#and then the themes of memento really clicked for me. i guess you get some distance if you take it literally like

[betty-burnout]

Every "cycle of revenge" story wishes it had what Memento (2000) had

[twilightknight17]

So I fell asleep last night before I could make the post, but I got P5 Scramble yesterday and I’m having a blast so far. ^_^

I’m probably going to go through it the same way I did my Royal playthrough, so if you don’t want to be spoiled, don’t click through on these posts!

Before we start, I just want to mention that I don’t really know anything about the story. Somehow I’ve managed to avoid spoilers for an entire year except for a few small things.

I do know the identity of (who I assume is) Kyoto’s Jail Monarch. (Monarch is kind of a weird, formal word. I think I liked Jail King better. Or... Warden? Warden might have been the best choice.) ANYWAY, I think I know their identity, and by extension, I have a vague idea of why Shadow Joker exists. Other than that... You’re getting speculation and bullshit untainted by later plot revelations. XDDD

I did find it funny that when I booted the game up, I got a “No save data found, unable to start game” message. Like... no shit, PS4, it’s a brand new game. But the little starting tutorial fight was cool, and I liked the opening movie!

The police briefing was...interesting. It’s good to see them actually being somewhat logical? Like... considering everything that happened the year before, it makes sense that they’d assume this is the Thieves again. They have no way of knowing that there’s no way to access Palaces anymore. This isn’t really the Thieves MO, though. Except for the guy who confessed to document tampering. The author shredding his work for no reason and the guy streaking through the criminal justice headquarters don’t seem like they did anything wrong. Those seem more like psychotic breakdowns.

But... I guess we don’t know if the police ever knew anything about Black Mask, or if Shido was convicted on only real-world crimes and not the metaverse hits he ordered. I wonder if that’ll get elaborated on.

Zenkichi’s introduction was him laughing at the streaking guy in the middle of this Serious Police Meeting, so I think I’m gonna like him a lot. ^_^

Anyway, the “higher-ups” really want this case closed, according to “Commissioner Kaburagi”, who I already don’t like. If you’re the police commissioner, Makoto really would be a better choice, holy shit. She’s already prepared to go after Akira, who is the only Thief they know the identity of, so I guess that’s fair. But still. Has he not been falsely accused of enough for a lifetime?

Although... if you’re gonna look up all his life details, can you maybe... share some? Just a few things? Hometown? How are his parents? Anything?

*

Coming back to Leblanc was cute. Got some Trickster’s Maze vibes from the initial text conversation where they were talking about how people kept not responding to texts, but I think it’s all good. Love that the Sayuri is still on the wall, and that Morgana’s been home with Akira.

Naming the app “Emma” is never going to stop being hilarious to me, because reasons.

Y’know, Atlus, this would work a lot better if he could like...respond to their curiosity. At least these dialogue options seem to suggest that talking things out with his parents went well. Even “I missed you” isn’t inherently negative. He’d miss them either way.

.......so when my boyfriend gets back from his soul-searching vacation, he’ll be welcomed back with open arms, right, Ryuji? Right?

Meanwhile, for summer break plans, Yusuke wants to go to Kyoto for a month-long art tour. Unless...

Never change, dear. Never change.

Nice of Sojiro to water my plant and keep my room from drowning in dust, but he really couldn’t have replaced the bedframe with literally anything other than the plastic storage crates? XD The attic looks so empty and lonely without the shelves of trinkets and plushies, and the TV.

So my reaction to this next part was literally, “LAVENZA, IT’S BEEN LESS THAN 24 HOURS”. X’‘‘D Akira really can’t catch a break. But Lavenza’s dialogue sounded actually sad that he was being dragged into this again. And she’s promised repeatedly that she’s going to be there for him. It’s sweet, even though my room is still a prison and she’s still using torture equipment. Iron maidens, Lavenza, really??

I’m a little concerned that Igor’s not around, though. Lavenza did the dream/reality/mind/matter speech instead. Where is he? I know he’s never around for spinoffs but considering my headcanons I’m very curious now. And why didn’t he like... tell Morgana that Lavenza said ruin is coming again? Even if we don’t count thirdsem events, Morgana still knows that he’s Hope, and he still has a bond with the Velvet Room. Talk to your cat damn it.

Oh no, she’s cute and Alice-in-Wonderland themed. I’m doomed.

She called it her “EMMA keyword” and I immediately blurted “what? keyword??” and then everything went directly to Hell immediately. Keyword was the key word, I guess. X’‘‘‘DDD

And you can tell it’s been six months, considering that these nerds got caught almost immediately. And got their hands bound. And got dragged to the throne room and forced to kneel!

...I’m doomed.

Someone at Atlus looked directly at this fandom and all the fanart of the interrogation and said, “Yeah, they’d be into that.” XD Steppy steppy. At least she’s not a rapist like Kamoshida, but jeeze, we keep getting beaten up and thrown in the dungeon by royalty. All we need is a princess and we’ve got a whole royal family!

Although, I suppose the prince didn’t bother with a dungeon. XD

I think it’s interesting that apparently the guards tried to take our Desires and failed. I guess being a persona-user means your mental state is stable enough that something like that can’t manifest.

Oh no, she’s cute. I love her. Another for the collection of Joker’s baby siblings. This is number... 5? She kind of reminds me of Jose, a little. I’ll be interested to see what she is, since she’s got amnesia right now. She can’t be just a straight AI.

But if she’s Yald’s mom, I’m also going to be majorly weirded out.

I really like the gameplay? It’s so interesting to see how the characters move and fight when they’re not limited to turn-based attacks. And I like being able to jump to different points and use them to ambush enemies. I don’t fully understand all of it yet, and it’s hard for me to keep an eye on things like status ailments and my teammates because everything is so chaotic, but I’m sure I’ll get it.

I did die to a miniboss, and when I hit “return to checkpoint”, it gave me the prompt to select a language for the voice acting again. I dunno what was up with that. X’D And I’m baffled by the concept that you can just leave the metaverse and come back and it restores all your health and stuff. No penalty. Time doesn’t pass. You didn’t waste a day. Have the kids finally learned that we are capable of entering and exiting more than once on the same day? Hallelujah.

...this boy is angry that we have to deal with the Jails instead of having a BBQ feast. Never change, Yusuke.

If you go by the crepe shop in Shibuya, Morgana still doesn’t think you’re a crepe person. I’m so tired, Morgana. It’s also a bit weird and forced that Iwai and Takemi are both out of town. We couldn’t have seen at least one of them? I know we’re not gonna be able to use those shops when we’re on the road, but we could worry about that then.

(Disturbingly easy to return a gold bar that you apparently bought off the dark web. Omg. That was hilarious.)

AND THEN YOU GET UP THE NEXT DAY AND ZENKICHI IS JUST IN YOUR HOUSE? SITTING IN THAT CHAIR? That is not the “detective chair”, sir, that is my boyfriend’s chair, and you need to move. At least he likes the curry, but jesus fuck. Sir, I have unresolved trauma of adults coming into my house to snoop into my business. Get out of my house. X’D

You give me a detective sitting in my boyfriend’s chair and then immediately send me to a taping of the same show in the same studio where I first met him. God, P5S, you’re trying to kill me.

Alice clearly knows that giving out the keyword is doing something. She’s being very deliberate about this. But I don’t think she’s actually aware of the Jail. Love that she’s so arrogant that she can’t imagine that Akira just... didn’t use the keyword, and that’s why she can’t control him.

So I guess the Jail Monarchs are called such because they’re imprisoning other people’s shadows in their distortions. So these are people that want control over something to the point that it distorted their worldview. Part of me wants to go off on a ramble about how this relates to Mementos or Apathy Syndrome, but I’ll wait and do that when I have more information. I’ve got some more of the dungeon to do, and I cannot wait to see Alice’s boss fight.

I’m having so much fun. I really missed these kids; they’re grea--

.......I hate these children. X’‘‘‘‘DDDD

[zellybelly]

True Colors

More Clouis, because I just love them so much. But I do love Violet. She is awesome, but I mean, it’s Louis.

Anyways, I’m rewriting the party scene a bit, because I would have loved to have seen some more dancing. 

The song I chose to base this off of was Better When I’m Dancin’, Down Under or Mountain Sound by of Monsters and Men, but you can choose whatever song you’d like. 

Clementine pushed the door open with her free hand. Ruby told her about the party and asked if they could use her water heater to make some tea. Of course, she was eager to come to the party so she agreed. 

“Looks like things are coming together.” She commented to Ruby with a small smile. She handed her the water heater and Ruby gave her a nod of thanks.  “Yeah, but we still need to figure out lighting, music, and something to write on that banner.” She nodded over to a blank tarp on the ground.

“Well, if we’re going to die, we should have some fun first.” Clem pushed her lips together, staring at the colored jars. 

“Music? You’re going to play the piano all night?” She heard AJ ask Louis.

“God no. I actually want to attend this thing.” Louis laughed. The laughter made her heart flutter, distracting her from the jars. 

“It wouldn’t be a party without some kind of mood lighting.” Ruby winked at her and Clem responded with a chuckle. “I’ve been going back and forth between colors for ages. Green’s calming, but purple is nice...”

Clem tilted her head, “That is a hard decision. I think it’s between purple and green. Or... why don’t we do all 3 colors?” She offered, “Then we don't have to choose? And it would look cool, with all the colors.” She shrugged.

Ruby laughed, “Is that cause you can’t pick either?” Clem looked away, face burning with a small nod. She gave her a shrug and closed her eyes when Ruby started to laugh again. She joined in with her, and their laughter echoed throughout the room.

“What are you two ladies laughing at?” They turned to Louis who was showing AJ the record player. His hands were on his hips and he gave them a playful grin.

“Clem and I can’t decide a color,” Ruby explained for them.

“Yeah, I just think that too much of one color might be a bit much.” Clem shrugged, “But what do I know? I’ve never planned a party.” She shrugged it off, “But I guess that’s why I’m here. To learn.”

Louis raised an eyebrow, “Just to learn?”

Clem repeated his action, “Well, maybe to have fun too.” Neither of them noticed that they had stepped closer to each other and were standing right in front of one another. They only noticed when Ruby cleared her throat.

“Okay, enough of whatever this is, we got a party to prepare!” The redhead dragged Clem away over to the banner. 

“Are we using this for some kind of party theme?” Clementine asked.

Ruby shook her head, “Not exactly, it’s meant to be more motivational.” She explained, “But whatever we write, we gotta keep it short. It’s not as big as it looks.”

It didn’t take much for Clem to get an idea. “We’re getting them back.” She said.

Ruby turned to her and gave a nod, “Quick and straight to the point. I like it.” She turned to the others and they nodded with agreement. “Tenn’ll break out his paintbrush and make it happen.” She placed her arm on Clem’s shoulder, “Thanks for helping. And Willy was asking for ya, he’s in Marlon’s office. Said he had a surprise for the party but wanted to show you first.” Clem nodded to her and headed out the door to the Headmaster’s office.

“Willy? Did ya need you me for something?” The teen asked when she got to the office to see the younger boy sitting on the ground surrounded by books and boxes.

“Clem! Check it out!” Willy stood up, “I found a whole bunch of books on boats!” He showed her the book in his hands. “Talks about some awesome stuff like fires at sea and explosions. The key is the boiler.”

Clem had to cut in, “Meaning... what?” She asked. She wasn’t seeing where this was going. Did Willy want to make fireworks for the party? But that had nothing to do with boats.

“I have an idea about how to stop those assholes from coming back to the school after we’ve rescued the others.” He explained. Clem’s mouth widened in an ‘oh’ manner. Now she felt stupid. It was kinda obvious what he was going to. “And from hurting anyone ever again. We’re going to blow up the boat.”

Clem nodded, “I really like that idea. It’s dangerous and flashy. And...” She paused and gave Willy a soft smile, “I know Mitch would approve of this. I’m in.”

Willy gave the girl a smile, “Yeah, I couldn’t think of a better memento for him than to blow that boat out of the water.” He growled out, but Clem wasn’t even worried. She felt the same way. She’d love to see this go down. “But the tricky bit is timing the bomb so it goes off after you’ve gotten off the boat.” She leaned against the door and nodded. 

“Also, I don’t want to be mean, but is it me or is there a bomb obsession at this school?” “Oh, it’s not you, there totally is. But for good reason!” And yet, Willy never told her the reason. “Trust me. This’ll work, we’ll be okay.” He assured her. Clem nodded at him.

They heard the music starting up in the next room. Either the walls were thin or they were being loud. Probably the former. No one was that stupid this far into the apocalypse. “Alright, everyone! Get ready to boogie!” Both Clem and Willy turned to the door where they heard Ruby’s voice erupt.

“Looks like we got a party to go to.” Willy nodded and picked up the bomb.

“Clem? I’m sorry for earlier, for how I treated Tenn. I know it wasn’t his fault.” The boy looked down at the floor. She smiled and walked over to him.

She placed her hand on his shoulder, “That’s very nice Willy, but I’m not the one you should be saying that to.” She gestured for him to follow her to the party.

When she opened the door she was greeted by bright color highlighting the room. Jazz was playing, and in front of her was AJ. She could see him dancing to the music, mainly movie his feet back and clicking his heels.

She crossed her arms and smiled, slightly moving along with the music. She looked over to Willy who moved over to Tenn and she smiled when she saw them making up.

“Ruby!” She walked up to the redhead. “This looks awesome!” “Couldn’t have done it without you. Using all the colors was a great idea. But just wait till what else I got planned. But for now, just go an mingle, maybe dance.” 

Clem smiled and turned when she felt someone grab her hand. It was AJ who was tugging her over to a large space where he was dancing. “Come on Clem! Let’s dance.”

Clem bit her cheek, “I don’t really know how but okay.” She giggled as the 6-year-old dragged her over. He let go of her hand and watched him dance. She swung her hips a bit and began to move her feet along with the music. She decided to spin with her arms out. 

She stopped spinning when she turned to Tenn, Ruby, and Willy. She walked over and grabbed Ruby’s hand and pulled her into dance. The two girls laughed and spun together. She waved over Willy and Tenn, and the two young boys joined the others swinging to the music.

She let go of Ruby’s hands and joined over with AJ and Louis. The latter was watching the former more than dancing himself. “Come on Lou.” She called and the boy’s head turned to her. “Dance with me!” She offered her hand.

Louis crossed his arms, “Do you even know how to dance?” He laughed.

“Nope.” She replied, popping the ‘p’. “But like I said, I’m here to learn.” 

Louis just shook his head and took her hand. He pulled her to him and spun her around, “try to keep up.”

She just smiled.

“Okay then.”

I was going to continue, but I honestly have no clue where I would’ve gone with it.

But I hope you enjoyed it

[luucarii]

Persona 5 Ramblings

this shit is long. like really long.

and I sound like a crazed fangirl so....

MAJOR SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT. IM TALKING ABOUT LIKE ALMOST EVERYTHING BUD!!!

also, i curse way too much in this... apologies in advance 

also, happy father’s day even though this has nothing to do with it :)

THIS IS ALL BACKGROUND ON ME BEFORE I GOT THE GAME SKIP TO THE NEXT BOLD PART IF YOU WANT TO HEAR MY OPINION ON THE GAME ITSELF.

Okay, so I’ve mentioned vaguely how Persona 5 is my first encounter with the Persona series. I’d heard bits and pieces about the series but I never really understood the concept of Persona until maybe mid April of this year. I was on spring break from school and I don’t remember how exactly how I stumbled across it but i found this playthrough of Persona 5 on youtube and I was mildly interested. So I clicked on it, and into the emotional rollercoaster that is this game i went.

At the time, there was only about 11 episodes of the play through (each around an hour long) so I binged watched each episode ending up with me staying up past 2 am. I was just so invested. The opening drew me in the minute the camera showed off that smug little bastard Joker’s smirk over the casino (I’ll get into why I love this kid and the rest of the cast later). I was confused since I was going into Persona 5 with no knowledge of the whole concept of Personas at all. I was kinda just like “wow this looks badass. What is he doing? Oh my god, this game is so pretty.”

I ended up skipping around once I got tired of waiting for a new episode and watched this long ass livestream. I got to about Okumura’s Palace before there was nothing left for me to watch but the boss battles uploaded, which did spoil me a little bit and got me a bit confused but I was so interested that I honestly didn’t care. I was so surprised at Niijima’s Palace and her boss battle as a whole and was like “SHIT THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE GAME!!!! OH MY GOD EVERYTHINGS BACK”

From there, I skipped straight to the traitor - aka Akechi’s battle - and can I just say, I was not surprised that he had a Persona but I was surprised that he betrayed the group considering all the story shit I skipped. Shido’s fight was fairly interesting to me but again, I skipped a bunch of story shit so I was really just rooting for the Phantom Thieves because this was THE ASSHOLE WHO GAVE MY POOR LITTLE AKIRA A CRIMINAL RECORD.

Skipped a bunch of shit again and onto the fight with Yaldobaoth. At this point I was drawing a lot of similarities to Xenoblade Chronicles, fighting a God for freedom and then THEY PULLED THE WHOLE BELIEF THINGY (which they did at the end of Okami as well) AT THE END WITH MISHIMA AND THE REST OF TOKYO BELIEVING IN THE THIEVES AND I WAS SOBBING LIKE A LITTLE BITCH AT 2 AM.

And after that, I made it a point that one day I’d play this game for myself. And it was maybe a few days after that I finally got the game.

Now at the time (and still now) I didn’t own a PS4 and was forced to use my brother’s when he was at work. Adding to the fact that school was beginning to start up again, I had at most maybe 6 hours to play a day if homework didn’t take up all my time. So what might’ve taken me a few weeks to beat took me almost 2 months to beat because of timing. 

BUT OH WELL, I HAD THE GAME, I PLAYED THE GAME, I LOVED THE GAME AND NOW IM GOING TO SQUEAL LIKE A FANGIRL OVER EVERY ASPECT OF THIS GAME THAT I ADORED.

GAMEPLAY

Okay, so I’ve played my fair share of JRPGs and Persona 5 was a nice familiarity. All the dungeon crawling, the fighting, turn-base combat, ya’ll get it.

BUT UM THESE DUNGEONS (Palaces if you would) ARE FREAKING GORGEOUS, HELL THE GAME ITSELF IS GORGEOUS.

Each Palace and their respective Shadow ruler has their own design, personality and each are based on the seven deadly sins which (after finishing FullMetal Alchemist a few months earlier) I thought was clever and interesting.

Kamoshida’s castle was a nice balance of a first dungeon and “hey we’re not gonna hold your hand, this is fairly simply kill some Shadows, find the infiltration route and don’t get kicked out.” ALSO RYUJI AND ANN’S AWAKENINGS. JUST THAT. INCREDIBLE.

Madarame’s museum had a little bit more difficulty but was still fairly easy. The security bars kinda gave me a little anxiety considering I was still getting used to all the controls (I had just finished an Xbox One game before playing this so my buttons were mixed up) and the little painting guessing game was a bit dumb considering each Sayuri looked EXACTLY THE SAME TO ME (except the color swapped ones) ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING YUSUKE WAS THERE AND COULD HAVE EASILY TOLD US BUT NO HE WANTED TO TEST AKIRA’S ART SKILL. ARE YOU APART OF THE PHANTOM THIEVES OR NOT YUSUKE??????????

but i digress…

Kaneshiro’s bank was fun but GOD SEND THOSE FREAKING SECURITY CAMERAS AND THOSE SHADOW DOGS TO HELL OH MY GOD I HATED THOSE. See my thing is, I’m not exactly a stealthy person. Which is why I love hiding because you can sneak up on Shadows and ambush them easily. I hate raising security level and those damn dogs were so annoying and just ugh. Those dogs are honestly one of the few grips I have with the game. Also, MAKOTO IS THE ACTUAL QUEEN.

Futaba’s temple was by far the longest one for me in terms of gameplay hours (in game time took me about 2-3 days) but it was still fun nonetheless and I’m glad Futaba (who is one of my favorite female characters) got some closure on her story with her mother and was able to rise above that. I’m a sucker for tragic backstories when their well executed. (i still to this day do not know how to pronounce her Persona…)

Okumura’s spaceship was my favorite aesthetically because I’ve always been interested in space and the stars and the little puzzle at the end with the space pockets was a nice bit of challenging and flying through Metaverse space. ALSO HARU HAS FLUFFY FLUFF HAIR AND HAS MY SECOND FAVORITE PHANTOM THIEF OUTFIT 

hmm, i wonder who has my favorite Phantom Thief outfit... Joker... It’s Joker... god damn those red gloves

Niijima’s casino, which OH MY GOD WERE BACK TO THE BEGINNING AND AKECHI’S WITH US AHH, and WHIMS OF FATE IS BEST PALACE THEME.

It was my favorite palace, no questions asked.

Shido’s ship was another long one but finally getting revenge on this dick was incredible. Also, AKECHI AND RYUJI PLAYING WITH MY FEELINGS.

Mementos was a good idea as a whole but the way it was executed everything just sort of blended together for me and there were only a few requests that stood out to me. The music was bland (one of the blandest on the soundtrack, especially compared to the other Palace themes casually mentions Whims of Fates again) and during the late floors of Mementos, everything got so dark and it was really hard to see.

CHARACTERS

expect this to be me screaming a lot.

Akira Kurusu (Protagonist)

okay, um, i love this boy. like a lot. LIKE I WOULD DIE FOR HIM.

For a silent protagonist this guy sure has a lot of character. The rare times he speaks in cutscenes, specifically the ones where he’s Joker, he has this sort of cocky arrogance yet when he’s little Akira in his Shujin uniform he’s a quiet little curious boy. He’s incredible under pressure, like there’s only a few things that make him crack and his dialogue options are priceless.

I especially love Joker because I’m an honest to god mess when it comes to smug bastards and I have an unhealthy love for those crimson gloves of his.

But honestly he doesn’t deserve half the shit he gets in game. Besides the whole “game” set up by Yaldobaoth, he was sent away from his family and presumedly the friends he had back in his hometown all because of his probation, literally no one treats him with any sort of respect when he gets to Shibuya. Sojiro reminds him countless times the first what 3-4 months that he’ll be kicked out if he breaks his probation which (besides doing all that illegal shit as Phantom Thieves) he honestly just goes to school (a place where he gets even more shit from teachers and students), hangs out a little after and comes straight home. I know Akira’s been established to have a bad reputation because of his record but don’t these people have eyes??? Can’t they see that he’s obviously not a bad guy based on what he’s doing in school and not getting involved with the police??? Sojiro's exempt from this because he at least grows to like having Akira around and trusts him enough to go out at night, work in the store alone and lock up from him when he leaves.

AKIRA IS A GOOD BOY WHO DIDN’T DESERVE ALL THE SHIT GIVEN TO HIM

Also, Xander Mobus did a good ass job with his voice

Ryuji Sakamoto

see this post that basically sums up my feelings on this boy.

Also, Max Mittelman.

Ann Takamaki

CAN I JUST SAY ANN IS ONE OF THE BESTEST FRIENDS IVE EVER SEEN???????

Like she went through all that shit with Kamoshida, the harassment, possibly rape, all for freaking Shiho’s sake. Just… wow. That’s some freaking loyalty there. Shiho's the closest friend she has at Shujin (at least before the events of the game) and God knows how long she went along with Kamoshida’s bullshit all for Shiho. I mean I may sound a bit repetitive but holy shit that just amazes  me. SHE. ENDURED. SEXUAL. HARASSMENT. ALL. FOR. HER. BEST. FRIEND. And the minute she watched Shiho’s suicide attempt that was it. Any last bit of restraint she had left broke and she went full on at Kamoshida all for revenge for her best friend. My god.

Onto her confidant ranks, Ann is just a charismatic bundle of joy who just wants to make people happy. Yeah she butted heads with that girl (forgot her name…) and did fall down a little in terms of confidence but Akira and Shiho helped her through it and brought her back on her path of what she wants to do… Just ugh, I love Ann so much.

Yusuke Kitagawa

Yusuke’s a fan favorite and for good reason.

His backstory about how Madarame took him in after his mom died and overlooked his painting which led to the later plagiarism is an interesting one and I love how the Sayuri, the only thing left to connect him to his mother, is an important factor that leads to his realization of “oh shit this guy’s a dick who watched my mom die without helping her and he used me for money and fame.”

As a character though, Yusuke’s freaking weird. But i love him because of it. He has his formal tongue but that formal tongue casually overlooks any weird shit that comes out of his mouth. He doesn’t give any flying fucks about what people think of him and he speaks his mind like there’s no tomorrow. I still crack up at the nude painting scene with him and Ann because his mix of awkwardness and passion to paint a nice ass picture is just incredible. Also, another thing. He’s. So. Damn. Passionate. Like he ties art into everything, even fighting Shadows and he’s always looking for new ideas for paintings.

Also, Matt Mercer

Makoto Niijima

MAKOTO IS QUEEN.

She’s not my favorite female, that role goes to Futaba but she’s definitely number 2.

I genuinely have a love for the Niijima sisters because they complement each other so well. Sae’s the head of the house who also works tirelessly just to support her younger sister and it’s clear to see why Makoto would feel useless. She’s a high school student and as a student you really can’t do much that’ll pay the bills and keep food on the table unless you have a job which Makoto’s student council president and (i’m assuming) is in everything so it’d probably be hard as is to get a job and be of some sort of use to her sister. Then Kaneshiro comes around threatening her and Thieves and her sister and she just doesn’t want to feel useless anymore. She wants to do something after being forced to sit back and watch other people be counted on. And just, ugh, her awakening is by far my favorite out of all of them just because of everything behind it and just MAKOTO IS AMAZING, CASE CLOSED.

Also, Cherami Leigh.

Futaba Sakura

By far my favorite female as I feel our personalities are pretty damn similar. Besides her being a hacker and me not knowing anything about possibly illegal things like that, I relate to Futaba as she’s an introvert. She and I value our alone time and (although for different reasons) like being shut in. Now I’m not going to say Futaba and I share the same backstory because my God I’m honestly baffled how this girl went through years in solitude after her mother’s death thinking it was her fault. For one, she WATCHED HER MOTHER DIE IN FRONT OF HER. HOLY SHIT HOW DID THIS GIRL MANAGE TO FUNCTION WITH THAT MENTAL IMAGE IMPRINTED IN HER BRAIN???? AND THEN FOR YEARS ON END SHE LOCKED HERSELF UP AWAY FROM THE WORLD AND BEGAN HAVING ACTUAL PHYSICAL AND VERBAL HALLUCINATIONS AND IF IT WASNT FOR THE PHANTOM THIEVES SHE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE ENDED UP KILLING HERSELF AND I DONT WANT TO THINK OF A WORLD WITHOUT THIS ADORABLE LITTLE OTAKU.

also, i really ship her and Yusuke Inari

Haru Okumura

For one, Haru is freaking adorable, I mean look at her. She has the short little fluffy fluff hair and her voice is so light and feathery and polite and WHY DOES SHE COME SO LATE IN THE DAMN GAME????

I was lucky enough to manage to finish her confidant before the end of the game but when her confidant first opened up to me (getting rank 5 Proficiency was a bitch) at that point I was planning on not doing her confidant at all, I was just planning on getting Baton Pass and ditching her because I didn’t think I’d finish it. I did (at the cost of not finishing Makoto’s, still extremely disappointed on that) and I have to say Haru’s confidant was by far my favorite one out of the ones I maxed out.

Her whole thing is now that her father’s dead, she’s basically the one inheriting everything from Okumura Foods and she never really understood anything to begin with and she thinks everyone who’s trying to help her is just doing it for their own self-gain.  Okumura Foods, at this point, is attempting to rise back up after all the shit her father put the company through and all the current bad reputation it has. Haru’s never had a chance in her life to make things for herself. She’s always been told what to do and has been very obedient (even agreeing to marry a literal dickhead all for her father’s company) and suddenly she’s given all control and doesn’t know what to do with it. All these happy smiling faces offering their help just seem like people attempting to take advantage of her incompetence. Akira helps her through it like the amazing boy that he is and Haru ends up finally being able to speak her mind about the company and what SHE wants to do. She gives the company up to someone who she believes is trustworthy and decides that she’ll one day open a small little cafe like Leblanc in the future after college. And honestly, just her overcoming her distrust and her previous shell of being obedient to rising up and making her own decisions it makes me so happy and proud to see her grow and change and just UGGH I LOVE EVERYONE IN THIS DAMN CAST.

Morgana

This cat, literally this cat. HE BELONGS WITH AKIRA AND THE REST OF THE THIEVES NO ONE CAN CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE.

Loud-mouthed, a little bit arrogant, Morgana is just an amazing character in general for me. I know Ryuji’s technically supposed to be the comic relief (and he does fulfill this role, don’t get me wrong) but I feel Morgana takes this spot too, especially the two bickering like an old married couple. I know some people hate on Morgana because of how he treats Ryuji and the amount of “go to bed” memes on Tumblr but all around Morgana is just a cat who was just looking for a place to call home. He was just looking for people to accept him.

And a part of me honestly hopes if there’s an add on for this game in the future, Morgana gets a human form because I’d love to see that.

Also, please tell me I’m not the only one who still mixes up Morgana’s gender. I still sometimes call him a her just out of habit because I can’t hear Cassandra Lee Morris as anything but a girl.

Also, Cassandra Lee Morris.

Goro Akechi

OKAY SO CONTROVERSY??? MAYBE??

I LIKE AKECHI

NO FUCK THAT

I LOVE AKECHI

LIKE HONEST TO GOD THIS BOY DESERVED BETTER.

Don’t misunderstand, I know he killed people. I know he caused all those shutdowns and was planning on killing the Thieves and eventually Shido himself (which now begs the question, say he did kill Shido, what next?)

I’m not denying anything he did. And yes, his backstory (although extremely saddening) does not justify his actions. He knew what he was doing and he still did it.

Akechi took the wrong path in his life. If anything you can sort of compare his story to Futaba’s in the sense that they both lost family members and were left with nothing. In Futaba’s case however, she still had people trying to help her. She had Sojiro who took her in after her uncle was abusing her or something and she had the Thieves who literally changed her heart and made her see the truth.

Akechi had absolutely nobody.

His mom died (suicide if I remember correctly), he was thrown into foster care, his own father (seriously, fuck Shido. Not just because of how he was with Akechi but everything in this damn game) didn’t even knew he existed. He had no acknowledgement, no affection, nothing. He was forced to make do with what little scraps he could find and make a life for himself.

Again, don’t misunderstand me. I know he killed people and his backstory does not justify his actions because he knew what he was doing was wrong. I’m just saying maybe if he had someone, anyone who was there to help him out, to pull him out of his misery he most likely would have been a different person. He wouldn’t have had his revenge for Shido be his only reason for living and he wouldn’t have gone out the way he did. It’s hard not to feel bad for him. He’s been alone all his damn life and all this guy really wanted was a friend, some teammates, people who wanted him around. I just wish Akechi had gotten a way to repent. I hate the fact that he died. One because we lost a good character and two because I genuinely believe that he wanted to change at the end. Akira changed him. The Thieves changed him. I wish he had gotten an ending where he could own up to his mistakes and be able to make up for lost time.

Just… ugh.

I’m apart of the “Akechi deserved better” group.

And I also ship Akeshu really really really hard.

Also, Robbie Daymond was freaking fantastic.

VERDICT

THIS IS LONG ENOUGH SO LET ME SUM IT UP IN A SENTENCE.

PERSONA 5 IS AMAZING, I LOVED IT.

[koalala1031]

So... How Do Bees Fly?

Part of #SGRSWeek – Day 7/Epilogue: 再生 (Saisei: Revival)

Rating: G

Word Count: 1.247

Genre: Crack

Summary: Exactly what you think it is.

Pairing(s): -

Warning: dank memes, bad jokes

Shinnosuke read the script over and over again. He still couldn’t believe that Higuchi-sensei actually suggested him to perform that cursed script. “Why...?” he whimpered in misery. “Why... why... why, why, why, why why why why—”

“Shin!” Konatsu shut him up as she switched from the newspaper she was reading. “What is wrong with you?!”

“Mommy, can I just perform Jugemu tomorrow, pwease? I don’t want that hellscript Sensei asked me to perform uwu uwu.”

“Don’t uwu uwu like that! You know how Higuchi-sensei really wants to see you performing modern rakugo.”

“Yeah but... why this?!”

“Why are you the one so whiny about it?! Seriously, I’ve read the whole script, it’s not that bad.”

“Technically yeah, it wasn’t, it’s just that—”

“Anyway, you should just practice for tomorrow. I need some beauty sleep, so I’m going to bed now. Cya~”

“Mommy, wait—”

Konatsu just straight up went to her room without bothering to listen what her son had to say. Shinnosuke, being left behind by his mama, continued crying in embarrassment and wondering what did he ever do wrong in his life to deserve this kind of treatment.

“KYAAAAAA, SHIN-CHAAAAN!!!”

“Be my Daddy!!”

“I’m gonna write a proposal to Yakumo the 9th so I can be his daughter-in-law!!”

“I LOVE YOOOUUUUUU!!!!”

Shinnosuke was still embarrassed, as he was waiting for his turn to perform behind the stage. But not because of all the fangirls’ cheering for him, since he’s already used to it ever since his debut. Heck, he never asked to be born beautiful, but God give him beauty anyways. It’s not his fault for having fabulous parents and grandparents, so why should protest? Better cherish God’s blessing. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The real reason our dear young hero to be embarassed is because of that one hell of a cursed script Higuchi-sensei asked him to perform.

“Aye-aye, Big Bro!!!” Koyuki greeted him. “Whatcha doin’?”

“Despairing over my misery...” Shinnosuke answered with no happiness whatsoever on his face, only a mix of despair and shame.

“Eeeeeh? I thought you were waiting to perform!” the girl pouted.

“Yeah, that too, but mostly...... hhhhh...”

“What’s wrong???”

“You’ll see on the stage....”

“ ‘Kay then~”

As the shamisen started playing in the background, the curtain rose as everyone’s favorite ikemen was already on the stage.

“OMG SHIN-CHAAAAAAN!!!”

“KYAAAAAAAA!!!!”

“KIKUHIKO THE FIFTH!!!” some of the less crazy fans cheered as well.

“NDINGSFDMBNKGUIAHFGVBNIUJODHUYINTGUIGISDHNUYGAUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!” one of the fangirls actually passed out with froth coming out of her mouth.

“WE WANT MORE!!! WE WANT MORE!!! WE WANT MORE!!!” one of Koyuki’s friends jumped onto the fangirl bandwagon.

“Uh, but he hasn’t even started yet...” Koyuki replied to her friend.

“I DON’T CARE! WE WANT MORE!!! WE WANT MORE!!!”

Shinnosuke’s parents were also there. “THAT’S MY SON!!!” Yotaro claimed as he points at his son, while Konatsu just stayed chill.

“Thank you, thank you,” Shinnosuke waved to the audience fawning over him.

Then he sat down, still holding the fan that was a memento from his dad. “Uh, good morning, everyone,” he nervously greeted them.

“MORNING~!!!” the Yurakutei Kikuhiko V Fanclub members answered him.

Shinnosuke was lowkey irritated by them, but he continued anyways. “Anyway, um, I wanna share a fun fact with everyone here. So, uh... according to all known laws of aviation,there is no way a bee should be able to fly.”

The audience remain silent.

Koyuki scrunched her forehead. “Isn’t this...?”

“Yep,” Konatsu responded.

“Is this why he’s been wondering about his life priorities?”

“Yep.”

“Its wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground,” Shinnosuke was still performing his rakugo. “The bee, of course, flies anyway because bees don't care what humans think is impossible.”

The audience was still silent.

“Wait...” Koyuki mumbled to herself. “If that’s the case, then how do bees fly?”

Out of curiosity, Koyuki snatched her phone and then googled “how do bees fly”.

“What’re ya doin’?” Yotarou asked her daughter.

“They said bees aren’t supposed to be able to fly, so I googled why they still do,” she answered as she clicked the search result on the top.

“Can I see it?”

“Sure.”

Koyuki then showed the website she opened on her phone to her dad. “So according to this website... Basically they just flap their wings faster.”

“...That’s it?” Yotarou was underwhelmed.

“What do you mean “that’s it”?”

“I was... kinda expecting magic or something.”

“Magic doesn’t exist, Dad.”

“Then how do you explain rainbow?”

“Diffraction of light through moisture in the atmosphere.”

“...It’s a sad world you live in, daughter.”

“A perfect report card, all B’s,” Shinnosuke said in his performance. The audience bursted out laughing.

“Very proud.”

“Ma! I got a thing going here.”

“You got lint on your fuzz.”

“Ow! That’s me!”

“Wave to us! We’ll be in row 118.000.”

“Bye!” Shinnosuke waved his right hand while still holding his fan. The audience then laughed again.

“Well, Adam, today we are men.”

“We are!”

“Bee-men.”

“Amen!”

“That girl was hot.”

“She’s my cousin.”

“She is?”

“Yeah, we’re all cousins.”

“Right. You’re right.”

“How should I start it?” Shinnosuke cleaned his throat. “ “You like jazz?” No, that's no good. Here she comes! Speak, you fool!”

“Hi.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re talking.”

“Yes, I know.”

“You’re talking!”

“I’m so sorry.”

“No, it’s OK. It’s fine. I know I’m dreaming... But I don’t recall going to bed.”

“Well, I’m sure this is very disconcerting.”

“Because you don't free bees. You keep bees. Not only that, it seems you thought a bear would be an appropriate image for a jar of honey. They're very lovable creatures. Yogi Bear, Fozzie Bear, Build-A-Bear.”

“You mean like this?” Shinnosuke made a creepy bear face as he smacked, threw, bit, and stepped on the cushion that’s supposed to be his seat. “Bears kill bees! How'd you like his head crashing through your living room?! Biting into your couch! Spitting out your throw pillows!”

Shinnosuke then fixed his cushion as he sat down on it. “OK, that's enough. Take him away.”

“So, Mr. Sting, thank you for being here. Your name intrigues me.”

“FREE THE BEES! FREE THE BEES! FREE THE BEES! FREE THE BEES! FREE THE BEES!”

The audience then chanted along with him. Yotarou, Konatsu, Koyuki, his fangirls... well everyone. “FREE THE BEES! FREE THE BEES! FREE THE BEES!”

“The court finds in favor of the bees!”

“Vanessa, we won!”

“I knew you could do it! High-five!”

He clapped his hands, as if to pretend to high-five between two people. “Sorry.”

“I'm OK! You know what this means? All the honey will finally belong to the bees. Now we won't have to work so hard all the time.”

“This is an unholy perversion of the balance of nature, Benson. You'll regret this.”

“What happened here?”

“There was a DustBuster, a toupee, a life raft exploded. One's bald, one's in a boat, they're both unconscious!”

“Is that another bee joke?”

“No!”

“I'm sorry. I'm sorry, everyone. Can we stop here? I'm not making a major life decision during a production number!”

“All right. Take ten, everybody. Wrap it up, guys.”

“I had virtually no rehearsal for that.”

Shinnosuke then bowed down to the audience, as they laughed like they were totally having the time of their lives. However, while bowing down, Shinnosuke’s face was as pale as snow—the white thingy his little sister’s name was based on. “Help me...” he whispered to God knows who. “Remind me to kick Higuchi-sensei’s butt later...”

Author’s note:

What am I doing with my life Okay, so um... am I doing this right? I mean, the sub-themes for Day 7 are supposedly afterlife, Alternate Universe, and/or reincarnation, so... does this count as an AU? And given that the kids are grown up now, I guess this kinda counts as epilogue... I guess??? Also the last sentence for Day 7 prompt says, “This is your tribute to the series and there are no limits to the imagination.” So I just decided to... do whatever the heck I wanted lmao. I only added the snippets of the Bee Movie script instead of the entirety to keep the fic from getting too long.

Heck, maybe some of you reading this are wondering why I’m just posting this... thing, while everyone else post actual quality content. But anyway, I hope you enjoy this fic (if you didn’t, it’s not your fault and I’m the one who’s extremely sorry) and feel free to leave some comments ^^

[topfygad]

14 Ways To ‘Travel’ Without Leaving Home

From cooking a dish from your favourite country, to watching a foreign film or binge-watching some travel documentaries, here are some ideas of travel experiences you can have from the comfort of your home.

We’re living in a pretty extraordinary time right now. Coronavirus (COVID-19) is the world’s biggest global health crisis of our lifetime. The virus is affecting our health, our economies and of course, our travel plans.

While I’d love to be able to wave a magic wand and make it all go away, it’s impossible. It’s time to sit tight, be respectful and careful, and plan for the future.

Planning future travels

Working in the travel industry I’m witnessing the effects of the crisis first-hand. My website traffic has halved as people aren’t travelling or planning trips. Hotel and tour bookings are down, and many that were taking place over the next few weeks have been cancelled. Some of my upcoming travel campaigns have been postponed until later in the year. My income is taking a hit, but it’ll be nothing compared to hotels and tour operators in places like China and northern Italy. It’s devastating to think about the businesses that won’t make it through this… and it’s not over yet.

I know a lot of you are also in limbo too. Plans are on hold for the foreseeable future… but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a travel experience of some sort, in your home! I’m not talking about cranking your heating up, putting on a bikini and pretending you’re in the Caribbean (although you could try that!)

The beautiful landscapes of Dominica

From cooking a delicious meal from a far-flung destination, to learning a language and enjoying some amazing travel documentaries, whether you’re self-isolating, or just waiting until travel restrictions are lifted, there are plenty of ways to give yourself a ‘travel experience’ from the comfort and safety of your own home.

14 Ways To ‘Travel’ Without Leaving Home

Cook a meal from a foreign country

One of my favourite things about travelling is the food. Nourishing bowls of Japanese ramen, silky Italian pasta, spicy Thai curries, Mexican tacos… the list goes on. What better way to enjoy a flavour of a destination in your own home, than by getting busy in the kitchen.

Thai curry night

I’m constantly coming across great recipes online. BBC Food is a great starting point – type in pretty much anything and you’ll find a recipe. Oh, and if you’re in quarantine right now at home, remember you can get your shopping delivered to your door! 

For something a bit different, I’d recommend checking out The Spicery – a subscription box website, which delivers recipe kits through your letterbox. I ordered a curry subscription for Macca for Christmas, and each month a box arrives with a recipe and all of the spices to cook up an incredible feast. You just need to buy the main ingredients (meat, veg etc).

The Spicery – set

The thing I love is that they’re not standard dishes you’ll have tried before. Last month we made a curry from a specific region of Northern India, and our next is this potsticker recipe set from China’s Sichuan Province. 

Another option is a company like Feast Box, which I’m hoping to try soon (I’ll let you know what I think!). This company specialises in world food recipe boxes, delivered to your door, and includes all of the ingredients (meat, veg, spices etc). Dishes on the menu this week include Indonesian fish in a banana leaf, chicken empanadas and harissa and vegetable flatbreads, so it’s a lovely way to eat your way around the world.

Oh, and if you want to go the extra mile, invite a few friends over, pop up some decorations, or ask everyone to wear an outfit that fits with the cuisine. I’ve got a sombrero you can borrow!

Binge watch some travel documentaries 

Whether you have a Netflix or Amazon Prime subscription, or access to BBC iPlayer, you’ll find plenty of TV shows to satisfy your wanderlust. I absolutely adore the travel series Simon Reeve makes for the BBC. He gets under the skin of the destinations he visits, meeting locals and finding out the real issues people are dealing with. It won’t necessarily make you want to book a trip to where he is, but it’s a great way of understanding the world. 

Other travel TV shows I’d recommend include Planet Earth and Seven Worlds, One Planet (can’t beat Attenborough), Anthony Bourdain’s shows (lots on Amazon Prime) and Race Across The World (BBC – loved series one and series two has just started).

Watch a foreign movie

A feel-good documentary film that I really enjoyed was Craigslist Joe, which follows a guy’s journey as he travels across America living off people’s generosity. It’s all about human connections, but it’s essentially about travel too. 

Or if like me, you travel with your stomach, I’d recommend Street Food, Ugly Delicious and Chef’s Table (all on Netflix). Now that list should keep you going!

Print out your favourite travel photos or make a scrapbook

What better way to reconnect with your travels than to go look back through your adventures one photo at a time. I have a few travel journals from my first backpacking trips, which have tickets, photos and mementoes stuck in. As I get older, they’re lovely to flick through and remember all the little details and the people I met along the way.

Travel scrapbook

With everything online, we rarely print photos these days, so choose your fave snaps and pop them in frames or a scrapbook to look back at later in life. You can upload to a website like photobox and they’ll print them and post them to you. 

Printing polaroids

Watch a foreign film

South Korean movie Parasite is one of the most talked about films of 2020, and it’s brilliant! Very funny – I found myself giggling a lot of the way through it. The fact it’s in Korean only adds to the experience. It’s transports you into a different country’s culture, and the language only adds to that. 

Order a take away

Ok, this is the lazy option for those who want a travel experience at home, but don’t want to put much effort in! I’d recommend looking at your local takeaways and trying something brand new. If you usually order from the same Indian restaurant, how about trying Nepalese or Vietnamese food instead?

Vietnamese pho

I’ve just had a quick check to see what’s available in my area of London and was amazed to see over 45 different cuisines listed! Isn’t that incredible? Everything from Filipino and Turkish, to Iranian, Vietnamese and Syrian. It might not be good for my bank balance, but I guess I’m saving money by not travelling at the moment!

Chinese take away

Read a travelogue or a book that is set abroad

After finally switching from paperback books to a Kindle last year, I’m happy to say it goes absolutely everywhere with me. It’s liberating to have access to so many different books at the click of a button – perfect if you’re in quarantine right now and need some entertainment.

How about reading a travel-themed book? Somewhere that shares an epic journey or is set somewhere exotic? Whether you prefer fiction or non-fiction, here are a few to start you off…

On The Road – Jack Kerouac The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho Anything by Bill Bryson Step By Step – Simon Reeve Shantaram – Gregory David Roberts The Beach – Alex Garland Love With A Chance Of Drowning – Torre DeRoche Dark Star Safari: Overland from Cairo to Cape Town – Paul Theroux Eat Pray Love – Elizabeth Gilbert Anything by Levison Wood Tracks – Robyn Davidson Wild – Cheryl Strayed

The Alchemist, 25th Anniversary: A Fable About Following Your Dream

Price: $10.47

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Learn a foreign language using an app 

Ever since my first trip to Mexico, I dreamed of learning Spanish. How special to be able to converse with the locals and no doubt it’d help with tricky travel planning too. When I went backpacking I enrolled in Spanish school for a month and learned a lot of the basics. 

My first steps in learning Spanish? Via the app Duolingo. I think it’s a brilliant way to start building up some vocabulary and basic phrases. The app is free, and has courses in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Japanese, Arabic, Czech, Danish, Hindi, Korean, Greek and more!

Learning Spanish using Duolingo

Watch YouTube videos from your favourite travel vloggers

YouTube is a great place for travel inspiration. Before I travel somewhere new, I often watch a few videos to get an idea of what it’s like. Even if you’re not travelling right now, watching videos is a great way to transport yourself to your dream destination.

One of my favourite channels for inspiration is Benn TK. His videos are so cinematic and beautifully filmed. Watching them makes me want to hop on a plane!

For the perfect mix of travel and food, check out my pal Shu’s channel or for backpacking around the world, Christianne a.k.a Backpacking Bananas will give you some serious wanderlust. I’ve got tonnes of others I could recommend too – so many of my friends are so talented when it comes to capturing a destination on camera, but start with those and email me if you want some more suggestions.

Oh, and don’t forget my own videos, right here on my YouTube channel. 

Immerse yourself in the music of another destination 

This is actually one of my favourite ways to get ready for a trip, but there’s no reason you can’t do it when you’re staying at home too. Did you know that Spotify has top charts for countries around the world?

Spotify top 50 by country

Just go to Browse, then select Charts and you’ll see the top 50 songs in each country. Enjoy the top reggaetón hits in Mexico, find out what’s hot in Thailand, and which artists the people of Poland love right now. Maybe you’ll discover a foreign artist you absolutely love?

Oh, and if the top 50 isn’t doing it for you, I’d recommend Buena Vista Social Club for some Cuban holiday vibes from the comfort of your home.

Musicians in Havana, Cuba

Research your dream trip on your fave travel blogs

So some of your travel plans may be on hold, postponed, cancelled or err, completely uncertain… but we can still dream and plan. With free time on your hands you can spend time researching everything you could possibly need for your next holiday, and be ready to act as soon as things go back to normal. You might even scoop a great deal.

Enjoying the beaches in Muscat

You can check out my Destinations page to find travel guides for all the amazing places I’ve travelled to. I’d also recommend looking at myTravel Inspiration page if you you’re still deciding where to go.

We’ll be heading away on a honeymoon at the end of 2020, so I’m starting to research ideas for that while I have some extra time on my hands. 

Enjoying colourful Tokyo

Visit a top museum or gallery… virtually

Did you know that some of the world’s most famous galleries and museums have virtual tours? Wander the curvy interior of New York’s Guggenheim Museum using Google Street View or take a trip past the mummies and the rosetta stone in London’s British Museum. The Louvre in Paris also has a special virtual tour option on its website here.  

The best part? No queues or tourists getting in your way! And you can visit in your pyjamas… 

Tour the planet using Google Earth  

When was the last time you looked at Google Earth? For me it was several years ago… I think when it launched! However, it’s a seriously cool tool, and gives you the opportunity to travel around the world from home.

Click on the ‘Voyager’ tab to see interesting categories in more detail – everything from learning about a specific destination, to taking a tour of literary locations around the world.

Google Earth – Voyager

Alternatively, hit the ‘I’m Feeling Lucky’ button and be virtually transported to random destinations across the planet.

Have a go at making something from a different country

One of the things I’ve loved most on my travels has been creating something to bring home. Whether that was trying batik painting in Indonesia, or learning how to make goat’s cheese in Norwich a few weeks ago. It’s a lovely way to connect to a culture.

If you’re looking for things to try at home (especially if you’ve got kids to entertain), how about one of these…

Buy a sushi kit and learn how to make sushi  Buy some masks and decorate them in the style of Mexico’s Day of the Dead Make a Japanese hand fan Try your hand at calligraphy Create your own dreamcatcher

Making sushi at home

Making a dreamcatcher

Learning calligraphy

Mix up some exotic cocktails

At tough times I often turn to my shelf of Caribbean rums. They definitely help ease the pain! If you want to feel like you’re travelling, without leaving home, how about mixing up some tasty cocktails from around the world?

Lots of destinations have a famous signature drink, so you could try a different one each week! Here are a few suggestions to get you started…

Mojito, Daiquiri and Cuba Libre – Cuba Pisco Sour – Peru Bellini – Italy Sangria – Spain Caipirinha – Brazil Manhattan and Tom Collins – New York, USA Dark N Stormy – Bermuda Singapore Sling – Singapore Sidecar – Paris, France Margarita – Mexico

Stirring my passion fruit mojito

My passion fruit mojito

I hope this fun guide has given you some inspiration if you’re stuck at home or your travel plans have been postponed. Let me know if you have any more ideas I should add to the list!

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[ttawoabw]

Book Box Club: December ‘Magic By Night’ Box

Okay, so if you don’t know what a book subscription box then;

Where have you been?

Check out my blog post about them HERE.

Okay let me just start off by saying that I feel extremely let down by this box and feel as though I have been deceived.  The theme for the December box was ‘Magic By Night’.  A direct quote from the theme announcement states “As soon as I heard about the premise I was excited and it didn’t take many sittings of reading my ARC copy to know that we just HAD to have this book for Book Box Club. Kate was equally enthralled and called me to chat about it after she had finished the first chapter. It’s a tricky read to shoehorn into a particular genre, it has everything; romance, teenage angst, small-town prejudice and magical creatures. The writing is seriously beautiful and some nights I would read it before I went to sleep and wake up wondering if I had really read those magical scenes or actually dreamt them instead! If any of you are fans of Maggie Stiefvater and the vivid descriptions in Erin Morgenstern’s  The Night Circus then this will be right up your street!” furthermore in their newsletter titled ‘An Exciting Reveal About Our Magic By Night Box’ they state that “This month, as a special treat, recipients of our Magic by Night box will receive TWO BOOKS: our featured book for this month, plus an advanced reading copy of a book due out in early 2017.”  Now as someone who is a control freak and picky reader I usually try and guess the book included in a box BEFORE I order it.  Based on what I read and what I’m showing you I made the logical conclusion that the book included would likely be Caraval by Stephanie Garber as it’s been promoted as a YA version of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and it’s being released at the end of January.  All the promotion and reveals for this box, in my opinion, point clearly to the feature book being Caraval.  I was wrong and because of that I feel extremely let down.   Anyway, let’s get into the unboxing/review.  Sorry if I sound bitter throughout but when things don’t go my way (or the way I expect them too) I get grouchy…

Okay, so let’s start out by saying that I can’t show you the box because it has my address right on top, but the box experienced some denting and damage in transit.  I know from the theme reveal video that this artwork was hand painted then photographed (at least I assume so) so I can’t criticize it too much other than the colours don’t fit with the feature book. The actual information side of the introduction card is clear, easy to read and precise it also includes the full links to stores not just the social media handle or shop name – which is something very good in my opinion.

I also received this little Christmas card in the box, so that was cool.

The first product included is this cute star charm wish bracelet.  It has a quote by Sarah J. Maas (‘You Could Rattle The Stars) on the packaging and on the back it says “Close your eyes, make a wish, tie your bracelet on your wrist, when the cord breaks in two your wish will then come true!” I think this bracelet is super cute and I’ll be putting it on once I’ve completed this post.  It’s by The Woodland Folk on Etsy.

Next up we have this unicorn iron on patch.  This is a nice design  but I don’t really have a use for it.  It’s by Rosie Wonders.

Then we have this adorable pencil which says ‘I believe in unicorns’.  It’s made by the curator of this box and I absolutely adore it!

This magical notebooks by Fable and Black features a J.K Rowling quote on it.  It’s not lined inside and is a decent size.

  And this month’s feature book is….

Bone Gap by Laura Ruby.  This is a YA Magical Realism Romance.

  Everyone knows Bone Gap is full of gaps—gaps to trip you up, gaps to slide through so you can disappear forever. So when young, beautiful Roza went missing, the people of Bone Gap weren’t surprised. After all, it wasn’t the first time that someone had slipped away and left Finn and Sean O’Sullivan on their own. Just a few years before, their mother had high-tailed it to Oregon for a brand new guy, a brand new life. That’s just how things go, the people said. Who are you going to blame?

Finn knows that’s not what happened with Roza. He knows she was kidnapped, ripped from the cornfields by a dangerous man whose face he cannot remember. But the searches turned up nothing, and no one believes him anymore. Not even Sean, who has more reason to find Roza than anyone, and every reason to blame Finn for letting her go.

As we follow the stories of Finn, Roza, and the people of Bone Gap—their melancholy pasts, their terrifying presents, their uncertain futures—acclaimed author Laura Ruby weaves a heartbreaking tale of love and loss, magic and mystery, regret and forgiveness—a story about how the face the world sees is never the sum of who we are.

  I had never heard of this book and that’s probably because it isn’t the type of book I would pick up.  It was released in 2015 – so it’s odviously not our ARC copy.  I expected Caravel to be this book and as I’ve said I am extremely disappointed. This book also came with a signed book plate which I haven’t used and won’t since I plan on selling this book.

The box also included an interview card with the author of the feature book.  I like this idea but I never end up reading them, which is silly of me.

We also received some book promotion stuff, first up we have this promotion card for Frogkisser by Garth Nix.  I’m glad this was included as I hadn’t heard about this book and it sounds like something I might enjoy.

Then we have this two sided teaser booklet for Unconventional by Maggie Harcourt and Broken Sky by L.A. Weatherly.

And the second book is….

The Memory Book by Lara Avery.  This is supposedly the ARC, however this book was released in the US back in July of 2016 and I’ve seen it in Australian stores (we get the UK covers) since before Christmas.  So it most certainly is not an ARC of a book being released in early 2017.  I’ve been meaning to pick this one up however it seems extremely gut wrenching so I probably won’t pick it up til I’m in a good place mentally so I’m not upset about it being included.  However it doesn’t fit with the theme AT ALL.

  They tell me that my memory will never be the same, that I’ll start forgetting things. At first just a little, and then a lot. So I’m writing to remember.

Sammie was always a girl with a plan: graduate at the top of her class and get out of her small town as soon as humanly possible. Nothing will stand in her way–not even a rare genetic disorder the doctors say will slowly start to steal her memories and then her health. What she needs is a new plan.

So the Memory Book is born: Sammie’s notes to her future self, a document of moments great and small. It’s where she’ll record every perfect detail of her first date with longtime crush, Stuart–a brilliant young writer who is home for the summer. And where she’ll admit how much she’s missed her childhood best friend, Cooper, and even take some of the blame for the fight that ended their friendship.

Through a mix of heartfelt journal entries, mementos, and guest posts from friends and family, readers will fall in love with Sammie, a brave and remarkable girl who learns to live and love life fully, even though it’s not the life she planned.

  PRETTY PAGES!

Final Thoughts:

While I admire the quality of the products included I hate to say I won’t be ordering from this company again.  Not only is the feature book not a new release (and while that would be fine if they advertised that that was the case they don’t/didn’t) but to me (and I haven’t read the book so I could be wrong) it doesn’t really fit the theme.  If you’re including a magical realism book make the theme more obscure and less ‘magic’.  Also the creators should be more aware of the books being released and how they should make the theme more  specific to what they’re including.  I was expecting more dark creepy circus and fairy like things instead I got unicorns and a contemporary novel?  I just feel like there was a lot of false advertising and I am disappointed with the company.  Obviously you are free to judge based on your own opinions of the products included but to me I’ve been ‘wronged’ by them and just have no interest in using this service again.  (Which is probably a good thing since I have so many other boxes I want to try and buy..)  I really do love the bracelet and pencil though!

  You can order your Book Box Club box HERE for £27.99 (not including shipping). If you want to check out past boxes you can click HERE and HERE.

  My Links:

Goodreads : Becca Winter

Instagram : becca_theory

Twitter : @Becca_Theory

Facebook : The Troubles And Woes Of A Bookworm

Becca

xxx

The opinions expressed in this review are mine and mine alone.  This post is not sponsored I paid for the box myself.

Book Subscription Box Review: Book Box Club Book Box Club: December 'Magic By Night' Box Okay, so if you don't know what a book subscription box then;

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14 Ways To ‘Travel’ Without Leaving Home

From cooking a dish from your favourite country, to watching a foreign film or binge-watching some travel documentaries, here are some ideas of travel experiences you can have from the comfort of your home.

We’re living in a pretty extraordinary time right now. Coronavirus (COVID-19) is the world’s biggest global health crisis of our lifetime. The virus is affecting our health, our economies and of course, our travel plans.

While I’d love to be able to wave a magic wand and make it all go away, it’s impossible. It’s time to sit tight, be respectful and careful, and plan for the future.

Planning future travels

Working in the travel industry I’m witnessing the effects of the crisis first-hand. My website traffic has halved as people aren’t travelling or planning trips. Hotel and tour bookings are down, and many that were taking place over the next few weeks have been cancelled. Some of my upcoming travel campaigns have been postponed until later in the year. My income is taking a hit, but it’ll be nothing compared to hotels and tour operators in places like China and northern Italy. It’s devastating to think about the businesses that won’t make it through this… and it’s not over yet.

I know a lot of you are also in limbo too. Plans are on hold for the foreseeable future… but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a travel experience of some sort, in your home! I’m not talking about cranking your heating up, putting on a bikini and pretending you’re in the Caribbean (although you could try that!)

The beautiful landscapes of Dominica

From cooking a delicious meal from a far-flung destination, to learning a language and enjoying some amazing travel documentaries, whether you’re self-isolating, or just waiting until travel restrictions are lifted, there are plenty of ways to give yourself a ‘travel experience’ from the comfort and safety of your own home.

14 Ways To ‘Travel’ Without Leaving Home

Cook a meal from a foreign country

One of my favourite things about travelling is the food. Nourishing bowls of Japanese ramen, silky Italian pasta, spicy Thai curries, Mexican tacos… the list goes on. What better way to enjoy a flavour of a destination in your own home, than by getting busy in the kitchen.

Thai curry night

I’m constantly coming across great recipes online. BBC Food is a great starting point – type in pretty much anything and you’ll find a recipe. Oh, and if you’re in quarantine right now at home, remember you can get your shopping delivered to your door! 

For something a bit different, I’d recommend checking out The Spicery – a subscription box website, which delivers recipe kits through your letterbox. I ordered a curry subscription for Macca for Christmas, and each month a box arrives with a recipe and all of the spices to cook up an incredible feast. You just need to buy the main ingredients (meat, veg etc).

The Spicery – set

The thing I love is that they’re not standard dishes you’ll have tried before. Last month we made a curry from a specific region of Northern India, and our next is this potsticker recipe set from China’s Sichuan Province. 

Another option is a company like Feast Box, which I’m hoping to try soon (I’ll let you know what I think!). This company specialises in world food recipe boxes, delivered to your door, and includes all of the ingredients (meat, veg, spices etc). Dishes on the menu this week include Indonesian fish in a banana leaf, chicken empanadas and harissa and vegetable flatbreads, so it’s a lovely way to eat your way around the world.

Oh, and if you want to go the extra mile, invite a few friends over, pop up some decorations, or ask everyone to wear an outfit that fits with the cuisine. I’ve got a sombrero you can borrow!

Binge watch some travel documentaries 

Whether you have a Netflix or Amazon Prime subscription, or access to BBC iPlayer, you’ll find plenty of TV shows to satisfy your wanderlust. I absolutely adore the travel series Simon Reeve makes for the BBC. He gets under the skin of the destinations he visits, meeting locals and finding out the real issues people are dealing with. It won’t necessarily make you want to book a trip to where he is, but it’s a great way of understanding the world. 

Other travel TV shows I’d recommend include Planet Earth and Seven Worlds, One Planet (can’t beat Attenborough), Anthony Bourdain’s shows (lots on Amazon Prime) and Race Across The World (BBC – loved series one and series two has just started).

Watch a foreign movie

A feel-good documentary film that I really enjoyed was Craigslist Joe, which follows a guy’s journey as he travels across America living off people’s generosity. It’s all about human connections, but it’s essentially about travel too. 

Or if like me, you travel with your stomach, I’d recommend Street Food, Ugly Delicious and Chef’s Table (all on Netflix). Now that list should keep you going!

Print out your favourite travel photos or make a scrapbook

What better way to reconnect with your travels than to go look back through your adventures one photo at a time. I have a few travel journals from my first backpacking trips, which have tickets, photos and mementoes stuck in. As I get older, they’re lovely to flick through and remember all the little details and the people I met along the way.

Travel scrapbook

With everything online, we rarely print photos these days, so choose your fave snaps and pop them in frames or a scrapbook to look back at later in life. You can upload to a website like photobox and they’ll print them and post them to you. 

Printing polaroids

Watch a foreign film

South Korean movie Parasite is one of the most talked about films of 2020, and it’s brilliant! Very funny – I found myself giggling a lot of the way through it. The fact it’s in Korean only adds to the experience. It’s transports you into a different country’s culture, and the language only adds to that. 

Order a take away

Ok, this is the lazy option for those who want a travel experience at home, but don’t want to put much effort in! I’d recommend looking at your local takeaways and trying something brand new. If you usually order from the same Indian restaurant, how about trying Nepalese or Vietnamese food instead?

Vietnamese pho

I’ve just had a quick check to see what’s available in my area of London and was amazed to see over 45 different cuisines listed! Isn’t that incredible? Everything from Filipino and Turkish, to Iranian, Vietnamese and Syrian. It might not be good for my bank balance, but I guess I’m saving money by not travelling at the moment!

Chinese take away

Read a travelogue or a book that is set abroad

After finally switching from paperback books to a Kindle last year, I’m happy to say it goes absolutely everywhere with me. It’s liberating to have access to so many different books at the click of a button – perfect if you’re in quarantine right now and need some entertainment.

How about reading a travel-themed book? Somewhere that shares an epic journey or is set somewhere exotic? Whether you prefer fiction or non-fiction, here are a few to start you off…

On The Road – Jack Kerouac The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho Anything by Bill Bryson Step By Step – Simon Reeve Shantaram – Gregory David Roberts The Beach – Alex Garland Love With A Chance Of Drowning – Torre DeRoche Dark Star Safari: Overland from Cairo to Cape Town – Paul Theroux Eat Pray Love – Elizabeth Gilbert Anything by Levison Wood Tracks – Robyn Davidson Wild – Cheryl Strayed

The Alchemist, 25th Anniversary: A Fable About Following Your Dream

Price: $10.47

You Save: $6.52 (38%)

Price Disclaimer

Learn a foreign language using an app 

Ever since my first trip to Mexico, I dreamed of learning Spanish. How special to be able to converse with the locals and no doubt it’d help with tricky travel planning too. When I went backpacking I enrolled in Spanish school for a month and learned a lot of the basics. 

My first steps in learning Spanish? Via the app Duolingo. I think it’s a brilliant way to start building up some vocabulary and basic phrases. The app is free, and has courses in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Japanese, Arabic, Czech, Danish, Hindi, Korean, Greek and more!

Learning Spanish using Duolingo

Watch YouTube videos from your favourite travel vloggers

YouTube is a great place for travel inspiration. Before I travel somewhere new, I often watch a few videos to get an idea of what it’s like. Even if you’re not travelling right now, watching videos is a great way to transport yourself to your dream destination.

One of my favourite channels for inspiration is Benn TK. His videos are so cinematic and beautifully filmed. Watching them makes me want to hop on a plane!

For the perfect mix of travel and food, check out my pal Shu’s channel or for backpacking around the world, Christianne a.k.a Backpacking Bananas will give you some serious wanderlust. I’ve got tonnes of others I could recommend too – so many of my friends are so talented when it comes to capturing a destination on camera, but start with those and email me if you want some more suggestions.

Oh, and don’t forget my own videos, right here on my YouTube channel. 

Immerse yourself in the music of another destination 

This is actually one of my favourite ways to get ready for a trip, but there’s no reason you can’t do it when you’re staying at home too. Did you know that Spotify has top charts for countries around the world?

Spotify top 50 by country

Just go to Browse, then select Charts and you’ll see the top 50 songs in each country. Enjoy the top reggaetón hits in Mexico, find out what’s hot in Thailand, and which artists the people of Poland love right now. Maybe you’ll discover a foreign artist you absolutely love?

Oh, and if the top 50 isn’t doing it for you, I’d recommend Buena Vista Social Club for some Cuban holiday vibes from the comfort of your home.

Musicians in Havana, Cuba

Research your dream trip on your fave travel blogs

So some of your travel plans may be on hold, postponed, cancelled or err, completely uncertain… but we can still dream and plan. With free time on your hands you can spend time researching everything you could possibly need for your next holiday, and be ready to act as soon as things go back to normal. You might even scoop a great deal.

Enjoying the beaches in Muscat

You can check out my Destinations page to find travel guides for all the amazing places I’ve travelled to. I’d also recommend looking at myTravel Inspiration page if you you’re still deciding where to go.

We’ll be heading away on a honeymoon at the end of 2020, so I’m starting to research ideas for that while I have some extra time on my hands. 

Enjoying colourful Tokyo

Visit a top museum or gallery… virtually

Did you know that some of the world’s most famous galleries and museums have virtual tours? Wander the curvy interior of New York’s Guggenheim Museum using Google Street View or take a trip past the mummies and the rosetta stone in London’s British Museum. The Louvre in Paris also has a special virtual tour option on its website here.  

The best part? No queues or tourists getting in your way! And you can visit in your pyjamas… 

Tour the planet using Google Earth  

When was the last time you looked at Google Earth? For me it was several years ago… I think when it launched! However, it’s a seriously cool tool, and gives you the opportunity to travel around the world from home.

Click on the ‘Voyager’ tab to see interesting categories in more detail – everything from learning about a specific destination, to taking a tour of literary locations around the world.

Google Earth – Voyager

Alternatively, hit the ‘I’m Feeling Lucky’ button and be virtually transported to random destinations across the planet.

Have a go at making something from a different country

One of the things I’ve loved most on my travels has been creating something to bring home. Whether that was trying batik painting in Indonesia, or learning how to make goat’s cheese in Norwich a few weeks ago. It’s a lovely way to connect to a culture.

If you’re looking for things to try at home (especially if you’ve got kids to entertain), how about one of these…

Buy a sushi kit and learn how to make sushi  Buy some masks and decorate them in the style of Mexico’s Day of the Dead Make a Japanese hand fan Try your hand at calligraphy Create your own dreamcatcher

Making sushi at home

Making a dreamcatcher

Learning calligraphy

Mix up some exotic cocktails

At tough times I often turn to my shelf of Caribbean rums. They definitely help ease the pain! If you want to feel like you’re travelling, without leaving home, how about mixing up some tasty cocktails from around the world?

Lots of destinations have a famous signature drink, so you could try a different one each week! Here are a few suggestions to get you started…

Mojito, Daiquiri and Cuba Libre – Cuba Pisco Sour – Peru Bellini – Italy Sangria – Spain Caipirinha – Brazil Manhattan and Tom Collins – New York, USA Dark N Stormy – Bermuda Singapore Sling – Singapore Sidecar – Paris, France Margarita – Mexico

Stirring my passion fruit mojito

My passion fruit mojito

I hope this fun guide has given you some inspiration if you’re stuck at home or your travel plans have been postponed. Let me know if you have any more ideas I should add to the list!

Enjoyed this post? Pin it for later…

The post 14 Ways To ‘Travel’ Without Leaving Home appeared first on Wanderlust Chloe.

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14 Ways To ‘Travel’ Without Leaving Home

From cooking a dish from your favourite country, to watching a foreign film or binge-watching some travel documentaries, here are some ideas of travel experiences you can have from the comfort of your home.

We’re living in a pretty extraordinary time right now. Coronavirus (COVID-19) is the world’s biggest global health crisis of our lifetime. The virus is affecting our health, our economies and of course, our travel plans.

While I’d love to be able to wave a magic wand and make it all go away, it’s impossible. It’s time to sit tight, be respectful and careful, and plan for the future.

Planning future travels

Working in the travel industry I’m witnessing the effects of the crisis first-hand. My website traffic has halved as people aren’t travelling or planning trips. Hotel and tour bookings are down, and many that were taking place over the next few weeks have been cancelled. Some of my upcoming travel campaigns have been postponed until later in the year. My income is taking a hit, but it’ll be nothing compared to hotels and tour operators in places like China and northern Italy. It’s devastating to think about the businesses that won’t make it through this… and it’s not over yet.

I know a lot of you are also in limbo too. Plans are on hold for the foreseeable future… but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a travel experience of some sort, in your home! I’m not talking about cranking your heating up, putting on a bikini and pretending you’re in the Caribbean (although you could try that!)

The beautiful landscapes of Dominica

From cooking a delicious meal from a far-flung destination, to learning a language and enjoying some amazing travel documentaries, whether you’re self-isolating, or just waiting until travel restrictions are lifted, there are plenty of ways to give yourself a ‘travel experience’ from the comfort and safety of your own home.

14 Ways To ‘Travel’ Without Leaving Home

Cook a meal from a foreign country

One of my favourite things about travelling is the food. Nourishing bowls of Japanese ramen, silky Italian pasta, spicy Thai curries, Mexican tacos… the list goes on. What better way to enjoy a flavour of a destination in your own home, than by getting busy in the kitchen.

Thai curry night

I’m constantly coming across great recipes online. BBC Food is a great starting point – type in pretty much anything and you’ll find a recipe. Oh, and if you’re in quarantine right now at home, remember you can get your shopping delivered to your door! 

For something a bit different, I’d recommend checking out The Spicery – a subscription box website, which delivers recipe kits through your letterbox. I ordered a curry subscription for Macca for Christmas, and each month a box arrives with a recipe and all of the spices to cook up an incredible feast. You just need to buy the main ingredients (meat, veg etc).

The Spicery – set

The thing I love is that they’re not standard dishes you’ll have tried before. Last month we made a curry from a specific region of Northern India, and our next is this potsticker recipe set from China’s Sichuan Province. 

Another option is a company like Feast Box, which I’m hoping to try soon (I’ll let you know what I think!). This company specialises in world food recipe boxes, delivered to your door, and includes all of the ingredients (meat, veg, spices etc). Dishes on the menu this week include Indonesian fish in a banana leaf, chicken empanadas and harissa and vegetable flatbreads, so it’s a lovely way to eat your way around the world.

Oh, and if you want to go the extra mile, invite a few friends over, pop up some decorations, or ask everyone to wear an outfit that fits with the cuisine. I’ve got a sombrero you can borrow!

Binge watch some travel documentaries 

Whether you have a Netflix or Amazon Prime subscription, or access to BBC iPlayer, you’ll find plenty of TV shows to satisfy your wanderlust. I absolutely adore the travel series Simon Reeve makes for the BBC. He gets under the skin of the destinations he visits, meeting locals and finding out the real issues people are dealing with. It won’t necessarily make you want to book a trip to where he is, but it’s a great way of understanding the world. 

Other travel TV shows I’d recommend include Planet Earth and Seven Worlds, One Planet (can’t beat Attenborough), Anthony Bourdain’s shows (lots on Amazon Prime) and Race Across The World (BBC – loved series one and series two has just started).

Watch a foreign movie

A feel-good documentary film that I really enjoyed was Craigslist Joe, which follows a guy’s journey as he travels across America living off people’s generosity. It’s all about human connections, but it’s essentially about travel too. 

Or if like me, you travel with your stomach, I’d recommend Street Food, Ugly Delicious and Chef’s Table (all on Netflix). Now that list should keep you going!

Print out your favourite travel photos or make a scrapbook

What better way to reconnect with your travels than to go look back through your adventures one photo at a time. I have a few travel journals from my first backpacking trips, which have tickets, photos and mementoes stuck in. As I get older, they’re lovely to flick through and remember all the little details and the people I met along the way.

Travel scrapbook

With everything online, we rarely print photos these days, so choose your fave snaps and pop them in frames or a scrapbook to look back at later in life. You can upload to a website like photobox and they’ll print them and post them to you. 

Printing polaroids

Watch a foreign film

South Korean movie Parasite is one of the most talked about films of 2020, and it’s brilliant! Very funny – I found myself giggling a lot of the way through it. The fact it’s in Korean only adds to the experience. It’s transports you into a different country’s culture, and the language only adds to that. 

Order a take away

Ok, this is the lazy option for those who want a travel experience at home, but don’t want to put much effort in! I’d recommend looking at your local takeaways and trying something brand new. If you usually order from the same Indian restaurant, how about trying Nepalese or Vietnamese food instead?

Vietnamese pho

I’ve just had a quick check to see what’s available in my area of London and was amazed to see over 45 different cuisines listed! Isn’t that incredible? Everything from Filipino and Turkish, to Iranian, Vietnamese and Syrian. It might not be good for my bank balance, but I guess I’m saving money by not travelling at the moment!

Chinese take away

Read a travelogue or a book that is set abroad

After finally switching from paperback books to a Kindle last year, I’m happy to say it goes absolutely everywhere with me. It’s liberating to have access to so many different books at the click of a button – perfect if you’re in quarantine right now and need some entertainment.

How about reading a travel-themed book? Somewhere that shares an epic journey or is set somewhere exotic? Whether you prefer fiction or non-fiction, here are a few to start you off…

On The Road – Jack Kerouac The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho Anything by Bill Bryson Step By Step – Simon Reeve Shantaram – Gregory David Roberts The Beach – Alex Garland Love With A Chance Of Drowning – Torre DeRoche Dark Star Safari: Overland from Cairo to Cape Town – Paul Theroux Eat Pray Love – Elizabeth Gilbert Anything by Levison Wood Tracks – Robyn Davidson Wild – Cheryl Strayed

The Alchemist, 25th Anniversary: A Fable About Following Your Dream

Price: $10.47

You Save: $6.52 (38%)

Price Disclaimer

Learn a foreign language using an app 

Ever since my first trip to Mexico, I dreamed of learning Spanish. How special to be able to converse with the locals and no doubt it’d help with tricky travel planning too. When I went backpacking I enrolled in Spanish school for a month and learned a lot of the basics. 

My first steps in learning Spanish? Via the app Duolingo. I think it’s a brilliant way to start building up some vocabulary and basic phrases. The app is free, and has courses in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Japanese, Arabic, Czech, Danish, Hindi, Korean, Greek and more!

Learning Spanish using Duolingo

Watch YouTube videos from your favourite travel vloggers

YouTube is a great place for travel inspiration. Before I travel somewhere new, I often watch a few videos to get an idea of what it’s like. Even if you’re not travelling right now, watching videos is a great way to transport yourself to your dream destination.

One of my favourite channels for inspiration is Benn TK. His videos are so cinematic and beautifully filmed. Watching them makes me want to hop on a plane!

For the perfect mix of travel and food, check out my pal Shu’s channel or for backpacking around the world, Christianne a.k.a Backpacking Bananas will give you some serious wanderlust. I’ve got tonnes of others I could recommend too – so many of my friends are so talented when it comes to capturing a destination on camera, but start with those and email me if you want some more suggestions.

Oh, and don’t forget my own videos, right here on my YouTube channel. 

Immerse yourself in the music of another destination 

This is actually one of my favourite ways to get ready for a trip, but there’s no reason you can’t do it when you’re staying at home too. Did you know that Spotify has top charts for countries around the world?

Spotify top 50 by country

Just go to Browse, then select Charts and you’ll see the top 50 songs in each country. Enjoy the top reggaetón hits in Mexico, find out what’s hot in Thailand, and which artists the people of Poland love right now. Maybe you’ll discover a foreign artist you absolutely love?

Oh, and if the top 50 isn’t doing it for you, I’d recommend Buena Vista Social Club for some Cuban holiday vibes from the comfort of your home.

Musicians in Havana, Cuba

Research your dream trip on your fave travel blogs

So some of your travel plans may be on hold, postponed, cancelled or err, completely uncertain… but we can still dream and plan. With free time on your hands you can spend time researching everything you could possibly need for your next holiday, and be ready to act as soon as things go back to normal. You might even scoop a great deal.

Enjoying the beaches in Muscat

You can check out my Destinations page to find travel guides for all the amazing places I’ve travelled to. I’d also recommend looking at myTravel Inspiration page if you you’re still deciding where to go.

We’ll be heading away on a honeymoon at the end of 2020, so I’m starting to research ideas for that while I have some extra time on my hands. 

Enjoying colourful Tokyo

Visit a top museum or gallery… virtually

Did you know that some of the world’s most famous galleries and museums have virtual tours? Wander the curvy interior of New York’s Guggenheim Museum using Google Street View or take a trip past the mummies and the rosetta stone in London’s British Museum. The Louvre in Paris also has a special virtual tour option on its website here.  

The best part? No queues or tourists getting in your way! And you can visit in your pyjamas… 

Tour the planet using Google Earth  

When was the last time you looked at Google Earth? For me it was several years ago… I think when it launched! However, it’s a seriously cool tool, and gives you the opportunity to travel around the world from home.

Click on the ‘Voyager’ tab to see interesting categories in more detail – everything from learning about a specific destination, to taking a tour of literary locations around the world.

Google Earth – Voyager

Alternatively, hit the ‘I’m Feeling Lucky’ button and be virtually transported to random destinations across the planet.

Have a go at making something from a different country

One of the things I’ve loved most on my travels has been creating something to bring home. Whether that was trying batik painting in Indonesia, or learning how to make goat’s cheese in Norwich a few weeks ago. It’s a lovely way to connect to a culture.

If you’re looking for things to try at home (especially if you’ve got kids to entertain), how about one of these…

Buy a sushi kit and learn how to make sushi  Buy some masks and decorate them in the style of Mexico’s Day of the Dead Make a Japanese hand fan Try your hand at calligraphy Create your own dreamcatcher

Making sushi at home

Making a dreamcatcher

Learning calligraphy

Mix up some exotic cocktails

At tough times I often turn to my shelf of Caribbean rums. They definitely help ease the pain! If you want to feel like you’re travelling, without leaving home, how about mixing up some tasty cocktails from around the world?

Lots of destinations have a famous signature drink, so you could try a different one each week! Here are a few suggestions to get you started…

Mojito, Daiquiri and Cuba Libre – Cuba Pisco Sour – Peru Bellini – Italy Sangria – Spain Caipirinha – Brazil Manhattan and Tom Collins – New York, USA Dark N Stormy – Bermuda Singapore Sling – Singapore Sidecar – Paris, France Margarita – Mexico

Stirring my passion fruit mojito

My passion fruit mojito

I hope this fun guide has given you some inspiration if you’re stuck at home or your travel plans have been postponed. Let me know if you have any more ideas I should add to the list!

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The post 14 Ways To ‘Travel’ Without Leaving Home appeared first on Wanderlust Chloe.

source http://cheaprtravels.com/14-ways-to-travel-without-leaving-home/