#and of course 90% of our required reading is english

[liliewriter]

norwegian university life is having to read academic articles in five different languages every semester and being expected to know them all enough to understand academic language no problem

[copperbadge]

Before I left for vacation I did my usual “tidy for the petsitter” routine, and there was some paperwork that I thought should probably get put away, so I stashed it in a storage bin I had out. Because I know me, I put a note in my to-do list for when I got back that said “There’s important stuff in the bin, remember to go get it.”

So I did, but I thought I should deal with the other stuff in the bin too, and I’ve just been popping the lid and dealing with one or two things every time I go past it. Most of it is paperwork, and I’ve just hit some records from high school that my mother recently gave to me without either of us going through them.

There’s a bunch of report cards, which are heartbreaking and hilarious. I graduated a semester early and my last semester was cleanup -- two classes to complete graduation requirements and one to maintain status as a “full time” student. Two were math-based which I was notoriously bad at, and sure enough at the midterm I was getting a D+ in one and a C- in the other. We’d just begun digital grade recording, so the teachers would keep their grades in a paper book and then log into an extremely basic database and enter the grades, which would spit out on our printed report cards. They could put in a grade plus three “codes” which would print next to our grades as status updates, stuff like “disruptive in class” or similar. 

My English course, in which I was getting an A, said “Exceeding expectations” which was kind of Mr. G because I remember him and his expectations were exceptionally high for me. 

The other two have the same catechism: Missing Assignments, Does Not Pay Attention In Class, and of course...Achievement Not Up To Ability. Guess now we know why. 

Reading through these old cards with the cushion of time, it’s fascinating to see my young brain at work. My math and (math-based) science grades tank so hard, at the same time I was getting As or Bs everywhere else -- history, civics, econ, english, spanish. There are documented questions about whether I’m going to pass enough math to graduate high school, dated the same semester as my perfect Verbal SAT score and my fives in AP Comp and Lit. The first semester after I was put into the Gifted program, I failed Remedial Algebra.  

I did say at the time, to my mother and my teachers, there’s something wrong here. My mother, in her defense, had her hands full with my brother; my teachers just didn’t know what to do with me. The school district was broke and didn’t have disability testing available. By the time I got to college I’d simply internalized the idea that I was a neurotypical kid who got stubborn when asked to do something I found pointless and boring, and that was a personality flaw to be corrected, not a symptom of something bigger. My therapist for my last few years of high school agreed, and thought I should probably learn more anger management techniques. Although it turns out you can’t breathing-exercise your way out of undiagnosed ADHD. 

In any case, here in 2023, there’s no solution or tidy resolution or anything to be done about it, it just is what it is: a sheaf of paper from the late 90s about a smart fuckup who could have used a hand. I’m here now, alive and employed and medicated and a homeowner, so it’s a bunch of numbers that don’t mean anything. I’ll scan them into my digital archive, then toss the paper and never look at the archive again, probably. 

Achievement not up to ability. Boy, no kidding. 

[fireheartwraith]

I feel like I should explain ENEM, aka why the brazilians have been grieving since the date of the november 4th event was announced

ENEM stands for Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio (National High School Exam). It happens once a year since 1998, and, although at first it was just to gage how the education was on a national level, it soon became a gateway to university.

The test takes place on two days (that are now two consecutive sundays), from 13:30 to 19:00, and each day the student has to answer 90 questions. The first day is always human sciences and languages (Portuguese language and literature, foreign language (English or Spanish), history, geography, sociology, and philosophy) plus an essay. Nobody knows what the essay is about until the moment of the exam, so there’s always a lot of speculation. The theme is always about a social issue: last year's, for exemple, was "the challenges for the appreciation/respect of the traditional communities and peoples of Brazil", like the quilombolas and natives. The second day tests the students' knowledge on maths and exact sciences (biology, physics, and chemistry).

ENEM is famously a very "read-y" test. Every question requires a lot of reading comprehension, interpretation, and interdisciplinarity. Maybe the internet has done americans wrong, but the SAT's look so easy in comparison. We always make fun of them by saying Harvard it's not actually hard, it's just expensive.

Which brings me to my next point: college! The grade you get on the ENEM can get you into a university using three different programs

SISU: gets you into a public (and free) university (the best university in the country is public btw, University of São Paulo - USP)

PROUNI: gets you a scholarship in a private university (it can get you a 100% scholarship but you need a VERY good grade)

FIES: student loans

And, obviously, the better your grades, the better your chances. You are graded from 0 to 1000 in every subject and also get a general grade. So if you want to study physics, you don’t need to do great in literature, but you should still try to get a decent grade. The more competitive courses, like medicine (there's no such thing was pre-med), can get down to the decimals, especially in prestigious schools.

ENEM isn't the only test you can do to get into a university, though! Some schools have their own test. USP, for exemple, has the FUVEST, so you can get in through either test, but FUVEST is always paid and you can only do it in, like, three cities in São Paulo, while the ENEM happens countrywide, which is why it's so important. The tests are called "vestibular" and the people taking them are "vestibulando".

Therefore, most 3rd year high school students take the test. It's basically a rule to do it if you want to get into a university, but if you are not on your last year of high school, you have to pay to take it (my case). Some people have to go to another city to take the test, it's a whole thing.

This year, the first day of ENEM is happening on Sunday, November 5th. And QSMP's most important event so far is happening on Saturday night, November 4th. May the Lord have mercy on our souls

You can check out the "atrasados do enem" for some giggles though. It's the "event" that happens because some people always arrive after the gates close at 13:00 and then break down crying in the middle of the street. It got so famous people started hiring actors to pose as vestibulandos just to go viral.

Now you know a bit more about brazilian culture!

Here's a link to download last year's exam if you want: first day | second day

[hindisoup]

Hi! I love your blog and bave been following for a few months :) I love how much effort you put into your posts - especially the vocab lists are super cool :)

I wanted to ask your advice on something:

I‘m taking a hindi class at uni and I‘m in my second semester and the teacher is going pretty fast (we did like three tenses in one week - one week consisting of two 90 min classes) and it just feels super rushed and it‘s so frustrating for me trying to keep up. And then I get frustrated overall and don’t really wanna do anything witht he language at all and avoid it / procrastinate the things I know I should be doing.

Do you have any good tips for my situation? Any way to find maybe a different source of motivation? Or is there anything else you can think of?

I'm totally in favor of academic education, but when it comes to languages that we choose to study out of our own interest and passion, I believe we should find our own unique path. Courses are just one way of learning.

First, you can ask yourself two questions: Why are you learning Hindi, and why did you choose this particular course? The answers may not be the same.

You can make a mental list or create a mind map of all the things that initially sparked your interest in Hindi. You can choose to include your short-term and long-term goals as well. Maybe you want to learn Devanagari, be able to communicate with a friend, understand your favorite songs better, or become an interpreter. We all have different reasons for learning languages.

If you view language learning as a lifelong journey, then this course is just a fleeting moment. Even longer, full-time language courses that take several years are merely temporary opportunities for learning. The course does not define us as learners, and the end of a course does not mean the end of learning (even if we excel in our grades).

So, I wonder if putting this course, its requirements, and the academic benefits it brings as part of your degree into a broader perspective can help you see it as just a part of your Hindi journey.

As for motivation, I've found it helpful to have a variety of materials available in different difficulty levels, topics, and formats that fit my every mood and situation. I always try to have something at hand for:

Reading

low-effort: Twitter, Wikipedia, story apps (e.g. Akbar-Birbal)

high-effort: novels, short stories, news articles

Listening

low-effort: songs, language learning and self-help podcasts

high-effort: news and documentary podcasts aimed at native speakers

Watching

low-effort: stand-up comedy etc. channels on YouTube, Netflix series with English subtitles

high-effort: series and films with or without Hindi subtitles.

Speaking

low-effort: a voice message or a call with a friend or a language partner

high-effort: taking an iTalki class with a tutor

Grammar

low-effort: language learning apps

high-effort: text books, preferably with exercises

Writing

low-effort: chatting with a language partner or ChatGPT

high-effort: writing a letter to a language partner or a longer text book excercise.

Mixing and matching all of the above makes it possible to use and practice your target language throughout the week outside the classroom. Using these methods to build your own routine will help you continue on your journey also after the course has finished.

Hope this helps, thanks for the ask!

[the-foreign-world]

Master PTE Speaking Course: 15-Day Learning Strategy for a 90 Score

Achieving a perfect score in the PTE Speaking section requires a strategic approach and dedicated practice. Our 15-day learning plan is designed to help you master the skills needed to score 90 in the PTE Speaking section.

Day 1: Understanding the Basics

Morning: Get familiar with the PTE Speaking section format and question types.

Afternoon: Practice pronouncing common English words and phrases clearly and accurately.

Day 2: Read Aloud Practice

Morning: Practice reading aloud various texts, focusing on fluency and intonation.

Afternoon: Record yourself and analyze your performance for improvements.

Day 3: Repeat Sentence Practice

Morning: Listen to and repeat sentences, focusing on maintaining the same intonation and stress.

Afternoon: Practice with increasingly complex sentences.

Day 4: Describe Image Practice

Morning: Practice describing images, focusing on structure and key details.

Afternoon: Work on using descriptive vocabulary and linking words.

Day 5: Re-tell Lecture Practice

Morning: Listen to short lectures and practice re-telling them in your own words.

Afternoon: Focus on summarizing the main points and conclusions.

Day 6: Answer Short Question Practice

Morning: Practice answering short questions promptly and accurately.

Afternoon: Expand your vocabulary to improve your responses.

Day 7: Comprehensive Review

Review all the question types practiced so far.

Identify areas for improvement and focus on those in the coming days.

Day 8: Intensive Read Aloud Practice

Spend the day practicing reading aloud, focusing on clarity, fluency, and intonation.

Day 9: Intensive Repeat Sentence Practice

Focus on memorizing and accurately repeating complex sentences.

Day 10: Intensive Describe Image Practice

Practice describing a wide variety of images, focusing on structure and vocabulary.

Day 11: Intensive Re-tell Lecture Practice

Spend the day practicing re-telling lectures, focusing on summarization and clarity.

Day 12: Intensive Answer Short Question Practice

Practice answering a wide range of short questions quickly and accurately.

Day 13: Mock Test

Take a full-length PTE Speaking mock test to assess your progress.

Day 14: Review and Refine

Review the results of your mock test and refine your strategies for each question type.

Day 15: Final Preparation

Spend the day doing a final review and practicing relaxation techniques for the exam day.

Why PTE Tutorials is Beneficial for Mentorship and Learning

PTE Tutorials offers a comprehensive platform for PTE preparation, providing:

Expert Guidance: Access to experienced tutors who provide personalized feedback and strategies.

Practice Resources: A vast collection of practice questions, mock tests, and video lessons.

Progress Tracking: Tools to monitor your improvement and identify areas for further practice.

Flexibility: Learn at your own pace and convenience, with online and mobile access to resources.

By following this 15-day learning strategy and leveraging the resources and mentorship available through PTE Tutorials, you can confidently aim for a 90 score in the PTE Speaking section.

WhatsApp us to live chat

[upgradeinfotech]

Breaking Language Barriers: German Learning Made Easy Online

In our interconnected world, the ability to communicate in different languages is more important than ever. Among the myriad of languages spoken across the globe, German holds a special place. It's not just the native language of over 90 million people in Germany, but it's also widely spoken in Austria, Switzerland, and other European countries. Learning German can open doors to cultural enrichment, travel opportunities, and career advancements. And now, with the power of online learning provided by Upgrade Infotech, breaking down the language barriers and mastering German has become easier and more convenient than ever.

The Challenge of Learning German:

 German is known for its complex grammar, long compound words, and unique sentence structures. For English speakers or speakers of languages with Latin roots, learning German might seem like a daunting task. However, with the right approach, resources, and guidance, anyone can overcome these challenges and achieve proficiency in this rich and vibrant language.

The Power of Online Learning:

Online learning has revolutionized the way we acquire new skills and knowledge. Whether it's coding, cooking, or learning a new language, the internet has made it possible to access high-quality education from the comfort of our homes. When it comes to learning German, online platforms like Upgrade Infotech provide a comprehensive and effective way to grasp the intricacies of the language.

Flexibility and Convenience:

One of the major advantages of online German courses is the flexibility they offer. Traditional classroom settings might not fit into everyone's busy schedules. With online courses, learners can decide when and where to study. This convenience allows for a personalized learning experience, catering to individual preferences and learning styles.

Interactive Learning Experience:

Learning a language is not just about memorizing vocabulary and grammar rules; it's about immersion and practice. Online German courses often incorporate interactive elements that mimic real-life situations. Through virtual conversations, quizzes, and exercises, learners can practice their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in a dynamic and engaging manner.

Personalized Progress Tracking:

Upgrade Infotech's online German courses usually come with advanced learning management systems that enable learners to track their progress. This personalized tracking helps learners identify their strengths and areas that need improvement. With this data-driven approach, learners can focus on the aspects of the language that require more attention, ensuring a more efficient learning journey.

Expert Guidance:

Learning a language is always better when you have an expert guiding you. Online German courses often provide access to qualified instructors who can provide insights, correct mistakes, and answer questions. This personalized guidance enhances the learning experience and ensures that learners receive accurate information.

Cultural Context:

Language and culture are intertwined. When you learn a new language, you also gain insights into the culture, traditions, and history of the people who speak it. Online German courses provided by Upgrade Infotech don't just focus on grammar and vocabulary; they also delve into the cultural nuances that make the language unique. This holistic approach not only improves language proficiency but also fosters cultural understanding.

Community and Networking:

Learning with others who share the same goal can be motivating and enjoyable. Online language courses often provide opportunities to interact with fellow learners from around the world. This sense of community creates a supportive environment where learners can practice with each other, exchange experiences, and celebrate their progress together.

Breaking the Fear Barrier:

Many people are hesitant to learn a new language because they fear making mistakes or sounding awkward. Online learning can help break down this fear barrier. In the comfort of your own space, you can practice speaking without the fear of judgment. As you build confidence, you'll find that your communication skills in German naturally improve.

Real-Life Applications:

The ultimate goal of learning a language is to be able to use it in real-life situations. Upgrade Infotech's online German courses often emphasize practical language skills that can be immediately applied. Whether you're traveling, working, or simply engaging with German-speaking friends, you'll find yourself equipped to navigate conversations and interactions with ease.

Conclusion:

Breaking language barriers and learning German has never been as accessible and convenient as it is today. With the power of online learning provided by Upgrade Infotech, individuals of all ages and backgrounds can embark on a journey of linguistic and cultural enrichment. The flexible nature of online courses, combined with interactive elements, expert guidance, and a focus on real-life applications, ensures that learners can master German effectively. So why wait? Start your German learning journey with Upgrade Infotech and unlock a world of opportunities, connections, and personal growth.

Original Sources: https://upgradeinfotech.blogspot.com/2023/09/breaking-language-barriers-german.html

[ahz-associates]

Find UK Universities for Archaeology in 2023 | AHZ Associates

Overview

Together, anthropology and archaeology cover the study of humanity from the earliest members of the human species to the present. The two fields of study have a lengthy history. Prehistoric studies emerged from 18th-century antiquarianism, although anthropology began far earlier, generally during extended periods of pilgrimage. The two topics now cover a wide range of complex approaches that have been taught to the arts, social sciences, and physical sciences.

The Department of Archeology's students are crucial for a distinct investigation locale. Archaeology, Assyriology, Biological Anthropology, and Egyptology are all included in our course. Because of its mobility, you can either start practising in Year 1 or choose a broad foundation before focusing on up to two disciplines from the following year.

Honours Archaeology Programmes in the UK

Universities like Oxford offer this study as a two-year undergraduate programme. Each year is divided into three terms, during which time students will alternately attend a number of weekly evening sessions, some field trips on Saturdays, as well as fieldwork and workshops. A one-week course of fieldwork will be required to wrap up the first year.

However, most universities create their courses in a three-year curriculum using the following structure:

The courses that will be taught on the undergraduate level are-

Introduction to world archaeology

Introduction to anthropological theory

Perspectives on human evolution

The nature of archaeological and anthropological enquiry

Social analysis and interpretation

Cultural representations, beliefs and practices

Landscape and ecology

Urbanism and society- etc.

Masters Programs in Archaeology in the UK

On archaeology course in post graduate level, students will cover these subjects along with the regular field trips and dissertation-

Professional Skills in Archaeology

Advanced Project

Discovering the Past with Molecular Science

Advanced Zooarchaeology

Zooarchaeology

Funerary Osteoarcheology

Researching the Historic Environment Online- and many more.

Archaeology courses in UK universities

The following prestigious colleges that offer archaeology courses are listed by QS and THE (Times Higher Education) rankings:

University of Oxford.

University of Cambridge.

University College London, UCL.

Durham University.

University of York.

University of Edinburgh.

University of Sheffield.

University of Reading.

Requirements for entry

Candidates should be aware that Archeology's graduate admissions procedure is fiercely competitive.

IELTS score: 7.0 overall, with a minimum of 6.5 in each module.

TOEFL: A score of at least 90 overall and at least 23 in writing.

PTE Academic: Overall score of 62, with a minimum score of 59 in each module.

The English Language test report are suggested to be valid on the course start date because some English language proficiency test results (like the IELTS) can only be two years old.

One must be able to demonstrate English language ability at the University's standard or higher level in order to enrol in this course. 

Minimum A-level requirements or equivalent for undergraduate study.

Applications from mature (over 21) students may not have continued their education to earn level 3 certificates. 

Postgraduate Requirements:

 It is recommended, but not required, for candidates to have an Honours degree in archaeology with a 2:1 standard, or without an overall 2.1 but with 2.1 scores in their final two years of study from a reputable university in a comparable discipline.

A group of academic experts and university recruiting officials evaluate each application. As part of their application, candidates must include a CV (Resume) or documentation of their professional registration. Along with all diplomas and academic records, a statement of purpose (SOP) of 4,000 characters shall be submitted with the language competence certificate.

Fees and Scholarships:

International students can take advantage of numerous scholarships and funding opportunities at UK universities for postgraduate studies. Depending on whether a person's qualifications meet the university's requirements, scholarships, grants, and on-campus positions may be offered. Most universities provide financial support for fieldwork. Students may decide to carry out further fieldwork as part of their dissertation for their senior year. Aside from that, the university's museums provide additional options, like work-based learning.

 Several of the scholarships offered are: Scholarships from the Commonwealth for Developing Commonwealth Nations Scholarships for Masters in the Commonwealth Chevening Scholarship in the UK academic awards for excellence Women in STEM are eligible for a British Council scholarship, as well as numerous other departmental and university awards. In addition to scholarships, students may qualify for a number of other programmes depending on university funding and requirements. Which are:

Employability after Art Gallery and Museum Studies

According to data released by the UK talent, a freshly certified curator in a gallery inside or outside of a metropolis, or in a smaller organisation, may anticipate earning roughly £25,605 per year, and bigger cities will often make more. An undergraduate or graduate degree in this area is also helpful for practitioners who want to work in the fields of art instruction and curation. The following is a list of numerous job opportunities in addition to these:

Academic Research

Collections Management

Curatorship

Exhibition Development

Program Management

Museum Research and beyond

Candidates who are looking for specialised skills will be able to see how much interdisciplinary knowledge is needed for this complicated sector of history and cultural preservation by studying art gallery and museum studies.

[utahcnatrainingcenter]

$550 tuition includes:

Essential Online CNA Curriculum (Approved by State) 

Access to ALL campus locations for Skills Lab and Clinicals

Loaner textbook (Not available at this time) 

Enhanced State Exam Preparation Read More

Discount on Basic Life Support CPR

Job Placement Assistance

Interactive Online Course (ALL your online coursework is kept within our learning management system.

State Testing Fees are not included ($90). Read about Tuition & Fees

Program Requirments

Must be 16 years of age or older

Must be proficient in English, both written and oral (State exams offered only in English)

Use your legal name when registering (Needs to match your government-issued ID)

Required Supplies

*Textbook:  Loaner books are not available at this time. Textbooks must be purchased ($40). 

*Blood Pressure Cuff and Stethoscope ($40)

Set of scrubs: No color requirements. 

Watch with a second hand (No smart watches, these are not allowed when testing with the state)

To know more please visit:

[chaitemy]

Important Things to Know When Gearing up for JEE Exam!

Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) is not only one of the most prestigious exams of our country, however also the toughest one. Conducted in two sessions – JEE Mains & JEE Advanced, aspirants get the chance to enroll in the leading engineering colleges after clearing the first one, and those who clear the latter one gain admission in IITs, NITs, B.Arch and other engineering courses. From filling the form to appearing in the exams - the period between this is very significant in many aspects and requires precise information. Therefore, take the first step with comprehensive details.

JEE Exam Eligibility – Educational Qualification, Age Limit & No. of Attempts

As per NTA’s revised criteria, there will be no age limit. This step is taken to provide the possible relaxation to aspirants. Yes, you read it right. Anyone who has completed 12th standard or equivalent to it can give this exam, regardless of age. Just ensure that you must have Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics and English as main subjects in 11th & 12th. When it comes to total number of attempts, you can appear in JEE Main exam for three consecutive years.

JEE Main Exam Pattern

a) This exam is conducted online all over in India and consists of total 90 questions – 30 questions each from Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.

b) Questions are in objective form and total mark is 300. 4 marks would be awarded for every correct answer and 1 mark would be deducted for every wrong answer.

Website for JEE Exam Updates

For every detail regarding JEE exam, click to nta.ac.in. National Testing Agency operates this website and all information about JEE Mains & Advanced exam appear primarily on this.

Now, the most important section – Preparation, Practice & Performance

After all the basic details, next in the list is right way of doing preparation. JEE syllabus includes conceptual clarity, crystal clear knowledge, enhanced learning, deep analysis, implementation of right formula at right time and time management. For scoring the top marks in exam and in fewer attempts, you need proper guidance by experienced educators, right set of study materials to understand every topic in an effective way, real exam like environment to manage the pressure during the exam time and study routine that prepares you mentally to do everything on time. For all these, joining the right coaching centre is mandatory where you get the support, fundamental principles and more to come out with outcome that accomplishes your dream. And you can gain all these at Chaitanya’s Academy.

a) Each educator at Chaitanya’s Academy is highly experienced as well as seasoned and master in their fields of specialization. Their lectures encompass theories, understandable examples, equations and precise detail about each and every topic.

b) Their time table is quite result oriented. From teacher directed learning, self study, doubt clearance to daily practice of sample papers, students are prepared to do rigorous practice in motivated and stress free way.

c) Foundation courses – For boosting the base from early classes, specially designed courses are provided which cover both the demand of regular school as well as complete JEE exam pattern.

d) This institute practices the stimulating culture that encourages the students to do work hard and improve themselves physically, mentally and socially. For this, orientation program and toppers’ sessions are conducted to motivate them.

[olderthannetfic]

One part of fandom that interests me is how different cultures have different rules and standards for interacting with each other on the internet. For instance in the fandom I'm in (and probably for other fandoms) it is considered rude on twitter to reply with any comments to art that Japanese artists post. (Especially in English, there is also a language barrier there)

Sometimes people get too many followers and they delete and start over. Posting for feedback/validation is not a huge thing in Japanese fandom culture like it is in the English speaking/western/largely US culture. (to clarify I don't want to make sweeping generalizations, and I can only speak with somewhat confidence for the fandom I'm in)

To be honest I think that is a healthier approach than valuing oneself by follower count and likes and praise, or at least seeking that out or falling into obsessing over it. Which is something that I personally can fall into, and I wonder if it's part of the (broadly speaking) western culture of hustle! become famous! and follower count and likes = your social status.

I sometimes do want to start over or just make everything anonymous even though I have made some acquaintances. I get the urge to share parts of my life and also to keep it private and hidden from the internet. It is like the tenuous internet friends I have made aren't that strong and ultimately leave me wishing for more but at the same time I crave anonymity and that is at ends with requirements for friendship (intimacy, honesty). Of course, you can keep your discussions to shared interests, but I always find myself wanting to share personal things and wonder about the other person but it feels like an invasion to ask. (Like mention things in my life that could give away who I am- like where I live, what kind of school I went to, my job, ect.)

This is a longwinded way to ask how you have navigated internet friendships and also anonymity (which I know you aren't anonymous/pseudonymous here but was there a moment when you were in fandom or online?) And also I am interested if you have any observations on how different cultures in fandom interact (which I suppose I could be asking about BTS), particularly in regard to how people treat comments/feedback/interaction between each other.

--

Western hustle culture is definitely real, but it's somewhat generational or at least one of a number of fandom subcultures. The big conflict I feel is between preservation of what some fans see as our collective history and the feeling of the most involved fans that it was just the private business of them and their friends, not "history".

As for me... haha. Uh... I was using Usenet in the 90s at a time when most people there were using university emails or work emails. My stepdad got me my own email for my 13th birthday in 1994. (Yes, the same email I still have now.) Since he worked at a university, he did the first initial lastname thing. I was never at all pseudonymous. Indeed, my first name was identifying on the 90s internet. There were two of us total with this name. On the entire internet as far as I can tell. Two.

I remember thinking "Oh well, I'll never be a politician or teach kids anyway!" I was conscious even then of not wanting my choices curtailed by a job I could be ratted out to.

I'm a pretty trusting person, probably because I don't have anybody you can rat me out to. My mom knew my fandom accounts. I assume she didn't read my porn, but who knows. Also, she's dead, so good luck getting hold of her. But anyway, I'm a fairly trusting person, and I still don't share really sensitive info with fans I know only online usually. My closer friends are people I know offline who live around here. We're talking weekly dinner party friends. Might one of them do something shitty? Sure, but so might I. Human interaction is a gamble.

I have lots of other tiers of geek friends from people I know from cons to people I know online but whom I have lots of 1:1 private conversations with to people who reblog me with good comments whom I hopefully recognize the icons of. I'm pretty bad with screennames, so it's a crapshoot whether I'll really remember someone as a distinct individual without a lot of reinforcement.

I've met people online whom I ended up trusting enough to talk about shit I didn't want screenshotted. Ms. Boba for example. But that's not super common even for me and usually requires someone who publicly goes to bat for problematic shit. That kind of open commitment to unpopular principles makes me less nervous about them being a two-faced backstabber.

It also helps if I know I'm going to eventually meet them offline or we have offline friends in common.

So on the one hand, yeah, you're going to have to loosen up if you want intimacy...

But on the other hand, a lot of fandom people I see seeking that kind of intimacy pick people they know nothing about. It's a 2-year twitter history of liking the same shows as you with no hint about who they are as a person. That person can burn it all down and run away with little penalty.

There are plenty of fandom Olds I don't know that well personally but whose pseuds I've seen around for literal decades. They're unlikely to catfish someone for the lulz or whatever. Abandoning a fannish identity of that age is a big step, so they're not going to do something so heinous they have to start over. Of course, that doesn't preclude them doing something you'd dislike that they feel is morally justified, nor does it preclude them having poor mental health. That's just life and human interaction.

I think a lot of people's close fandom friendships have come from workshopping fic 1:1 in private with a co-writer or beta. You could do that with any art or project. You could try something like that if you want to get to know people.

(My own experience won't be useful. I'm very offline first. I meet people at fandom meetups. My OKC profile made it super obvious I'm into fanfic. I care more about the ability to hang out offline and people having my general attitude towards fiction and fandom than about sharing specific fandoms.)

People treat comments and interaction all kinds of ways. Some of it might be broad subculture things, but a lot of it feels individual to me: some writers are very self-absorbed and see comments as not only their due but a measure of their self worth and people's interest in them as a human being.

Some people treat any interaction, including fic comments, as a potential time to meet a new fandom friend. I tend to meet online friends through meta discussion on tumblr, not through fic comments.

I don't know if BTS is specifically different. Honestly, a lot of my interaction with that massive, massive, massive fandom is passively reading fic on my kindle and talking to preexisting friends who keep up with the full firehose of official BTS content better than I do.

I'd say that overall, it's mostly English speakers who feel entitled to leave own-language comments on foreign-language fan stuff, but I've occasionally seen this behavior from others. Usually, it's the opposite: I remember some Spanish speakers asking if it would be all right for them to comment in Spanish on my stuff—like with the implication that they were being rude, which is hilarious to me. I love having a reason to practice Spanish. The more fluent someone is in English, the more they tend to just use that rather than deal with other people's faily attempts in their native language and rather than expecting the massive population of EFL speakers to agree on some other common language for fandom shit.

Uh... I'm not coming to any useful conclusion and I want to post this before tumblr manages to eat it.

Anyway, open up if you want actual friends... but pick carefully. They need to fit your vibe and your actual values more than your shipping preferences. Don't share personal info with insecure little drips who will try to tattle on you for liking Bad Ships the minute your "friendship" sours.

[mariacallous]

Scores from the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress have captured national headlines, documenting unprecedented declines in student performance in math and reading. For lower-performing students, the drops were even more severe. The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly disrupted students’ academic progress by shuttering schools, but also because of the negative mental health effects caused by isolation and the trauma of economic hardships and the loss of loved ones. Recovery will take time, and there are no easy answers. Our recent research suggests that expanding instructional time, particularly for schools with shorter days and years, can play an important role in our ongoing efforts to accelerate student learning. 

Adding Instructional Time Can Increase Academic Achievement

As part of our research, we conducted a systematic review of the most rigorous causal literature on the relationship between instructional time and academic achievement. Together, the literature paints a compelling picture that adding time can increase student achievement, though the benefits of this time depend on how time is increased and for which students. 

The two primary ways of increasing instructional time are adding days to the year and lengthening the school day. Our review of the literature shows that both can be effective. Research from Mexico, North Carolina, Sweden, and across the United States finds a small positive increase in math and English scores from the addition of 10 or more extra days. Even small increases in the length of the school day–90 minutes or less, in Germany, Israel, and other contexts – have led to positive results, albeit with smaller effect sizes and sometimes only in some subjects. Effects also vary by grade level with many studies showing younger students benefitting the most.  

Evidence of the positive effect of expanded learning time on student achievement appears strongest for extending the school year. This may be because there is little organizational or behavioral change required on the part of schools when extending the school year, whereas extending the school day is often coupled with efforts to adapt school schedules and adopt new instructional techniques.  

While additional instructional time can increase academic achievement, it does not always do so. Research on the Expanded Learning Time Initiative in Massachusetts found no significant effect on achievement in math, ELA, or science. Studies like this demonstrate the importance of preventing staff and student fatigue and aligning how the time is used to the specific outcomes that schools hope to target.  

Instructional Time Varies Tremendously Across the U.S.

Despite the importance of instructional time, some students are in school over the course of the year for hundreds of hours more than others simply because of where their families live. The figure below illustrates this wide variation wherein the total number of school hours per year differs by almost 200 hours between schools at the 90th and 10th percentiles (1,323 vs. 1,134 hours). That gap equates to a difference of approximately five and half weeks of schooling based on the mean of 6.87 hours per day. 

Source: Authors’ calculations using data from the 2015-16 National Teacher and Principal Survey. Chart shows distribution of number of hours in the school year (length of school day * days in school year) across U.S. public schools. Figure excludes schools below the 1st percentile and above the 99th percentile.

As the main governing authority in education in the U.S., states can set the minimum length of the school year, the minimum amount of total instructional hours, and/or the minimum number of hours in a school day. A database from the Education Commission of States shows that 38 states specify a minimum total number of hours per year, with high school hours ranging between 720 hours in Arizona to 1,260 hours in Texas. Even setting these two outliers aside, there exist large differences across states. Graduating seniors in Maryland will have been required to attend high school for 30% longer–approximately 160 more days–than students in Alaska, Florida, and Connecticut.  

These differences don’t just arise across states; they occur across neighboring schools. When one of us (Novicoff) was a teacher in Los Angeles, her school ended at 3:30pm, 52 minutes after another middle school less than a mile away. The school year also included five additional days. These differences may seem small, but they added up to meaningful gaps in learning time over the course of the academic year. By the end of the 2018-19 school year, her students had experienced more than 200 additional hours of schooling (22% more).  

Even within Existing Allocated Time, A Lot is Lost

Our research also demonstrates how the time that schools currently dedicate for learning can slip through the cracks. In a case study of the Providence Public School District (PPSD), we leverage detailed administrative records to estimate the amount of time a teacher is present, their instruction is undisturbed by outside interruptions, and their students are present. 

We estimate that the average elementary school student in PPSD loses 16% of allotted instructional time, while the typical middle school student loses 21%. High school students lose a total of 25%, a full fourth of their instructional time. Assuming that additional time would suffer from the same rate of loss, Providence would need to add an extra 1.85 total hours to every school day to achieve the 5.76 hours of daily instructional time that the district intends for its high school students.  

The true amount of lost learning time is surely even higher given that we assume all potential learning time is actually being used for learning. As former teachers, we know this is not the case. One study estimates that between 11% and 28% of potential academic time can be lost to students being off-task, a factor we did not account for in our calculations. 

As schools confront the significant challenge of accelerating academic achievement in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, we recommend two clear changes to policy and practice: 

States should consider increasing minimum learning time requirements. Such laws are blunt instruments, but they offer a feasible top-down policy reform that is within the control of policymakers and district leaders. Given the research suggesting instructional time has diminishing marginal returns, focusing on those schools that offer the least amount of time should produce the largest benefits. 

Most schools could substantially increase the amount of enacted learning time for students by reducing time loss within the existing day. Behavioral interventions to increase student attendance, school-wide systems to reduce disciplinary incidents that can remove students from class, and policies that limit school intercom and phone use could all play roles in maximizing allocated instructional time.  

The benefits of extended instructional time can go well beyond core academic achievement. Studies have found that increased time in school can reduce teen pregnancy and incarceration, and increase future wages. It also gives teachers the opportunity to go beyond the formal curriculum in engaging ways. In Novicoff’s school, the extra block at the end of the day allowed her to bring in guest speakers and teach students how to count to ten or write their names in the languages of the civilizations they were studying.  

We will need a multipronged approach to address the deep harms caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The clear inequities in access to learning time suggest that targeted efforts to expand learning time and ensure that this time is used effectively can play an important role in this effort. 

[project-paranoia]

Live Watch: S.C.I. Mystery Episode One

I enjoy camp because I've always enjoyed analysis and examination.  I enjoy looking at something from all sides, testing it with my fingertips. When I was a child I would sit for hours just looking at something until I had it all held in my mind and I felt like I understood it.  Camp necessitates that understanding the way that imitation and - good - parody requires it.  To quote Susan Sontag - who articulated what camp is so well - Camp is "a sensibility that revels in artifice, stylisation, theatricalisation, irony, playfulness, and exaggeration rather than content."  Because of this camp takes on head to head gender, sexuality, expectations, any sort of defined norm and sequins it up then shakes it down until understanding comes out.  When understanding something there are three major ways to work your investigation - what it is, what it's imitation is - the close but not quite, and what it isn't.  Camp handles all three, to quote again: "Camp sees everything in quotation marks. It's not a lamp, but a 'lamp; not a woman, but a 'woman.'"

Why are we talking about camp?  Because SCI Mystery is some of the best kind of camp outside of drag or screaming about wire hangers.  It deals a lot with mental illness in a way that would destroy a serious show, but in this one "mental illness" is a metaphor for being marginalised and a way to talk about the mouse and cat in the room.  This show is about being queer.  About being gay loudly and quietly, about resisting specific labels and needing them, about the threat of a cure and the blessing of acceptance.  All the messy realities of queer life as varied as queer people. Like Lil Nas X's Montero, you can appreciate the effort without being comfortable with it. While the show's allegory of mental illness when many queer people are still told they are ill is done well and there is reason to the choices and tone, things are said which can be hard to hear.  Knowing they're there because they're hard to hear and have been heard doesn't help everyone.

With all that said, it's also a fun, silly bl drama.  Don't let the analysis scare you off.  While the information about camp can be something to be aware of, all this show requires to be enjoyed is a willingness to be amused and spooked in turns.

You know the drill, spoilers below!

* I have memorised the youku sound, I have a triggered response with it. Not all triggers are bad, this one reminds me of Guardian

* Welcome to episode one where we just leap in!  But don't worry, one of them has a cute earring and they are colour coordinated.

* Watching from youtube the episode is 38 minutes long while most of the others are 45.  Attach whatever emotion you want to that fact.

* The exposition is handily delivered by asking a question which tells us some things, thank you show, I appreciate it

* First episode and he's already giving his partner an in case I don't come back letter to be opened if he dies

*  Wait for me!~  Go!~~

* Slow walk with dramatic music: 1 (don't make this a drinking game You Will Expire) this time with bonus almost looking back

* I've seen a similar shot on Hawaii Five O

* Don't explain what's happening, just knock everything over with a jump kick in some absolutely spotless white tennies

* Running with dramatic music with bonus looking back: Does it count?  We have yet to hear back from the judges

* They leap into the water with an explosion behind them, we are less than 2 minutes in and I love that for them

* At first I thought the boats were making a big heart before I remembered that I am very silly and they are not doing that

* This one is going to be long

* I can see his pockets through his trousers, why are his trousers so thin?

* It's not kissing to dramatic music in the surf if it's CPR

* Each story line has its own intro and that's very sexy of them

* Slow walk/dramatic music: 2-6

* These people are totally goofy and and yet the Seriousness

* Two Weeks Ago!

* The police school bus has arrived to shoo away the crows circling around Dr. Zhan staring (dramatically) at the body

* Sport scar policeman dresses even more unprofessionally than Zhao Yunlan who at least looks like a detective who was jumped by so many criminals he just gave up wearing a suit and went for jeans. Chief Bai's clothes are so thin, I'm under constant anxiety someone is going to tear them off.

* Also several of the cast pictures on MyDramaList look like the pictures your auntie insists taking to send to your other aunties and I love that for them

* Triple axil spin from the victim, the judges are loving it - this is the camp I'm here for

* The dramatic slo mo and music budget for this show was so big, just as it should be

* He's mad because he's angy

*  Master Psychiatrist can tell all about the killer from crouching by the body, it's a trope and this is one of the few places I like it because it serves the show instead of the show serving it

* When you're almost boyfriend is going away for reasons and it's not your decision but you can't go with him because of your job so you're just low key bitter about it

*  "You can't control me"

* The pettiness between these two

* Professional women who worked hard to get where they are still are constantly obsessed with boys according to most cdramas

*The male posturing in those three second has accidentally circled back around to being gay in the way those bro shows accidentally do and I love that

* I live for this 80s-90s police chief perm

* The Pettiness

* I always tend to like doctor characters, I don't know why.  Even when they aren't my favourites I like them.

* She's kind of adorable, I like her (I've seen a lot of this show and every time I say I like someone it ends badly ;-; )

* "the victems"

* If you love Creative English, this is the show for you!

* Chief Bai's crew is trying so hard to get them back together

* Dr. Zhan is so good at psychology he can tell what someone looks like from some tire tracks - this trope is used all the time in crime shows, but they push it a little farther in SCI and it really helps the viewer know what the rules for the show are

* The scene in the psychiatrist's office hearkens back to queer coded villains and the way they're treated in old black and white horror cinema - but done so artfully it's almost invisible.  It's incredibly well done, and the awareness of tropes and types all throughout the series is tremendously successful as much as it's campy fun.

* There's also the trope of someone who manipulates someone into feeling like they've been "purified" and then weaponises them against the "filthy". And of course the fact that the killer's blade is a mirror - that he's killing in others what he sees in himself. This trope hasn't just been queer-coded but has been applied to any sort of physical or mental disorder. Thesis have been written about this trope and the anxiety attached to it. I can't write them better and this is long enough, it's just a small part of the excellent handling of the themes showing up in this genre and I wanted to point it out because it deserves appreciation for the skill and knowledge in the writing.  

* The whole you need evidence vs you're saying psychoanalysis isn't trustworthy feels very much like a coded angry exes discussion

* I love the establishing shots, so good

* He kind of deserved that door to the face, what was he even doing

* Police violence in crime shows is supposed to be a release for the viewer, but many countries have issues with police violence so it hits wrong.  Here it's far more performative in a way that at least has some awareness

* The weirdest phone call, you call someone to tell them something important and they say two things to you and hang up

* The tongue thing, why always the tongue thing?

* When a serial killer tries to compliment you by calling you a carnivore and you shut down the whole alpha male supposition by calling yourself a vegetarian

* At this point I've written almost fifteen hundred words and taken almost two hours to watch 23 minutes

* This is my life, these are my choices

* Dutch Angles

* You could make this conversation about being gay, I have had this conversation about homosexuality before

* Unfortunately while I had it I was on the bus trapped in a window seat

* The conversation didn't end with me saying something cool and everyone clapping

* They just got off the bus to go to work

* The banality of evil, yo

* Her shorts are Incredibly Short, good for her

* "arrest the perp behind my back" that's his job, broheim

* He doesn't ask why she checked behind their ears

* DUN dun dun!

* Slo mo file drop, and of course the file is blood stained and aged

* Chalk Art of Doom

* Chinese word play!

* Caught almost putting his coat over his crush, embarrassing XD

* Backstory!

*  I love all the little character details, I could quote lines I think are funny all day but that would start getting silly

* Bai Yu Tong is marked as clean and having OCD but we don't see what's apparently a huge character trait at all other than the all white, do love that he's good at cooking

* Dr. Zhan: Brilliant!  Genius!  Cannot feed himself.

* Dr. Gong has indifference level 100% which is true and also I love that for him

* I love that Wang Shao part of the team because he's good at making friends, I love that for him

* Poor Zhao Fu: scared of ghosts and dumb and sweet?  At least he has an 8 pack

* Jiang Lin is very tropey except the mention of her nearsightedness

* Ma Han's height 1.7m and legs 1.8m is hilarious and I love it

* I stopped recording the slo mo walks, but if you were drinking along with them you might be dead so I really appreciate you taking time out of your afterlife to continue reading.  We appreciate all our ghost readers

* And that's the first episode! ��Thanks for making it to the end!

[gohyuck]

Love and War Act I - LDH

theater kid! hyuck with some enemies to lovers realness

word count: 3.2k

warnings: a lot of swearing and a lot of hatred, possible nsfw in future chapters

notes: in part based on this post

part of a series: yes, this is part 1

in which you really, really, really can’t stand lee donghyuck

Act I, Scene I: An Introduction of the Situation

You’ve never hated a musical more. 

In an effort to ‘generate student interest in the arts’, Neo Culture Tech’s very own Mr. Taeil Moon, head of the fine arts department at what can only be described as a STEM college preparatory school, had put word out that this year’s fall theater show would be an entirely student-produced musical. Whether it was to elevate NCT’s arts up to the level at which they’d have to get the same funding as the robotics team or whether it was to truly cultivate creativity, nobody was sure. Still, the play persisted. From the actual dialogue, to the songs and their composition, to the dances choreography, everything was to be a bona fide effort from students across the school, not just in the theater department. Before anyone could say anything, the band and orchestra students were forced to create and compose scores and songs while the choir kids had to write lyrics for their semester project. The dance team had to choreograph everything and the art students were told they’d be making the posters for the show.

All of this, of course, was to come after the actual play had been written by the students in the Theater IV: Theater Productions class. 

If only you’d stayed in Theater III. 

Regardless, every good story starts from the beginning. And at the start of this one, there was a group of 13 potential starring roles in the tragedy? Comedy? Romance? Of Mr. Moon’s Theater IV musical production.

The official Theater IV roster was - and is - as follows:

(Name) - (Nickname)

Julia Choi - (Lia)

Renjun Huang

Lucy Hwang - (Yeji)

Somi Jeon

Chaeryeong Lee

Donghyuck Lee - (Haechan)

Jeno Lee

Jaemin Na - (Nana)

Jisung Park

Joanne Shin - (Ryujin)

Hussey Shin - (Yuna)

Chenle Zhong

13 is a decent amount of people able to give input on a play - from characterization, to plot, to underlying themes, there’s a place for everyone. If all of you worked on it, it could’ve been done at the speed of light, with ample time for revision and practice. Playwrighting wouldn’t have been harrowing. In fact, the project seemed fun at the beginning, and it was something you were genuinely looking forward to. After all, you genuinely liked everyone in your class… or, at least, almost everyone. Still, with 11 other people besides you and him, you would have ample buffer for the brain damage you were sure he would inflict upon you simply due to proximity. 

You forgot entirely about Murphy’s Law.

Jeno, Renjun, Somi, and Chaeryeong were the first to opt out of writing the play, gently reminding Mr. Moon that they were tech theater students, and would much rather design and build the set. It didn’t take long after that for Jaemin, Ryujin, Jisung, and Yeji to choose choreographing with their dance teammates over being playwrights. Yuna was quick to state that she’d rather make the posters in her art classes, and both Lia and Chenle decided that writing lyrics in choir would take up enough of their time as it was. 

At the start there were 13. 

You were happy, looking forward to talking about settings with Somi and comedic effect necessities with Jaemin. You weren’t only in theater to act - you were in the program in order to satisfy your need to create. Creating an entire play from nothing made you more eager than anything.

That is, until 13 dwindled down to 2 with alarming speed. 

Act I, Scene II: The Devil Incarnate

“Her royal highness is finally here!” Donghyuck faux cheers as you walk into your English Literature class right before the bell rings. The smirk in his tone is not lost on you, though you do mentally revel in the fact that nobody laughs at his stupid declaration. His seat is to the right of yours, but that doesn’t keep him from angling away from the board just to prop his feet up onto your desk. You don’t grace him with a response, only rolling your eyes before shoving his sneaker-laden feet off your desk none too ceremoniously and dropping your backpack onto the floor beside you as you slide into your seat. 

“What,” He starts, evidently hellbent on annoying you at 8 in the morning. You don’t turn to look at him, though you can distinctly see his shit-eating grin out of the corner of your right eye. Donghyuck leans towards you, his face coming far too close to you for your own comfort. You hope he’ll get the hint from your silence and leave you alone, but he continues speaking, much to your chagrin. “No snarky response from our resident ice queen today? Is your tongue frozen solid, princess?”

“Call me princess one more time, and you won’t even have a tongue left,” You threaten, still facing forward in your adamant refusal to look Donghyuck Lee in the eyes. He lets out a short laugh and leans back, finally properly settling into his own seat, pleased at his success at pissing you off. Before either of you can try to insult the other again, Mr. Suh rushes into the room, his Staff ID askew around his neck and his glasses sliding down his nose. The door flies shut behind him, and you straighten your back. 

Class has officially started. 

“You were only three minutes late today, Johnny,” Beomgyu calls from the back as your teacher is getting himself settled, and you turn to see your classmate holding up his watch, mirth in his eyes. “It’s a new personal record.” 

As if cued, the rest of the class bursts into a round of applause, with Donghyuck whistling with his fingers beside you. Mr. Suh - better known simply as Johnny to his students, due to him being fresh out of his undergrad - can’t help but chuckle at your class’ antics, doing nothing but shaking his head and pushing his glasses up onto his face. 

“Alright, before I get called down to the front office again, let me fill out attendance,” Johnny says eventually, finally sitting down at his computer. While he starts calling out everyone’s names you rifle around in your backpack, searching for your copy of The Taming of the Shrew, the book you’re all currently reading in class. Though it has some… questionable moments and themes, you can’t help but love it - you daresay it’s your favorite required reading book yet. Just as you find it, Johnny says your name. 

“(Name),” He says, and you straighten yourself out, your copy of the Shakespearean play gripped firmly in your hand. “I’m h-” 

“She’s here. Didn’t you feel the frost when you came in?” Donghyuck beats you to it, and you finally whirl around to glare at him, raising the hand holding the book up high as if you’re about to beat him with it. 

“Donghyuck Lee, I fucking swear -”

“Alright, alright, alright,” Your teacher raises his voice, coming to stand between the two of your desks. “I’m going to ignore the swear word this time because Haechan’s being annoying -”

You lean back to meet Donghyuck’s eyes, sending him a smirk that directly contrasts his wince. 

“- But you know better than to let your emotions get the best of you on things like this.” Johnny finishes, his words now aimed at you. You sigh, lowering your book to rest on your desk and slouching back into your chair. 

“Now behave, you two, got it? Act like actual people for once.”

The snickers of your classmates behind you cause your face to go red, and your anger at Donghyuck flares up again alongside your urge to crawl into a hole and hibernate. Still, through a furrowed brow and clenched teeth, you nod your agreement.

“Yes, Johnny.” You say at the same time Donghyuck mutters a “Sorry, John.” Both of you slide down even further into your seats. 

Neither of you say anything to each other for the rest of class, though you make sure to send scathing glances his way whenever your eyes seem to meet. To his merit, he manages to flip you off effortlessly every time Johnny turns towards the board. By the time class ends and you’re packing up, the two of you are seething silently, anger emanating off of your persons. Donghyuck jostles you on purpose on your way out of the room, but before you can give him a piece of your mind out of Johnny’s earshot, he’s halfway down the hallway on the way to his next class. Still, you train all your angry thoughts in his general direction, praying he’ll trip and fall flat on his face, or something.

Jeno, who’s just walked out of the classroom next to yours, makes his way to fall into step beside you as he always does. He follows your red hot gaze towards Donghyuck, who’s currently leaning against a locker and talking to Renjun. 

“You shouldn’t let him bother you so much,” Jeno finally says, and you roll your eyes before looking up at your friend. “It gives you too much grief.”

“He shouldn’t be bothering me so much.” You counter, and a small smile crosses Jeno’s face as he shakes his head in both amusement and disbelief. 

“I guess you aren’t wrong.” He acquiesces as he pulls open the door to the chemistry classroom, letting you walk in before him. The two of you share a lab table and you pull his stool out along with your own as you orient yourself.  

“I still can’t believe you and him are friends,” You tell Jeno as he sits down beside you. “You’re so you and he’s so… him.”

“We have, like, 90% of our interests in common, (Name),” Jeno laughs, knocking your shoulder with him. “If the two of you stopped going at each others’ throats for even a moment, you might even learn to like each other.”

You can’t help the fake gagging noise you make at the suggestion, and your friend rolls his eyes at you, though not before laughing. As the rest of your classmates start filtering into the room, the two of you switch smoothly to another topic of conversation - “Can you believe Moon’s making us do all of the play stuff this year?” “I don’t know, Jeno, it seems kind of cool to me.” “I mean me too, but damn… imagine the hours I’ll be putting into set design this year.”-  all thoughts of the devil himself banished from your mind. 

Act I, Scene III: Murphy’s Law 

You’re almost at the door, deep in conversation with Hyunjin about a protest she’s planning when Mr. Jung calls your name, stopping you in your tracks. 

“Yes?” You ask after motioning for Hyunjin to go on to lunch without you. You haven’t done anything wrong that you can think of - not recently, you note, remembering the time you really had almost set Jeno on fire - so you can’t help but be confused about why he needs to talk to you. Before you can ask, your teacher holds out a slip of paper for you to take.

“The note Jaemin delivered earlier is for you. He said it isn’t urgent, so I figured I’d send you during lunch instead of during class.” 

You relax your shoulders almost instantly before taking the bright orange piece of cardstock from Mr. Jung’s grip. You head out of his room - though not before thanking him - and unfold the note immediately after walking into the hallway. 

Please come see me at your convenience! - Moon :)

♕ ♕ ♕

You get to the black box room before Mr. Moon does, causing you to lament not buying your lunch before coming to meet him. As you wait, you pull out your book, determined to at least do something with your time at the moment. Katherine and Petruchio are in the midst of hurling insults at each other when the sound of footsteps startles you out of your book, and you lay it down beside you just in time for Donghyuck to walk in and drop his backpack onto the floor by the door, his eyes trained on the phone in his hand. 

Wait.

Donghyuck?

“What the hell are you doing here?” Your tone is biting at best. He looks up from his screen in surprise, though his expression quickly morphs into one of clear disdain once he sees that it’s you who’s speaking. 

“Got a message from Moonie. What the fuck are you doing here?”

You hold up your orange slip, only just noticing the identical one hanging between two of his fingers. His eyes dart down to his own again before back up at you, seemingly still waiting for a response. 

“Same here.” You respond, and he sneers at you. Donghyuck looks like he’s about to say something - likely hurl an insult that’s completely unrelated to the situation - but, with spectacular timing, Mr. Moon walks in through the door, a large soda in one hand and a fast food bag in the other. Donghyuck finally sits down, his backpack still by the door. 

Your theatre director places his food on the desk in the corner of the room before leaning against it, placing his hands against the edge of the table for balance. He surveys the two of you, both of you on different sides of the room, for a moment.

“I guess you’re wondering why I’ve called you here,” Moon finally says, his words directed at you both. You nod while Donghyuck says a quiet “Yep.”, neither of you looking at one another. Moon nods himself before pushing himself off of his desk, reaching over to grab ahold of his rolling chair. 

“Come,” He looks at both of you, nodding towards the center of the room. “Bring your chairs in.”

You stare at your director for a moment before sighing, careful not to let Mr. Moon see you rolling your eyes. Reluctantly, you stand up, grabbing your chair and moving to sit in front of him. Donghyuck follows suit, managing to put as much distance as humanly possible between you while staying close enough that Mr. Moon won’t reprimand him. 

“You both know how your Theatre IV class is meant to be the ones writing the musical itself, right?” 

The two of you nod, and you can’t help but wonder what direction Moon might be going in. There’s thirteen people in your class - why is it just you two he’s called in?

“Out of everyone in the class, you two are the only ones that aren’t either tech theatre students or double dipping when it comes to fine arts.” Your director continues, his words coming out slower than usual. It almost feels as if he’s trying to force the two of you towards the conclusion rather than telling you what he means to himself. Still, you know your expression is one of confusion. Mr. Moon winces almost imperceptibly before sighing and leaning back, rolling back-and-forth ever so slightly with his chair. 

“When it comes to this year’s musical, students can only work with one of the departments, because having anyone work on two parts of it would be way too much work,” He finally says, leaning towards you and Donghyuck again. Silence falls over you as you furrow your brow, trying to figure out what Mr. Moon might mean. 

It hits both you and Donghyuck at the same time. 

“There’s no way I’m working with just him -”

“Moonie, c’mon, do you really hate me this much -”

“Stop.” Moon says, his voice rising easily in volume. He puts both of his hands up in emphasis, and you realize you’ve leaned further forward than you’d realize. You settle back into your seat, though not without returning the scowl Donghyuck is sending you. 

“If I didn’t think the two of you could do it together, I would’ve just written the damn thing myself,” Your director says, glancing sharply at both of you before continuing. “You’re my two best students - you both know this. I’ve seen you put your differences aside to act together on stage. This shouldn’t be any different than that.”

You stare at Mr. Moon for a long moment, weighing your options. You can say no, you know you can - though he’ll advise strongly against it, Moon will ultimately let you back out of the musical’s production if you ask - but your ego refuses to let you. That, and you’d been genuinely excited to work on it before, and you’d rather die than let Donghyuck, of all people, take something you care about from you. That, and you don’t trust him to write a good play worth performing. You’ll be damned if the fine arts department has to count on him in the end. Hell, you’ll write it by yourself if you have to.

“Fine,” You say, raising a hand up to rub your temples out. “But I’ll only play nice if he does, too.”

“You act like I’m the one who finds it difficult to interact normally with other people.” Donghyuck scoffs, and you shoot him a sharp glare. He returns it evenly for a beat too long before finally tearing his eyes away and hanging his head. You watch as he runs a hand through his hair and throws his head back, groaning loudly as he does so, almost as if it pains him to say his next words. When he finally looks forward at Moon again, he sighs before speaking.

“I’m in,” He declares, throwing you an unreadable look. “Let’s get this over with.”

Moon’s face lights up immediately, and, for a moment, you don’t regret what you’ve just agreed to.

“Brilliant!” He claps, standing up from his chair. “We can discuss it together as a group during our next class, but I’m glad we have this sorted out. Now,” He says, moving his chair back over to his desk before settling back down in it. “I have to eat lunch, and I’m guessing you both do too. Scram.”

You get up, placing your chair back from where you got it before gathering your things. Donghyuck avoids looking at you, and you return the courtesy. He gets to the door right before you do, stooping down to pick up his back. Both of you wave goodbye to your director before stepping out into the hallway. 

“When should we meet to talk about the planning and shit?” You ask, keeping your tone as steady as possible, though you know your eyes tell your feelings. Donghyuck rolls his eyes outright. 

“How about we figure that out in class? I’ve talked to you enough for the time being.”

You make a sound of disbelief, flipping him off as he turns to walk away from you. 

“You’re a grade A dickwad!” You call, staring at his back. 

“Whatever, you frigid bitch!” He yells back, not bothering to turn around and look at you. 

You sigh once he’s out of sight, dropping your head into one of your hands.

This is going to be a lot harder than Mr. Moon thinks it’ll be.

[andmaybegayer]

Long Poetry Wallowposting

One of my favourite poems is William Carlos Williams’ “Red Wheelbarrow” (or “XXII” if you’re being dipshit about it), not because it’s an exceptional poem, but because of the circumstances surrounding the first time I read it.

In 2015 I convinced two of my friends to join me for a multidisciplinary academic competition thing. One of the rounds was the independent essay, which has an interesting twist: your team of three gets all three essay topics (critique a given essay, write an essay on a topic, and analyze a poem) and you have 30 minutes to discuss and split the topics before a 90 minute solo writing period.

(I could write another extended post about the bureaucratic shenanigans I went through surrounding that competition, someone remind me to tell that story sometime.)

I don’t remember what the other two topics were, but the poem was to analyze William Carlos Williams’ “Red Wheelbarrow”, a poem which looks like this:

so much depends upon a red wheel barrow glazed with rain water beside the white chickens

Now, I got roped into this competition by a teacher who I did not know and who gave us no more detail other than “Get a team of 3 together and I’ll vouch for you to skip a day of school and attend this competition” so we did not know that there was actually a published list of poems, books and artpieces that you should have studied before coming to this competition, including John Campbell’s “Hero with a thousand faces” and Jeff Koons’ “Puppy”.

So we were in for this Sight Unseen, No Background. We didn’t even know who Williams was.

Fortunately for me, my friends are horrible nerds. We’re not the dead poets society but we were still the kind of people who, bored in the back of english class, would write short poems and read each other’s shitty writing and who had fun proving that the integral of e^x was e^x and we took part in OTHER competitions and would show off obscure academic skills to each other and we thought that was cool. We were not lost at sea here.

So we stare at this for a second. With zero context, what the hell does this mean. Chicken is an implicitly funny word, of course, but that’s the 2000′s talking and this must be the 1900′s sometime. The enjambment is interesting but nothing crazy here, this isn’t e.e. cummings (not a fan by the way) and so, there’s really not a lot to look at. We spent ten minutes throwing ideas back and forth before almost simultaneously coming to the conclusion. This is just a scene, being described in poetry.

We discuss this idea for a few more minutes, and we allocate the actual writing of the essay to a friend (I messaged him about this to make sure I had my story straight) and then time was up, and we turned to our individual essays.

Reader-response analysis is a school of literary theory that is, some would say, kinda garbage. It asks the reader “what did that work make you think of, what did that work make you feel” and treats that as ground truth. The reader is an active element in this, and the way the reader feels is of course very flexible, leading many people to conclude that it is useless, since the reader is an unknown quantity here. Well, reader-response analysis is not actually garbage and can be a very useful tool in your literary toolkit if used appropriately. We all found we had the same reader’s response: a clear mental image of a scene. Maybe the floor is gravel, maybe it’s grass. There is a wheelbarrow leaned up against a shed, gleaming with the last drops of rain. A chicken pecks around nearby, with more close at hand. The smell of a heavy night of rain persists, the light is the bright cold glow of a wet morning that can shine without burning off the dew just yet.

So, that’s what we found. There’s no deeper meaning here. This poem is simply conveying to you the idea. We, of course, being dweebs, took it further. Attempting to find deeper meaning in this poem demonstrates an inability to take information at face value. Sometimes the pipe is just a pipe. Sometimes the red wheelbarrow is just a red wheelbarrow.

Turns out, that analysis is correct. At the time this was written, Williams was busy doing Imagism, which means he was being economical with words and precise with meaning. The poem is short because it needn’t be long. There’s some chickens and a wheelbarrow. The Wikipedia article for this poem is hilarious, there’s a section of quotes from people who believed there was a deep hidden meaning about a dying child Williams had cared for (he was a doctor) who had a red wheelbarrow as a toy. This explanation is nonsense, and I have rarely enjoyed reading someone being wrong as much as I have enjoyed reading phrases like:

At the time, I remember being mystified by the poem. However, being properly trained in literary criticism, I wondered what the real meaning of the poem was, what it was really about. ... What is left out of Williams' poem is the fact that when he conceived that image he was sitting at the bedside of a very sick child (Williams was a medical doctor). The story goes that as he sat there, deeply concerned about the child, he looked out the window, saw that image, and penned those words.

Of course you can't figure it out by studying the text. The clues aren't there. This poem was meant to be appreciated only by a chosen literary elite, only by those who were educated, those who had learned the back story (Williams was a doctor, and he wrote the poem one morning after having treated a child who was near death. The red wheelbarrow was her toy.)

and knowing that, you’re all wrong, get fucked. It’s just a wheelbarrow. According to Williams himself, he just saw this scene in a fisherman’s backyard and wrote a poem about the scene. I looked all this up the day after the competition, and I don’t think I’ve ever felt as good about a literary analysis.

Now don’t get me wrong, the curtains are sometimes blue for a reason. But in this case, absent any information indicating otherwise, the wheelbarrow really is just red because that’s what the author saw. In some cases you can draw additional meaning out of a work but it requires just as much discipline to read deeply as to prevent yourself reading too deep. We avoided the trap.

I think about this poem infrequently, maybe once every couple months. I can still recall it from memory. It is still an influential point of reference whenever I try to write something. I tried writing some Imagist works in high school, and I had those same friends read them. They thought I might prefer realism instead. Unfortunately it turns out that most of the time, I don’t find realism to be the best fit.

XXII by William Carlos Williams is a good poem, but maybe, not for you.

[underthewingsofthblackeagle]

“Berliner Fernsehturm” * Foto: BernardoUPloud

After her marriage with Frank Randall has failed and Claire Beauchamp flees from her violent husband, she finds refuge in the house of the Fraser/Murray family in Berlin-Wilhelmshorst. But then tensions arise between Britain (which has since left the EU) and some EU member states. All holders of an English passport are required to leave EU territory within six weeks … and suddenly Claire’s fate looks more uncertain than ever.

This story was written for the #14DaysofOutlander event, hosted by @scotsmanandsassenach​

Chapter 9: 14 Men (5)

      After she sat down and Jamie poured everyone a glass of water, Ferdinand Groide began:

        "Mrs. Beauchamp, Jamie, Mr. Fraser, told me that your husband is Dr. Frank Randall. Is that correct?"

(...)

        "As you may also know, I have left my husband. Our marriage had been on paper only for several years. I intend to ask for a divorce, if that's possible from here. But I still have to care about this man's life. I'm a doctor, I took an oath. If I reveal the secrets I have learned... what will you do to him?"

        "What do you mean? What are we going to do with him?"

        "Will you hurt him? I mean, will you let someone hurt him?"

        Ferdinand Groide and Jamie looked at each other in amazement.

        "Mrs. Beauchamp, we're not the Mafia. We don't hire hit men."

        "But you're in Intelligence, Mr. Groide."

        Claire said that sentence with the same calm and objectivity as if she was saying to Jenny:

        "If you put one more egg in the batter, it gets better."

        "And intelligence agencies do these things," she added to her statement with the same objectivity.

        "Well, maybe the CIA or the KGB. Let me answer you this way: In my opinion, a living Frank Randall is far more interesting and valuable to a secret service than a dead Frank Randall."

        "In other words, you guarantee me that the information I give you will not endanger his life."

        Groide and Jamie looked at each other again.

        "Promise me."

        It wasn't a question, it wasn't a request, it was a demand, and the words Claire used to make that demand left none of the men unaware that there was no alternative to this bargain for them.

        Groide struck the hand Claire held out to him.

        "You have my word, Mrs. Beauchamp. You don't know me yet and you probably mistrust me. That's only natural. But Jamie, Mr. Fraser, can assure you that I'm a man of my word."

        Claire looked over at Jamie. He nodded.

        "Done."

        She reached for the glass of water that Jamie had put in her hand and emptied it in one gulp.

        Then she began to talk.

"Microphone" by Florian-Media

        "It was in the year 2015, in late November 2015 to be exact."

        "Excuse me, Mrs. Beauchamp," Groide objected, "but we ought to do this properly."

        He removed from his briefcase a device whose rectangular clunkness was reminiscent of an early mobile phone. After placing it in the center of the table, he inserted two small, round microphones attached to longer cables, one pointing at Claire and one pointing at himself. Groide pressed the record button, then he gave the date, time, place, names of those present and, as the reason for the recording, ‘Statement by Dr. Claire Elisabeth Beauchamp’.

        Jamie had to smile. Ferdinand was a friendly person, but he was also a German bureaucrat. Everything had to follow the specific order and everything had to be done 'by the book'. Those Germans. They had rules for everything. They couldn't just have a conversation like that, it had to be a 'statement' and of course it had to be 'recorded'. In this country everything was recorded, either on paper or on tape. And then everything was filed, paginated, numbered and archived. Nothing was lost. They were so damn meticulous, these Germans, but also so damn effective.

        "Please begin with your personal life, Mrs. Beauchamp. Name, birthday, place of birth, family, etc."

        "My name is Claire Elizabeth Beauchamp. I was born in London on October 20, 1993, the only child of Julia, née Moriston, and Henry Montmorency Beauchamp. My mother was a primary school teacher, my father worked as a statistician for an insurance company. In the winter of 1998 my parents were killed in a car accident. My uncle, Lambert Quentin Beauchamp, was appointed by the authorities as my foster father and guardian. He was my only living relative, my father's only brother. Due to the activities of my uncle, who was an egyptologist and archaeologist, I grew up in England for only a short time, the rest of the time we spend abroad. When I was 16 years old, my uncle returned to England permanently and accepted a professorship at Oxford University. Shortly afterwards I began training as a nurse. Also in Oxford. At the age of 19, I had just completed my education, I met my future husband Franklin Wolverton Randall through my uncle. He also worked in the history department and specialised in Scottish history. At times he worked as an assistant to a professor. We married the following year. My uncle died only a few months later. His health had unfortunately not been the best at the end of his life. When my husband was called to Harvard University's history department, we moved to Boston.

"Oxford" by MarlonRondal        

         Groide nodded. Jamie was sure that nothing Claire had told him so far was new to his friend. Guaranteed, they had checked Claire from the day he requested the visa for her passport. And they had certainly not been idle since then. At "In Vino Veritas" there was a small but very effective group of staff who had certainly dug up everything they could find about the young woman in the past few days.

         "When and how did you learn of your husband's secret activities?"        

         "It was in the year 2015, in late November of that year to be exact. Does the name Jonathan Pollard mean anything to you?"        

         Jamie listened with new interest. Groide just nodded.        

         "Then you know that this man has served thirty years in the United States for espionage. In 2015 he was released on parole and in the American media there was a lot of coverage and discussion for days. I had never heard this man's name before and, to be honest, I didn't care about the whole thing. However, I listened up when my husband spoke about it. It was a Sunday, two days after Pollard was released. I remember the whole thing so well because that day was the day of the terrible accident in that jademine in Myanmar, where 90 people were killed and over 100 people were missing. We had had dinner and then Frank turned on the TV. There was a talk show where the case was discussed. My husband had already started drinking in the afternoon. While Frank was watching the talk show, I thought, ‘My goodness, they're talking about an age-old espionage case and people are dying elsewhere without the media even paying attention.’"        

         Claire reached for her glass, which Jamie had refilled in the meantime, and took a big sip.        

         "I didn't pay much attention to the discussion on TV. But then suddenly Frank started mumbling loudly:       

          'Spy! Spy! Spy! Nonsense! The man was an amateur! What real spy leaves secret documents openly on his desk in the office and his wife was stupid enough to leave a suitcase with secret documents with a neighbour who was in the military himself!’”

        Claire reached for her glass again and drank.        

         "What he said made me furious, so I said to him: 'Oh yes, but you know how a real spy behaves!’ I thought his reaction was terribly arrogant. To my surprise, he then turned down the TV. He came over and sat down with me on the sofa. He looked me in the eyes and grinned. Then he said, ‘Yes, my darling, I know that. The MI5 recruited and trained me while I was still studying at Oxford. Right after they heard I was going to specialise in Scottish history. With my family background and the good connections we had in the military and police through my cousin Jonathan, there were no obstacles.’”

"Books" by MichaelGaida        

         "How did you react to that?"        

         "Well, at first I was stumped. I thought he was just showing-off again. So I replied, ‘Why would the MI5 need an expert in Scottish history?’ He replied, ‘Well, of course you can't imagine, you little fool. Good God, Claire! The Scots want independence and just because last year's referendum went so well, they will not give up. It's their history they're drawing strength from! What do you think will happen if they really gain their independence? It could set off a chain reaction. You know that Prime Minister Cameron announced two years ago that he would hold a referendum on Britain's withdrawal from the EU if he was re-elected in 2015? So? He has been re-elected! Now there must be a referendum. And what if Britain's withdrawal from the EU is carried out but Scotland becomes independent and is then admitted to the EU as a member? Did you ever think about that? This is going to get us in big trouble! Then the EU will continue to stand with two legs on our island! We can't let that happen.’”

         Claire paused for a moment, then she went on:                  "I must have looked at him in wonder and disbelief, because suddenly he stormed out of the living room. I heard him looking for something in his study. When he came back he had a newspaper article in his hand which he held in front of my face. ‘Read it,’ he said to me. ‘Our government takes this danger seriously... and so should you!‘          I took the article and read. It was an article in the International Business Times in July 2015. It reported that the Prime Minister had met with the CEOs of a media company. The purpose of the meeting was allegedly to prevent the broadcast of a TV series about the Scottish Rebellion of 1746 before the referendum on Scottish independence. It seems that a request has been made to postpone the broadcast. I later found on his desk a copy of an article from ‘The Scotsman’, which also covered the subject in detail.”                  Groide and Jamie looked at each other and smiled. Both men nodded, but said nothing.        

         "Frankly," Claire continued, "I hadn't given the matter any thought at all. In the five years before, I had been mainly busy finishing my medical studies and gaining experience as a doctor. You don't have much time to worry about other things. Besides, due to my, well, somewhat non-conformist upbringing, I was never so much confined to one country alone ..."        

         "How is it that despite medical school, your husband still refers to you as..." Groide is looking for words, "intellectually... weaker...?”          "Frank believes that medical school would consist largely of memorizing the contents of textbooks. He thought that people's bodies were somehow all the same and that if you had learned the appropriate forms of treatment, then you could treat them. He never understood the diversity and complexity of the human body and how medical science reacts to it."                   "Did your husband explain his duties for the MI5 to you?"          "When I told him that Scotland's history, and Scotland's ambitions for independence, were well known, he told me not to think so superficially. He said that historians are not only concerned with the past. They can also make predictions about the future to a certain extent, based on their knowledge. I should think about what the clan system had meant and still means to the Scots. Why did the English central government everything to destroy it after the Jacobite uprising of 1746? England should not allow a united counter-power to be formed again in the north of the country. He was probably particularly concerned about this lobby group, One Banner for all Scots, which had formed the year before."

"Scottish Independence" by Emphyrio         Claire was focused on Ferdinand Groide and the recording equipment in front of her. She didn't see Jamie's face become more and more thoughtful.        

         "Mrs. Beauchamp, all this is interesting, but... not very specific."          "At first, I too got to know only general things. It only became more specific later when I did... well, my own... research.                  "You did your own research?"                  Groide suddenly seemed interested again. Jamie tried not to smile. What seemed like a minor revelation to his friend only confirmed what he had been thinking all along. Claire was an intelligent, strong woman. Her strength might have been broken for a time by what her husband had done to her. But Jamie was sure that she would find her way back to that strength. And he vowed to himself that he would do everything he could to help her.          "I thought Frank was a braggart for a long time, but... I can't describe it exactly. Something had caught my interest. Then a colleague asked me if I would trade a weekly shift with her. She would have had a night shift, but her babysitter was unavailable. I agreed and that same afternoon I went to the university library and borrowed books on Scottish history and the independence movement. The department where I was on night duty was not very labour-intensive. I had a lot of time to read and think during the nights of that week."          She paused for a moment.          "After that week, I became aware of the urgency of the issue."          Groide didn't say anything, but his gaze urged her to continue.          "National self-determination. Well, there's no need to explain that further. Scotland's oil. 64% of Europe's oil reserves are on Scottish territory. They're said to be worth 4 trillion pounds. Then there is the issue of renewable energy. I mean Scotland has 25 % of Europe's wind energy potential, 25 % of Europe's tidal energy potential and 10 % of Europe's wave energy potential. I do not have to tell you that these are also enormous financial potentials."          A fine smile appeared on Groide's face.          "And then, of course, there is the question of nuclear disarmament: with control of defence and foreign policy, an independent Scotland could tackle the elimination of Trident nuclear weapons, an issue long associated with the campaign for an independent Scotland. Trident class submarines carrying missiles with 120 nuclear warheads are based at the Clyde naval base near Glasgow. In the event of Scottish independence, England would have to withdraw these weapons and revise its defence strategy. I imagine that would be a thorn in the side of the American allies as well. There will certainly be a lot of diplomatic pressure behind the scenes."          Claire took a deep breath.          "Now you're going to tell me that this is all public information and I would agree with you. But I wasn't aware of it before. These informations woke me up. It took a while but when I had the opportunity to take on another week of night shifts I immediately agreed. In this time I developed a kind of plan. I was eager to find out if Frank's statement was true. At first I tried to track when he was going to conferences or work meetings. Not all of them, but several of them took him to England and Scotland. I can't prove it, but I had the impression that his travels became more frequent at times when 'the Scottish theme' was boiling up. Later, after 2015, and particularly after the brexite, his travels intensified.”          To Jamie's surprise, Claire reached into her handbag, which she had hung on the back of her chair, and pulled out a piece of paper she handed over to Ferdinand Groide.

"Tea" by Pexels          "This is a list of all the trips my husband has taken since 2013. supposedly for reasons of his work as a historian."          Groide skimmed the list, then put it aside.          "Thank you very much. We will try to verify the data."          "In the weeks that followed, I voluntarily took several weeks of night duty. Because there was another advantage to this. I was at home while my husband was at university and could look through his records almost undisturbed."        

         "Will you share the knowledge you have gained from this?"          "Yes. But perhaps we could have some tea?" Claire replied as she looked at Jamie.          "Certainly."          He got up and left the room. Ferdinand Groide pressed the 'stop' button on the recorder. Then he got up and stretched a bit. Claire did the same.

[cheri-translates]

[CN] 100 Days - Lucien (Day 51 - 100)

🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for e-mails which have not been released in English servers! 🍒

What’s the 100 Days Companionship Event?

Day 1 - 3: here

Day 4 - 30: here

Day 31 - 50: here

Day 51

I saw the new bracelet you bought, and wonder if I have the fortune to select a matching necklace for you?

Day 52

Since a certain student seems to have high praise for the dried fruits in the research centre, I’ve prepared some. Could I pair them with the white tea from last time?

Day 53

Your record book ended up with me. I accidentally saw quite a number of bold and imaginative questions. Next time, why don’t you ask me directly?

Day 54

It was a little cold last night, but it felt warmer when I saw the light from the house. Looks like temperature is even more subjective than I imagined.

Day 55

I’ve watched that trending video clip you mentioned. It isn’t an alien life form.  It’s just a deep sea creature which has a more ‘casual’ appearance.

Day 56

A new dessert has been released by that dessert shop you often visit. Want me to buy some on my way home tonight?

Day 57

The new intern is rash and quick-tempered. I miss the times when you, the “class prefect”, helped out.

Day 58

I’ve hooked the little felt fox you made with my keys. Each time I look at it, my mood becomes better.

Day 59

One small flower along the roadside is still blooming tenaciously. I wonder if I’ll still see it again the next time I walk by.

Day 60

A curious white kitten sneaked into the laboratory, and left an “already read” paw mark on my experiment report.

Day 61

I heard that during this season, there wouldn’t be many people at the amusement park. We can take a non-cursory visit to it once.

Day 62

The weather has become slightly cooler, and it’s suitable for wearing that overcoat you picked with me the last time.

Day 63

Seeing your cotton slipper and fluffy cartoon pyjamas, I sense that this winter wouldn’t be cold.

Day 64

I came across a fairy tale. There’s a black goat in the story, and it has a pair of beautiful horns… Do you still want to hear the rest?

Day 65

I seem to have improved in my origami skills, and it seems I can now fold more vivid little creatures now.

Day 66

Why do you need to perplex yourself over having a low laughing point? It shows that you can produce the dopamine to be happy over any trivial matter.

Day 67

When I passed by the park, I discovered that the Rosa chinensis we once saw together have turned into colourful chrysanthemums. Time seems to go by exceptionally quickly when signing in with you.

Day 68 (Halloween)

Title: Mysterious story exhibition

I heard there’s a mysterious Halloween story exhibition today. I wonder if a certain little friend who’s filled with curiosity is interested in going tonight?

Day 69

I’ve spent this October very happily. A large part of the reason is because you’re sharing it with me.

Day 70

I chanced on the postcard you sent me before. The handwriting is very cute, and the contents on it are even cuter.

Day 71

There’s a picture stuffed in the crack of the door. Is that bespectacled person conducting experiments me? He looks very engrossed.

Day 72

I haven’t thought of the answer to the riddle you came up with yesterday. Looks like I’ll have to learn from you this time.

Day 73

You mentioned wanting to learn how to make dimsum using yam paste, but couldn’t find the chance to do so. Do you have time today? We can give it a try together.

Day 74

The mornings of this season are especially moving. It’s just that little lazy bugs like you are likely too cold to get out of bed.

Day 75

The coffee you gave me the last time has a very nice taste. I tried preparing it once, but it didn’t have the same taste. Could you tell me your secret?

Day 76

I had a strange dream, and it seems to be indicating something. I’ll tell you about it another day.

Day 77

The weather forecasts says that it might rain today. Remember to bring an umbrella when you head out, just in case.

Day 78

If nobody does things that may not reap results, this world would likely lose some degrees of fun. Don’t you agree?

Day 79 (Single’s Day)

Received your final wishlist for 2020. It so happens that fulfilling each one of them will require an entire winter.

Day 80

You’re asking me if I’ve ever thought of travelling through time? I have. Each time we part ways, I want to travel to the time when we’d meet again.

Day 81

I’ve bought the material you wanted. Is our agreement from last week to have autumn afternoon tea still valid?

Day 82

You seem very busy recently, and I haven’t seen you appearing at the last row of the classroom. Is my “Class President” free to sign the attendance tomorrow?

Day 83

I like every birthday present you give me each year. Of course, my favourite gift is the one I can see at first glance - you.

Day 84 (Lucien’s birthday)

Having gone through yesterday’s “unhappiness”, I’ve prepared double the amount of “happiness” today. Could I share it with you?

Day 85

The place I’ve gone to attend the meeting at is the northern city you mentioned in Moments last year. Perhaps I could follow your footsteps and check in.

Day 86

When I woke up this morning, I realised that it has already started snowing in the city. I won’t enjoy the first snow on my own, which is why I’m sharing it with you immediately.

Day 87

I realised that you changed to bluetooth earpieces. In that case, will the distance between us be as close as when we listen to songs together using a wired earpiece?

Day 88

The rainbows seen in winter are even gentler than the ones in summer.

Day 89

Lately, I’ve been having some trouble sleeping too. This time, it might be your turn to be my little sleep assistant.

Day 90

Thank you for the gloves you gave me. They’re very soft and warm.

Day 91

I enjoy this feeling very much - eating a bowl of piping hot noodles in a warm, small store with you during cold weather.

Day 92

When I was tidying the bookshelf, a card fell out of one of the books you once borrowed. Do you still remember what you wrote on it?

Day 93

Without realising it, the agreed-to conclusion of the signing in is about to arrive. For some reason, I don’t really want it to end.

Day 94

Something to be grateful for is every day that I get to keep you company.

Day 95

A few petals from that pot of flowers you’re tending to fell onto my window sill. I’ve made them into two dried flower bookmarks.

Day 96

Saw a pair of earmuffs which suit you. This way, your ears wouldn’t always be red from the cold.

Day 97

Sorry, I’ve been tidying up data in the laboratory today, and just saw your message. I wonder if it’s too late to agree to your dinner invitation?

Day 98

You don’t always have to meet my expectations, because you often surpass my expectations.

Day 99

The movie salon you mentioned sounds really interesting. If I’m participating in it with you, I'm definitely very willing to go.

[Note] The word ‘salon’ here refers to a social gathering!

Day 100

To me, a hundred days is too short. Even without such an event, my company will definitely not stop at just a hundred days.