

If you plan on taking a swim, know that the water here tends to be a little cooler than the other Malibu beaches.

You’ll be comfortable at the family-friendly Zuma Beach with easy access to restrooms, two food concession areas located on each end of the beach, and eight parking lots with 2000 parking spaces to accommodate the crowds.

One of the best things about Zuma Beach is that they have beach wheelchairs available for beach enthusiasts who may need additional assistance enjoying the sandy shores.

Surfrider Beach

Surfrider Beach takes up about a mile of California coastline and is a little less than an acre of land. This beach has some of the best surfing and swimming in Malibu and was made popular by surfing movies of the 1950s and 1960s.

The beach is also part of the Malibus Lagoon State Beach area which houses an estuary for over 200 species of native and migrating birds. So if you’re a fan of birdwatching, this is one of the best places to visit in Malibu after you’re done with the beach.

Just note that the swimming areas at Surfrider Beach are limited and there are only 90 parking spaces available so it can get a bit crowded in the summer months.

Point Dume State Beach

The features of Point Dume State Beach are likely what you picture when you dream of those gorgeous panoramic cliffside views in Malibu. This beach has it all – cliffs, rocky coves, tide pools, and large sandy areas.

If you drive to the end of Westward Beach Road, you’ll find yourself on a cul-de-sac which is the access point to the Point Dume Nature Preserve. On a clear day, you may even be able to see out to Catalina Island in the distance.

TIP: If you are visiting between December and mid-April, be sure to hike up to one of the Malibu cliff sides to watch for the California gray whales during their migration season.

El Matador Beach

Get ready to be in awe of the caves, sea stacks, and arches that make this area a very popular Malibu spot to take photos.

Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Beach is made of a few smaller pocket-beaches along the west end of Malibu. As you drive down the Pacific Coast Highway, you will see clearly marked signs naming: El Pescador, La Piedra, and El Matador.

You don’t want to miss El Matador Beach. It’s a popular Malibu spot and one of the best places to watch the sunset in town.

Paradise Cove Beach

Paradise Cove is a public beach that is located in front of the locally owned, Paradise Cove Beach Café. Be sure to make a pit stop at this family-owned gem to enjoy the best beachside dining in Malibu.

This cool café gives off the ultimate Southern California beachy vibe with all of the wooden Adirondack chairs, palm trees, and thatched umbrellas. You might even recognize the building once you arrive, it has been featured in many beach scenes in Hollywood movies.

Enjoy dipping your toes in the Malibu sand while munching on some delicious cinnamon French toast and a BBQ pulled pork benedict, or while sipping one of Bob’s Fresh Fruit Boba Rum Drinks.

TIP: Ask them about their picnic packages for a unique lunch on the sand.

Go Hiking in Solstice Canyon

Solstice Canyon sits inside the picturesque Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and offers several options for hikers at all different fitness levels. This is also a great spot for avid bird-watchers.

Enjoy a beautiful hike on the popular 3.2-mile Solstice Canyon Loop. This trail takes you past a waterfall (although a very small one) and the oldest existing stone building in Malibu.

Another option in Solstice Canyon is the 3.7-mile Escondido Falls Trail. This is a fun hiking trail that takes you through a residential area before opening up into shaded paths and then to a waterfall that may or may not have flowing water depending on the time of year.

Lastly, the Grotto is a cool rocky area along the Santa Monica Mountains that is found at the halfway point of the 3-mile Grotto Trail.

This trailhead is located at the Circle X Ranch Visitor Center in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation area. It has incredible views of Malibu and ends in a spot where you scramble through some boulders to reach the short waterfall and enclosed pool area.

Shop & Eat at Malibu Country Mart

After a long day of hiking and surfing, drive to the best seaside shopping destination in Southern California, the Malibu Country Mart.

This is a prime destination for upscale shopping, dining, celebrity spotting, and spa-life. The Mart is open from 10 am – 7 pm and has plentiful parking.

Grab a tasty and nutritious Acai bowl at SunLife Organics, buy a “California-chic” outfit at M. Fredric or Cynthia Rowley, or grab some sage and crystals at the Malibu Shaman metaphysical store.

For a unique high-end car washing experience, hit up the Malibu Car Wash where you might rub elbows with a local celebrity giving their Ferrari the royal treatment.

Tour the Adamson House Museum

The Adamson House is a gorgeous 1929 Spanish Colonial residence, estate, and gardens area that’s located along the Pacific Coast within the Malibu Lagoon State Beach Park.

Taking a tour of the Adamson House Museum is a great way to learn more about the history of this unique area of California and to get a close-up look at this gorgeous house. The interior still has most of its original furnishings and stunning tile work from the 1930s.

I highly recommend visiting this Malibu attraction during the holidays when you can check out the Adamson House and Pier decked out in vintage style holiday décor. They even have holiday tours led by docents with live holiday music and refreshments.

Learn How to Surf or Standup Paddleboard

If you’re looking for a fun but challenging water activity, one of the best things to do in Malibu is to take surf lessons. Check out the Malibu Surf Coach, they have hour-long lessons starting at $100.

Looking for a more chill way to experience the Pacific Ocean? Standup paddleboarding, otherwise known as SUP, is for you. It’s also one of the best ways to experience the tranquility of the ocean and even see dolphins, whales, or seals up close and personal.

There are some basics that you should read up on, but once you master standing up on your board you will be ready to start exploring. The Malibu Surf Shack offers paddleboard rentals for $45 for two hours.

Enjoy Lunch With a View at the Malibu Pier

Built in 1905, the Malibu Pier is the most recognizable landmark in all of Malibu, California. You will likely recognize its double white towers and long wooden pier from some famous Hollywood films.

This is one Malibu spot that is oddly a favorite of both fishermen and celebrities. To fish, you can rent a rod and grab your tackle at the Ranch at the Pier located at the end of the pier.

Also at the end of the pier, you’ll find the charming Malibu Farm Café. It doesn’t get much cooler than eating a fresh farm-to-table lunch with some of the best views in Malibu.

This counter-service café is typically open from 8 am to 4 pm Monday through Thursday and on weekends they are open from 8 am to 9 pm.

At the land-end of the pier is another nice dining spot that serves scrumptious seafood, the Malibu Farm Restaurant & Bar. This full-service hot spot is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and is the perfect spot to enjoy the sunset.

TIP: There are a lot of beautiful views to enjoy while dining near the ocean but the breeze can get chilly, so be sure to wear layers and bring a jacket.

Visit the Getty Villa

The Getty Villa is a work of art unto itself and is the “little sister” to the world-famous Getty Center in Los Angeles.

Explore the ancient art exhibits, the stunning architecture of the Getty Villa, and the four gardens that blend Roman architecture and open-air spaces. Admission is free but parking will cost about $20.

Sign up for the 40-minute garden tour that takes you through a unique and very fragrant herb garden. In the garden, you’ll find a variety of fruit trees including pomegranate, apricot, fig, and pear trees as well as familiar herbs such as mint, basil, thyme, and sage.

TIP: If you are looking for unique things to do in Malibu, make a reservation for “Tea by the Sea”. The price is a bit steep at $44 per person, but the delicious tea party and meal inspired by the herbs, vegetables, and fruits that grow in the villa’s garden just steps away makes it a very cool experience.

Tips for Visiting Malibu

Don’t be fooled by bogus “Private Beach” signs posted near Malibu beach trails. Every beach in California is open to the public up to the mean high tide level. What that means is you are legally allowed to be there as long as you don’t venture onto private property. Walking down from an adjacent beach is 100% legal.

There is an App for that. Download the “Our Malibu Beaches” app for planning your Malibu beach excursions. You’ll find insider info, details for parking, tips for finding those secret stairways, and navigating your way around all of the nooks.

Check out the fancy homes of Malibu – If you want to check out some of the most expensive homes in Malibu, head to Broad Beach. Be sure to explore during low tide or you may not have any sand to walk on, as this strip of beach is super narrow.

[bhandarimarblekishangarh]

Love for Marble

THE PRECIOUS NATURAL MARBLE STATUARIO AND CARRARA FROM THE ❤️ HEART OF THE ITALY TO INDIA

#BHANDARIMARBLEWORLD

Experience the timeless elegance and beauty of Precious Marble. Marble has been the choice material for thousands of years due to its varied colors and intricate veining. In this high-definition interpretation, there are four timeless hues offered in the classic white marble Bianco Oro or Statuario Nuevo, a beautiful soft Silver Grey, and a rich-colored Cenia Grey. Precious Marble is available in 36″x36″ in both matte and polished finishes with available trims.

Natural stone is a sublime material. When it transpires in its most precious forms it becomes a true icon of excellence and exclusive luxury. Allowing yourself a journey through the most precious marbles, granites and natural stones in the world means being enchanted by unexpected colors, games of light and shadows, veins that seem to be constantly moving and interweave, come together, move on the surface like waves of water. Beautiful and tireless. Your journey begins here: from the White Statuario marble of Carrara …

Statuario is the most precious marble variety found in Italy. It has distinctive veining that can range from gold to gray. The White Statuario marble of Carrara is one of the most precious marbles in the world. Few materials, in fact, can compete with its transparent sheen and its incredibly compact structure. Among the main types of this material is the White Statuario Veneto Marble, which has veins in shades of grey of various sizes, and the White Statuario Extra Marble on which the veins are extremely thin and not very visible. Both these qualities are very valuable, even if the second one is truly a unique example of aesthetic perfection and grandeur.

Origin: Statuario marble is also quarried in Italy. The mountain quarries of Statuario marble are located above Carrara. Statuario has limited availability and high demand. The low availability of this marble makes it more of a rare find.

Application: Statuario marble is an ideal stone for indoor applications such as kitchen countertops and backsplashes, bathroom vanities, and floor tiles. Statuario marble should not be used for exterior applications.

Availability: Statuario marble in a polished finish. It’s available in the following sizes: 12”x12”, 18”x18”, 24”x24”, 36”x36”, and 3/4″ Slab. Book-matched slabs are also available.

CLASSIC MODE OF CARRARA

As a rule of thumb, Carrara tends to be muddy in color and not pure white. Carrara is also less expensive and more common to find in your everyday marketplace or cut into tiles. Calacatta on the other hand has very bold veining with a crisp white background. While each natural stone slab is unique, Calacatta marble is much rarer than your typical Carrara.

Appearance: Carrara marble has soft veining and it takes on a blue-gray appearance. The gray background of this marble shows off subtle gray flecks and feathery, linear veining.  In comparison to other marbles, Carrara has a more subtle appearance.

Origin: True to its name, Carrara marble is quarried in northern Tuscany, Italy, in the city of Carrara. The Apuan Alps have more than 600 quarry sites for Carrara marble. That is more than any other marble quarry in the world!

Application: Various well-known monuments and statues were created with Carrara marble, such as Michelangelo’s David, the Pantheon, and London’s Marble Arch. Aside from its structural uses, modern applications for the stone include wall panels, flooring, stairways, and countertops.

Availability: Carrara marble in both honed and polished finishes. It’s available in the following sizes: 12”x12”, 16”x32”, 18”x18”, 24”x24”, 24×36, and 36”x36”.

KNOW MORE ABOUT MARBLE

How is Marble Transported?

Luxuries such as large trucks and trains did not exist during ancient Roman times. During this time, marble was transported by either sliding it down mountains or using a wooden sled controlled by ropes.

INQUIRY WE RECEIVED FROM OUR CLIENT

Kalaiselvan Malaiappan(UAE)

Dear Vendor,

I’m requesting to send the quote for the availability of material that you selected in the brochure. we need a total of 1800Sq.ft.

As per our selected sample will choose the quantity in each item depends upon your revised quote.

we need the best price from you, as much you can.

The sample will take after based on the selected. will confirm later.

Regards,

Kalaiselvan Malaiappan

LUPE Patino(CHICAGO)

Hello,

We are interested in specifying the Indian Statuario stone for our project, the Waldorf Astoria in Doha. Would we be able to get a small stone sample of this stone?

If so, please send to my attention the address listed in my signature below.

Thank you,

LUPE Patino

Interior Designer

Anurag Arya(INDIA)

Dear Bhandari Marble,

As discussed, we have a requirement for quotes of Indian and Italian Marble for a large-scale project for an esteemed client in Ashok Vihar, Delhi. Please send quotations for the below marbles with their prices and mentioning the discount range for bulk quantities.

Total no of flats – 2000+

Approx. qty – 20,000 sqm

Santosh Jaiswal (Nepal)

Dear Sir/Ma’am

Namaste!!

Considering the demand for tiles, marbles, and granites for developing countries like Nepal, I am looking forward to importing products from India.

We would like to know if you have any dealers in Nepal or interested to export your products to Nepal, I will be willing to explore the idea of making the house beautiful and elegant.

My family has been successful with Cooperative bank, hotel, and tractor suppliers in Nepal. With PAN Nepal recognition and association, we have been looking to expand our business.

I believe Nepal has a potentially good market for your middle-range products as Nepalese are keen to invest in a beautiful house.

I will be looking forward to hearing from you. We are planning to visit Rajasthan soon after the pandemic is controlled.

Thanking you

VR (CANADA)

Hi.

very interested in your Statuario marble. What grade marble are they?

Al Maraya Co. (MALDIVES)

Dear Sales Team,

Good day to you.

Please see the below BOQ for Marble similar to the Taj Mahal stone, needed for this project.

Please send us your supply price accordingly. Please send to us the slabs various photos

Please give us an optional material price

Abrar(QATAR)

Dear Sir,

We are the exporter and we are located in UAE we found your company details on the net.

And we want to know more about your company in UAE we have plenty of client for

Marble and granite and the requirement is very high so we need your support to full feel

Here local client’s requirement for that we need your company profile and catalog to present

High-quality products hope you are in an export quality business also your profile and catalog

Make a good impression on customers and clients. Waiting for your valuable reply

Thanks & Regards,

Mohammed Abrar Ulhaq.

Added by Expert Tam of Bhandari Marble World (9784593721)

[architectnews]

Architecture highlights in Western Africa from the Atlantic Ocean to the Sahel

In the second part of our Sub-Saharan Africa Architectural Guide series, the editors of the guide pick their highlights from Cabo Verde, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Mali, The Gambia, Senegal and Niger.

With contributions from nearly 350 authors, the Sub-Saharan Africa Architectural Guide aims to be a comprehensive guide to architecture in the southern part of the continent.

The second volume of the seven-volume publication is named Western Africa from the Atlantic Ocean to the Sahel and focuses on the architecture of Cabo Verde, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Mali, The Gambia, Senegal and Niger.

Read on for the book's editors, Philipp Meuser and Adil Dalbai's, picks from the region:

Photo by Fernando Guerra

Cape Verde Fogo Natural Park Headquarters, Fogo Island by OTO Arquitectos

The Fogo Natural Park project arose from the need to consolidate the protected area around the foot of the volcano Pico de Fogo.

OTO Arquitectos' adopted design strategy was to integrate the building within the volcanic landscape in an open dialogue with local materials and plants.

The use of dark materials ties the building to the landscape of lava, and the incorporation of ramps connects it to the ground and cover, merging exterior and interior spaces and creating a continuity of dark surfaces and shapes. The project won the National Prize of Architecture in 2013, but only seven months after it was built, the volcano erupted, burying it in lava.

Photo by Philipp Meuser

Burkina Faso Centre de Santé et de Promotion Sociale, Laongo, by Kéré Architecture

The centre consists of three units, organised around a central reception area: dentistry, gynaecology and obstetrics, and general medicine. The health facility is rendered with examination rooms, in-patient wards and staff offices. Special consideration is taken for visitors and families of patients with several shaded courtyards for gathering and waiting.

The playful window design emerged from the varying vantage points of standing, sitting, or bedridden individuals. Each of these picture frame windows focuses on a unique part of the landscape.

In keeping with the material aesthetic and ecology, local clay and laterite stone were used in the double-envelope construction of the walls for extra rain protection. The wood from local eucalyptus trees is used to line the suspended ceilings and covered walkways of the centre.

Photo by Philipp Meuser

Mauritania Grand National Hospital of Mauritania, Nouakchott, by Atelier de Montrouge

Built in 1966, the Grand National Hospital – an imposing structure at the heart of a large estate that has gradually come to accommodate several other new hospital facilities – is an archetype of post-independence architecture in Mauritania.

The country's only hospital for a long time, it suffered from a lack of maintenance of and appreciation for its imposing gesture. A change of status in the mid-1980s made it an independent public institution, resulting in an enhanced image of the building and integration into its immediate surroundings. Building and landscaping renovations in the early 2000s revived this charismatic hospital.

Photo by Philipp Meuser

Mali Modibo Keïta Sports Pavilion, Bamako, by E V Rybitsky and L N Afanasyev

The Modibo Keïta Sports Pavilion was originally built to house several entities. One was the sports arena, which was renovated in 2011 in order to host the Afro Basket championship that same year. The fully equipped pavilion can seat up to 1,100 spectators.

Its exterior envelope is made of claustra walls, for natural light and ventilation. The main facade is covered by a typical Soviet mosaic of painted tiles, which illustrates the pavilion's range of activities – be they athletic, cultural, or artistic. This artwork belongs to the best examples of the Socialist heritage in Western Africa. 

Photo by Dorothy Voorhees

The Gambia Arch 22, Banjul, by Pierre Goudiaby Atepa

Arch 22 was designed to mark the 22 July 1994 takeover by the Gambian Armed Forces and completed in 1996. The building is set on eight columns and has three levels. The upper floors can be accessed via elevators and spiral staircases.

Level one is at an intermediate height, inside the columns. The gallery on the second level and the balcony at the top provide the visitor with an impressive panorama of the city, thus giving the spectator a good sense of Banjul as an island city, with the view extending down to the sea port of Banjul, and the mangrove forests of Tanbi Wetland Complex.

At the foot of the arch is a gilded statue of a soldier holding an infant – supposedly representing the rescue of the nation by the military, although critics have argued that the soldier looks more like a kidnapper than a rescuer. 

Photo by Ogueye Zenaba

Senegal International Fair, Dakar, by Fernand Bonamy

Located close to the airport, the International Fair of Dakar complex is a conference and exhibition centre made up of four main areas: the Senegal pavilion, which is in fact the entrance hall; seven regional exhibition pavilions; exhibition halls surrounding the main pavilion; and a conference centre with a conference room and offices.

The architecture is based on the concept of asymmetrical parallelism established by president Senghor, and composed of simple 10 × 10 metre-square-based modular elements of reinforced concrete, and was inspired by the building systems of nomadic tents. The contrast between the rough texture of the façades, suggesting a fabric pattern, and the rigid, controlled geometry of the rest of the complex, as well as the scale of the pavilions, gives it a distinctive atmosphere.

The graphism and design elements, such as the shape, and the decorative patterns of the pavilions, were inspired by African traditions and suggest a nomadic desert settlement. 

Photo by Not Vital

Niger House to Watch the Night Skies, Aladab, by Not Vital

In 1999 the Swiss artist Not Vital went to the desert-city of Agadez in Niger to start building a series of architectural sculptures. In 2003 he went on to build a school, followed by House to Watch the Sunset, House to Watch the Night Skies (above), House Against Heat and Sandstorms and a Mosque.

All of these have varying degrees of functionality and exist somewhere in the realm between architecture and sculpture. The "function" of these works, as well as their appearance, especially House to Watch the Night, recalls the astrological gardens in India, reiterating Vital's interest in the cosmos.

The builders were very quick to finish their work and more so since there was no need for planning permission; this no-rules attitude allows Not Vital to revisit the immediacy and natural instinct of the habitats he made as a child in the forests. The beauty of the desert landscape is phenomenal and an inspiring backdrop for any artist or architect.

The post Architecture highlights in Western Africa from the Atlantic Ocean to the Sahel appeared first on Dezeen.

[pinetreeparty]

An Exploration of Architecture in the Mediterranean - ARH2050 Final Project

   Throughout all ages, people have been constructing buildings dedicated to that which they believe to be divine. This theme is especially prevalent in the Mediterranean and the empires from this region, as they span over thousands of years and cover a multitude of different areas. From polytheistic temples to monotheistic churches, there is no shortage of great architecture in the Mediterranean. While architecture in this region has made great leaps and bounds over the years, there still exists in each structure the desire to remain true to architectural conventions, coupled with the boldness of adventurous architects.

   Perhaps one of the most impressive structures here, especially considering the time it was built, is the Palace Complex of Knossos in Crete. Constructed thousands of years before the birth of Christ, the Palace Complex is the oldest structure on this list, as it is believed to have been built as early as 2000 BC. This structure was not just a palace, but also acted as an all-purpose city center. The complex, in addition to serving as a building for the ruler of Minoa, provided citizens with a place to hold religious ceremonies, rooms to store products, and gave artists space within workshops. Minoa clearly held artists with high regards, as the walls of the complex are filled with beautiful paintings with superb compositions. Even though many of these paintings have been lost to time, we can see what artistic conventions were present in the Minoan society: Geometric borders, stylized forms, nature, and everyday human life.

   The architectural ingenuity of the Palace Complex is something absolutely astounding, and holds up even by today’s standards. When viewed from the outside, the palace resembles a labyrinth. Walls and corridors, which were built on low areas of the island, stretched for six whole acres! Most of the walls of Knossos were made of precisely cut slabs of stone, or “dressed stone” which is not only a testament to the fine architecture of this complex, but also shows how advanced the Minoans were as a society. This claim can be further amplified by the fact that many of the walls were largely resistant to earthquakes due to the advanced construction capabilities yielded by the Minoans.

   The Palace Complex wasn’t just thoughtfully designed on the outside, but on the inside the thoughtfulness of the architects is present as well. Inside the palace’s walls were large courtyards where people could gather. These courtyards were flanked by a variety of different rooms as well, with workshops and commercial centers being the most prominent, as trade played a major role in Minoan life.  

   The next structure we will be exploring is the Acropolis, in Athens, Greece. Among one of the most well known structures in the world, the Acropolis serves as a prime example for what it means for a work of architecture to be Greek. As opposed to the Minoan Temple Complex, the Acropolis was built on top of a hill instead of among hills. While not taking up the same magnitude as the previous structure, the Acropolis makes up for that with it’s impressive design elements and state of the art construction. 

   Like the Minoan Palace, the Acropolis was more than just a temple, as citizens could store goods and gather water there. Unlike the Palace Complex which was built as one interconnected super structure, the Acropolis takes a less imposing approach to it’s design. Built around a larger courtyard-like area, the Acropolis consists of a variety of different structures, the most recognizable of which being the Parthenon. The Parthenon is arguably the most important structure within the Acropolis, as it is the largest, and has elements that would persist in Mediterranean architecture for years to come.

   The ancient Greeks valued geometry and order, which is evident when looking at the Parthenon. One example of this can be seen in the Parthenon’s most prominent aspect: it’s columns.  Since straight horizontal lines appear to cave in at their center, the architects designed the columns to be slightly flared out towards the middle in order to create the illusion of a strong, consistent line throughout the entire column. Additionally, the Parthenon is based around a cella and peristyle, and is constructed in a rectangular shape.

   Nearby in ancient Rome, we find ourselves at a structure that was dedicated to Titus, and was commissioned as a gift for the people of Rome by Emperor Vespasian: the Colosseum. While not a religious structure per se, gods and goddesses were honored within its walls through various types of sporting events, such as gladiator fights and animal hunts. When considering the Colosseum as an architectural feat, one must note that the Colosseum’s design which could hold around 50,000 spectators has yet to be improved upon, even after nearly 2000 years. Additionally, it is believed that the interior area where events took place could have been flooded with water, and turned into a maze in order to accommodate certain scenarios which were to be played out, such as hunting. 

   The Colosseum contains many bold architectural elements, the most noticeable of which being it’s many arches and vaults, and engaged columns. Arches and vaults existed thousands of years before the construction of the Colosseum, but ancient Rome was the first society to really use them to their full potential, as they were able to construct them faster and easier thanks to the invention of concrete. Just by looking at the Colosseum one can see that the majority of the structure’s support comes from it’s Arches and interior vaults. Since Vaults are lighter than solid walls, and can also bear more weight, this allowed for the Colosseum to be constructed as a freestanding structure of a great magnitude. The vaults also provided an entrance for sunlight to seep in; thus, illuminating the Colosseum. The Colosseum was also adorned with engaged columns. This aspect of the building’s composition was likely a direct result from ancient Greek influence. Though these columns provide no real structural support (as that is what the arches and vaults were for), they provide an extra layer of depth to the structure’s overall composition. 

   We find ourselves in Rome once more to explore yet another fine piece of architecture: the Pantheon. Regarded as one of the finest buildings in Rome and an architectural marvel of it’s time, the Pantheon was the direct result of what happens when you combine architectural genius with traditional styles. When viewed by an unsuspecting passerby, the façade of the pantheon takes the form of a traditional Roman temple. However, from the correct vantage point, one will see that it is not a traditional temple, but instead an engineering marvel. Never before had a dome been used to this scale.

   As mentioned above, the Pantheon incorporates the elements of a traditional rectangular-shaped Roman temple in it’s façade. Large Corinthian columns stand tall, serving as a grand entrance for an even grander structure. Upon entering the Pantheon, onlookers are greeted by an amazing spectacle: a giant rotunda with a roof that ascends to the heavens. The architects of the Pantheon were able to achieve this effect through the employment of buttresses. By diverting much of the dome’s weight out and downwards, the builders were able to construct a dome bigger than anything that had previously been built.

   The Pantheon was originally dedicated to Mars, Venus, and Julius Caesar, and took a period of 18 years to construct. Trajan, the emperor who commissioned the Pantheon to be built, clearly revered the three individuals who the building was designed for, as it is among one of the most technologically advanced structures ever created during that time. Everything from the oculus in the center of the dome, to the buildings glorious interior serve as a testament to the aspiration and inventiveness of the ancient Romans.

   In the distant land of Turkey lies another architectural marvel: The Church of Hagia Sophia. Hagia Sophia means “Holy Wisdom”, and at the time, holy wisdom may have seemed like the only conceivable way humans could have constructed such a structure. It was even said that angels helped build the grand church, as it seemed like an impossible feat, especially when considering how it was built in only five years. When designing this church, absolutely no expense was spared. It’s two main designers were experts in physics and geometry who came together to form a structure which proclaimed the glory of God and the Byzantine empire. The amount of planning put into the Hagia Sophia, coupled with it’s many amazing features might even make one ponder why it is not one of the wonders of the world. It even had the largest dome of any structure in the world for nearly one-thousand years.

   One cannot look at the Hagia Sophia without noticing it’s giant dome. Constructed in a similar fashion to that of the Pantheon, the dome of the Hagia Sophia when viewed from the inside looks nearly weightless, as if it is sitting on air. Like the Pantheon, the Church of Hagia Sophia uses buttressing to hold the weight of the dome. Additionally, pendentives and piers were used to hold up the structure’s massive dome in place. Since the Hagia Sophia is a mix between a central and longitudinal plan, the piers (rectangular or square supports capable of bearing heavy loads) submerge into the rest of the church instead of sticking out, allowing the architects to create the effect of the dome floating on air.

   As mentioned earlier, the Hagia Sophia is a mix between the plans of a central and longitudinal church. Each type of plan has its own benefits, and the Hagia Sophia was able to capitalize on both. For example, the architects were able to incorporate long aisles along with overhead galleries: something that isn’t able to be done to the same extent in a central-plan church. The architects were also able to base the church around an overall geometric design, which not only makes the church feel even and symmetrical, but also natural to some degree.

   Throughout all of history, the Mediterranean and it’s many different empires had no shortage of great and beautiful architecture. Architects were constantly taking inspiration from the works done before them, but also using their increasing knowledge of math and physics paired with a thirst for creativity to develop the world around them in new and groundbreaking ways. While much of the architecture in this region is very eclectic, there exists in each structure a special trace of individuality that simply cannot be replicated. 

[larrytcamp]

Hidden Toronto: a growing list of the city’s best-kept secrets

RUPTUREDS OF CREATIVITY MAKE A CITY WORTH RESIDING IN

" I reside in Toronto," starts the commentary of the Oscar-winning brief Ryan, "a city in Canada where I see way a lot of shades of grey for my own good health."

It can be tough to reside in a place whose very appearances are a continuous reminder of our failure to do much better. Where a lot of streetscapes are specified by indifferent condos as well as the same handful of financial institutions and also pharmacies at their bases. Where cuts to transit make rush hour an increasingly derogatory experience yet also theoretical troubles to drivers are considered undesirable. Where we're told by our politicians that good points are past us which the "TORONTO" check in Nathan Phillips Square is unworthy of even the moderate funds required to keep it around for another year.

Where public investment is dealt with as a benefit and not a right, to be administered on the basis of political efficiency rather than need.

Thankfully, there are the buttons.

In each of the cellar restrooms at Otto's Berlin Döner in Kensington Market is a switch on the wall. Oversized and also unmissable but entirely unmarked, there is no demand to press them, yet you can. And also in the midst of the sweltering heat of August or the unlimited winter season of March, you will certainly be delighted.

Easter eggs like these are what make the city-- any type of city-- worth living in. They are the bursts of creativity or charm, oddness or fancifulness, that make it possible to get through the days during the greyer months when doing so would otherwise be an obstacle. Occasionally they are destinations, but often they are unforeseen. They are physical signs that a person, in a remote or very recent history, made the effort to care, to add something to the city material that would intangibly enhance the experience of it.

The Peter Frying pan statuary in Glenn Gould Park, as an example, is not special. It is one of 6 the same copies of Sir George Frampton's original in London's Kensington Gardens. It is not even the just one of its kind in Canada.

Yet with its 9 fairies, seven computer mice, 5 bunnies, 3 birds and one each of a snail, squirrel, salamander and frog-- all circling Peter as well as Wendy-- it brings a sprinkle of childish goal to the northwest corner of Opportunity and St. Clair.

There is no naturally sensible reason it should exist the park's pianist namesake had not been also born when it was installed. That it was donated by something called the College Heights' Association "to the spirit of children at play" is a peculiarity of background, and that it lingers to the present is a strange present.

The value of a city is gauged, partly, by its capability to provide the unforeseen and to emerge as an area where such shocks are welcomed.

It has to do with the city as source of nourishment as well as stimulation-- the city as play area, the city as theme park, the city as location that encourages exploration. The city as a home that makes you grateful to receive its prizes.

In the late 2000s, I belonged to the Toronto Psychogeography Society, which is a fancy means of stating I took place regular night strolls normally arranged by Spacing editor Shawn Micallef. The trips typically came under two categories: venturing with parts of the city that we 'd never ever or else experience walking, or wandering through locations we thought about familiar but that still had keys to reveal.

There was likewise a third sort of walk: ones that travelled via areas well known to simply one of us. At that time, I was dealing with my family at Yonge and York Mills, a location I frowned at for its distinct lack of points. On the second coldest evening of the wintertime, the group came up to my location, and we headed off via the vacant Don Valley Golf links.

Held in the air by looming concrete assistances, the 401 crosses the gorge there using a substantial bridge that rises over the greens. We climbed up the high hillside at the west side of the bridge up until we discovered ourselves adjacent to the highway, at the protected tip of a fork in the roadway.

Cars and trucks zoomed past on both sides.

I had known about the bridge and also the remarkable industrial-ruin feeling of its base. I didn't know you might securely come eye to eye with the freeway, staring down traffic on one of the busiest paths on the planet. I had never done anything like it in the past.

In that moment, Toronto in February was okay. -- Jonathan Goldsbie

HISTORIC LANDMARKS As Well As ARCHITECTURE

1. THE OCULUS PAVILION, SOUTH HUMBER PARK

Nearly 60 years after it was up to Planet near the south end of the Humber bike route, you'll discover a recklessness with an useful feature: a flying saucer affixed to a stone-faced public washroom. Engineer Alan Crossley's playful mid-century modernist masterpiece is a miserable things today. Grubby, disregarded, labelled with graffiti as well as a lot in need of a cleanup, it was just recently included in Architectural Conservancy Ontario's (ACO) list of structures in jeopardy. ACO states a plan to destroy the washroom (it's attracting what local councillor Justin Di Ciano refers to as "illicit deals and behaviour") and wrap the steel blog posts with stone from the restroom walls will certainly "weaken its building elegance." That strategy is being re-evaluated thanks to a campaign led by ACO head of state Catherine Nasmith as well as a change.org petition introduced by Stephanie Mah of ACO's NextGen. Sign the petition and also check out the Oculus. Admire its stylish asymmetry, examination the echo, then lie on your back and search for into its eye to the skies as well as marvel.

2. COMMERCE COURT NORTH TOWER, 25 KING W

This 34-storey limestone standard, part of the four-building facility that supports the city's monetary district, was the highest structure in the British Empire when it was finished in 1931. But the gold-coffered ceiling and art deco designing made it a masterpiece in its time and currently a treasured heritage building.

3. GIBRALTAR FACTOR BEACH AND LIGHTHOUSE, CENTRE ISLAND

Tiny as well as secluded, Gibraltar Factor Beach has a witchy ambiance. Possibly it's the huge desire catchers in the trees or due to the fact that it's beside Toronto's earliest (as well as spookiest) spots, the nearby Gibraltar Factor Lighthouse. Integrated in 1808, its original keeper, John Paul Radelmüller, was killed on a chilly evening in January 1815. Tale has it he was tossed from the top of the lighthouse by soldiers from Ft York which his ghost is still looking for his body. The tale grew in appeal following the exploration of parts of a human skeleton some years later on. Well worth seeing: Michael Davey's turning Rogue Wave art setup of materials washed up on the shore, in particular niches in the structure wall surface at the western side of Gibraltar Point.

4. HUMBER BAY ARCH BRIDGE, MARTIN GOODMAN TRAIL

This bridge goes by several names, yet what we can agree on is that it is among Toronto's the majority of lovely. Developed by Montgomery Sisam Architects and also opened up in 1996, the cycle- and also pedestrian-only bridge across the mouth of the Humber River belongs to the Martin Goodman Route and also connects the eastern as well as western halves of Humber Bay Park. Its dual white arcs and also symmetrical layout were influenced by "an abstracted version of the Thunderbird, an Aboriginal icon of the Ojibways, that inhabited the website for almost 200 years." The majority of spectacular sight: when getting in and also leaving on either side.

5. DAVID DUNLAP OBSERVATORY, 123 HILLSVIEW, RICHMOND HILL

In 1921, Clarence Incantation, head of state of the Royal Astronomical Culture of Canada, gave a lecture about a comet. In his audience, mining executive David Dunlap was captivated. He passed away 3 years later, but his widow, Jessie Dunlap, supplied to finance the construction of an observatory that would certainly contain the second-largest astronomical telescope on the planet. In 1971, Tom Bolton measured wobbles in the orbit of a celebrity as it circled around an invisible X-ray-emitting things so large that it had to be a great void: Cygnus X-1, the initial to be validated by monitoring. In 2009 the observatory was acquired by the Royal Astronomical Culture of Canada. Earnings from the sale of its land financed the founding of U of T's Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics. Eighty-one years after it initially saw light, the observatory continues to influence astronomers as well as hundreds of visitors. Interested? Call the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. You will not discover a great void, however you will see stars-- and also much more.

6. AGA KHAN PARK AND ALSO MUSEUM, 77 WYNFORD

The World's society and also film critic, Kate Taylor, wrote in Might 2015 that Aga Khan Park, part of the complex that includes the Aga Khan Museum as well as Toronto Ismaili Centre, "births most of the features of a white elephant." She meant that figuratively, of course, explaining the "lengthy trip from downtown Toronto" as well as other downsides (e.g., scarce parking) of its location alongside the DVP north of Eglinton. Certainly, the 6.8-hectare park ignores Don Mills from a lofty perch, and as a social location it aspires to even higher objectives-- namely, "to urge intercultural discussion and also exchange ... in a time when the globe of Islam and the Western globe requirement to collaborate a lot more properly at constructing good understanding." Aga Khan Park has swiftly come to be a popular landmark.

7. HILL CHURCH, OLD FINCH OPPORTUNITY As Well As REESOR

Records of weird sounds and also "screams" (the ghost of a young girl killed at Old Finch bridge in the future, or pets at the close-by Toronto Zoo?) remain to swirl around this 1877 Methodist church and also cemetery in a remote wooded edge of the Rouge Valley.

8. SCARBOROUGH CIVIC CENTRE, 150 BOROUGH

Anchored by Moriyama's Kubrick-esque space ship, this ode to Scarborough's long-deferred huge desires is entering into its own as an individuals put with the addition of a new public library, the first contribution to the district in 25 years. Great diversion: the waterfall (when it's working) ranging from inside the Civic Centre to a wading pool. Fascinating sidelight: Swedish carver Carl Milles's The Hand Of God, committed to former Scarborough mayor Albert Campbell, protrudes from the orchard nearby.

9. THE MANSIONS OF WESTON, LAWRENCE As Well As WESTON OFF JOHN

The former town understood for its Masonic background additionally includes some of the city's loveliest century-old houses mixed in with its funky circa-1970s architecture. Little Avenue Boneyard above the Humber notes the area where Weston's initial settlers lived till a disastrous flooding rinsed the west financial institution and also sawmill in 1850.

10. TABER HILLSIDE OSSUARY, INDIAN MOUND CRESCENT

The remains of 472 native souls, thought to be 13th-century Iroquois, were discovered here in 1956 throughout building of the close-by class. ROM excavators claim the graves became part of an ancient reburial that complied with the relocation of an indigenous village. The bones were reinterred in 1961 in an event arranged by the city of Scarborough as well as attended by agents from the Brantford Six Nations book and also various other Initial Countries.

11. THE CAMH HERITAGE WALL, 1001 QUEEN WEST

When you pass the Centre for Dependency as well as Mental Health, take a minute to take a look at what remains of the block and rock wall that as soon as bordered the entire complicated. The wall was built in stages by people of the medical facility between 1851 and also the 1880s. More than a century later, the site is going through enormous redevelopment that is mindful of honouring its past while physically opening the room to break down barriers in between clients, health care workers and also the general public. Only a part of the wall continues to be.

12. BRAND-NEW! ST. ANNE'S ANGLICAN CHURCH, 270 GLADSTONE

St. Anne's Church near the edge of Gladstone as well as Dundas was constructed in 1907 in the Byzantine Resurgence design. Soon after it was built, the church inside was enhanced with mural paints by artists that would later on be referred to as three of the charter member of Canada's Group of Seven. Artwork by J. E. H. MacDonald, Frederick Varley, and also Franklin Carmichael show the life of Christ as well as occasions from the Old and also New Testimony. The paints were developed on canvases in each of the musicians' workshops and then attached to the church walls. They are the just well-known spiritual works by the Group of Seven.

13. BRAND-NEW! CAMPBELL RESIDENCE, QUEEN As Well As UNIVERSITY

Integrated in 1822, Campbell Residence is a heritage house as well as museum. It is among the few staying examples of Georgian architecture in Toronto as well as the oldest continuing to be home from the Community of York. The building was in fact created at a different website, at Adelaide East and also Frederick Street, by Upper Canada Chief Justice Sir William Campbell and his better half Hannah. It was used as a personal home and then an office building for greater than a century before being auctioned off in the 1970s to whoever could remove it from the property. A group of attorneys bought the house as well as relocate 1.5 kilometres to its current place, where it's now had by the City of Toronto and used as a museum, art gallery and also occasion room.

14. BRAND-NEW! THE GARDINER EAST PILLARS

The grand columns that run alongside the Lakeshore East bike lanes simply west of Leslie when sustained a 1.3-kilometre track of freeway that, in the 1960s, coordinators really hoped would eventually connect to Scarborough. But in 1999, council elected to destroy that raised section of the Gardiner-- however maintained a few of the pillars for posterity. Now, they pass as found art along with noting neighborhood highway background.

15. NEW! LESYA UKRAINKA MONUMENT IN HIGH PARK, COLBORNE LODGE DRIVE (NORTH OF CENTRE ROADWAY).

Beside High Park's Canine Hillside with its rough and tumble of unbound furry bodies, the sculpture of Larissa Kosach-- "The Greatest Ukrainian Poetess," who wrote under the name Lesya Ukrainka-- climbs in silent dignity. Larger than life and also gripping flowers in each hand, she stares in reflection across her very own exclusive yard. Contributed in 1975 by the Ukrainian Canadian Females's Council, the group still collects at the monolith each September to honour her. A homage to the concept of verse as well as literary works as a pressure for freedom, this verse appears on the sides of the pedestal in English as well as Ukrainian: "By very own hands freedom gained is flexibility real/ By others freedom provided is a captive's doom.".

PUBLIC ART.

1. WHITE ELEPHANT, 77 YARMOUTH.

Simply north of Christie Pits on Yarmouth, a life-sized elephant named Sally lives in James Lawson's front yard. The virtually three-metre-tall sculpture has actually made the nabe her residence because 2003. Lawson inherited her from his good friend, musician and commercial designer Matt Donovan, that made the monster as part of his thesis job at OCAD. Made of fibreglass, chicken cord as well as plywood, the large grass ornament stops individuals in their tracks. "I still listen to exclamations of surprise and also laughs from passersby," states Lawson. "She's progressively concealed by my cherry tree, which means that in the summer most individuals in cars and trucks miss her unless they're moving slowly.".

2. TRINITY SQUARE MAZE, BEHIND THE EATON CENTRE.

This little-known oasis of calm in what may be Toronto's the very least valued public square sits atop the hidden course of Taddle Creek as well as is come close to by means of Tibetan arcs. Like the 13th-century rock maze at Chartres Cathedral in France, it influences artistic reflection in those who put in the time to walk it. Also a great area to people-watch.

3. ROSEHILL TANK, 75 ROSEHILL.

A Canadian water site, Rosehill Storage tank was integrated in 1873. Throughout the Second World War it was enclosed by a barbed cable fencing for concern of sabotage, much to the irritation of citizens that 'd pertained to take pleasure in the periodic dip in the water. It was covered in 1966 to shield it from trespassing growth-- and also supposedly as a result of continuing Cold War concerns. A fountain, wading swimming pool, 1.6 hectares of reflecting fish ponds as well as a waterfall were included as surface area features, although nowadays the tank runs more as a park than a connection to Toronto's water background.

4. EQUAL BEFORE THE LEGISLATION, AT THE MCMURTRY GARDENS OF JUSTICE.

Like a fantastic editorial cartoon, this public sculpture by Eldon Garnet uses simply a handful of symbols to boil down a significant concept right into a greatly basic photo. A lamb and also a lion, both life-size and also cast in bronze, balance flawlessly on opposite ends of a scale, its imposition of equal rights going beyond nature and also physics. On its site behind the 361 College courthouse, where the city's most significant criminal situations are listened to, the work is a company and specific tip of the perfect of justice shared in Area 15 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms: "Every person is equivalent prior to and also under the law and also can the equal security and equal benefit of the regulation without discrimination.".

5. MURAL BY PHLEGM, 1 ST. CLAIR WEST.

UK road musician Phlegm takes public art to new elevations with a just-completed eight-storey mural. Depicting a bent number as well as Toronto sites, it's "an allegory for the living and breathing nature of the city," according to the artist. Organizers wish the job, which is moneyed through the city's StreetART program, marks a brand-new chapter in recognition of even more adventurous public art.

6. PETER PAN SCULPTURE IN GLENN GOULD PARK, NORTHWEST EDGE OF ST. CLAIR As Well As AVENUE ROAD.

It's easy to miss this job dedicated to "the spirit of kids at play" beneath the chestnut boughs. This reproduction of the Peter Pan statuary in London's Kensington Gardens has gone to the nexus of among Toronto's most famous neighbourhoods given that 1929, put up by the neighborhood ratepayers' organization with the help of industrial property magnate transformed philanthropist Herbert Hale Williams, who is far better known for his commitment of Amsterdam Square across the street.

7. PULL OF THE LAND, ON BAYVIEW AT THE BLOCK FUNCTIONS.

Popular road artist Faith47 was appointed in 2013 to create a mural recording the spirit of Toronto's abyss. The outcome graces the underside of Metrolinx's Bala Subdivsion rail line.

8. PAN AM COURSE.

A collection of exterior artworks dedicated to the 2015 Frying pan Am Gamings stress some 80 kilometres of multi-use tracks from Claireville Tank in Brampton to the shore of Lake Ontario south of Rouge Park. Art setups developed in the months leading up to the Gamings connect 13 of the city's top priority neighbourhoods and also use the themes of art, nature as well as variety. Noteworthy: Underpass Park (envisioned) the mural cooperation between UrbanArts and also musician Dan Bergeron under the St. Phillips Bridge in Weston discovering the legacy of Cyclone Hazel. There's so much even more to the Path! Check it out.

9. SQUIRREL CULT STATUARY, JOEL WEEKS PARK, 10 THOMPSON.

Credit scores to the National Article for first mentioning that the quartet of bronze squirrels raised on hind legs prior to a huge acorn at the south end of this brand-new Waterfront park resembles absolutely nothing so much as a cult. When the paper asked artist Mary Anne Barkhouse why the squirrels would certainly genuflect before the nut, she simply responded to, "Why wouldn't they?" Appointed by the city, the squirrel sect is one aspect of a triptych called Echo that Aboriginal sculptors Barkhouse and also Michael Belmore created for the park. (The other items are a somewhat even more traditional beaver as well as fox.) On a current go to, a person had actually left a partially consumed bagel as an offering.

10. AL ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY SCULPTURE PARK, BEHIND 33 DAVISVILLE.

In a condo-cluttered spot of midtown in between Yonge an Mt. Pleasant, weird pieces of bronze as well as steel have been collected in tribute to several of Toronto's avant-garde artists of the 60s and 70s.

11. AL PURDY'S STATUARY, QUEEN'S PARK CIRCLE.

Working-class hero as well as poet Al Purdy rode the Depression-era rails west for inspiration. "Voice of the Land," as he was called, is likewise the title of the statuary by musicians Veronica de Nogales Lepre-vost and also Edwin Timothy Dam, which was appointed in 2001 with a little help from Toronto's first poet laureate, Dennis Lee, Margaret Atwood as well as Michael Ondaatje. It's just the second unabridged statue of a poet in Toronto, the various other being of Robbie Burns.

12. TALE OF OIL MURALS, IMPERIAL OIL STRUCTURE, 111 ST. CLAIR WEST.

The former Imperial Oil head office is currently the Imperial Plaza condo, with an LCBO and also Market by Longo's at street level. Flanked by York Wilson's substantial The Story Of Oil murals, they're the most stunning liquor and supermarket in the city. Both adoringly brought back and iced up in time, the murals stand for that type of postwar optimism where points that became dreadful for the earth were thought to signify the most effective wish for humanity. The vestiges of public grandiosity continue to be evident in the huge clock deals with constructed right into the shiny marble wall surfaces at opposite ends of the first stage, as well as a third springing from a matrix of golden-hued tiles in the centre.

13. BRAND-NEW! CIRCLE OF TREES, WOODBINE PARK.

Artist Laurie McGugan's 2000 Centuries Task at Woodbine Park, Circle of Trees, really did not go completely as planned. The item includes 7 maple trees in a circle, one of them cast in bronze (in 4 components, after that bonded together as one). As the trees grew, the bronze item would certainly remain the exact same, showing time through nature. "Although planted with optimum treatment, the living trees did not flourish as anticipated after about five years, however were battling to endure," McGugan says. "With some attention, by the Parks Division and the Conservator of Public Art, to the soil around the trees, they seem to have actually recoiled. The intended layout might still unravel over time.".

14. NEW! THE VESSEL, TADDLE CREEK PARK, 40 BEDFORD.

Standing among concentric rings of blocks that appear to ripple external like water, Ilan Sandler's The Vessel cuts a distinctive profile at the edge of Bedford and Lowther. Mounted in 2011 as part of a park restoration funded by Area 37 money from the nearby One Bedford growth, the sculpture is planned to stimulate the long-buried Taddle Creek that went across the midtown core through the late 1800s. Its four kilometres' well worth of stainless steel rods would certainly, in theory, stretch along the previous river's course to Lake Ontario if unfurled. As well as in warmer weather condition, it acts as an avant-garde public fountain, with water dripping from the rim down along its wiry surface area to a subterranean tank that waters the park.

15. NEW! GRAFFITI STREET, SOUTH OF QUEEN FROM SPADINA TO PORTLAND.

The swing on chains behind YYZ Gallery-- the work of local musician Corwyn Lund, part of a group show on guerrilla jobs-- is gone. But Graffiti Alley, aka Thrill Lane, is still one of the coolest area to decipher the best of Toronto road art.

Read more on  Hidden Toronto: a growing list of the city’s best-kept secrets

The post “ Hidden Toronto: a growing list of the city’s best-kept secrets “ was first appeared on nowtoronto.com

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[betweenandbeloved]

This stuff is OLD!

I don’t have a clue what day it is anymore. We do so much every day that each day feels like five.  So I guess it’s technically day 5 of the trip, day 3 of sightseeing? I’m exhausted, my muscles are starting to hurt, and my brain is definitely exploding.  I think my biggest takeaway right now is just the fact of how OLD all these things are! Like we joke about being old each year on our birthday, but like, some of the things I’ve seen lately are thousands and thousands of years old. Like, it’s ridiculous. I am so small in comparison to this world. I see the ruins and yet I can’t seem to comprehend just how old they are. It’s insane.

We started the day at Tel Hazor (the word tel + city name meaning an ancient city was discovered thanks to nature) a Canaanite City mentioned in the Hebrew Bible.  This was once the largest city in the whole region reaching over 200 acres (Jerusalem is only 13 acres).  The book of Joshua talked about the fact that the King of Hazor was the strongest of the Canaanite kings and was able to unite them all against the Israelites who were moving into Canaan.  The city was destroyed when Joshua conquered it and set it on fire (Joshua 11); archaeologists know this to be true because the stones discovered were cracked in a way that only happens under the pressure of fire, and a layer of ash covered everything.  So that was pretty cool.  Right there a story in the Bible was backed up with evidence!

The city was built and gained its wealth from its strategic placement on the Via Maris trade route mentioned yesterday in relation to Capernaum.  It was very advanced in its technology based on where it was built; not in a mountain allowing it some protection.  The Canaanites knew what they were doing (most of the time at least), though they were a divided people living in different cities under different rulers. They only united to fight off common enemies; first the Egyptians, then the Israelites (though they weren’t successful the second time).

After exploring the ruins of King’s castle, the temple, a house, and the original water spring, we ventured on to Tel Dan. After conquering the land at Mount Hazor, Joshua divided the country into the 12 tribes of Israel. The people of Dan started struggling and left the region.  They came to the city of Laich, conquered it, destroyed it, and rebuilt it to be the City of Dan (Judges 18). Fun fact: the meaning of Jordan is “descendants of Dan.” One of the largest tributaries of the Jordan river flows right through the city of Dan.  

The Assyrians destroyed the city and wiped out the entire northern kingdom at the border.  Today, Dan is still a border city being roughly a mile from the Lebanon/Israeli border.  

Tel Dan starts with a nature preserve walking alongside the fresh spring flowing from Mount Hermon standing just off in the distance.  After sloshing through the mud, playing in the water, and admiring the beautiful plants, we came to the excavated ruins of the city. We stopped at the city walls, a temple, and saw some other houses.  The highlight of the stop was seeing the ancient Caananite archway.  It was constructed in the 20th century BCE and is the oldest gate in the middle east, and possibly the world, to ever be uncovered.  It’s at least 4,000 years old.

This gate tells us a few things.  One, we know it was part of the city Dan conquered and should have been destroyed but wasn’t.  This is because the people of Laisch decided they weren’t going to use it and covered it up, so likely, the people of Dan didn’t know about it. Two, it shows that arches were used well before the Romans and the Greeks making the Canaanite people of Laisch very advanced. Three, this gate can be dated to roughly 2000 BCE, the same time of Abraham and the patriarchs.  Genesis 14:14 says “When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.” 

This is going to be a bit of nerdy rant, so bear with me.  While reading this passage today at the gate, someone mentioned that the City of Dan would not have been built until many years after Abram (later Abraham), so technically at this time the city would have been Laish; but when it was written down, the Hebrew does, in fact, say, Dan. The city was destroyed and unlike other cities, renamed upon its rebuild; so to use Dan as opposed to Laisch was a choice to use the term more familiar to the people. 

Here we are, in Genesis, referencing the city of Laish, which at the time, may have been using this gate before they covered it up. HOW COOL IS THAT? Yet, I still can’t really wrap my mind around it. This thing, right in front of me, is 4000+ years old. My brain hurts just trying to comprehend it all.

We moved on from Tel Dan to the New Testament site of Cesarea Philippi. The city was built by the Jewish son of Herod the Great, Philip, who turned it into a Pagan city worshipping false god’s and engaging in frivolity (parties and sex). After coming from some Hebrew Bible sites with such historic meaning, it was kind of funny to all of a sudden be standing at the Gate of Hell thinking about Jesus hanging around in this party city (Matthew 16).

After wandering around the ruins of Cesarea Philippi, we went to the town of Mas’sad. It is one of the surviving Syrian towns in the Golan Heights region that was taken back by the Israeli State from Syria.  We had a quick lunch and then went to Mount Bental for an overlook from the Golan Heights at Israel, Syria, and even (on the other side of Mount Hermon), Lebanon. So not quite three borders, but sort of! It was beautiful, but also rich and painful with the history of conflict between the Israeli State and Syria.  Feel free to look that up if you’re interested.

I feel like each day's post keeps ending the same way: I’m exhausted. At least for dinner, I got some amazing chicken nuggets, so that at least was a little homey.  Already, in the last few days, this trip has been the journey of a lifetime. I’ve learned so much about the Bible and history, I’ve had experiences with my faith and confronting the reality of the Bible, and I personally feel like I’ve been on more of a pilgrimage of understanding than a tourist trap tour.  It’s been amazing...and yet we still have so many days to go! Tomorrow 

[bisoroblog]

How Harry Potter Has Brought Magic To Classrooms For More Than 20 Years

Whether you’re a Gryffindor, a Hufflepuff, a Ravenclaw, a Slytherin or a muggle still hoping your Hogwarts letter will arrive by owl, it is undeniable that the Harry Potter fandom has had a lasting impact throughout the world.

September marked the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’s U.S. release. NPR asked teachers then to tell us how the book has changed the way they teach. We learned that a lot has changed since 1998. Quidditch is no longer just game of fantasy. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is more than a textbook to pick up in Diagon Alley. And Hogwarts is no longer a place you can only dream of visiting.

More than 1,000 educators, from elementary teachers to university professors, responded to NPR’s callout with stories about how they incorporate the Harry Potter series into their curriculum and classrooms.

Changing how some classrooms look — and feel

Teachers like Ben VanDonge and Kate Keyes are two-thirds of a fifth-grade teaching team in Walla Walla, Wash. This year marks their third year doing an all-encompassing Harry Potter theme.

“We have a sorting ceremony at the end of the year to let kids know which homeroom they’ll have, play our own version of quidditch about once a month,” VanDonge says.

VanDonge’s classroom is decked out in Ravenclaw blue and bronze while Keyes has Hufflepuff’s black and yellow. The building is older and has arched windows, much like those at Hogwarts that let natural light stream in. In one corner of Keyes’ room is a Whomping Willow, the tree that terrorized Harry and Ron after they crash-landed Mr. Weasley’s enchanted car between its branches.

And after a couple of years with just Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw representation, Keyes and VanDonge convinced their third partner teacher to join in on the engaging learning community.

This year his students are Gryffindors.

After being sorted into their houses and homerooms, the fifth graders begin their deeper dive into the wizarding world.

J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series story books sit in a bookstore July 6, 2000 in Arlington, Va. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

“We burn through Sorcerer’s Stone in about three weeks as a read aloud using the Jim Kay illustrated edition so all our kids have access to the theme and don’t just think we’re crazy,” VanDonge says. “We refer back to the story frequently as we teach language arts concepts, too.”

VanDonge and Keyes said they felt like they struck gold when they heard how the curriculum was helping their students outside of school.

“We knew that we were doing a good thing when at conferences…we had numerous parents tell us it was the first time that their kids had been excited to go to school since kindergarten,” VanDonge says. “Or tell us that they’ve never been able to get their kids to read at all before and now they’re having to have lights out rules.”

Everyone isn’t a fan

As enthusiastic as some parents are about how Harry Potter has helped their children in school, it hasn’t always been that way.

A year after the first book’s U.S. release, it found a place on the list of most challenged books compiled by the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. The series had a steady presence on this list and even topped it at times, through 2003.

Parents in many states tried to push school boards and districts to ban the books.

One of the biggest criticisms of the series comes on religious grounds that the books promote occultism and magic.

In October 1999, author Judy Blume penned an Op-Ed in The New York Times titled “Is Harry Potter Evil?”

As an author, Blume is familiar with challenges to children’s literature as some of her works have also topped the banned books list.

Blume wrote, “I knew this was coming. The only surprise is that it took so long — as long as it took for the zealots who claim they’re protecting children from evil (and evil can be found lurking everywhere these days) to discover that children actually like these books.”

Today, there are still parents opposed to the series and some schools don’t allow the books to be taught or included in teachers’ curriculum.

Cynthia Richardson teaches eighth grade English just north of Bellingham, Wash. She uses the wizarding world as a basis for her behavioral management system, but she does not teach the books.

“I kind of started growing the classroom and making the classroom look like the world of Harry Potter…that’s when I started encountering some parents who were hesitant,” Richardson says. “So I actually put a disclaimer in my syllabus that this was not intended to teach witchcraft or that I was not going to teach the book because parents had been saying ‘we don’t agree with that book option.’ ”

Richardson has had some parents ask that their children not be placed in her class because of the theme. Other parents who have been initially opposed or unsure have at times met with her to discuss the situation.

She says all of the pushback she has gotten stems from the theme of witchcraft in the books. This is something Richardson can relate to. Growing up, she says her parents did not allow her to read the books, so her first experience with them was in a children’s literature course during college.

“You know, I understand wanting to protect children from things that we think they’re not ready for, especially some of the later books that are much darker, and I talk with them about what the power of literature can be” Richardson says. “How maybe it’s an opportunity for them to read with their child in this case and talk about those themes and talk about the struggles that are in them and what a powerful learning opportunity that could be for the child.”

Magic as a tool to bridge the gap

Since the series began, more than 500 million copies of the books have been sold worldwide, according to Pottermore, and the books are available to readers in 80 languages.

Deborah Stack teaches English as a second language at a middle school in the Bronx, N.Y., and says her classroom is mainly divided between Spanish speakers and Arabic speakers. Finding engaging material in those two languages has been hard, Stack says, especially because her students vary in their reading levels in both their native languages and English.

But this year, she decided to try reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone with them after she found the digital editions in both Spanish and Arabic.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone isn’t just a unite for fifth-grade teachers Kate Keyes and Ben VanDonge, it’s a year-round theme for their classrooms. (Courtesy of Mark VanDonge)

“They were so into it like I would end class and they would moan,” Stacks says. “They would be like, ‘Oh, it’s over. I want to read more,’ which never happens. It’s just like the perfect combination of accessible language.”

As her students continued to make their way through the first book over this fall semester, Stack says she watched conversations start between the kids who didn’t speak the same language.

“When you start making sure the whole class is reading the same story and that story is really exciting, that story is really engaging, you start to see kids like really talking between language groups and debating and arguing,” she says.

It was this moment that really made her excited as a teacher.

“You’re seeing this amazing dialogue in English between a native Arabic speaker and a native Spanish speaker and they’re utilizing their English and are talking about the same story,” Stack says. “They’re not doing it because I asked them to, they’re doing it because they’re really excited about the story and that’s where you get the authentic debate and discussion, which is what you want in an English classroom.”

Discovering the magic

For many of the teachers who watch their students discover the magic of reading that the series brings, it reminds them of their own introduction to the series.

Shehtaz Huq was 9 and at her grandmother’s funeral in Bangladesh when she found the first book in her aunt’s purse.

“She gave me the book to read because that was the first time that I had experienced death in the family and I didn’t know how to deal with grief and then the book opened with the death and grief and loss, so that really resonated with me,” Huq says.

Huq quickly devoured the rest of books as they came out and went on to become sixth grade English teacher. In her classroom, all of her students receive a Hogwarts letter at the beginning of the year. On one wall the Hogwarts Express is waiting at platform 9 ¾ with inspirational quotes coming out of the engine’s smokestack.

There’s also dementors because Huq says she wants her students to “see the dichotomy of good and evil.”

“In sixth grade, we read a set of novels and the essential understanding is how individuals can overcome adversity through the help of community,” Huq says. “I wanted students to see how the students at Hogwarts and the adults in Hogwarts found their community whether it was their biological family or their chosen family.”

More than a literature lesson

The Harry Potter books are a natural choice for English and literature classes, but that hasn’t stopped STEM teachers from finding connections for their students.

Kelsey Hillenbrand teaches middle school math in Evansville, Ind. Floating candles like those in the Great Hall hang from her ceiling along with moving portraits for an immersive experience.

Hillenbrand acknowledges that part of the nature of math is to learn concepts and then review and practice them, but for at least three times during the year, she goes one step further with her classroom theme.

“When we were studying fractions and decimals, I cover all of my desks with butcher paper to look like the wooden tables that you see in Snape’s classroom — and we had potions class.

Cauldrons were placed in front of students, along with their supplies, and a large packet of problems, because after all, it’s still math class.

“I think they ended up solving like 60 questions that were all fractions and decimals. But each page had its own little puzzle so that they knew how much of each ingredient to add to their cauldron,” Hillenbrand says.

In the end, Hillenbrand checks to make sure the solution is the right tint before the students get to drink their potions.

“They’re learning something and it’s just taking that fear and that edge out of it and to see them come back in and say ‘What are we going to do today, Mrs. Hillenbrand?’,” she says.

That excitement and openness to learning is what many of these teachers consider the true magic of Harry Potter and they have no plans of stopping.

Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

How Harry Potter Has Brought Magic To Classrooms For More Than 20 Years published first on https://dlbusinessnow.tumblr.com/

[perfectzablog]

How Harry Potter Has Brought Magic To Classrooms For More Than 20 Years

Whether you’re a Gryffindor, a Hufflepuff, a Ravenclaw, a Slytherin or a muggle still hoping your Hogwarts letter will arrive by owl, it is undeniable that the Harry Potter fandom has had a lasting impact throughout the world.

September marked the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’s U.S. release. NPR asked teachers then to tell us how the book has changed the way they teach. We learned that a lot has changed since 1998. Quidditch is no longer just game of fantasy. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is more than a textbook to pick up in Diagon Alley. And Hogwarts is no longer a place you can only dream of visiting.

More than 1,000 educators, from elementary teachers to university professors, responded to NPR’s callout with stories about how they incorporate the Harry Potter series into their curriculum and classrooms.

Changing how some classrooms look — and feel

Teachers like Ben VanDonge and Kate Keyes are two-thirds of a fifth-grade teaching team in Walla Walla, Wash. This year marks their third year doing an all-encompassing Harry Potter theme.

“We have a sorting ceremony at the end of the year to let kids know which homeroom they’ll have, play our own version of quidditch about once a month,” VanDonge says.

VanDonge’s classroom is decked out in Ravenclaw blue and bronze while Keyes has Hufflepuff’s black and yellow. The building is older and has arched windows, much like those at Hogwarts that let natural light stream in. In one corner of Keyes’ room is a Whomping Willow, the tree that terrorized Harry and Ron after they crash-landed Mr. Weasley’s enchanted car between its branches.

And after a couple of years with just Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw representation, Keyes and VanDonge convinced their third partner teacher to join in on the engaging learning community.

This year his students are Gryffindors.

After being sorted into their houses and homerooms, the fifth graders begin their deeper dive into the wizarding world.

J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series story books sit in a bookstore July 6, 2000 in Arlington, Va. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

“We burn through Sorcerer’s Stone in about three weeks as a read aloud using the Jim Kay illustrated edition so all our kids have access to the theme and don’t just think we’re crazy,” VanDonge says. “We refer back to the story frequently as we teach language arts concepts, too.”

VanDonge and Keyes said they felt like they struck gold when they heard how the curriculum was helping their students outside of school.

“We knew that we were doing a good thing when at conferences…we had numerous parents tell us it was the first time that their kids had been excited to go to school since kindergarten,” VanDonge says. “Or tell us that they’ve never been able to get their kids to read at all before and now they’re having to have lights out rules.”

Everyone isn’t a fan

As enthusiastic as some parents are about how Harry Potter has helped their children in school, it hasn’t always been that way.

A year after the first book’s U.S. release, it found a place on the list of most challenged books compiled by the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. The series had a steady presence on this list and even topped it at times, through 2003.

Parents in many states tried to push school boards and districts to ban the books.

One of the biggest criticisms of the series comes on religious grounds that the books promote occultism and magic.

In October 1999, author Judy Blume penned an Op-Ed in The New York Times titled “Is Harry Potter Evil?”

As an author, Blume is familiar with challenges to children’s literature as some of her works have also topped the banned books list.

Blume wrote, “I knew this was coming. The only surprise is that it took so long — as long as it took for the zealots who claim they’re protecting children from evil (and evil can be found lurking everywhere these days) to discover that children actually like these books.”

Today, there are still parents opposed to the series and some schools don’t allow the books to be taught or included in teachers’ curriculum.

Cynthia Richardson teaches eighth grade English just north of Bellingham, Wash. She uses the wizarding world as a basis for her behavioral management system, but she does not teach the books.

“I kind of started growing the classroom and making the classroom look like the world of Harry Potter…that’s when I started encountering some parents who were hesitant,” Richardson says. “So I actually put a disclaimer in my syllabus that this was not intended to teach witchcraft or that I was not going to teach the book because parents had been saying ‘we don’t agree with that book option.’ ”

Richardson has had some parents ask that their children not be placed in her class because of the theme. Other parents who have been initially opposed or unsure have at times met with her to discuss the situation.

She says all of the pushback she has gotten stems from the theme of witchcraft in the books. This is something Richardson can relate to. Growing up, she says her parents did not allow her to read the books, so her first experience with them was in a children’s literature course during college.

“You know, I understand wanting to protect children from things that we think they’re not ready for, especially some of the later books that are much darker, and I talk with them about what the power of literature can be” Richardson says. “How maybe it’s an opportunity for them to read with their child in this case and talk about those themes and talk about the struggles that are in them and what a powerful learning opportunity that could be for the child.”

Magic as a tool to bridge the gap

Since the series began, more than 500 million copies of the books have been sold worldwide, according to Pottermore, and the books are available to readers in 80 languages.

Deborah Stack teaches English as a second language at a middle school in the Bronx, N.Y., and says her classroom is mainly divided between Spanish speakers and Arabic speakers. Finding engaging material in those two languages has been hard, Stack says, especially because her students vary in their reading levels in both their native languages and English.

But this year, she decided to try reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone with them after she found the digital editions in both Spanish and Arabic.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone isn’t just a unite for fifth-grade teachers Kate Keyes and Ben VanDonge, it’s a year-round theme for their classrooms. (Courtesy of Mark VanDonge)

“They were so into it like I would end class and they would moan,” Stacks says. “They would be like, ‘Oh, it’s over. I want to read more,’ which never happens. It’s just like the perfect combination of accessible language.”

As her students continued to make their way through the first book over this fall semester, Stack says she watched conversations start between the kids who didn’t speak the same language.

“When you start making sure the whole class is reading the same story and that story is really exciting, that story is really engaging, you start to see kids like really talking between language groups and debating and arguing,” she says.

It was this moment that really made her excited as a teacher.

“You’re seeing this amazing dialogue in English between a native Arabic speaker and a native Spanish speaker and they’re utilizing their English and are talking about the same story,” Stack says. “They’re not doing it because I asked them to, they’re doing it because they’re really excited about the story and that’s where you get the authentic debate and discussion, which is what you want in an English classroom.”

Discovering the magic

For many of the teachers who watch their students discover the magic of reading that the series brings, it reminds them of their own introduction to the series.

Shehtaz Huq was 9 and at her grandmother’s funeral in Bangladesh when she found the first book in her aunt’s purse.

“She gave me the book to read because that was the first time that I had experienced death in the family and I didn’t know how to deal with grief and then the book opened with the death and grief and loss, so that really resonated with me,” Huq says.

Huq quickly devoured the rest of books as they came out and went on to become sixth grade English teacher. In her classroom, all of her students receive a Hogwarts letter at the beginning of the year. On one wall the Hogwarts Express is waiting at platform 9 ¾ with inspirational quotes coming out of the engine’s smokestack.

There’s also dementors because Huq says she wants her students to “see the dichotomy of good and evil.”

“In sixth grade, we read a set of novels and the essential understanding is how individuals can overcome adversity through the help of community,” Huq says. “I wanted students to see how the students at Hogwarts and the adults in Hogwarts found their community whether it was their biological family or their chosen family.”

More than a literature lesson

The Harry Potter books are a natural choice for English and literature classes, but that hasn’t stopped STEM teachers from finding connections for their students.

Kelsey Hillenbrand teaches middle school math in Evansville, Ind. Floating candles like those in the Great Hall hang from her ceiling along with moving portraits for an immersive experience.

Hillenbrand acknowledges that part of the nature of math is to learn concepts and then review and practice them, but for at least three times during the year, she goes one step further with her classroom theme.

“When we were studying fractions and decimals, I cover all of my desks with butcher paper to look like the wooden tables that you see in Snape’s classroom — and we had potions class.

Cauldrons were placed in front of students, along with their supplies, and a large packet of problems, because after all, it’s still math class.

“I think they ended up solving like 60 questions that were all fractions and decimals. But each page had its own little puzzle so that they knew how much of each ingredient to add to their cauldron,” Hillenbrand says.

In the end, Hillenbrand checks to make sure the solution is the right tint before the students get to drink their potions.

“They’re learning something and it’s just taking that fear and that edge out of it and to see them come back in and say ‘What are we going to do today, Mrs. Hillenbrand?’,” she says.

That excitement and openness to learning is what many of these teachers consider the true magic of Harry Potter and they have no plans of stopping.

Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

How Harry Potter Has Brought Magic To Classrooms For More Than 20 Years published first on https://greatpricecourse.tumblr.com/

[kaiju-claws]

The beast has a purpose: Roleplaying Kaiju in TTRPG’s (part 1)

When I first read the original entries of the Godzilla D20 project, I was very excited at the prospect of getting to play as my favorite kaiju. I could just imagine the light filtering down through the dark waters of Tokyo bay, the waves cascading away from me as I rose to the surface, my glowing reptilian eyes scanning the city before me... I eagerly dove in to the rest of the articles. But it didn't take long to realize that I wouldn't be playing as Godzilla, but a mortal follower of him! It would be years before I made a character with those articles, a member of the Splintered Atom, preeminent church of Godzilla in the land of Janjira! More than 10 years have passed since that time, and I've moved on from playing as a character to mostly dungeon mastering. I've come full circle: I DO get to play as the Godzilla now! But playing a kaiju is much different from playing a bloodthirsty goblin, wise old Treant, or capricious dragon. What's a DM to do? So here's a little advice that I thought I could share about running a kaiju in a TTRPG. We'll cover focus, treatment, and player interactions with an example or 2 from my own home game added in.

"Nature has an Order"

As the DM, you know the game isn't about you or your campaign; it's about your players. They are the stars of the show, the heroes (or villains) of the story. Because of that, adding a kaiju to the mix can be quite a daunting to the players. From my own game, one of my players expressed concern early on about adding kaiju into the game. How was he supposed to be the hero, he asked, if Godzilla just showed up in the last 15 minutes and stomped on the bad guy? And that is a very valid question. It has stuck with me throughout the entirety of my stint as DM. Kaiju, from lowly Baragon to the imposing King Ghidorah, are powerful narrative forces. So think carefully about adding one to your campaign before sticking one in. They can add an extra layer of drama to your game or they can derail it. Be careful! 

"It sees us!"

An issue often cited against kaiju in films is that when they show up, the human cast stops forwarding the plot. For example, in Godzilla vs Mothra (92) and Godzilla 2000, once the monsters start to fight, the rest of the cast simply stops to watch. Don't let this happen to your players! It can be very tempting, very easy, for a kaiju enthusiastic DM to start narrating the ongoing events of a monster coming ashore and neglecting the players. Don't fall into that trap! When a kaiju appears, it should be an incredible event, but your focus should be on how the players react to it. Make the local militia or the army retaliate, but place the majority of your focus on what your players will be doing. How will your valorous paladin react when he learns that the orphanage is in the monster's path? What will the loyal Knight do when he realizes that the King is going to ride out and attack the creature despite it's unstoppable power? Is this the time when the evil wizard decides to seize the initiative and take the arch-mage's staff from his tower? Let the player's make the most of the kaiju landing!

Of further consideration is interacting with the kaiju. If you are using the Toho Kingdom D20 articles for a basis, then you know that the kaiju are incredibly powerful creatures. A non-mythic character could be slain very quickly depending on their level and abilities, so you need to ensure that the players know the stakes. Mechanically speaking, a level 6 fighter isn't going to be able to stop Godzilla, nor does it make sense from a story perspective. So give the players another way to "win" the encounter. Have them lure Godzilla away from the city with a strange glowing stone kept in the city museum. Let the heroes detonate makeshift explosives on the cliff side, dropping Godzilla back into the ocean below. Or how about letting the players steal a tank or MASER cannon to try to distract him while the civilians escape? Only let the players actually battle a kaiju like Godzilla as a last resort. Because whatever the outcome of such a battle is, someone's going to leave unhappy.

Most exciting to me, the characters can attempt to communicate with the kaiju. If one of your players wants to speak with a kaiju, let them try it but don't ever let the kaiju speak a language that the players understand. Something funny might have happened back in Tokyo, but the players should never hear Godzilla say that in common. Let the kaiju understand languages like common or draconic, but have them communicate empathically. Think back to Godzilla and Shindo in Godzilla vs King Ghidorah. All that emotion, all that feeling, comes from Godzilla's eyes and snarl, but not a word of Japanese or English is shared between them. And so, if the player really want to have a face to face with a kaiju of their choice, make that a quest worth undertaking. They have to gain the attention of the kaiju, and then look them in the eyes. That's where they'll be able to see a glimmer of personality and understanding (or not! Keep it mysterious!). Otherwise, let the notice of the players by the kaiju be incidental at best (such as when Ford and Godzilla locking eyes in Godzilla (2014). After all, what kind of madman would want the attention of a living natural disaster or a walking nuclear weapon? :)