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hedwigstalons · 4 years ago

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High Expectations - Ch17

This was meant to be a fic about Gordon but as I get further through the timeline the other brothers start waving more and pointing out that they are an important part of this and should be considered too. Alan has been feeling a bit left out and wants some attention.

Thanks to @willow-salix for her amazing editorial skills and ‘quick chats’ that are somehow never very quick.

Earlier parts: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen,

AO3 chapter link

Chapter Seventeen

If Gordon’s journey out to Marineville for officer selection had been different to his first visit to the base it was nothing compared to the contrast of the journey home. This time his journey north had needed no furtive sneaking off, no cover stories and no lies. There had still been plenty of butterflies in anticipation of the trials ahead but he had faced those trials with the blessing and support of his family. His father had even travelled to the airport with him rather than entrusting him solely to a driver.

The journey south, however, was accompanied by butterflies an order of magnitude greater.

As he exited Marineville to board the bus back to the airport it was impossible to miss the imposing hire car in the visitors’ parking lot or the even more imposing man stood next to it. So far he had managed to maintain a level of anonymity but as he left the cluster of participants he was acutely aware of the whisperings behind him. He ignored the mutterings and strode over to his father, his head held high, it didn’t matter if they worked out who he was now, he knew he had earned his place on his own merits.

“So Gordon, how did it go?” There was still that look of pre-emptive sternness, as though Jeff was waiting to receive another mediocre report card.

Gordon couldn’t stop the grin that flashed across his face or the air of cocky smugness, he was riding the wave of success again and it felt good. “Aced it. The standard was a lot higher and only about a third of us got through but when the next intake comes around you are looking at the newest recruit to WASP.”

The sternness dropped away and was replaced by the look of pride Gordon had seen directed at his brothers far more than himself. “Good, son. You can tell me about it on the journey home.”

As they headed away from the base Gordon recounted the tests and challenges he had faced. For Jeff it was like having a much younger Gordon back, the one who had regaled him with tales of race wins and given blow by blow accounts of dives, turns and sprint finishes. His fourth son spoke freely and animatedly in a way he hadn’t heard for years and Jeff realised just how much of his sons’ lives, all of them, he had missed out on by burying himself in his work and leaving the boys to fend for themselves. He was trying to be more involved again, to listen to them, but his sons had gotten used to existing without him around. All too often he’d come in to hear Gordon ending a call to one of the others, usually Virgil, or arrive home just as Alan was finishing telling Gordon about his day. He rarely got to hear their news now and was almost never the first to be told; it didn’t make it any easier knowing this was a situation of his own making.

Jeff drove them, not to the main Marineville airport, but to a much smaller private air strip just out of town. As they turned off the route being followed by the shuttle bus Gordon kicked himself for not realising sooner that they wouldn’t be on the regular flight. Of course they wouldn’t, his father hadn’t taken a scheduled flight in years.

As they entered the cockpit of the jet Jeff slipped into the co-pilot’s position leaving the main pilot’s seat for Gordon. It had been an intensive few months going from minimal experience at the controls through to being able to take charge of the family jet. His swimming training had always prevented him from experiencing this part of the family education before but now his time in the skies had him thrown in at the metaphorical deep end in the race to get qualified before starting WASP training. Scott of course had gained his private licence on his seventeenth birthday, desperate to achieve official recognition at the earliest possible moment, and Virgil and John hadn’t been much older than the official minimum themselves. Gordon’s dedication had been tested as he crammed in what the others had spent years learning gradually.

This was where the butterflies came in.

He still wasn’t yet able to fly unaccompanied but he was getting closer. Today though it seemed he was to be tested to a whole new level. A two hour flight down the coast, taking off from an unfamiliar runway, was a jump up from the short flights he had taken until now. To make that leap while utterly exhausted following a gruelling three day selection course was perhaps a step too far.

He looked to his father for confirmation that this really was what was expected of him and received only a silent nod in return but if there was one element of being a Tracy that Gordon had truly mastered it was not backing down from a challenge. He pushed the tiredness away, buried the self-doubt with it, and with Jeff next to him scrutinising his every move he requested permission from the tower and taxied out onto the runway.

Jeff stayed silent as Gordon completed the maneuver. He watched the precise and controlled movements his son made, finding little to pick fault with despite watching with a highly critical eye. He knew Gordon must be desperate for his bed, the dark bags under his eyes a testament to what his body had been subjected to, but he needed to be sure his son would be capable of rising to a challenge. Now that he knew Gordon had been accepted into WASP and would receive rigorous training on all manner of submersibles his son changed status from dependent child to potential rescue operative.

He had already started considering the possibilities of expanding the scope of his organisation to include water rescues, indeed he already had the first concept sketches for a submarine, but for that to become a reality he needed an aquanaut. Being accepted into WASP was a start but until Gordon held both his pilot's licenses, for both up in the sky and under the waves, Jeff wasn’t yet ready to consider his fourth son as a full part of his vision and so for now he was content to watch, and wait, and plan, leaving Gordon ignorant of his ideas.

xoxoxox

Barely a week after the selection course the letter arrived confirming what Gordon had already been told at the end of the trials, that he would be joining the next officer training intake. Even though the contents of the letter were no surprise it was still reassuring to see it in black and white, indisputable proof that WASP had confidence in him and that his future path was set.

“So, when do you start?” Jeff asked across the dinner table.

“Huh?” Gordon snapped his head up in surprise, he had been oblivious to the room around him as he read the letter through several times, drinking in the validation it gave him while butterflies fluttered in his stomach at the prospect of actually going off and doing it. “Oh, um, beginning of July, then it’s…”

He didn’t get any further. The scrape of chair and the clatter of discarded cutlery cut him off as Alan flew from the room and disappeared down the hallway, the slam of a bedroom door confirming where he had gone to ground. Jeff sighed and half rose from the table, his expression showing anger at the rudeness of the departed teen, but Gordon waved him down.

“No, I’ll deal with this.”

Gordon had been sensing the impending storm ever since he got back from Marineville. Amongst the congratulations of the family one voice had been noticeably absent and it seemed that the official confirmation letter was all that had been needed to bring it to a head. The last thing he needed was for their father to make a difficult situation worse by laying down the law.

Alan’s room was the typical teenage mess. Clothes lay discarded on the floor and various electronics were piled on surfaces next to empty water glasses but in amongst all the mess it was clear where his passions lay. It was like wandering into an untidier version of John’s room. Star maps adorned the walls and there was a model rocket that Gordon had every confidence could make it into space if that was how Alan had designed it. The difference between this room and the usually unoccupied one next door, apart from the mess, were the newspaper cuttings, article print outs and piles of Olympic memorabilia that vied for space with the astronomical paraphernalia. Dotted around the room was evidence of a devotion to Gordon and the swimmer was sure you could piece together the story of his sporting career if only you took the time to collate the collection.

“Alan…”

“Leave me alone, it’s what you’re going to do anyway.” The voice was muffled, smothered by the pillow in which Alan was buried face down.

“Alan, please, talk to me.” Gordon picked his way carefully across the room and sat on the edge of the bed next to the sprawled figure. The only answer he got was a choked sob and he felt a wave of guilt at the upset his brother was feeling.

“I hate it here. I hate it. I hate it.” Alan sat up and glared at his brother, there was venom in the voice as anger crept in around the upset. “Everyone gets to leave and I’m going to be stuck here on my own. Maybe Virgil will add me to his pity list and call me cos you sure as hell won’t have the time. I don’t want to be his next pet project and charity case though.”

Alan’s words cut deep, as he had intended them to, and Gordon found himself wondering if that was all he’d been to Virgil, a project to feed Virgil’s desire to help people. Surely not? The friendship and growing bond between them felt real enough but the familiar doubts began to creep in about his self worth. He tried to shake them off, knowing the dark places such thoughts could lead him to.

“That’s if Virg can even make time for me in his busy schedule once he goes off to Tracy College. Why the hell does he need to get space rated anyway? He’s never shown any interest in being an astronaut before. Fine, John’s pretty much had his name down for the space programme since birth but why does Virgil get to go too?”

So that explained the animosity towards Virgil, Alan was harbouring a deep jealousy that he was getting to do something that was Alan’s own dream. The youngest Tracy had always made it clear that he would be the third of that name to head into space after his father and middle brother and yet here was Virgil taking his spot, seemingly on a whim. This, coupled with the growing bond between Gordon and Virgil, had evidently ignited a burning resentment.

A shuddering breath wracked the Alan’s body as the primary reason for his upset flooded back into his mind. “I..I don’t want you to go.”

Whatever the issues were with Virgil, Gordon couldn’t shy away from the fact that he had been slowly drifting away from Alan to set up a new life. He had been Alan’s primary source of company for so long, had been a confidante and carer to the younger boy, and now he was heading off leaving Alan facing a future of loneliness. Their father was trying to be more involved but he was still a virtual stranger in Alan’s life and had a lot to learn about parenting teenagers.

He wanted to let Alan know that it would all be ok. Wanted to tell him that soon enough he would be out of this hateful city and in a place where their father and at least some of his brothers would be around a lot more. He wanted to tell him about the rockets and the space station and everything that he knew would ignite his little brother’s passion. But he couldn’t. Even if their father hadn’t expressly forbidden it there was still a fundamental issue in that the island wasn’t actually theirs yet and until the deeds were signed and move confirmed he just couldn’t plant the seeds of the dream in Alan’s mind if there was any chance of the dream crashing down. Instead he had to make do with platitudes that must have felt empty to the devastated teen.

“It’ll be ok, you’ll see.”

“Will it?” The words were spat at him.

“It will; trust me on this. I’m not going anywhere for a little while yet and I’ll still be able to call, I’m going to be at Marineville not Mars. Those first 6 month of training will be pretty intense but I’ll still get some time off.”

“And what about after that? What about when you aren’t at Marineville but you’re getting sent all over the place like Scott does? You won’t be able to just pick up the phone or head back for a weekend if you’re under water on the other side of the world. You may as well be on Mars then.”

Gordon slung an arm around his younger sibling, drawing that smaller form into a hug. He half expected Alan to pull away but he took it as a good sign that the anger was burning out when Alan acquiesced and leaned in heavily against him.

Alan felt like his whole world was dropping away. Of course he had known this moment would come but the arrival of the letter had just hammered home the inevitability of the situation. He felt angry at Gordon, angry at their father and more than a little angry at himself. He was fifteen for goodness sake, he shouldn’t be needing hugs from his big brother, but he still didn’t pull away from that warm hold. There was something comforting about those strong arms, honed through years of hard exercise, that made him feel safe and with that feeling of safety came the assurance of familial love. He clung to it, knowing that all too soon his last brother would be leaving just like the others had; his big family had run out, he was the last and he would be alone.

Of course he had been alone before, Gordon had been away enough times at competitions that he was capable of fending for himself but this time was different. This wasn’t just a few days with the excitement of following the swimming results to keep him occupied, this was a whole new future and he was facing the prospect of being alone with the father who seemed barely aware of his existence. The next few years stretched bleakly ahead of him leaving a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“None of us know what the future holds but even when I’m not here you aren’t going to be on your own. You’ve got four big brothers and we all care about you, you will always be able to get hold of one of us. I need to do this though, Al. If it wasn’t Marineville it would have been college somewhere and it won’t be much longer before you’re choosing what you want to do with your future too.”

There was a damp sniff. “Gonna miss you.” The admission was a quiet whisper but it stabbed deeply into Gordon’s heart.

“Gonna miss you too, Sprout”

They sat there a while longer, each lost to their silent thoughts but still needing that physical contact. Gordon sincerely hoped it would be okay. He’d been so focussed on his own future and excited about the prospect of a fresh start and fresh challenges that he hadn’t fully considered what he would be leaving behind, or rather who he would be leaving behind. He had been looking out for Alan for nearly five years and now he would be leaving. Alan’s whole life had been punctuated by loss as first his mother, and then the brothers who had stepped up in her place, disappeared one by one. Now he would be adding another loss to the pile leaving Alan behind with just the father who had been far too distant for far too long.

#High Expectations #thunderbirds #thunderbirds fanfiction #military selection #abandonment #loss #loneliness

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tri-valley-airporter-blog · 7 years ago

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Benefits of Hiring Airport Shuttle Service in California

San Jose is one of the main areas in Silicon Valley because of many big companies have offices here that attract loads of people around the world every year to come and find place for them. San Jose has an international airport that witness many new people every day. There is always hustle and bustle on airport due to this enriched city. Some just come to meet their family or friends, while some come to find job or for business meeting.

We at Tri Valley Airporter offer elegant and world-class airport shuttle services at SFO, OAK, SJC airports from Tracy city and surrounding areas. We understand the real value of time and how much it is precious when it comes to catch a flight. Just a one second delay can stop anyone to get on the plane and wait for the next flight and often many people go through this awful and harassing experience that makes them to wait for the next flight which keeps them waiting for hours or may be entire day. Well often hiring bad shuttle service or going through own car can lead to this problem, but the case is often minimal. We are not saying that; we are the best and rest is not good as like us. We are very confident of our services and we take pride in saying that too.

We have always fulfilled our duties of being an amazing and best Tracy airport shuttle service providing company since our formation. Our drivers are very friendly and very punctual of time and without any delay they reach to you in given time because time is what the most important in our business beside passengers. If we not respect time then it means we aren’t serious regarding our services and it is not good enough to raise bars of proving authentic services.

So what are you waiting for? Come and hire us to get unique experience from Tracy to SJC airport without any kind of hassle. We guarantee you that; once you will board our shuttle, you will only hire us to the airport because we serve in best possible way and try to keep thing in order. To book us, visit our website and make early reservation for your travel. You an even call us in case of emergency, we will drop you at your destination.

#tracy airport shuttle #tracy to sfo #tracy to oak #tracy to sjc #sfo to tracy #oak to tracy #sjc to tracy

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comic-watch · 7 years ago

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In Case You Missed It: The Quest of Ewilan gets a gorgeous adaption! Image and Top Cow Present Aphrodite V! Shannon Wheeler reveals the MEMOIRS OF A VERY STABLE GENIUS! IDW’s Sonic the Hedgehog and Scout’s Stabbity Bunny Sell Out! WIN a Trip to San Diego Comic Con! and Lion Forge continues to make a difference!

News from the World of Indie Comics you might have missed this week!

IDW EuroComics Begins a new Quest

The Bestselling Pierre Bottero Novels THE QUEST OF EWILAN are being adapted to Gorgeous Graphic Novels, Providing First Visuals of the World of Gwendalavir Before Feature Film

IDW EuroComics proudly presents the English-language debut of The Quest of Ewilan, Vol. 1: From One World to Another, the first chapter in the sequential adaption of Pierre Bottero’s bestselling novel series and a whimsical adventure featuring strong female characters, in the tradition of Lewis’ Narnia and L’Engle’s Time Quartet. Scripted by Lylian and illustrated by Laurence Baldetti, The Quest of Ewilan, Vol. 1 will be available in stores in September.

Image Comics and TopCow’s APHRODITE V—A NEW ENTRY IN THE APHRODITE MYTHOS—ARRIVES THIS JULY

Writer Bryan Hill (POSTAL, BONEHEAD) and artist Jeff Spokes will launch APHRODITE V this July from Image/Top Cow.

In the near future, Los Angeles is a city on the brink of evolution, struggling with a new wave of terror fueled by black-market technology. Enter Aphrodite V: a fugitive from her masters, seeking individuality and purpose. She is the bleeding edge of biomechanics and L.A.’s best hope against a new enemy—one that seeks to become a god among machines.

“This is a great way for people unfamiliar with this side of the Top Cow universe to jump into a story about the intersection of technology, humanity, and justice,” said Hill.

One machine wants to destroy the city. Another has come to save it. Only one will survive. APHRODITE V #1 hits comic book shops Wednesday, July 18th.

Image Comics MEMOIRS OF A VERY STABLE GENIUS—an irreverent and entertaining new book from the creator of Sh*t My President Says

New Yorker cartoonist and multiple Eisner Award-winner Shannon Wheeler (Too Much Coffee Man, Sh*t My President Says, God is Disappointed in You) debuts MEMOIRS OF A VERY STABLE GENIUS this July from Image/Shadowline Comics.

MEMOIRS OF A VERY STABLE GENIUS is an irreverent book of personal short stories and gags featuring Shannon Wheeler’s critically acclaimed humor, pathos, and honesty—including a 40-page full-color section!

“Books are like children. It’s with pride I send this one out into the world to fend for itself, have its heart broken, take a job that will slowly erode all self-respect,” said Wheeler. “That said, this is the best book I’ve ever done.”

MEMOIRS OF A VERY STABLE GENIUS TP hits comic book stores Wednesday, July 11th and bookstores Tuesday, July 17th. The final order cutoff deadline for comics retailers is Monday, June 4th and it can be pre-ordered via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, Indigo, and Books-A-Million.

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG COMIC BOOKS CONTINUE TO SELL OUT

IDW Publishing is proud to announce that the first three issues of the new Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series has sold out at the Distributor level and will receive further printings. In addition to the complete sell-out of issue #2 and #3, each within a week of their release, issue #1’s second printing sold out only six days after its announcement. To satisfy fans and retailers, IDW will make Sonic the Hedgehog #1 Third Printing and Sonic the Hedgehog #2 Second Printing available in stores on Wednesday, May 16th, with Sonic the Hedgehog #3 Second Printing slated for release on May 23rd.

The heat on Sonic the Hedgehog marks a huge success for IDW Publishing, who is launching their first-ever Sonic series with weekly releases throughout the month of April. Each of the first four issues of Sonic the Hedgehog — written by longtime Sonic scribe Ian Flynn and illustrated by rotating artists Tracy Yardley, Adam Bryce Thomas, Jennifer Hernandez, and Evan Stanley — focuses on a different guest star (Tails in issue #1, Amy Rose in #2, and Knuckles in #3, leading into the debut of the hotly anticipated new character Tangle in issue #4).

STABBITY BUNNY #3 FROM SCOUT COMICS GOES BACK FOR SECOND PRINTING!

SCOUT COMICS AND ENTERTAINMENT announces that Scout’s break-out hit for 2018, STABBIY BUNNY by Richard Rivera and Dwayne Biddix, has continued its trend of selling out and issue #3 has gone back to a second printing.

STABBITY BUNNY could take place at the intersection of Sesame Street and Nightmare on Elm Street, where a 100-year-old plush bunny and seven-year-old Grace must combat evil in all its forms. Horror and mystery combine in this captivating series. Stabbity Bunny is published monthly by Scout Comics. Please visit us at  www.ScoutComics.com!

Traveling Stories & IDW Present the Ultimate San Diego Comic-Con® Sweepstakes

Traveling Stories and IDW are proud to launch the annual San Diego Comic-Con® sweepstakes, a contest which will last through June 13th at 3:00pm PT.

Those who enter have a chance of winning the following ultimate experience package: ● Two 4-day passes to sold-out Comic-Con® ● Airfare for 2 within the continental U.S. ● Four nights stay at the Wyndham Bayside in San Diego Gaslamp district ● An exclusive tour of the San Diego Comic Art Gallery with Ted Adams, CEO of IDW ● Airport pickup and shuttle to the gallery, and then to the hotel

Anyone in the world can enter! $10 gives you 10 chances to win. Each additional $1 is another chance – the math is simple. Every dollar is a donation to Traveling Stories, a 501c3 nonprofit organization that empowers kid to outsmart poverty by helping them fall in love with reading by the 4th grade.

“I’ve always been an avid reader, even when I was little. I’m excited that through this sweepstakes we’re able to raise the funds needed to give kids in underprivileged areas the same literary experience I was lucky enough to have,” said Ted Adams, Founder & CEO of IDW Publishing.

How to snag entries in the sweepstakes is easy, fast, and secure via: bit.ly/comic-con-sweeps. Just follow the steps from there!

“Anyone who does not have tickets to San Diego Comic-Con® would be crazy to not enter this sweepstakes! It’s a full and complete package including a cool tour of the Comic Art Gallery with me,” said Emily Moberly, Founder, and CEO of Traveling Stories.

To learn more about Traveling Stories and its programs, please visit travelingstories.org.

LION FORGE JOINS THE CBLDF AS A CORPORATE MEMBER

Lion Forge is proud to join the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund as the organization’s newest Corporate Member! Lion Forge is a trans-media studio with a focus on comics publishing across all age groups. A company committed to “Comics for Everyone,” Lion Forge strives to publish titles that reflect the diversity of our world in the characters, the creators, and the Lion Forge team, creating content that is just as original.

Lion Forge founder and CEO, David Steward II says, “We truly believe we are bringing the brightest and most diverse talent in the industry into the conversation, while creating the most awesome new comics and graphic novels that we — as fans — want to see in the world.”

CBLDF provides legal and educational resources to protect the freedom to read comics. The organization is a partner in Banned Books Week, the Kids’ Right to Read Project, Free Comic Book Day, and other national institutions that support intellectual freedom and literacy. CBLDF’s work extends from courtrooms to classrooms to conventions, where CBLDF defends the freedom to read by providing legal aid, letters of support in book challenges, challenges to unconstitutional legislation, and a robust schedule of programs about current and historical censorship to audiences all over the world.

Lion Forge stands beside Abrams, Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, BOOM! Studios, comiXology, Dark Horse Comics, DC Entertainment, DCBS, Diamond Comic Distributors, Fakku!, IDW Publishing, Image Comics, Lion Forge, Oni Press, Neverwear, Penguin Random House, Rebellion, ReedPOP, Scholastic, SPX, TFAW.com, Valiant, Viz Media, and the Will and Ann Eisner Family Foundation as a corporate member supporting CBLDF’s important work.

Until the next installment of ICYMI, WE’LL BE WATCHING!

Ross Hutchinson was a contributing editor to ICYMI this week. Thanks, Ross!

Join our Age of Social Media Network consisting of X-Men, Marvel, DC, Superhero and Action Movies, Anime, Indie Comics, and numerous fan pages. Interested in becoming a member? Join us by clicking here and pick your favorite group!

ICYMI: INDIE NEWS ROUNDUP for the WEEK ENDING 4-22-2018 #comicwatch #iamawatcher #ICYMI In Case You Missed It: The Quest of Ewilan gets a gorgeous adaption! Image and Top Cow Present…

#Aphrodite V #CBLDF #Comic Book Legal Defense Fund #MEMOIRS OF A VERY STABLE GENIUS #San Diego Comic Con #Sonic The Hedgehog #Stabbity Bunny #The Quest of Ewilan #Traveling Stories

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crystarlet · 7 years ago

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Hispanic Scholarship Fund National Leadership Conference 2017

On the morning of August 17th I fly out of SFO after making Anthony drive me to the airport unreasonably early *pulls neck collar nervously and chuckles*

Anyway, the first HSF scholar I met was actually Brandon, from Gilroy, who sat behind me on the plane. Thursday we were all supposed to wear college gear, so I figured the only other person repping a college would be going to the NLC too. After landing and meeting some other people from our super shuttle -- namely, Derek, Sabrina, and Andrea -- we all checked into the Loews Hotel together.

It was a super pretty place, inside and out, and literally on Hollywood Blvd! None of us got as great of view as Brandon did though since he was on the 17th floor, BUT you could see the Hollywood sign and at night I just adored the twinkle of the city lights.

So we check in, right, and we are like immediately handed a t-shirt, backpack, jacket, business cards, and three different pamphlets. Coming from the Gates conference where we didn’t get all that much and stayed in a regular hotel, I was pretty -- and pleasantly -- surprised.

So on Thursday programming did not start until 4:00 pm, but the group of us had finished checking in around 1:30, so guess who decided to hit Hollywood AGAIN? You got it, this gal *points to self with thumbs up*

So here I am, in front of the Chinese Theater, of course posing with the Harry Potter gang. I guess though you can say -- especially from this picture -- that Emma Watson is hands down the best. *laughter ensues from all reaches of the universe*

And now here I am freaking out over my Legolas/William Turner. (Fun fact: it actually took me a while to realize they were THE SAME PERSON LOL)

Then finally, a group shot before returning for the welcome, keynote reception, and networking session.

When it was time for bed, I decided to get ready for the next day rather than going out since my stuff got all wrinkled on the way there and I just really don’t like wrinkles. I know, I know, I am LAME. But anyway, after fixing my stuff I laid down in bed and next thing you know, I was OUT.

So Friday and Saturday (until 3:00 pm that is) are pretty much packed with programming and team building activities. We heard from multiple speakers including:

Nely Galán - Former President of Telemundo (Ayeeeee), President & CEO of Galan Entertainment, and Founder of The Adelante Movement!

She told us her story about making her way through a catholic school she couldn’t afford by selling avon products from her locker and ultimately becoming the youngest guest editor for Seventeen Magazine (I think). Anyway, point being, Nely is definitely a go-getter, and it really motivated me.

Antonia Hernandez - I think all I have to say about Antonia is that she is absolutely amazing. She spoke briefly in a panel about her experiences growing up in a family which was originally not too supportive of her education and then being, at the time, one of the only women in law school. I think out of all of the speakers I related to her the most in terms of how I was raised, but also the values I hold dear to me. Like Antonia, I think dressing the part is very important -- gotta fake it till you make it, yeah? -- and I also think that having loved ones near is very important. So anyway, as y’all might expect, I left the room in tears because I couldn’t deal with all of the inspiration and emotion.

Edgar Sandoval - Current Chief Operating Officer of World Vision U.S. and former Vice President of Global Feminine Care at The Procter and Gamble Company.

Edgar’s former position dealing with feminine care means that he was responsible for... drum roll please!

youtube

Ah yes, the “Like a Girl” campaign.

Edgar spoke about his experiences coming to the United States and being denied acceptance -- at first -- to the engineering program at his school because of the language barrier, but then graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering AND a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. He continued by saying that he was able to rise and succeed because of those who believed in him like the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, so he wanted this campaign to help millions of girls -- including his daughters, one of which is special needs -- overcome the challenges they may face and succeed. By the time he finished the whole room was at their feet and practically in tears (or at least I was).

Antonia and Edgar were most definitely my favorite speakers of the whole conference (Nely was also up there) and their words are not going to leave me for a long, long time. They certainly don’t know who I am, but one day they will, and I will let them know how much their stories impacted me.

Flash forward to Saturday at 3:00 pm, we all load onto buses and drive on over to Santa Monica!

Before this year, I had not been to the beach (or LA for the matter) but since March, I have been to the same beach three times!

So we all fatten up at this cute little outdoor catered dinner and get unlimited ride wrist bands and 10 dollars for carnival games. Before indulging in the games though, we broke up into our teams for a scav hunt! The items on the list were all California or HSF sponsor themed, so here’s a pic:

Jen, pictured to the left of me won every single carnival game she played, so she ended giving away one of her bears to a couple there, adorbs huh? Anyway, after all the fun and FUNnel cakes, we boarded the buses and headed home around 9. Many of us were exhausted after the beach, so my roommate Tracie, from UT, and I just fell right asleep after we got to the room.

And finally here came Sunday! We all gather in the lobby bright and early for a group photo:

I am aware the quality of this photo is subpar, but professional photos haven’t been released yet, so how about we cut me some slack, yeah?

After the picture was taken, we got some breakfast and listened to Fidel -- President and CEO of HSF -- give us a bit more insight into his background and close the event. My shuttle left almost immediately after the event ended which kind of sucked since I didn’t get to hike to the Hollywood sign with some of the scholars, but I would much rather get home at a reasonable time (sarcastic shout out to LEDA).

All in all, I am really glad I decided to apply to the NLC. I remember hearing about the program during the Gates conference and feeling super intimidated about my chem grades, so I am glad I got over myself and just applied. I still remember the night the application was due and I was trying to build a resume from scratch -- shout out to Ariel and Juju for the help -- the night of nomads.

It was all worth it, and I came out of the program with just a little more clarity, dignity, and discipline. A diploma really is forever. <3

#Hispanic Scholarship Fund

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danasukontarak · 7 years ago

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Dana’s Travel Diary: Views (130 Kilometers) From The 6

I have a bad habit of browsing Google Flights by map and by price calendar, months in advance, for cheap trips I can take, particularly those I can take on 3-day holiday weekends. Visiting Niagara Falls on Memorial Day weekend was the most recent product of that anxious, wander-lustful habit. When I started to plan, I didn’t realize Niagara Falls had a Canadian side and a U.S. side. I just knew I wanted to make an international trip, as an International Woman of Mystery. I’d been to New York, but I’d never been to Canada. So, my friends Kiara and Traci and I flew into Toronto, which was actually an almost 2-hour drive from the Falls.

Arriving in Toronto Pearson International Airport, the first thing I noticed was the surge of West Indian, Majid Jordan looking men with slick, swooping mohawks. The second thing I noticed was the signage. Everything was in both English and French - so classy. Not only that, but there was inadequate signage to direct us to the rental car counter. When we finally got there, we were told that Payless Car Rental was not located in the airport, and that we’d have to take a shuttle. We waited for the shuttle for about 15 minutes, as people were picked up by various unmarked cars and vans, before someone asked us if we’d called Payless to have them send the shuttle. We said no, and he led me to a small corded phone in the corner of the lobby area, tucked to the side of the escalator we descended from. I called, and ten minutes later, a shuttle with “Payless” scrawled in chalk on the side window arrived.

When we got our car, it was around 10 AM and we immediately headed towards Niagara. Before we got there, we stopped for poutine, a Canadian staple. It’s basically fries with gravy and cheese curds, plus whatever toppings you’d like to fatly add. It was not all that.

Our Airbnb was beautifully vintage and carefully decorated, and just down the road from the Falls. There was no (working) television, so we mostly listened to the radio when we were home. The guy who was renting this place had a billion records and no record player. He also had some pretty cool books, one I started reading called ‘What Your Aura Tells Me.'

The actual Niagara Falls seem to pop out of nowhere, but you know where they are before actually seeing them because of the crowds of people snapping photos. A majestic mist circles the area above the Falls. The people in ponchos are down below, on boats. There is a horribly colorful and tacky strip leading to the Falls, perpendicular to the road our Airbnb was on, with arcades and cheap motels and Ripley’s Believe It or Not museums - an Atlantic City meets Coney Island vibe. It started to rain as we got onto the Niagara Falls Skywheel, a big enclosed Ferris wheel that gave great views of the water.

The next day, we visited Bird Kingdom, which is allegedly the world’s largest free-flying aviary. My count for number of birds that have sat on my arms went from 0 to 10 that day. I held a big (and probably sad) parrot on my arm, and then I fed nectar to eight or nine disgusting little lorikeets. I held the small cup of nectar between my hands with arms outstretched, and watched them flock to me. Only two or three actually ate from the nectar cup, but they all French kissed down the line to share the sweetness. It was actually equally amazing and ugly, on top of the fact that some of them had balding and diseased-looking little necks. In the main aviary of the Bird Kingdom, the diversity and proximity of the birds was awesome. I saw so many crazy colors and patterns.

We also visited the Botanical Gardens of Niagara Falls, which is home to the Butterfly Conservatory. This was a magical place to walk through. There is a place you can witness butterflies emerging from the chrysalis and into the main room. I’m usually somewhat scared of butterflies. This time, I was fascinated and pleased to be near them. It was hard as fuck to get a good picture with any, though.

That night, we went to a local pub with live music and had some of the worst food I’ve ever eaten on vacation, or at home. I had a burger that crumbled apart like drywall on a brioche bun. Traci had fish and chips seasoned with nothing but good intentions. Kiara had ribs, which for some reason came with a soupy, sweet-and-sour-sauce-soaked rice. The lead singer of the band came over to our table to check for song requests. Kiara requested “Baby Boy” by Beyonce. We didn’t wait around to see if he did it.

The following day, we stopped by a head shop to look for Backwoods. (Note: Backwoods are not sold in Canada.) The employee asked if we were from Canada or U.S., and when we replied the latter, he offered to sell us edibles. We bought some, under the condition that we didn’t tell any Canadians where we got them from (so, I hope no Canadians are reading this). He also directed us five blocks up the road to the parking lot of a Tim Hortons (which seem to be EVERYWHERE in Canada) to find weed. We made a very light, unsuccessful attempt before heading home.

That night, with shitty burgers and bland fish and chips in our recent memory, we vowed to eat dinner as far away from Niagara as we could manage. That ended up being about 90 minutes away in Toronto. We went to The Real Jerk, which is the spot where Rihanna filmed her “Work” video with Drake. Collectively, we ordered oxtail, jerk chicken, jerk pork, curry goat, red snapper, plantains, curry potato, and rice and peas. There were no leftovers. Traci left a day early, so Kiara and I had lunch there again before heading to the airport. It was very much worth it.

Overall, this was one of the less eventful, “regular” trips I’ve had, which isn’t to say I didn’t have a great time. Here are a few tips that may be useful to someone visiting the Toronto or Niagara areas from the U.S.

1: Things are cheaper - For example, if you buy a shirt at H&M for $17.99, after conversion the price you pay would actually be about $13.50. Most places also looked like they accepted both USD and CAD, so there’s less of an urgency to convert your American dollars.

2: Make Niagara a day trip - Everything that can be seen (and that you would want to see) in Niagara can be done in a day. I wish I’d spent more time in Toronto other than the few meals we had. Niagara is beautiful, but doesn’t even register on the nightlife/social scale. Of course, staying in and adventuring through Toronto likely requires a bit more research prior to traveling.

3: Bring clothes (and shoes) for both sunshine and rain - The weather was pleasant, but it pretty much rained or threatened to rain the entire time we were there. Showers didn’t last long, but large puddles seemed to be permanent fixtures.

4: Ask them to stamp your passport at the airport - I didn’t realize they don’t usually stamp your passport for coming to Canada. I missed my opportunity, but if that matters to you like it does to me, be sure to ask.

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seththewriter · 7 years ago

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By Seth Singleton

This is a series of posts following my wife and me on a tour of Italy. Day 1 begins in San Francisco and ends 26 hours later in Florence, Italy. All aboard that’s coming aboard.

Every Story Has A Beginning…

Italy 1st day. Leg 1 Exhausted. Maybe four hours of sleep. Forgot my movies for streaming on my laptop. I was up late and worried I had forgotten something. Not just packing. Because I always think I have forgotten something because usually, I end up forgetting at least one thing.

But my problems were not just about packing and forgetting things I was trying to remember. I had written a review draft that I needed to finish. I also had to record a podcast. It was actually for a segment I had sent the week before, the editor could not download the files so I recorded a new draft using the standard iPhone voice memo app. We call a Lyft and make our gate and flight departing from San Francisco International Airport. I get a large Peet’s latte and a breakfast sandwich before we board. In a short time after we take our seats Tracy is watching a movie she downloaded on her phone and I take out my phone and start jotting notes in the Notes app.

I start writing.

I write down the pages for a new draft, make notes for this post, then my next podcast, and I then pick up a collection to read when my brain needs the break. The notes for the game continue to interrupt and eventually I stop reading and just write. In a few hours, I will land in Philadelphia and try to touch bases with Jabari about the game and what direction we are heading with our edits. This won’t actually happen because a few things would get in the way. There was a shuttle to grab and a story to hold and the night was long and I was running for the next gate. And I get hungry a lot when I travel, which means on top of the protein bites meal I had on the plane, I stop to get a Buffalo Bleu panini at a sandwich shop and promise myself that my body will punish me for it later.

Leg 2 We had enough time to eat some food. And then board the next flight. We departed Philadelphia for Rome at 6:20 p.m. EST. Within 30 minutes of our flight, the young guy in front of me slams back his seat and I’m lucky enough to move the one knee that has had three surgeries before it gets crushed. I tried to put it up against the seat to buy a little legroom and maybe convince the guy, who was no older than 18, in front of me that my being taller meant that my legs will naturally interfere with his desire to recline, and his trying to get comfortable would mean I had to get hurt. But the looks I was getting from the side said that the people around me were just waiting for me to give up and be as uncomfortable as they looked. So I stopped and he stopped. Sort of.

He backed off for about 30 minutes and then midway through the dining course the seat came all the way back. I moved my legs out to the side so they would not get hit and then pulled them back in so people in the aisle would not trip over them. Then I moved them back again. This would be part of my process for the next nine hours. But I was leaving America a place that feeds its old to its young. I would see more or this when we landed. There would be ugly Americans who would be rude and entitled seeking to treat us badly because it was how they felt comfortable. But knowing it and expecting it maybe we could make the difference. So there I sat watching DC’s Justice League — more about that here — with the headrest of the person in front of that held my viewing screen about 18 inches from my chest. Looking down at an angle to avoid straining my neck, I avoided getting angry at the boy in front of me by focusing on I did what I always like to do in moments like this — I thought about heroes and characters who have had it worse.

I thought about baby Perseus tossed in a box for his mother’s crime of falling in love, rolling across deep water waves in a tighter space than I was experiencing. I thought about Romeo dying in front of his Juliet and realizing that his decision has cost them both and cost their families a chance at true love, and maybe even happiness. I think of Othello slowly betrayed again and again.

It’s comic books where I found so many examples of heroes outside of the Bible stories in Sunday school that my pre-teen mind already memorized, so I think of superhero tragedies and sufferings. I try to think of others who had it worse, or who take on challenges bigger than my current struggles. I think about Superman. I think about the people who say he is too boring. I think about the sadness of Superman. I think Superman is one of the hardest characters I have ever read or considered writing. His daily realization is that he did not do enough and that he could have done more. The problem that I see, is that he has a moral code. He could do more if he was not bound by human laws.

But he is. It’s part of the symbols he represents and an identity he has embraced because it reflects the values that were the foundation for his upbringing. It’s the limitation that he has placed on himself by agreeing to live up to the ideals that he believes are a value to others, and that value is more important than his feelings let alone his wants. Then I think about consideration and being considerate. I think of the science experiment involving elephants and other animals. Their ability to put themselves in the mind, body, or shoes of another demonstrates the ability to believe in God. It is called the Theory of Mind. The theory claims that the capacity to see the world through another’s point of view, and the elephants are an example used to support the claim that to imagine the mind of God, you. It means the ability to think of others and how our actions can affect them. So I scan through the list of movies available on my headrest viewing screen and find the Marvel movies, and put on Captain America. By now my knees and hips are tight and swelling. The cabin lights are off to allow people to sleep and take a chance to pause the movie and walk back to the flight attendant station. I ask for a cup of coffee and commit to not worrying about sleep. I walk back to my seat, tilt the screen up, plug in my headphones and watch the movie while standing in the aisle and sipping my coffee. And then my favorite scene makes me pause, and my eyes well up with tears. Dr. Erskine the man in charge of the super-soldier program interviews a skinny 92-pound kid named Steve Rogers and asks him if he wants to kill Nazis as a soldier in World War II.

I Don’t Want to Kill Anyone. I Don’t Like Bullies. I Don’t Care Where They Are From.” Steve Rogers

Steve answers that he doesn’t want to kill anyone. He wants to fight because he doesn’t like bullies. This matters later when the commanding officer played by Tommy Lee Jones throws a dummy grenade amongst the best and the brightest recruits after saying to Erskine that you don’t win wars by being nice. When the grenade strikes the ground, everyone scatters and Rogers leaps on top. So I think about my size and appearance and how it can make things look and I know that unless someone is willing to put themselves in my shoes and think about what is happening to me, my best recourse is to think about the person in front of me who is unable or unwilling to think about me, and I start thinking about how I can be better for him.

Touchdown. My clock says 2 a.m. because my phone is set to airplane mode. It will stay there until I reach our first WiFi connection. I’ve been awake since the alarm went off at 5 a.m. Tuesday morning. The sky is gray. As we drop lower through fog and mist I feel disconnected and a little dreamy.

Leg 3 We make it through customs despite my getting lost using the bathroom and then trying to find Tracy. Sometimes I’m just a hazard.

Then we meet Stefano, who Tracy arranged for us weeks ago, at the airport and he drives us to the Rome Termini train station. Stefano is great. He has graying black hair, glasses and an olive corduroy jacket over his dress shirt. He is proud of his country and talks of its history like an aficionado. He tells us that the city was once only the property within the old Roman walls, which is now called the City Centre. After WWII, Rome expanded its borders to include what were once small croppings and villages and countryside. This expansion changed the landscape of what had been traditionally known as Rome, but it also reflected the values that Rome maintained during its expansion. We talked with Stefano about arches and aqueducts before and after we passed through the dark red city walls. They were ancient. Some parts looked like crumbling sandstone and others looked firm and unbreakable. He told us that originally there were only four entrances to the city center, among them the Appian Way, the first official Roman road. And then he told us that we would see many areas where there would be nothing but land. We came upon a field to our right. It was littered with trees and he said that the entire area of undeveloped land contained catacombs that date to 2 BCE.

The Egyptian Obelisk through the window of Stefano’s car.

Then we saw the obelisk from Egypt. One of 13 ancient obelisks in the city, this was the biggest. When Stefano dropped us off at the train station, he mentioned that the modern structure was the pet project of Roberto Mussolini. Then he looked back with a smile and said, “Do you know Mussolini?” Tracy and I chuckled. After some confusion involving the train schedule and platform locations, we purchased our tickets for Italo Treno, destination Firenze SMN — Florence.

I love how comfortable and polite the trains are here. The seats are comfy and include ample legroom with a foot rest, a charging station, tray table, personal garbage receptacle, and a reclining seat. When we were twenty minutes into our departure, a cart came by offering coffee, tea, crackers, and biscuits. It was easier than our plane service had been.

Fancy a Snack?

When we departed and were on our way, the PA announced in Italian and then in a polite British accent that the train did not allow smoking, you were encouraged to turn down the volume on your personal device and that you could contact the train manager at any time if you did not have a ticket but wished to continue your journey. Upon arrival at the Firenze-SMN station there was a new reminder regarding the approaching station and encouraging you to remember all of your items as you prepare to It was so polite I am going to let you listen to the recording here.

https://sethsingletonstorytellerfreelancewriter.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/italo-train-greeting-florence.m4a

The train pulled into our stop and we prepared to spend our next three days surrounded by wonder. There would be more chances to stand with each other.

The beauty of travel can be challenged by the actions of strangers. And that is why challenges are when heroes rise... By Seth Singleton This is a series of posts following my wife and me on a tour of Italy.

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sacramentoyellowcabco011 · 2 years ago

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melmac78 · 5 years ago

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An odd pondering regarding Virgil’s height

Everyone seems to talk about how short Virgil is in both the TOS and TAG versions of Thunderbirds.

I have a theory.

I’ve been chatting with someone about meeting a gentleman who worked for NASA during the Mercury Seven/Gemini/Apollo era. (Art Hinners - Mission Control for a few missions. From his obit: “He was Systems Test Branch Manager involved in testing space equipment and training astronauts from the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Skylab programs until he retired from NASA in 1980.”)*

So I got interested again in the era and astronauts involved named after the Tracys.

Looking at Gus Grissom’s profile, it mentioned he was 5-feet-5 or 5-feet-6.

So I wonder if Virgil Tracy’s shorter intentionally as a nod to the real man’s height, as “Gordo” for Gordon is a more specific nod to Gordon Cooper. That is what the real man preferred/used as a nickname.

*I visited Art twice before he died: one was about his woodcarving which he did for Lutheran World Relief, and second celebrating the anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing.

•••••

This is a different comment but ties into thoughts:

One thing I wish they’d do on the show though is have say Thunderbird One or Two have to land at the airport in Amarillo.

Why? The Rick Husband Memorial Airport, named after the fallen Columbia Astronaut, was a backup landing strip for the Shuttles.

#thunderbirds are go

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noplacecalledhome · 7 years ago

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10 Best Hotels To Stay In Parkway Village Tennessee – Top Hotel Reviews

Parkway Village Tennessee is beautiful and has lots of hotels. Ofcourse we are only looking for the best hotels in Parkway Village Tennessee. It’s important to compare them because there are so many places to stay in Parkway Village Tennessee. You’re probably wondering where to stay in Parkway Village Tennessee. To see which hotel sounds better than the other, we created a top 10 list. The list will make it a lot easier for you to make a great decision. We know you only want the best hotel and preferably something with a reasonable price.

Our list contains 10 hotels of which we think are the best hotels in Parkway Village Tennessee right now. Still, some of you are more interested in the most popular hotels in Parkway Village Tennessee with the best reviews, and that’s completely normal! You can check out the link below.

Skip to the most popular hotels in Parkway Village Tennessee.

10 Best Hotels In Parkway Village Tennessee:

Quality Suites I-240 East-Airport

Description:

Quality Suites I-240 East-Airport is located in Parkway Village, just 10 miles from Memphis.Certain accommodations feature a sitting area to relax in after a busy day. Each room is equipped with a private bathroom fitted with a bathtub or shower. For your comfort, you will find free toiletries and a hairdryer.There is free shuttle service, free shuttle service and a shops at the property.Southaven is 9 miles from Quality Suites I-240 East-Airport, and Cordova is 9 miles from the property. The nearest airport is Memphis International Airport, 5 miles from the property.

Reviews:

The breakfast on the weekend was great, fresh good. During the week it was leftovers from the weekend. The best amenity for my nephews were was the indoor pool. Nothing great for an adult.

The Staff was Excellent,! Thank- you Mr.Ricky. The Room and Hotel was Super Clean , the Cleaning Staff was Great Mrs.Enna and Mr.Jimmy. And the Breakfast was Better Everyday we Stayed.Total of 3 days. Felt Safe & Secure!! Will Be Staying Here When we Come back to Memphis!! “Beliews Southern Stays” , Give This Quality Inn 5 Stars !!!

Had to ask for sheets and pillow for couch pull out. They were out of pillows. Everything else, including breakfast, was good to above average.

That it was very clean television could’ve been out on a little bigger but other than that it was very nice

The room was clean. The staff were nice. The bed was comfortable!

For more info click here.

Rodeway Inn Memphis

Description:

Located in Memphis, 8 miles from Elvis Presley’s Graceland, Rodeway Inn Memphis features air-conditioned rooms with free WiFi throughout the property. Free private parking is available on site.Each room is fitted with a TV.There is a 24-hour front desk at the property.Woodruff Fontaine House is 10 miles from Rodeway Inn Memphis, and Magevney House is 10 miles away. The nearest airport is Memphis International Airport, 5 miles from Rodeway Inn Memphis.

Reviews:

No breakfast, no ice machine, bad part of town, swimming pool was not open, under construction, felt very unsafe. I feel I deserve a complete refund. I can’t even put it on the scale it was so bad.

The room was very clean, lots of parking and the staff was friendly.

Room was dirty the micro wave had problems and frig was not real cool. There was NO food for breakfast.

The bed was comfortable. The sheets and towels were clean. It was quiet. Staff was pleasant and helpful. Price was reasonable.

There was not much of a breakfast I had a lot of trouble with the card key.

For more info click here.

Holiday Inn Express Memphis I-240

Description:

One of our best sellers in Memphis! Featuring free WiFi throughout the property, Holiday Inn Express Memphis I-240 offers accommodations in Memphis, just 7 miles from Elvis Presley’s Graceland.Certain units include a sitting area where you can relax. Every room includes a private bathroom. A flat-screen TV with cable channels is provided.You will find a 24-hour front desk at the property.Woodruff Fontaine House is 9 miles from Holiday Inn Express Memphis I-240, and Magevney House is 10 miles away. The nearest airport is Memphis International Airport, 4.3 miles from Holiday Inn Express Memphis I-240.

Reviews:

The stay was great, the food was great, staff was great as well. I recommend this hotel to all my friends coming into Memphis.

Everything was GREAT. The staff was wonderful. Mrs. Flo is the best I just love her she makes me feel at home every time I stay there.

There was an issue with the A/C and the staff went out of their way to find us another room.

We just needed a place to stay for the night and wanted to get on the road early. Breakfast was ready before 6:30 so much appreciated. Hotel was close to interstate so good location and even though it was in the city, the street to enter the hotel was not heavily traveled.

Receptionist Flo welcomes our group with her Southern Hospitality. Her & the staff made our stay pleasant and we truly appreciate it. Met all expectations and then some

For more info click here.

Gardentree Hotels

Description:

Located in Memphis, 12 miles from Elvis Presley’s Graceland, Gardentree Hotels features air-conditioned rooms and free private parking. The hotel has a sun terrace and views of the lake, and guests can enjoy a drink at the bar.Each room is fitted with a flat-screen TV with satellite channels. Some units have a sitting area where you can relax. You will find a coffee machine in the room. Every room has a private bathroom fitted with a bathtub or shower. Superior rooms feature a spa tub or a hot tub.You will find a 24-hour front desk at the property.Woodruff Fontaine House is 10 miles from Gardentree Hotels, and Magevney House is 11 miles away. The nearest airport is Memphis International Airport, 11 miles from Gardentree Hotels.

Reviews:

Cedric & Kim are awesome & always take great care of me!

If they would paint and do a little work to the old building it would be a nice place

the manager on duty was great He was very nice helped us a lot giving us directions making suggesting on were to go.He had a great personalty. We had one problem with our room and he took care of it him self.

My stay was wonderful. The bed was wonderful. The room was nice and clean. The lady at the front desk was really nice cause I wanted to move my room because of people was smoking.

For more info click here.

Comfort Inn & Suites Airport-American Way Memphis

Description:

Located in Memphis, 6 miles from Elvis Presley’s Graceland, Comfort Inn & Suites Airport-American Way Memphis features air-conditioned rooms with free WiFi throughout the property. Free private parking is available on site.A TV is available.Woodruff Fontaine House is 8 miles from Comfort Inn & Suites Airport, and Magevney House is 9 miles from the property. Memphis International Airport is 3.7 miles away.

Reviews:

Great place to stay – only problem was our neighbours – they decided to party on until 5 am when i finally knock on their door – very inconsiderate – if this happens – just call the front desk and they will take care of it – wished i had done that – better sleep – other than that – breakfast great, check in good – not located close to anything – need to take Uber or taxi to Beale street!!

T C made everything great during breakfast. The bathroom was a great size.

My stay was beyond my expectations the staff was so nice and friendly. The front desk clerk Thomas was very nice. The housekeeping supervisor Freda Ledlow was the nicest person every she made sure my family didnt need for nothing. My babay lost his security blanket. Her and her staff stella and Tracy stop what they was doing and went looking for it. It took them a while but they did not give up they found it and also clean and washes it for us…they are dedicated to they job. Most housekeeping staff would not have took the time out to do that.. I will definitely be staying there again and referral people there

There wasn’t much that I liked besides the workers were pretty friendly.

The Wifi speed was good and it’s free. Staff were nice.

For more info click here.

Marriott Memphis East

Description:

Located in Memphis in the region of Tennessee, 10 miles from Elvis Presley’s Graceland, Marriott Memphis East features a terrace and hot tub. Guests can enjoy the on-site bar.The rooms come with a flat-screen TV with cable channels. Certain rooms have a sitting area for your convenience. Each room is equipped with a private bathroom equipped with a bathtub or shower. For your comfort, you will find free toiletries and a hairdryer.You will find free shuttle service at the property.Woodruff Fontaine House is 10 miles from HI Select Memphis-Poplar, and Magevney House is 11 miles from the property. Memphis International Airport is 7 miles away.

Reviews:

Very clean and fresh hotel, nice staff, good suburban location off highway 240. We enjoyed the pool and the breakfast even though not free it was very good.

Large workout room with water bottles, fruit and towels. Workout room was clean.

The room was comfortable and exactly what is expected of a Marriott property. The breakfast bar was really good, with friendly waitstaff each morning to bring fresh coffee and an omelets. Parking is free, and easy access to the interstate.

I love the comfort of the beds. This was my second stay within a 3 month span and I enjoyed it all.

I paid for the buffet breakfast with our reservation. It was only $100 and covered our family of 4 for the 5 days we were there. With two teenage boys, I definitely think we save tons of money. Also, their staff were all so very friendly!

For more info click here.

Days Inn & Suites Memphis

Description:

One of our best sellers in Memphis! This hotel is a 10-minute drive from Memphis International Airport and Graceland, the former home of Elvis Presley. The hotel features a seasonal outdoor pool and rooms with free Wi-Fi.Days Inn and Suites Memphis offers modern rooms furnished with a microwave and refrigerator. For comfort each room is equipped with a work desk, sofa and flat-screen TV. A coffee maker, hairdryer and ironing facilities are provided.Guests of the hotel can enjoy a daily continental breakfast served in the morning. Memphis Days Inn has a 24-hour front desk, business center and free parking.Memphis Zoo is 7.3 miles from the Days Inn. Audubon Park Golf Course is 3.6 miles away.

Reviews:

I like that the room was at a reasonable rate and the location was fairly easy to find.

The side of the hotel they put me on was exremely quiet. Way better than my last stay. Staff was extremely friendly and helpful. The room they put me in was really nice.

…It had beds… but I’m not sure they were clean…

decent considering the neighborhood it was in. staff was courteous.

Nothing. Stayed 6 days cleaned room self all days was cursed at by staff and never had clean towels.

For more info click here.

La Quinta Inn & Suites Memphis Primacy Parkway

Description:

Featuring free WiFi, La Quinta Inn & Suites Memphis Primacy Parkway offers accommodations in Memphis, just 10 miles from Elvis Presley’s Graceland.Each room at this hotel is air conditioned and is fitted with a flat-screen TV. Certain rooms feature a sitting area for your convenience. You will find a coffee machine in the room. Every room is fitted with a private bathroom. Extras include free toiletries and a hairdryer.There is a 24-hour front desk at the property.Woodruff Fontaine House is 10 miles from La Quinta Primacy Parkway, and Magevney House is 11 miles away. The nearest airport is Memphis International Airport, 7 miles from the property.

Reviews:

The bathroom was very spacious and the water pressure phenomenal. The beds we’re also very comfortable!

I always stay at La quinta this was an older one . Staff was great . Rooms were clean .

Not very much of a selection for breakfast. What was there was not kept full or clean. Rooms were very nice. However, hall walls were dirty. Over all stay was very nice.

The overnight desk clerk Ms patty was awesome. The waffles were absolutely to die for and addictive!

The property was neat and the room smelled nice. Staff was very friendly.

For more info click here.

Fair View Inn & Suites

Description:

Fair View Inn & Suites offers accommodations in Memphis. Free WiFi is provided throughout the property and free private parking is available on site.Every room at this hotel is air conditioned and features a flat-screen TV with satellite channels. Every room has a private bathroom equipped with a bathtub or shower.Elvis Presley’s Graceland is 5 miles from Fair View Inn & Suites, and Woodruff Fontaine House is 8 miles away. The nearest airport is Memphis International Airport, 3.1 miles from Fair View Inn & Suites.

Reviews:

Wife said Bed was OK. BUT the TV had 2 Porn Stations ? I guess she meant Playboy or something? Wife, Nancy, usually is a BIG ” Hallmark Channel ” & ” BLUE BLOODS ” series repeat watcher. She said there were only like 4 real channels to choose from of 300 plus numbers. & all the rest were INFO Shows to BUY something. .You see all she does is watch TV until get home at 2 or 3 am. Ken get 2 hours of sleep per night. & all is good. We were only there to visit my Former IRS Boss Who takes me out to the Paradiso Theatre Malco on Popular Blvd. Memphis , TN. from, Mr. Ken GOOGLE ” The most patriotic pizza delivery car. com” THANKS. All was OK ! Ken.

Night manager was nice. Appreciated the fact that when I complained of cigarette smoke coming through the floor/walls, staff immediately sprayed some neutralizing spray and eliminated the smoke smell. Grounds of property looked nice. New carpet.

It was close to my business contact. The bed was comfy.

The staff was very nice and my room/bed was comfortable.

We only saw one staff member. He was very attentive and kind.

For more info click here.

Crowne Plaza Memphis East

Description:

This Memphis East Crowne Plaza is located 7.5 miles from Memphis International Airport and offers free airport transfer service. The hotel features Blue Shoe Bar and Grill, a daily continental breakfast, and free WiFi.A flat-screen TV with cable channels is featured in each room at Crowne Plaza Memphis East. A seating area, desk, refrigerator and desk are also included.The Crowne Plaza Memphis East features an indoor and outdoor swimming pool. Guests can relax in the hot tub. The hotel has a business centre and 16 meeting rooms. An on-site coin laundry facility is available at the property.Free transport services are available and operate within an 8-kilometre radius.Elvis Presley’s Graceland Mansion and the Memphis Zoo are within 10 miles of the hotel. It is 10 minutes’ drive from the Memphis Botanic Gardens.

Reviews:

The AC was making a sqealing loud noise for two days and it wasn’t getting cold and then it went out completely. I call front desk and spoke with someone 3 times about it and maintenance never showed up and i had to sleep hot.

The King size bed was very comfortable. Breakfast was great however pork was the only meat on the menu and for religious reasons I don’t eat pork.

The hotel staff was very friendly including the on site security. My shower was nasty (hair and ring of dirt) upon check in, I went back down stairs to tell the security guy and front desk staff…..she told me that housekeeping was gone for the night but offered to move me into another room. Upon check out, my card was charged….it wasnt until I got to Blues City Cafe that I looked at online transactions and saw where my card was charged for an additional $25 and $143 for whatever reason…called my bank and disputed the transaction….waiting on a response from hotel now. There is parking on site….not too far from Beale Street and plenty of shopping stores and restaurants in the area

Free breakfast (think this is only offered during renovations)

The bed was very comfortable. The staff was friendly and the parking was okay.

For more info click here.

Top Hotels In Parkway Village Tennessee Conclusion:

The above is a top selection of the best hotels to stay in Parkway Village Tennessee to help you with your search. We know it’s not that easy to find the best hotel because there are just so many places to stay in Parkway Village Tennessee but we hope that the above-mentioned tips have helped you make a good decision.

We also hope that you enjoyed our top ten list of the best hotels in Parkway Village Tennessee. And we wish you all the best with your future stay!

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epacer · 7 years ago

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Class of 1998 - 2018 20th Reunion

Reunion plans have been finalized. For all the details including our reunion date, time, location, RSVP list, cutoff dates, biography forms, etc. please visit our official reunion website: https://www.reunion-specialists.com/index.php#.WhqijbDWQdU

Don’t forget to confirm your whereabouts & RSVP this is NOT a reunion reservation, just your expression of interest. Any Alumni who encounter difficulty online please contact Reunion Specialists at 760-721-0525 or [email protected].

Alumni you must confirm your whereabouts before you can submit a reservation or biography. Don't forget to share or tweet the party news on your social networks!

Make plans to join us Friday, September 14, 2018 at the Doubletree San Diego Downtown Skyline Ballroom & Pool Deck 1646 Front St. San Diego, CA 92101 $8.00 reunion self parking $15.00 overnight self parking Complimentary Airport Shuttle

7:00 PM Reception 11:00 PM Event End

Cocktail Casual Attire Suggested No Host Cash Bar

Private Reception/Buffet/Socializing $ 80.00 before 06/14/2018 $ 90.00 before 08/14/2018 $ 100.00 after 08/14/2018

Non Attendee booklet $ 25.00

Add On Items $ 25.00 Extra Booklet $ 25.00 Business Card Ad

All reunion prices are per person. Reunion alumni directory/biography booklets are complimentary with alumni reunion attendance. Walk-in reservations will only be accepted if space permits.

Sleeping Room Reservations: Doubletree San Diego Downtown or 619-239-6800, mention group code CHS for very special pricing. Space is limited, reserve early! Offer expires 8/14/18.

To make your music requests for the reunion Click here before 8/15/18. Please post, forward, & share our CHS 1998 reunion link: https://www.reunion-specialists.com/index.php#.Whqit7DWQdU all your 1998 Colt friends! Please join our Crawford 1998 Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/493090977562151/?fref=gs&dti=493090977562151&hc_location=group I look forward to seeing you at the reunion! Tracy L Smith, November 26, 2017

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enliktjioe · 7 years ago

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G’day mate.. finally I had time to write my story again. In this blog post, I would like to share my experience for 4 months living in the Outback Australia, Northern Territory, with its capital Darwin. City name like Tennant Creek, Alice Spring, Katherine, Renner Spring, may seem unfamiliar for you. How come? Because the area is more often targeted by backpacker than tourists who want to visit Australia. My story this time focuses on the Darwin city and a little bit in the Tennant Creek area.

Getting Know Darwin City

Darwin is the capital of Northern Territory, one of the states of Australia. The tropical city at the northern tip of Australia has a different climate than most Australian cities in general. Darwin has only two seasons, Dry and Wet Season, very similar to Indonesia. If you look at the map, Darwin’s location to Bali is much closer than Darwin to Sydney or Melbourne.

The cost of eating in Darwin is relatively more expensive compared to Sydney or Melbourne, but in balance with the relatively larger income gained here. Find a job is also relatively more difficult here if you have no casual work experience before. Darwin also only has buses as a public transportartion, no trains or trams here. The largest Shopping Centre is Casuarina Square, and the newest Gateway, both far away from the CBD. Darwin also has a top University named Charles Darwin University. The famous National Park here is Kakadu and Litchfield. During dry season, you should visit Mindil Beach Sunset Market, enjoy the beautiful sunset time while buying some yummy Asian food here. You can read the reference Things To Do in Darwin here.

My Reason Moving To Darwin

The main reason why Work and Holiday Visa makers (abbreviated as WHV) is to meet WHV second year requirement, for WHV Subclass 462 holders must work for a minimum of 88 days (or 3 months) in all areas of the Northern Territory and parts of Queensland, with specified work set by the Australian government. Darwin is one of those cities that meets these requirements. You can check more info here.

Our WHV generation, who departed around the end of 2016 yesterday is a lucky generation, considering the newly officially released 2nd year extension process for WHV subclass 462. And it may seem strange for Darwin, whose previous years were not the favorite destinations of WHVs from Indonesia, is now one of the most populated cities of WHV makers from Indonesia. For your info, there are some big employers in Darwin who are mostly workers from Indonesia, such as Compass Group ESS, Leprechaun Resort, and possibly others.

Apart from that requirement, personally I also want to experience a different experience in Australia. I hope by living in Darwin as well as other Australian outback areas, I can find ‘hidden treasures‘ that may be hard to find in major Australian cities.

Stay Overnight at Darwin Airport

Before the departure, I had ordered ‘Uber’ from one of Darwin’s WHV friend to pick me up upon my arrival at midnight, June 20, 2017. But apparently, she is already asleep matee! My phone and SMS are not picked up. Since it was already midnight, transportation to Darwin City was not available. I also decided to spend the night at Darwin Airport, the internet wifi quality here is good and the room is also air-conditioned, security guards are also there, it’s safe! I spent the night till 6 am here waiting for the first shuttle Shuttle Van departure to Darwin City.

Darwin Airport on midnight

Nintendo Switch became my traveling companion while on the plane and waiting room

Shuttle Van from Darwin Airport, cost $20 to Darwin CBD area

Enjoy One Day in Darwin

Arriving in Darwin City, I stopped at Mas Yunas’ house to stay temporarily here until the evening before returning to Airport for transit to Tennant Creek. I got acquainted with some housemates here, as well as my day-mate room mate, Nandra, who was still looking bored waiting for a job in Darwin. Other WHV friends here also told me how difficult it was to find a job in Darwin. One story, some work as Kitchen Hand, he should have worked for 6 hours, but because the restaurant was quiet, he was discharged even though only worked for 3 hours. Another story, those applying for Housekeeping positions here without prior experience will find it difficult to get the job.

With WHV friends, from left to right: Glenn, Dipta, Pandu

The first impression in Darwin, the weather feels ‘super hot’ during the day. The effects of being in Sydney for winter season the day before. Another impression? I was able to meet ‘indigenous’ Australians almost along the way. Many times, i don’t know why they are shouting, then come up to us and ask for “2 dollars please”. I’m grateful, during these 4 months living in Darwin, I have no bad experience with them. Whatever the negative view for them, they are still the same human being as us, who we should treat equally, “who am i to judge?“. Did you know? The boomerang we often see in those films is one of their discoveries.

My first $15-$20 lunch in Darwin

Thinking I might not be in Mass again for the next 3 months because of working in the remote area of Tennant Creek, I took part in the daily mass at 12PM in St. Mary Cathedral Darwin. It only takes 5 minutes walk from the home.

Visit the Museum of Art and Gallery of the Northern Territory. I learned a bit about the history of Darwin and Northern Territory and the history of Darwin’s great disaster like Cyclone Tracy on Christmas Eve in 1974 and the bombing of Darwin by the Japanese army during the second World War.

Nice wall hangings inside the Museum

Coastal Walk to Mindil Beach

Beautiful Mindil Beach

Remind me of masterpiece from Animek The Alkemek

Ketemu temen2 baru, Alhamdulillah masih bisa silaturahmi dan ketawa bersama. #whvindonesia #whvdarwin

A post shared by Arip Hidayat (@rujakdressing) on Jun 20, 2017 at 6:36am PDT

With WHV friends in Moil area, on night before i’m going back to Darwin Airport. Thanks Arip Hidayat for the hospitality

Starting from Tennant Creek

Uh, the title of this blog post is about Darwin, why is Tennant Creek? Yes, my adventure in northern Australia, it started from Tennant Creek. For about two weeks I was here working in a mining camp.

Arriving at Tennant Creek Airport, it’s a small airport, which looks like a house with an airstrip around it. Waiting for approximately 15 minutes, we are directly escorted by a mini bus to the Bootu Creek camp site.

Arriving at the camp, Camp Manager calling our name one by one. After receiving the room key, I was escorted by the manager to my room, and informed that I will start work soon this afternoon. I met with WHV Indonesia partner here, Yuko, delivering his iPad Pro parcel from Sydney. And enthusiastly, I started my first day working in the Northern Territory.

AirNorth charter plane with some FIFO (Fly In Fly Out) miners who returned from his vacation to work again. The airplane is also relatively small with a capacity of about 20-30 people only

Arriving at Camp

Luxurious room at Camp, it’s too good to be true

My working uniform

Limited Food for Lunch Time

It was lunch time, I realized that there is no food service during the day, because the miners are still working in the mining area. For us Hospitality workers (Kitchen / Housekeeping / Cleaner), can only eat food from the fridge, cook instant noodles, or into the Cool Room to grab food from the morning or evening before. This kitchen only serves breakfast in the morning (open at 4am to 7am) and dinner (open at 4pm to 8pm).

Opening Hours Dining Room

Dining Room

New WHV Friends from China

At lunch time, I met two WHV makers from China, named Alice and Emma (they use nickname, * as you know * Chinese names are hard to remember for Western people). The first introduction at lunch time was really memorable, because I as the new boy, could immediately be familiar with them, we asked each other names, niceties, and exchange little stories of our background. They also mentioned that in China, almost all social media was blocked by the government, they just made up their social media account just when arriving in Australia. Imagine how strict the regulations in China.

Lucky for current generation, though only be a friend in a short time, we can still communicate via social media, share our stories in other places. It’s always fun to share stories, because with our limited time and opportunities to try everything, we can still experience it by reading or watching other people’s stories, as I try to share through this blog post.

Nice and Very Nice Food

While i’m staying here, the food category for me is just two kinds, Nice and Very Nice (as Trinity says in The Naked Traveler book). Luckily we have Chef Jason and Chef Simon who are so amazing when preparing Asian Food, which is perfect food for an Indonesian like me.

One of the Menu

The Mighty Chromecast

Chromecast that I bought at JB Hi-Fi Sydney for $60, is really useful for entertainment purpose. With HDMI TV provided in our room plus WiFi internet in camp area, I can stream my smartphone screen directly to TV wirelessly. Watching YouTube, Netflix, and so on the bigger screen certainly gives different satisfaction.

Two Weeks Isolated

For two weeks in this remote area, I felt so productive, have finished reading many books, study online course in Udacity, without forgetting to have leisure time by playing video games or watching TV. I also routinely prepare for the ‘quiet time‘ every day, which I almost never miss every single day. I find that praying and reading holy bible can be done anytime and anywhere, the most important is the intention. I can ignore all the things that usually keep me busy during my stay in the big city while I’m here.

But on the other side, I miss the freedom of exploration like I did in Sydney before, when I finished my work and on the day off, just enjoy walking in Sydney CBD, meeting friends and family, and go to Church.

Then what really makes me isolated here? I have difficulty socializing with some of my co-workers here, either because of differences in personality and way of life or maybe because I’m an introvert guy. I know that relationship can’t be forced, I try not to wear a ‘mask’ just to get along with them. As a result, two weeks I work here, I can only be friends with few people. Feelings of isolation made me to know more what the real meaning of freedom is.

Bootu Mining Site, far far away from town

You’re Fired

That morning was feels unusual, I spent the morning dawn until sunrise to take some photos in the camp with my Sony mirrorless camera. And the night before I dreamed of a place that was completely new to me. And it’s coming true, on afternoon, Camp Manager came up to me and asked for time to chat. With a heavy tone, he says that I will not get a working shift anymore and have to leave this place tomorrow, it means “you’re fired!“.

What is the main reason for me being fired? Very simple, I can not drive a car. Sad? Yes i’m so sad, being fired because of the lack that I have. My head feels hurt, it feels like i want to learn ‘driving car’ as soon as possible so I can keep stay here. Happy? Also yes, because this means I will leave my isolation zone soon, and once again hope for a better experience in a new place later. This is the first experience for me to feel ‘being fired’, and then feels sad and happy at the same time.

Got fired or rejected teach me that “when one door closes, another door open“. Learning from the Walt Disney story who did not give up even though he was got rejected many times, but later he founded Disney and created a masterpiece with his mouse character that we know until today. Another success story about being rejected was from WhatsApp Founder, Jan Koum. Because of that, I try not to be discouraged, there is always a way, one door closed, another thousand doors will open. Hopefully!

Goodbye Bootu Creek Mining Camp!

Spend 1 Night at Renner Springs

The next day, I was given a job as Housekeeper for last time. Together with Yuko, my WHV Indonesia colleague here, for the first time I’m get this housekeeping experience in Australia. We were given a list of rooms to do, then wandered around the camp area with a trolley of housekeeping tools. The heat of the sun become a challenge for Housekeeper in a open camp area like this.

Rob, the Camp Manager, accompanied me to the ‘super expensive’ hostel in Renner Springs area, for an overnight stay and wait for the Greyhound bus schedule on dawn. The cost of $96 per night with the quality of a hostel or two star hotel, makes me think, this must be the monopoly price because there are no competitors nearby, in the middle of nowhere.

There’s not much thing I can do here, the streets look like the big pasture with the longest road in Australia, Stuart Highway, in between.

One Night Outback Experience at Renner Springs Desert Inn

Night Time

One Month Living in Casuarina

I have not got accommodation in Darwin until my overnight stay in Renner Springs. With just simple keyword “room Darwin” in the WHV Indonesia Facebook group, I finally found accommodation in the Wulagi area near Casuarina, Darwin region. With a price of $120 per week I get a big private room with a double bed, cabinets, and air-con.

My luxurious private room in Casuarina

The one thing that makes me ‘annoyed’ here, that is the dog barking frequently along the road to the house. But eventually I somehow got used to their barks, and the doggie got bored barking into me. I lived with Mrs. Kristy and Mr. Tony for about a month here.

My home in Casuarina

Beware of the Wife!

Hello Buddy, stop barking, let’s be a friend! 🙂

My favourite Library

One Month Working in Darwin Turf Club

A few days being jobless in Darwin, it makes me thinking too much. I was also waiting for an interview with one of favorite employers in Darwin, Compass Group ESS. Based on information from my friend, it tooks about 2-4 weeks from the interview until you can start your first working day there, it’s really a long time. Rather than jobless too long in Darwin and waiting for ESS schedule, I had to start submit my Resume both online and offline (drop directly).

A few days later, I was accepted to work as Kitchen Hand at Darwin Turf Club, after going through walk in interview with a lot of candidates, praise God! I work with casual status but with full-time working hour, five to six days a week.

How exciting working as Kitchen Hand here, I do a lot of food preparation like Sandwich, Hot Dog, Pork Roll, Fruit Salad, Burger, and so forth. Together with Grandma Dawn, Antonnette, and Anapolla, I was helped learning many new things in this kitchen. In addition I also learned to be an all-rounder, delivering orders from the kitchen to the customers at the bar. I even feel the wrong order experience during my all-rounder time here. The most exhausting day was when the event day was over, the pile of dish wash and cutlery was ready to hit us. One month working here feels so good, because I enjoy this job so much, with many great colleagues.

Colleagues at Darwin Turf Club

Sunday Party at Monsoons with #DarwinTurfClub #DarwinCup staff family #Hospitality #Kitchen #Darwin #NorthernTerritory

A post shared by Enlik Tjioe (@enliktjioe) on Aug 13, 2017 at 5:47pm PDT

Didn’t Pass ESS Medical Checkup

The long process of job application in Compass Group ESS starts from notification email for info session. I had to ignore it several times because at that time I thought it would actually work for 3 months at Tennant Creek. Lucky I did not directly reply to the email so I still got an email regarding info session schedule until I finally returned to Darwin again. Coming to Manigurr-ma, I with other applicants fill out the job application form so much, I also have to prepare some work reference, work history, disease history, and so on.

Finish the interview phase, I’ve got an email for medical check up. At that time I was still working at Darwin Turf Club, finished my work at 5 pm, I headed straight to Darwin City, to start medcheck around 6 pm. Again I had to fill in the form, fill in the history of the disease again, and I filled in my backpain history while working as Kitchen Hand on Google 6 months ago, and maybe this is one of the important points in recruiting new employee at Compass Group ESS. And it seems true, a few days later after medcheck, I received an email that I did not pass the selection of new employee in Compass Group ESS. Due to company policy, they did not provide details of why I did not qualify, so I can only guessing.

Sad? Definitely yes.. For couple of days, it feels like there is something hanging in my mind, “Why i’m not passed? Why like this? Why like that?”. Very stressful. However, this is Australia, life is hard, how the working holiday visa holders like us struggle to find a job, to survive here. Many stories from the WHV friendsthat I heard, there are some people who being jobless for a couple of months, have no more cash to survive, borrow money for few times. Another story, some people being fired after only working for 2 days, in another case, some people who working hard but their wages are not paid by the employer, waiting for a few months (how can they pay rent?). Later, there are other cases of friends who are exposed to fraud cases ranging from hundreds to thousands of Australian dollars, imagine the hard work in Australia should just vanish into empty hands. Therefore, my problem is a piece of cake compare to that, as OZ people said, “No Worries, Mate!“.

God is very good, His plan is always beyond my expectation, I thought positively back then. On the same day I received a job reference from Darwin Turf Club to work at one of the big restaurants in Darwin Waterfront. I was immediately looking for new accommodation in Darwin City, with the condition that I was still living in Casuarina, far away from Darwin Waterfront. Another consideration, I’ll get work on the night shift in this new place, so it’s a hassle if i’m coming home on midnight and i have no private vehicle. And starting from here, I will feel a new experience of living in a sharing apartment and meeting great friends in Darwin.

From Pinterest

Life Experiences in Sharing Room Apartment

This is one of life experiences that I want to feel in Australia, living with WHV friends in a sharing room apartment. This is a new experience for me because i’m always live in private room before in Jakarta, Sydney, Tennant Creek, and lastly in Casuarina. Located in Darwin CBD area, 4 men and 6 women start their lives together, all housemates are Indonesian except there is one Japanese, named Kenji-san. It took several days for me to get to know them one by one, due to our different working hours.

The first night arrived, I was ready with a melodious ‘snoring’ from my roommate. Believe me, living in the sharing room is not complete if you do not meet a ‘snoring’ roommate. And since I slept in this sharing room, I became more aware that I also have the ability to ‘sleep-talking’. What kind of ability is this!

Badminton mini-competition from Consulate of Indonesia in Darwin

Have Cooking and Dinner Together with Housemates

Morning Jogging together with motivation “medical check up preparation”

My new room mate family at Darwin City. . . This should be my first experience live in apartment and sharing room, because i'm always live in private room in Sydney and 'kost-an' Indonesia before. 4 men and 6 women start their lives together under one roof, reminds me of #TerraceHouse Japanese TV Series . . And once again, i've met Japanese friend in Darwin, Kenji-san. In some way, help me to try Japanese culture in home like saying #Itadakimasu when we're starting to eat, #Tadaima when i'm going back to home, #Ittekimasu when i'm going out, or #OtsukareSamaDesu when we're finishing something together. . . Life is beautiful when you're appreciate every single moment, and be grateful always in any condition. Happy Sunday! #WorkingHoliday #Darwin #NorthernTerritory #Australia #Indonesia #Japan

A post shared by Enlik Tjioe (@enliktjioe) on Aug 27, 2017 at 4:25am PDT

Afternoon at balcony

Hangout in Mindil Beach

Trip to Litchfield National Park

A trip? Hurayy… I really missed doing 1-day trip again, because since arriving in Darwin I’m become a workaholic and hardly had time to do a trip. Starting from my short message in the housemates Whatsapp group, I sent a plan for a trip to Litchfield. Because of the good response of one or two persons, they give a list of names who interested for the trip. Honestly, seeing such a positive response made me more excited, and immediately preparing well for this trip. We’re using Bargain Car Rental Darwin service for one day car rent. Saturday, August 26, 2017, five housemates are ready to take a long trip together for the first time.

Our first ever trip together

In the middle of nowhere

About two hours drive from Darwin, we arrived at Litchfield. Beautiful natural landscape, away from the crowd of Darwin CBD (*eh crowd!?), and waterfalls with swimming pools open to the public, enough to unwind the fatigue of work and the routine of living in the city. We swam in Wangi Falls, had lunch with the meals that we had prepared the night before, then proceeded to Florence Falls and Buley Rockhole. There is not much we can do while in Litchfield, but our bonding as housemate feels stronger since this 1-day trip. This is what always makes me want for traveling together again, because the wiseman saying, sounds like this, “Once Traveling Together, We’re Friends Forever!”

Moments in Litchfield

Midnight Birthday Surprise

Birthdays are always become an annual moment to give appreciation for someone, through words, gifts, and most importantly, prayer and hope to become a better person. September 9, 2017, it is our housemate birthday, Kenji-san from Japan, who may feel isolated in the midst of Indonesians people. With the intention to reduce the sense of ‘isolation’, together we’re planning a birthday surprise for Kenji-san.

Honestly, the most difficult thing about planning is choosing the right time because our working hours are different, some are morning, noon, afternoon, evening and even until dawn. From the original plan, the surprise was done during the day, with consideration of many being at home then, then come the idea surprise at dawn time when we were all majority still at home (read: sleep). But in the end we chose this brilliant idea, “How about in midnight 12 o’clock?”. Quickly, we also prepare a birthday surprise for Kenji-san, birthday cake, candle, gift, greeting card, camera for documentation and so on. Finally, come the moment of togetherness on midnight. I’m really miss that moment! 🙂

Group Photo during Kenji’s Birthday

Three Weeks of Temptation

After finish my job at Darwin Turf Club, I started a new job at a restaurant in the Darwin Waterfront area. I started shifting from Kitchen Hand who used to work in the morning shift, moving to the night shift in this new place. I have to learn to sacrifice the night time that should be a relax time and quality time with my friends. Living Sacrifice!

The toughest trial is that there are times when I work really hard overtime, starting at 6 pm and finish until 4 am. How come? The overloaded dishwashing and kitchen utensils almost every night plus an inefficient work system made my early weeks working here feel so full of trials. Several times I have to work alone (which should be handled by at least 2 Kitchen Hand) plus the absence of a trolley that I can use to transport dirty plates from outside the kitchen during opening time, I have to go back and forth from the Dishwashing Area to where dirty dishes placed which is quite far away, carrying an empty container to accommodate the dirty dishes. My waist seemed to be detached because of the extreme work of Kitchen Hand.

How can I motivate myself who always feels stressful at that time is, try to remember my dream back then, remember my motivation to start this Working Holiday, why I want to ‘falling down’ after all the hard way to Australia, all for the family that I love in Indonesia. Remembering my happy moments, how I feel so blessed and loved, always give back my motivation to get back to work and survive in this temptation. Another way, I re-read my favorite fictional story like One Piece, and found one or two chapters that re-energized my mood at that time. Spiritually, the same thing applies when you read the Scriptures and find one or two verses that corroborate yourself. Sometimes in your life you will feel this ‘aha’ moment (EUREKA!), Do not be afraid! 🙂

https://twitter.com/Enlik/status/897780759813017600

What we say and what God says #promise Thank you @kpa.sydney for this "welcome card" God really love us

A post shared by Enlik Tjioe (@enliktjioe) on Mar 7, 2017 at 1:15pm PST

In the end, I only worked for three weeks here because I got a new job at another restaurant that I hope will be better. I decided to go out with various considerations especially for my health reasons.

Become a Volunteer at Vinnies NT

Starting from my boredom in the absence of activity in the morning until noon (my office hours were just afternoon to night), i visit at one of the Vinnies retail stores in Darwin CBD area, and meet Bianca, one of Vinnies NT managers. With her beautiful smile and humble figure answered my simple question, “hi there, how can I become a volunteer here?”, and within a few days I was given the opportunity to become Retail Assistant Volunteer at Vinnies Shop Darwin CBD.

Being a Retail Assistant, I learned how to set up shop to keep it clean and tidy, learn to use cash machine, learn how to give a greetings to every customer who comes in. Through volunteering, I got a new experience for something that I’ve never done before. I learned how Volunteering become part of Australian culture. Making money is a happiness, but making other people happy is a super happiness! 🙂

Making money is a happiness, but making other people happy is a superhappiness. #Volunteer team at #VinniesNT #Vinnies #Shop #Australia #Darwin #NorthernTerritory

A post shared by Enlik Tjioe (@enliktjioe) on Oct 4, 2017 at 8:40pm PDT

Two Months at Ducks Nuts Restaurant

Now I am getting more nimble in new workplaces, maybe this is a positive effect from super stresfull heavy work before. I work more passionately, not only because this work more humane, but also because the coworkers here are a great and humble people.

Ducks Nuts, one of the biggest restaurant in Darwin CBD

At the end of September, the Ducks Nuts boss gave “bad news” to every employee including me, that this restaurant will be shut forever by the end of October 2017. So next month, we all have to leave the job in this place, and try to find a new workplace out there. A surprising news especially for employees who have worked for several years here. The closure of Ducks Nuts, which has been operating for more than 10 years in Darwin, is also a bad news for their loyal customers.

Two months working here also became the end of my working day in Darwin, Australia. After hearing the news of the closing restaurant, I decided to end my adventure in Darwin at the end of October, because on one side I’ve managed to get 88 working days as a requirement for my Work and Holiday Visa extension, and on the other side I’m very curious about the other city in Australia, such as Brisbane or Melbourne. Finally, my choice was Melbourne with some consideration, one because the creative industry in this city that looks quite promising and many community and industry events held in this #1 most liveable city. In my mind, I have to try to get back in the industry that become part of my life in Indonesia before, Video Games and Information Technology.

My coworkers in Ducks Nuts Restaurant

Second Year Visa Granted

Lucky since my school time, I was used to taking care of my own school administration without the help of parents. Collecting files, scanning documents, and other things to complete the requirements, it’s a piece of cake for me, because everything listed in official website. After complete all the requirements, I immediately submit online form on the Australia immigration website, lodging a process to extend period of my stay in Australia on a work and holiday visa for one year.

On October 11, 2017 I did an onshore application (in Australian territory), the expectation of getting a second year visa started. The HAP ID from my medical check-up in 2016 was still valid so I no longer need to do a medcheck here, which cost about $300 in Darwin, quite expensive. With that money, i can be to buy airline tickets to Melbourne. And after the long wait for three weeks, my second year visa granted on November 2nd, 2017. Thanks so much to Merry, Dewi, and Cardona housemates who helped me a lot during the preparation of this visa lodge. I’m feel blessed! 🙂

What’s Next

When i’ve finished writing this, I’ve been living for about 2 weeks in Melbourne. Again I get lots of new experiences, new friends, and new communities. I am also still trying and struggling to get a job in the field of information technology here, a challenge that is quite difficult but it seems not impossible. When the opportunity came, I also have a dream to write a book about my Working Holiday story for a year. I will doing my best again in this second year opportunity. *Please pray for me, friends 🙂

Thanks to all of my friends that I met in Darwin and Tennant Creek, i’m feel blessed to know you all.

This the end of my writing, hope you’re get inspired! “Because sharing is source of happiness” *quote from Akademi Berbagi

Sunset in Mindil Beach

Have a blessed day! 🙂

My Story in Darwin, Australia G'day mate.. finally I had time to write my story again. In this blog post, I would like to share my experience for 4 months living in the Outback Australia, Northern Territory, with its capital Darwin.

#australia #darwin #mining #northern territory #second year visa #tennant creek #working holiday

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dbamountaineer · 7 years ago

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When I visited Margaret Mitchell House, I only knew her book by its title since it famous around the world. I haven’t read her book nor watched the movie made of it even at that time. In short, I know nothing about the story that surrounds the book or the movie made.

I visited Margaret’s House last November 20, 2015 while I was in Atlanta for a few weeks work assignment. I wasn’t able to write this post immediately because my plate are full of list to write about my previous travels. And at that time I can’t write anything about my visit in her house until I read her book or watched the movie.

After almost two years from the time that I visited Margaret Mitchell’s House, I had a chance to watched the movie. I bought the movie in iTunes few months ago during its sale but I wasn’t able to watched it as soon as I bought it because it requires almost 9 GB space in my phone since its HD version. Before watching the movie, I had no idea what’s the context of the famous book. The movie is classic and to be able to watch it in my phone is a luxury. I was amazed that in 1939, they were able to create a Technicolor movie.

It was Friday, November 20, 2015, my last whole day in Atlanta as the next day was my return flight to my country. I went out early from work. I was trying to think where to go because I had few hours left in Atlanta. While looking at some city brochures that I had in my hotel room, I decided to visit downtown. From hotel, I took shuttle bus towards MARTA Airport Station. From Airport Station, I got off at Midtown Station. I found myself along 10th St NE. While I was looking on the photos of Margaret’s House in my phone, I found the house from a far but I hesitated at first because the house was not exactly the same in the photos that I was looking, but Google Maps is telling me that I was few steps away from it. I approached the house in front of me and then I saw a sign that confirmed that I was looking at the right house.

–Margaret Mitchell House from Crescent Ave. NE

I walked towards the door of the house and there I saw hope that it was open for visitors. I went inside and I asked if the house was open for a tour, they confirmed that it was. I bought a ticket for my visit to the museum. They also informed me that there was a guided tour that I can still join for that day. While I was waiting for the scheduled guided tour, I still have time for self-guided round in the house museum and I started exploring the house.

STARS FALL ON ATLANTA : THE PREMIERE OF GONE WITH THE WIND

First part of exhibition that I saw are all about the movie made from the book. Its famous premier event which considered a huge and significant event happened in Atlanta. After seeing the exhibits, I understand how important the movie for the city even the mayor itself at that time involved himself to make sure that the premier of the movie will be really happening in his city.

A part of the house focused on the film made out of the book. And because the premiere of the movie decided to happen in Atlanta, the event became a historical as the famous Hollywood stars came to the city. Both political figures, businessmen, civic social club and media people made the event really special.

–Showing the hype of the premier event of the movie held in Atlanta

–Original Paintings of Gone With the Wind by Dan Sayre Groesback displayed at Loew’s Grand Theatre foyer for the film premier.

Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara and Clark Gable as Rhett Butler Leslie Howard as Ashley Wilkes and Olivia De Havilland as Melanie Hamilton

The photos above shows the main actors of the movie that gives life for the character of Scarlet O’hara, Ashley Wilkes, Rhett Butler, and Melanie Hamilton.

–Loew’s Grand Theatre Premiere by Kenneth G. Rogers

Show that thousand people went to the premier to be able to see the stars.

–Loew’s Grand Theatre while it is existed before the fire broke out and before it was demolished.

–During the visit of the main actors in the movie

–During the visit of Rhett Butler at Five Points

–During the parade from airport to Georgian Terrace Hotel

–During Women’s Press Club

–When Clark Gable and Margaret Mitchell met

–Some news about the place where the movie “Gone With The Wind” to be premiered

–Constructing the Loew’s Facade

–Loew’s Grand Theatre Seats

–Aunt Pittypat Arrives at the Junior League Ball

–Seats of Margaret Mitchell and Clark Gable

–Loew’s Grand Seating Chart for the premiere of Gone With the Wind December 15, 1939

–The Grand March at the Junior League Ball and Margaret Palmer wearing Scarlett’s Dress

–Hattie McDaniel as Mammy

–Atlanta Municipal Auditorium Stage, Junior League Ball and Junior League Ball Program

BEYOND THE PAGES & BEHIND THE SCENES

When I visited another building just beside Margaret Mitchell’s House, I discovered additional exhibits which shows the adaptation of the book to a film. It also displays the facsimile of storyboards and other movie materials.

There is video documentaries when filming the “Gone With the Wind”. And there were paintings of Scarlet O’Hara inside the exhibit room.

–Where is Tara?

–Gone With the Wind : The Motion Picture

Costume sketches, 1939 Walter Plunkett, artist

Rhett and Ashley : Civil War Heroes?

–At the time of the movie, the racial discrimination with white and black are still on its height

–Scarlett in the Blue Dress, Oil on Canvass, 1939 Helen Carlton, artist Loaned by Atlanta Board of Education

–Storyboards, Watercolor on Board, 1939 Dorothea Holt and Joseph Mc Millen “Mac” Johnson, artists Selznick International Pictures Art Department

–Monster Bazaar Gerald O’Hara and Scarlet overlooking Tara

–Scarlet refuge to Tara Tara in Ruins

–Main Characters

–Looking back at Margaret Mitchell House

I looked for my watch and in few minutes the guided tour will be start soon. Then I returned to Margaret Mitchell’s apartment and from information desk I waited for the tour guide. In few minutes, the guide showed-up. The special thing with the guided tour was the chance to go inside the room of Margaret Mitchell at the time she wrote her book “Gone With the Wind”.

Margaret Mitchell Room Unit where “Gone With the Wind” book has been written.

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MARGARET MITCHELL: A PASSION FOR CHARACTER

The exhibits here are more related to the life of Margaret Mitchell with the title above which significantly shows her virtue on something.

–Girlhood Stories by Margaret Mitchell, ca.1910 Courtesy Hargrett Rare Book & Manuscript Library University of Georgia

–Margaret Mitchell on Her Front Porch, 1918

–Clifford Henry and Soldiers from Camp Cordon, Atlanta, 1918 (Clifford Henry at the center gave Margaret a gold engagement ring that belongs to his family, he was deployed and wounded in October

–Margaret Mitchell and Samuel Leslie Morris, 1920

–Margaret Mitchell and Sigmund, 1921

–Margaret Mitchell and “Red Upshaw”, 1922

–John Marsh, ca.1925

Margaret Mitchell Life as Reporter

–Margaret Mitchell interviewing Rudolph Valentino, July 1, 1923

–Margaret Mitchell interviewing Georgia Tech Students, June 3, 1923

–Desk used by Margaret Mitchell at the Atlanta Journal Sunday Magazine, 1922-1926 Loaned by Atlanta Journal-Constitution

–Margaret Mitchell with Her Atlanta Journal Sunday Magazine Co-workers, ca. 1922

–Margaret Mitchell on Assignment, 1922-1926

The exhibits also displays artifacts and archives at the time that Margaret is writing her famous book “Gone With the Wind”.

–Margaret Mitchell at Her Window,1936 Kenneth G.Rogers, photographer

–Foreign Edition Games

–Legacy of Gone With the Wind

–Margaret Mitchell, 1932-1933, Asasno, photographer

–Sahara of the Bozarts?

–Margaret Mitchell House (Lower Left Apartment#1) where she wrote Gone With the Wind

–Margaret Mitchell Portrait

Margaret with her Life as part of Community

–Community and Country

–Product Packages, 1945-1950 (packaged for delivery to war-torn Europe) Civil Defense Armband, ca 1943 Commemorative Punch Bowl and Ladle, 1959 (Loaned by US Navy)

–Margaret Mitchell and Bessie Jordan, November 1947 Tracy O’Neil, photographer

–Margaret Mitchell christening the U.S.S Atlanta, December 24, 1941

Before I left the vicinity area of Margaret Mitchell’s House, I found myself walked nearby to get another angle of photos of her house. At that time, I realized that the photo that I was looking for in my phone are front photos of the house along Peachtree St NE which different at Crescent Ave NE.

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I realised while I write this post, how significant her life is and her contribution to the community.

Margaret Mitchell’s (Gone With The Wind) House Visit When I visited Margaret Mitchell House, I only knew her book by its title since it famous around the world.

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