#and if you’re wondering why they don’t cater to westerners’ culture then just see the revenue infold gets from chinese players | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

toursinfiji · 1 year ago

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Why Is Lautoka Port A Hidden Gem for Cruise Travelers?

Does your cruise trip include Lautoka Port as a stop for a few days? If yes, read this post to explore the best possibilities for cruise travelers, like excursions or Tours from Lautoka Port! You can learn about a hidden gem, Lautoka Port, which attracts many cruise travelers!

Lautoka is on the western coast of Fiji’s main island, Viti Levu, a charming port town favorite among cruise travelers for years. Although not as well-known as other tropical hotspots, Lautoka Port boasts a distinct charm that makes it the best. Let us explore what makes Lautoka Port so popular among cruise travelers!

1. Authentic Fijian Hospitality

The moment you step off your cruise ship onto the shores of Lautoka Port, warm smiles and the genuine hospitality of the Fijian people will leave you mesmerized. The locals are known for their friendliness and sweet nature to share their culture with those who visit.

2. Proximity to Stunning Natural Beauty

Lautoka’s strategic location offers easy access to some of Fiji’s most breathtaking natural wonders. Just a short drive from the port, you’ll find yourself amidst lush rainforests, cascading waterfalls, and pristine beaches. Whether you’re into hiking, snorkeling, or simply soaking up the sun, Lautoka is an ideal gateway to exploring Fiji’s natural beauty.

3. Chance to See the Butling Scene of Local Markets

Lautoka has lively local markets that allow you to experience Fiji’s delicious flavors and vibrant colors. The Lautoka Municipal Market, in particular, is a must-visit. Here, you can sample tropical fruits, shop for authentic Fijian crafts, and engage with locals eager to share their culinary secrets. Don’t miss the opportunity to savor fresh coconuts or try “roti,” a delicious Fijian snack.

4. Cultural Encounters

If you are a cruise traveler seeking cultural immersion, Lautoka won’t disappoint. The town offers various opportunities to learn about Fiji’s rich heritage. You can attend a traditional Fijian “make” dance performance or explore local art galleries featuring indigenous works. Opt to engage with local artisans and learn about their crafts for an enriching experience.

5. Adventure Awaits

Lautoka Port is a gateway to thrilling adventures that cater to diverse interests. You can explore the Sabeto Hot Springs and Mud Pools to relax in natural thermal springs and indulge in therapeutic mud baths. Or, embark on a scenic tour of the Garden of the Sleeping Giant.

6. Accessibility to Other Fijian Islands

One of the best advantages of Lautoka Port is its accessibility to other Fijian islands. Day trips to islands like Yasawa or Taveuni help you to explore different facets of Fiji’s beauty and culture. These excursions often include snorkeling in crystal-clear waters and encountering vibrant marine life.

7. A Taste of Local Cuisine

Fijian cuisine combines Polynesian, Chinese, and Indian flavors. While in Lautoka, treat your taste buds to mouthwatering dishes like “lolo” (coconut fish), “palusami” (taro leaves cooked in coconut milk), and “kokoda” (Fijian ceviche). Many local eateries and restaurants offer a wide variety of delicious food options.

Conclusion

Lautoka Port’s charm lies in its authenticity, the warmth of its people, and its natural beauty. It is a gateway that helps cruise travelers experience Fiji beyond the postcard-perfect images. From the vibrant markets to cultural encounters and unforgettable adventures, tours from Lautoka Port offer a genuine and enriching experience that will leave a lasting impression on individuals looking to explore its hidden treasures. So, if you’re planning your next cruise, do not forget to include Lautoka Port as a unique destination.

If you want to make the most of your cruise stop at the Lautoka Port, consider reaching Tours in Fiji’s experienced local guides. We can help you plan the best excursions or tours that cater to your unique requirements.

Our expert team is here to respond to your emails or messages; contact us via WhatsApp at (+61) 413 672823 or email- [email protected]!

Source from:https://tourinfiji.wordpress.com/2023/12/04/why-is-lautoka-port-a-hidden-gem-for-cruise-travelers/

#tours #Tour in Lautoka #Lautoka Tour

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wolfstar-in-color · 4 years ago

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June Creator Spotlight: BigBlackDog

Hello, colorful cuties, and welcome to our first creator spotlight!!

Each month, we will highlight a different creator in our lovely fandom who features diverse characterizations. We will invite you to get to know them better through questions and answers, Fandom Discourse(tm), and a featured prompt created by our guest!!!

For our first spotlight, we are more than pleased to highlight the incredible work of bigblackdog!!! See a little snippet of this wonderful interview below, along with bigblackdog’s prompt! Look below the cut for our complete interview. Don’t forget to share and interact with this post, and if you have anyone you’d like to recommend for a spotlight, shoot us an ask! You can find our first guest’s Tumblr here.

“I've experienced ups and downs in the wolfstar fandom. It often feels like the wolfstar fandom is willing to engage in discussion about every political issue but race. And the few people who are trying to talk about race consistently encounter this silence.”

bigblackdog’s prompt: I want to see more latino characters who are not impoverished or criminalized. Give me a joyful latino/e remus!

Hello, I'm bigblackdog! I'm almost 30, and I've been active in fandom on various platforms for about seven years now. I'm latina/e and live in the u.s. with a small white dog.

Q: How did you start creating in the fandom? What did you wish to bring into the fandom?

A: Like a lot of fans I started with self insert fic as a middle schooler. Sometimes the practice of self-insert gets ragged on in fandom, as if you're not doing real character work, but I think it's really cool. And if you're an under represented identity in the traditional western canon of literature, self insert is a radical practice. Making space for yourself in a story that refuses or ignores your identities is a radical act. And that's what i want to bring to fandom-- disruption and self care.

Q: What things about s/r as characters or in their relationship inspire you to create around them?

A: Wolfstar was the first queer ship I was introduced to. I wasn't someone who arrived in fandom with my own robust queer reading skills, I needed other queers to hold my hand and introduce me to queer ships and how to find them and build them. My interest in r/s was simply a clinging to queerness I wasn't finding in other places. I really think it could have been any characters, as long as they were queer.

Q: What things would you like to highlight about the Wolfstar fandom and your experience in it?

A: I've experienced ups and downs in the wolfstar fandom. It often feels like the wolfstar fandom is willing to engage in discussion about every political issue but race. And the few people who are trying to talk about race consistently encounter this silence. It's hard not to feel bitter. But i've also met some amazing people and overall feel that fans really are trying their best to be welcoming and inclusive.

Q: What type of content do you wish you saw more in the fandom?

A: I want to see more discourse that aims at amplifying underrepresented voices like wolfstar-in-color. I want to see more fans of color joyfully and irreverently writing themselves into the magical world!

Q: What is your favourite wolfstar fancontent (fic/fanart/gifset/etc) and how does it inspire you?

A: I love dontthinkonithermione's rp. Not only does she do an amazing nerdy know it all Hermione, she envisions Black characters in every corner of the hp world. Have you seen her Hogwarts p.e. professor rps? i love the space she creates for herself, and the joy she does it with.

Q: Which of your own identities inform your creative processes? How has that process been for you?

A: I started out in fandom really trying to feel out the nooks and crannies of being queer. As i've spent more time in fandom and become more confident in my queerness I've started looking closer at some of my other identities-- Latina, mixed, adhd-- and how i can squeeze them into the hp world. For a long time it was hard, especially with being Latine and mixed, to envision how that identity could belong in a 90s British boarding school in the Scottish wilderness. I also really struggled with the feeling that i would get "diversity" wrong. I’ve also struggled with feeling like I have to write diversity because i'm an underrepresented voice. Brown people are often pressured to do the work of educating white people about racism and in fandom spaces that often means pressure to write the reality of racism instead of the fantasy that white writers get to play with. And sometimes i just want to write a pwp without worrying about the revolution, you know? But i really love fandom for its refusal to play by the rules of capitalism and canon, eventually i started to feel like putting more of myself into my writing was another rule i could break.

Q: What advice do you have for other content creators with diverse backgrounds in the fandom? What would you say to people that might feel they don’t have the “right” history/experience/characteristics to participate in the creation of content related to Wolfstar?

First, there's a lot of content on tumblr that aims to silence your voice, learn how to recognize the difference between cancel culture and encouragement. Sometimes content that seems well meaning still presents writing diversity as a list of black and white rules (and virtue signaling) instead of encouragement for underrepresented voices to share their own messy experience. Set those rules gently aside. Second, fandom is built on the idea that the author isn't the only person who gets to play. we all get to play. It doesn't always feel like we were invited, but the great thing about fandom is there is no barrier to entry, no prior experience or publishing hoops to jump through. This is our playground too. If canon is dead then why can't our stories be brown and queer and neurodivergent? Third, find your people. i've found that having just one other person to talk about race with has made the whole space feel more welcoming.

Q: How could we build a more diverse fandom?

A: We have to stop prioritizing white and cis male voices. We recognize that policing irl is a problem inextricable from whiteness and maleness, but we don't see that fandom policing online is also a problem deeply embedded in whiteness and maleness. White and cis male people frequently use their discomfort with difficult topics to change the subject from a critical discussion to one that prioritizes their white and/or male feelings. The same thing happens online when personal discomfort is used to cancel or undermine content that's challenging to a white or male voice. White and cis male voices are used to having their needs met above others. And we still cater to that in fandom spaces when we privilege 'fetishization' discourse over racial discourse. When we lift up bipoc and women/trans/nb voices and the issues they're concerned with we'll make fandom a more welcoming place for underrepresented voices.

Q: What’s your favourite thing to modify in Sirius’s or Remus’s characterizations to bring new perspectives to them?

A: It really depends on the story i'm writing and what issue i'm trying to figure out. Sometimes i need Sirius to be Adhd to come to terms with my brain, sometimes i need two brown boys to fall in love and be happy against all odds.

Q: What does diversity mean to you? What does that encompass in fannish spaces?

A: This is a hard question! I tend to think of diversity as those voices that are disenfranchised or pushed to the margins. And fannish spaces have all the same hierarchies and blind spots as other spaces. In fannish spaces there's the idea that you can curate your experience to some extent, but for marginalized voices, at least in my experience, no matter how much you curate the marginalization is still there.

Q: What are your ideas about the notions of culture and ethnicity? How do you relate to those notions?

A: There was a time in my life where relating to my ethnicity was largely a process of recognizing larger systems of oppression and how they worked against my various identities. And for a while it was a really helpful way to frame my experiences. Now I feel a little less attached to ethnicity as like, a monolithic concept threaded through my whole life and more attached to the small things that I enjoy about my ethnicity and culture-- making a really good pot of beans, for example.

Q: Leave us with a quote or work of art that always inspires you.

A: "Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare." Audre Lorde

#creator spotlight #bigblackdog #bigblackdogfic #wolfstar #fandom #diversity

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yibowang · 4 years ago

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1) I am wondering if you can comment on the difference in experience between being a fan of kpop idol/actors vs someone in the c entertainment such Yibo? Difference in fandom? Difference in source material? Difference in culture? Size of international fandom?

2) I feel like lots of c netizen rates CQL quite terribly (feel like their opinion is quite influenced by the fact that it is based on BL novel + idol actors). I am not sure if mydramalist has a more subjective rating either because only those people who might be open to like cdrama (and possible not against BL content) tends to watch CQL and thus might have inflated rating. Your thoughts?

3) Also want to ask you, do you feel like fanning someone in C entertainment is somewhat lonely existence? I feel like sometimes there is big gap between opinions for i fan vs c fandom (culturally). Unlike kpop/kdrama that tries to cater to western audience, there is very little effort made on c entertainment part.

hello! i want to start off by saying that yibo is the first and only chinese artist i’ve stanned so i really don’t know much about the c-ent industry and fan culture outside of what’s related yibo. i’m also relatively new to stanning a chinese artist and there’s honestly still a lot that i don’t know/don’t understand so this is just my limited experience. also i won’t be commenting on cql bc i really don’t know what c-netz think of cql ;;; this might get a bit rambly as well adjklfahdfk

in my experience yeah, there’s a big difference in stanning a kpop group compared to yibo like i was honestly scared when i first started stanning... there were so many new things i had to wrap my head around, so many new apps/websites i’ve never navigated before, different unspoken rules as to how fandoms run etc etc. but the first thing i want to say is, stanning yibo even tho he is only one person takes up so much of my time. like just constantly heaps of content + information is being released i feel like even when nct is actively promoting there’s not these many things to look out for. this might have to do w the fact that he’s insanely popular so there’s constantly brand promos, shows, new releases, rumours, fandom drama that needs to be kept up with. and omg the rumours. like this is not really something that was a big deal in kpop but for yibo??? i feel like rumours are a big part of c-ent. rumours of which brand he’s going to endorse next, which drama is casting him, which actors want to work with him omg like i said before just sm information even if it’s unreliable information 😭😭and before as a kpop stan all my info was from twt but now my main source is weibo. i think we’re quite lucky tho bc yibo’s international fandom is relatively big so a lot of weibo info does get shifted over to twt!

as for the fandom itself, i always feel like international fandom is quite chill lmao maybe bc i’m nctzen 😶but compared to i-fans. yeah. they’re really passionate and do a lot of things in support of their idols. for e.g. recently yibo’s fans have been going out in public asking for people to vote for yibo. this is not really something we’ll see in the kpop fandom. fans also play a huge role in the artist’s image + selling value i feel like? yibo on his own has a good reputation amongst gp but his fanbase also have to reflect that. it’s kind of stupid but the fans really do impact the artist a lot more. competitiveness is also on a whole other level bc of this passion tbh like fandoms of the top traffic stars generally don’t get along well + should try their best to stay away from each other. for this reason stats + rankings seem to be pre important and i need to mention this bc why are there sm rankings??? it’s like everything is ranked adjfgfhdkl and there’s weekly rankings for everything!!! just as how fans are super supportive antis are insane. hate is everywhere and in my opinion a lot worse than what goes on in the kpop fandom bc of the scale that it can get to. i feel like this is bc of the behind the scenes influences that go on in c-ent which seems to be a lot more apparent + stronger than kpop. like there’s a lot of shit that goes on behind the scenes that we don’t know about and is really out of our hands bc power + money does matter 🤭

as for accessibility yeah )): it can be difficult but like i said before i think we’re lucky bc of yibo’s relatively bigger international fandom. his china bar also tires to cater to international fans and provides subs + information on twt. but content esp older content is a lot harder to find sometimes it’s not like kpop where you can find almost everything from a few sources and just need to slowly make your way through it all. with yibo i’m constantly discovering new things i’ve never seen before but it’s usually through digging or pure luck 😩😩ngl frustrating at first esp when you’re not familiar with navigating the necessary apps. however you do get used to it and eventually it kind of just becomes like any other stanning experience tbh only a bit more effort is needed!

sorry this got kind of long i hope i made sense but this is honestly something i can go on about bc the experience really is so so different. i tried to only talk about the main things i find diff but there’s sm little things that also play into it ahhhhhh c-ent really is complex

#anon #replies #i talked a lot i'm sorry adjkflahgldkf #hope i didn't bore you #i remember at first i thought i didn't need weibo but i was wrong so so so wrong #i had to ask my dad to help me dl it #he was so confused at why i suddenly wanted it

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thelostnymphaeum · 5 years ago

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I'm with you 'til the end of the line.

Entry: 004

// Cinema //

Marvel Cinematic Universe

MARVEL MANIA

Superhero movies were not my thing. The only superhero movie I have watched as a kid was Spiderman. I am not into sci-fi or superhero movies albeit being a huge fan of cinema. But during this quarantine, I decided to experiment with my taste and try to indulge in a new set of genre �� the Marvel Cinematic Universe. These movies were a far cry from films that are to my liking, such as “Brooklyn” and “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape”. I used to find superhero movies corny or cheesy, because they were not based on real people and I fancy movies that tackle the inner spectrum of humanity. Additionally, I used to think that actors who choose to be in these movies are not “real actors” because portraying a superhero does not really seem to me as a role where you have to internalize the character. I was probably the only person in my class who did not cry when someone said “I love you, 3000” after the Endgame came out, and the only one who did not get the “Wakanda forever” reference. That changed because yester night, I finally finished the entire MCU. I came in with a viewing guide from my friends and I came out feeling like I just had a whole cultural experience.

THE AVENGERS

I like all of them. Except maybe the Captains. I don’t like Captain America. I understand that he’s supposed to be the poster boy of “superheroes” where he’s all righteous, courageous, virtuous and kind to everyone – but that does not seem realistic at all. His character just seemed predictable and bland for me. Maybe that’s why I prefer Tony Stark, he is more dimensional. He is someone who is unapologetic, makes mistakes, smart, arrogant; but his heart will always come from a good place. During battles, it’s always Tony Stark who is thinking of ways to end them (like how to diffuse Ultron at Sokovia) so I feel as if it’s him that should be leading them. Captain America only lead them because he was born in 1918 (just kidding, don’t eat me Steve Rogers stans). He also looks way too good. It’s unreal. What a knucklehead (Loki will agree with me on this). Jk. Anyways, he earned plus points from me when he returned the infinity stones successfully. As for Captain Marvel, I don’t think I need to explain why I find her insufferable.

A little piece about Spiderman. I like this reboot of Spiderman, and Tom Holland deserves all the hype he got because he worked so hard for his movies. No one can beat Tobey Maguire of course, but we are all just glad that Tom did not ruin Spiderman for us. The only thing I did not like about his reboot was that he relied too much on Mr. Stark. Tobey’s Spiderman never relied on anyone, he was just his own superhero. But for the sake of integrating him into the MCU, I guess that they have make this fun and fresh Peter Parker juvenile in order to be able to develop his character more. So I think I’ll give it a pass.

I personally like the Thor films the best. Because it was based on Norse mythology. Because of Loki. Because Anthony Hopkins is in it. I dislike the Captain Marvel movie the most.

ENDGAME THOUGHTS. We did not need Captain Marvel. Thor did not deserve to become a drunkard and a greasehead – he’s a freaking Norse God! Why was Pepper Potts at the final battle against Thanos? Thank you, Doctor Strange. Tony was genuinely and undeniably- the heart of the Avengers.

SCORSESE, COPPOLA & PEWDIEPIE

Along with its colossal popularity, the MCU movies have also acquired prominent detractors. Prior to watching the entire MCU, I would have probably agreed with Scorsese, Coppola and Felix (here is his “controversial” video on “I don’t like Marvel movies”).

“Honestly, the closest I can think of them, as well made as they are, with actors doing the best they can under the circumstances, is theme parks. It isn’t the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being.” – Martin Scorsese

"Martin was kind when he said it's not cinema. He didn't say it's despicable, which I just say it is." – Francis Ford Coppola

Parts of it are true, on the basis where the entire plot lines are predictable and it’s not the kind of cinema I learned to love as well. Marvel movies usually follow the same backbone. This is a huge reason why some cinephiles don’t like them, because the mystery is gone and it’s all obvious. After watching all of them in a 3-week streak, I could pretty much sum up the Marvel movie plot line into this:

The protagonist is in a helpless or vulnerable position.

The protagonist meets someone who can help them.

The protagonist works hard to get to his pre-final form and along with it, learns to fight in the name of eradicating the bad guys.

The protagonist finds out that her/his master is not all-good.

Chaos but then they forgive and understand the master.

2-3 battle fights, the last one is usually the peak battle where we see the protagonist in final form.

I like movies that tackle more about realism. I like seeing actors play roles that depict humanity as humans. I’m not a huge fan of special effects or super powers either. When Scorsese said that they are “not cinema”, I understood it because there are no intricacies or space for a different form of expression when you’re doing mega franchise films that are meant to sell to the general public. Which brings me to another point, that MCU is largely a business profit. These movies are made by mega corporations in the film industry, and it might also hinder other smaller filmmakers from showing their films if a titanic franchise is showing on the same week as theirs. Comic book fans are enormous in numbers which is why there is such a huge following for these movies even if they use the same plot lines all throughout. Humans are slaves for nostalgia, and people like to see the characters they have read and admired during their childhood come to life. Because of that, these corporations will try to capitalize on that and make more movies for as long as they can, and in a sense, you can see that they might be doing it only for the sake of money and not of art any longer. This is what the disparagers would say; that there is very little artistic values to these films because they are made to be sold, not appreciated for its artistry.

“Many of our grandfathers thought all gangster movies were the same, often calling them “despicable”. Some of our great grandfathers thought the same of westerns, and believed the films of John Ford, Sam Peckinpah, and Sergio Leone were all exactly the same. I remember a great uncle to whom I was raving about Star Wars. He responded by saying, “I saw that when it was called 2001, and, boy, was it boring!” Superheroes are simply today’s gangsters/cowboys/outer space adventurers. Some superhero films are awful, some are beautiful. Like westerns and gangster movies (and before that, just MOVIES), not everyone will be able to appreciate them, even some geniuses. And that’s okay.” – James Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy Director

Here’s my two cents on this whole hullabaloo. Art is expressed in different ways. Just because something is popular does not mean that you should hate it or feel as if it lacks creative value. For one, I think that if the Norsemen would see the Thor films, their jaws would drop. Art in these movies is seen through the elaborate special effects and costumes. A lot of people work behind the scenes to make this kind of art form. They are not any less of an artist. The effects are wonderful, amazing and beautiful. Sure, they don’t have meandering plot lines or mysteries that are meant to make you think. But they are able to show art in a way that is along with the times, showing the capabilities of what computer generated imagery could be. It gives us the fantasy that otherwise would not be achievable in real life (for all I care, my favorite scenes are seeing Spiderman glide across the buildings of New York).

These movies are intended for children and teenagers (adults are there for the sake of nostalgia or lighthearted entertainment, I guess?). For kids, it inspires them that they can be anything they want to be. For teenagers, it might be a good footing for their moral compasses. For me, it just inspired me to get fit (hehe). My point is, these movies are made to cater to a particular type of audience, and the others are there just for the spectacle. If all the movies were Scorsese or Coppola, what would the kids watch in the theaters? Kids would not understand “Taxi Driver” nor would be a good foundation for their morals. It was a classic and it deserves the reputation it has, but after only a certain age will you be able to appreciate it, and only if you had a particular knack for appreciating films. MCU movies are made for people who just want to have a good time; you don’t have to like high-brow or art-house movies to understand it, and that’s all there is to it. It’s made for entertainment, what’s so wrong with that?

And the actors – a lot of them played the characters so well which made me realize that taking on a superhero role does not lessen your credibility as an actor. My particular favorites are Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Holland, Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr. (bonus points for Anthony Hopkins, his range, man, his range). They were able to bring their roles to life in such a distinct way that it would be hard to never associate them as superheroes, which of course, is a double-edged sword. As a starting actor, that could be a bubble that is hard to get out of. For example, Tom Holland as Spiderman; people will always associate him as that, and how many of you has actually seen the movies he has done aside from MCU? It might be hard for him to bridge his career from being a huge franchise film protagonist into doing films to his own preference. MCU movies make the popularity and the money; indie films – not as much.

I don’t think that the existence of MCU is throwing away the spotlight from smaller filmmakers. Because back then, I simply chose not to see MCU movies because I was not interested. People will find ways to support art that they like, and just because MCU existed, it did not hinder me from looking for movies that I like. The cinema is made by individuals who like to create movies. There are different ways to express them. There are different subscribers to different genres. To each their own. But then again, I am not working in the film industry, so I can’t speak for them, I can only say what it’s like for a movie buff like me.

These are the movies that make up people’s childhood. These are characters that gives reason for people to bond together. When Tony died, the entire world felt like they lost a father. If it’s able to touch lives as much as any other film, why should we discriminate against it? Love is love, after all.

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lizzybeth1986 · 5 years ago

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Quick Thoughts on TRH Book 1 Chapter 6

• It's YEEHAW time everyone!

• And also raise a middle finger to logic as we see the MC wear something that she should have probably lent to the Platinum MC for a country performance, rather than for farm work.

• There's also the bit where she randomly takes a pregnancy test coz she feels nauseous (yes I know. It's plot related and is probably done to show a false negative. But you need to time these things, MC! The best time to look for a double line is closer to the time you're supposed to be having your period, if your period is regular).

• Screenshot Credits:

Hana: @pixieferry

Drake: @thefirstcourtesan

Maxwell: The Abhirio YouTube channel.

• These are the tags you can block if you don't want to see these posts: #long post, #trh quick thoughts, #trh qts, #trh qt reblogs.

• Drake has an AUNT? Please don't give me any more family members, I'm done dealing with the ones he already has.

• I'm wondering if Leona exists so that PB can do some serious retconning on Bianca's behalf. After all, when she appeared in the Drake playthroughs of Book 3, there wasn't much of a positive reception for her - with some players even saying that the MC should have a few choice words to say to her - and for good reason.

• Title: Home, Home on the Range

So whatever little knowledge I do have about a place like Texas is from films and pop culture, so this might not be new information to you but it is to me! 😁 So I'm probably going to be a gazillion times more excited about sharing it than you guys might be to read it! Bear with me for a sec.

From what I'm reading, "Home, Home on the Range" seems to a western folk song that's so popular it's considered an unofficial anthem in that region. Its origin was from a poem called "My Western Home" from a Kansas native called Dr Brewster M Highly, in 1872 (it was even made Kansas' state song in 1945?). The lyrics are very...Drake:

Where the air is so pure, and the zephyrs so free,

The breezes so balmy and light,

That I would not exchange my home on the range,

For all of the cities so bright.

Mostly a very idyllic, glorified portrait of country life. You find similar sentiments in Drake's diamond scene this chapter.

• Alternative Title: We Just Needed An Excuse to Use the BSC Soundtrack Twice.

• So we meet Bianca, Drake's mother, this chapter. If you married him this is the second time you're seeing her, and if you married anyone else this is the first time and you have no clue who she is until Drake introduces her to you. She also mentions in the Drake playthrough that this is not the kind of welcome she was hoping to give her son and daughter-in-law.

• We also meet Leona, Bianca's older sister and Drake's aunt. She's extremely unimpressed with this group of nobles and largely seems to blame the nobility in general for whisking away her younger sister, leaving her alone to manage the ranch?

• She pretends not to listen much to Cordonian news while talking to Liam, but seems to have the time to keep up with Cordonian gossip while talking to us - and luckily you can call her out on it too.

• She seems the type that likes a rebellious Duchess/Queen, going by her responses to the more sarcastic options from the MC.

Hmm. This scene does two things: one, it establishes that the ranch is facing financial problems, in terms of money and staffing, and two, it possibly may build up to why Bianca had to return to the States. Both I think might become important points in the coming chapters.

• Bianca seems intent on not letting her children know anything about the fraught situation at her ranch, but Leona is having none of it. You either do your work and do it well, or she will put you through your paces. Which is exactly what is happening with Bertrand now.

• The whole theme of "we need to get pregnant, and fast" returns with the presence of Savannah, who greets us with a very excited, sociable Bartie in tow. You can choose to either pick him up and pay attention to him, ask Savannah to figure out what he wants, or ignore him completely. Whatever you choose, the topic of you becoming a mother will come up (either she comments on how you're a natural, or she will tell you that you'll eventually be able to read your own baby's signals). Savannah now joins a long, long line of people who will talk to us as if we're already pregnant (her fiancé will join this list in a couple minutes too, don't worry).

• Speaking of parents, the sole dad of the (extended) group - Bertrand - is nowhere to be found. Bianca is all praise, Leona is Unimpressed™, and Maxwell is shocked that the guy who swore never to touch fowl again after witnessing a flooded peacock enclosure is now chasing chickens. The group overall can't believe it.

• Bertrand is, in fact, chasing chickens.

• So here's the other issue that will come up. Having eventually convinced Savannah that he is serious about her and Bartie, he now wants to win the approval of the family. Bianca is more than ready to accept him, Leona is...Unimpressed™.

• This sets stage for Problem 3 of the Goings On at The Walker Ranch: Bertrand is desperate for approval and Leona seems pretty set on not giving him that. So I'm pretty sure getting her to realize that Savannah's fiancé means business and there is actually something for her to respect about him - if not love - is pretty much one of the loose ends we will have to tie up in the course of the Texas chapters.

• Savannah's laid out some clothes for everyone, so everyone gets a 'country' look and a cowboy hat.

• Like always, the outfit options come with different reactions based on the LI you're romancing:

Liam's looks nice I think, Hana is pretty (I haven't the foggiest idea of what would on a ranch so I wouldn't know how feasible - or not - these two outfits would be), Maxwell looks like he's dressed for the ranch AND for winter and Drake looks okay (like...there's a theme or something with his outfits, like he needs to have a LOT of a particular colour. Denim on denim, brown shirt brown hat).

• While Liam and Esther collectively swoon over each other, Savannah is all shocked and like "you both know we're still here, right?". Uh huh, you had no problem fangirling over Bertrand's "stern but sexy eyebrows" in public but suddenly me flirting a little with my husband is too much for you 😑

A little too much??? Listen, Esther has worn a hat that looked like it swallowed a hundred smaller hats on the way and cried in JOY at the sight. She has COMFORTED a widowed grieving Queen Mother and STARED DOWN Hana's awful parents, all with that honking big hat obscuring her face. How does a tiny puny cowboy hat with a bracelet thingy around it even compare??

• In the kitchen, Bertrand continues his woeful attempts to make conversation with Leona by revealing just how little he knows about running a ranch. Leona is Unimpressed™ (Betrand: How are the crops? Leona: We have cattle 😑. Bertrand: Who...ate the crops? Leona: 😑😑😑)

• Leona's like the adult version of the Unimpressed Sikh Child in Bollywood Hogwarts:

• We get darkly roasted coffee to help us gear up for the day's work at the ranch, and it's quite...the mouthfull. If you succeed in drinking it, you get high on coffee, and if you react to the strong taste, Leona makes a smart-alec comment about how "her highness must have wanted a chilled latte" (I forget which drink she mentioned but something similar) or something. Wish there was an option to tell her "Bertrand didn't tell me about the stick up your ass" (callback! From which book? Guess!)

• You feel slightly nauseous on the way, which is a bit of a set up to the end of the chapter.

• We split up into teams. Liam and Maxwell help with getting the hay for the horses, Hana and Drake help with sorting the tack.

Liam is a quick learner (and learns stuff just by observing), Maxwell is confused between the interests of horses and dogs, Drake is even more confused at Hana's speed, and PB has forgotten that Hana has actually ridden actual horses and would actually have at least a working idea of what actual tack with an actual horse would look like. Sure she may not have MADE tack for those horses, but you can miss me with that "imaginary horse friends" bullshit.

• See Team TRR, this is what happens when you focus on nothing else but Hana's skills. Even you fail to keep track.

• We feed the chickens (and I can see what I think are shades of Hana's upbringing in the way she says "wait your turn! one at a time!"...with chickens).

• ...there was a "no royal pets" policy in the palace that Liam waived?? No wonder we could get a corgi and Penelope could bring her poodles to court as soon as Liam became King!

• Re: Liam talking about having stuffed animals rather than pets and stating that he and Hana were on the same boat. Et tu, Liam? HOW MANY TIMES DOES HANA HAVE TO TELL YOU GUYS SHE NEVER HAD TOYS.

• I'm imagining poor young Maxwell realizing that peacocks don't like hugs and now I'm sad ☹️

• So the set up to the group scene is that none of these characters have truly experienced the joy of cuddling cute pets. It's not much even by way of a group scene, just a cute scene where the MC can direct Tiny the little calf to cuddle all these sad sad people (pushed into embroidery lessons and diplomacy sessions as children!) and cure Bertrand of his cow-suspicion (cowspicion?). The more pets you have with you the cuter it is, coz the two corgis go about acquainting themselves with everyone - the cat, the cows, everybody.

• ROE REFERENCE! We see Jess and Blake spearheading a successful business as caterers and wedding planners (did Jess take coaching from Chaz's sister-in-law Carmen? 😁) and they leave it vague (as expected, since Jess' romantic relationship with Blake is determinant - as is the possibility that Liam and Jess could be related by marriage if the RoE MC chose Leo lol) whether they're romantically involved or not, but at least this way I know they're happy with their jobs!

• Apparently they'd catered at enough disaster weddings that they decided they could do a better job

• I have two questions:

1. Did Leo ever recommend Carmen? I'm guessing not since based on whether the RoE MC married him or not, he'd probably feel more comfortable recommending family/friends than someone who - in a different playthrough - probably never really met him.

2. Why is Liam helping Bertrand and Savannah with contacts for their wedding when we ended up doing most of the searching and finding ourselves?? 🧐

• BertVannah seem to want a mix of local and Cordonian traditions: Savannah wants to recapture her parents' wedding by riding a horse down the aisle, and Bertrand asks Liam to officiate, as a royal. Maxwell and Hana will be in charge of entertainment and decorations...and the MC should not move a muscle because Bertrand has already decreed us pregnant.

• Savannah's ex Chuck is a buff ginger, and an already insecure Bertrand is made even more insecure at the sight of him. Another on the list of things PB expects us to fix in the Walker Ranch. Drake owes me both in cash, fancy hats and a lifetime supply of free smoked BBQ ribs after all this. The kind of shit a pregnant royal is expected to do...

• Time for Drake diamond scene - which is a mostly fluffy scene that takes place close to a river nearby which has a great view of the sunrise and sunset, and a ride atop a kayak.

• Here's the important stuff you can get from this scene:

- Drake knows how to build stuff (we knew this already, but here Drake talks specifically about how he and Savannah would build rafts)

- Drake sucks at taking compliments, but Drake stans who saw their MC's intro to TRH already knew that 🤭

- You get to flex your paddling muscles. Drake is...Impressed™

- Lovely sunshine

- A cute story about how Drake and Savannah had a canonball contest at this river, and happy memories of his Dad being just their dad for once, not dad + King Guard

- Drake gets to talk about the mark his father left on him, and how carefree he used to be before Jackson's death

- You can revive the cannonball contest with Drake before you head back to the estate, and if you're married you share a passionate kiss. The writers went to great lengths to describe how passionate the kiss wasqqq

If you're married to Drake, this spot is described as 'romantic' and 'private', the MC makes a joke about being the "First Mate" of Drake's heart, the usual variations. Drake also mentions that he hopes to emulate his father's way of parenting once he himself becomes a father. I'm also guessing the story of how his father and mother used to visit this lake before they had children would have an implied added importance to a married Drake trying for a child.

Funny how the assassination attempt on Liam always ends up revolving more around what it did to Drake than what it did to Liam. Both in the original Book 2 Italian Restaurant Scene where it was first referenced, and here (Drake's restaurant scene is also the only scene that highlights how that particular attack affected Liam - if you don't buy this scene, the attacks are mentioned in a more offhand way by Constantine when we confront him, and Liam still doesn't have a word to say). Stop. What happened to Liam happened to him. Stop making it all about Drake.

• Also why does Drake keep insisting the MC helped him find Savannah? She didn't. He spotted the envelope. He saw the address. He deduced where in Paris it was and tried to check it out. The only help we could provide was convincing him to stay and listen to her, and even that was optional.

• The MC wakes up wondering if she's going to feel nauseous, which then leads to the realization that it could be morning sickness. That's the most random race to use a pregnancy test I've seen.

• The result is negative, and the LI wakes up to the MC telling them about the result of the pregnancy test. The reactions to the news are identical. They follow roughly this template:

I can headcanon that Hana is actually feeling and understanding the MC's pain when she says "that's not silly at all", but I won't. I refuse to do the heavy work for the writers.

• In any case, there are some guests, and only Hana seems to know who they are.

• My face as it goes from seeing Kiara, Olivia, Penelope and Madeleine (yes, in that order):

• Sooo it looks like this week we're going to have a clash of the country and the courtly. Uh oh. I don't see this ending very well...unless there's a deus ex machina coming our way.

• General Thoughts:

- This chapter is filler, as expected, but it's the kind of filler meant to set up the major problems in that place. And there's plenty hinted at in this chapter alone: solving the financial troubles of the ranch, the clash of cultures that will come with the court ladies being guests, winning over Leona, learning about Drake's and also Bianca's past, Bertrand's insecurities. It's going to take a couple chapters to untangle all that!

- My guess is that the MC is possibly pregnant, but got a false negative (esp if she's nowhere near her expected time for her period), and will probably find out during Bertrand and Savannah's wedding? IDK. Most people I know will wait to see if they get their periods first (I did that too, waited a couple days after the expected day just to be sure), because that's when your hCG levels are high enough to show in your urine sample. That was a waste of a perfectly good pregnancy test, MC!

- The variations are very few, besides the scene where they all get new outfits and references to the MC and her spouse by different people including Blake and Jess. Perhaps there may be an LI scene coming soon.

- I mentioned earlier that Leona may be there as a way for the writing team to retcon Bianca's departure, since in the original series all we are told us was that she "was...struggling" after Jackson's death and left for the States at some point, leaving her children behind. Not a lot of people were very happy about this and though she was portrayed as a positive character in Book 3 (Drake's playthrough), it wasn't convincing enough. Leona is possibly there as a way to soften the audience to Bianca, and perhaps to get us a plausible reason for her leaving without her children. I'm not sure what could justify not taking them along, but okay.

- So Drake in his scene tells us that they came to the ranch as kids, but there is that matter of Savannah having been there long enough at some point to have had a boyfriend. I'm wondering if she spent some time on the ranch while Drake had gone to college.

- Also...if that's what happened, why was France even an option for her to bring up Bartie if she'd been in touch with her mother. Why did France, a place where she had very few contacts or living experience, win out over a place she was familiar with and where she had family?

- Leona's very Drake-like...but with an actual job that she's probably good at.

- Leona's also going to be Unimpressed™ for the most of her time in this book, with her probably becoming a little more impressed towards the end. Told you she'd be The Unimpressed Sikh Child (if you still have trouble with this meme, it's a character from a Bollywood film about a magical school called Aabra Ka Dabra. Here's some additional context from desi comedians and former Pretentious Movie Reviewers Kanan Gill and Biswa Kalyan Rath to illustrate why Unimpressed Sikh Child is so awesome:)

"Stop trying to impress people. Impress people with how unimpressed you are." If that isn't what Leona is doing. One wry expression and that's all it takes for all of Cordonia's royalty and nobility to fall over each other to prove themselves to her.

- Leona is an ass but you've got to respect the way she plays that game.

- I hope the writers don't forget that Kiara and Savannah were...yknow...good friends. Given how badly she was treated in Book 3 (and the narrative treated her really, really badly. Like I'm pretty sure some of you might have no idea just how badly she's been treated), I have serious doubts.

- Will we get a Hana or Maxwell diamond scene next? A good one or mostly just fluff? Let's see.

- Will we get another flashback scene? Maybe. It's possible. Bianca would remember something.

- One thing I do know for sure is that there is going to be more of Perfect Angel Savannah and Bumbling Bertrand. I'm not looking forward to it.

• Next: I'll be doing TRR Book 1's QT for Chapter 6 as well! Hopefully it will be ready by Friday. As for this series...until next week, folks!

#long post #the royal heir #trh quick thoughts #trh qts #king liam #hana lee #maxwell beaumont #drake walker #texas walker ranch

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canardroublard · 6 years ago

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TMFU, Gaby’s fashion, and some feminist film analysis

Back when I slapped together a reblog post about the men’s fashion in The Man From UNCLE in between physio appointments, which somehow got like way more notes than I ever really expected or even wanted, I didn’t address the fashion of the lead female character, Gaby. It was outside the scope of the OP, and I didn’t feel like I had anything new or interesting to say about Gaby’s fashion, or lack thereof.

(My beta says those earrings are the ugliest thing ever. I disagree. It’s a wonder we’re still friends)

Anyways, we see only one brief scene of Gaby in her own street clothes, and a slightly longer sequence of her in her work clothes. The rest of the film, she is wearing clothes chosen for her by Illya. Saying “we just don’t have enough info” is a perfectly reasonable approach to this. So this was the other reason I had no intention of making this post.

But then people started getting interested. Someone reblogged commenting about Gaby’s fashion, and I discovered that I have very strong opinions about something I’d previously claimed was unknowable, and it made me wonder what was going on in my brain.

Then I talked to some other TMFU friends who all seemed interested in what I assumed was common knowledge/nothing unique. So, they may have been feigning interest out of politeness, but it activated the art history side of my brain, and here we are now!

The boring stuff but please read this

I am not attempting to tell anyone how to interpret this film. I am not even trying to change people’s minds or persuade them to my thinking. All I am doing is sharing my thought process. I wasn’t even going to do this for Gaby until people asked. To this end, please don’t attempt to argue with me about this. I don’t want to argue. I won’t respond to it. If you disagree, then please, just move along.

And I’m going to remind people that I love TMFU. I love this movie so much it hurts. Why am I putting this reminder here? Because I am about to apply some critical analysis to it, and in places this will be cynical, and it will not always look kindly on the film. If you just want to exist in a happy “I love TMFU!” bubble and not hear anything less than 100% positive about the film (which is a totally valid choice, I don’t fault anyone for that), then don’t read. But don’t yell at me for being mean or criticizing the film, because I warned you.

Tldr; or, if I were still being graded for this stuff here’s my thesis statement

When analysing Gaby’s fashion, there exist considerations which don’t apply to the male characters. Namely, she is a woman and the male gaze is a thing. So I am very, very wary about taking at face value any expressions of traditional femininity in the choices made for her outfits, hair, makeup, etc. Therefore, when considering her character, I find it much more useful and informative to give more weight to the aspects of her appearance which do not connote traditional femininity, rather than those that do.

For readers who have studied enough media analysis to follow my thought based on that alone, there’s the thesis statement, y’all can go home (or at least skip to the end where I come to a conclusion). If you’re lost, then read on.

(mobile readers, the cut here might not work, and if so I apologize for what is going to be a very long post. Tumblr’s “keep reading” functionality is inconsistent at best, but I tried)

Context is for kings essential for analysing media in a meaningful way

(Or, some brief background. Stick with me here, we’ll get to the good stuff soon)

So, art doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Attempting to analyze any artwork (in this case a film) while disregarding the culture it was created in and the intentions of the creator is...not going to get you very far. Asking “what is art” is a question that quite frankly exhausts me at this point (looking at you, Duchamp) but the closest I’ve ever come to an answer is that the only thing that separates art from everything else is intent. And intention only exists within cultural context. So yes, intent and context don’t just matter peripherally, they are one of the biggest considerations one needs to make when analyzing works of art. The creator in this case being Guy Ritchie et al, the culture being British/American Popular Cinema in The Year of Somebody’s Lord Two-Thousand-And-Fifteen.

Everyone views and creates (if applicable) art through their own distorted, murky, imperfect lens of personal experience. And one of the most persistent Things in western art is that cishet men create art based on their experience of Being A Dude. This is crucial, because this lens of cishet male perspective literally underpins almost all of western culture including popular culture. And thanks to feminist film theorist Laura Mulvey, we have a name for this.

The male gaze and you

I’m going to quote Wikipedia here, because honestly this intro sentence sums things up rather neatly (with one exception which I will address momentarily).

In feminist theory, the male gaze is the act of depicting women and the world, in the visual arts and literature, from a masculine, heterosexual perspective that presents and represents women as sexual objects for the pleasure of the male viewer.

What does that all mean? That the Viewer and the Artist are both cishet men by default, and any women are Subjects of art. Women are viewed, never viewers. Men take action, women are subjected to actions. Furthermore, women are supposed to be pleasurable to view. By men. Since the Viewer is male by default.

But I would disagree that the pleasure is inherently based on women being sexual objects. That’s honestly a really damn limited read on the whole theory, and it’s one that Wikipedia itself contradicts later in the article. More broadly, cis men also derive other forms of pleasure from the presentation and viewing of female bodies, including aesthetic pleasure (the enjoyment of looking at beautiful things).

The theory of the male gaze is not without limits. As originally theorized, afaik it’s not particularly intersectional. It doesn’t really address queer perspectives or perspectives of POC. However, these issues are something I just can’t address here, unfortunately. And when looking at popular media, I still find the concept of the male gaze, imperfect as it may be, is a helpful means of analysis, so it’s worth having in your toolbox.

Circling back, the easiest way to sum up the male gaze, if you’re still not super clear on what it is, is with a demonstration.

Ever seen a shot like this in a movie?

And did you immediately roll your eyes? Feel gross? Congrats, you have just perceived and reacted to the male gaze.

Now we actually get back to TMFU

But the male gaze also shows up in many more subtle, insidious ways than fanservice-y boob shots. For this post, let’s focus on the following considerations, which might help everyone follow my thought process more clearly.

Gaby is a woman

She functions as the love interest of Illya in the script (I am not talking from a shipping perspective. What you ship does not matter for this discussion. I am talking about the narrative function of Gaby in the script as written. Put on your “cishet man” goggles for a moment)

Illya is a man who is attracted to women, specifically Gaby (again, I don’t care if your shipping conflicts with this. I am analyzing the film based on a literal reading of it as if I were a cishet man. Why? Because that’s who made the film. That’s who it’s “for”. I am all for queer readings of film--hell, I ship OT3, I myself have chosen a queer reading for how I interact with it, but I’m not critiquing people’s readings, I’m critiquing the film itself and to do that I have to critique its intentions and cultural context.)

Cishet men are traditionally only allowed to be attracted to women who are conventionally attractive. If they were to be attracted to anyone else it would destroy their fragile senses of self and their heads would explode or something. At least I assume that’s what must happen, based on how terrified they are of it.

Therefore, Gaby must be conventionally attractive, because it is literally required of her or otherwise the whole underpinning of western straight malehood crumbles and then where would we get such a pure, vast source of unadulterated toxic masculinity?

(Yes, this is a very cynical read on things. I’ve studied, like, three centuries worth of this bullshit. I’m tired. Let me be cynical.)

Or, to force myself to be less cynical, Gaby has to be pretty because...nope, this is still going to turn out just as cynical.

But what I will say in favour of this movie is that it gives Gaby and Victoria both a lot of agency and general awesomeness, which is quite unusual in this sort of big-budget action film, and it’s one of the big reasons I love it. I’m not saying that the entire film is sexist. On the contrary, there’s a ton of stuff to celebrate about how it portrays its female characters. But these aspects don’t change the cultural context, and we still have to consider the impacts of the male gaze.

Anyways, point being is that as filtered through the male gaze, Gaby is never given the option to, say, wear no makeup (or the appearance of such, as the guys are afforded, this being cinema where “no makeup” still means makeup) because that would look “ugly”. Instead she needs to have a “baseline of pretty” which is way higher than reality because she is not a real human being with her own agency, she is a character created by a cis male writer/director team in a film directed by a cis man in a genre that caters to cishet men.

Gaby doesn’t exist in a vacuum. She exists battling centuries and centuries worth of sexist convention.

Now then, remembering all of that, let’s actually look at her. There are woefully few good pictures so I’m going to have to piece things together a little. Starting with the coveralls.

This is a great look, I love it. And I’m going to give Ritchie a lot of credit here because it would’ve been easy to go for a “Michelle Rodriguez in F&F sexy mechanic lady” look. In case I need to provide a visual:

(Repeat above gif about rolling my eyes)

Now, to be clear, I am not making any judgement about the way any real-life women dress. I’m sure there’s plenty of female mechanics who have their hair down and wear tank tops while working. That doesn’t bother me. I don’t care if real life mechanics choose to do their jobs in a string bikini. Or in cosplay of the bee from Bee Movie. I don’t care (and quite frankly it’s none of my business) because they are real people who can make their own decisions. But what I am talking about here is a fictional character who does not have her own agency. I am critiquing how male creators choose to dress their female characters.

So I personally choose to read much more into the unpretty aspects of Gaby’s outfit, because these are not the “obvious” or “easy” things. Obvious and easy are “of course she wears makeup” and “of course her hair looks good” and “of course she doesn’t look like a swamp witch who bathes in mud and spends her days cursing passing men”. Those things don’t challenge or disrupt the assumption that women must look attractive for male consumption.

Gaby’s introduction to us is with her in a pair of grease-stained, baggy coveralls, not wearing any obvious makeup (again, this is cinema, so she is wearing makeup. For cinema the goal posts around “wearing makeup” always need to be moved from where they’d be irl). There’s very little here that screams ‘pretty’. And that is fascinating to me.

I don’t know how deeply Ritchie thought this through when giving final approval to the costume, hair and makeup. But unpretty is not the default here. It’s a choice

And look at this. This is the stance and dress sense (and socks!) of a woman who does not give a damn about looking good for the male gaze, whether the in-movie gaze of Napoleon, or the implied gaze of the viewer and creator. It’s not ‘pretty’. And this is the only time in the film we see Gaby in her own everyday clothes, as she only escapes East Berlin with the literal clothes on her back.

So how do I think Gaby dresses? I think that for the most part she dresses....like this. Practical. Comfortable. With a few simple touches of things she likes/finds pretty, perhaps, but not with a specific interest in being pretty. She dresses for herself, not for others. And if that isn’t something to aspire to, I don’t know what is.

#gaby teller #tmfu #the man from uncle #meta #costume design #male gaze #fashion #thank you to michael bay for providing me with such a good example of the male gaze

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edhaneyyy · 4 years ago

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It's More Fun In The Philippines

Where do you want to spend your vacation? Or what are the wonderful places to visit? During a holiday or end of the school year, do you usually get asked by one of these questions? Maybe, some would answer Bali, Japan, South Korea, Europe, but only a few will say Philippines.Many of us dreamt about going outside the country, yet have we asked ourselves first if we already saw those beautiful and surreal places in our country?

The Philippines is a nation situated in Asian landmass in the western Pacific. It is a free republic that involves over 7, 000 islands. Throughout the long term, the nation has stayed a protected and appealing vacationer location. The nation has been getting various guests both from the inside and global travelers. The Philippines has a dominant part of vacation spots going from characteristic marvels, amusement, authentic milestones, expressions, diversion, culture, and conventions just to make reference to a couple.

The Philippines is likewise home to widely acclaimed regular miracles like an underground stream and rice porches, amazing jumping spots wealthy in biodiversity, vivid public transportation, exceptional cooking from appetizing to sweet, energetic celebrations that exhibit its beautiful culture, and neighborly local people viewed as probably the most joyful on the planet. You see, we define our country as a beautiful place filled with smiling people. Before we get down to the top places in the country, I shall give you a few reasons why I recommend Philippines as your vacation destination.

First, Philippines is a tropical country, which means we only have two seasons: dry and rainy season. So if you want some “sunkissed” photos in a beach, our country is the best place for you visit especially if you love beaches. The dry season covers November to May while the stormy season is normally from June until October. During the stormy months, it's as yet radiant and warm so visits in the Philippines are as yet progressing and are just vital when there's a hurricane.

Second,if you only have low budget then, worry no more. There are destinations that are budget friendly. Travel expenses in Philippines are affordable such as day tours that only cost PHP1000 or 20 in US dollars. You will find that there's a great deal of convenience alternatives for you in the Philippines also: from lodgings to modest overnight boardinghouse, convenience that are both ideal for explorers. Food in the Philippines is modest as well. For generally around PHP100-150(USD2-3), you will get yourself a respectable breakfast place that offers exemplary Filipino food with espresso. The equivalent goes for your lunch and dinner.

Third, Filipinos are friendly and very accommodating. Aside from the picture worthy destination, you have us, our hospitality and warmth is one of the reason to visit Philippines. The moment your plane lands here, you are greeted by the genuine and bright smile of the my fellow Pinoys. Also we love and we’re proud of of the beauty of our culture. If you worry about how you can communicate with us, I must tell you that communication is never a problem for tourist like you.Filipinos are bilingual, some are even multilingual.We understand and speak English making it convenient for foreign visitors to come here. You don’t have to worry about getting lost here because you can ask questions on your way, Filipinos are always ready to guide you. Filipinos are entirely accommodating as well. They have solid family ties as a feature of their way of life. On the off chance that you have Filipino companions who welcome you to their home, they will deal with you like you're an aspect of their family and may even serve you a gala of home-prepared Filipino food. The people alone will make you feel that Philippines is your home.

Fourth, we have a unique transportation. When you get here, maybe you’ll wonder and ask, what are these colorful vehicles an how do Filipinos call it? Those are jeepneys which is the main public transportation of our country. Travelers especially foreign one says that it is a must do to ride a jeepney. The fare is also cheap. By riding this vehicle we can see the helpful trait of Filipinos because we help pass the payment one person to another to the driver. Another interesting mode of transportation is the Philippines’ version of a rickshaw, also known as the tricycle or trike. This is almost comparable to Thailand’s tuktuk, only it is a motorbike with a sidecar attached to it.

Fifth, as perhaps the most joyful individual on the planet, Filipinos realize how to toss the best gatherings, be it in the city or in the unblemished white sand sea shores and islands. It's modest and is viewed by unfamiliar explorers as truly outstanding on the planet. Another acclaimed party movement in the Philippines is karaoke where you belt out your main tunes whether in the city or in a private room.

Sixth and maybe the last reason, the tourist spots in the Philippines.We are not just visiting the country because of the party, the vehicle and all of the reasonon mentioned above.In this section, we take a glimpse of the paradise like destinations.Many spots stand out from other destinations in our country.Here we come

1. Siargao made its first claim to fame as the Philippines’ surfing capital, and recently as the “Best Island in the World” (awarded by Condé Nast readers for 2018). The charming tidal ponds of Sohoton Cove, a characteristic marvel that is definitely justified even despite the 2-hour diversion from the Cloud 9 riding sea shore. The primary island is loaded up with unblemished normal spots also, including white sand sea shores, dazzling islets, huge coconut woods, cool lagoons and more.

In the event that you need to appreciate a laidback island way of life, Siargao is perhaps the best spot that sightseers can go to. You'll discover a blend of "unfamiliar" and "nearby" here. It is far off yet open, and not very swarmed regardless of the happening to new improvements lately. Located along the eastern coast of the Philippines (facing the Pacific Ocean), Siargao is best reached by air. Fly direct to Sayak Airport (IAO) in Siargao Island from Manila, Cebu, or Clark. Flight duration is 2 hours from Manila or 1 hour from Cebu. From the airport, the land trip to Cloud 9 beach, the main tourist area, takes around 45 minutes. You can also reach Siargao by taking a flight to Surigao Airport (SUG), found in mainland Mindanao. Then, hop on a 1.5-hour fastcraft ferry to Dapa Port in Siargao Island.

2. Boracay is a vacationer’s paradise. When talking about beaches and white sand, boracay is well known. Taking center stage is 4-kilometer White Beach, prized for its incredibly inviting blue waters, fine white sand, and perfect sunsets. This island is the place to go if you want to take it easy and you’re looking forward to enjoying a tropical resort experience. As you can expect, Boracay caters to a more upscale crowd, but don’t fret, there are many budget-friendly options available. Boracay is small yet we have variety of souvenir shops, places to stay, parties, and some water activities. Boracay’s white sand has it’s beauty of it’s own.

3. Batanes is the northernmost province of the Philippines. These remote islands are shaped by volcanic forces and strong typhoons. The natural landscape of Batanes is distinct from other parts of the Philippines. Here, you’ll find vibrant green rolling hills, grazing cows, steep seaside cliffs, sparkling clear blue waters, traditional stone houses, and iconic lighthouses. Batanes is home to the Ivatans who are much admired as the “True Insulares”. Ivatan Tribe is the first settler in this province. They came from Formosa which is known as Taiwan today. They have kept the purity of their culture and traditions through the years.

4. The Chocolate Hills of Bohol are one of the most iconic locations and natural phenomenons in the Philippines. The geological formation of the chocolate hills will leave you in awe, even more so at sunrise or sunset! With over 1,260 hills rolling into the horizon, they are covered with lush greens except during the dry season where the grass turns brown and gives the hills their name. This has to be one of the most unique landscapes in the Philippines and maybe even the world! There are many things to do there,trekking,searching for the tarsier, and visiting the hinagdanan caves.

Those are only four out of many tourist spots in the Philippines. By coming here in the Philippines, you could discover and visit more destinations,experience the hospitality of the Filipino. These places can be special because it will surely give you wonderful experience and your stay in every island is memorable for sure. What are those places that makes you come back over and over again? For those who haven’t gone here, would you even miss the chance to see the beauty of our country? If no then piliin mo ang Pilipinas because it's more fun in the Philippines!

@queenlupitajones

https://thehappytrip.com/2011/07/philippines-palay-rice-inspired-home-furnishings-by-vito/

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riza-quevada-blog · 4 years ago

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Summed Up in Seven Artworks

I decided to synthesize my learnings by looking at the works around me. Through this, I wanted to practice my critical abilities in consuming these works and the implications of it, and not just take it as it is.

Picture Source

Using the four planes of analysis, I will be analyzing one of my favorite BTS songs, “Answer: Love Myself”. Firstly, the tune of the song is upbeat and light, giving a positive feeling to the listener. The melody would make the listener sing along and lift their spirits up a little. Secondly, the lyrics and the message it contains adds to the positive feeling its melody provides. For a little background, the song is about accepting and loving yourself despite all the flaws and the pains.

Loving myself might be harder Than loving someone else Let’s admit it The standards I made are more strict for myself

The message evokes the listeners’ emotions especially if they resonate with what they are saying. To dive deeper into the context of the work, it’s entitled “Answer: Love Myself” which is part of the album “Love Yourself: Answer”. This album is one of their albums under the Love Yourself trilogy in which they promoted self-acceptance and self-love. BTS had been making music since 2013, delving into topics that relate to the youth such as the problematic school system, romance, beauty of friendships, and the self.

I value this work in high regard due to personal reasons. It is more than just a song for me as it affected my life and how I view myself greatly. I can say the BTS’ purpose of influencing the youth positively is a success to me as an individual.

However, I could not say the same for other people. Some would refuse to listen to it just because they don’t understand Korean, or because it isn’t the genre they prefer. Despite that, I respect people’s perspectives on this song and BTS in general. This is what most fans of any artist lack. It made me realize, as I got more and more involved with fan culture, that most fanatics do not accept criticisms made towards their idols and regard them as the best among others. I find this very problematic and if you, as a fan, aren’t critical about the fan posts you consume and share, you may be part of the toxicity.

My Essay: Reading the Image

Reading my essay once again, I got deep into elaborating on the details seen in the work and the context surrounding it. However, I wasn’t able to evaluate it against the historical and present context. Historically, the “Procession of Archers” may be considered as a good artwork as it shows the usual style and theme of art back in the day. Printing was a common technique used before the invention of photography, so this type of work may be seen a lot. On the other hand, I honestly think this would not be appealing to the people of today. It may be valued as part of history, but if an artist were to create a print similar to this style, it wouldn’t be as appreciated due to the more modern ways of creating art available today.

Picture Source

In terms of art and reality, an industry that isn’t usually talked about comes to mind: the porn industry. To the extent of my knowledge, the portrayal of sex and women in pornography is incredibly toxic and harmful. Porn sites are packed with images that are more centered on women, making it seem that most videos are catered to men. This further perpetuates the concept of the male gaze; in fact, you won’t be able to see many videos catered to women’s needs. Additionally, the porn industry represents modern and postmodern simulacra: this industry capitalizes on peoples’ needs and uses the labor of (mostly) vulnerable people who had no choice but to do sex work. Furthermore, rape, abuse, child pornography, among others, are the most common illegal and unethical actions that a great number of porn videos show (although not explicitly). These are often just hinted and glossed over with an unrealistic plot and acting; if you’re not critical to the videos you consume, there’s a huge chance you may internalize these harmful notions.

I am not saying that porn is bad, as I do believe that sex work is work (but only if it’s consensual), but the body that governs this industry allows harmful (virtual) realities to take place on people’s screens, which may transcend dangerously to the actual world if these viewers aren’t critical.

Check out: @everydayimpunities on Instagram

The podcast I did with my group mates was honestly enjoyable to work on since it challenged me to think deeper about the realities presented by the work of art we chose. We picked the Instagram account @everydayimpunities which features pictures taken during the actual scenes of various social injustices nationwide, and sometimes outside the country. We tackled the work from different angles and perspectives and identified its role in the development of art. My main takeaway from this is that art always had a powerful impact on people’s awareness of social and political issues, but due to our technology today, it is even more powerful and wide-reaching. However, it also worth noting that there are still some risks and dangers in this modern technology. Although we have freedom of expression, people of power abuse their abilities to silence those who speak against them. It may be easy and convenient to just hit the Tweet button whenever we have something to say, but there might be grave consequences if we do it carelessly.

Picture Source

Adding on to the topic of BTS and K-Pop, the rise of BTS showed me the internalized superiority of the Western world. Even before, there’s this ugly perception of K-pop that made it seem like it’s ‘low art’. In the Philippines, K-pop fans were looked down upon for idolizing artists who “just sing and dance” and male idols who they called “gay” (as if it’s an insult) for wearing makeup. K-pop may be getting into the mainstream nowadays, but the rise of BTS constantly shows how Western media (and its people) are reluctant to accept an industry of talents just because they do not produce music in English. Although the said band is getting so big, they are still often mistreated by the media since they are people of color and produce music in Korean. They are treated like an “other” all the time despite being as, if not more, talented as these huge mainstream artists. In other words, they aren’t valued as artists the same way society values big singers such as Beyonce, Drake, and the like. Their songs and their listeners are often judged upon with haters saying, “why do you even listen to that? You don’t even understand it” as if translations of their wonderful messages aren’t available on the net. There’s this symbolic violence in how locals and the media react to uprising POC (people of color) artists, making it extra hard for them to enter the global scene. This issue can also be seen in other forms of art like the recent release of “Parasite” by Bong Joon Ho which achieved a well-deserved recognition but also garnered condescending criticisms from racist people.

Watching our video essay made me understand the concept behind collecting thousands of fashion items such as footwear, bags, and clothes. Although as a sustainability advocate, I do not resonate nor support it, I can’t hate on people who do collect since we all have different values and belief systems. Collecting dozens of expensive, limited-edition hype shoes that I won’t even wear once in my life may sound absurd and wasteful to me, but for some people, these are expressions and representations of a culture that they are part of. This may apply to collectors of figurines, luxury items, and even fan merchandise as well. They collect these things that have value to them personally, not necessarily aiming to appeal to what society says.

My Identity Map

My identity map consists of objects and symbols that represent who I am to the very core. It may all seem literal and that it speaks for itself, but these images display a much deeper portrayal of my core values. For instance, I am often described as a goal-oriented and organized person, setting systems to achieve my laid-out dreams. To represent this, I used images of my body goals, house goals, business goals, and lifestyle goals. However, these pictures do not only portray my goals and my dreams, but also the values I already have. I am an advocate of sustainability and a student of business. Those two combined, I aim to be a businessperson creating businesses that would be rooted in sustaining life and not centered around making a lot of money and being rich.

Among the prompts listed, I wasn’t able to depict my family and heritage, things to forget, and things to figure out. Instead of putting an image of my family, I inserted an image of BTS who I consider as the people who have created a positive impact on my growth as a person. Moreover, since I initially planned to make this as my dream board which I could look at every day to have a visual representation of my dreams, I didn’t want to put ‘things to forget’ since I would not forget it if I see it every day. (Also because it’s my fault for not knowing all prompts should be visible.)

Overall, I think this map wholly represents who I am and who I can be. As I mentioned in my write-up, I am still growing, therefore this identity map is expected to change over time.

I do not own the pictures used in this Identity Map.

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floridaindependent-blog · 5 years ago

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Essential Tips for Booking Your First Trip to China

New Post has been published on https://floridaindependent.com/essential-tips-for-booking-your-first-trip-to-china/

Essential Tips for Booking Your First Trip to China

141 million tourists head over to mainland China every year. That number is growing slowly (1.2%) but continues to show promise as China inches towards deeper levels of transparency in its governance.

Despite China’s unabashed rejection of many ideals that western culture holds, there is still an immense amount of fun to be had, lessons to be learned, and memories to be made within its borders.

Our guide aims to streamline your travels in this wondrous country by letting you know key things to keep in mind before heading over. We hope that we can either improve the trip to China that you’re already planning on taking or inspire you to take a trip that you hadn’t previously pictured!

1. Know Your Budget

China is a country of contrasts. In its cities, you’ll see business people traveling up to skyscraper penthouses as well as slums where manual laborers work 12 hours per day just to get by.

These various levels of economic abundance that China caters to mean that travelers of all backgrounds can find things to do, food to eat, and accommodations.

Before you start mapping out your trip to China, understand what your economic abundance/spending limit is going to be as it will inform which hotels you look into and how many cities you can visit throughout your adventure. It will also help you to decide which sorts of structured activities (tours, visits to paid historical sites, etc.) you’ll be able to partake in.

2. Take a Crash Course on the Culture

If you take a trip to China and experience its culture without context, you’re not going to get much out of your trip. This idea that you can learn about a place once you’re on the ground never takes into account the stimulus overload that occurs when people visit new places. This overload hampers a person’s ability to fully process what they’re experiencing.

In our opinion, every responsible traveler should make it their mission to read a book, watch a movie, or follow a newspaper that can inform them about a new place prior to arrival. In the case of China, books like “Wild Swans”, “Riding the Iron Rooster” and “Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China” are all excellent resources to start off with.

3. Flag Your Top Destinations

Mainland China consists of 3.7 million square miles of land. Within that massive landmass, there are over 600 cities.

Unless you’re planning on taking an extremely open-ended trip to China, there’s no way that you’re going to see all of those places. So, before you hop on your flight, you’re going to want to flag your must-see destinations.

While it’s hard to make a small handful of destination recommendations given how wonderful so many Chinese cities are, here are 4 cities that most tourists report as being worth your while.

Beijing

Beijing’s wonderful history is derived from 3 millennia of innovation, war, and stories. Today, it’s a bustling city which many find to be the cultural capital of China.

Popular attractions in Beijing include The Palace Museum, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven and of course the Great Wall of China.

Shanghai

If you want to see China’s heart, you’re going to want to pop into Shanghai. Shanghai is a coastal city which, given its water features, can accommodate imports and exports that are sailed into the country.

That fact has single-highhandedly made Shanghai China’s financial lifeblood and has also made the city one of the biggest financial hubs globally.

The Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Yu Garden, and The Bund are all popular attractions here.

Chengdu

If you love pandas, you’re going to want to make Chengdu a stop on your trip to China itinerary. The city is famous for being the premier giant panda breeding destination globally!

In addition to pandas, Chengdu has also made its name by housing many ancient artifacts from the now-extinct Shu Kingdom.

Popular attractions here include Mount Qingcheng, Jinli, and the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Pandas.

Xi’an

Have you ever seen breathtaking travel photography taken by artists like Andy Beales and other popular professionals? Perhaps among those photos you’ve seen pictures of the thousands of hand-molded warriors buried in a tomb.

Those pictures are of the Terracotta Army and that major attraction is in Xi’an. That landmark by itself makes a trip to the area worth it.

4. Know Chinese Visa Policies for Your Country

Depending on what your origin country is, you may have to apply for special permits to enter China. If you’re from the United States, you don’t have to worry about this since China has a visa-free entry process for US citizens. The same is true for many other Western Countries.

If you’re from more niche places or territories where there is deep conflict, rampant religious extremism or active wars, you may have to go through a stringent approval process to be granted Chinese entry.

Do not get caught off guard by arriving at Chinese customs only to find that you won’t be let out of the airport. Know your entry requirements well in advance of your trip to China.

5. Pick a Season and Know the Implications

When you travel to China can have a massive impact on your trip. Seasons affect everything from hotel rates to attraction availability to weather.

As a general rule, July/August is tourist high season. During this time, it can get very hot and humid. If you’re not used to that kind of weather, you may want to avoid traveling during that time.

September/October are shoulder seasons. This is when crowds have started to die down and temperatures have started to cool. Shoulder season represents an excellent time to visit the area.

Finally, there are the winter months. This is when temperatures can get very low in China (in many areas, to the point of snowing), prices drop and attractions close for maintenance. For your maiden voyage to China, we’d recommend not traveling during this time as your activity options may be limited.

6. Study Accommodation Types

There are three core accommodation types that you’ll find all throughout China. These types are hotels, hostels, and guesthouses.

Hotels are an accommodation type that you’re likely familiar with. These are typically professionally managed, service-oriented accommodations that offer amenities like pools, room service, a front desk person, and similar perks.

Hostels are on the opposite end of the hospitality spectrum. Hostels feature shared or very small private rooms. They are cheap and no-frills given as they don’t offer much in the way of amenities and may not even offer basic things like towels.

Guesthouses are a middle ground between hostels and hotels. These accommodation types are usually run by owners and have a bed and breakfast feel to them. Quality of guesthouses and what they feature vary from place to place so read carefully about each guesthouse before planning your stay.

The more that you know about these accommodation types, the better that you can pick which arrangement might work best for you.

7. Chart Your Course

By this point, you know where you’re going and where you’re staying. What we’re willing to bet that you don’t know is how you’re going to get from place to place which is why we’re closing out our trip to China tips with this often-forgotten tidbit.

China offers a wide array of inter-city transportation options. These options are generally private car, motorbike, bus, train, and plane.

If getting between destinations will cost you more than 9-hours by land, look into flight options since you don’t want to waste your trip to China moving between destinations. If transit between cities is under 9-hours or you can book an overnight bus/train that offers “sleeper accommodations” these modes of transportation can be economical and efficient.

Given the expense, traveling by car or by motorbike is only recommended for short hops between nearby places.

Figure out which transportation might be best to get between each of the cities on your literary. Price out how much each of your inter-city treks is going to cost you and don’t forget to subtract those numbers from your budget.

Wrapping up Our Tips for Your First Trip to China

Your first trip to China will be an adventure that you’ll never forget. It can also be an adventure that’s filled with stress if you’re not prepared.

Take the time to learn about Chinese culture, expectations, attractions, and the other things that we’ve mentioned throughout this post. Implement what you learn into your trip’s planning process to avoid snags to the best of your ability.

If you do that, you’ll set yourself up for success while traversing one of the most legendary countries on the planet!

For more cutting-edge travel advice, explore more of the newest content that we have available on our blog!

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dadvans · 8 years ago

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TOP FIVE THINGS MASTERPOST (2/3)

Christophe Giacometti’s boyfriend proposes to him in the kiss and cry. Yuuri is about to go on, is looking up at the big screen saying, “how embarrassing! I would hate someone making such a public spectacle of a private moment.” Victor spends Yuuri’s entire free skate canceling the series of ice dancers and crowd participants and camera guys he had hired for a very public proposal that it is NOT HAPPENING.

The entire restaurant erupts with applause when the table next to theirs announces their proposal, an engagement ring presented to a bride in a glass of champagne. Yuuri says, “I can’t imagine such a tacky and cliched proposal. Can you really not think of something more personal and romantic than what movies have shown you?” When the waiter comes around with their ‘complimentary’ glasses of champagne, Victor double-fists them both, swallowing hard around a 10k diamond ring. “I was very thirsty,” he says, signaling for another round, choking a little. “So, so thirsty.”

Realizing how flawed his Public Display of Affection technique was, Victor decides to have a more private engagement. He hides the ring on Makkachin’s harness and has a five-course dinner catered at home, courtesy of him not knowing how to make anything except for protein shakes and scrambled eggs on toast. Except that’s the day that between Victor getting flowers and Victor picking up his new Soon-To-Be-Ravished Engagement suit, Yuuri takes Makkachin to the groomers and comes back excited to show off a clean-cut dog minus one engagement ring. (“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the groomer says the next day, flashing a suspicious gold ring they were not wearing the day before with a flip of their hand. “I didn’t find anything.”)

Yuuri meanwhile realizes what Victor’s game plan has been the entire time, and feeling awful, decides to ask for his hand in marriage in a public display of affection. They’re seeing a hockey match as a family with Yurio, and Yuuri lets the event staff know ahead of time he would like to propose to Victor on the overhead screen. The venue tries and fails—the kiss cam lands on Yuuri and Yurio when Victor is getting more drinks. Yurio sees his moment and Goes For It ™.

They don’t expect it to go like this: Yuuri on the couch getting a foot rub, face lolling to the side. “Marry me,” he says, and he means nothing by it, but everything at the same time, and Victor kisses his big toe and says, “I do.”

It’s a home birth. They’ve got fucking mood tapes made, they have candles, they have a pool in their living room, they have comforting smells. Yuuri is ready.

Yuuri is NOT ready, but he pretends he is ready. The comforting smells are not comforting and Victor opens all the windows and he is in so much pain and Yuuri really hates this??? But Victor Does Not Know. All Victor knows it that Yuuri has a well-organized birthing kit, full of things like ziplock bags he’s written PLACENTA on in his neat, English handwriting, and a cheap shower curtain to line the bathing tub covered in orange and blue squids. He calls the neighbors about the loud noises and when the baby doesn’t come, but the contractions are shitty, he lets Victor practically break his hand as they walk in circles around their small concrete backyard in New York.

Yuuri calls the midwife and Yuuri makes green tea with brown rice and Yuuri sweeps the floor approximately twenty-nine times and Yuuri pours him glass after glass of water and sits with him on the edge of the bathtub while he tries and fails to pee and cuts him thin slices of watermelon and wipes his sweaty hair back and traces his fingers through Victor’s scalp.

Yuuri’s face is there. It’s the only face Victor needs to see. There’s a midwife and an apprentice and Makkachin (and waiting out in a car trying to manage his own panic attack, Yuri Plisetsky) there too, but as far as Victor’s world is concerned it’s Yuuri, Yuuri, Yuuri as he pushes and breathes and shifts and breathes and cries and breathes, and Yuuri is there, and he’s beautiful.

Yuuri is so good at positive reinforcement and telling Victor that he did a good job, even though they’re both crying, and he’s so good at holding the baby and looking at the baby and saying, “baby,” with vocal chords capable of making noise, and Yuuri is so good at being tender and wonderful and himself and pressing kisses to Victor’s sweaty temple and cutting the chord and laying next to him and saying, “way to go, papa, looks like we just won gold.”

When he had to tell Victor that Air Bud wasn’t a documentary

When he has to tell Victor that Ronald McDonald isn’t a real person, and definitely not a politician or someone who sacrificed his own life for America.

No, he never took a giant robot to school. No, that was—it’s just in a lot of cartoons, Victor. Giant robots aren’t a thing in Japan. No, we have a defense force, we do not have an army of giant robots.

No, Victor, potato vodka is not a vegetable, please stop arguing with me, this is the seventh time.

Victor is devastated when they move to Venice Beach after retiring to find out that rollerblading and fishnet shirts are No Longer A Thing. Also, that Pauly Shore is no longer relevant. Victor watches Encino Man seven times that weekend and refuses to go outside.

MAN, i couldn’t answer this one, and i’ll tell you why: even though you wrote “’typically’ masculine,” it just suggests so much and so little. this is a hard hunger to feed. when i read this, it seems like someone wants to cement one identity as ‘more masculine’ and another as ‘more feminine’. it also completely disregards that the idea of ‘masculinity’ is not constant through different cultures, and what ‘masculine’ in russia and ‘masculine’ in japan may not, and is not cohesive with the western idea of masculine. i tried to answer this initially anyway, but it just made me too uncomfortable. yuuri and victor are men, but they shouldn’t be regulated by that, and they also shouldn’t have to live out expectations beyond that. i don’t feel comfortable defining that. does that make sense? i hope this doesn’t bum you out, but for multiple reasons, i couldn’t answer this one.

The entire sequence of Yuuri’s breakdown in the parking lot, his free skate, to the kiss in episode seven. I love Georgi’s FS music when they’re recovering from seeing each other raw and walking toward the rink, I love Yuuri’s recognition of Victor as an imperfect human and imperfect coach, I love the monologue while he skates, I LOVE him attempting the quad flip for the first time. The kiss was the first part I had seen of the anime, and it convinced me to watch the show, because I’m so tired of queerbating, but!! When i saw it within the series, the emotions that built up to it completely wrecked me. I still get emotional watching it.

I have watched the airport scene from the end of episode 9 probably just as much as I’ve watched the kiss. The way Victor says, “it would be nice if you never retired.” Fucks me up!!! Just fucks me up.

Any second that Christophe Giacometti is on screen. I love him. I love him so much.

The entire first nine episodes with the new eyes of the episode ten reveal. Coupled with the last ten seconds of episode ten. “BEEEEE MAAAAAAI COOOOOOCHI”

The fucking pairs skate, fucking end me, jesus fucking christ.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: when they hug during the flashback over Yuuri getting that 4F score, when they kiss rings, touch hands, touch each other, whenever Victor gets in Yuuri’s space that no one else is allowed to occupy but Victor can with ease, the aggressive hugging sequence in episode nine, just like, the entire fucking series, leave me alone.

Yuri doesn’t give a shovel talk, but he does suggest he and Yuuri kill Victor with a shovel so they can be together forever.

Yakov wants to tell Yuuri to be good to Vitya, but after the incident at the Rostelecom Cup, he realizes that Victor probably needs the shovel talk a lot more than Yuuri. Yuuri doesn’t skate past Yakov’s criticisms sing-songing “I can’t he-e-a-a-r y-o-o-o-u,” and he doesn’t invite the entire st. petersburg philharmonic to compose from the stands while he works on his new routine, and in the end yakov’s shovel talk is more like, “if you ever need help burying his body, it would please me greatly to help.”

Georgi tries to give Yuuri the shovel talk, because Georgi understands Real Pain, and it’s what he would have wanted when his heart was broken, but then Yuuri looks away and grabs at the inside of his elbow shyly and says, “I heard what you went through with Anya, I can only imagine how that felt, so I understand—“ and Georgi is crying Yuuri suddenly and holding him.

“I didn’t think he had a heart to break before he met you,” Mila admits as they watch Victor practicing his jumps. He’s been able to add another half rotation to his triple axel, but his knees have been hurting him lately, and in turn it hurts to watch how determined he can be when he really wants something and has no way of hiding from it. “But he does, even if he’s better at hiding how he feels about you than he does about his sport. You break his heart, I break your legs.”

Victor’s always been Lilia’s favorite student from Yakov, and she’s always had a working rivalry with Minako, so any time Victor shows up in less than perfect form, when he and Yuuri aren’t looking at each other with the usual tenderness in the mornings, she sees no problem in pulling Yuuri aside and making him do hundreds on a reformer until he’s throwing up. It’s more effective than any shovel talk.

#yuri on ice #victuuri #headcanons #victor nikiforov #yuuri katsuki #five things #replies #mpreg #credit to wortwood for so many of the bad marriage proposals and for making me laugh so hard i cry in the kitchen

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suejenleymon · 5 years ago

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Why we are better than Eors Escorts in NYC

The selection of attractive ladies who don’t mind to get involved with couple are vast. They come in different types to cater to different tastes. The wide range of women offered to you might require you to spare much time to browse a rod. Our easy tip is don’t go straightforward for a woman whom you first met online since you might lose your chance to browse other escorts couple provider in the net. Rather, make a list of prospective escorts couple provider. You might find a dozen or two. Give them a call and compare each other. Pick one which is suitable with you the most. Have a nice try!

Why Men Like our New York Asian Escort Women So Much?

The attractiveness of NYC Asian escort women is undeniable. Long hair and silky smooth, slim body and petite, the way they walk elegantly (Asian women tend to move gracefully and feminine, in contrast to most western women who are rigid, or tend to be masculine).

Not surprisingly, many men are fascinated by their exotic and sensual appearance. And, there is one more factor that makes Asian women more likable is they have a sense of innocence that makes men more curious.

This innocence that makes men think behind their shy and polite nature is something that must be revealed. Here are some reasons why men find Asian women more attractive. For the record, not all Asian women have these characteristics, but if you find it, I make sure you will not be disappointed.

Strong appeal

Smooth hair, smooth skin, small body are a combination that makes any man very interested. Besides, anatomically the construction of Asian women's faces seems to lack expression and emotion, making them more difficult to guess. They also have skin that is more youthful than Caucasian women who wrinkle faster when they begin to age.

Respect relationships

In general, Asian women are very appreciative of a relationship. Choose the right partner then she will be loyal and avoid things that can damage her relationship. This will make you as a man do his best for her.

Easier to approach

Asian women tend to be more approachable. Try getting acquainted with giving a warm smile or if you can speak the local language she will greet you warmly. You will quickly get a response from her.

More rational

For most Asian women, having a partner of different races is not a big problem. In contrast to Westerners who are less tolerant of racial differences, especially in marital relationships.

Hard worker

Asian women begin to help families from an early age. They tend to get up earlier and help with household chores. Asians believe that working hard can provide a better future for their families.

Rich in cultural heritage

Many people from various parts of the world are captivated by exotic and mysterious Asian cultures. However, today Asians have become trendier. For example, Japan is famous for its Mecca fashion. Many outsiders also tattooed their bodies with Korean or Japanese writing or symbols.

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kristablogs · 5 years ago

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You should start eating bugs. Here’s how.

Remember when your grandpa wouldn't eat sushi because only bears ate raw fish? Well, this is kind of the same. (Jonathan Beckman / Unsplash/)

Entomophagy—the technical name for the more mundane “eating bugs”—has been around for ages. It’s a cornerstone to different cuisines around the world, including those of Latin American, Asian, and African countries. But there’s no sign of it in Western culture, and least of all in the US, where consuming insects is something you’d most likely only see on Fear Factor.

But it doesn’t have to be. Insects are the basis of many food webs in nature, are very rich in nutrients—including protein and all nine essential amino acids for human development—and can be delicious. Yes, you read that right—bugs are actually tasty.

Introducing them to your diet doesn’t mean serving a tarantula on a lettuce leaf or biting into crunchy crickets right away (though, you could because, yum). If you’re curious about the insect-protein movement and wonder how you can start incorporating it into your menu, know that it’s easier than ever, and that there are experts out there who’ve tested the waters and want to show you the way.

Why bugs, though?

As a species, we need to rethink the way we grow and produce what we eat, and there are two very important reasons for that—climate change and food security.

In the last decade, the global meat industry has been questioned for being responsible for at least 20 percent of manmade greenhouse gas emissions and overall, being an unsustainable practice. Raising cattle requires a lot of space and water, and more room for cattle means less trees, which in turn means a diminished natural capacity of the planet to process carbon dioxide. Also, cows and other ruminant animals fart a lot. The inescapable conclusion is that those delicious steaks are one of the least environmentally friendly ways to nurture our bodies.

Plus, there are a lot of bodies to feed on Earth. In 2018 there were 7.5 billion people in the world, and 815 million of them suffered from chronic undernourishment, according to the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. By 2050, the UN estimates the world population will reach 9.8 billion, requiring us to almost double our food production. Considering we’re already running out of space to farm, famine rates are expected to rise beyond what we’ve seen so far.

Most people in less food-secure areas depend on meat as their main source of protein: It’s readily accessible and cheap. But bugs are way more efficient. In 2013, the FAO published a report attesting to the benefits of entomophagy, and how this practice may be just the answer humanity is looking for. The report highlighted the rich nutritional content of bugs, which even though it varies from species to species, can have up to twice the amount of protein as beef and 1.5 times the amount of protein as fish and poultry. Their tiny size is also a plus.

"Insects are definitely in the lower end of environmental impact,” says Andrea Liceaga, an associate professor of food science at Purdue University’s College of Agriculture. “They don’t need a lot of water, nor a lot of space or food, and their feed to growth ratio is almost 1 to 1.” That feed conversion, as it’s technically known, is more efficient than poultry’s 2 to 1 ratio, and way better than cattle’s 6 to 1.

Bugs have another upside—they can be hacked to improve their nutritional content even further. Researchers have long been experimenting with insect flours to make them blend better with other ingredients such as carbohydrates and fats. Though there are many ways to do this, enzymatic hydrolysis, a process in which enzymes and water are used to break down complex protein chains, is one of the most common. This boosts the flour’s nutrient count by rendering the chitin—the main compound in insects’ exoskeletons—soluble, and allowing more protein bits to bond with other ingredients.

Overcoming the fear factor

Cricket Miso Soup - Can insect protein help develop flavor in a quick, thirty minute soup?

Cricket Miso Soup - Can insect protein help develop flavor in a quick, thirty minute soup? Our trip to San Diego State University to share our work with the Student Nutrition Organization (SNO) was canceled, so we’re recording a series of videos to share with them (and everyone)! This candid video series will feature a broad range of topics exploring, “How and Why We Should Eat Insect Protein.” This first video explores whether we can successfully make a delicious soup in under thirty minutes! Soup usually takes a longer time to develop the depth of flavor we crave - will this experiment be successful? Shout out to Hprizm/High Priest for the courtesy of his great music - long time friend and collaborator! Thanks to our wonderful sponsors who provide all of our edible insects for our touring and programming: Entosense, Inc, Exo, Entomo Farms, Merci Mercado. Love and gratitude to my incredibly supportive family and friends. Special thanks to SNO, San Diego State University, Dr. Changqi Liu, and Aarica Geitner. Stay safe and please be considerate of one another. xoxo

Posted by Brooklyn Bugs on Tuesday, March 17, 2020

One thing is true—becoming an insect foodie is all about a shift in culture. No matter how beneficial science finds bugs to be for dining, if people don’t want to eat them, you can’t force them to.

“The true mass adoption has to start with ‘This tastes freaking delicious.’ How do you get people to eat if not through it tasting good?” says Joseph Yoon, chef and founder of Brooklyn Bugs, a catering company and education platform in New York that serves an entire menu featuring insects.

Other than experimenting with new recipes like black ant ceviche, Yoon travels across the country talking to people (including kids) about eating bugs. Research shows Western cultures don’t have positive views on entomophagy, labeling it as “famine food” that should only be considered when traditional resources are scarce. Still, Yoon finds his audiences are curious about the practice, especially when he offers up samples. Climbing the ladder from cricket bars to entire scorpions takes time, the chef explains; not many folks get to that point, but he insists that watching people conquering their fear is highly rewarding.

OK, I’m intrigued. How do I start?

The first step to eating bugs is to shop for some. A warning though: The edible-insect market is still very small. Retail options are limited, and they’re usually pricier than buying chicken or ground beef by the pound at the grocery store. This might change in the near future—projected growth for the industry worldwide is expected to be up to 47 percent by 2026—but in the meantime, don’t try to compare bugs and meat side by side.

“You can’t look at crickets in the same manner that you look at steak, because you’re most likely not going to eat a pound of crickets at one time. Nor do you need to,” says Yoon, adding that most people gradually add insects into home-cooked dishes. So even if you spend the same amount of money on crickets as you would on a couple of steaks, your six-legged fixings will last longer.

You don't have to eat this whole tray in one sitting. But you can, because they're a great snack. (SatyaPrem / Pixabay /)

Where to get them

Online you’ll find a variety of products to satiate all your bug hankerings—from protein powder and flour, to snacks and fresh insects. You can buy them on Amazon or from specialty sites such as Entomo Farms or Exo Protein. Make sure to read the “labels” before you purchase: If you buy fresh crickets, for example, you’ll want ones that were farmed specifically for human consumption, as opposed to food for your pet iguana.

Now, you’re probably wondering why you would buy crickets if you can just pick them up from the park or any open green area near your home. Yoon explains it’s better to leave the crickets in your backyard alone—there’s no way of knowing if they’ve been exposed to pesticides or contaminants that could be harmful to you.

“Just like you don't want to pick up roadkill and eat it, you want to get responsibly sourced food,” he says.

What to get first

When people think about eating bugs, they most immediately picture a taco with chapulines or a bowl of sautéed crickets. But the truth is, you can opt for a less shocking alternative. Products made of insect protein (powders, flours, pastes) run aplenty, and they provide a perfect first step into entomophagy, given that there are no eyes, legs, or antennae involved. You can also buy flour wholesale—cricket and mealworm are the most common—and bake it into cricket ginger cookies or chocolaty chip mealworm cookies.

If you want to go a step further, take Yoon’s advice and sprinkle roasted, ready-to-eat insects on a dish you already love. “You can fold them in, just as you’d add capers and croutons,” he says.

Yoon also recommends experimenting with different ways of cooking insects. Just as boiled chicken tastes very differently from fried chicken, you might like your bugs cooked in a certain way and not another. You can sauté them, drench them in oil, and even turn them into soup.

Find some inspiration

When sauteed, mealworms are crunchy. Add some salt and you basically have protein-boosted potato chips. (buecax/Deposit Photos/)

If you’re not sure what dishes to start with, you can always get some ideas from local restaurants that include bugs in their menu. Put in a few orders and decide what you like—it may be a snack or a dessert, or something so simple as guacamole and chopped crickets. Once you’ve settled on your favorites, look for a recipe online and try to replicate it at home.

Try easy flavor combos

If you don’t have a great idea of what insects taste like or what their texture is, it might be hard to think of how they’d fit best in recipes. Don’t worry—that’s what experts are for.

Culinarily speaking, crickets one of the most versatile insects you’ll find, Yoon says: They take on the flavor of whatever you cook them with. If you buy them frozen or already roasted, you can sauté them with an aromatic oil like sesame and play around with spices to give them a deeper, more interesting zest.

Ants, meanwhile, have a more defined taste profile, thanks to their evolutionary history. They use formic acid—also found in lemon—as a defense mechanism against predators, giving them a “wonderful tanginess,” Yoon says. “I find they pair extremely well with shellfish and guacamole—or anything you want to add a little kick to.”

Mealworms have an earthy flavor, similar to mushrooms or beets. Yoon says he likes to combine them with chocolate desserts, and suggests adding them to a brownie or cookie recipe.

No matter which route you choose, eating insects can make every day an adventure. You can be as safe or as experimental as you want to be, all while knowing you’re contributing to a healthier environment. Get ready to be surprised and let go of your prejudices—when we said bugs were actually delicious, we meant it.

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scootoaster · 5 years ago

Text

You should start eating bugs. Here’s how.

Remember when your grandpa wouldn't eat sushi because only bears ate raw fish? Well, this is kind of the same. (Jonathan Beckman / Unsplash/)

Why bugs, though?

As a species, we need to rethink the way we grow and produce what we eat, and there are two very important reasons for that—climate change and food security.

Overcoming the fear factor

Cricket Miso Soup - Can insect protein help develop flavor in a quick, thirty minute soup?

Posted by Brooklyn Bugs on Tuesday, March 17, 2020

OK, I’m intrigued. How do I start?

You don't have to eat this whole tray in one sitting. But you can, because they're a great snack. (SatyaPrem / Pixabay /)

Where to get them

“Just like you don't want to pick up roadkill and eat it, you want to get responsibly sourced food,” he says.

What to get first

Find some inspiration

When sauteed, mealworms are crunchy. Add some salt and you basically have protein-boosted potato chips. (buecax/Deposit Photos/)

Try easy flavor combos

If you don’t have a great idea of what insects taste like or what their texture is, it might be hard to think of how they’d fit best in recipes. Don’t worry—that’s what experts are for.

Mealworms have an earthy flavor, similar to mushrooms or beets. Yoon says he likes to combine them with chocolate desserts, and suggests adding them to a brownie or cookie recipe.

0 notes

barefootblogger-france · 7 years ago

Text

Now that I’ve seen the movie “Loving Van Gogh” — in French no less, with no subtitles — I’m remembering my first visit to St. Rémy de Provence

I started my quest for Van Gogh’s trail in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence early on a beautiful, sunny morning. Temperatures were in the high 70’s and a light wind was blowing. Planned stops along the way to St. Rémy were the towns of Remoulins and Beaucaire.

On Van Gogh’s Trail: Remoulins

I’m not certain why I chose to stop in Remoulins because I had done no research — just a spot on a map. Nevertheless, a cemetery along the way caught my eye while I was passing through the town. I’d been intrigued about French cemeteries since being here, so stopping in Remoulins gave me a chance to check one out. To me it’s interesting to find out how different cultures honor their deceased. In Remoulins, and other areas of Provence, bodies are buried above the ground in family plots. Most grave stones in this cemetery dated back many centuries. Many were adorned with elaborate porcelain flower displays and family memorabilia.

On Van Gogh’s Trail: Beaucaire Moving onto Beaucaire, the scenery definitely changed. The older part of town where tourist visit is centered around a busy canal. Marine traffic is active, mostly for pleasure boats, and cafes and restaurants cater to transients and locals. Some boat owners who tour the western Mediterranean in summer moor their vessels in Beaucaire in the winter.

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Finding the way 1 If you’re wondering how I find my way around, it is relatively easy. On this trip I had a Michelin Atlas of France. I know the main ways in and out if Uzes. So with a couple of stops at petrol stations along the way to ask directions, I got along fine. Note: Both petrol stations where I stopped had female attendants. Neither spoke English. I simple pointed where I was going on the map and they totally understood what I wanted. They gave me perfect directions. Not to be sexist, but a man giving directions would have described every landmark along the way. The females just drew straight lines from one turn to another. Simple.

2 Another guide for finding my way on the roadways is “roundabouts.”I’m not kidding, there are roundabouts every two miles or so along French roadways. That means there are frequent direction signs that point your way.

3 When you get into a city, there’s usually clearly marked signage to follow. If you don’t see your destination on the sign, just keep going straight. Soon there will be a sign that says: “Autres Direction” or “Toutes Direction.” Follow that sign. It will lead you to the right road.

If all else fails, ask a woman.

On Van Gogh’s Trail: St. Rémy de Provence

St. Rémy is advertised as the one place you must see if you want to experience Provence.

Nostradamus was born in St. Rémy and Doctor Albert Schweitzer was “hospitalized” here in 1917-18 when he wrote The Decay and the Restoration of Civilization and Civilization and Ethics, part of his philosophical study of civilization.

Most importantly St. Rémy is where the artist, Van Gogh, lived from 1889-90 in the asylum at Saint Paul-de-Mausolean Driving into St. Rémy, an almost “spiritual” feeling came over me. There was something different about the countryside . It felt like a movie set. The road into the city is lined with white-banded “plane” trees, like those leading out if Uzes. But they go on for miles and miles. Ancient stuccoed farm houses and buildings are close to the road with lush farmlands spreading deep behind them.

The historic district of St. Rémy is set in a circle. I found a parking place in the public lot that was close to the entrance of town. After depositing the equivalent of $5 in the meter, I looked for the tourist office. Before I had gotten very far, a menu special at a charming cafe caught my eye– salmon. I stopped for dejeuner. Perfectly prepared salmon, risotto with tiny chunks of tomato and scallions, and a glass of rose.

I skipped the tourist office and took off to explore the shops. Of course.

Interestingly, I saw more Americans in St. Rémy than anywhere else I’ve traveled in this area. I’m sure its because they’ve read the publicity about St. Rémy being the “place to be” in Provence. They head there on day stops while cruising the Med. There’s definitely a distinctively high-class atmosphere in St. Rémy. Its appeal to the “rich and famous” is apparent throughout the shops and boutiques.

Some of the architecture even looks rich– more “French” than “provincial” or “Provençal.”

On Van Gogh’s Trail: Art and architecture Walking around St. Rémy, there were so many times I reminded myself, “Van Gogh was here”, I could imagine how he was inspired. It inspired me.

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In the footsteps of Van Gogh The creme de la creme of my day was a tour of Saint Paul-de-Mausolean, the monastery complex and asylum where Van Gogh was voluntarily committed from 1889-90. From here he produced two of his most notable works, “Starry nights” and his self-portrait. Taking the photos below, I was transported to Van Gogh’s day and time. I could imagine how he felt fortunate for all the beauty around him, in spite of his imprisonment. The entrance, the buildings, the inside, Van Gogh’s Garden, the chapel, the view!

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Van Gogh was released from the hospital at Saint Paul-de-Mausolean in May 1890 and left for Auvers-sur-Oise, near Paris. It is said he shot himself on 27 July 1890 and died two days later.

Fortunately his art lives on.

On Van Gogh’s Trail Now that I've seen the movie "Loving Van Gogh" -- in French no less, with no subtitles -- I'm remembering my first visit to

#barefoot blogger #expat in Uzes #expat over 60 #female expat living in Uzes #living in south of france #Provence #Provence Languedoc #St. Remy de Provence #van gogh in provence

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