#and i cant speak on that specifically but as the child of immigrants whos always felt kinda out of place with my immigrant friends....

[a-court-of-moonlight-and-ire]

I just remembered this random rhysand headcanon i have and now I wanna share it with youu ^^

his wings are weird, and theres two versions of this headcanon: 1) his wings look like not very convincing illusions, theyre kinda blurry around the edges, they dont move the way wings are supposed to move, especially when hes idle and not flying etc. Im imagining Rhysand encountering some illyrians who dont immediately recognize him and theyre like "whats this highfae joker doing pretending to be illyrian" and then he flaps his wings and actually starts flying and theyre like "GAH WTF"

2) illyrian wings look slightly different depending on the region (people from north illyria have black wings, people from south illyria have brown wings and are shaped a bit differently, stuff like that) and Rhysand's just dont look like theyre from any particular region. In my head, most people can look at someone elses wings and go "theyre from around here" or "oh, theyre from the nearby community down south" but when they look at his theyre just like "oh i dont recognize those, thats probably a stranger from Very Far Away", its very symbolic. And yeah, I think Nyx's wings are like that as well

[bondsmagii]

hey Micael, im hoping you are someone who follows you can help with my issue right regarding culture and feeling isolated as a very Americanized immigrant. I was born in Moldova. My family moved from there when I was 7 and the only thing I have from there is a couple of dishes I always eat with my family, a child's understanding of Romanian, and some Russian. I have felt the loss of that culture a lot because I dont necessarily view myself as an American, but I'm also not Moldovan. I dont 1/2

I dont have that culture, and I only know very few aspects of it. I cant speak to my relatives about it as I dont necessarily feel all that safe talking to them openly as Im gaytrans. I also have been having a really hard time finding any sort of witchcraft or magic systems that have Romanian roots that arent word of mouth, How can I feel closer to my culture? Or maybe where can I get some information on Romanian witchcraft that would allow me to feel closer? Thank you for reading!

I’ll say straight up that I’m not qualified to speak on the specifics at all; obviously I’m not Romanian, and the magic that I practise is very much rooted in my own culture. I will say, though, that word of mouth is not an inherently less valid way of practising magic. I don’t follow any specific system and I don’t go by any books on the subject at all; it’s all things I learned from my mother and grandmother growing up, and from there I’ve built up my own system. it’s like I always say: magic has a language, and it’s a personal journey when it comes to finding out how to speak it.

however, I might be more helpful when it comes to the issue of connecting with your culture in general. three things: language, food, and art. you can find out so much about your culture through any one of these mediums. start by building your knowledge of Romanian. every word you learn is another connection, and you cannot learn a language without gaining a solid knowledge of the culture it belongs to. learn to cook more dishes from your home. they don’t have to be perfect replicas -- as close as possible will do. things don’t have to be perfect right away. learn whatever you can, and make it as often as you like. bring these dishes into your normal routine. food is an incredibly powerful tool for connecting with your culture; just last night I made Irish stew, and even though I’ve had it many times before there’s something about stirring something in a pot and knowing that your ancestors once stirred an almost identical dish. (I did wonder what my ancestors might make of my crock pot.) finally, look to the arts. music, visual art, literature, anything you can. you don’t have to understand the lyrics to be moved by the music. you don’t have to speak at all to appreciate visual art. you might be able to find translated literature, which is another incredible way of learning about a culture, and in its original language it’s a good tool for learning a language more thoroughly. start with children’s books, if you want. it’s very satisfying to read a book the whole way through in another language, and I cannot stress enough how good reading is for fluency.

I know it probably seems like this can never be enough, and I won’t lie: it will always feel like a part of you is missing, because you can’t help but wonder how things would have turned out if you remained in your home. I was lucky enough to live permanently in Ireland until I was 18, and it wasn’t until I was 20 that I had to leave for a long while without visiting. even so, I miss it dearly, and now that I’m planning to move back it feels like I’m getting back in step with myself. for you, the separation is even more extreme, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take steps to close the distance. it won’t be perfect, but these things rarely are. it will be better, though, and that’s worth everything.

[thrallsnpuppets]

Ramble

One of the stranger (but relevant) thoughts i have had within the last couple weeks pertains to my birth country, the US.

In the next few years, my husband and i may be given the opportunity to one day move countries for his work. To me this is great.

My husband is a humble, born and bred, small town Texan with an extreme work ethic and homebody life preferences so the prospect of picking up everything and moving thousands of miles away to an unknown land filled with unknown possibly hostile people is terrifying. He literally lives about 50 miles from where he was born and raised and has never been without his immediate family. And contrary to his upbringing, hes decently progressive.

I live in Texas with him. However, I was born 2000 miles away in California. Those of you who are unfmailiar with the states and the culture, crossing state lines is both changing climate and time zone. If we can rightly agree that countries like Portugal and Spain have their differences than we can agree that Texans and Californians have a butt load of cultural differences as well.

One thing that is consistent is the the conditioned sense of Nationalism on both a federal and state level. Both CA and TX like lording their superiority as a state over the other and will bail out on any accountability when it comes to federal matters.

So, encroaching on that mentality that was only spun off different due to dialect has given me a decent understanding of what i could expect in culture shock when moving.

There is a marginal language barrier between Texas and California most pertaining to the specifics of slang and grammatical usage. (I went to speech class as a child due to health issues so i sound odd in both states.) When californians get worked up their words are replaced with expressions that i can equate to real life emojis that are just over the top comical in many situations. Where as a worked up texan loses any sort of hard consonants and theybextend their vowels to the point of running their sentences into one great grumbly affectation that can be about as intimidating as a hackles-up cattle dog. Watching californians argue with texans over Facebook pales to what it looks like real life. The californians are dancing around making expressions and exaggerated movements while the texans stick their chin out with a snarl hanging on their sunburnt and chapped lips. (My mom is from New Jersey, throw a new jersian in with the two mentioned and both the Texan and the Californian clam up momentarily. Californians are loud but like a song bird. Texans are quiet like a resting steam engine. New Jersians... They have all the fan fare and volume of a crowded stadium.)

I greatly digressed. I was only trying to highlight differences in state to state culture and got wrapped up in my own imagery.

Point is, there are major differences and not just in dialect and composure. If anyone has been paying attention to politics, youd know that the states can be very outspoken about their epitomized policies.

I havent been out of the country (would love to if warfare isnt eminent) and these opportunities i will be given has given me time to consider that. My husbands job owns places around the world so i have quite a bit of locations to think about.

I have always wanted to tour so many countries in both hemispheres but i haven't ever thought about residency.

So, i have been bouncing these ideas and potential opportunities off some of my family members and friends. Somenof my friends love the idea of getting that opportunity and would jump at the chance of leaving their bumpkin texas hometown to find themselves on foreign coasts (except the combat vets. Most are happy to be home). While some of the older people have their very nation oriented opinions.

My mom (a moderate and conspiracy theorist from new jersey) wants to move with me if i end up in places like Germany or New Zealand or France or Ireland. My mother in law (avid trump supporter and die hard texan) has an axe to grind against most of the world.

Ive always wanted to see Germany, ireland, italy, places in east europe ya know, lands of my ancestry. And perhaps to get away from the Nationalistic ideals of the United States. I went to a private school up until about middle school and grew up with out having to recite the pledge of allegiance or honoring the national anthem. (I Was startled when everyone stood at once for the pledge of allegiance when i transferred to a public school) So my sense of nation is askewed and find myself speaking against the bipartisan policies and many legislatures much to my inlaws and extended family's chagrin.

If you have ever met a Trump supporter, then you understand that their sense of nationalism is the strongest (not in a good way). They Are the ones that say, "this is our country. This is our flag. This is our president. Deal with it." But they are also offended when you mention moving countries to not be a resident of the US (especially if you just mutter about Germany lol). Which makes no sense to me but they (and current politics or regimes) make barely any sense most of the time anyways. To me anyways...

Arent they the ones that scream at an immigrant to go back to their own country if they dont like the US? Rhetorical; answer is yes always.

I dont understand why I was attacked for relating to the sentiment of picking up everything and leaving the country in pursuit of a fruitful and fulfilling life even if is thousands of miles away.

I have done it before. Not changing countries... But I have bust through state lines with bare minimal possessions escaping what i experienced in my home state to find happiness in another. I have encountered extreme hostility just for being from one of 'those' states in the great state of Texas. I already have moved thousands of miles from everything i knew to be in an unfamiliar land amongst possibly hostile people.

Why cant i, again, say i dont like it here im going somewhere else? (Other than finances and unavailable opportunity at the moment) Why cant i move again? Else where? Far away?

I have never anticipated encountering such animosity for these desires until recently when nationalism became the predominant mindset of the people. Before that, i remember expressing my desire to see the world and being praised for having worldly aspirations.

Turns out, not many people (texan or californian or new jersian) like it when you say i dont like [state, US, politician, policy, etc.] So im leaving/supporting another. I know it seems blatant but i guess I was just naive.

Isnt leaving what you told me i should do if I don't like how it is? I want to be able to contribute to something and experience opportunity in a place that would allow for it and have the resources to maintain these solutions and goals.

Im not saying it is in any one place in particular im just saying it doesn't seem like its here where i am now. A bad situation. I will probably get the opportunity for improvement in the next coming years.

But im a "white american". Does this make a difference in my immigration status? In my residencies? In my opinions? In other people's opinions? Yes, it seems so...

Its why i cant blame people for leaving their homes and travelling thousands of miles away to find a better opportunity for themselves and their family.

I would jump at the chance too.

Go ahead. Call me names. I already get torn at for carrying sympathy for those who desire to leave and improve their lives. I share the same desires even if the reasons differ greatly.

[apsbicepstraining]

The dangerous fantasy behind Trump’s normalisation

Boris Johnson has urged people to snarl out of the doom and gloomines. Yet such a situation is not normal. Persuasion ourselves the president-elect doesnt symbolize everything he says is a fantasize that stops us learning Trumpism for the barbarism it is

It was David Remnick, editor of the New Yorker, who crystallised developments in the situation into a chilling shard, in accordance with the US presidential election result. Speaking on CNN, he said: When I listen to Conrad Black describe Donald Trump, I ponder Im hallucinating. When I listen him described as not sexist , not racist , not playing on white-hot fears , not energizing hate, when hes described in a kind of normalised acces, as someone in absolute owned of program lore, as someone whos somehow in the acceptable series of rhetoric, I reckon Im hallucinating. And I dread for home countries, and I dont think its unreasonable to do so. I accept the results of our poll, of course I do. At the same season, I feel Vladimir Putin played a distinct persona in this election, and thats outrageous. And weve normalised it already. You would think that Mitt Romney had won.

Hillary Clintons assent speech interred the tomahawk, on the basis that the quiet send of superpower a principle Trump explicitly accepted before the election would like to request that the society give him an open head and the chance to lead. Obama was warmer still: We are now all rooting for his success in marrying and guiding the country. The peaceful modulation of power is one of the specific characteristics of our republic. And over the next few months, we are going to show that to the world We have to remember that were actually all on one team.

The logic is that Democrat are, by definition, true-life devotees in democracy: theyre not the privilege. They dont is making an effort to charge or recount or rerun an election. That principle placeds off a series of replies suggested by reason and biography: if consenting Trumps leadership is the democratic way, then any American patriot should line up behind him. Other leaders of democratic societies should furnish him partnership and backing. The combat has been prevailed, and the only next theatre for a body politic is reconciliation.

Trump and Obama have good discussion at White House

Yet this situation is not ordinary or, if you prefer that in social media expressions, #notnormal. When girls are lining up for long-term contraception in a piteou, pragmatic farewell to their reproduction freedom; when the chief strategist accuses of permitting racism and antisemitism; when the vice-president-elect signed legislation necessary maidens to hold and pay for burials for miscarried foetuses; when the president-elect has pledged to deport three million immigrants; when he has at least 12 allegations regarding sex misconduct superb against him; when he has announced cabinet ministers that includes his own three children: this examines nothing like a democracy. It examines nothing like reconciliation. It seems despotic, inflammatory, extreme and murderous: it appears, in short, precisely as Trump promised it would look, as he campaigned on a pledge to jail his opposing. His adversaries react that he maybe doesnt mean what he says, a position for which there is precisely no evidence. Their desire to normalise has come up with them in the fantastical nation of viewing the forthcoming presidency as there is a desire to it, and not as it plainly is.

Normalising is not Nigel Farage frolicking in a golden elevation with Donald Trump: Farage was a man of the same stamp all along. The knowledge that his hyperbole was always so flaccid, so shifty, so euphemistic by comparison with Trumps doesnt excuse it any more than British decay is apologized when, compared with the USs, the summing-ups are always so paltry.

Boris Johnson: snap out of doom and gloom. Image: Zuma Wire/ Rex/ Shutterstock

But Boris Johnson, foreign ministers, telling EU captains to click out of the doom and mist, announcing Trump a dealmaker, someone with whom we can do business, telling us to see this is an opportunity: that is normalising. Gaze on the bright side, liberals. The sheer fatuousness of Johnsons speech, the absence of any recognizable values, or a backbone to place behind them, heightens in me an unfathomable, hot, eye-pricking feel of having been betrayed. How was it possible for Johnson to disappoint, after his delinquent and self-serving summertime? Its like discovering that a neighbor, after a long party-wall spat, has browsed you to the Stasi. I knew he was a jerking; I never realised he despised our shared humanity.

Normalising is not Marine Le Pen, up with the lark to hail the brand-new dictatorship of which she hopes to be the next beneficiary. But it is Theresa May waiting anxiously by the phone to assure Trump she would be his special relation; it is also a single column inch devoted to wondering how this affects our Brexit negotiating position. When you have a prime minister who will not raise a peep in defence of propriety, you are in a new world. Its data cannot be fed into age-old formulas.

Normalising is not the Ku Klux Klan taking a rosy-cheeked look of the Trump presidency, it is CNN questioning uncritically, contacting out for that judgment. It is currently in the process of pattern a gag out of the Breitbart headline, Would you preferably your child had feminism or cancer ?, issued under the inhuman chairmanship of manager strategist Stephen Bannon. I want to see the absurdity of it, but it is not amusing. Bannons ilk checks a woman on a quest for glory and equality and was intended to irradiate it out of her. Its like living in a John Wyndham novel.

Normalising is not anything the rightwing fanatics do, and they do not try: they dont look for acceptable labels for themselves. It is the mainstream that twists itself into conciliatory pretzel knots find nicer words for totalitarian, such as alt-right.

Democrats try to find the demerit within themselves: request not whether a racist dislikes; ask what induced the racist so indignant in the first place. Once we have found the right is part of the liberal elite to pin it on, the hate maybe wont racket so frightening.

All this has a few beginnings: there is straightforward dismissal, the first phase of heartbreak. Trump cant lies in the fact that bad, because that would simply be too bad. There is a sense that the far right doesnt precisely ignore liberal sensibilities, it actively takes nourishment from our anguish. The US journalist Wajahat Ali, writing the day after research results, described his conversation with his father: Please be careful if Trump prevails, his supporters will feel very energised. This was assumes out by the spike in racist and sexist hate crimes in the US, and resonates here in Britain, too.

Golden future? When Nigel fulfilled Donald. Picture: Nigel Farage/ PA

Racists are energised by the victory of racists, and announcing them racist simply rams that win residence. A year ago, to be antisemitic would have necessitated exclusion from public life, and now it amounts to fitness for high-pitched power. Every day you reassert a fundamental significance of humanity, you demonstrate a inexpensive, disdainful thrill to the person who reached it necessary for you to say it. You cannot shame a white supremacist; unaccountably, you feel the pity yourself when you try. The indict is so extreme, if they dont accept, then you are required to hysterical. There is an underlying truism, here, that the act of debating introduces its own legitimacy. If we are really going to go back to square one and have to explain why grabbing a woman by the pussy is a violation of her human dignity, or why you cant injunction an entire religion from your coasts, where does that discontinue? What field have you relinquished just by allowing the question? It is genuinely hard to say.

The hard right does not accept argumentation as a route to a shared truism; it is simply not how they are wired. They take a judgment; you take a consider; their view electorally dominates, you shut up. Expiration of, as they ever say on Facebook. You merely dont get onto, do you? You LOST. That is the authoritarian style. It is hard to escape a pragmatic conclusion that verbal duel is pointless, but it is also wrong; the following objectives now is not exhortation. I dont contemplate anybody is going to unearth any concealed finesse or rapport in the person or persons of vice-president-elect Mike Pence. The aims of moving these fundamental polemics is solidarity with one another, lest, in the stillnes, we lose our bearings.

As to the drop-off into leftwing in-fighting, so confusing from the task of trenchantly opposing a tyrant, it has the same motorist: if you are fighting to reach a consensus, nonetheless bitterly, you can only do so with people who will move. You cannot discuss climate change issues with a person who contemplates all scientists are crooked; you cannot consider abortion with people who conceive wives as chattel to begin with; its meritless. And hitherto to fight with one another is not neutral, it does more than just pass the time. It composes incorrect equivalence or, worse, a hierarchy that has its arse on downwards. If we speak about Hillary Clintons corporate cosiness and not Trumps endorsement by the KKK, “you think youre” unavoidably putting one above the other.

Stephen Bannon and the alt-right in the White House

What does non-normalising look like? Bernie Sanders told the Today programme today that it would be billions of beings coming together to defend the organizations and the legal rules. This is specific to the US, plainly there isnt much point in millions of non-Americans coming together, for all that the brand-new toxicity of the USs political culture concerns us all, essentially and theoretically. And its reactive, since the Trump presidency will choose the sites of the conflict. Yet there is intend and hope in recollecting, as the American Civil Liberties Union has, that the president is not pope; that there is a physique and a initiate of laws; that supreme court adjudicates can bend whichever way they will, but there are only so many ways and means of interpreting a constitution founded on the universal area of human rights; and that millions of people can and will oppose their traducement with the support of the ages.

A protester in Chicago with a clear message. Picture: Kamil Krzaczynski/ Reuters

The American columnist Masha Gessen, who has wasted the majority of members of their own lives living in dictatorships, gives her six rules for surviving under one, and they read as a direct accusation of the political answer so far. First, conceive the tyrant: if he says he will evict you, he means to. When you claim “he il be” exaggerating, you reflect nothing but your own are looking forward to rationalise. Relatedly, dont be fooled by tiny clues of normality, the curious moderate placed in this or that orientation, a peremptory call for peace.

Dispiritingly, convention No 3 is: Universities will not save you. The only meaningful mode to marry that and Sanderss call is to assume that institutions are as strong as the peoples of the territories ready to defend them. Rule No 4 is: Be outraged. Wherever you are in the world, however insignificant you think yourself, each time you shrug, caper, look on the bright side or do a Boris Johnson, you do grave sin to the people in the tyrants pipeline of ardour. Rule No 5: Dont shape endangers. This is to been set aside the grease of the modern political process. Politics cannot be the art of the possible when the impossible has already happened. No 6 is: Recollect the future. Trump cannot last for ever.

I would contribute a seventh, which is to remember the past: whether its globalisation or those who are left behind, whether its economic stagnation or the long, flogging tail of the financial clang, we should, as we clamber over one another to be modern in our interpretings, recollect there is nothing new about this history. It is the oldest in the world: nebulous rancours held chassis and intensity by the rhetoric of unabashed hatred. You cannot find common case on the plight of the low-waged; navigate your own style through the submerge of secular stagnation, and epithet Trumpism for the barbarism that it is.

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