#as a black person I get why sm black bloggers here have ‘don’t follow me if you’re white’ in their bios

[tariah23]

oooooo white people in my replies really saying ‘I can excuse racism but I draw the line at homophobia’

Not surprised since this is the site that only talks about racism and thinks it’s a big deal when they see it demonstrated in the cartoons and comics they like *coughs* dungeonmeshi *coughs* (for example at least. I haven’t seen THIS many white ppl talk as in depth about racism on here as much as these fandom nerds, man. I stg. Like “Ohhhh, so you all DO acknowledge that racism is real? Just not in real life even if you could feel it slapping you in the face at high speed. Gotcha.” It’s crazy.

Tumblr is like, 90% white and is extremely centered around them. That’s why you barely see stuff that’s important to black and brown people ever trending here or being talked about. It has to be something incredibly huge to the point where even white people can’t ignore it like they usually do, to talk about it here.

They only talked about George Floyd here because the topic of his death became world news. Even people in other countries were talking about it. Before him, it was probably Ferguson and Trayvon Martin… most of them are still trying their best to ignore the genocides because it’s a “touchy subject.” What do you expect from white people who live in their own bubbles of comfort and refuse to pop it with a needle??? They find comfort in their privilege and faux ignorance (they love playing stupid to avoid conversations about important things outside of fandoms like, are these mfs born with half a brain dedicated to fandom or what.) That’s literally all these mfs make a big deal out of, especially on this annoying ass platform. The ao3 mfs will go to war for the site that allows racist ff and cp like it’s no big deal. I wonder how many people here even donated to the site while actively scrolling past dono posts from folks who really do need help. They act like they’re doing a civil service by defending this site that makes over the amount of it’s intended dono goal in minutes.

Then you already know as soon as you even bring up racism in the stuff they like, they start ganging up and harassing black bloggers especially, calling them TERFs and the whole nine. Anything to make that person look bad for being concerned about the racism that they have such an intense aversion to. God, it’s absolutely exhausting knowing that these people would have no problem choosing a cartoon character over your entire existence if they COULD. Isn’t that fucking sad, man?

[xhanisai]

Disconsolate

Read on AO3 and FFN

A/N: ...you bet your ass I'm back not too long later lel~ I recently hit 3000+ followers on tumblr surprisingly (smh bad decision making you lot s m h) so here is my first gift? . . . ~(x)~

Grey? Windy? Rainy? Perfect. Marinette thanked the higher deities for once as she trudged her way to school, adorned in a stylistic but waterproof black jacket and a cheap umbrella in one hand. The other hand crept into her clutch, feeling Tikki's hand wrap around a finger to provide comfort. "Everything will be okay, Marinette," The little Goddess whispered supportively, squeezing the lone finger when she didn't receive a reply in response. The kwami understood the girl's turmoil; it has been a mere week after... After that event. She never voiced it out loud but Tikki was more than aware that this is the first time that Marinette has actually looked at the sky. The teen didn't need words to express her disdain for its usual, baby blue colour. Tikki squeezed the finger one last time till they made it to the school building. 

~(x)~

"Girl? Are you trying out a new trend or something?" Alya's question snapped the raven haired girl out of her daze, fist slipping away from its original place in supporting the side of her head as she leaned against it. Caramel coloured digits pinched the grey fabric of Marinette's turtleneck sweater and hazel eyes twinkled with curiousity. 'Heh- curious like a cat, he'd have appreciated that thought...' Mari almost smiled. "New trend?" She finally asked. Conveniently, Mme. Bustier popped out of the class for who knows what so the rest of the class decided to chatter in her absence. "Yeah, what's with the grey? You're usually a black, white and pink sort of girl, no?" Then, a sudden glint of mischievousness glittered in Alya's orbs as she leaned forward to mock whisper in Marinette's ear. "Or- is this another plan to impress Adrien? Hm~?" She cackled as Marinette used a finger to push her back by the forehead, an unimpressed pout on the smaller girl's lips. "Not this time," Marinette let out a little sigh, hoping that no one caught her exhaustiveness but she might as well have been wishing that pigs could fly. Her best friend and the two boys at front noted for the umpteenth time how knackered she was. "I just don't like wearing white anymore..." Adrien, the ever loving eavesdropper, cocked his head in confusion and then asked: "Is it because of how easily it can stain?" He was met with a surprised jolt from the baker girl instead. She blinked a few times before nodding along. Though, it seemed like she was using his question as an excuse instead... "Really? That didn't stop you before." Alya giggled. "You wore that pretty white blouse when we went paintballing, that white jacket at the trip to that muddy farm, that beautiful dress- which you need to teach me how to make- to the chocolate factory. I could go on!" The boys hummed in agreement. "Well...it's going to sound silly but- I- erm, I don't really like the colour anymore." Marinette's downcast eyes trailed to her fingers which was clutching the desk in an iron grip. The trio took that as a sign to drop the subject since it's clear that they've hit a nerve. Feeling her panic rise inside, Marinette excused herself to the restroom speedily with Alya hot at her heels. Adrien couldn't help but feel useless and shitty right now. "I wish she'd tell us what's going on so that we can help..." The model exhaled and dropped his upper half against his desk, itching to dart out of the room and bring Marinette back in his arms. "Maybe she's just going through an emo phase?" Nino's unhelpful quip was met with a slap behind the head from his baffled friend. "Okay! Sheesh- why'd ya gotta hit me so hard dude!?" ~(x)~ Having seen many strange things in her life, especially since the dawn of akumas, it was hard to surprise Sabine. Yet, something as simple as this grated on her maternal urges. The bin in Marinette's room was filled to the brim with content. Content that's not rubbish. Sabine spotted rolls and rolls of fabric, scattered rhinestones and faux gems, cluttered pens and pencils and many more things. What stood out was that they all ranged from different shades of blue to white. The woman narrowed her eyes in confusion before concluding that Marinette may have mistaken her rubbish bin as her fabric bin again, taking all the content out and arranged them as neatly as possible on the chaise. She'll have a talk with Marinette once she's back from school, hopefully. Sabine may be a busy woman but she can always tell whenever her daughter is feeling low or acting out of character. A couple of hours later, she and her husband was hastening through an emergency catering order for some event, much to Sabine's dismay. A few more hours after that, it was past midnight and her daughter was sound asleep. Just as Sabine was about to leave Marinette's bedroom after checking up on her and kissing her forehead, her eyes narrowed at the bin again. The blue and white fabric and stationary she fished out was back in there again. ~(x)~ "Eh!? Where did your beautiful blue eyes go, girl!?" Alya's squawks in the middle of the park interrupted Adrien's and Nino's conversation and they both shot their head forward to see the girl tugging along a shorter one whilst leaning into her face at the same time. Adrien jogged towards the girls, leaving Nino to look after the picnic. The model couldn't believe his eyes. The sweet, soft, baby blues in Marinette's orbs were replaced with a dark, brownish grey pair. Although it suited her naturally, it hid her face more rather than making them as striking as the blue. The first thing Adrien would see whenever he saw Marinette was her charming eyes; it feels like he's searching for her now instead. "I'm just trying out new contacts. They looked kinda cool, don't you think?" She gave a little twirl, the skirt of her dress flared modestly but prettily in colour that could rival buttercups. 'That outfit would have been complete if she wasn't hiding her real eyes...' Adrien mused to himself sadly. No matter how beautiful she looked, Marinette simply didn't look as fleshed out and vibrant with eyes like that. Or maybe it was the fake, polite smile she had plastered on her face. "Meh- I personally love the blue, you have the prettiest eye colour I've ever seen," Alya made way to Nino, not aware of the way Marinette's smile dropped. "I'd have liked to see you with golden brown, like Nino's! Or maybe green, like Adrien's," The blogger gave a sly wink and then chuckled along with her boyfriend when Marinette scoffed and Adrien scratched his head in confusion. "Is she indirectly trying to say that it doesn't suit me?" The designer directed her pout at Adrien. He would have happily fought a thousand warriors to make her smile or maybe kick Lila off the roof a few dozen times. He didn't want to lie however. "I think she just misses the usual colour, Marinette," The golden haired teen smiled, letting his fingers brush Marinette's fringe aside gently so that her eyes aren't as shadowed. "You do look more like your maman with grey eyes," His fingers now lingered on her cheekbone. Marinette's heart hammered against her chest and butterflies erupted in her stomach. She internally prayed that her cheeks didn't colour, unaware that Adrien was hoping the same for himself. "B-But?" Marinette tilted her head slightly till the boy was fully cupping her face. He unconsciously let his thumb stroke the soft, supple skin a few times. "I miss your blue eyes too, they remind me of the sky," Apparently that was the wrong thing to say. Marinette pulled out of his hold, biting her bottom lip with a dark, ugly emotion swimming through the contacts, glowering at the clear, azure sky. "Marinette? Are you okay?" Adrien reached forward again, hoping to catch her hand and apologise but the girl quickly nodded her head and forced a smile back on her face. He really can't stand that smile. "Yeah, I'm fine, just tired. Let's get to Alya and Nino before they abandon us to make out behind a tree or something again," She didn't wait for his answer and darted to their friends. She might as well have slapped him and that would have stung much less. Adrien's eyes shimmered sadly, making way to the trio. As he mingled and chatted with them, he kept a careful eye on Marinette. He noted her subdued actions. He noted her watered down expressions. He noted her fake smiles. He vowed to get to the bottom of it. He'll do anything to make her feel happy again. ~(x)~ Ladybug stared at her reflection with disgust. The moonless, pitch black sky made her figure seem sleeker and mysterious. The golden lights from nearby buildings and street lamps gave an illusion of glitter in her hair. The chill of the summer wind pinkened her sensitive lips into a plump, kissable colour. Yet all that Ladybug could do was grimace at her reflection at a nearby window on the roof she was perched on and claw at her cheek with one hand. White skin. Blue eyes. White skin. Blue eyes. White skin. Blue eyes- "Buginette?" The sound of Chat Noir's voice brought the heroine back to reality like gasp of fresh air. She immediately whisked her body around to face him, drinking in the sight of her beloved partner. Tan skin. Green eyes. Tan skin. Green eyes. Tan skin. Green eyes. "Why were you clawing at your face like that, My Lady?" He was suddenly close, grasping her hand away from her cheek which was reddened from all the scratching. He scowled at the marks, using his other hand to rub them away. A notion that reminded her of another green eyed, tan skinned boy. "I was just thinking..." She lied. Ladybug pretended to ignore the irritated twitch of Noir's cat ears and the snap of his tail slashing against the roof tiles. The teen clad in black squeezed her hand firmly; a body gesture she's come to recognise after so long. He's not letting her go. "I've been watching you for the past few minutes, Bug," Though his tone was smooth, his eyes were acidic. "Muttering about something alongside of 'disgusting'...?" He brought her hand to his lips, kissing the inside of her wrist but never leaving the appendage. His next few words were mumbled against the skin. "I hope you weren't talking about yourself..." Ladybug wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. She wanted to tell him everything. Of how a sole, childish mistake of hers... Cost them everything. Including him. Especially him. But she can't. "I wasn't, silly Chaton," This time, when she leaned into his touch and delivered a small smile, Chat Noir was reminded of his wonderful classmate. The two most important women in his life are suffering and they're not letting him in to help. It really pissed him off. "The truth, please," He breathed against her wrist, digging his other hand through her hair. One ribbon came undone and fluttered away with the breeze as his claws combed through the inky tendrils. The other ribbon joined its sister without much prompting- perhaps obeying the wishes of the miraculous holders and let the hair fall free. Chat Noir fell in love all over again. Ladybug never wanted to cry more now than ever. She couldn't stand seeing such affection in his eyes, knowing that it brought him to his doom at one point in a future. A future that she's prevented. A future that could still happen. "I just really, really hate the colour blue." Tears sprang out of her eyes without permission, forcing her to hide her face into Chat's chest and cry silently. The boy pushed away his disorientation and questions, arms encasing her against him as if he's protecting her. His chin rested on Ladybug's head as he squeezed her tight, hoping that it comforted her even if it was just a smidge. Because it's more help he's done today for the girls than he's done for the past week. That night, patrol was cancelled. Ladybug slipped away from his arms with a quiet goodbye, tracing the brow of his mask with her thumb and melancholy written all over her face. She swung away without another word. Chat Noir was left alone. Until, a familiar ribbon swept through the breeze and landed on his shoulder. With a gentleness that juxtaposed his deadly claws, the boy collected the magical fabric with his fingers, twirling it absentmindedly. Noir brought the ribbon to his lips, kissing it as lightly as if it's made out of glass. Suddenly, clarity hit him like a ton of bricks. His eyes dilated as every single puzzle piece finally clicked in his mind. Every interaction, every presence, every feeling, every smile, all made sense! "Marinette..." ~(x)~ She knew that this was wrong. That this was dangerous. She knew exactly what the consequences were in the future. Again, her dilemma was kicked away by another delectable kiss. God, she was so selfish! The cat didn't care though. Chat Noir parted her lips with his once more, relishing the taste of her bruised, swollen but sweet lips, tracing the rims with his tongue before slipping it inside. His gloved hands explored her torso modestly but lovingly, in a dance that they've tangoed too many times to count. Marinette's hair was loose and fanned against her pillow. The girl in question was clad in her pyjamas whilst the boy straddled her in his armour. His hands were clasping hers one more time as they parted for a brief moment and tilted their heads ever so slightly for a better angle before resuming back into their kiss. It was like every teen's deepest, darkest dreams. To have their loved one sneak into their bed and kiss them senseless till the early morning. To have sweet nothings whispered into their ear whilst surrounded by their arms. To have their necks marked with memories and promises and have it tingle throughout the rest of the day whilst hiding the evidence with a scarf. Marinette is not an ordinary teen. Neither is Chat Noir. Reality and logic came storming back into her mind, forcing Marinette to pull away from the kiss. Chat kissed his teeth in disapproval before deciding to target her shoulder as she lectures them about their duties for the millionth time. He was getting real sick of that crap. His annoyance was indisputable from the numerous love bites he's left on her body. "Chat...please...we shouldn't..." Marinette gasped out as the boy peppered her with kisses. "Why?" His lips were trailing the shell of her ear now. "Why do you always try and push me away, My Lady?" Her gasps were now more pronounced as Chat skimmed his teeth against the lobe gingerly. "I just want to make you happy..." His voice was barely above a whisper now. Clearing her throat and willing her heart to calm down, Marinette propped herself up on her elbows and flashed a look at Chat. Her 'Business means business' face which Chat has dubbed it as. The cat boy merely sat up, still having her pinned on the bed and had both her hands in his. This time, Tikki joined the duo from her hiding space, plopping herself on top of Marinette's shoulder. "It's bad enough that we're hiding all of this from Master Fu," Tikki began. She wasn't exactly reprimanding them but she also wasn't fond of the affair either. "But the fact that you know each others identities is unsafe-" "Tikki!" Marinette cut the Goddess off with a hiss. Chat Noir couldn't believe his ears and he leaned forward, hope bubbling in his eyes. "I knew it...I knew you found out," A broken laugh escaped him as he kissed her hands repeatedly. "You've been flashing those eyes at me...at civilian me, because you know! You've lingered closer to me...you, oh my God- I knew I wasn't going crazy," He babbled so happily that Marinette couldn't help the guilt that weighed heavier in her stomach. Were they this happy in the other future before the incident? She wondered what it was like to be ignorant of the ice cold horror that was waiting to engulf them all. "Tikki's right, Minou. It's too dangerous," Hurt and bewilderment flashed on Chat's face and his grip tightened on her hands. "I love you so much...I can't bear to see you hurt," Tears rolled down his cheeks and hers followed suit. "Are we not allowed to be happy?" He sniffed. Chat lowered his forehead on hers, eyes scrunched close to keep the tears away but it was no use. "This isn't fair..." "I know...I know," Tikki felt her heart shatter too, cursing Le Papillon for depriving two of the most beautiful souls of a future filled with happiness. It just wasn't fucking fair. "Say my name...please...please Marinette..." He uttered her name over and over again, like a prayer. Chat's hands cupped her cheeks, eyes begging for her to spill. She'd do anything to get rid of that sadness in his eyes. "Adrien," Marinette breathed and cried so beautifully when the boy detransformed immediately. The smooth, cool surface of his gloves was now warm flesh cradling her burning skin. The heat of his body on hers increased by a thousand and comforted her frame. His cat like eyes were naturally back to human but familiar green eyes. No more secrets. "One more night...please..." Adrien didn't dare to open his eyes now, wrapping his arms around her body and ducking his face into the crook of her neck. Marinette sent a pleading look to the kwamis, eyes shimmering with more tears to shed. Tikki and Plagg gave her a smile before making their way to the Goddess' hiding spot. "Watch over my kid," The being of destruction purred. Adrien took that as a sign to sit back up, gobsmacked that their last selfish wish was being granted. He let out another broken chuckle, matching Marinette's heartbroken smile. "I love you," He whispered and then connected his lips with hers. "I'll never stop loving you," He pushed her back down on the bed and kissed harder. "I'll wait for you forever, always," She believed him. ~(x)~ He's always believed that he's someone who wouldn't raise their voice, no matter what. After all, he did inherit his Father's threatening, ice chilling, tone which he only uses to manipulate someone into doing something (i.e. getting corrupted rich men off his back, scaring Lila away from tormenting his Marinette, etc). He's been wrong before. He's definitely wrong now. Seeing a doppelganger of himself pop out of the blue in a stark white uniform with unsettling blue eyes and an expressionless face was already a major shock to his system. Seeing the way Marinette froze up on the spot and then collapse on her knees at the sight of him was another. He had to get them out of here and transform! "I told you...we could fix it all if you'd just give me... . . . YOUR MIRACULOUS!" ~(x)~ It took them twenty-four hours to defeat this akuma. The akuma itself was just a poor, little child who was berated by his peers for being scared of something. So, he in turn brought out the scariest thing that everyone's seen to life so that they could understand his pain. Not only did they have to hire Rena Rouge, Carapace and Queen Bee (a risk that they had to take), they also had to bring out Viperion, Ryuuko, Pegasus, Roi Singh and nominate the rest of their classmates to pair with the zodiac miraculouses. The battle was gruesome and messy with everyone else's standard fears. Chat Blanc, his name learnt through Ladybug's petrified rambles, took the icing on the cake. The white cat was loaded with infinite destruction and managed to wipe out the whole team save for Chat Noir and Ladybug. Ladybug has never hesitated when it came to fighting akumas and sentients- Chat Blanc was the exception. Thus, it ruined the dynamic of the team and sent thousands of innocents to their demise as the wild cat killed everything in his sight. It took twenty detransformations, eighteen passionate yet desperate kisses after being separated so long from their break-up, ten begging prayers and three tear-streaked faces till Ladybug finally listened to Chat Noir and got her head sorted in the game. Playing herself as bait as her civilian form, Marinette managed to catch Chat Blanc's attention, making him an easy target to cataclysm before that monster could DARE to touch his Princess. One cleansing light later, everything was back to normal. ~(x)~ "I'm sorry, Marinette, Adrien," The old guardian's grave words felt like a punch into the duo's guts. This was it. They were going to lose their miraculouses. Marinette wasn't surprised- it was her fault after all. This doesn't mean that Adrien should be punished as well! He did nothing wrong- "I'm sorry for not preparing and training you both properly," Fu's self-deprecating tone clicked the boy and girl back into reality and they gaped when they saw that he didn't make a move to take back the miraculous boxes. "I-I thought...that you'd take them away..." Marinette spoke bravely. She was met with a kind smile from the old man instead who shook his head and beckoned her and Adrien to slip the jewellery on without hesitation. His brown eyes crinkled with delight as they rejoiced with their kwamis. "But...why?" Adrien whispered, tempting to pinch himself because he's never this lucky. "We've been hiding in secrecy for so long...you said you'd take our miraculous away if we...told each other..." "Yes, a terrible decision from a man who made terrible choices in the past." Fu sighed. "I've noticed when you've started to suspect, Adrien," The blonde in question froze in his seat. "I knew that a reveal was inevitable sooner or later considering how close you both are in and out of the mask...in all combinations," The guardian smirked at the way the two stiffened from his choice of words. Clearly they weren't as sneaky as they thought when Marinette and Chat Noir had their...moments. "I also noticed how off you were when Bunnix took you away, Marinette," Adrien instinctively clasped her hand with his, hoping he'd provide her with some warmth. It took a while but he managed to coax out of her of what happened and soon, everything made sense. With the help of their kwamis, he managed to get rid of the guilt out of her system because honestly, she did NOTHING wrong. "You two are the only ones fit of handling the mantle of the Ladybug and Black Cat. You've defeated a being capable of infinite destruction, twice in your case Marinette. You have both grown stronger with the knowledge of each others identities and have gained such strong loyalty from not only Tikki and Plagg but also all the other kwamis. I am so sorry for burdening you both with secrecy but believe me, I only had the best intentions. Will you forgive me?" Marinette and Adrien were crying with joy now, the latter blowing his nose into a handkerchief much to Plagg's disgust, causing everyone else in the room to laugh. Finally, their souls seemed lighter than ever. ~(x)~ "Oh? That's an interesting choice of colour today," Adrien laughed, not wasting any time to give Marinette a twirl so that the skirt of the dress flared like a blooming flower. The girl giggled before landing on his chest and brought him into an embrace. The model hummed happily, kissing the crown of her head with a blush. He'll never get enough of Marinette and the way she gets his heart racing. "I think it's about time I prove to Nino that I'm not going through an emo phase." Marinette pulled her head away from Adrien's chest to stick her tongue out at the DJ. The bespeckled boy let out a mock scoff and retorted with: "It's either that or a Chat Noir phase! Take your pick!" "Fine- emo phase it is." Marinette sighed dramatically, smirking at Adrien's protests as she bounced towards Nino and Alya. She didn't get far as her partner swept her away in his arms, bridal style, making way to their friends despite her shrieks. "Ew. They're gonna be THAT couple. Alya. Bleach my eyes," Nino received a flick on the nose instead from his girlfriend who was busy taking millions of photos for her 'adrinette' album. "After all that slow burning, months of pining, I expect nothing less of my children," Alya harrumphed and then sped towards Marinette to see her latest dress up close. Judging from the way she squealed and the next ten million pictures she took, Alya loved the garment. "I could make you one?" Marinette offered. She tried to get down to her feet but Adrien wouldn't budge, only clutching her closer to him as he whistled innocently. He could be so clingy sometimes! "Me? No way! I can never pull it off like you do! That cool gradient of blue and white and those blue ribbons and SHOES! Ugh Marinette- you're just so fucking pretty, marry me already!" Alya playfully clasped her hands with Marinette's, both girls enjoying the way Adrien's eyebrow twitched at their over-affectionate actions. "Haha- no. I'm not sharing my girl," "Haven't you heard, Adrien? It's hoes before bros." Marinette finally jumped out of his arms which loosened from bafflement and skipped away with Alya hooked in one arm. Nino cackled when Adrien finally came to, muttering about how girls will be the death of him as he made way to the trio. It feels like it's been years since they've had a picnic at this spot in the park. Marinette couldn't help but sigh blissfully. This whole month has been one heck of a rollercoaster. Now? She's got the love of her life and kick-ass but adorable partner lying on her lap with her fingers curling through his blonde locks. Master Fu has stepped up as a mentor for both her and Adrien (although going through numerous locations to ensure his safety was a pain and a half). "The sky's so pretty," Adrien murmured, bringing Marinette back out of her daydreams. She blinked owlishly at him a few times before raising a brow. "How can you see the sky if you're looking at me?" "No, I'm looking at the sky," His hand suddenly reached up, fondling the skin below her eye and his thumb stroked the smooth arch of her brow. "See?" He then leaned up, pulling her in for a soft kiss before lying back down with a content smile, regardless of the way Marinette's face exploded in red. "OH MY GOD THAT IS CHEESY! I BET YOU ALYA, THEY'LL RUN AWAY TO ENGLAND AND GET MARRIED AT SIXTEEN! I BET YOU FIFTY EUROS!" "Top ten reasons to why I should hit Nino has now been updated to top twenty, note that down please Cesaire?" The model growled whilst everyone else giggled. Marinette smiled at her love and then smiled at the sky. White and blue isn't so bad after all... . . . ~(x)~ A/N: It's almost six in the morning, I have to get to class in three hours. Fuck. I'll spellcheck and all that stuff tomorrow. Thank you for reading!

[toldyoushecan]

TRAVEL DIARY | BAGUIO 219

We are down to the last 2 months of 2019 and I am so glad I was able to squeeze in a little trip up North with the B! We are excited to finally escape our daily work routine. It was a great time to visit my brother Choi too, who is currently studying in Baguio.

I booked our hotel via ZENROOMS. (which is now my favorite hotel app! I love how they offer clean, comfortable yet very affordable rooms!) We chose Casa Bel Baguio that only cost us 1810.00php for 2 nights. (I used a 20% promo code too!) You can’t expect much from it as it is very basic though I was surprised that ours included a balcony and a decent parking space. This is probably one of the reasons why we didn’t opt for the prettier options on AirBnB. Madaming mas maganda but it’s either mahirap puntahan or there are no guaranteed parking space. Casa Bel located along Marcos Highway which is 15-20 minutes away from the city proper.

We didn’t visit the other common tourist spots because we’ve been here a few times already. We only went to Camp John Hay just for some photo ops. They do offer a lot of cool adventures but were too lazy (or scared lol) to try any. You can check the list here: https://campjohnhay.com/explore.html

Inside Camp John Hay is a garden called Bell House. We paid an entrance fee of 48php/head.

WHERE TO EAT IN BAGUIO:

ARCA’S YARD

Location: Tiptop, Ambuclao Road, Baguio City

We had our first breakfast in Baguio at this very dreamy cafe called Arca’s Yard. It is located approx. 15-20 minutes from the city proper. It is an old 3-story house converted into a very cozy and homey restaurant. We sat on a table beside a white wooden window where I enjoyed sipping my hot chocolate drink while I appreciate the beautiful view of tall Pine trees swaying outside.

WE ORDERED THE FOLLOWING:

LONGGANISA - (165)

HUNGARIAN SAUSAGE WITH BACON AND GG - (210)

CACAO HOT CHOCOLATE - (75) ugh! this one set the bar up high. I love how authentic it tastes.. it’s perfect for the cold breeze outside.

CREAM OF MUSHROOM - I forgot to take note of the price. The B ordered this one and he really liked it. He said the smooth texture of the soup is very creamy and tasty. It’s like the ingredients melt and dance in his mouth which he really liked.

HODORI KOREAN AND JAPANESE RESTAURANT

Location: Mabini Street | Session Road

I craved for Samgyupsal on our first night in Baguio. This one is located near Session Road so we gave it a try.

390PHP/per person for unlimited meat and serving dishes

You’ll get 4 types of meat: Samgyupsal (Pork Belly) Woosamgyup (Beef Belly) Pork Bulgogi and Beef Bulgogi

They also offer additional serving dishes: (which are also part of the unlimited)

- Shrimp Tempura (which to my surprise doesn’t really taste like one. PLEASE SKIP THIS)

- Fried Chicken

- Seasoned Chicken

- Kimbab

- California Maki _(This together with the Japchae were okay)

- Japchae

*Note that they do offer Korean ice cream but it is no longer part of the unlimited :)

GLENN’S 50′S DINER

Location: 92 Upper General Luna Road**, Corner Brent Road

I honestly have high expectations with this diner as a lot of bloggers have been raving about this. (There is another branch which is only called “50′s Diner” located inside Porta Vaga mall) The B and I arrived there just in time for lunch so we had to wait for about 10 minutes before we got our table. I was expecting it to look close like the Filling Station in Makati but the retro vibes was not really there. Maybe because it was too small and the place was packed with customers when we went there.

WE ORDERED THE FOLLOWING:

GRILLED PORK BELLY - 135PHP (Soft and tender meat. It was good!)

BLT - 1150PHP (The bun was really big! I enjoyed my burger though nothing was really special about it)

CREAM OF MUSHROOM - 60 (This one doesn’t taste home-made. I feel like they used those easy-cook sachets to make this)

STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE - 70 (I am a sucker for Strawberry milkshakes and this one was what I really loved. The combination of milk and strawberry was perfectly blended. It was not too sweet and I find it very affordable for the big glass.

BAGUIO CRAFT BREWERY

Location: Marcos Highway

This is another must-try place in Baguio as it gives a whole new social drinking experience. Too bad we went there during a black out in the area so we were only able to check out the roof top without experiencing the view of the city lights below the building. It was a great experience as it was my first time to try craft beer. How it works is you have to go to the cashier where all the craft beers are located. You may ask for free taste until you find what beer really suits your liking.

We ordered the following:

Lagud - Strawberry Fruit Beer - (180PHP) I played safe and ordered this one. hehe This was actually my brother’s first choice. It was good. It tastes like wine to me!

Kraken - mixed with coffee - (190PHP)

English Man in New York - mixed with caramel - (190PHP)

SIZZLING PLATE

Location: 116 Session Road

The B has been eyeing this the moment we passed Session Road. We could see a lot of people dining in so we finally gave it a try on our 2nd night in Baguio. We were surprised that this restaurant is the same one we see inside SM’s food court. However they do offer bigger serving that still didn’t hurt our pockets.

WE ORDERED THE FOLLOWING:

GRILLED PORKCHOP 

T-BONE STEAK - 240PHP

SALISBURY STEAK - 161PHP

CREAM OF MUSHROOM 

ILI LIKHA ARTISTS VILLAGE

Location: Assumption Rd

You should definitely consider going to this place when you go to Baguio. It’s not your typical food hub as the entire place was built with big trunk of trees. All the pieces made to assemble the food hub are recycled which is really evident if you would walk around the place.While appreciating the crazy aesthetics of the entire place, you could fill in your stomachs from the different food stalls inside. You can order from any of the stalls and they would bring you your food wherever you want to be seated.

We ordered the following: (We ordered these from 3 different merchants but I wasn’t able to take note of each names)

BALBACUA - 75 (I’ve been curious about this too as I’ve read this dish in a lot of other blog post. They said it taste like “pares” which I don’t really eat but I gave it a try anyway... locals, please don’t get mad at me but I feel like matabang siya. :(

RICE - 35 (I ordered one rice because the dish doesn’t include it yet)

BULLET PROOF COFFEE - 110 (Coffee is always a good idea anyway. I loved this!)

PINIKPIKAN - 110 (Here’s another dish we got curious with. It turned out it taste exactly like Tinola hehe masarap!)

ALIGUE RICE WITH BAGNET + 1 STEAMED RICE - 170 (I enjoyed the Aligue rice as it was very tasty and flavorful pero naumay kami with the rich taste so mixed it with steamed rice hehe)

SAGADA COFFEE with 1 free refill - 50

This is a little bridge going to the other side of the food hub. 

you can dine wherever you want!

This one is pretty awesome! They have a small theater designed with wood and trunks. I believe this is where they would invite people and play indie films.

OTHER INFO I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE :)

- Total gas was 2000.00 for an AT Sedan Hyundai Accent (departed from Tandang Sora, Quezon City. 3 days stay. Including city driving)

- Total toll gate was around 1300.00

- Total budget for pasalubong was 600-1200.00 (Dun kayo sa Public Market nila bumili kasi mas mura yung mga pasalubong dun. Mas makakatawad din. Sample pricing: 120php for the big Choco Flakes, 80php for 1 pack of cheese bars, 100php for 7 Fuji Apples, 80php for the Lengua)

- If it’s your first time going to the night market. Only bring a small bag or purse. Expect na sobrang daming tao talaga. They open at 9PM :)

- Looking for the best cake? YOU MUST TRY VIZCO’S STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE! Located along session road :)

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I enjoyed writing this travel post! I hope to write another one anytime soon.

**

Thank you for visiting my blog! :)

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For business purposes please email me at dhindeleon@gmail.com

Love,

Claudine

[fadingfartconnoisseur]

AK Monthly Recap: September 2017

I started September in Minsk, eager to visit four new European countries. I finished the month in New York, recovering after a very busy six weeks of on-and-off travel. And now I’m sitting in my apartment, totally pooped and yearning to travel like crazy while savoring all the time I have at home.

Here it is — the best of September!

Destinations Visited

Minsk, Belarus

Vilnius, Lithuania

Tallinn, Estonia

St. Petersburg, Russia

Helsinki, Finland

New York, NY, USA

Favorite Destination

St. Petersburg. It far surpassed my expectations with its beauty and grandeur.

Highlights

Visiting four new countries — including one that I thought would be quite difficult. I would really love to visit 100 countries, and being at 74 now puts that goal within reach. Also, I only have one country remaining in Europe — Cyprus!

That said, the last thing I want to be is the kind of person who lands in a capital, spends a day and a half there, and yells, “Country done!” I hate that. And I know that sounds ironic considering that I only visited one city each in Belarus, Lithuania, Estonia, and Russia. That wasn’t my intention at all for Lithuania and Estonia; see “Challenges” for why. So as I move on, I’ll be making an effort to visit more when possible.

Vilnius delighted me from the start. Coming from a tricky destination like Minsk, arriving in Vilnius felt like Scandinavia — people spoke English! There was wifi! Taxi drivers didn’t rip me off! I had a door code and could walk right into my apartment rental without having to meet the owner! But beyond that, I found Vilnius to be a beautiful and artsy city, as well as a major bargain compared to Western European capitals. One highlight was dining at Grey, where they have a Lithuanian tasting menu for just 14 EUR ($16), including beer. Thanks for the recommendation, Alex!

Tallinn entranced me with its beauty. Of the three Baltic capitals, Tallinn is easily the prettiest, and it reminded me very much of Prague. Once I left the old town, it reminded me a lot more of the Nordic cities I’ve seen, which sets it apart from the other Baltic capitals. I felt like I got to know the city much better once I headed away from the tourist zone, dining on Korean food and hanging out in coffeeshops among the locals.

The Hermitage is my new favorite museum in the world. It seriously blew me away — I could not believe the sheer level of art and beauty on display. The analogy that kept coming to mind was if the French had decided to put the art of the Louvre in Versailles instead! St. Petersburg as a whole was a delight from start to finish. It’s now one of my favorite cities in Europe! I loved the grandeur and the fashionable people.

Chill time in Helsinki. One thing I love about Helsinki is that there aren’t a ton of must-see sights — it’s a place for hanging out, drinking coffee, eating Fazer chocolate, and especially SHOPPING. I didn’t do much during my final days in Helsinki — more on that below — and it was what I needed.

Lots of fun times with friends and family in New York. Not one but two sets of college friends came to see Hamilton and I met them for eats in Hell’s Kitchen afterward. One night my sister, her boyfriend, and my friend Dave, a.k.a. the blogger behind Go Backpacking, and I competed at trivia at At the Wallace, one of my local bars, and we WON! My friend Anna from The Legendary Adventures of Anna turned 30 with a bang (and lots of wigs and jello shots), and my friend Amelia hosted a clothing swap where we brought several nice items of clothing we didn’t want anymore, swapped what we wanted, and donated the rest to Housing Works.

Also, my dad came to visit New York for the weekend! He split his visit between September and October, but I’ll share the September highlights here. First we went to see Kinky Boots on Broadway, a super-fun musical with great songs and a heartwarming message. Billy Porter has returned to play his Tony Award-winning role as Lola, and I haven’t seen an actor so perfectly suited for a role since Daveed Diggs in Hamilton. He was that good.

We also spent a lot of time uptown, hanging out at our favorite bars and restaurants in Harlem, visiting the Museum of the City of New York, and did a historical food tour with Taste Harlem. The tour in particular was awesome, the chicken and waffles from Red Rooster were rapturously good, and there was a hilarious little Australian boy on the tour named James who ran off everywhere, high-fived everyone, tried to befriend cops, and kept us all in stitches.

Challenges

A lot of things went wrong on my Europe trip. I didn’t expect that, and the challenges unfortunately ended up putting a damper on what was otherwise a very nice trip.

Minsk was a tough destination, as I wrote last month, but the most difficult part of all happened on September 1. I was planning to get to Vilnius by train, and one of my readers pointed out on Facebook that I was supposed to leave Minsk by air. Some nationalities including Americans are allowed to visit visa-free if they arrive by air and stay less than five days. That was my plan. I double-checked the official US international travel resource, travel.state.gov, and it said the same thing: arrive by air, stay less than five days. Then I checked the website for the Belarus embassy in the US and it said you had to arrive AND depart by air! Eek! Talk about a major oversight on travel.state.gov!

I found a flight to Vilnius for much later that day and booked it — thankfully, it only cost $60 and Uber exists in Minsk, so I could get a ride to the airport (the airport is WAY out of town). I actually found a cafe with wifi that didn’t require an SMS (!), so I was able to summon an Uber from there.

I am so thankful to my reader for pointing that out in the nick of time. You guys really are the best readers in the world, and part of that is because you saved me from a scary experience at the Belarus-Lithuania border!

As for other mishaps, one of my flights was cancelled in Vilnius, and my tour of Lahemaa National Park in Estonia was cancelled. I was not notified by email in either case, which irked me and wasted my time. These two incidents and having to book a late flight from Minsk meant that I lost a lot of time that I intended to spend exploring Kaunas in Lithuania and Lahemaa and Tartu in Estonia. I did not want to only visit the capital and leave. That disappointed me.

Arriving in Russia was a nightmare. Just read the post for the details. Next time I visit Russia, my passport is going to be pristine.

Finally, I dealt with anxiety during the end of my trip in Finland. I sometimes get hit with waves of of anxiety, usually brought on from stress while traveling. The first time was in Chiang Mai in 2015, when I suddenly felt so overwhelmed and suddenly doing easy things felt impossible. I even felt petrified of visiting a new restaurant. My anxiety never been quite that bad since, but it surfaces from time to time.

In Helsinki, I just felt like I was being pressured in every direction. So I did nothing. I walked around, I ate, I shoppedI met with my friend Eva. That was enough to make me feel like an overachiever. It was also pouring at Biblical levels, so I didn’t feel bad about not getting good photos.

The trains in New York have been AWFUL lately. One weekend I went to Brooklyn twice within a 24-hour period and spent about seven hours in transit total. SEVEN HOURS. To the next borough over. In other news, this is why I read as much as I do…

Most Popular Post

The Emotional Labor of Female Travel Bloggers — Required reading for both women and men.

Other Posts

How to Plan a German Christmas Market Trip — This is a trip that I think ever Europe lover should take

Visiting Russia Without a Visa on the St. Peter Line Ferry — The complete guide on how to take this unusual trip.

Vail, Colorado, Might Be Better in the Summer! — I had the best time hiking and enjoying the summer beauty!

In Kiev, a Stylish and Surprising City — Kiev was a lot of fun, even though my expectations weren’t high.

Most Popular Instagram Photo

Who knew Vilnius would get all the likes? This photo was taken in Užupis, a neighborhood in the old town that has declared itself a separate republic, not unlike Christiania in Copenhagen. For more live updates from my travels, follow me on Instagram at @adventurouskate.

What I Read This Month

Hell yes — I finally finished the Popsugar 2017 Reading Challenge! This is the second 52-book reading challenge I’ve done, and while I enjoyed it, I think it’s best an every-other-year undertaking. I went on to read several other books this month, making my tally 59 in 2017 so far.

Lately I’ve been laser-focused on reading the most noteworthy books published in 2017. By December, when all the best-of lists come out, I want to have an intimate knowledge of the best books of the year.

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (2017) — This may be my favorite book of the year. It tells the story of four generations of a family in Korea that immigrated to Japan and all the hardships they faced. Before I read this book, I had no idea Koreans in Japan were treated so poorly. So much of this is directly analogous to how blacks were treated in the United States during Jim Crow, even though you couldn’t tell the difference between Koreans and Japanese — which really hammers home how much race is a social construct.

This novel is lush and detailed, immensely readable and easy to devour. It’s about family, and sacrifice, and destiny, but also social mobility. The characters are drawn vividly and the scenes are cinematic. I can see Sunja in the market in Osaka, struggling to sell kimchi, yelling, “Oishii!” until it all starts to click. I would love to see this become a film but I don’t have faith in Hollywood making a movie with all Asian characters.

Pachinko is now nominated for the National Book Award. If it wins, that will be two years in a row that the NBO winner was also my favorite book of the year (last year’s was Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad).

A Most Wanted Man by John Le Carré (2008) — This was the final book for the reading challenge: an espionage novel. I had never read any of Le Carré’s popular spy novels, and frankly, I don’t think I will read any others. This book is very much a reflection of the post-9/11 years and the war on terror. But what bothered me the most was the overt sexism of the book.

The only primary female character, Annabel, is a passionate civil rights attorney doing everything she can to save her client, a Muslim refugee from Chechnya with a mysterious past — yet every single time she is mentioned, and every time she’s in a scene, there’s such a focus on her attractiveness, her attractiveness in spite of her lack of fashion sense (oh, thanks for throwing her a bone, Mr. Le Carré!), her romantic life, her sexuality, how apparently this 30-year-old lawyer is both attracted to the 20-year-old refugee and the 60-year-old banker. Come on. I’d love to read an espionage novel where a woman does her work, does it well, and is respected for it. Category: an espionage novel.

Wendy Darling, vol. 3: Shadow by Colleen Oakes (2017) — This is the final installment of my cousin Colleen’s YA series that tells a darker, more mature version of Peter Pan. In the first book, a teenage Wendy and her brothers soon learn that behind Peter Pan’s charisma is a manipulative, controlling, bloodthirsty villain. In the second book, Wendy makes unexpected allies and enemies. In this conclusion, she fights to save her brothers and all of Neverland — not with her body, but with her intelligence.

A lot of readers expected Wendy to come out wielding a sword in this book — but Colleen was insistent that Wendy did not need to be a warrior in order to be strong. Here’s what she wrote: “To me the best thing about being a woman is that you can be whoever the hell you want. You want to be a bad-ass, slicing your way through a kingdom? Fine. We have a need for the Dinahs, the Katniss Everdeens, and the Tris Priors of the world. But we should also be cautious about equating the worth of a character based on her physical, violent ability…A woman standing in front of Congress is as strong as a woman standing up to the bully of her child. A character can be sweet and kind and still be strong.”

I love that quote. The Wendy Darling series is my favorite of Colleen’s books so far (she’s seriously Picasso-level prolific as a writer!). I highly recommend picking it up. Start with the first book here.

Al Franken, Giant of the Senate by Al Franken (2017) — Oh ho ho, Senator Franken. I absolutely loved this book! After being elected to represent Minnesota in the Senate in 2008 by the closest margin in his state’s history, comedian Al Franken decided to turn the humor way down and focus on working hard for Minnesotans. After winning a second term and establishing himself as an effective Senator, he’s finally bringing the humor back in this new memoir.

Franken and I have very similar political views, and I most appreciated how deeply he detailed the obstruction of the GOP and showing why when people think it’s both parties that are the problem, it’s actually only one obstructing anything at any turn. But beyond that, I appreciated this book for its in-depth look at what the day-to-day of being a senator is actually like. And it is HILARIOUS, especially his entire chapter about Ted Cruz (as he says, he likes Ted Cruz more than most senators do, and he hates Ted Cruz). A lot of people are encouraging Franken to run for president, and I think he’d be great, but I actually appreciate having him as a senator — he gets so much done, and that might be the best use of his talents.

Bad Feminist: Essays by Roxane Gay (2014) — I first read Roxane Gay’s memoir Hunger this year and I fell in love with her writing — it was time to check out her bestselling essay collection. And WOW. I adored this book. The title comes from the fact that Gay tries to be as good a feminist as she can, but she knows she falls short in many ways, whether it’s that she loves misogynistic hip-hop or she sometimes fakes orgasms or even that she knows nothing about her car. But what does it even mean to be a good feminist? To just be a woman who doesn’t want to be treated like shit?

Gay’s writing is warm and friendly, and she writes from an intersectional perspective — she examines feminism through race, class, size, sexuality. I feel like she and I would be friends if we knew each other in real life (but I’m sure everyone who reads her thinks that as well). I especially enjoyed the essays she wrote about pop culture, on everything from The Hunger Games to Chris Brown to Django Unchained to competitive Scrabble.

Also worth mentioning? Gay said in an interview that her favorite book of the year was Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko as well!

The Worrier’s Guide to the End of the World by Torre DeRoche (2017) — My friend Torre’s first book, Love With a Chance of Drowning, was an uplifting story about falling in love with a handsome man and facing her fears to sail across the Pacific with him. Well. Not long after, her father became terminally ill, her boyfriend couldn’t handle it and broke up with her (and told her she never would have written a book without his help — I wanted to smack him when I heard that!), and her father passed away. Meanwhile, Torre was still doing publicity for Love and having to answer questions like, “So when are you two getting married?” How awful.

So she met a friend named Masha and decided to join her on two pilgrimages, one in Italy, one in India. They became like platonic soulmates as they traveled across countries on foot, having misadventures and trying to find meaning in facing your fears and moving on after loss, and trying to figure life out. I felt so hard for her throughout the book and laughed at their quirkier mishaps. This book was sweet and kind, and it really made me want to do a pilgrimage of my own. I’ve wanted to do the Camino de Santiago since long before the blog existed; I should really get to planning that!

The Incest Diary by Anonymous (2017) — This is not the kind of book I would ordinarily seek out, but it had a lot of buzz this year, so I decided to give it a look. This memoir is written by a published female author who is choosing to remain anonymous. Her father began sexually abusing her when she was a very young child, and the abuse continued through her young adulthood. What makes this book different is that the author wanted the abuse, and her father, as she became older.

This book was extremely difficult to read. That’s probably the most that I should say about it. As troubling and horrific as it was, I absolutely loved the author’s writing style and descriptions.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (2017) — I read Ng’s first novel, Everything I Never Told You, a few years ago, and got swept up into a tale of an interracial Chinese-American family living in suburban Ohio in the 1970s. The setting is similar, in the upscale town of Shaker Heights, Ohio, but the plot flips on its head — it tells the story of a perfect-seeming white family with four teenagers, the single mother and teenage daughter who move into their neighborhood, and how the characters become entwined. Then a local tries to adopt a Chinese-American baby under dubious circumstances and the trial and scandal tear the town and characters apart.

I loved this book, the characters, and the mythical setting of the perfectly planned community of Shaker Heights. My favorite thing about this book is that Ng showcased a character who is white and thinks she’s woke as hell (though the story takes place in the late 90s, not today), renting her duplex to people of color, donating to charity and people in need, protesting war, thinking she’s not racist at all — until it’s time to actually put herself on the line, and she fails people of color at every turn. It’s searing — and a worthwhile read.

What I Watched This Month

Jerry Seinfeld has a new special on Netflix called Jerry Before Seinfeld. It’s a comedy special that looks back at how Seinfeld began his stand-up career in the late 1970s. Back then, stand-up comedy was in its nascent stage.

I expected to laugh, but I didn’t expect to relate to it so much. Like Seinfeld, I launched a career for myself in a brand new creative field where most people didn’t believe it was possible to earn money. “You can get paid to blog about travel?” isn’t far off from “You can get paid to tell jokes?” At one point, he said, “If I earn enough money for a loaf of bread each week, I’ll be fine,” and that hit me hard — that was me in 2010 and 2011! Only it was, “All I need to make is $1000 a month and I’ll get by fine in Southeast Asia.”

If you enjoy this special, I highly recommend reading Born Standing Up by Steve Martin, a memoir of his stand-up years, which dovetails a lot with Seinfeld’s experience. Martin’s writing is not what you expect — it’s gentle, ethereal, exquisite. I consider Born Standing Up one of the best memoirs I’ve ever read and Seinfeld considers it one of the best books ever written about comedy and being a comedian.

Image: Ryan McKee

Coming Up in October 2017

I’m going to Tybee Island! Tybee is off the coast of Savannah and I’ve often pointed out that you can easily do a side trip to this getaway, but I’ve never done so myself. I’m excited to have three days to explore this island — and to have one last beach getaway before winter.

While Tybee did experience some flooding during Hurricane Irma, they are open for business and eager to welcome visitors!

Those are the only solid travel plans I have for the month. I do, however, plan on going crazy for HALLOWEEN! It’s my favorite holiday but I’ve missed the last several Halloweens, so I want to make up for it this year. I plan to visit multiple dog costume parades (Tomkins Square on the 21st and my neighborhood, Hamilton Heights, on the 28th), head upstate to the Great Jack-o-Lantern Blaze in Croton-on-Hudson, and I’d love to attend the legendary parade in the Village! My costume? I think it’s time to dress up as my childhood idol, Carmen Sandiego.

Any suggestions for Tybee — or Halloween in New York? Let me know!

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