#asking about stamps and international postage. there are only like 3 people that work there too so they all know me by now

[blueskittlesart]

Is there an estimate ship date for the Eternal zine? 👉👈

current estimated date is sometime in early august! i should get them from the printers in late july (based on their estimate, which in my experience is usually accurate) and hopefully i'll be able to package and ship them all within a week or so! I am just one person and there were 140 orders this time around, though, so please be patient with me lol. you'll get an email when your order has shipped!

[gstqaobc]

FROM THE MONARCHIST LEAGUE OF CANADA

As this Ecomm went to publication, we received word of the death, at the great age of 96, of Bill Silver, a significant benefactor of the League from its early days, and for many years a pillar of our Ottawa Branch.  We wished to remember him here: his ebullient spirit, fierce loyalty spoken gently, innate modesty and kindness.  Indeed Chaucer might have had forethought of Bill in describing one of his characters as a “very parfitt gentle knight.” May his ardent spirit rest in peace, and his memory be a blessing and example to us all.   LEAGUE ISSUES NEW FLYER: THE CASE FOR THE CROWN The League thought it timely and useful to issue, offer in its advertising and distribute as widely as possible - both via the website and in printed form - a new flyer which will give you, our members, ammunition to argue logically the case for the Crown in conversation with others, and, we hope, to distribute strategically. One never knows when such an item, left on a waiting room table at the doctor or dentist’s office, affixed to a supermarket or other community bulletin board, put through neighbours’ mail slots - the possibilities are many - will do good work for our cause. We hope you will both enjoy and profit from this item, and that many thousands will be distributed across the country. See item one in the WHAT CAN I DO FOR THE CANADIAN CROWN? section of this Ecomm, below, to read online and request printed copies.   And special thanks to our wonderful team of no less than seven translators, all francophones from La Belle Province, who so kindly volunteered to make the French version one that is accurate in expression and eloquent in its prose.                     WHAT CAN I DO FOR THE CANADIAN CROWN? Some suggestions for member activity during these times. We invite members to send additional ideas by return of email. 1.    How about asking the League to send you several print copies of our new flyer:  THE CASE FOR THE CROWN, or print them on your home computer:  https://www.monarchist.ca/index.php/publications and give them to others who may be unaware or sceptical of the importance of Canada’s constitutional monarchy, or even hostile to it. School teachers could be encouraged to read the League’s educational booklets, also available both online and in print at the same URL, or even to request a class set.   2.    When you read an editorial, opinion column or letter to the editor in a newspaper, or a tweet or Facebook post, critical of the Crown, don’t get mad - get even! In other words, use a temperate tone and logical argument to refute the writer’s attack.  Keep it brief: focus on the obvious flaws in reasoning, mis-statements of fact or name-calling substituting for logic.  Same goes for radio talk shows. In the long run, on all media, whatever the provocation, whatever the momentary satisfaction of ”giving them a piece of my mind” - an old adage remains true: “You catch more flies with honey.” 3.    Write your elected representative at the federal level to re-state briefly the reasons you support constitutional monarchy as our system of government,  and asking the MP whether not your view is shared. 4.    Once pandemic restrictions ease, try to make sure that Royal events - such as the upcoming 95th birthday of our Queen, 10th Wedding Anniversary of William and Catherine or 100th birthday of Prince Philip are celebrated both in your home but also among your wider family, your friends, your colleagues at the office,  your place of worship/faith community or service club. The League generally sends you some ideas to mark these celebrations. Remember, as they are incorporated into family life and public life, the     Crown becomes further embedded in the heart of the nation, and truly represents The Queen’s wish that it ”reflects all that is best and most admired in the Canadian ideal.” This is especially true when you go out of your way to include in your observance the newest members of our Canadian family, who generally are eager to participate in the traditions of their new homeland, and in turn to share their own traditions with the wider community. 5.    Always use a Queen stamp when you write a letter or pay a bill by mail. 6.     At events of ceremony, whether a Council meeting, a graduation, a civic celebration - whatever - make sure that the Royal Anthem is sung as well as the National Anthem. To the extent you can, discourage event organizers from having a soloist “perform” them. Far more pride and         learning develop from the untrained voices of loyal folk singing together. In that way, the Anthems are sung “with heart and voice” and not merely listened to.   A FINAL IDEA: AN ACT OF LOVING SUPPORT & THANKS Apart from the above, we think it would be enormously comforting and supportive for every one of us to  write a kind letter to The Queen, expressing your thoughts at a difficult time: her beloved husband ailing, a grand-child chiding other family members via sensational television, the drumbeat of the tabloids and the restrictions on her busy life caused by the pandemic.  A selection of letters, especially those from Commonwealth Realms, are indeed seen by The Queen - and their number and tone are summarized to Her Majesty. The address is - Her Majesty The Queen, Buckingham Palace, London SW1A 1AA, UK Theoretically you don’t need postage to write the Sovereign; in practice, it is safer to affix the international airmail stamp available from your local Canada Post outlet.   AN INTERESTING OPINION PIECE FROM TODAY’S DAILY TELEGRAPHWe thought you might be interested to see the following strongly-worded opinion piece, reflecting a good deal of the tone of recent British public opinion, rather different from much of the Canadian and US commentary. Meghan’s fake interview has real-world effects The Sussexes’ claims have undermined the monarchy and done lasting damage to the Commonwealth by Tim Stanley, March 15, 2021 Two headlines appeared on the BBC News website on the same day. At the top: “Harry and Meghan rattle monarchy’s gilded cage”. At the bottom: “The kidnapped woman who defied Boko Haram”. Well, that puts the Sussexes' problems in perspective, doesn’t it? Yet across Africa, one reads, the Duchess’s story has revived memories of colonial racism, tarnishing the UK’s reputation, and has even lent weight to the campaign in some countries to drop the Queen as head of state. The only nation that seems to think a lot of nonsense was spoken is Britain. In the wake of an interview that Joe Biden’s administration called courageous, British popular opinion of Harry and Meghan fell to an all-time low, and the American format had a lot to do with it. Oprah Winfrey is not our idea of an interviewer. She flattered, fawned and displayed utter credulity. Imagine if it had been her, not Emily Maitlis, who interviewed Prince Andrew over the Jeffrey Epstein allegations. “You were in a Pizza Express that day? Oh my God, you MUST be innocent! Tell me, in all honesty, though...did you have the dough balls?” This wasn’t an interview, it was a commercial for a brand called Sussex, a pair of eco-friendly aristo-dolls that, if you pull the string, tell their truth – which isn’t the truth, because no one can entirely know that, but truth as they perceive it. “Life is about storytelling,” explained Meghan, “about the stories we tell ourselves, the stories we’re told, what we buy into.” Meghan is a postmodernist. Just as Jean Baudrillard said the Gulf War never happened, but was choreographed by the US media, so the Royal narrative she was forced to live was fake, her public happiness was fake and, following that logic, this interview might involve an element of performance, too. People have challenged her claims, alleging contradictions and improbabilities, but one of the malign effects of wokeness is that you have got to be very careful about pointing this out. Why? Because wokery insists on treating a subjective view as objective truth, or even as superior, because it’s based upon “lived experience”. To contradict that personal perspective is perceived as cruel, elitist and, in Meghan’s case, potentially racist, so it’s best to wait a few weeks to a year before applying a fact check. In the meantime, affect sympathy. People would rather you lied to their face than tell them what they don’t want to hear. The result is profoundly dishonest, for I have never known an event over which there is such a gulf between the official reception, as endorsed by the media and politics, and the reaction of average citizens, who are wisely keeping it to themselves. Into that vacuum of silence steps not the voice of reason but bullies and showmen – like Piers Morgan, who said some brash stuff about Meghan’s honesty and, after an unseemly row on Good Morning Britain, felt obliged to resign from his job.  “If you’d like to show your support for me,” he wrote afterwards, “please order a copy of my book.” Dear Lord, was this row fake, too? I can no longer be sure, though I despised Good Morning Britain before and still do: it embodies the cynical confusion of emotion and fact, a show made for clicks, where even the weatherman has an opinion. So what is real in 2021? The Commonwealth, which does a lot of good in a divided world. The monarchy, which has been at its best during the pandemic, doing the boring stuff of cutting ribbons and thanking workers that, one suspects, Meghan never grew into (can you imagine her opening a supermarket in Beccles?). It contains flawed people, but that only adds to its realness, and they can adapt faster than you might think. Prince William got the ball rolling by telling reporters, who he is trained to ignore, that his family is not racist. His wife paid her respects to the murder victim Sarah Everard, demonstrating that she is neither cold nor silenced. I’d wager Kate does her duty, day after day, no complaint, not because she is “trapped”, as Harry uncharitably put it, but because she loves her family and believes in public service. Meghan and Harry have indeed prompted the Royal family to change: not in order to endorse their criticisms, however, but to answer them.

GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦🇬🇧🇦🇺🇳🇿

[bzstech]

Choosing the right USPS

Have you ever wonder if there is any significant difference between First Class Mail and Priority Mail? If yes, you have landed on the right page because today, we’ll discuss the difference between First-Class Mail and Priority Mail. Every Amazon seller and e-commerce businesses need to understand the USPS guidelines for choosing the right USPS. Many e-commerce stores are running worldwide, but not all are successful because what is the point of getting the same product one week later when you can get it the next day. So, what’s makes e-commerce effective depends on its shipping time. This article will give in-depth detail about choosing the right USPS: First class vs. Priority.

USPS stands for United States Postal Service® (USPS®). It is a very-known and reasonable shipping service that ships to up to 180 countries. USPS provides both domestic and international shipping services. Amazon packages are randomly shipped via Amazon, UPS, USPS, or FedEx’s but USPS is the choice of many e-commerce businesses. Because its more efficient, affordable compare to others like UPS or FedEx. If you are an e-commerce merchant (The one who sells goods and services over the internet)  you will be well aware of First Class mail and priority mail. But USPS delivery depends on two factors transit time and cost. One major advantage of USPS over other shipping methods is that it’s simple to use just print labels and drop them at your nearest USPS post office or mailboxes. They also provide you flat-shipping rates in which you can choose your own packaging material according to your budget. See how to ship items? Service Options:

The following are the service options USPS provides:

1. First Class Package 2. Priority mail international service.

But the question is which shipping option is best for your business’s first-class Vs priority mail? So, read the article further to know. Click on the link for more details click here.

What is USPS First Class Mail?

First-class mail is the most common and easy way used in Amazon to ship letters, envelopes, postcards, invoices, large/small packages, and lightweight materials between 1-3 business days. It’s the top-shipping method compare to second-class, third-class, and fourth-class shipping methods.

First-class stamps cost $0.58 (the current 1 oz price) and will never expire, even if the First Class™ postage rate goes up.

USPS is best for shipping shirts and t-shirts because they are lightweight and durable. They use ploy mailers for shirts. USPS doesn’t charge extra costs for ploy mailers for small shipments.

What is USPS Priority mail?

USPS priority mail is the top mail service of USPS as its name suggests it delivers priority mails. Its best for sending international packages and is the top service used by Amazon right now. It delivers quicker than First Class mail because the Van passes from each address daily. It provides a money-back guarantee with a free pick-up. Priority mail ships deliver heavy products. Priority mail is closer to UPS and FedEx but it’s still the prices are compared to those. The parcels that fit in the mailbox are economical however for bigger parcels the cost depends on weight and size.

The products like shoes, toys, makeup, watches, jewelry products that weigh more than 3.5 ounces are ship through priority mail

 Differences Between First Class and Priority mail

The difference between the First Class and Priority mail depends on six factors 1. Pricing. 2. Delivery time. 3. Packing weight and dimensions.

4. Weekend Deliveries. 5. Signature Services. 6. Insurance Coverage

1. Pricing: There is no fixed pricing difference between First Class and Priority Mail. However, the shipping charges depend on weight, size, destination. Priority mail often has some fixed rates for specified envelopes.

You can see the difference by this example parcels shipped using First Class vs priority mail to the same place has a 3$ difference.

2. Delivery Time:

Shipping time or delivery time is the main backbone of e-commerce whether you are working on Amazon, eBay, or Shopify. Gaining customer’s trust is the main thing in an e-commerce business that’s why not all e-commerce businesses are not successful even some are selling the same product.

The best tip to grow your business is never made a false commitment about delivery you will not only disappoint the customer but also, he will never order anything from you. In Amazon, there is a high chance that customer claims you. Learn more about how to expand your e-commerce business?

The delivery times highly depend on the destination but priority mail is faster than First Class mail and therefore costly. However, priority mail is best for international shipments. First Class usually takes 1-3 business days vs priority mail takes 1-2 business days. Priority mail also provides overnight delivery and if you receive it you are eligible for a full refund.

There are different zones that show the domestic shipping time.

First Class mail and priority mail international shipping time.

3. Packing weight and dimensions: There is a huge difference between First Class and priority class weights and dimensions for sending parcels. First Class mail is used to send light mails like letters, envelopes, shirts, postcards, padded envelopes parcels that are under or equal to one pound. The maximum weight for First Class USPS mail is 15. 99oz°or 4lbs. Whereas the products over 1 pound fall under priority mails. The maximum weight of priority mail is 70lbs. The parcels that fit mailboxes are less expensive in shipping as compare to bigger parcels. The parcels that exceed these measurements are restricted. However, standalone batteries or Lithium batteries packed with the shipment are prohibited only Lithium Batteries which are included in the product are allowed.

The minimum dimensions of First-Class mail are 3½ inches by 5 inches, maximum size is 4¼ inches by 6 inches. The thickness is 0.007 inches to 0.016 inches. The maximum size of priority mail parcels will be 108 inches combined in length and girth.

5. Weekend Deliveries:

There are very few services that provide delivery on weekends. Doing e-commerce business is not so easy as people think and delivering the products in time especially after this pandemic is not safe. USPS is one of the services that do provide delivery on weekends or national holidays.

USPS first-mail does provide delivery on Saturday but is the non-guaranteed economy. Whereas USPS delivers all priority mail on Saturday at no extra cost and on Sunday take some additional fee and to prevent late dispatch rate in Amazon. As pressure and competition of providing the best shipping service to your customer are high in e-commerce.

6. Signature Services:

The USPS offers a service called signature confirmation that gives shippers extra peace of mind that requires a signature from the recipient to be present to sign for the item so that the buyers know the customer receive the parcel. It’s proof that the customer receives the parcel important for documentation and in case of any claim received from Amazon.

The First-Class mail does not come with a signature service it includes a package only whereas for the priority mail shippers can purchase the signature confirmation that benefits the buyers.

6. Insurance Coverage:

While sending or receiving parcels there are high chances that the product might get lost in the process to ensure that you choose a service that does provide you insurance coverage if that happens.

The biggest advantage of priority mail VS First Class mail is that priority mail provides insurance coverage that compensates for your lost or damaged product over 100$ for your domestic coverage and 200$ for international coverage. Whereas First Class mail does not provide any insurance coverage, Advantages and Disadvantages of First-Class Mail:

Advantages:

Delivers between 1-3 business days.

Cost-effective.

Includes return and forwarding services.

Consistent delivery timing from the USPS.

Provide Tracking info.

Best choice for sending letters and postcards in affordable price.

Presorting can be done to get significant postage discounts.

Reach people with outdated address.

Best choice during the holidays.

Provide certified mail facility.

Disadvantages:

Cannot mail parcels more than 15.99 ounces.

Extremely restrictive.

Cannot use this option with any US territories or non-contiguous states.

Does not provide insurance coverage,

No signature services are included.

First Class mail does not provide delivery on Sunday.

Cost of parcel rises with every ounce.

Cost more than the other mailing options.

International delivery is non-guaranteed.

Does not provide end-to-end delivery.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Priority mail:

Advantages:

Delivers between 1-2 business days.

Provides insurance coverage.

Free pick-up.

Provide tracking info.

Guarantees over-night delivery.

Best choice for sending large parcels weights more than 13 lbs.

Provide signature service.

Shipping boxes and envelopes are free.

Fastest delivery over other mailing services.

Includes return and forwarding services.

Delivers internationally is guaranteed.

Provide weekend delivers.

Reliable with non-contiguous states.

Provide certified mail facility.

Includes special handling.

Disadvantages:

Costly.

They keep changing the price.

Lithium batteries packed with the shipment are prohibited.

Which one is right for you First-class Vs Priority mail?

Choosing the right USPS First-class Vs Priority mail which one is right or suitable for your parcel has hopefully easy now because you are well-informed about all the pros and cons now.

So, before choosing any mail ask yourself some questions,

Is your item valuable? If so, how much it is?

Is your item heavy? If so, how much is it?

Do you want signature confirmation from customer?

Do you want insurance coverage in case of lost or damage?

Do you want ultra-speedy delivery?

What the dimensions of your item?

What’s your budget?

Common FAQS about First Class and Priority mail?

Q1: What is considered first-class priority mail?

Ans:  The maximum weight for large envelopes is 15.99 ounces exceeding from this will fall in priority mail.

Q2. What is the difference between First Class and Priority mail?

Ans: The difference is in weight, speed, dimensions, insurance coverage, and other services.

Q3. How long does it take for first-class mail?

Ans. The delivery time depends on the destination but the United States postal service (USPS) reports as of January b2018 it usually takes 1-3 business days.

Q4. Does first-class mail deliver faster?

Ans. First Class mail has higher priority over marketing mail, retail ground, or media mail.

Q5. Can First Class take longer than 5-days?

Ans. According to the USPS, the delivery time can be exceeded from 1-3 to 1-5 business days but it depends on your destination.

Q6. Is priority mail being safer than First Class?

Ans. Yes, because priority mail provides insurance coverage over First Class mail in case of loss or damage.

Q7: Is First Class mail provide delivery on Sunday?

Ans. No, first-class USPS provide delivery on Saturday only.

Is There any better Solution?

There is always a solution to every problem. Many people want to select the shipping service that would say all-in 1 means that provides all the best services like affordable, fast delivery service globally, signature services, provide tracking info, insurance coverage, weekend deliveries. But finding all these in one is difficult. We provide complete training on Amazon with tips that will not only grow your business in less time and budget. We have a bunch of teams that will help you from selling to marketing with valuable profits. For more info visit here.

Conclusion:

USPS is the best and affordable shipping option for your e-commerce business. That provides easy flat-structure rates with flexible shipping options compare to other shipping options like UPS and FedEx. So, Choosing the right USPS: First Class vs priority mail is very important. Now you will be very well aware of which USPS service you should choose First Class or and priority mail. Both provide tracking info till your parcel delivers, deliver globally, provide certified mail, provide special handling. You can also change shipping services from Amazon. According to your requirement. If you are finding low-budget shipping for light-weight parcels First Class is best for you and if want faster delivery and you have a good budget definitely go for priority mail service. Priority mail is best for international deliveries. But in the end, the choice will be yours and it will depend on your product’s weight, dimensions, and destination.

[loveharuokumura]

Hey guys! With the holiday season approaching I wanted to make a post to remind you all about the type of (usually minimum wage) employees that seem to get forgotten! Postal Workers!

Postal workers, both the drivers and clerks get a lot of work-- and a lot of shit-- around the holidays! Remember to be nice to them! And for those of you who are worried or not sure how to do that, I've made a list of things to remember all the time, but especially this holiday season!

Stamps! Stamps, especially Christmas stamps, can begin to (and for some places assuredly will) run out! A lot of Post Offices will put signs up about it (though some might not) so please read those if they are there! It gets really annoying when twenty people in an hour ask about stamps. Also! If they don't have them, don't yell at the employees! If we could make stamps magically, we would! But we can't even order them 99% of the time!

Expected Delivery Dates! Notice the key word here, expected. (For USPS) the only guaranteed delivery is Priority Mail Express, which is expensive but fast (usually overnight). Otherwise the date we give you is an expected date. Usually for First Class and Priority, this is 1-3 days depending on distance while Ground Parcel is usually 6-7 days. I say usually, because when there's a lot of mail in the system, these dates begin to push back. Dec 23 is the last date to mail anything and have it arrive in time for Christmas, but that date is for Priority Mail Express (Overnight), every other kind of mail is actually a lot sooner. So if you absolutely NEED it a date before Christmas, or if you just want to make sure it arrives in time, mail your gifts EARLY!

Price! With the exception of Priority Mail Flat Rate, the price of a package is based off of it's weight and how far it's going (and if the box is very large, sometimes the size as well). The cheapest anything-- other than a package containing only books or other media-- is usally 4-5$. So when we give you a price that low, please don't ask if that's the cheapest, it gets so annoying. If your package is heavier, it has to go either Priority or Ground, and 8$ is the cheapest those can go.

International Packages! I get it, you have family or something who lives in a different country! This means that if you're sending anything besides a card or paper with no commercial value, you will need to fill out a customs form! (With a few exceptions for a handful of Pacific Islands). Customs forms aren't actually that bad! The front page walks you through how to fill it out, and every category is clearly labelled. However! There are some common misconceptions. Your phone number is absolutely required. You also have to be very specific when filling out the spot for contents! 'Christmas Gift' or 'Gift' or anything else as equally vague isn't acceptable because it doesn't actually tell us what's in the package! There are a lot of prohibitions, observations, and restrictions on what can be mailed and we need to know exactly what is in the package to make sure they aren't being violated! Please, if possible, have the customs form filled out before you get to the front of the line! Also, the tracking number you get only goes to the border. If you want to track it over the border, you have to pay extra and it can only be done at a District Post Office (it usually starts with the name of the town it is located in). They also take quite a while to create postage for, so plan accordingly

Common Courtesy! We're people too, please treat us like it! Don't yell or curse or bitch at us please! Also let us do our thing. Chances are, we know more about postal regulations than you do! We also know how our finicky scales and computers work! If we move something, it's for a reason so please don't move it back! There will, especially as we approach December, be a line! Don't complain about it! We're working as fast as we can, and we're working longer shifts and most likely don't get a break! If you need to be in and out fast, cooperate with us, or bring in prepaid packages! Websites like Usps.com and Shippo can print postage you pay for online, so all you have to do is bring it in and leave it at the designated spot, and we'll scan it and send it without you having to be here!

Pickup Times! Last, but definitely not least, is info about pickup times! If you're going to a Post Office that isn't the District one, they have two or three mail pickups a day. They'll be posted on the door and above the blue mail drop! After the last pickup of the day, we roll the system forward a day and everything from then on both goes out the next day, and is postmarked for the next day. Keep this in mind if you find yourself approaching any mailing deadlines!

And, finally, please, please, please, remember that the Post Office operates off of Federal Regulations, so if we tell you we can't do something, we absolutely cannot do it without violating Federal Laws!

[dazzledbybooks]

A princess with two futures. A destiny all her own Between her cruel family and the contempt she faces at court, Princess Alyrra has always longed to escape the confines of her royal life. But when she’s betrothed to the powerful prince Kestrin, Alyrra embarks on a journey to his land with little hope for a better future. When a mysterious and terrifying sorceress robs Alyrra of both her identity and her role as princess, Alyrra seizes the opportunity to start a new life for herself as a goose girl. But Alyrra soon finds that Kestrin is not what she expected. The more Alyrra learns of this new kingdom, the pain and suffering its people endure, as well as the danger facing Kestrin from the sorceress herself, the more she knows she can’t remain the goose girl forever. With the fate of the kingdom at stake, Alyrra is caught between two worlds and ultimately must decide who she is, and what she stands for. Thorn by Intisar Khanani Publisher: Hot Key Books Release Date: March 24th 2020 Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retellings, Romance, Fairy Tales Links: Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36443368-thorn Amazon: https://amzn.to/368iK6x B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thorn-intisar-khanani/1111104034?ean=9780062835703#/ iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/thorn/id1329410102 Bookdepository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Thorn-Intisar-Khanani/9781471408724?ref=grid-view&qid=1579381994072&sr=1-1 Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/thorn-17 Google Books: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=M7WeDwAAQBAJ Favorite Quotes: Mother has never kept me safe from my brother The only time I can remember not fearing him was before my father’s death. This is how you survive: one breath to the next, refusing each thought as it comes to you. This is how you get through the worst of things. Deep inside, I hear Ash ask, Who pushed you? It is a question I have waited half a lifetime to hear. I am amazed the sun does not shine. I am not about to let one unfriendly man rob me of my chance at happiness. Review: Thorn by Intisar Khanani is a retelling of "The Goose Girl". I was really looking forward to this book. It sounded so good. I found that I enjoyed this book. Princess Alyrra has never been a very good princess. Alyrra wants nothing more than to get away from her family. She has a very cold mother that does not show love and then she has a very abusive brother. My heart ached for this girl. When a king show sup and asks for Alyrra's hand in marriage to his son, Alyrra realizes that she doesn't have very many choices in life. She can either marry this prince or she can stay with her abusive family. Then Alyrra switches places with her handmaiden. The adventure takes off from there. I have to say that I really enjoyed these characters. I thought that each one of them was very thought out. I felt like they had great personalities and that they were very well written. I really loved the magic. Khanani did a great job with the magic in this book. I thought it fit quite perfectly. I really liked how Khanani approached some of the more sensitive topics in this book. I thought she did a really good job. I feel like when it comes to tough subjects, our society likes to hide and pretend that things don't happen. I think that this book really touches on some great hot topics. Ultimately, I really liked this book. I think it is definitely worth giving a shot. Excerpt: I lead the king down to the back entrance to the gardens, and we walk along between plots of dill, thyme, and chives. I wait, knowing he will speak when he is ready. “How much does your mother confide in you?” he asks as we near the middle of the gardens. I slide a look at him from the corner of my eye. “Enough. My lord.” His lips quirk, the first true smile I have seen from him. “Is that honest?” I pause beside a bed of borage. “How much do I need to know, my lord? You are here seeking a wife for your son.” “I am,” he agrees. “How often do you participate in the discussions between your mother and the council?” “I don’t, my lord. You should know I am not . . .” I hesitate, aware that I have no place telling this king what he should or should not know. Or jeopardizing such an alliance for my land. “Not what?” I struggle to find an appropriate way to finish. “Not—it is not thought my place to attend such meetings.” “You would never inherit the throne?” I could inherit, it is true, but I doubt the council would allow it given my history—and certainly not now that I might marry into another royal family, one that would be happy to add our lands to their own. Either way, should my brother die, the council would certainly pass over me in favor of our nearest cousin. “It is unlikely,” I say finally. “I doubt that,” the king says. “It has been my experience that even young men die. What you mean to say is your council would not accept you should your brother die without issue and you were yet unwed. Why?” If he knows all the answers, why is he asking? I look him in the eye and quip, “Perhaps I am too honest, my lord.” He laughs. “And too straightforward. You will have to learn to play with your words more.” He reaches out, his fingertips brushing my arm where my brother held me. I flinch back reflexively, as if the bruises have already darkened—as if he could see them through my sleeve. He watches me, his eyes glinting in the sunlight. “Once you are Menaiya’s,” he says, “your brother will never hurt you again.” About the Author: Intisar Khanani grew up a nomad and world traveler. Born in Wisconsin, she has lived in five different states as well as in Jeddah on the coast of the Red Sea. She first remembers seeing snow on a wintry street in Zurich, Switzerland, and vaguely recollects having breakfast with the orangutans at the Singapore Zoo when she was five. She currently resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband and two young daughters. Until recently, Intisar wrote grants and developed projects to address community health with the Cincinnati Health Department, which was as close as she could get to saving the world. Now she focuses her time on her two passions: raising her family and writing fantasy. Intisar’s debut novel, Thorn, was picked up by HarperTeen and will be re-released in Winter 2020. In the meantime, she’s hard at work on the remaining books of The Sunbolt Chronicles. Links: Website: http://booksbyintisar.com Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/Intisar_Khanani Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/booksbyintisar Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/booksbyintisar/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/booksbyintisar On March 24th Thorn will be releasing from Hot Key (UK) and HarperTeen (US/CA)! To celebrate, I’m offering some amazing Thorn goodies to everyone who … ·        pre-orders/orders a copy of Thorn before March 31st at 23.59. ·        OR requests it from their library (library hold / suggested purchase) before March 31st at 23.59. Here’s what’s up for grabs: Physical goodies (US/UK): PHOTO AVAILABLE ON DROPBOX ·        A Thorn Bookmark ·        A set of Chibi Stickers featuring Thorn characters ·        A Signed Bookplate PLUS Digital goodies (worldwide): ·        A PDF of Brambles – a Thorn prequel short story so you can jump into Alyrra’s world now! ·        A PDF of The (Annotated) Goose Girl – the original fairytale with annotations from yours truly in the margin ·        A coloring page of three Thorn-themed bookmarks All you need to do to enter is send a proof of purchase (or screenshot of your library hold), your name and address to khananipreorder@gmail.com. T&Cs apply! UK entrants: Hot Key Books rocks and can mail you physical goodies as well as the digital. Check it out here: https://ift.tt/3dBVTVP Non-US/UK entrants: I really, really wanted to offer you the physical goodies, but postage is a bear. If you would like to cover the cost of an international stamp ($1.20), I can absolutely mail you the goodies as well. E-mail in your proof/screenshot for your digital goodies, and I’ll link you up so you can do that. Original link: http://booksbyintisar.com/thorn-pre-order/ The universal book link for purchasing Thorn is: www.books2read.com/thorn Giveaway: 1st Prize: Win a book of your choice from Bookdepository (INT*) 2nd Prize: Win a THORN swag pack (stickers, bookmark, and a signed bookplate) [INT] T&Cs: - Bookdepository: Open INTERNATIONALLY, *where Bookdepository ships to (https://www.bookdepository.com/help/topic/HelpId/3/Which-countries-do-you-deliver-to#helpContent). - Swag bundle: Open INTERNATIONALLY. Starts: 24th March 2020 Ends: 7th April 2020 Tour Schedule: March 24th The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club - Welcome Post March 25th My Bookish Escapades - Guest PostMythical Books - ReviewMoonlight Rendezvous - Review + Favourite QuotesMarzie's Reads - ReviewMaBookYard - Review + Favourite Quotes March 26th L.M. Durand - ReviewThe Everlasting Library - ReviewBook-Keeping - ReviewFoals, Fiction & Filigree - Review + Favourite Quotes& She Reads - ReviewElisabeth Wheatley - Review + Playlist + Dream Cast March 27th Kait Plus Books - Guest PostUtopia State of Mind - Review + Favourite QuotesHere's to Happy Endings - ReviewThe Laughing Listener - ReviewBookishly Nerdy - Review + Favourite QuotesBooks_n_sunshine - Review + Favourite Quotes + Dream Cast March 28th A Book Addict's Bookshelves - InterviewBooks.Bags.Burgers - Review + Favourite QuotesGwendalyn’s Books - ReviewThe Layaway Dragon - Review + Favourite QuotesFanna Wants The World To Read - Review March 29th Fangirl Pixie Blog - Review + Playlist + Favourite QuotesSometimes Leelynn Reads - Review + Dream CastLa La in the Library - ReviewHauntedbybooks - Review + Favourite QuotesBiblioxytocin - Review + Favourite Quotes March 30th To All The Books I've Read Before - InterviewA Dream Within A Dream - ReviewHappily, Hedy - Spotlight Dazzled by Books - Review + Favourite Quotesinkstains.and.dust - Review theanxiousbookworm_ - Review + Favourite Quotes

http://www.dazzledbybooks.com/2020/03/thorn-blog-tour.html

[deladane]

Friday, September 1, 2017 ~ Arrival in Tahiti and Traveling to Moorea

About one hour into the flight, the flight attendants handed out immigration forms.  I guess it is better to fill this out early on in the flight while you are still somewhat lucid, instead of waiting for the end of the flight after getting nearly no sleep and not remembering your own name!

Next, the flight attendants started food/beverage service.  “Dinner” (can you really call it dinner when you eat it at 12:45am??!) was surprisingly tasty, although the portion was tiny.  They served a vegetarian pasta salad with feta cheese, olives, and tomatoes, a roll, a wedge of spreadable brie cheese, fruit salad, and a small cup of red velvet cake (which was 75% frosting and 25% cake haha)  We were literally the last row on the plane to be served, so I am not sure if other rows had a choice of entrees, but we were happy with what we got.

They also served drinks, including wine, so we opted for sparking wine to continue the celebration.

I usually change the time on my watch to match the local time of my destination to help ease the process of jet lag.  The 8-hour flight passed quickly, despite my inability to sleep, and before we knew it, it was 3am (in Tahiti… it had been over 5 hours since they served “dinner”) and they were serving breakfast!  This time around, we knew for sure that we were missing out on something by once again being the LAST row on the plane to get our food.  We saw the flight attendants ask the rows in front and behind us which they preferred (eggs or pancakes), but when they got to our row, they just handed over 2 trays and walked away.  We ended up with one of each, so I took the eggs (which was really a cheese omelet with ham and potatoes), and DH took the peach pancakes.  Both trays were lukewarm but edible.  Luckily we packed a few Clif Bars in our carry on bags as a back up!

We asked if we could have champagne to make mimosas with our orange juice, but were told that they stop serving wine one hour after dinner is served.  Oh well, by this point we were nearly done with our flight and we landed in Tahiti a few minutes early at 4:45am.

Once we landed in Papeete, we exited the plane down a flight of stairs to the humid pre-dawn morning air.  We were officially in French Polynesia!!

We walked along the outdoor corridor to the airport entrance where we were greeted by 4 Tahitian singers (wow, they have an early shift for work today!)

We waiting on a short line and were through customs, immigration, and claimed our luggage by 5:30am.  It felt so good to finally not be in a rush after all that running around we did in LAX!  Now we had a few errands to run in the airport prior to leaving.  I have an ATM card through Charles Schwab bank which allows me to take out money from any ATM worldwide, and they credit me back for any fees charged.  PPT airport has an ATM down on the far right side where I was able to withdraw cash in their local currency (XPF).  They also have a currency exchange desk so you can use that if you don’t have an international ATM card.

A side note about currency:  At the time of our vacation, the exchange rate was very easy to convert… $1.00 USD = 100 XPF.  All we needed to do to convert prices listed in XPF into terms we could understand was to move the decimal point over by 2 places.  Most vendors would take USD but not everyone took them at a 1:100 rate because some vendors (especially in the more remote islands) didn’t have much use for USD and preferred to be paid in their local currency so they charged more if we wanted to use USD.  Since the exchange rate was so easy, we opted to spend XPF cash whenever possible.  We also had a credit card with no foreign transaction fees, so we used that to pay for our hotel, car rental, grocery shopping, gas for the car, and a handful of restaurant meals. Here are photos of the front and back of the denominations of XPFs… I thought they were so cute and colorful and loved the pictures printed on the bills!

Our next errand was to buy a few postcards and stamps to mail home to our families.  While we were spending most of our time in Moorea, we wanted to get a postcard that said “Tahiti” on it (let’s face it, most people don’t really know where Moorea is, but everyone has heard of Tahiti lol).  There is a small gift shop at the airport where we could buy postcards for 100XPF ($1) and they also sold stamps for the same rate as the post office.  The cashier was even kind enough to ask me where I was mailing my postcards so I would have the proper postage (spoiler alert: we are back at home now, 3 weeks after mailing the post cards, and everyone received them this week!  Not too bad for mailing something halfway across the world!)

Trying to fight off the jet lag, DH bought some coffee at the one place to buy food.  We planned to also buy something for breakfast here but there were slim pickings and the baguettes looked stale.  Instead, we shared a Clif Bar and told ourselves we could eat a better breakfast once we boarded the PG!  Also of note, the airport does have wifi available, but it is not free and we did not want to pay for it (we would have free wifi once we got to our hotel in Moorea) so I’m not sure about the prices.  

 We waited until after 6:30am to get a taxi so we could avoid the overnight surcharge (I think it ends at 6am but we wanted to play it safe since we were in no rush at all).  There was no line at the taxi stand immediately outside the front of the aiport, so we walked right up to a taxi and were told it would cost 2100 XPF ($21) to get to the ferry terminal including the fee for our luggage.  The taxis in Tahiti do not have a meter, so it is always wise to discuss the price before getting in the car.  Our taxi driver was very friendly and answered a few questions during the 20 minute ride.

 When we arrived at the ferry, we were greeted by a man from the tourism board and he explained how everything works.  He said the dock workers do not speak English so he was there to walk us through the process of getting our tickets, finding the waiting area, and knowing which ferry to board.  

As we stepped out of our taxi, he the dock workers placed our large suitcases in huge bins that would be loaded onto the ferry and returned to us once we arrived in Moorea.  As it happened, we were the last bags thrown on the top of the pile, so I could see them when the bins were lined up in the loading area (ours are the big blue bags on top of the further bin)

The next ferry was with Terevau at 8:10am and cost 1150xpf ($11.50 USD).  I was able to buy both of our one way tickets with my credit card.  I did not buy round trip tickets because there are 2 ferry companies that run the ferries for different prices and we didn’t know which ferry we would take on the return trip.  

 Side note:  There are 2 ferry companies that transport tourists and locals (along with commercial trucks filled with shipments like gasoline and produce) between Tahiti and Moorea.  Terevau runs a smaller, older ferry which costs slightly less money at 1150xpf per ride, and is a faster moving ferry with about a 30 minute journey.  Aremiti runs a much larger, newer ferry, equipped with free wifi and a snack booth, but it moves a bit slower and takes about 45 minutes to travel the same journey.  Both ferries have bathrooms on board, and both have websites where you can look up the ferry fares and schedules.  For some bizarre reason, they often change their schedules so make sure to check the times in the week before you leave because the time of our ferry changed by about 30 minutes at some point along the line (Albert’s had warned us this was likely to happen and that we should reconfirm our timing with them in the week before our trip).  Another weird issue is that the two companies run their ferries at nearly the same times! They only run a few ferries per day, so it would be more helpful if they spread out the times so passengers could catch a ferry when needed.  Instead, they cluster their times so there are a few ferries in the morning, and then again late in the afternoon, with nothing in between.  We took an 8:10am ferry on Terevau, and the Aremiti ferry was at 8:30am that day.  Had we missed those ferries, the next one wouldn’t be until several hours later. Definitely check those schedules and plan accordingly!

 The tourism guide then lead us upstairs in the elevator, and showed us the shops and restaurant where we could wait since we still had about an hour until boarding time.  We ordered a couple of croissants and made use of their free wifi while we waited to board the ferry.

Boarding started around 8:05am and we were on our way shortly after that.  

You can see a small outside seating area at the back of the boat.  If you can bare the wind, lack of shade, and occasionally getting splashed with water, then I would recommend sitting out here for beautiful views of Tahiti for the start of your journey.  

The ferry ride was extremely choppy and windy. People were stumbling all over the place as they tried to see the view from one of the sides of the boat. Luckily, we had great seats at the back and could enjoy the views safely from our seats!

That’s Moorea in the distance to the left of the ship:

We arrived in Moorea around 9am and walked off the ferry to be greeted by Sandy from Albert Tours.  We had pre-arranged to rent an automatic car for the duration of our time in Moorea (it’s been years since DH has driven stick shift so we were happy to pay the added cost for the convenience of an automatic car), and that included the transfer from the ferry to their office.  We assumed it would just be the two of us, so we were a little surprised to see a large bus waiting to pick us up!  It turns out that Albert also provided transfers for about 10 other people on the ferry to some of the hotels on the island.  Once we were all loaded on the bus with our luggage, we made the 15 minute drive to their office.  

 Our rental car was a nearly-new Hyundai hatchback with less than 500 miles on it.  Kaha was very helpful in getting all the paperwork completed and showing us around the car.  He even mentioned that we are not allowed to pump our own gas in Moorea and the attendants will help us when we need to fill up.  These photos were taken in the parking lot of the Lagoonarium, but this was our rental car:

Within a few minutes, we were off on our way to start our Moorean adventure.  Our first stop was a supermarket.  We had originally planned to go to Carrefour as it is very close to the ferry terminal and we assumed that Albert’s office was near there too.  When we saw how far we drove to reach Albert’s office, we asked Kaha to direct us towards a different supermarket, and he recommended the Super-U on the south end of Cook’s Bay.  That was on our way to our hotel so it worked perfectly, and we arrived within about 10 minutes.

Super-U was a great find!  We spent over an hour walking up and down every aisle to buy some breakfast, lunch, and snack food and lots of drinks.  While I speak nearly no French, I found the market easy to navigate and we stocked up on baguettes, cheese, local juices, bottles of Hinano, and a few other snacks.

After we finished food shopping, we continued along the main road to our hotel.  Moorea Fare Miti was a bit hard to find as their sign was a little small and we didn’t see it until we passed it, so we made a U-turn to get back to the entrance.

Fabienne (Faby) greeted us at the reception desk and quickly found the reservation we made through Booking.com.  She introduced us to Elvis, who cleans the grounds and the bungalows at the hotel.  Our bungalow was already cleaned and ready for us even though it was before 11am.  She told us to drive our car along the road behind the bungalows, to park behind the last unit and she would meet us there.  The bungalow was exactly as pictured online, sitting directly on their private beach with an oversized thatch roof and wrap-around front porch. The main room features 2 daybeds that were set up as couches since we only had 2 of us staying in the unit, but they would have been set up as beds if we had 4 people in our party.  There was also a coffee table and ceiling fan.

The galley kitchen had a ¾ sized fridge/freezer, a glass cook top, a few dishes and cookware, a kettle, and a small coffee pot.

Down the hall was the bedroom with a full sized bed with a mosquito net, a closet with a hanging bar and shelves, and a safe.

The large bathroom had a stall shower, another closet with a hanging bar and shelves, and a door that lead outside to where the car was parked (but we did not have a key to open that door from the outside so we had to enter through the sliding glass doors into the living room).

Faby gave us the password to the free wifi, and asked if we would like some fresh coconut bread and/or a baguette for breakfast. We requested one of each, and she told us we could pick them up in the lobby at 7:15am tomorrow.  She also showed us the binder on the coffee table which contained lots of tourism info.  After she left, we unloaded the car, put away our groceries, unpacked and got settled.  We hadn’t eaten since our small snack at the ferry terminal so we made some sandwiches and enjoyed them outside on our porch.

We spent a few hours relaxing at the hotel, settling in and getting the lay of the land.  This was our beachfront bungalow:

To give some perspective, this is a screen capture of the Google satellite image of Moorea Fare Miti, and our bungalow is the one circled in red.

There is one other beachfront bungalow on our right, but it is actually privately owned and rented out as a vacation rental unit when the owners are not there, so it is separate from the Moorea Fare Miti hotel.  The 7 other units in our hotel are situated side by side progressively further back from the beach, but they are all angled so I think they can all see the beach from their porches.

The section of beach in front of our bungalow actually stretches pretty far north and south of the hotel so it wasn’t quite private, but there were very few people using the beach whenever we were there. In fact, I only saw two or three people there who weren’t guests at our hotel, and they were just taking a walk along the shore.

The view sitting on our porch looking out towards the beach:

Here’s a few other photos from the grounds of our hotel…

By around 2pm, we were ready to get up and do something, mostly to keep awake and void the jet lag urging us to sleep all day.  It was raining on and off so we could not take advantage of the beach at our hotel, and we didn’t really want to use the kayaks in the rain.  Instead, we drove up to Le Petit Village to explore the little shops and restaurants.  There were a few small stores selling souvenirs, black pearls, jewelry, art, and Tahitian pareos, as well as a small grocery store, gas station, and a few small restaurants.  Most of the products seemed more pricey than we wanted to pay, so we just looked around.

 We weren’t quite hungry for dinner and it was still raining, so we went back to Moorea Fare Miti for happy hour on our porch. We bought a carton of Tahiti drink at Super-U and were curious to try it.

It is a pre-made fruit juice cocktail made with rum and it is 8% alcohol.  It was good but I think the pineapple juice and coconut rum drink we made with our lunch was better haha  They should serve Tahiti drink in single-serve juice boxes to take to the beach!  If anyone has traveled to Puerto Rico (or read my 2015 Carnival Valor review), this reminded us of Gasolina.

 Thanks to the completely overcast sky, there wasn’t much of a sunset tonight, which was a shame considering our bungalow faces west over the water with the potential for an amazing sunset view (stay tuned to see if we ever got that perfect sunset!)  The rain did taper down to a drizzle long enough to capture this photo though!

We were starting to get hungry for dinner around 6pm, so we drove south from the hotel to look for somewhere to eat.  By now, it was raining again.  Not just a light drizzle… it was raining fairly hard. After about 5 minutes, we saw signs reflecting back in our headlights that looked like the road was closed.  We got a bit closer and saw that they were doing construction (perhaps on the pipes or sewers?) so traffic was being diverted off the road onto a dirt path along the side of the road.  With all the rain Moorea has had in the last few days, this dirt road was a muddy mess!  I thought I took a photo of it that night, but maybe it didn’t come out in the dark and I deleted it because I can’t find it.  Here’s what the construction site looked like when we passed by another morning. They really need to find a safer way to do construction because it was such a mess and likely just a matter of time before there is an accident here.

One of the restaurants on my planning list was called Pizza Daniel.  I had read several good reviews about this place on Trip Advisor and it was only 6km from Moorea Fare Miti.  After driving about that far, we still didn’t find it, but we did find it, but we came across a different pizza place which matched the descripton of Pizza Daniel. Perhaps they changed names??  This restaurant was called Pizzeria Mano Arii, and they had a bunch of options for thin crust personal sized pizzas for about 1500xpf ($15) each.

We ordered the Chevre-Miel and Vegetarian pizzas to go, and waited about 10 minutes while they made them fresh to order. We took the pizzas back to eat in our bungalow and washed them down with our first Hinano beers of the trip.

After a very long day that started at 7am Pacific time on Thursday morning, we fell asleep by 8pm on Friday night under the shelter of our mosquito net in French Polynesia.

[dawnajaynes32]

21 of the Best Google Doodles of 2017

Here’s a holiday you may not have heard of: Google Commemoration Day. September 7th, 1996 saw the birth of perhaps the most popular website and search engine that will ever exist. I honestly can’t remember the last time I went a day without using some form of Google application. And because we know designers everywhere use it too (hello, Google Fonts), we decided to celebrate 21 years instantaneous search results with 21 of our favorite Google Doodles from 2017. To read more about each doodle, just click the image.

Do you have a favorite Google Doodle? Share it with us @HOWbrand.

1. New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day; December 31, 2016 & January 1, 2017

“Cheers to a new year! As 2017 makes its debut, we celebrate new beginnings and set our resolutions. Here’s to another year of exploring, learning, and growing!”

2. 100th Anniversary of The Russian Nature Reserves; January 11, 2017

“A century ago, Russia established its first Zapovednik (nature reserve), Barguzinsky Nature Reserve, located in Buryatia, on the northeast shores of Lake Baikal. On January 11, the country marks the 100th anniversary of its pioneering system of protecting natural areas with Nature Reserves and National Parks Day. …

“Our Doodle is rendered in a woodblock style reminiscent of Russian postage stamps issued for Barguzin’s half-centennial, and inspired by six specially protected natural areas: Barguzin Nature Reserve, Ergaki National Park (aka Yergaki), Russian Arctic National Park, Lake Baikal (frozen), Kronotsky Nature Reserve, and Dalnevostochny Morskoy Nature Reserve (Far East Marine Nature Reserve).”

3. Flora Nwapa’s 86th Birthday; January 13, 2017

“Flora Nwapa, Nigeria’s first published female novelist and Africa’s first internationally-acclaimed English-language female writer, held the spotlight for nearly her entire adult life. She was not only an accomplished author, but a publisher, public servant, and activist.”

4. Martin Luther King Jr. Day; January 16, 2017

“Today’s Doodle, by guest artist Keith Mallett, captures one of the major themes of King’s speeches and writing: unity. ‘All life is interrelated,’ he said. ‘We are all made to live together.’ King urged Americans of all races to keep ‘working toward a world of brotherhood, cooperation, and peace.'”

5. Bessie Coleman’s 125th Birthday; January 26, 2017

“Bessie Coleman didn’t just chase her dreams – she soared after them.

“Born in Texas to a family of 13 children, Coleman walked four miles each day to her segregated, one-room school. She was a proficient reader and excelled in math, and managed to balance her studies while helping her parents harvest cotton. Even from an early age, she had her sights set on something big.

“At age 23, Coleman moved to Chicago where she worked two jobs in an effort to save enough money to enroll in aviation school. After working for five years, she moved to Paris to study, as no school in America would admit her due to her race and gender. Just a year later, Coleman became the first female pilot of African-American and Native American descent, and the first to earn an international aviation license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.”

  6. Valentine’s Day; February 14, 2017

“Pangolins are the world’s only scaly mammal. The eight species of pangolin that roam the wilds of Asia and Africa are strong swimmers who rely on their long tongues and heightened sense of smell to find nourishment.

Sadly however, pangolins are the most trafficked mammal in the world, and all 8 species face a significant threat from poachers and smugglers. Check out the World Wildlife Fund to learn more about the the pangolin’s plight and to support WWF’s efforts to save the pangolin and other endangered species.”

Team: Jordan Thompson, Brian Murray, Ben McMahan, Kris Hom, Jacob Lettie (engineering); Helene Leroux, Nate Swinehart, Pedro Vergani (art); Chelsea Saunders (game design); Kevin Burke (UX Design); Gregory Capuano, Perla Campos, Brian Kaas, Ryan Germick (production); Silas Hite (music & sound effects)

7. Seven Earth-sized Exoplanets Discovered!

“This just in! Turns out it wasn’t just dust on the telescope lens: NASA just announced the discovery of seven earth-size planets orbiting the same star only 235 trillion miles away. In space terms, that practically makes us next-door neighbors!”

8. Carnaval Brazil; Febraury 28, 2017

“Brazil Carnaval is a week-long affair of parades, samba music, themed costumes, and dancing that celebrates a time of fun and indulgence before Lent begins. Rio de Janeiro’s Carnaval is considered to be the largest, with up to 2 million people taking part!

“Today’s animated Doodle – by Doodler and Brazil native Pedro Vergani –  gives us a glimpse of Carnaval through the ages, depicting the traditional and colorful attire spanning from the 1910s to the 2000s.”

9. International Women’s Day; March 8, 2017

“This International Women’s Day, we’ve chosen to look to the past to celebrate some of the female pioneers who paved the way to where we are today.

“Our slideshow Doodle features a little girl whose grandmother tells her the best bedtime story ever: the tale of her favorite historical heroine. The little girl then visits 13 remarkable women in her imagination, taking us along on a journey that spans centuries and circles the globe.”

10. Holi Festival; March 13, 2017

“Today, the Google letters are taking on a fresh set of colors in honor of the Holi festival. Coinciding with the arrival of spring, the vibrant celebration looks a lot like the Doodle: people run around happily covering each other in a rainbow of powdery hues.

“Amid the cloud of red, blue, yellow, green, and everything in between, festival-goers can often be found laughing, singing, and dancing in the streets. The joyous event, which takes place in India, Nepal, and other countries around the world, traditionally marks the triumph of good over evil. It also gives family and friends a chance to simply come together, enjoying a spirited ‘Festival of Colors’ that undoubtedly lives up to its name.”

11. First Day of Spring; March 20, 2017

“The word equinox comes from the Latin for equal and night. Almost everywhere in the world today, nighttime and daytime are each 12 hours.

We use the equinox to mark the change of seasons, as the balance of light shifts to make for longer days or nights. It usually means that it’s time to hunker down for colder seasons, or time to rise and shine for warmer ones, as in the case of our furry friend the mouse! You may also notice that on the equinox, the sun rises directly in the east and sets directly in the west, whereas at other times in the year, it appears off-center if you’re facing those directions. Today, we mark the equinox with a Doodle to celebrate the changing seasons.”

12. Doodle 4 Google 2017 Winner; March 31, 2017

google doodles 2017

“Nine years in, the U.S. Doodle 4 Google Contest draws thousands of creative submissions from talented young artists across the country. Roughly 140,000 participants answered this year’s prompt, “What I see for the future.” Some imagined a future with modernized homes, others dreamed of a planet without endangered animals, while some saw a compassionate world built around communal harmony.

“Five incredibly talented national finalists spent the day at Google HQ in Mountain View, California. Of those five masterpieces, Connecticut 10th grader Sarah Harrison’s Doodle, ‘A Peaceful Future’ was chosen as the national winner! Today, millions in the U.S. can enjoy her masterpeice on the Google homepage.

“Sarah says, ‘My future is a world where we can all learn to love each other despite our religion, gender, race, ethnicity, or sexuality. I dream of a future where everyone is safe and accepted wherever they go, whoever they are.'”

13. Earth Day; April 22, 2017

” At an estimated 4.543 billion years of age, the Earth is still the only known object in the Universe known to harbor life. It’s also the densest planet in the Solar System and the largest of the four terrestrial planets. That’s quite an awe-inspiring roster of qualities, if you ask us.

Today’s Doodle follows the story of a fox who dreams about an Earth that’s been polluted and adversely affected by climate change. The fox wakes with a startle, and urgently starts making small lifestyle changes to care for the Earth. Along the way, the fox enlists friends – including Momo the cat, and Google Weather’s favorite frog – to join its quest to protect and nurture the environment.”

14. Cassini Spacecraft Dives Between Saturn and its Rings!; April 26, 2017

“Today the Cassini spacecraft starts a series of swoops between Saturn and its rings. These cosmic acrobatics are part of Cassini’s dramatic “Grand Finale,” a set of orbits offering Earthlings an unprecedented look at the second largest planet in our solar system.”

Doodle by Nate Swinehart

15. Teachers’ Day (United States); May 9, 2017

Happy Teachers Day! On this day we take a moment to appreciate those who dedicate their lives to encouraging our intellectual development, be it through mathematics, ecology, astronomy, chemistry, biology, or any other subject we may explore. Teachers nurture our intelligence, creativity, and critical thinking skills. They help shape us and guide our development.

  16. Gilbert Baker’s 66th Birthday; June 2, 2017

“Today’s doodle is a little more colorful thanks to Gilbert Baker, creator of the rainbow flag, a symbol of pride and freedom for the LGBTQA+ community.

“Teaching himself to sew, Baker put his skills to work for the San Francisco gay community, making banners for marches and protests. In 1978 Baker used those skills to create a new symbol for the LGBT Community to replace the pink triangle, a symbol of oppression and devastation from the Nazi’s classification of LGBT people in World War II. Baker’s Rainbow was a more positive and celebratory symbol.”

Early Draft Concept

Doodler: Nate Swinhart

17. 140th Anniversary of Wimbledon; July 3, 2017

“Today’s Doodle marks the 140th year of the Wimbledon championships, the world’s oldest tennis tournament. Each year, hundreds of players take a shot at winning this Grand Slam event. Wimbledon has drawn crowds since the dawn of professional tennis, way back when players were using handmade wooden rackets. The tournament is known for its grass courts, perfectly maintained to a neat 8mm — a sturdy height for fast-moving feet.”

18. Fourth of July; July 4, 2017

“Whether you know it as the Fourth of July, Independence Day, or simply America’s birthday, today’s Doodle commemorates an important day in U.S. history. 241 years ago, on July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress voted to adopt the Declaration of Independence, a document proclaiming freedom from Great Britain. And thus the United States of America was born. Each year on this day, Americans from coast to coast unite to celebrate the birth of their country with traditions such as parades, firework displays, and barbecuing with family and friends.

Today’s Doodle is inspired by Stephen Mather (also born July 4), a noted conservationist and the first director of the National Parks Service. Often hailed as “America’s Best Idea,” the NPS was created by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916. Over a century old, America’s national parks span 84 million acres and host more than 275 million visitors every year.”

19. Celebrating Dolores del Río; August 3, 2017

“When Dolores Del Río met American filmmaker Edwin Carewe, her talent was so captivating that he convinced her to move to California. Once there, Del Ríos acting career would establish her as an iconic figure during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. Considered the first major Latin American crossover Hollywood star, she would pave the way for generations of actors to follow.”

Doodle by Sophie Diao

20. 44th Anniversary of the Birth of Hip Hop

“On August 11, 1973, an 18-year-old, Jamaican-American DJ who went by the name of Kool Herc threw a back-to-school jam at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx, New York. During his set, he decided to do something different. Instead of playing the songs in full, he played only their instrumental sections, or ‘breaks’ – sections where he noticed the crowd went wild. During these ‘breaks’ his friend Coke La Rock hyped up the crowd with a microphone. And with that, Hip Hop was born.”

Credits: Kevin Burke (creative/UX lead, animator, musician); Pedro Vergani (art/animation lead); Hélène Leroux (designer. animator); Ryan Germick (team lead); David Lu, John Thompson, Mark Ivey, Kris Hom, Chris Wilson, Ben McMahan (engineering); Perla Campos, Gregory Capuano (production)

21. Great American Eclipse; August 21, 2017

“An eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth, blocking the light of the sun from reaching us.

“While eclipses aren’t rare, a total eclipse, when viewers from Earth are at the very center of the moon’s shadow, only happens once every 18 months. To see one requires you to be in just the right place on earth, and a total eclipse in the same location only happens every 375 years on average.”

Ad designers use specific techniques for persuasion, color psychology and composition, copywriting and typography, and brand communication. Start making stronger ad campaigns today.

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Maeda, Kaiseki in Kyoto

I know I’m in the minority here, but I don’t like kaiseki. To me, it’s just too fussy, there are too many courses, and generally too many ingredients on each plate. But it had been 25 years since I was last in Kyoto, so when I was there last week, I conceded that at the very least, I would have to give it one last try in its hometown.

Maeda, in the historic Gion district, has 2 Michelin stars. To put that into perspective, in 2016, the city of Kyoto found itself awarded with 139 Michelin stars: there are 7 three-star restaurants; 26 two-star restaurants; and 66 one-star restaurants. So quite literally, Michelin stars here are a dime a dozen. However, if you factor in the fact that more than 50 million tourists visit Kyoto a year, and most restaurants do not have English-speaking staff, and you will find that even with such a wealth of offerings, making a reservation at a top restaurant is not easy.

I had called Maeda a few weeks before my arrival, and managed to make a booking for 3 people. However, when we arrived, I had to change the reservation to 2 people. So I asked our hotel concierge to do it, and it was lucky, as the restaurant never had our booking in the first place. Astonishingly, though it was less than 48 hours to go until our original reservation, the 10-seat restaurant still managed to fit us in.

When we arrived at 7pm (that’s the last seating), we found that there were still 2 seats available.  There are 3 main chefs working behind the counter, with a few others in the kitchen, which means the chef-to-diner ration is pretty much 1-2.

We start with a pretty green soup which is beautiful to look at, and very subtle in flavour, which I was enjoying as a light starter until I realised that the chef was trying to tell us there was shark’s fin in it. My eyes widen in horror, and my dismay is not helped by the fact that my dad tries to cheer me up by telling me that they were probably baby sharks, since each fin was the size of half a postage stamp.

My sister then texts me and says, “I wish you could take pictures at Maeda! I’m dying to know what you are having!” I text back a picture of the soup and said, well, unfortunately we’re having shark’s fin. She types back quickly and tells me to stop immediately, and that photographs are forbidden in Maeda. So when the next dish arrives, I ask the chef point-blank if it was okay to take pictures, and he smiles and gives me the thumbs-up, so no-photos may have been their policy once, but presumably they cottoned on to the power of social media.

The next dish is akagai with asparagus and pine nuts. There is a slightly spicy mustardy dressing, as well as some leeks, which I enjoyed with the slight fattiness of the pine nuts.

The shirako spring rolls are next. These are a genius idea: the creamy shirako arrives piping hot, and is perfectly encased in the crispy deep-fried wrapper. However, I would have liked it with some ponzu to cut through the creaminess of the cod milt (sperm sacs). Instead, the chef uses a lot of pepper instead.

Next up is Maeda’s version of shime saba sushi. Shime saba, a lightly vinegared mackerel, is a very common snack in Kyoto, and one of my favourites. However, here I think both the rice and the fish were not tart enough.

A cooked octopus with lightly pickled celery: I’m not a big fan of octopus, but the one here does have an impressively bouncy texture.

Radish soup with clams and a potato dumpling. One of the things I dislike about kaiseki is the sheer amount of food, and I think it takes real discipline for the chef to keep portions to an absolute minimum so it’s not overwhelming. Here is a good case in point, as there were two giant clams in the soup, when just one would have been enough to give you a hint of the flavour, whereas two is just diminishing returns in terms of enjoyment. The texture of the dumpling is similar to a Chinese rice cake, and there are lots of yuzu and scallion in the soup.

Next up is amadai sashimi with sea cucumber eggs (very thick, very fishy) and a sake sauce. It requires a bit of co-ordination and DIY-skills to mix together the wasabi, pickled and salted seaweed, and dunk it in the eggs and the sauce.

Then there is a shredded crab simply cooked with egg, and a healthy dash of sansho pepper. I think this would have benefitted from a bit more of the crab miso. It was a little bland.

Another dish of amadai, this time miso-marinated and then grilled, served with yuba. The fish is excellent, but I thought the tofu skin (yuba) could have been creamier. The burnt petals on top gave it a bitter element, which I’m not sure were entirely necessary.

Mirugai (giant clam) in ponzo and giant peas are next, and are a good palate cleanser. It’s both sweet and slightly acidic, and tastes very perky in general, with some pickled leeks.

Another soup arrives, and it’s thick and creamy and thoroughly hearty. I’m really enjoying it and ask the chef what’s the seafood in it. He furrows his brows as he tries to think of the English. “It’s a really big fish”, he says. Swordfish? “No, much bigger!” I laugh and joke, like a whale? He nods emphatically. “Yes! Exactly, a whale!” I’m even more aghast than the first course of shark’s fin and again, my dad tries to make me feel better by poking at the blubber, and commenting that due to its thinness, it’s probably a small whale, like a minke whale, which of course is the type of whale that Japan continues to hunt in spite of an international ban.  At this point, I’m feeling seriously nauseated, not only by the amount of food I’ve ingested, but by the fact that I’m being forced to eat something that’s totally against my principals. To make things worse, it’s really delicious but I suspect it’s because of the richness of flavour in the stock, and not from the actual taste of the whale.

The final dish before dessert was roasted cake made with gingko nuts, and topped with sweet, cool and thick slices of uni. Normally, I would have quite enjoyed this contrast in flavour between the slightly bitter gingko and temperature difference, but I had really lost my appetite and could not enjoy it.

Overall, I found Maeda to be enjoyable up to a point. There is definitely a lot of thought put into each dish, but I found that the execution or flavour profile wasn’t always 100%. But more importantly, while I could have given the restaurant a list of my allergies or things I won’t eat, and normally I do say no bluefin tuna, I just didn’t think to do so this time, and the serving of the shark’s fin and the minke whale really ruined the experience for me, and although the chef was charming; the environment pleasant; and the food generally quite good; I will not go back.

Dinner per person, including one beer and a small sake, came to under HK$1,800.