#and I got myself a milkshake and then the northern lights were out

[moteldogs]

good day today

[swan-of-sunrise]

Spellbinding (Chapter Seventeen)

Summary: A special anniversary of (Y/N) and Loki’s is fast approaching and after struggling to find her boyfriend the perfect gift, (Y/N) finally decides to do something life-changing for their special evening.

Pairing: Loki X Reader

Word Count: 3.1k

Warnings/Disclaimers: None

A/N: This chapter has so much fluff, so I hope that you enjoy!

Chapter Seventeen February 9th, 2016 Brooklyn, New York City (Previous Chapter)

Before her life as an Avenger, (Y/N) had never cared much for shopping. All of the money she earned as a trainee librarian was budgeted out for rent, bills and groceries and if there was somehow money left over after all of that, it all went to purchasing secondhand books for her growing collection. She simply didn’t have the luxury to go shopping for things she knew she didn’t need, but that all changed when she joined the Avengers. Since she was earning more money and not paying any bills, she decided to divide her salary into three sections; one section went into a savings account, the second went towards various organizations and charities, and the third she kept to spend however she liked. Independent shops and small businesses were her favorite places to visit, and it was at one such shop that (Y/N) decided to purchase her anniversary gift for Loki; the couple had decided to celebrate the anniversary of when they first met instead of when they’d finally become a couple, much to the bewilderment of their teammates.

“You know, doll, I’m still a little confused as to why you brought me along and not one of the others.” Bucky remarked, glancing around the cozy boutique with a raised brow. “It’s not that I don’t enjoy hanging out with you or anything, but…well, the Winter Soldier and shopping are two things that don’t really go together.”

(Y/N) gave him a good-natured shrug and began browsing. “Bucky, I asked you to come with me because you’re an incredibly perceptive person; you tend to see things that others might miss, and you have an uncanny ability to read people. And if I’m going to find the perfect anniversary gift for Loki before the 20th, then you’re one of the best to ask for a little help.”

“And you brought Tic-Tac along because…?”

They both glanced over at Scott, who was currently reading the dust-jacket of a magic trick how-to book across the boutique. “He wanted to hang out with us before flying back to San Francisco tomorrow.” Bucky shot her a look. “What?”

“Don’t you think Lang’s a little bit…annoying?”

“Not any more annoying than the rest of my teammates.” She playfully retorted and when he scoffed, she elaborated. “Apparently, you forgot the time when you and Clint scared the hell out of me by dropping down from the ceiling vent in my suite. That was my fourth day as an Avenger, if I remember correctly.”

Bucky rolled his eyes. “Okay, you’ve got a point there, but-”

“Hey, check out this book, guys!” Scott hurried over to them with a wide grin on his face. “Slight-of-hand magic tricks! I’ve always wanted to learn how to do that; I mean, it’s not real magic like your Light Elf kind, (Y/N), but I-” He winced and lowered his voice to a stage-whisper. “Sorry, that was kinda loud! You guys should really check this stuff out, though, c’mon!”

(Y/N) met the super soldier’s ‘I-told-you-so’ expression and gave her head a small shake before adjusting her glasses and following after Scott. “I swear, it’s like I’m surrounded by children…”

The trio spent the afternoon scouring shop after shop for the perfect anniversary gift but nothing stood out to them. Sensing her growing desperation, Bucky suggested they take a break at the nearest coffee shop and brainstorm a new plan.

“How is this so difficult?” (Y/N) groaned in frustration, resting her head in her hands as she stared dejectedly at her half-empty cup of hot chocolate. “I know Loki better than anyone else on the planet. Shouldn’t that make it easier for me to get him a gift?”

In her peripheral vision, she saw Bucky and Scott exchange matching looks of apprehension before Bucky replied, “Well…do you think that maybe you’re overthinking all this?” She glanced up at him, her brow furrowed in confusion. “From what I saw, you didn’t have any problems getting Loki a Christmas present. It was a book, right?”

“A first edition of Gods and Myths of Northern Europe; he’d always joked about all the silly ways Midgardians had interpreted his life, so I thought it would make a fun gift for his first real Christmas. But I can’t get him another book.”

Scott frowned. “Why not?”

“Because I would just be repeating myself, or making myself look like I’m not putting any effort into it.” (Y/N) sighed to herself. “All I want to do is show Loki how much I care about him and I feel like…I feel like nothing I do can ever properly convey that.”

All three of them sat in silence for several long moments until Scott suddenly spoke up. “You’ve gotta be kidding me, (Y/N). You show Loki how much you love him every single day!” Bucky looked over at Scott in surprise while (Y/N) shrugged half-heartedly. “I’m serious! You look at him like he’s the only guy in the world because in your eyes, he is. You know how many people would kill to have someone look at them that way? You’re the reason why a war criminal was able to turn his entire life around and become an Avenger; your love for him is what gave him the strength to believe that he could be a better man. Believe me, Loki knows exactly how much you love him; if you’re still dead-set on doing something special for your anniversary, though, a simple gesture could do a lot more than a superficial gift.”

Bucky let out a low whistle. “I didn’t know you were a goddamn poet, Lang.”

“I’m not a poet, I’m just a guy who spent a while in prison thinking about cheesy stuff like that.” Scott shrugged good-naturedly before turning back to (Y/N). “But you know what I’m trying to say, right?”

(Y/N) nodded, a slow smile spreading across her face. “I think I do, Scott. C’mon, you two, I know exactly where we’ve got to go!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A week later, (Y/N) found herself standing in the tower’s elevator as it journeyed to the top floor, clutching Loki’s wrapped present in one hand as the other nervously fiddled with the skirt of her lilac cocktail dress. She’d picked out his gift with such confidence but when it came down to actually giving it to him…? Well, she might’ve had a small drink of liquid courage to calm her jittery nerves as she was getting ready for their date. Stop overthinking it, (Y/N) chided herself, taking a deep breath just as the elevator stopped and its metal doors slid open. There, with his back facing her, stood Loki; he was dressed in a tailored black suit, and his shaggy black locks were perfectly styled. When he turned around and smiled at her, (Y/N)’s heart skipped a beat and she was instantly reminded of the fateful day in the library when they’d first met.

“You look radiant, darling.” Loki took her hand as she stepped out of the elevator and pressed a kiss onto her knuckles before threading his fingers through hers. “I hope you’ve brought your appetite with you.”

“Well, I was training with Thor most of the day and he swiped my only protein bar, so…” Sharing a smile, they walked through the doorway of the ballroom and halted at the top of the stairs as (Y/N) gasped. “Oh, it looks beautiful, Loki!”

The ballroom was dimly lit, illumination primarily coming from the massive floor-to-ceiling windows and the candelabra resting on the small table in the middle of the room. The table was gorgeously set for two, with a silver dome covering each plate and an arrangement of lilacs near its center.

“I simply wanted our first anniversary to be both special and unique.” Loki shrugged noncommittally as they made their way down the marble steps, but her praise had caused his pale cheeks to redden slightly; he helped her into her chair before reaching for the silver dome’s handle and grinning. “And now, your favorite meal in all the Nine Realms…” Loki removed the dome with a flourish to reveal a plate laden with a cheeseburger and French fries and a large chocolate milkshake. “A charbroiled hamburger with sharp cheddar cheese and fresh-cut lettuce, a side of air-fried French fries and a homemade chocolate milkshake.”

(Y/N) beamed as he sat down across from her and removed the dome off his own plate. “Our first date at the diner. I seem to recall you thinking that the restaurant was overly-cheesy.”

He flashed her a lopsided grin. “And I still think that, of course, but I cannot deny that the cuisine and the company more than made up for it.”

The meal was more than delicious, and (Y/N) could honestly say that it was the best cheeseburger she’d ever had. As they ate, they talked about some of the novels they’d both recently read; their numerous Avenger duties sometimes meant that they couldn’t talk to one another as often as they wanted to, so it was nice that they were able to spend a quiet evening alone for a change. After they finished eating, (Y/N) and Loki moved to stand by the massive windows and watched the snow fall over the twinkling city skyline; it took a while, but she finally summoned her courage and suggested that they exchange presents.

“Oh Loki,” (Y/N) breathed, her gaze transfixed on the beautiful music box in her hands and the two dancing figures twirling in time to the sweet melody; the two figures were her and Loki, and the music was what was playing when they danced together for the first time at Tony’s charity ball. She looked up at him once the tinkling music faded away and beamed. “It’s beautiful!”

“You like it?” He had a hesitant sort of look on his face. “I wasn’t sure you would…”

Her smile widened. “I love it, sweetheart!” After she pressed a brief kiss to his lips, she carefully set the music box down on the table and grabbed her present to him, walking back to her boyfriend and offering the package to him with slightly-quaking fingers. “Okay, your turn.”

Butterflies erupted in (Y/N)’s stomach as she watched her boyfriend carefully unwrap his gift. Her hands suddenly became clammy and her mouth went dry, and it was if time had slowed down as Loki lifted the lid of the box to reveal a shiny gold ring. He looked back up at her, his expression blank and unreadable, just as she took a shaky deep breath and spoke.

“Before we met, I had a fairly good idea of how my life would go; I’d become a full-time librarian, save up enough money so I could go see the world and maybe even meet someone special, but that didn’t matter to me as much as being able to help others. And then I met you, Loki. You understood me, my thoughts and my passions, better than anyone else in the world; you helped me open my eyes to a whole unknown part of myself and gave me the strength I needed to embrace it. I’m not as skilled at expressing my love as you are, sweetheart, but then I realized that there was no better way of showing how much I love you than…” She gently took the box from his un-moving hands and held the ring as she tearily smiled up at him. “Loki Odinson, I love you with all my heart and I can’t imagine living the rest of my life without you. Will you marry me?”

(Y/N)’s heart was hammering in her chest as she stared into his emerald-green eyes, so much so that she was afraid he’d be able to hear it. But her fears melted away the moment Loki’s face broke out into the most dazzling smile she’d ever seen; he reached for her free hand and held it firmly between his own as he choked out, “Yes. Yes, I will!”

Half-laughing and half-crying, (Y/N) surged forward and captured his lips with a passion-filled kiss that was eagerly reciprocated. Loki let go of her hand in order to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her flush against him, tightening his hold when (Y/N) ran a hand through his dark locks. After several blissful moments, she pulled away as he continued pressing kisses along her jawline. “I-I know that it’s unconventional for a woman to propose to a man, even here on Midgard, so I’m sorry if-”

“Sorry?” Loki gave her cheek a final kiss before leaning back just far enough to see her whole face, his eyes filled with unabashed adoration. “(Y/N), you shouldn’t have to apologize for such a beautiful gesture and besides, our relationship is the very definition of ‘unconventional,’ wouldn’t you say?”

“I suppose you’re right about that.” She giggled before grabbing his left hand and holding it up. “May I?” Once he gave her a nod, she slipped the ring onto the third finger of his hand and smiled. “It fits! That saves us a trip back to the shop for resizing.”

“It’s stunning, darling. May I give you your ring now?”

(Y/N) furrowed her brow in confusion. “My ring?”

It was Loki’s turn to be nervous; his fingers intertwined with hers and he gave her a sheepish smile before continuing. “Yes, well, I…I asked for one of my mother’s rings when we visited Asgard. I’ve been waiting for the right moment to propose, but…well, it would seem that you beat me to it, my clever love.” He removed his other hand from around her waist and held it palm-up before her; the air above it shimmered with green magic before a velvet ring box materialized. It was already open, revealing a glittering ring set in silver; its center stone looked like a diamond to her and the metal surrounding it was formed into delicate petal shapes, filled with a blend of small diamonds and what she guessed were peridots and purple sapphires. “I can ask my mother for another if you’re not fond of this one, or we can consult a jeweler if you’d prefer something more traditional…”

“It’s perfect, Loki, absolutely perfect.” Sharing a teary smile, (Y/N) held out her hand and allowed Loki to slip the ring onto her finger; she flexed the fingers of her left hand, unused to having something that weighty on her finger, but her smile widened as she admired just how right it looked. Looking up, she cupped his cheek and traced along his cheekbone with her thumb. “I can’t believe I’ll get to be your wife someday.”

“And I can’t believe that I’ll have the honor of being your husband.” Loki ducked his head and captured her lips in another heated kiss; without any warning, he bent down and wrapped his arms around her upper thighs, hoisting her up so that he could angle his face upwards instead of craning his neck down. (Y/N) giggled in surprise and threw her arms around his neck as he grinned into their kiss, losing herself to their passion. When they were forced to separate for air, Loki looked up at her with absolute adoration in his emerald-green eyes. “Darling, would you honor your betrothed with a dance?” (Y/N) nodded, her fingers carding through his mussed hair while he called out, “J.A.R.V.I.S., play Sergeant Barnes’ music playlist, please.”

“Of course, Prince Loki.”

(Y/N)’s brow rose in surprise when she recognized the beginning of Jo Stafford’s ‘You Belong To Me’ as it began playing throughout the ballroom, and Loki’s smile widened. “In preparation for this evening, I asked the others for music recommendations and Barnes was gracious enough to let us use his playlist.”

“Your definition of dancing seems to conflict a little with mine, sweetheart,” She quipped as Loki began slowly swaying them in a tight circle. “You’re not going to put me down, are you?”

Holding her up in one arm with ease, Loki took her hand and intertwined their fingers before resting them against his chest and gently shaking his head. “Never, my darling.”

(Y/N) smiled at that, her eyes drifting closed while she rested her forehead against Loki’s; their noses rubbed up against one another and as they continued their slow rotation, his lips ghosted over the skin of her cheek and she began to wonder if a person could actually die of happiness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that night, (Y/N) lounged on Loki’s bed and admired her engagement ring while her fiancé showered, her mind already filled with wedding plans. I’ll bet my entire book collection that Tony’ll try convincing us to let him officiate, (Y/N) thought with a giggle, rolling onto her back and staring up at the ceiling of Loki’s bedroom as she rested her hands on her pajama-clad stomach and let out a content sigh. But while she laid there, her overwhelming happiness was soon replaced with a growing sense of dread as familiar words began to replay in her mind:

“It’s also about controlling your emotions and keeping them in check. Strong ones, like anger or passion, can sometimes be a trigger…”

“Layeia and her forbidden Midgardian lover reigned with an iron fist, executing any who opposed their rule, and gained a small following who worshiped her evil magic…”

“You and your mother are more alike than you realize. The fiery tempers, the forbidden lovers and most importantly, the ambition…”

Along with that, flashes of her ever-present nightmares and the brief snippets of King Tarian’s book crossed her mind, forcing her to repress her horrified gasp. My love for Loki could make me lose control of my magic and become what my mother was, (Y/N) thought as fear began to blossom in the pit of her stomach. But she and Loki had been in love for several months without any sort of problem…and that’s when she remembered all the incidents. Her magical abilities had been triggered by her desire to protect him from a Hydra agent in the library. In an attempt to defend his honor, she’d even attacked Tony and in her rage, nearly destroyed an entire floor of the tower. And while she’d tried reasoning that it had only been inside her head, she’d even physically shocked Loki with her magic back on Asgard and it had been powerful enough for the Frost Giant to feel its stinging pain.

The first thing in the morning I’m going down to the lab to speak with Doctor Cho, she thought to herself as she heard the shower head turn off in the bathroom, and I swear on my Aunt Evelyn that I won’t become the very same evil that my mother was.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Ahhhh they’re engaged!! If anyone was wondering, I took inspiration for that dancing scene from one of Tom Hiddleston’s films called The Deep Blue Sea, you guys should check it out if you haven’t already. Thank you all so much for reading and commenting! I’ve created a Spotify playlist inspired by this series, and I’ll be updating it every time I upload a new chapter. Enjoy!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2wx8TZwpDN0l33tES3W3Nk

Chapter Eighteen-Part One

Spellbinding Masterlist

Tagging: @nexiva @ravenclawbitch426 @cminr @confusedfandomwriter @momc95 @nickkie1129 @austynparksandpizza @brooke0297 @destructivebliss @outoftheregular​ @itscomplicatedx​ @0-artemis​ @vivloki​

[trulymj]

65 Questions You Aren't Used To

I pretended it was myspace and just filled this out in it’s entirety. cool.  1. Do you ever doubt the existence of others than you? -Nah man, I could but it wouldn’t do anything but increase my anxiety levels so I’ll just avoid thinking about it like I do with most things. 

2. On a scale of 1-5, how afraid of the dark are you? -Like a 2? Depends a lot if Im alone in the house or not.

3. The person you would never want to meet? -The person who would answer this question with my name probably. 

4. What is your favorite word? - Im cheating its a phrase “l’appel du vide,” that feeling you get when you’re driving and you just think “I could jerk my wheel and ram into that barrier..” but don’t. 

5. If you were a type of tree, what would you be? I’d like to think I would be a great big old willow tree where people have first kisses under in August because Summer is ending.

6. When you looked in the mirror this morning what was the first thing you thought? -Damn, I forgot to take off my make-up

7. What shirt are you wearing? -A black cami tank top

8. What do you label yourself as? -I don’t really? A loving person I guess?

9. Bright room or dark room? -Dark room, alwayssss. 

10. What were you doing at midnight last night? - in bed..watching The Office and trying to sleep. 

11. Favorite age you’ve been so far? 26 was really great...but this year has been amazing in its own right. 

12. Who told you they loved you last? -My man via ship email because he’s floating in the middle of the ocean somewhere. 

13. Your worst enemy? -Procrastination and avoidance.

14. What is your current desktop picture? -Some cool night sky shit with a tent in the foreground

15. Do you like someone? -Probably the guy I married...just a little bit though.

16. The last song you listened to? -Baby it’s cold outside. I was wrapping presents and enjoying myself man, don’t judge. 

17. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up? -Probably a child rapist

18. Who would you really like to just punch in the face? -Myself sometimes, but no one really. Not my style. 

19. If anyone could be your slave for a day, who would it be and what would they have to do? -This is too kinky for tumblr now.

20. What is your best physical attribute? (showing said attribute is optional) - my right nostril, it resembles a bean which is cool.

21. If you were the opposite sex for one day, what would you look like and what would you do? -Probably just do a lot of that helicopter dick thing that guys do...or and finally figure out what it’s like to stick your dick in stuff because I’m so curious. I’d spend most of the day trying to get a BJ I think. I guess just as hot as possible to increase my chances of getting said BJ?

22. Do you have a secret talent? If yes, what is it? -Nah I dont think so...maybe like talking to people?

23. What is one unique thing you’re afraid of? -Escalators. 

24. You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your disposal. -Oven Roasted turkey, thick ass bacon, tomato, tons of avocado, a layer of clover sprouts, some jersey style cherry pepper relish, oil and vin. Damn that sounds good. 

25. You just found $100! How are you going to spend it? -Rainy day fund mang. Responsibilities and shit. 

26. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere in the world, but you have to leave immediately. Where are you going to go? - Iceland, a bitch is trying to see the northern lights. 

27. An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. “Be brand-specific” it says. Man! What are you gonna say about that? Even if you don’t drink booze there’s something you can figure out… so what’s it gonna be? - Laphroaig 31 year please and thanks. 

28. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place? - Don’t be a dick.

29. What is your favorite expletive? - Fucker

30. Your house is on fire, holy shit! You have just enough time to run in there and grab ONE inanimate object. Don’t worry, your loved ones and pets have already made it out safely. So what’s the one thing you’re going to save from that blazing inferno? - My Moms ring

31. You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be? Probably getting molested on that plane when I was 9. I didn’t grow from it so it’d just be cool not to ever think about randomly. 

32. You got kicked out of the country for being a time-traveling heathen who sleeps with celebrities and has super-powers. But check out this cool shit… you can move to anywhere else in the world! - Mexico so I’m close to home I guess.

33. The Celestial Gates Of Beyond have opened, much to your surprise because you didn’t think such a thing existed. Death appears. As it turns out, Death is actually a pretty cool entity, and happens to be in a fantastic mood. Death offers to return the friend/family-member/person/etc. of your choice to the living world. Who will you bring back? - This is weird to think about...next...

34. What was your last dream about? Jesse and I were doing something...Don’t remember what though? we were at a party I think. 

35. Are you a good….[insert anything you’d like here]? Listener? Sometimes. Usually. 

36. Have you ever been admitted to the hospital? Nope. 

37. Have you ever built a snowman? Yes but it was only like a foot tall

38. What is the color of your socks? Flesh socks...aka no socks.

39. What type of music do you like? The good kind.

40. Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets? Sunrises feel more serene.

41. What is your favorite milkshake flavor? Oreo duhhhhh

42. What football team do you support? (I will answer in terms of American football as well as soccer) IDFWU

43. Do you have any scars? emotional or physical? short answer, yes. 

44. What do you want to be when you graduate? Happy

45. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? - My ability to start shit.

46. Are you reliable? Depends on what for? Money, no. advice yes, being on time yes, helping you keep up a lie, no. 

47. If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be? Did it all work out?

48. Do you hold grudges? Not really, just remember and take mental notes. 

49. If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature, what new animal would you create? A dogs personality in the size of a rat. 

50. What is the most unusual conversation you’ve ever had? - The conversation I had with Jesse on the steps of a catholic church at 3am in San Francisco when we were both drunk. 

51. Are you a good liar? Nahhh. 

52. How long could you go without talking? not long at all. 

53. What has been you worst haircut/style? The triangle haircut I had freshman year of highschool. Bitches didnt know about curls apparently. 

54. Have you ever baked your own cake? Like for my own birthday? No. But for other peoples, all the time.

55. Can you do any accents other than your own? Southern and British. 

56. What do you like on your toast? Copious amounts of kerrygold butter. 

57. What is the last thing you drew a picture of? A christmas tree two days ago. 

58. What would be your dream car? -new: Subaru Crosstrek, blacked the fuck out.  -Classic: 67 Corvette Stingray, black outside, burgundy inside. 

59. Do you sing in the shower? Or do anything unusual in the shower? Explain. Rarely sing...usually watch scientific youtube shows...

60. Do you believe in aliens? I don’t think they’ve visited us but there’s other life out there. 

61. Do you often read your horoscope? -When its easy, yes, but I dont go out of my way. 

62. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet? Z I guess. 

63. Which is cooler: dinosaurs or dragons? Dinos, them bitches were reallll. 

64. What do you think about babies? They’re expensive, poopy, cry-y sacks of flesh that don’t sleep and I want one. 

65. Freebie! Ask anything interesting you can think of. I don’t know what to ask myself so bye. 

[noheroes-allowed]

boston baby

aka I’m a dumbass

I literally deleted all the text of my old post bc I’m a fucking idiot. so now my idiocy stems from not only my inability to stop liking this boy but also my fucking incapability of navigating this site. and my stubbornness in having this post to look back on so I have to write it again which sucks bc I spent like 3 days on the last one. again --- I hate that I put so much weight on our interactions. I hate that I have this need to remember it all. I remember in freshman year when I liked this guy I wrote little clues to myself and I was sure I would remember them. and I liked that it was something I knew but no one else could really guess if they just saw single, independently floating words. but I looked back on them last fall and I had no idea what half of them were. I suppose it’s a good sign that I’ve officially moved on, no ache in my heart that I couldn’t remember, only a little nostalgia. and then when I found the clues I wrote in my notes app about keith from the first segc social I went to in like 2018, I didn't know what was going on either. in this case, it’s purely from bad memory. although I did write down that his favorite candy was sweet tarts, which he mentioned again this trip. I’m sure at one point in my life I will look back on this with only nostalgia and sentimentality and appreciate how much I’ve grown since the time of me writing this, at least I hope so. but for now, I know I want to remember these days. not just bc of my horrendously irrational crush on keith, but bc this trip was really fun. it might be the highlight of my semester. and at the end of it all, I did grow closer to these people and one individual in particular. even though I doubt he would like me back, at the end of the day, I still really enjoy his company and knowing more about him even in the friend capacity. so this is my completely rational justification, and I will try not to feel bad about myself.

I looked back on an unsent letter I wrote about him over winter break just now. it’s crazy how much closer we are now than we were just two months ago. a lot of the content was actually about how I wish I could get to know him more. to hear his laugh and see his smile, listen to his stories and adventures. to know more about him and for him to want to know more about me. it’s amazing. I actually got to do exactly that this weekend. 

there were so many little moments I appreciate and don’t want to forget. when he picked me up, he said something in the car that I couldn’t hear bc I was outside. but I think it was something like ‘do you want to sit in the front.’ but my mind was so set on sitting shotgun that I went for the door and when I asked him what he said he said he just couldn’t get the door open since it was locked the first time I tried. we were talking about behavioral econ since class was cancelled and serena asked me if I liked it and I said that I had been wanting to take it since applying to colleges. keith was surprised. and he said how he didn’t know why he picked the 9am discussion. and I said he could always go to a later one. but then he was like no it’s too late bc jaja is in it and you’re in it. even though jaja never shows up to class. ‘do you want to help me navigate?’ when we left Ithaca, maxwell and I were talking about Iceland, and I said all I wanted to do was see the northern lights. maxwell wanted to go snorkeling. then when everyone started doing their work since our car was deemed the work car, he turned to me and ‘tell me a story.’ literally I lit up inside when he said that bc he wanted to hear about me, and he never reciprocated back this question when I asked him the few times before our trip, and the specific wording bc that’s exactly how I ask him. everyone loves talking about themselves, even me. and I thought making the story-sharing a thing would make him happy since he could think back on some memories and I could learn more about him. it’s a win-win really.  

we talked about maryland a lot. I think the first story I told was in 8th grade when we went to a museum in dc and we ran into neil patrick harris and our grade bothered him so much that he left. and then we got onto the topic of field trips and going to st. mary’s to learn about colonies. he thought it was weird that I took the school bus to school bc he only ever rode buses on trips. we talked about the aquarium and the science center and crabs and ocean city beach trips and just md. stupidly it made me appreciate md more.

anyway I told him about the trips I went on in high school, and how I slipped in the rain in disney and fucked up my elbow for weeks afterwards, and getting to see the backstage of the parks, and having to drive all the way there and sleeping on the bus, and how we went to london and nola. he asked me who I spent most of my time with in marching band. I asked him about his trips. his school took so many camping and hiking trips with everyone in the grade and that’s when he would pull his pranks. they went out to the eastern shore of maryland once and camped out in the grass next to the sand to learn about biomes. and this guy brought a hoverboard even though no electronics were allowed. and they started building a trench in the sand for no reason. he asked me if I ever had gone camping. I told him I camped on a beach in china when I was 12. and that my family used to go every year until my brother was born. apparently on another school trip two seventh graders were making out next to everyone sleeping bc they didn't even separate the boys and the girls. he said one time his friends and him ate really greasy foods and a milkshake from dq and he felt really gross afterwards. 

we talked about books too, like what we read as kids. and I asked him about all the books I read in high school. he read hamlet and the great gatsby and tried to read pride and prejudice and not frankenstein and not the crucible. he watched the lion king in class too after hamlet. I told him I cried, and during the great gatsby, and was haunted by the clip from the crucible where everyone gets hung. he made a reference to percy jackson I didn't understand. I asked him his favorite movie but he didn't know. mine is beautiful boy. he said he saw little women but I wanna read it first. also we talked about friends and how I grew up with it and it would be on the same time as hannah montana at 7:30. he said he watched a lot of hannah but not actually bc of his sisters since they were a bit older than the target audience so I guess he just watched it bc he wanted to? also I said drake and josh was the only children’s sitcom my dad would watch bc it was funny to him too. it reminds me of when we were at mango mango and he pointed out the mangoes and said they reminded him of the pear ipads from icarly and victorious.

we stopped at Panera and he didn’t get the sandwich I recommended. he got a plain turkey sandwich instead, but mine was literally the same except it had really good bread. when we were waiting for maxwell to figure out the drink machine, a jeremy song came on and I said I went to his concert in philly and got the sweatshirt I was wearing from there. he said it was a sign. during lunch annie brought up coronavirus and how a girl got back from abroad and went to mixers. and they talked about traveling in europe. keith said he had family he visited in some European country that I don't remember at this point, and that his most recent immigrant was one of his grandfathers. I wonder what his parents look like. on our way out I asked if we could go to petco and he said for a few minutes. and we got to see lizards and snakes and geckos and gerbils and birds. and then on our way out I said ‘omg a turtle’ really loudly and he turned around and smiled. later I asked him if he had any pets and he said he used to have a dog. he asked me and I said I didn't. he said it seemed like I really want one though. his sister is a vet and the other works for a pet store company. 

we talked about college and how well our semesters have gone. he said his freshman year was rough and he didn't feel like himself and was lazy sophomore year and didn't have good friends until sophomore spring I think. and that cornell was good for him bc he’d grown up in such a small school his entire life and he needed the change. I feel like I would’ve felt a greater sense of belonging if I went to a liberal arts school just bc of its size. he liked 4th and 8th and this year. I liked 3rd 6th 9th and freshman year and this year. he was surprised that I liked them for meeting new people, but I think it has to do with the fact that I met a lot of people in those years who I grew to really care about. even though trying to meet people in that time was hard. and freshman year was just really transformative for my growth. ‘wait tell me more about umd.’ I kept it vague and told him how I was a nerd and was really scared about grades and went to office hours and studied a lot. we stopped at a gas station then so the topic kind of died down. he left the door open for a few minutes after getting out then popped his head back, ‘sorry about that’, and we were all confused but it was just him apologizing for the cold getting in. there was a convenience store inside and his favorite candy is sweet tarts. I liked kit kats a lot, and he does too but he eats them too quickly. I pointed out the cookies and crème, which he’s never had before, but I mentioned that I gave him the option last Halloween when I had candy from work. 

he asked me to put on music but I was scared I would get judged for my music taste and we didn’t have an aux cord and he said we should get one at a rest stop but we never ended up doing that. we turned on the radio and it felt like such an early 2010s thing to do, and I mentioned in middle school there were only two radio stations people listened to. ‘wait name them.’ and he fucking knew 106.5 and 104.3 and gosh. when he said ‘wait we have so much in common’ with that damn smile. I know he was just talking about common experiences we’ve had just living somewhat close to each other, but what initially drew me to him was that we have the same major and both came from md. I always felt a stronger connection to him and I feel like he appreciated our similarities too. it was so fun bc I associate all those md things with people from high school but to have this in common with a friend from college is just so surreal. it’s like two worlds colliding in a wonderful way. 

there were moments when I felt like it was just us, away from segc and just traveling together. when he asked me to look at the Airbnb info. when he asked me to find parking for him bc he’s never parallel parked. but that one time when everyone was in the car and he did it perfectly and everyone cheered. memorizing where our car was. his smile when I would anticipate what he needed and tell him I already have a parking lot set in maps as our destination. when he gave me his wallet to pay the toll. when I left that note in the car bc we were blocking other people. when the windows fogged up and I had to check if he could merge. and when we had to both roll down the window bc the ac was broken. when I checked to make sure he parked between the lines. when everyone else was rushing off to dinner and we stayed behind to make sure we didn't have to pay for parking. and then the next day figuring out the machine. and figuring out the rates. and paying for our parking in the lobby. when he couldn’t get the card in and asked me to try. and in the morning too. when we woke up before everyone else. and I was still in bed working and he was surprised to see me awake and dabbed bc we were talking about that in the car. and just ‘can I use your room’ ‘can I take a shower’ ‘I’m gonna brush my teeth’ ‘wait can I pee first’. cleaning up the Airbnb and stripping the sheets and throwing everything out and taking out the trash and setting the coffee table back and arranging the couch pillows. ‘can I put this here for a second’ when he left his jacket in my room just when he was in the bathroom. but the second night he kept it there for hours. I loved it when we were just talking on our own too. like on the road when he pointed out the baseball and basketball hall of fame and the chesapeake watershed. when he tricked me by calling a random stream the susquehanna, then ‘it’s the susquehanna’ ‘really?’ ‘oh idk’ when I got him back, and then joking that the river we were crossing by harvard was it too, but we actually saw it on the way back. and in the kitchen when he dropped the clif bar wrapper and I said his name in a disappointing way so when we were cleaning up he joked and said we gotta make sure there were no more wrappers lying around. ‘I’m going to go into that room for a while.’ I gave him a weird look so he explained he was gonna do push-ups and didn't want to fall behind and put his finger on his lips. and when I told him I was meeting a friend sunday morning with just us in the kitchen, he said he was jealous. I think bc he wanted to see his best friend from brown. this shit seems miniscule and dumb but. idk it just made me feel happy and light and dumb inside.  

edit 3/21: I’m finally back to finish this post, hopefully. it’s definitely been a weird past week, and so much has changed since the boston trip that I’ve been reluctant to come back and finish this bc of how different I feel compared to how “happy and light and dumb inside” I was a mere two weeks ago. life is definitely weird now. and I didn’t want to taint this post with that. but I think inevitably I am less excited and happy about this trip and probably forgot some the small things. but I needed to finish this eventually, so here I am.

on our way there, I asked him if he was close to his high school friends. and he said he saw a bunch of people last summer. and his friend like inspired him a bit bc he acts with no shame in that he won’t let small doubts hold him back. and that made him want to reach out to hs people. and I said I wanted to talk to some people from home but it was hard bc I didn’t know if they’d want to talk to me too, but then ‘would you be happy if they reached out to you?’ ‘it’s not the same.’ I asked him about his segc application and the issue he talked about. he talked about racism and his perspective. the radio said south by southwest was cancelled, our speaker that week was on the board for the event. the radio also talked about virus cases in boston on our way there. also on our way into the city the second day, there was a sign that said something like ‘caution’ ‘coronavirus cases’ or something and he said it felt like we were in the beginning of an apocalyptic movie. 

when we got to the Airbnb, the others spent literally two hours trying to find a dinner place for us. but we were just chilling. he complimented my shoes. and said butterflies when I was doing stretches on the ground. we went to get water from the kitchen and he got some from the tap but I found a water filter in one of the cabinets and pointed it out to him. ‘oh it tastes fine though’ but I needed it for me. ‘oh that was selfish of me.’ and then ‘lucy what’s your fourth favorite day at cornell’ but we were back in the living room. and he corrected himself to ‘well everyone’ but it was directed at me. and he was asking me. and it made me feel special. in the car he asked me my fourth favorite year and I think that’s how we started talking about umd, and fourth favorite ice cream. his number one is chocolate. at dinner, we were at the thai place and he got chicken curry but ‘why don’t you try something new.’ he said it was too risky given how spicy the menu was and how hungry he was at the moment. he mentioned the md state fair bc annie talked about the ny state fair. and seriously. I fucking need to know if the timonium state fair grounds are legit state fair grounds. like is the fair actually a state fair or do they just call themselves that. omfg I’ve been wondering this for years and I need answers. on our way to dinner, my shoe came untied and I said I could catch up but he waited for me anyway. and as we were jogging he was like ‘remember disney’ bc I told him I fell. we saw a bunch of bunnies in the yards of the houses and I said watership down kinda traumatized me. he said his sister had to read or watch (?) it but he didn’t but he knew it was gruesome. after dinner though we all walked to the tower. that we saw in the distance while we were driving and walking to the restaurant. but it just ended being an academic building with a weird tower top. and it started snowing and was extremely cold. and maxwell told this story about how his brakes got cut on his bike.

after dinner we got back and they were figuring out a movie to watch on netflix. and couldn’t decide so I suggested the office s5 ep14 bc stress relief is iconic. and it made me happy that everyone was enjoying the episode. divya was like ‘keith and lucy look like you’re having fun’ bc we were both sitting on the ground I guess in her like camera’s direction? idk. I thought it was weird she pointed out us two specifically. bc before she asked him how the car ride went and he said everyone was doing work. and she was like wait what so what did you do. ‘I talked to lucy a lot actually.’ ‘oh what’d you guys talk about.’ but he had to fix the car parking and then she asked me from across the room in front of everyone what we talked about. also at dinner saturday she sat down and then literally changed seats to sit next to him. and also ‘shivani, we should visit dc over spring break.’ right after he said he was gonna do a 10k there. it’s a little sus is all. they played some card games after the episodes but I took a shower instead. I think keith and mahdia were partners. after they played I was standing in the living room and everyone was figuring out the sleeping situation and he tapped me on my shoulder. but he kinda messed up bc he tried to trick me but he tapped the wrong one bc he overthought it. 

lucy take your pick, are we there yet, ice cream cake, diners, tufts, 75 state st section 3k, green tea latte, lucy is so funny, magnet, pics in the comic store, questions to ask, salt water taffy, waiting for us by the elevator, crocs store, circle push door???, vineyard vines, bookstore, racing up the stairs, printable stories, ideal Friday night, lucy just takes shotgun, parking for harvard, stopping in pokeworks, looking back at me, the moon and the sun, you know what you need to do, can you get us home, keith st, what’s new, tell me how this morning went, how’d it go, i’m glad you got to go, band and art and classes and sports, my brother, never being at whole foods before, are there tongs, md grocery stores, my phone is messed up, fucking up on the highway, clif bar flavors, first crush, dating, umd, dances and prom, parties, selfie, canoe trip, ipods and mp3 and ds and psp, being dropped off last, his dorky ok, great Gatsby soundtrack, it doesn't really come up in conversation

[aljan-r]

Day 3 - Warner Bros Studio Tour! (part 2)

We had our banter at Southbank. Now that our photography teacher said farewell, now it’s our time to had some time for break and had lunch, so we took a tube up to Northern London, and at some point we got out and took a bus instead to Victoria. From there, we entered this mall that’s called Victoria Place, where we ate some chicken, drank some milkshake, and had some ice creams. After toilet break, we’re finally set to go on another journey. We walked quite close, just out of the mall, crossed the street, walked through and we’re in a bus station. But instead of a normal TfL bus stop, we’re actually on a bus terminal that’s taking us to Warner Bros Studios on Leavesden. We’re lining up for the bus, while the bus prepared itself. Soon we got inside the bus, and then the bus got so crowded, like it was rush hour. Fortunately, Adit and I already got seat, so it wasn’t much of a problem for us. I plucked my earphone while we’re going. Firstly, we’re stopping on Baker Street, which was quite near to our inn anyways. And then, the bus went straight to Leavesden, where then we got onto the studio and disembarked. We had some photo taken first, before our mentor started distributing us our tickets into the site. On the front, there’s some statue posted there, so of course we (photo-desperate folks) got onto it and had our pictures taken in it. We got into the security border, where they checked our bag and had our body checked, and simply went through. At this time, we’re desperate for the toilet, so we went through and went straight into the toilet. We gathered back in the middle of the front room where second inspection (ticket) took place. Our mentor said (again) that we’re gathering again at ±16:40, so we shopped for a while. I personally bought two magnets and a book while the others bought something like a purse, or even a wand. 4:50. We gathered at the middle. After that, we got in while Adit realized he forgot where his own ticket was, so he separated and went back to the store, probably his ticket fell off there? Anyways, Ms. Stephanie gave her ticket to Adit instead, so he may enter sooner. As for herself, she went to the reception to tell that she came in groups and forgot her ticket, for that she got herself the lost ticket. After a (very) long queue, we finally got in, where we’re greeted by a man in the corner narrated about the studio itself, and how Harry Potter itself came to exist from a writing to being everyone’s favourite. After a brief introduction, the door beside him opened, so we got in and had seat. I sat between Arlya and a stranger while others also scattered. It turned out to be a film theatre, where the three main cast of Harry Potter explained a bit about how they’ve been playing the role since they’re kids, and how they lived with it for ±20 years. Anyways, the theatre took us to a new room, where behind the door is a replica of Hogwarts’s Dining Hall. We got in, took a photo, lots of it. I was fascinated just by looking at it. Anyways, across the dining hall were the actual museum itself, where they showcased lots of stuff like: - The moving stairs - Gryffindor Stairwell - Dumbledore’s Office - The sealed door from The Chamber of Secrets - A flying car from the same film - Every character’s wand There’s even a studio itself where you can have yourself in a broomstick, and then edited like you’re somehow live inside the film itself. There’s even a stand where you can learn how to cast with a wand (with style). When I was there, I just looked at this girl following the video on how to cast a spell, and she nailed it! I thought to myself ‘that’s cool!’ but somehow I didn’t want to go to that stand anyways. So I carried on. Beside the museum is a replica of the Forbidden Forest. I got in. There’s a switch to change the ambience between day and night. What I expected was for the lighting and the sound to change, but only the latter did. In front of the switch, there was Buckbeak, Hagrid’s pet. It’s so surreal, even the post mentioning it also mentioned that this thing was used on the film itself. There’s also Aragog (the spider) next to it, also used in the film. Off onto the next room, which was platform 9¾. with the train itself, and the souvenir shop next to it. I took photo of the train, and went off to the next room, which is the backlot. My friend were already eating at that moment, meanwhile I just came out of the museum. ‘Damn I spent too much time there’ I thought to myself. I came to them and bought a drink for myself. Then I ate. Even though I ate later compared to them, I didn’t finish last. After that, we went looking for a sink, and we washed our souvenir glass. The tour didn’t end there just yet, there’s also more on it. We went to the backlot yard, where there’s a replica of the Knightbus, as seen in The Prisoners of Azkaban. Meanwhile beside it, was Harry’s house in the early episodes, where he was raised as a kid. The sign said 'Portola Drive’. Unique enough, I took a photo beside it. Also in front of the house was also a replica of Hogwarts Bridge. Anyways, there’s a passage that continues on the tour. Ms. Arma and some others were already there, so I got in. Inside were the face sculptures, made for the film where an actor got to play another role. Continuing the walk, in the next room there’s also a Buckbeak, looked gorgeous as the previous one. Continuing, we went straight to Diagon Alley. The next room? The next room is full of the original sketch for so many things in the film. Example? Diagon Alley, Gringett’s Cart, omnioculars, Great Hall’s Owl Lectern, even Hogwarts Castle map, and the Chamber of Secrets. Next room were showcases of concept art made by artists such as Adam Brockbank, Andrew Willamson, and Paul Catling. Next room, is where they put a replica of Hogwarts Castle, made in paper. The next room, that time was the biggest room in the studio trip, ever. Wanna know what’s inside? 1:24 scale model of Hogwarts itself, lighted with blue lights in the ceiling, how uncanny it is. But still, look just how enormous that was! I looked at the sign this time, and it said that while the action was in green screen, they actually recorded another session on this model castle, and combined both! And for another fact, the sign said that the replica was built by 40 artists and crews while being maintained by more than 50 sculptors, painters, and other artists. One more thing, this replica actually used real dirt and gravel, and was carefully hand-sculptured. It’s time to go, I guess. I only had 20 minutes before we all rendezvous back at the same place when we entered the place. So I went across the shop, looking at stuff again. Suddenly I remember that actually one of my friend wanted a decorated key chain, so this time I bought one, the one that resembled the Deathly Hallows. Anyways, we’re (there were just Arlya, Fike, Adit, and me) waiting in front of the door while the others went to the reception for the tax refund. We all gathered. Confident that no one else was behind, we went for the bus back to London, and stopped at Baker Street. We exchanged bus, dropped off at St. Mary’s Hospital, and walked our way home.

[katieincapetown]

Welcome to uShaka Marine World: Spring/Fall Break in Durban (March 31-April 5)

Sorry it’s been, like, a month...I’ve been busy. The thing I was going to post about after the classes is actually happening next week (it’s been quite a process with this particular excursion), so there will be a post about that (which will remain a surprise) maybe next Monday. There should also be a post the weekend after (April 21).

Get ready, because this is another long one, maybe too long. I think it’s the longest one yet because I don’t feel like making multiple posts. Maybe it makes up for not posting for a month. I included some links to Wikipedia articles to save myself some explanations and in case you’re interested in learning more. 

Anywho. This week is fall break (aka my spring break). My friends Reem, Maggie, and Amanda invited me to come to Durban with them from Saturday to Thursday, For some background: Durban is the largest city in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province, which is on the southeast on the Indian Ocean. It’s about a seventeen-hour drive from Cape Town to Durban, but we (very smarty) took a two-hour plane ride. Durban is very hot and humid and there are a lot of mosquitoes and palm trees (think Florida). Unlike Cape Town/Western Cape in general, Durban and KZN are not experiencing a water crisis. There is a drought, but it’s not nearly as severe as Western Cape, Northern Cape, and Eastern Cape and there are no water restrictions. Perks include free tap water at restaurants (which is, understandably, not a thing in Cape Town. You have to pay for bottled water, which makes free water a major perk), showers that are more than two minutes, and flushing the toilet every time. KZN is very green compared to Western Cape and defeintely much hotter this time of year.

Most of my pictures are of food, so that’s why there are so many food pictures here. The first two pictures are of Addington Beach, the third is at Ciao Bella Cafe, and the fourth is the night we had hibachi for Reem’s birthday. 

More Indian people live in Durban than anywhere else in the world besides India. Consequently, there is a lot of curry. Of course I ate very well on this trip, I love curry. My personal favorite is bunny chow, which is unique to South Africa, specifically Durban. Bunny chow is either a 1/4 or 1/2 loaf of bread with the inside scooped out and filled with curry. It’s usually pretty spicy (my mouth hurts just thinking about it), but it’s the best way to eat curry. I’ll miss bunny chow when I go home, I have to figure out how to make it. 

We stayed at a hostel called the Happy Hippo Backpacker Lodge. I had never stayed in a hostel before, so I didn’t really know what to expect. I enjoyed it mostly because I got to meet some interesting people (more about that later) and it was close to a nice beach. It was also super cheap (R1000 for five nights, which is a about $83), so that was nice for some broke college students.

Saturday:  We left Cape Town on Saturday morning and arrived in Durban in the afternoon. We mostly just walked around and got the lay of the land. We went to some bars just for drinks on Florida Road (one was called Dropkick Murphy’s, which we thought was pretty funny). 

Sunday:  On Easter Sunday we spent the day at the beach. The beach was within walking distance of the hostel, which was perfect. We ran into Harm, a German guy about our age who was also staying in the hostel, and invited him to come hang out with us. It was super fun (even though we all ended up really burt): the water is warm and perfectly clear and the waves are amazing. The only drawback is that the swimming area is small and the lifeguards are very strict about staying within the area. The waves are big and the current is really strong, and there are sharks, so it’s understandable, but still. Nonetheless it was a really fun day, Amanda and I buried Reem and Maggie in the sand and the four of us attempted to build a sand castle without buckets. It was wonderful to sit on the beach and listen to an audiobook (which is not really my thing, I prefer regular books, but this one is narrated by Lin-Manuel Miranda, it was free, and I’ve been wanting to read it for ages. You see the appeal. I do have to say that I highly recommend this book, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz. It was amazing and I really want to gush about it but this post is already too long). 

After the beach we went to a restaurant called Mozambik with Harm. The food was so good. i had chicken with chips (fries) and vegetables and a minty cocktail. It was great fun. Harm was in Durban visiting some friends who were volunteering in one of the townships for a year, and it was really interesting to talk to him and learn about his experiences and about the townships. Harm was also super funny, and it was honestly a great night. 

Monday:  Monday was also a public holiday (Family Day, which is basically just a bonus day off after Easter), so that somewhat impaired what we were able to do. We ventured into the city to the Victoria Street Market, which is an indoor Indian market that sells everything from spices to jewelry to clothing to antiques. Think outdoor market but with less food and indoors. It was a public holiday, so we were pretty much the only ones there. That made it somewhat awkward, because we kind of felt bad not buying stuff at all the stores and we definitely stuck out. Not that we didn’t stick out the entire time, but it might have been better if there were more people. We met a nice Indian woman who was running a jewelry stall with her daughter. She gave us a lot of advice about Durban and what to do, and we got some very pretty jewelry from her. 

We also walked around the area for a little bit, which might not have been the best idea but it was fine, We thought we’d find a place the woman at the shop told us about, but we couldn’t find it even with Google Maps, partially because all the streets have recently been renamed from colonial names. It was slightly sketchy, mostly because we really stuck out (both because three out of four of us are white and because we obviously don’t live there) and it was generally a slightly sketchy area. We made it back alright though.  We also sat in a park for a while after we explored Florida Road during the day. It was so nice to sit in the grass and relax in a green park. One thing I really liked about this trip was the conversations we had, especially at every dinner and on this walk. We talked about political issues and social issues and just had some really nice, intelligent conversations. We went to House of Curries for dinner and sat outside. I had some really good bunny chow, and we split two bottles of rose wine so it was a long dinner. But it was a lot of fun to just sit and have a nice dinner for three hours and drink some wine with some great people. 

Tuesday: 

On Tuesday it was Reem’s birthday. We went to the beach for a bit, but it was kind of cold and windy so we ended up leaving. I have rarely been so sandy in my life--the wind blew the sand everywhere and we were covered in a layer of sand like some kind of sand-monsters. The longer showers were definitely ideal after that. For dinner we went to a hibachi restaurant. For those who don’t know, hibachi is Japanese and is a way of cooking where there is a big griddle in the middle of the table and the chef cooks right in front of you. This hibachi was a lot less of a show than it is at home; hibachi I’ve had in America involves lighting onions on fire, bouncing eggs, and all sorts of stuff. The food was amazing though. It was expensive, but about $20 for a nice dinner and a nice cocktail was not bad at all. We also explored the rooftop bar at the hostel. There is an indoor bar area and an outdoor seating area with plants and tables and whatnot. We ended up talking with the bartender (whose name escapes me right now) and his friend Mozee. We talked about how America and South Africa are different and about accents (of all things). Some people here find American accents annoying, but the bartender and Mozee were saying how they really like them. We also talked about school and the different experiences we have had. The bartender was saying how he went to an all-black school near the townships. The teachers were allowed to use corporal punishment, and the students were expected to resect teachers like they would their parents. In contrast, at the mix-race school he went to teachers didn’t use corporal punishment and were less strict. The classes were taken less seriously and people talked in class a lot. 

Wednesday:  On Wednesday we went to an art gallery (KwaZulu-Natal Art Society) and went to a restaurant with some pretty bomb milkshakes that our friend Mpumi (who is from Durban) had recommended. 

We spent the afternoon and most of the evening/night on the rooftop bar, reading and hanging out with the bartender, Mozee, and their friend Moss. We talked a lot about how America and South Africa are different and about how Cape Town and Durban are different and watched some soccer. 

Reem, Maggie, and I also went to hang out with some of our Arcadia fiends and some other study abroad people who were in town for the night. They splurged on an Air BnB that was a the bougiest penthouse apartment any of us had been in. It was right on the water and pretty close to where we were staying but it was an adventure to get there because Peter (our friend) gave us the wrong address. So that was fun. Thank goodes Andrew (our other friend) actually knew where they were. We ended up staying until 2:30am, which might not have been the best idea when we had to be up for check-out at 10am.

Thursday:  Our flight didn’t leave until 5, so we had some time to kill. We went back to our favorite Ciao Bella Cafe for breakfast and just hung around the shops near uShaka Marine World. uShaka kind of became an inside joke with us, hence the title of this post. To get to the beach and other places you had to walk through uShaka, and everything was around that area. It’s hard to explain. 

All in all it was a great trip, but I’m happy to be back in Cape Town even though I have to write three papers and study for an exam. Midterms are killing me. It was awesome to get to explore a city that is pretty different from Cape Town, in climate, vibe, and the people in general. It was also nice to hang out with the girls in a smaller group, I feel like this trip was a bonding experience. We travel together well, so there was no drama or anything even though we were around each other for six days straight.