#bai bia have a nice day :3

[treymeow]

Thought of somethinf and I need to share it NOW.

Despite my usual stuff, this isnt sonadow. I mean i guess it could be, like pre-sonadow i guess. Take it how you will.

------

Shadow didn't deign to give Sonic a glance. He kept his gaze glued to the horizon. In this rare moment of peace and silence between them, neither said a word. That was until Sonic decided the silence needed to be broken.

"What's got you all thoughtful?" He asked, turning his head to Shadow.

Shadow graced him with a look, then averted his gaze to something more interesting. "That is none of your concern."

"Oh come on now, we're friends right?"

"Are we?"

"Well I guess not really, but we know each other enough, don't we? Now tell me what you're thinkin' about." Sonic leaned into Shadows personal space, and Shadow felt his quills involuntarily bristle in discomfort.

"Do we?" He pressed further.

"Ugh.." Yeah Sonic was just lying. "Well.. if you're not gonna tell me then I'll make conversation." Sonic held his chin between his thumb and index finger, tapping his foot as he thought with his left hand on his hip.

"Please don't.." Shadow groaned, rolling his eyes at the incessant tap, tap, tap, tap, tap...

"Hey actually," Sonics head snapped to Shadow. "How did you feel after our first race!?" Sonic pointed at him. Suddenly he grinned. "Y'know, when I beat you for the first time."

Shadow remembered that, how Sonic laughed as Shadow passed the finish line a hair behind him. Shadows wave of despair, desperation and complete fury.

"I wanted to kill you." Shadow stated matter a factly, and Sonic laughed out loud. "I was going to aswell." He clarified, Sonic laughter slowly settled.

"Wait seriously?" He asked incredulously.

"Yes," Shadow sighed, "I had it planned and everything. The method, time, place and how I would get you there and vulnerable. I was so furious that I was beaten." He fondly remembered, a smile almost dusted his face.

"What made you uh.. y'know, not do it?" Sonic asked, clearly alive, breathing and, somewhat, well.

Shadow looked at him finally, a smirk pulling at his face. "I realised that if I killed you, I wouldn't be able to prove that I'm better than you. I wouldn't be able to beat you into the ground, or watch that annoyingly persistent optimism drain from your face as I crushed you with my heel." His eyes wide he made unbreaking eye contact with Sonic. Almost telling he was waiting for the time where he could redo his attempt, without hesitation this time.

Sonic grinned widely. "Well I'll be looking forward to it, Faker." He pressed even farther into Shadow's personal bubble.

"I was made before you, you know." Shadow grumbled.

"Yeah and you're still my fake. How does that feel?" Sonic chuckled.

"Like killing you."

Sonic laughed heartily.

----

Ok now that thats out of my system :3

I can procrastinate studying again :∆

Hope u liked it, sorry if it was bad (⁠-⁠_⁠-⁠;⁠)

Farewell and safe travels :D

Edit - the end was kinda rushed, i didnt have anything else to say other than a general idea of "Shadow admitting he was going to kill Sonic, but decided against it because how would he prove he's the ultimate lifeform and therefore better than Sonic."

[st0rmyskies]

Renault Avantime

Acura Legend

Nissan Skyline

Renault Wind

Ford Ranger Wildtrack

Toyota FourRunner

Renault Twizy

Eagle Malon TSi

Rolls Royce Silver Shadow

Mitsubishi L200 Warriors

Ducati Diavel Dark

Range Roolie

This anon knows that I am secretly a Car Guy™.

Renault Avantime

Look at this thing. Look at this European-ass Ford Flex wannabe bullshit. It gets some points for being a coupe, somehow - Time would rather not drive around with a back door that someone could pop into at will - but even a sick set of tints isn't going to hide his embarrassment at this beaky profile. There's a nose joke in there somewhere. 3/10.

Acura Legend

Impeccable. Looks like someone's first car so that they can haul ass back and forth to college several times a year. Ravio and Legend rip out the back seats to make room for as much product as this shitty 2.5L can manage. The back is also positively PLASTERED in the most amazing sarcastic bumper stickers you can imagine (Bestie Please Let Me Merge, I Fucked Bigfoot, etc.). 10/10

Nissan Skyline

Some part of me hurts to think that Sky would be a Nissan driver, but that's my own personal bias. Does look like something he would take out for weekend track days or the odd drag strip competition and wipe the floor with others. When Groose pulls up he parks entirely too close and gets Sky's rare scowl for even joking about having scratched the paint. 8/10

Renault Wind

Look at this fuckin thing. Wind hates it. Daddy bought it for him as a "Sorry I missed your 16th birthday!" gift. The only saving grace is that it's not the powder blue version; Wind would have turned those keys right over to Aryll SO FAST. It's hardly big enough for him to bring a surfboard to the beach in. The convertible is a nice touch for sunset beach drives though. 5/10.

Ford Ranger Wildtrak

Can you imagine??? Can you imagine?????? Wild wakes up one morning after a night of hard partying to suddenly remember, "I have a car." He digs through his old belongings to produce a nondescript keychain - which he promptly switches out for a big sparkly white puffball - and wanders off into the world to find where he parked THIS truck of Champion's. The ENERGY of seeing tiny Wild with his long hair blowing out the side window as he rolls up in THIS THING is hysterical to me. He will literally never be able to double-park it and just pull it up over the sidewalk to leave it in Time's yard. 11/10.

Toyota FourRunner

If one person - if ONE PERSON - makes a short joke Four is gonna flip the fuck out. He'll need the version with side rails so he can actually get into the damn thing, probably, and the seat adjuster is aftermarket so that he can bring the driver's seat up high enough to see over the steering wheel. Bonus points, though, that he can drive right over all the haters. However, I would argue that this isn't the best city car for someone like Four. Yes it can haul lots of junk in the back for his work needs, but a pickup truck - and something older that he can service himself - would suit him a bit better. 7/10

Renault Twizy

Sure, let's put the anxious kid on the highway between two 18-wheelers in this little Fisher Price death trap. His shoulders wouldn't fit inside this thing, let alone his ass. 0/10

Eagle Malon TSi

Well if this isn't a divorcee car then I don't know what is. Does get some points since it looks like it would run badly forever, which is the solid basis of any good farmer's errand car. I do like to think, though, that Malon would have a bit more self respect than this. 1/10.

Rolls Royce Silver Shadow

I had to include the photo with the text because that's so something Shadow would make himself. Four loudly and vehemently disagrees; he's spent more time on his back beneath that engine bay fixing electrical issues nearly as quickly as Shadow can cause them. Perhaps the aftermarket tablet screen he had installed in the center console at some dubious backyard mechanic was a bad idea. Also I bet that engine is so fucking loud and puts out NO power. 7/10

Mitsubishi L200 Warriors

What the hell and fuck is this? What are all the antennae for, so he can be tuned in to the latest Sephora sale?? And the extra lighting, is that for his Instagram photoshoots??? Ew, do you think Wars is an Instagram influencer???? -0.5/10

Ducati Diavel Dark

Oh, this is canon. 15/10

Range Roolie

I just had a visceral reaction picturing our own Doctor Hyrule, MD, rolling around town in this thing hopelessly lost. He somehow keeps missing all the turns on his GPS. The OnStar dispatcher eventually gets to know him by name. They just talk while he's on his way to work in the morning. 10/10

[extraordinarilyextreme]

Twenty Questions for Fic Writers!

tagged by @bbcphile～ thank you my dear 🫶

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

30 right now～ what a nice number!

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

363,479!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

so many, lol. right now, i'm actively writing for LHL and YRZX (and a bit LZTJ), but i previously wrote a lot for QYJ, CHSSN, and DMBJ.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

may we tie our hearts together again ⚫️⚪️ QingYa

9k, red string AU, canon + post-canon

NOTICE: Seeking Marriage Partner 💙💚 PingXie

5k, post-canon

青山仍在 | as long as the green hills remain 🪷🐕 HuaFang

7k, post-canon fix-it

but ask for no regrets 💙💚 PingXie

5k, canon-compliant N+1 things

a ghost walks into a soldier's house 💙🤍 SuiTang | 🖤💚 WeiLan

16k, crossover + crack treated seriously

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

i try my best to, but for various reasons comments will accumulate in my inbox and i might not respond to them until even a year later. but please believe me, i do read every single one.

6. What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

i write a lot of HEs... perhaps only an echo, since the entire premise of that (unfinished) series is an AU where Wu Xie isn't there to fulfill his ten-year promise with Xiaoge. rather than angsty endings, i write more angsty stories? in which case, the angstiest might be 千里自同风 | no distance too great as a canon-compliant post-canon fic that follows Fang Duobing's journey of grief. (but i don't think the ending of that is sad, tbh.) alternatively, 飞蛾扑火 | for you, i'll gladly burn is another contender given Shen Yi's big reveal in the last chapter (but also don't think the ending is sad). 红尘似水，万事入歌 | the world becomes song is pretty sad too if only because we the readers know the characters' fates in canon.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

honestly, i think most of my fics are HEs. or if not "happy," comforting for sure. most of my fics end with a promise to be together, to spend an ordinary life together, to have the chance to be in the moment together. it might not be super, like, grand or dramatic or anything - but i genuinely think all my fics have peaceful endings. so take your pick, peruse my works～

8. Do you get hate on fics?

rarely, and the few times that i have, i've simply deleted them.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

nope. i don't know how to, LOL

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

i have a guilty pleasure of writing crossovers, lol. i think they're all kinda wild:

a ghost walks into a soldier's house

镇魂 Guardian & 成化十四年 The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty

do not speak as loud as my heart

盗墓笔记 The Grave Robbers' Chronicles & 镇魂 Guardian

红尘似水，万事入歌 | the world becomes song

鬓边不是海棠红 Winter Begonia & 老九门 Mystic Nine

懷月夢 | on the summit, sun and snow

三生三世枕上书 Eternal Love of Dream & 封神演义 The Investiture of The Gods

照猫画狐 | tracing a cat to draw a fox

猎罪图鉴 Under the Skin & 无眠之境 Desire Catcher

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i know of. don't steal my fics.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

yes! 此生如梦 | this life, a dream was tl'ed into Russian～

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

yes～ @naiwong-bao and i somehow churned out the 111k monster that was 懷月夢 | on the summit, sun and snow. to this day, i have no idea how we did that, LOL

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

impossible for me to choose～ recency bias will suggest 🦊🐼 青也, 🪷🐕 花方, and 🎨🔍 城心城翊 though～

15. What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

my 往前走 莫回呀头 | go forward and don't look back series 🥹 i had two more parts planned originally after Xiuxiu's POV... one was Liu Sang, the other was Xiaoge. (there was an undetermined Bai Haotian POV fic too.) i also definitely won't be finishing the sound of snowfall (and don't want to LOL)

16. What are your writing strengths?

atmosphere and rhythm, i think. maybe because i used to write a lot of poetry? i also have faith in my world-building (bc i do a LOT of research) and dialogue. in terms of tropes, it must undoubtedly be hurt/comfort.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

i'm not good at writing fight/action scenes (probably another reason why i literally cannot write smut). i also don't think i'm super great at description, but i think i've been improving.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

this is an interesting question because i actually write all my dialogue in Chinese first and then tl it to English since i pretty exclusively write for c-media now 😆 i like that a lot bc i think it helps me to more accurately characterize these ppl - but also it sucks tremendously when English is just the ugliest-sounding language in the world, LOL. (i always think my original Chinese dialogue is prettier and has more depth～)

19. First fandom you wrote for?

the first fandom i posted fic on AO3 for was Good Omens: i love(d) you. but in my life, it was probably like... Warriors (yes, the cats) or Shugo Chara..? idk, or maybe Case Closed (still love that series despite how insufferably long it's gotten).

20. Favorite fic you've written?

only children need to choose; adults can have everything～

tagging: @rongzhi, @elenothar, @difeisheng, @asterdust, @willowcatkinblossom, @starlitwishforu, @tunnelofdusk

[baekhvuns]

hi, sunbae! live ask from my uni campus.

i have to d word ab the japanese teasers that ateez is releasing. like fucking kang yeosang with a BOW AND ARROW? BITCH I DIDNT KNOW I NEEDED HIS KATNISS EVERDEEN ERA BUT NOW ITS ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT HIT MY HEAD WITH THAT ARROWWWWWWWWWWWW WTHHH

and im like. really concerned for hwas birthday bc. if. and oNLY IF. im gonna put him into the "my bias" stats along with hongjoong its gonna be a big step personally bc ive never ever had more than one bias per group and it sounds different,,, ik its not that much of a big deal in real life i should tocih some grass but like!!! it has never happened before!!! excuse me sir this is a mcdonalds drive thru get your tongue smirk loveable voice and demeanor and perfect eyebrows outta here idk how to deal with this!!! anyways

oh and i forgot to tell u ab my hockey kinda themed fic, which is actually an ice hockey fic! the pairing is txt soobin x reader (im also a moa) in a high school au where hes the ice hockey team captain. slow burn, slight rivals/enemies to lovers, reader being really mad with rich people such as i am :D it'll come up someday. no idea when tho

aND. 2 news ab my not-so-y/n esque-life-in-uni: rn im waiting bc in ten minutes ill talk with a teacher who might assist me in an academic project i really want to do! im happy bc my teacher (professor? idk the correct english terms for levels of education sorry) is a very nice person but also insecure as fuck ab myself and the things i want to research about.

the second one is that i might have a tiny little crush on someone else. its not that big, i barely know the guy bc weve been talking by dm's, but yesterday i saw him in an extra thing in uni (he studies here too) and hes very charismatic. since im demissexual idk if im gonna click w him so something will happen,, lets see.

thats it for now :P

-hoobae anon

real time ask lessgo! (this is late pls ignorebfbdb)

KANG YEOSANG ARCHERY AU WHEN !!!!!! WHAT EVEN IS THE CONCEPT OF THIS MV, ONE MINUTE ITS CHOI SAN GYM VLOG THE OTHER ITS FLAGS 😭😭😭😭 STOP KATNISS FHWNDHKSHDKJC

ya know what, the more the merrier, what even is a bias line anymore, it’s a bias group atp <3 may seonghwa grace ur bais list on his birthday <3 his smirk, don’t even get me started i imagined it and had to go for a walk around the room <3

GET THE FUCK OUT ITS A SOOBIN AU????? ANON DJQNDJAKFJAKDHAKDJAL UR GONNA DROP THE LINK HERE OKAY, HERE FIRST IDC IVE BEEN WITH U SINCE DAY ONE !!!! ETL HOCKEY AU??? HANDS ARE OPEN PLS THROW IT HERE & RICH PEOPLE??? STOPPPP ITTTTTT IM UR RIDE AND DIE OKAY UR GONNA SEND THAT LINK HERE 🔫🔫

OOOOOOO i hope it went well!!! sounds super interesting u sound super passionate about it, hope things go ur way!! no omg do not apologize, it’s the same thing anyways!!

a crush i hear 👁👁

[jenivi]

2, 9, 10, 13, 17 !! hope thats not too many :]

Dw its not too many, it’s fun answering these asks :))

2. describe your ideal/perfect day?

I just answered this one, but I appreciate you asking and I like this question too c:

9. what color is your favorite and why?

I don’t want to be one of those people who says, “all colors are my favorite” but I kinda am one of those people ajksfnjfa. If I had to choose though, I guess I have a bias for blue-ish teal and light pink. They just look nice to look at and go good with a lot of stuff?

10. do you prefer the ocean or the mountains?

The ocean! Where I live, I guess I’m sorta kinda surrounded by a valley-ish place so the ocean is a nice change of view. I just wish the beaches were a little warmer around the Bay Area (or maybe I just go at the wrong time idk)

13. favorite songs?

aaa this is hard cuz I am constantly changing favs,, if im considering some current favs and just favs ive had for forever (sorry there’s a handful): 

all I wanted was you - paramore, kimi no kioku/memories of you - persona 3, endless possibilities - sonic unleashed, hell and back - tonight alive, let go (b-side song) - avril lavigne, sky’s the limit - persona 4, i don’t love you - mcr, into the light - splatoon, if this was a movie - taylor swift, whims of fate - persona 5, supercut - lorde

(made sure to add some normal songs so its not just video game music) I just realized most of these songs sound depressing as hell,, I swear I like upbeat music too! These are just songs I have a place in my heart for I guess

17. what are your biggest dreams in life?

Career-wise, I really hope to be an elementary school teacher and to really impact other kids’ lives as past educators have done for me! I really treasure the teachers who really helped me out as a kid and I just want to pay it forward and try to be the same for other children who need it :) And I guess in general, I just really hope to be happy with my loved ones in the future. I just really dream of being/feeling secure and being happy with myself, and I’ve always wanted a family I guesssss

ty for the ask nick!!!!💛💛

[brynandchristopher]

Back in nam...

A lot has changed since I was last in Nam… I’ll try to explain but I don’t think you’ll get it… YOU WEREN’T THERE!

I came to Vietnam 2.5 years ago with my Father, affectionately known as Wan. Wan had a special business trip scheduled here and I was headed home from Nepal and we decided to link up. We stayed primarily in the Saigon (AKA: Ho Chi Minh City) area and farther down south on the beach. However, we did a short 4 day stint up to Hanoi and Ha Long Bay - a trip that enthralled me and was the main reason I wanted to return to this fabulous place. So here we are, exploring The North.

Since we last posted we have been in one area of the country, the Ha Giang Province. Vietnamese is a tonal language and we have learned that the pronunciations of a lot of the words, with their accents, are very much so not-phonetic. Ha Giang is pronounced more like Ha Zahn. The Ha Giang province is the northernmost part of Vietnam, on the border of China (see the map we included). The far north of Vietnam is very famous for its beautiful mountain landscapes. Sapa, the main city in the North has exploded with tourism over the past couple of decades and from what we’ve heard, is quite over-developed and has lost a lot of its cultural charm. We wanted to head up north but wanted to avoid the massive crowds and less-than-authentic cultural experiences. In the months leading up to the trip, my mother, affectionately known as Mama, linked me to some pictures of Ha Giang, noting its stunning landscapes. We looked in to Ha Giang and discovered that it hosts what many claim to be the best motorbiking circuit in all of Asia. So we came to do just that.

We took a 14 hour overnight sleeper bus from Cat Ba island to Ha Giang and arrived to the small city at 4 in the morning. The sleeper busses here are quite silly - they make them relatively comfortable and give you lots of blankets, turn off the lights etc. But the bus drivers lay on the horn the entire drive and loudly talk on their cellphones at 2am. So having half-slept we sauntered out of the bus station looking for a place to rest up before we set off - a guy named Chu approached us and asked us if we needed help finding our hotel and we explained we didn’t have a place booked. He kindly offered to let us sleep for free at his almost-completed hostel. After a few real hours of sleep, Chu and his sister made us breakfast and helped us rent a motorcycle and we were off.

We had seen pictures and were expecting this to be a really cool ride but hot damn, Ha Giang was really beyond anything we could’ve anticipated. The loop took us four days to complete, at around 80 kilometers per day up and down winding mountain passes and through little farming villages. Over and over again we were awestruck by the insane landscape views we would get from the tops of the mountains - I couldn’t get over how beautiful it was. The mountains are all made of karst limestone, that used to be submerged in the ocean some 150+ million years ago. Apparently being under the ocean, along with the climate conditions makes for super rich fertile soil because the amount of plant cover and diversity was unreal. The mountains were incredibly precipitous but hardly an inch was uncovered by wild forest or steppes cut in for farmland. Our first night it was starting to get dark and we pulled off to this little motel homestay place just outside the town of Yen Minh. The man who greeted us spoke not a single word of English. This made for a pretty funny time as we negotiated the price of the room and dinner by pointing at different bills and did thumbs up or thumbs downs. He brought us to his house just down the road for dinner where he and his wife had made us a feast. They made ginger beef, tofu in tomato sauce, fried pork and pork fat, bean sprouts in some strange sauce, mustard greens, some kind of really strong homemade soy sauce, 20 pounds of rice and 2 bia (beer). They talked to us the whole time in incessant Vietnamese and strange undecipherable hand-signs. It was fascinating trying to communicate with people who literally don’t know any common words and totally hilarious, the four of us were laughing the entire dinner. We had some green tea after dinner and were able to figure out they were 51 years old - we were unable to figure out their names.

The next night we stayed up on a hill above the town of Dong Van. This homestay was run by a nice family who we could actually talk to. We went in to the town for dinner and ate local foods, rice porridge and bamboo shoot noodle soup. When we returned a large group of people had arrived at the homestay and were staying in the upstairs dorm area. It was fun to hang out with them for a while and we even met a guy from Utah! The Ha Giang loop is not super popular with tourists yet, primarily due to road conditions and the need to be a decent motorcyclist to do it safely. These people were doing a tour with guides where they all road on the backs of bikes and locals drove them. They stayed up late singing Vietnamese covers of American pop songs and taking shots the local corn wine known as “happy water” - it was pretty funny but also very loud.

The next day was Thanksgiving, which was pretty sad for us not being home with our families. However, this was the best day of the trip view wise. We drove through Ma Pe Lung Pass which honestly was probably top 3 greatest views I’ve had in my entire life. We got a hot chocolate at a coffee bar built out over a cliff and took in the view and let the rain pass. A couple of hours later we had our Thanksgiving lunch, bun cha, one of the many variations on "noodle soup” that makes up what seems to be 50% of all Vietnam dishes. Bun Cha is my favorite of the noodle soups I’ve had here. We finished the day in Du Gia where we stopped for the night. Our homestay offered dinner and showed us the menu, which was around 15 different things. We looked at it and told them yes, we would like dinner and the choices of what we wanted, they were confused and explained to us that dinner was all 15 of those things. Christmas miracles get a lot of hype, but this Thanksgiving miracle was supreme. We made some other traveler friends from Ireland and Germany and ate our massive Thanksgiving feast family style together. We definitely missed the mashed potatoes and gravy, but the french fries and chili sauce were a good stand in :). It was our turn to drink the happy water, and the Irish gently forced us to keep drinking beers with them. It was an awesome night and softened the sorrow of being away from our families for Thanksgiving. Our Thanksgiving reflection was directed primarily at how beautiful the landscape was that day, and how lucky we were to be there, but more generally how lucky we are to be on a trip such as this. We are incredibly privileged to be traveling the world with each other, and for that we are truly grateful.

Our final day was beautiful just as the others, but was a bit more of a drag. We had been pushing through the butt pain throughout the trip but with the finish line in sight it became a more pressing annoyance. The last night’s excess of happy water didn’t help. We made it safely back to Ha Giang and took long hot showers and got in fresh clothes. We essentially packed one outfit each for the four days to reduce the weight that Bryn had to carry on her back the whole time. The next day we took two different busses south across what was nearly half of Vietnam to our current location, Phong Nha. Phong Nha is a relatively unexplored region of Vietnam that hosts the worlds largest cave. We will spend the next couple of days spelunking before heading farther south along the coast. :)

Peace,

Christopher and Bryn

[videogame1up]

Ranking the zelda stages in Super Smash Bros Ultimate (because why not)

If you're like me and love zelda and love smash bros, well do I have news for you! OK so this list is pointless and might anger some, chances are my least favorite stage is your favorite and my favorite you might think sucks. Since this is ultimate music tracks won't really play a role here (although you won't find Midna's lament playing on spirit tracks for my smash game) the base stage and omega stage will be playing a role here. And even if a stage is ranked at the bottom does not mean I hate it. Ok, with that out of the way

9. Skyloft

I'm not really sure why, but of all the zelda stages I easily play this one the least. Even back on the wii u I didn't play on this stage too often. Maybe if I played skyward sword I would have more love for this stage, but as it stands, it's just sort of ok.

8. Hyrule Castle

So this is where things get tricky, I play on Hyrule Castle a fair bit. It has a decent stage layout, a tornado to ruin your day, and an omega stage that makes sense. It's just for this stage I don't have the same nostalgia love I do for some others. I never owned smash 64, and I only started playing on this stage for smash wii u. It's a great stage, iconic just not my favorite

7. Great Plateau Tower

This stage feels like a great representation of BOTW. In the background Calamity Gannon is going to work on Hyrule Castle as Link fights a small electric mouse...anytime you're ready Link. I think this is a solid new stage, my only gripe might be the stage getting destroyed in the middle of a battle can be distracting, but other than that it's a great stage

6. Gerudo Valley

I love these 3ds stages that found new life In ultimate, they look like almost new stages. Geurdo Valley is also such a random idea for a stage you have to love it. The only downside might be twinrova destroying the stage, but you can also turn stage hazards off. This is a really great representation for Oot, and one I'm glad to see.

5. Temple

If I were to base this list strictly off of nostalgic love, Temple would be number 1. So many great memories of playing on this stage with friends back on melee. I remember once me and my friends spent an afternoon doing the black hole glitch. This stage is the definition of screwing around. High damage? Hold off on the bottom. Someone after you? Jump off the stage and land on the small island bellow. And see who can survive the longest. The downsides to the stage is if it's just you and one other person they can just run around avoiding you, and the omega version is the worst omega zelda stage. Despite some of its flaws I couldn't imagine placing it lower.

4.Bridge of Eldin

This is probably the most straight forward Zelda stage. It's also one that got a pretty nice face lift for smash ultimate. The background is very pretty with the cliffs, hyrule castle, sun setting and rolling clouds. It's also a decently large stage for numerous opponents, but not too big for a 1v1 run around. Also like most Zelda stages, does a great job making you feel like you are fighting in the world of Twilight Princess

3.Spirit Train

This stage is very pretty and I love it and I love train conductor Link hanging around as everyone fights. I also know I said music wouldn't play a part, but hearing "full steam ahead" playing is pure bliss and I love it.

2. Great Bay

Another stage that got a huge facelift thanks to ultimate. For me, back in Melee Great Bay was my go to Zelda stage. Friends would always want Temple, but if I was just going against cpu's then Great Bay all the way. It's hard to explain why I love this stage so much. Maybe it's the random turtle you can fight on top of, or maybe it's the moon slowly coming down on you, maybe it's even tingle. Whatever the reason, this was a stage I was very excited to see return

1. Pirate ship

For those of you keeping track at home, yes Pirate ship is my favorite Zelda stage. Maybe I'm a bit bias, as Wind Waker is my favorite Zelda game. But also this stage is so fun and pretty. One moment it's storming, the next the ship is being raised Into the air, the next king of red lions is there, the next cannon balls are being shot at you, the next you're crashing into a rock. The thing about the hazards in this stage Is that they don't really intrude on the battle too much, if anything I think they add to it. The only real hazard are the cannon balls, and they are pretty easily avoided. But say you want to avoid all that. Well the omega stage variant is great as well. Taking those watch towers all over the great sea and making it a place for your battle. Effectively giving you two different locations to fight in.

Okay so that was my list, if your favorite was ranked low, defend it! I wanna hear what your favorite Zelda stage is. This was a very hard list to make as pretty much all these stages are great, but not as great as Pirate Ship. (AM I RIGHT OR WHAT) well in any case, thanks for giving this list a read

[brewyork]

Every Place You Can Drink at a Brewery in NYC

It’s hard to miss Singlecut Beersmiths in Astoria, one of the 32 places where you can drink beer at its source in the five boroughs. (Photo: Chris O’Leary)

What greater feeling is there as a beer drinker than drinking fresh beer straight from the source? Given the explosion in craft breweries in New York City in the past few years, it’s becoming easier and easier to do. So, for your reference, we’ve put together a list of every single place in the five boroughs where you can drink beer brewed right on the premises, from brewpubs to taprooms, updated with the past year’s newest taproom openings. These are the places where fresh beer can hit your lips within feet of where it’s brewed. Our list is sorted by borough. Here we go!

BRONX

The Bronx Brewery (856 E. 136th St., at Walnut Ave., Port Morris)

What they serve: Their year-round beers, including the No Resolutions IPA, Bronx Banner, and Rye Pale Ale, plus seasonals, and usually something interesting on cask, too. They’ll often serve some one-offs that are hard to find, too, like stuff from their B-Tracks Series. When the weather's nice, you can enjoy their beers in their roomy backyard.

How to get there: Take the 6 train to Cypress Ave., and it's a quick 5-minute walk east on E. 138th St., south on Willow, and then east on E. 136th for half a block.

When they're open: Seven days a week, starting at 3pm on weekdays and noon on weekends

Gun Hill Brewing (3227 Laconia Ave., at Boston Rd., Williamsbridge)

What they serve: Enjoy full pours or flights of their rotating selection of beers brewed in a variety of styles, like their E Pluribus Lupulin and Roll Call IPA series, Spirit 76 Pilsner, and Void of Light stout. Occasionally, food vendors and live music is offered at the brewery, too, and they host special events in the taproom throughout the year. Tours of the brewery are available on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

How to get there: Take the 2 train to Burke Ave, and it's a 10-minute walk east on Burke and Boston Post Road to the brewery.

When they're open: Monday-Wednesday 2:30-9pm, Thursday 1-11pm, Friday 1pm-Midnight, Saturday Noon-Midnight, and Sunday Noon-10pm

BROOKLYN

Brooklyn Brewery (79 N. 11th St., at Wythe Ave., Williamsburg)

What they serve: Up to ten different beers on tap, including stuff that you can't find anywhere else, like their Worshipful Company of Brewers Series and their newest seasonal releases before they’re easy to find elsewhere. They'll also serve you bottle pours of some special bottle-only brews. Stock up on tokens for the best deal - beer tokens (good for one beer) are $5 each or 5 for $20. Free tours are offered on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

How to get there: Take the L Train to Bedford or G Train to Nassau. From either, it's about a seven-minute walk.

When they're open: The brewery offers $15 "Small Batch Tours" at 5pm Monday-Thursday by reservation, but the tasting room is open to the public most Mondays-Thursdays 6-9:30pm, Friday 6-11pm, Saturday Noon-8pm, and Sunday Noon-6pm.

Circa Brewing Co (141 Lawrence St., at Willoughby Ave., Downtown Brooklyn)

What they serve: Pizza and beer is the name of the game at this brewpub that opened in 2017. At the helm of Circa’s 7-barrel brewhouse is Danny Bruckert, a longtime brewer at Sixpoint’s Red Hook facility who has rolled out an impressive selection of beers, from a Nitro Stout to a New England-Style IPA. His twin brother Luke is the pizza chef in the kitchen, churning out beer-friendly pies. You can also get your beer brunch on here every weekend.

How to get there: Take the A, C, F, or R trains to Jay Street-Metrotech, and it’s just steps away.

When they're open: Sunday-Thursday 11am-Midnight, Friday and Saturday 11am-2am

Coney Island Brewing Company (1904 Surf Ave., at W. 17th St., Coney Island)

What they serve: This 1,500 square-foot brewery officially opened last fall and offers a tasting room, brewery tours, and an outdoor area for drinking by MCU Park, the home of the Brooklyn Cyclones. The tasting room pours samples, pints, and fills growlers of well-known beers like their Mermaid Pilsner, plus small-batch brews like the Long Neck Clam Stout and Hot Toddy.

How to get there: Take the D, F, N, or Q Train to Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue, then walk three blocks west. The brewery is under the 3rd base line stands at MCU Park.

When they're open: Thursday-Sunday noon-8pm (closed Monday through Wednesday for the winter)

Five Boroughs Brewing Co. (215 47th St., at 2nd Ave., Sunset Park)

What they serve: This booming space is home to the biggest brewery to open in the city in 2017, and it celebrates the five boroughs through a diverse lineup of beers, including their year-round Pilsner, IPA, Gose, and Hoppy Lager, plus lots of one-off beers to please every type of beer drinker. The bright, airy taproom makes a great place for groups of friends to come together over beer.

How to get there: Take the R Train to 45th Street, then take the quick walk south 2 blocks and west 2 blocks.

When they're open: Thursday 4-10pm, Friday 4-11pm, Saturday Noon-11pm, and Sunday Noon-10pm

Folksbier (101 Luquer St, at Clinton St., Carroll Gardens)

What they serve: This small brewery made beer for two years before opening a tasting room to the public last year. They focus on German-style beers, like their Helles Simple, Glow Up Berliner Weisse, and a rotating series of New England-style IPAs called Recurring Dreams. The big, inviting space has plenty of seating, snacks for purchase, and neat wood-carved barstools.

How to get there: Take the F or G Train to Caroll Street, and it’s about a ten-minute walk to the brewery. It’s also a very quick, 7-minute walk to nearby Other Half Brewing (below), if you’re looking to kill two birds with one stone.

When they're open: Monday-Thursday 4-10pm, Friday 4-11pm, Saturday 11am-11pm, and Sunday 11am-10pm 

Greenpoint Beer & Ale Co. (7 N. 15th St., at Franklin St., Greenpoint)

What they serve: Greenpoint Beer & Ale Co. is now in its fourth year of operation, and its beers keep getting rave reviews. Most of the 16 beers on tap at this booming beer hall are brewed on the brewhouse you can see through the windows adjoining the dining area. The beers range from lagers to New England IPAs to a beer brewed with pineapple gummy bears (no, really). Come for the beer, stay for the stick-to-your-bones food like pierogi, schnitzel, and brisket.

How to get there: Take the L Train to Bedford (15-minute walk) or G Train to Nassau (7-minute walk). Better yet, combine this stop with a visit to nearby Brooklyn Brewery, just four blocks away. It's also right on the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway, so it's a good stop during a bike ride.

When they're open: Monday-Thursday 5-midnight, Friday 2pm-2am, Saturday noon-2am, and Sunday noon-midnight.

Interboro Spirits and Ales (942 Grand St., at Waterbury St., Williamsburg)

What they serve: Brewer and co-founder Jesse Ferguson lists cult favorites Carton and Other Half on his brewing resume, so it was no surprise when people started to flock to his brewery and taproom in East Williamsburg when it opened in 2016. Enjoy draft beers to stay and buy beer to take home from their latest canning run, like Mad Fat Fluid Double IPA, Halftime Pale Ale, or the Bushburg Pilsner.

How to get there: Take the L Train to Grand St. and walk two blocks east.

When they're open: Wednesday through Friday 5-11pm, Saturday 11am-11pm, Sunday 1pm-8pm

Island to Island Brewing Company (642 Rogers Ave., at Parkside Ave., Prospect Lefferts Gardens)

What they serve: Island to Island calls themselves a “South, Central and North American Cidery, Brewery and Fermentory.” It’s a lot to take in, but that means there’s a lot of different, unique options -- from fermented tea to ciders to beer. Speaking of beer, their lineup includes Trini Love, a red ale brewed with guava, Calypso IPA, a Caribbean IPA, and Sunrise Blonde, an American Blonde Ale. For warmer weather, there’s a beautiful courtyard in the back, and there are weekly tours on Saturdays.

How to get there: Take the 2/5 Trains to Winthrop Avenue and walk a block west.

When they're open: Wednesday and Thursday 3-11pm, Friday 3pm-Midnight, Saturday 2pm-Midnight, Sunday 2-10pm

Keg & Lantern Brewing Company (95 Nassau Ave., at Manhattan Ave., Greenpoint)

What they serve: A few years ago, a run-of-the-mill beer bar in Greenpoint became a beer destination when they fired up their three-barrel brewing system in the bar's basement and started serving a broad rotating selection of house-brewed beers from a huge variety of styles, like their All The Cool Kids Table Beer, their juicy Gastronomical IPA, and the Selection Bias Kolsch, a beer that can help wash down the brewpub’s delicious wings.

How to get there: Take the G Train to Nassau Ave., exit at Nassau and head half a block east.

When they're open: Daily, 11am-4am

Kings County Brewers Collective (381 Troutman St., at Wyckoff Ave., Bushwick)

What they serve: KCBC has been open just a couple months and has already gained a strong following. A trio of brewers whips up batches of beers like the Janiak Maniac Pilsner, Tiger Thunder Double IPA, and Robot Fish SMASH IPA series. Collaborations are big for this outfit, with recent releases brewed with Interboro, Oyster Bay Brewing, Transmitter, and more. Have some beer at the brewery, then take home a crowler. Food vendors regularly camp out at the taproom on weekends, too.

How to get there: The taproom is just one block from the L Train stop at Jefferson Street.

When they're open: Monday-Thursday 5-11pm, Friday 5-Midnight, Saturday Noon-Midnight, and Sunday Noon-9pm

Other Half Brewing Company (191 Centre St., at Smith St., Gowanus)

What they serve: IPAs on IPAs on IPAs on IPAs. If hazy, dry-hopped beers are what you’re after, this is your spot. Beer geeks the world over visit Other Half, which makes the recent expansion of their taproom a relief as they pack in crowds, especially on the weekends. Our tip: enjoy the IPAs, but seek out the occasional appearance of other beer styles -- they’re pretty good at making those, too.

How to get there: Take the F or G Train to Smith/9th Streets and walk south two blocks on Smith, then hang a right on Centre. The brewery is across the street from a McDonald's drive-thru.

When they're open: Monday-Wednesday 3-10pm, Thursday-Friday Noon-Midnight, Saturday 10am-Midnight, and Sunday 11am-10pm. Another tip: if you’re not seeking out their weekly can releases on Saturday mornings, you might want to visit at another time.

Randolph Beer DUMBO (82 Prospect St., at Pearl St., DUMBO)

What they serve: The third location of the Randolph Beer chainlet is the first to feature an in-house brewery. The house beers here range from their Saison to Porter to a crisp, citrusy Pale Ale. Guest taps and food are also available, too. The best feature? A pour-your-own beer wall, where you can choose to drink as little or as much of a beer as you choose, making deciding far less difficult.

How to get there: The trains rumble overhead on the Manhattan Bridge, but opt for the ones that rumble underneath -- the F train at York Street is just a block away.

When they're open: Daily starting at 11am

Sixpoint Brewery (40 Van Dyke St., at Dwight St., Red Hook)

What they serve: It’s not a place you can go every day, but in 2017, longtime Brooklyn-based brewer Sixpoint finally reopened to the public on select days after ceasing tours back in 2011. But there’s only one way to visit: download the Sixpoint app and pre-order their cans of beer for pickup at the brewery on Saturdays after they go on sale.

How to get there: Red Hook isn’t the most accessible neighborhood, but you can take the B61 bus from downtown Brooklyn, the B61 or B57 from Carroll Gardens, or even the Red Hook ferry.

When they're open: Download the Sixpoint app and you’ll find out.

Strong Rope Brewery (574A President St., at 4th Ave., Gowanus)

What they serve: Brooklyn homebrewer-turned-pro Jason Sahler whips up batches on a small two-barrel (63-gallon) brewhouse that once brewed the beer for Rockaway Brewing. The beers focus on New York State ingredients (it’s a licensed farm brewery), with constantly-rotating offerings like the Pub Ale, Common Spaces New York Common, and Falling Squirrel Project SMASH IPA series. $5 tours are offered every Saturday at 2pm.

How to get there: They're one block south of the R Train stop at Union Street, just off Fourth Avenue.

When they're open: Wednesday-Thursday 3-11pm, Friday 3pm-Midnight, Saturday Noon-Midnight, and Sunday Noon-8pm

Threes Brewing (333 Douglass St., at 4th Ave., Gowanus)

What they serve: Brooklyn’s Threes Brewing continues to produce some top-notch beer at their brewpub in Gowanus, like their highly sought after SFY Imperial IPA, There You Are IPA, and the crisp Vliet Pilsner. Head brewer Greg Doroski has whipped up dozens of different beers in just the first two years of operation. Add a music venue, some can releases in their shop, and a permanent resident in the kitchen (The Meat Hook), and you’ve got a single destination for a beer-filled day. 

How to get there: They're three blocks north of the R Train stop at Union Street, just off Fourth Avenue.

When they're open: Monday-Wednesday 5pm-Midnight, Thursday 5pm-2am, Friday 3pm-2am, Saturday noon-2am, and Sunday noon-midnight

Wartega Brewing (33 35th St. #6A, at 2nd Ave., Sunset Park)

What they serve: Wartega, a product of Merlin Ward and Mimi Ortega, is making beer in Industry City, Brooklyn, and shares a taproom space with Industry City Distillery. Stop in and you’ll find small-batch beers and beautiful views of New York Harbor and the downtown Manhattan skyline.

How to get there: Take the R train to 36th Street and walk two blocks west.

When they're open: Friday and Saturday, 4-10pm

MANHATTAN

Birreria at Eataly (200 Fifth Ave., at 23rd St., Flatiron)

What they serve: Perched on the 14th floor of a building overlooking Madison Square, this brewery and pop-up space is the result of a collaboration between Dogfish Head's Sam Calagione and Baladin's Teo Musso. The three-barrel system churns out food-friendly cask beers that rotate three at a time and pair quite nicely with the expertly-prepared meats and cheeses. During the winter, the space transforms into the Italian Alps-themed pop-up Baita, serving the same great beers with rustic, beer-friendly food.

How to get there: Just above the 23rd Street station on N/R, across from Madison Square Park. The elevator to the roof is by the entrance on 23rd Street.

When they're open: Daily 11:30am-11pm

Death Ave Brewing Company (315 Tenth Ave., at 28th St., Chelsea)

What they serve: Manhattan’s first new brewpub in four years made their debut in 2017, with the opening of a taproom at the corner of 10th Avenue and 28th Street. Their basement brewery churns out a lineup that includes a Saison, Hefeweizen, Belgian Pale Ale, IPA, and Berliner Weisse. The food-friendly beers are designed to pair with their Mediterranean cuisine from the restaurant of the same name next door.

How to get there: Take the 7 to 34th Street-Hudson Yards or the A/C/E to 34th Street-Penn Station and walk to 10th Avenue. It’s also just outside the 28th Street exit to the High Line.

When they're open: Sunday-Thursday 11:30am-11pm, Friday-Saturday 11:30am-Midnight.

QUEENS

Big Alice Brewing (8-08 43rd Rd., at Vernon Blvd., Long Island City)

What they serve: This small space in Queens started with a 1/2-barrel brewhouse that churned out a hundred different beer recipes in just their first year. Since then, they've expanded significantly, growing their brewing space and taproom to pour all that eclectic beer in growlers to go and flights and pints to stay.

How to get there: Take the 7, E, G, or M to Court Square, walk west to 11th Street, turn right, and then left on 43rd Road.

When they're open: Wednesday and Thursday 5-9pm, Friday 5-10pm, Saturday Noon-10pm, Sunday Noon-8pm

Bridge and Tunnel Brewery (15-35 Decatur St., at Wyckoff Ave., Ridgewood)

What they serve: This small Queens brewery is a truly DIY space, with touches throughout the taproom made by hand by brewer Rich Castagna and family and friends. It features 12 lines with beers like their Bone Orchard Vanilla Porter and the Tiger Eyes Hazelnut Brown Ale. You can fill a growler, buy merch, and order pizza from Houdini’s next door.

How to get there: Take L Train to Halsey Street and walk east on Wyckoff, then hang a right on Decatur and it’s down the block on the right.

When they're open: Friday 5-10pm, Saturday and Sunday 1-9pm

Fifth Hammer Brewing Company (10-28 46th Ave., at 11th St., Long Island City)

What they serve: The long-awaited new project from NYC brewing man-about-town Chris Cuzme opened in late 2017 and the 15-barrel brewhouse is churning out some tasty beers. The spacious taproom is a great place for locals to socialize... and for beer geeks to drink brews like the Jollity Double IPA, Neighborbrau Pils, and Iron Lotus Imperial Porter.

How to get there: It’s a quick walk from the E, M, or 7 Train at Court Square, or the G at 21st-Van Alst.

When they're open: Monday and Tuesday 4-10pm, Wednesday 4-11pm, Thursday 4pm-Midnight, Friday 3pm-1am, Saturday Noon-1am, and Sunday Noon-9pm

Finback Brewery (78-01 77th Avenue, at 78th St., Glendale)

What they serve: Nestled in a neighborhood in Central Queens, Finback is a not-so-hidden gem as word gets out across the Northeast about its beers. The big, booming space leaves plenty of room to bring a whole group of friends out to Glendale, Queens to check the place out and try brews like their ever-expanding lineup of IPAs and their infamous BQE Imperial Stout, which is hard to find but harder to resist.

How to get there: Driving or biking is easiest, but you can take the L/M trains to Myrtle-Wyckoff and catch the Q55 bus, which drops off two blocks from the brewery.

When they're open: Wednesday-Friday 5-10pm, Saturday Noon-10pm, Sunday Noon-8pm

LIC Beer Project (39-28 23rd St., at 40th Ave., Long Island City)

What they serve: This outfit focuses on canned IPAs like every other cultish brewery these days... but wait, there’s more! Belgian-inspired beers, barrel aging, and wild ales -- including some that run through their coolship and ferment with Queens-harvested yeast -- are part of the lineup. The well-polished taproom is welcoming and serves over a half-dozen beers on tap, plus a guest cider for the gluten-averse, with seating that offers views of their brewhouse.

How to get there: Take the F Train to 21st Street-Queensbridge and walk three blocks to the brewery.

When they're open: Wednesday 4-9pm, Thursday and Friday 4-11pm, Saturday 1-11pm, Sunday 1-9pm

Rockaway Brewing (5-01 46th Ave., at 5th St., Long Island City)

What they serve: Rockaway was among the first breweries in the city to take advantage of the Craft New York Act, which allowed them to serve pints at their taproom. These days, they’re going strong with more options than ever, including their Rockaway IPA and Hella Mandarina Helles Lager, alongside standbys like their ESB and Black Gold Nitro Stout. They’ve also got special pop-ups and beer dinners at the brewery as well... and a second location (sans brewery, for now) in the Rockaways.

How to get there: Take the 7 train to Vernon-Jackson or the G to 21st Street, walk west to 5th Street, turn right and walk up to the mural-adorned corner of 46th Ave.

When they're open: Monday and Wednesday 5-9pm, Thursday 3-9pm, Friday 3-10pm, Saturday Noon-10pm, Sunday Noon-9pm

Singlecut Beersmiths (19-33 37th St., at 20th Ave., Astoria)

What they serve: The raucous taproom here has many faces: beer bar, concert venue, movie screening room, game room... oh, and it's a brewery, too. The 13 taps here run the gamut of Singlecut's offerings, from the straightforward 19-33 Pilsner to the hoppy Softly Spoken Magic Spells DIPA to the rich Eric More Cowbell! Milk Stout. There’s also an in-house food vendor, Salt & Bone, serving up smoked meats, sausages, tacos, and nachos to complement the beer.

How to get there: Take the N train to the end of the line (Ditmars Blvd.). It's about a twelve-minute walk from there to the brewery.

When they're open: Wednesday 6-Midnight, Thursday and Friday 4pm-Midnight, Saturday 11am-Midnight, Sunday 11am-9pm

Transmitter Brewing (53-02 11th St., at 53rd Ave., Long Island City)

What they serve: Transmitter squeezes a lot of beer out of its small space, but makes the most of it by even moving tanks on the weekends to fit beer geeks in to drink their beer. They do sell 750mL bottles of their highly-regarded, beautiful farmhouse ales in a small tasting room just off their brewery, you can try 'em before you buy 'em, and you can drink a bottle with friends at picnic tables overlooking the brewery.

How to get there: They're under the Pulaski Bridge, across the street from the stairway on the Queens side. Get there by taking the G to 21st Street or the 7 to Vernon-Jackson.

When they're open: Friday 4-8pm, Saturday Noon-8pm, and Sunday Noon-6pm.

STATEN ISLAND

Flagship Brewing Company (40 Minthorne St., at Bay St., Tompkinsville)

What they serve: When Flagship opened its doors in 2014, it marked the first time in generations that breweries were operating in all five boroughs. Staten Island's craft brewery has grown significantly since its opening day (pictured here), offering a half-dozen beers on tap, including its Roggenfest fall seasonal and year-round Dark Mild. It might be the best excuse you've ever had to take the ferry. Tours are offered Saturdays at 2:30 and 4pm for $5.

How to get there: From the Staten Island Ferry Terminal, you can walk the twelve minutes south to the brewery, or take the Staten Island Railroad to Tompkinsville Station, just across the tracks from the brewery.

When they're open: Thursday through Saturday Noon-Midnight, Sunday Noon-8pm

Kills Boro Brewing Company (62 Van Duzer St., at Hannah St., Tompkinsville)

What they serve: Staten Island’s newest brewery happened when homebrewers went pro and constructed a 10-barrel brewery at Craft House, a craft beer bar that was already pouring great beer. The result? A lineup of solid house-brewed beers that stand up against an impressive guest tap list. It’s a win-win for the forgotten borough’s beer drinkers... and visitors, too.

How to get there: From the Staten Island Ferry Terminal, you can walk the fifteen minutes south, or it’s a five minute walk from the Staten Island Railroad Tompkinsville Station.

When they're open: Monday and Wednesday-Friday from 5pm, Saturday and Sunday from noon

Staten Island Beer Company (20 Kinsey Pl., at Dolson Pl., Mariners Harbor)

What they serve: This family-run brewery started brewing batches in its namesake island borough earlier this year, and you may have passed its taproom without even knowing it -- it’s just off the Staten Island Expressway and a stone’s throw from the Goethals Bridge. The Victory Blvd. Pale Ale is their core beer, but you’ll also find offerings like their Peace Writer NEIPA, Shaolin IPA, and Monks of Water Saison available in their taproom, plus occasional food truck appearances.

How to get there: Driving is easiest, but the S40, S46, and S48 buses all stop nearby and at the St. George Ferry Terminal.

When they're open: Thursday 5-8pm, Friday 5-10pm, Saturday 1-10pm, Sunday Noon-5pm

[parkbearum]

✧Celestial

Description:The wolf met its moon,leaving him in awe.

Genre:Fluff

Chanyeol X Reader

Part 2 of ?

Part 1

“It’s them...The band you were going to meet.”

He had to blink a few times before adjusting what his friend just said.The inspiration he had been waiting for so long was her.Maybe it was a miracle,he thought.

He felt his heart beating on his chest,not helping him at all after his friend said he arranged a meeting with the band.He wasn’t a nervous person but she made him nervous.He slowly followed his friend when he made hand gestures,saying they were ready to meet him.He could feel his nerves getting tense and his fingers started to feel ticklish all of a sudden.

He felt like he had seen this scene before.

He entered the room with dark lighting,making it look like it was coming out from a 80′s movie.There were 5 people inside the room including the band members.He could see all of them smiling and ready to meet him except one.

She was wearing headphones as he entered the room.She had been working on an art project for the last 3 weeks and she was committed to finish it soon so that it would be easier to start a new one.It was a scenery of a night in seoul.She had been taking many pictures of the scenes and started to go out more often at night after realizing the only time she had for herself was the night time.

He waved at the boys as they chuckled and waved back.He greeted them one by one and when the greeting was done,he looked at girl and the boys.

“Y\N” the tall bay said caressing her hair as she looked at them confusedly.

“Huh?” she said with wide eyes making everyone in the room laugh.

“We have a friend here” he said holding her arm and guiding her between the boys.

“Helloooooo!!” the tall boy said with big grin.”You must be chanyeol” he said as all of them sat down slowly,making themselves comfortable.

That’s when she had a look of the man sitting in front of her.

His black hair and skin tone made him look like he was out of a magazine cover while his big black hoodie made him look cozy.He was really tall and had a built body.His smile was freshening and childish.He reminded her of stars.

That was also the strongest impression someone has ever left on her.

She felt a bit chill after watching the tall guy ash the members talked to him.

“So,Dong Woo told us that you were looking for an inspiration” said the quiet one of the group,signalling the tall guitarist.

“Yeah.I’ve been having some difficulties and I was looking for something fresh.My friend recommended you guys and I’ll be honest,you guys play well” he said chuckling and making the boys smile in exchange.

“Thanks....I know that you’re from a big group so I appreciate it” said Ji sung,the quiet boy of the group.

She knew who he was.He was part of a successful boy-band named Exo who had a huge impact on korean music.She knew their music and listened to a few covers but never had the time to invest more in their music.

“Well,I’m just chanyeol” he said making a shy face as the boys shouted “as expected” loudly.

“We’re not really finished with the concert now...” said Dong Woo,scratching the back of his head.”So you’ll have to wait a bit” he finished his sentence,feeling bad for making him wait.

“I’ll be more than happy to watch the rest” chanyeol said in a breath looking at you.She didn’t know what to do when he just looked at her like that so she gave small nod making him giggle.

“Let’s roll!” said Kwan,the drummer,patting her head slowly after wrapping his arm around her as she left the room.

She didn’t feel awkward or weird being all touchy with the boys,leaving all the surroundings in shock from how close they were.They were her best friends and even tough she wasn’t the touchy type,it was a way of reassuring each other.Small pats on the head and caressing each other’s hair became a habit after they survived hard times together.

After everything was set up on the stage,Chanyeol found a spot for himself on the front line and waited for them to play in anticipation.

She slowly caressed her guitar and played the melody as the crowd became quiet.Dong Woo started to sing softly,feeling freshened and in peace.

“ For some reason, sometimes, suddenly   I keep thinking these days   How happy I am, how beautiful you are   About us, who is second to none”

The crowd opened their flashlights as they became a sea of shining stars.But the only star he could see was her.

She looked unreal under the moon light,making her shine like a star.Her movements were like water,delicate and soft,making her look more glorious than before.Her graceful figure stood in front of him like a painting as she sang the lyrics with all she had,closing her eyes as she felt tears threatening to escape.

 “ Just like the sky is high and the wind is cold     Like the ocean is wide and blue     I’m afraid that     I’ll take you for granted     I think that’s why I’m being like this     I’m nervous about that     What if I lose you?”

She hit the note as she played the guitar so slowly yet so delicately.He was staring at her in awe,just looking at how beautiful she is.

After they finished the concert and said goodbyes before wrapping it up,they went to the backstage and looked at each other’s eyes for a second,thankful for what they had just done.

“Wahhhh,come here” said Kwan hugging them and making each of them giggle at his silliness.

Chanyeol went to the backstage after what he just witnessed to see the group,finding them in their room packing up.

“Hi” he said knocking the door while he fixed the back of his hair.

“Hello yeol!” said Kwang,already feeling close to him.

Chanyeol smiled softly and sat on the chair beside Ji sung looking at the girl who was now painting the drawing carefully.

“She’s an art student in university so..” said Kwan signalling the girl who was slowly painting the drawing while wearing headphones,unaware of the conversation.

Dong Woo felt a bit uncomfortable with the way chanyeol looked at the girl.He knew the look because that was the way he looked at her when she wasn’t aware or daydreaming.

He made his way in front of the girl,patting her shoulders and signalling her to take off her headphones.

“Hm?” the girl said with a curious expression and felt a sudden rush of anger and frustration as he just kissed her forehead and patted her hair after leaving her alone with her painting.

“Why are you being all giggly and touchy all of a sudden?” she asked as she made gestures on air with her brush at the giggly boy.”And you just leave?” she said in a low voice,making sure she didn’t seem to impolite.

Dong Woo was the cool type who didn’t really talk much.He opened his mouth only when necessary and said a few words.He didn’t have many friends unlike Kwan or Ji sung but he had a soft spot for each member.They were his second family.She was his first,on his mind.

He seemed a bit too intimidate in front of Chanyeol but she seemed to forget something.

He was just marking his territory.

She soon saw the tall guy staring at her beside Ji sung,making her cheeks burn in embarrassed as she thought she seemed a bit too angry,but in her surprise he just found her adorable.

“Hey” he said surprising the girl and making her stare at him for solid 30 seconds.

Ji sung faked a cough as the girl gathered her attention and words together.

“Hello” she said shyly before packing up her stuff to leave.

“We’re not leaving,butterfly” said Kwan in a soft voice,taking her stuff out of her grasp.

“Huh?” she said in questioning tone.

“We’ve gotta talk” he said signalling the boy sitting on the chair next to Ji sung.

The song is Laughter By Seventeen,and yes I’m a carat and obsessed with every song they produce lol.I hope y’all enjoy it and have a nice evenninng!I’ve also been obsessed with btob’s new song missing you,so give it a shot and ilhoon ruined my bias list again thx so much ahah

[cckaisoo]

Mini Kadi Shippers/Supporters’ Survey Result

I would like to thank everyone for taking their time to respond to this survey. Your contribution is much appreciated. Anyway, this might sound a bit formal. But as long as I deliver the message, aite?

This is a mini kd shippers/supporters survey. I asked a question and collected responses which were consisted of a statement(s). I managed to collect a total of 99 responses in a span of 10 days.

Question:  i have an honest question. i’m really curious. who re u guys that ship/support kd? ks stans, ji stans, ex0-l, non-ex0-l, not even into kpop?

Next, I’ve analyzed the data using a simple coding method (use in a qualitative study). I’ve extracted a few important points from the data and divided it into two main categories - Group Stan & Bias. The subcategories were determined based on the amount of the same response

Group Stan - (1) EX0.L, (2) Non-EX0.L and (3) Not Stated Bias - (1) Jong.in, (2) Kyung.soo, (3) Jong.in & Kyung.soo and (4) Others

The unit used in the result is counted as per response [x/99].

1st Category: Group Stan

I think the highlight of this result is the Non EX0.L. Altho it's not many of them but I find it interesting that Non EX0.L take an interest in kd. These were some responses from the Non EX0.L.

º im not ex0.l anymore and if it weren't for kd i wouldn't be here (in the fandom) º just kai.soo-l. im not into kpop or ex.o anymore... i just exist here now just for kai.soo. tho i still go to ex.o concerts but just to see kai.soo. º I'm not a EX.O fan but I believe Kai.soo are dating  º not really an ex0.l i literally only went to ex0.rdium to see them both c:  º ...I'm a bt.s stan irl  º Im an ar.my but i've been shipping kai.soo almost since the beginning :) they are The only ship that I actually believe is real

The ‘Not Stated’ subcategory is self-explanatory. I believe it doesn’t affect the result that much.

2nd Category: Bias

Ks bias and ji & ks bias share the 1st spot on the chart with a total of 33 responses, respectively. I find it quite shocking. I expected that there would be more of ks bias since I’ve only heard many kd shippers are ks bias.

It is expected from my pov that there aren’t many kd shippers that biased ji, which I also find it interesting. Perhaps this has anything to do with his popularity among ifandom? Or they are more of them that ship other otp like se.kai etc? Mybe his past dating scandal affected stans in some way? //shrug.

The least frequent answers fell under ‘Others’; consisted of those who doesn't bias ji and ks, bias all ex0 and not stated specifically.

Conclusion

As per stated in the title, the result represent kai.soo shippers and supporters. This is not a proper survey since the data are varied and I’ve only managed to extract few points when they could have been more. So take this survey as it is~ Anyway, it was a fun mini survey and I also had fun analyzing the data! Click ‘Keep reading’ to check out all of the responses.

That’s all for now. Thank you and have a nice day :)

These are the raw data. So it is unorganized. Thank you for the participation!

Ks stan ji stan ex0l

ex0l

I love Jong.in and KaiSo0. And EX0. ❤ my one and only bias, ship and group.

Ks stan, ji stan and ex0 l

ji stan ks stan ex0l

ks stan, semi ji stan

Ks-ji stan and ex0 l

ex0-l, ksoo stan (but i love them all wtd)

Ex0 l def, soo stan altho jong.in is close 2nd

Kyungso0 stan and EX0-L definitely and semi Jong.in stan <3

EX0-L, Ksoo biased

ksoo stan

I am an ex0-l but not a kyungso0 stan nor a jong.in one (my biases are baek and jongdae)

but my sister, who supports kaiso0 too with all her heart, is a jong.in stan !

i noticed ji first because of dance, then i realised ji comes with ks as a package, so i started noticing kd and then i believed kd is real so im a supporter instead of a shipper. im not an ex0L but i do appreciate all members of ex0 because i genuinely think they each have something special. but i dont really follow the activities much. some of those i chat with thinks im in transition from a non ex0L to an ex0L. i dont ship any other pairings but i like se.kai which i think are bros. not jagi bros. but maknae dance bros. i dont know i can fit into ur data though but here is all my information.

I saw your post haha... I'm an ex0l and a Kyungso0 stan that is also becoming a Jong.in stan... So a kaiso0 stan. I can't choose only one of them. They come together haha.

EX0-L, JI stan, KS, stan, stan the group as a whole.

I dont consider myself an ex0*l, thou i buy their albuns, if i like a mv a lot, i´ll watch over /over again. Im just not into fandom culture, i find it toxic, with all the fanwars inside and out. I love kd, ji and ks the same and more than ex0 as a whole, I only follow blogs that are kd, ji and ks centric, but idc much about their acting jobs. So im not sure in what place im, but in a way it makes sense to me. lol!

I'm ks stan, I'm into kd because ks (and their love;;), I'm into e x o because kd.

im not ex0l anymore and if it weren't for kd i wouldn't be here (in the fandom)

i'm a ji and ks stan combined. i can't have one without the other. i make sure to check out whats going on with the both of them. but sometimes i do feel like i go more crazy over ji. i'm a capricorn and i have that same introvert personality, which is one of the reason why i love them both so much. i'm a ji stan ks stan and a kaiso0 stan.

im a ksoo stan and i ship kd so very much !! they make me so happy and are my motivation in life tbh ＿ﾉ乙(､ﾝ､)_ <3

kaiso0 biased, ex0-l

I'm a kyungso0 and jong.in stan, but kyungso0 is my ultimate bias. EX0-L.

Am a proud ks stan \(⊙♡⊙)/

i'm an ex0-l and a kyungso0 stan~

KD support

Kyung Soo stan

She's jong.in fan n even before i talked to her about kadi, she already knew theres something different about them (she did some digging on her own). I swear i didnt plant any idea on her haha

Ex0-L, 100% Kaiso0 shipper, Jong.in Stan, Kyungso0 Stan, all of EX0 Stan especially C.hen and Xiu.min because they seem to get neglected sometimes

D.o stan kai bais wrecker ex0l

I starded as a Jong.in stan then thanks to that I discovered kaiso0 and it made me take interest in ex0.Now I'm a kaiso0 supporter,ksoo stan,Jong.in ultimated biased and ex0-l :D

Ex0-l, Ji is my ub but Ks is in my top 3 members.

Ex0-l, ksoo stan but ji is very close.

just kai.soo-l. im not into kpop or ex0 anymore... i just exist here now just for kai.soo. tho i still go to ex0 concerts but just to see kaiso0. i still listen to ex0 songs but just a few chosen ones that i like.

Ex0l ks stan ji stan

ex0-l, ksoo stan !! ♡

Ex0l, jong.in and kyungso0 stan(i cant choose, both are my ultimate biases)😊

i saw jong.in in nylon kor~~ he made me stan ex0 then i discovered kadi... so im a jong.in stan kadi "shipper" (i think they r real, but then im also scared of projecting something that may not b there. i think i saw somewhere that its usually ji fans that r the worst "kadi shippers" or w/e lol anywaysss let me know what ur results r from the poll!!)

Am a proud ks stan \(⊙♡⊙)/

Not even into kpop but because of kaiso0, started listening to ex0 songs

ex0l & ksoo stan

Multi-fandom here! I stan both but mostly kyungso0 and lowkey yi.xing because he keeps making me swerve

For survey, I'm not a EX0 fan but I believe Kaiso0 are dating. If I have to choose, my favorite member is Baek.hyun and I like a couple of songs like Growl and Call Me Baby. I started thinking they're dating after I saw them at a concert a friend brought me to accompany her. They did fanservice with the rest but the way they acted towards each other was so different from what I know of fanservice. When I got home I searched them up. And Ka!'s dating scandal last year made me believe in them more.

Kyungso0 stan and i love jong.in and kaiso0 too

Kyungso0 stan. And became Jong.in stan because when you love ksoo you should love jong.in too

cannot decide because both of them came as a complimentary set agjsgsjgsjgs not really an ex0-l i literally only went to ex0rdium to see them both c:

ex0l. ksoo stan, ji stan, kai.soo shipper, um what else

ks and ji stand but i dont really follow ex0

An ex0-l OT9 stan♡

#kpop Stan since 2010#ks Stan#since 2012 *starts crying*

EX0-L, Ksoo biased

hi! im a ksoo stan that ships kd

I stan both. I only stan ex0. Forever an ex0l. Kaiso0 is real. 🐻💜🐧

was a jong.in stan now a kadi stan, i started to be a real/invested ex0l only after supporting their relationship

I'm a ksoo stans and kai comes in second and together they are THE power couple of my life

Kd supporter , Xiu.min biased/Ex0-l

jognog is my bias first. ksoo comes in later cause kaiso0.

Non-ex0-l

Mainly a ji stan but I love ks just as much. I adore kaiso0. I'm an Ex0-L but I don't listen to any other kpop.

ex0-l and kaiso0 shipper

I'm a jong.in Stan but ksoo cuteness never make me calm. ex0-l

ks stan, ji stan, ex0-l!!

EX0-L JONG.IN STAN

Started with overdose as a jong.in stan, I feel ashamed but I didn't even notice kyungso0 until much later. Then now I am a proud jongsoo supporter T_T

A proud ex0l and ji stan c:

Kyungso0 biased EX0-L. Love all members, including Jong.in. Kaiso0 is the only EX0 "ship" I take seriously.

for the kai.soo thing !! i wouldnt call myself ex0 l but i like ex0, jong.in stan (i love kyung.soo too. i only care about kai.soo basically anyway)

I am an ex0 & ji stan since their debut, they are only idol pairing I believe 100%, from watching ji closely over the years!

ks is my bias in ex0 but I'm a bt$ stan irl... ex0 is in my top 5 fav groups but I'm mostly with them for ks

before watching iotl i wasn't into kpop,ex0 is the first and only kr band i stan,cuz of actor do ks,ks is my bias,ji is my 2nd bias sometimes i wonder if ji is my bias now,i don't like all ex0 members but i consider my self an ex0-l,i listen to all their songs but i only watch the shows if ks or ji is in them, i'm only interested in ks and ji solo works not the others i've never watch other members movies,dramas,shows or v apps,their happiness is all that matters to me even though i'm muslim 1 i'm muslim and being gay is wrong according to my religious beliefs but looking at them all i see is love,no one around me knows about my love for them,they are my guilty pleasure 2

I'm a kyung.soo stan!

I am definitely a kai.soo supporter T_T Always! 100% jong.in stan and 100% kyung.soo stan! I don't know what is the criteria of being an ex0L! I do love their music and watch the variety shows they are in but I never bought an album or went to their concert!!

Kyungso0 is my bias

I'm ks stan, ex0-l, and start liking ji bcs if kd ;)

Se.hun fans, broken hearted kriso0 shipper

I'm Min.seok biased but I love couples, I started loving kd a couple months after I started liking ex0 and xiu.han. Kd is so cute and so real! But I'm lowkey a ji and ks stan...

so i stan both ji and ks i find them really talented and i like ex0 in general . I don't really stan other groups but i appreciate kpop a lot.

To your question, I ship kd and i'm ex0-l and Jong.in stan, but i got into EX0 bc of Kyungso0, i felt in love with him the first time i saw him <3 so basically a ksoo stan too(? im not sure :_

ex0-l since predebut era. originally a ksoo stan now both kd are my babies TvT

I’m a Kyungso0 and Jong.in stan ☺ Baek.hyun’s my bias wrecker though

I'm Kyungso0 stan followed by Jong.in. and I only ship Kaiso0

both are my biases but kji is my ult💕 ex0-l for lyf

I started shipping kai.soo back in 2013 when I was a casual ex0.l and didn't have a bias. Now my bias is jong.in :)

Ex0-l, my ult is kyung.soo, and jong.in follows!

ex0-l yi.xing stan HOLLA HOLLA love kaiso0. stan ksoo over jong.in just a lil bit.

EX0-L, I love all EX0 members! Baek.Hyun is my bias! <3

I'm a Ji Stan but I love both boys with all my heart

I'm a jong.in stan that was exclusively a jong.in stan before I cared abt or knew any other members. and then kaiso0, like immediately afer

Ksoo stan

ksoo and jgnog stan :^))))

Ex0-l - stanning both

I love all of ex0 members, but I'm Jong.in biased. I do support (believe in) KD since I entered the fandom 2 and a half years ago ^^

ksoo and nini stan

Im an arm.y but i've been shipping kaiso0 almost since the beginning :) they are The only ship that I actually believe is real

ji & ks stan, but i knew about and supported KD before i entered the fandom

Kyungso0 Stan ❤❤

I'm not an ex0-l but i like ex0.. and i recognise love when i see it

Yi.xing stan Kai.soo shipper!

[southrift-galaxy-safaris-blog]

Reasons Why You Should Travel to Vietnam This Year

Reasons Why You Should Travel to Vietnam This Year. Where should one even start? The nature, history and culture don’t even scratch the surface of the draw that this country has for travellers. Vietnam is slowly emerging as a hot travel destination, though as a whole it does not always top the “must see” travel lists – and this is surprising. So, to help you travellers who are truly missing out on the splendour of this country, here are just a few reasons why you should travel to Vietnam as soon as you can. 1. The nature Vietnam is simply beautiful. It almost has every kind of natural landscape all within one country. The towering mountain ranges in the north around Sapa are lined with lush forests and footed by lakes, rivers, and terraced fields of rice. The limestone towers and cliffs amongst the immense Ha Long Bay are the number one sights for travellers and nature lovers alike. Vietnam is home to some of the biggest natural caves in the world in Dong Hoi and some stunning national parks such as Cuc Phuong around the town of Ninh Binh. The highlands around Da Lat are full of forests, natural rock slides, waterfalls and lakes and beaches along the coast are some of the finest in the world. Vietnam’s island of Phu Quoc is home to monkeys, a national park and is surrounded by barely touched beaches and clear ocean waters. 2. The culture The Vietnamese culture is very much still alive and well despite the bustling tourist industry. The street side food stalls and home-brewed beer in the bia hoi drinking spots can be found all around the cities and amongst the countryside. The countryside is still afloat with hardworking farmers, bison led equipment and modest homes which remind visitors of the backbone behind the flashy cities. The French occupation has also left its mark as well on the people and the towns. You can see the European architecture, the abundant café culture and see the locals meeting outside of them for traditional Vietnamese coffee and tea. 3. The food Vietnamese cuisine is popular all over the world so why not come taste it at its source. Women somehow whip up delicious meals out of the contents of a single bag on the side of the road and tiny street stalls fill the alleyways offering up papaya salads and the popular meat and noodle soup, Pho. Fried and fresh spring rolls are served up at the markets and the amount of delicious dipping sauces can make your head spin. Try the giant seafood filled pancakes, the grilled corn on the cob or the warm banana cake in a coconut milk sauce. 4. The affordability Even for a Southeast Asian country, Vietnam is cheap. Travelling here will stretch your money farther and wider and will allow you to have a more enjoyable trip. Hostel and hotel rooms can cost you under $5 a night and beer will only run you a couple of cents. Each meal can be eaten for under $2 and a nice meal for two people can cost you just about $10. Food, accommodations, transportation, activities and souvenirs, they all end up costing less in one week than you would spend in a day in some other countries. You will be able to afford to do more, eat more and see more when you travel to Vietnam. 5. The people The people in Vietnam are some of the friendliest and accommodating people you will find around Asia. You are always greeted with smiles and the occasional hello. Everyone seems willing to offer help, especially to travellers and tourists. Questions will get answered quickly and people will seem to bend over backwards for you in order to help you out. Drop your groceries, its guaranteed that someone will help you pick them up. You will meet new friends and feel like you have found a family away from home. 6. The travel friendly setup Sometimes Vietnam feels like it was made for travellers. With increasing dependence on the tourism industry for their economy, the Vietnamese have set up the country to be as travel friendly as possible. English is widely spoken in the cities and around the famous sites and restaurants in touristy places almost always have English menus. Most places are one stop shops for everything you need. Stay in a hotel and you will be given the options and resources to rent transportation, book sightseeing tours and get directions and recommendations for a great place to eat. No matter what you need to know or acquire, you can have access to it within minutes. 7. The activities Besides the beautiful sites and cuisine, there is enough to do within Vietnam so you will never grow bored. Go trekking and shopping in traditional villages when you visit Sapa. Kayak, swim and tube in between beach lounging while in Ha Long Bay or trek deep into the cave system at Dong Hoi. Scuba diving, snorkelling and wind surfing are all viable options when you visit the beach towns of Nha Trang and Phu Quoc and canyoning and motorbike tours are popular with travellers in the highlands. Stick to the cities and listen to live music, see traditional dance and water puppet shows or take a cooking class and learn the language. There are endless activities for everyone’s different tastes. 8. The history Vietnam’s history is one of its main draws for tourists. The country is filled with educational sites for visitors that documents the Vietnam war and other historic events. Start in Saigon and visit the emotion inducing war museum and imperial palace. You can see old war planes scattered around the city and visit the Cu Chi war tunnels to get an insider look at what the war was like for many soldiers. Scattered around the city are war monuments and in Hanoi, you can even visit the final resting place of Ho Chi Minh himself. Whether you like history or not, there is no doubt that you will learn a thing or two just by being in the country. See related : 7 Day Taste Of VietnamTop Self Drive Holiday Deals in Kenya If you think you have to travel far to enjoy a nice weekend, you may never get away. Besides, you can enjoy a beautiful weekend right here in Kenya. There are countless wallet-friendly Kenyan self drive getaways that won’t even break your budget. Don’t spend your weekend, doing absolutely nothing at home. Whether you are looking for romantic destinations, pristine beaches, and adventurous outdoor activities, there are plenty wallet-friendly getaways that will satisfy your weekend desires. Malindi & Watamu Self Drive Deals Mombasa South Coast Self Drive Deals Mombasa North Coast Self Drive Deals Masai Mara Self Drive Holiday Packages Lukenya & Machakos Self Drive Meru Holiday Self Drive Deals Mt. Kenya & Aberdare Self Drive Holiday Deals Nyeri Holiday Self Drive Deals Samburu Holiday Self Drive Deals Top Outdoor Activities in Kenya Outdoor activities in Kenya are a great way to experience Kenya, Choosing where to start in Kenya can be overwhelming. The country has many different outdoor activities, ranging from adrenaline-pumping adventures to more meditative outings. Kenya is always a fantastic destination for family bonding. Spending time with the family on weekend is a great opportunity to re-connect and communicate while having fun. Outdoor activities are perfect for those who want to experience a relaxing and refreshing weekend in an amazing place. Do something fun this weekend and spend worthy time with your family. For great weekend bonding, we present to you 6 fun outdoor activities for the family. These outdoor activities are great adventures for you and your family. Hike To Ol Donyo Sabuk & 14 Falls, Thika Chaka Ranch Day Trip – QuadBikes, PaintBalling Ngare Ndare Day Trip Hike (Nanyuki) Kereita Zip Lining & Hiking Day Trip Top Madaraka Express SGR Holiday Deals 2 Nights Malindi & Watamu holiday with SGR 2 Nights Amboseli Holiday With SGR 2 Nights Tsavo Holiday With SGR Sa 2 Nights Voi Holiday With SGR 2 Nights Mombasa North Coast With SGR 2 Nights Mombasa South Coast With SGR Read the full article

[alexschurick-blog]

It was December 26th 1975 and I was stood in line at my local movie theatre waiting to see Jaws.

Even though it was released in the summer in the US this was the first showing in the UK and I was pumped.

And a bit scared.

Because I’d already read the book and sharks are scary, right? Even big plastic two-dimensional ones.

With that movie, Steven Speilberg created fear in the hearts of hundreds of thousands of people who ventured into the ocean over the following years after watching the film.

People who had previously never given sharks a second thought were all of a sudden having an extra look around before getting in the water and being extra vigilant once submerged.

A few weeks ago I was chatting with a friend via email about the rise of radical liberalism.

He said he was getting as frustrated with the far left as he was with the far right.

I had to agree.

Extremism in any form is not a good thing.

It polarizes people, stifles debate, removes any semblance of trust and serves no purpose.

I pointed out that the far left are just a tiny, but very vocal minority, just like the far right.

He disagreed.

I’m a liberal and I have lots of liberal friends.

I’d go as far as to say that of all the people I know at least 75% are left-leaning. And that includes clients because that is the kind of person who hires me.

I’m not sure how many people I know, but it’s a lot, and yet I don’t know a single person who I would describe as a radical leftist.

I know one who is far right, but none far left that I can think of.

Wouldn’t that be weird, if there were so many people with extreme left views and I didn’t know any of them?

We Need To Build A Stronger Military

Congress recently approved a 2019 US defense budget of $716 billion.

That’s approximately two billion dollars per day spent on defending this country.

You can fund a lot of hospitals and pretty much eradicate poverty in this country with that kind of money.

The US Military is larger than the next nine in the world combined.

It outspends China (which has almost 1,000,000 more soldiers) by 3:1 and Russian by about 8:1.

Yet very few people bat an eyelid about military spending.

We must support our troops because they are defending our country and keeping us safe goes the refrain.

And to question that is to open yourself up for ridicule as being unpatriotic (if you’re American) and/or some sort of commie weirdo.

Smoking kills more people in the US in a couple of hours than ISIS has done since its inception.

Admittedly, it would take tobacco two days to surpass the deaths from Al Qaeda and 9/11, but that’s all.

Where’s the fear?

Where’s the outrage?

Where are the politicians demanding billions of dollars be poured into halting this genocide?

Crickets and tumbleweed.

There’s something that links sharks, the radical left and concern about ISIS attacks.

It’s the availability heuristic.

The Incredible Power of the Availability Heuristic

It is the cognitive bias that makes us believe that the more we hear about something ‘dangerous’ the more prevalent it is and the more we must fear it.

A person dying from smoking never makes the news unless they are famous. It’s not newsworthy, it’s old hat

As such we rarely stop to contemplate that smoking kills more Americans every 18-months or so than the following wars combined:

The American War of Independence

The American Civil War

World War I

World War II

The Korean War

Vietnam

Iraq

Afghanistan

A sobering thought.

But an American tourist getting murdered in an ISIS attack in some European city is very newsworthy and gets extensive coverage.

And so the fear and handwringing get amped up.

We have all seen the blanket coverage on news channels after atrocities in London, Manchester, Paris, Nice, Brussels and many more.

It’s horrific and an affront to humanity, but the likelihood of it happening to you is minuscule.

Unless that is if you live in certain areas of Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan or India where such attacks are an almost daily occurrence and thousands upon thousands die every year.

That’s the availability heuristic in reverse. The media doesn’t cover it, we don’t hear about it, so we don’t realize the very real danger for people living there.

Somebody dying from a shark attack will always make the local news and sometimes even national news.

A guy was killed recently by a shark off the coast of Cape Cod and that story was covered on the TV here in Orlando.

And do you know why it was covered?

Because there is on average only one death every two years in all the US waters and almost none of those fatalities are at the hands, or rather the teeth, of the legendary Great White.

New Smyrna Beach here in Florida is the shark capital of the world and since records began there have been about 500 attacks (that rises to about 800 when you include all of Florida), well more than anywhere else.

But only 11 were fatal as most ‘attacks’ are nothing more than the shark having a bite out of curiosity.

Sharks much prefer seals to humans.

So unless you bathe in fish guts and then go swimming in the aptly named Coffin Bay off the coast of South Australia with your best mate Sam the Seal, you’re probably okay.

The Real Killers In The Animal Kingdom

If you want to be afraid of another living thing, then fear mosquitoes because they kill hundreds of thousands of people every year by spreading disease.

Or maybe snakes?

Those skinny fuckers are responsible for about 100,000 deaths per annum, although almost all happen in remote areas of Asia and Africa.

A far left politician making some asinine comment about health care paying for itself without any supporting evidence is newsworthy too.

But it’s not common and it’s not the consensus.

Most liberals, like myself, were shaking their heads in disbelief and wishing she would shut up. I think you know who I’m referring to.

Similarly, do we really don’t need to be spending obscene amounts of money on arms to defeat a foe that is making bombs in their kitchens?

If we want to see things as they really are, then we must challenge our thinking.

Our brains want to take the easy way out and the availability heuristic (a heuristic is literally a shortcut in thinking) is one of the ways it does this.

Just because a few people make a lot of noise, it doesn’t necessarily mean there are a lot of them.

Just because the five friends you last spoke to all think Trump is a lying sack of shit, it (sadly) doesn’t necessarily mean everybody thinks that.

And just because you keep being told that we need to spend more money on the Military doesn’t necessarily mean we need to spend more money on the Military.

The post What Connects Isis, Sharks And The Radical Left? appeared first on A Daring Adventure.

[jinjikook]

72 + jinjin (astro if that's ok) fluff/heated themes??

of course boo! thanks for requesting for some astro!!

72. “You’re competitive and so am I, and it’s going to lead to a fight.” 

word count: 3.3k

pairing: reader/jinjin (ASTRO)

genre: fluff + heated themes + minimal angst; highschool AU

It was a coveted position, being the class president.

You always strove hard in class, putting your best foot forward with every subject and taking charge of the classroom. You were a force not to be reckoned with, not only a genius in school but also a very well-known person in the student body, having a reputation to be kind and fair and as well-rounded as one could be.

That is, until Park Jinwoo came into your life, quite suddenly.

He was a transfer student, apparently of the highest caliber. He had moved because of his parents and as much as it sucked to changed schools in his senior year, he still managed it all so well. He handled the tough workload that was suddenly thrusted into his arms, making friends along the way like it was nothing.

He flirted with the girls and charmed the teachers, worming his way into everyone’s hearts and minds within a month.

So when he showed up for Student Government and asked to run for the position of Class President, your jaw had nearly broken the desk you were sat at. You were a shoo-in for the position and yet here was this new kid trying to steal your place. You had worked too damn hard these last 3 and ½ years for some random exchange student to ruin it all for you.

“Sorry Mr. Kim, but haven’t elections already been set up? We’d have to change the ballots and everything, and that seems like an awful lot of work for Somin and Tiffany to have to do. They don’t deserve that, especially since they’ve worked so hard already.” You batted your eyelashes, putting on the sweet and innocent act in hopes to keep this meddler from throwing a wrench in your plans.

Your mom was the class president of her senior class, and your brother was his. This was your destiny, something you’ve wanted ever since you could read the words on the nice plaque they had gifted your older brother to commemorate the position.

Jinwoo piped up from where he stood, an air of politeness and something akin to cockiness swirling around him as he spoke. You really tried to keep your scowl from being visible; truly.

“Oh, if it’s too much of an inconvenience then I wouldn’t worry about it! I wouldn’t want to make such pretty ladies have to waste their time on me.” He smiled over at the two girls who were sharing a computer by the corner of the classroom, the two of them erupting in a fit of giggles at the charm he threw their way. It made you sick.

“It’s really no problem Mr. Kim, he can run if you don’t mind!” One of them shouted, the other still making googly eyes at Jinwoo, who had given them a small wink as thanks for being on his side.

You panicked, trying to find something, anything, to keep from having to compete for the position.

“But Mr. Kim–”

“If they don’t mind it Y/N, then I don’t see why not. It makes things more interesting, otherwise it would’ve just been you running and there’s no healthy competition in that! It’s always good to challenge yourself, does the brain and body good.” Mr. Kim began a long lecture about the merits of challenging oneself to do their best.

You slumped back into your seat and huffed, feeling defeated for the time being. You certainly didn’t miss Jinwoo smirking in your direction, having won the first battle of many.

This wasn’t over.

—

“And that’s why I believe we can all do our part to keep our campus clean and safe.” You finished your speech with a sparking smile, sure to dazzle your peers. They clapped and some of your friends whooped, giving you a huge morale boost as you stepped away from the podium and walked back to your seat.

“Excellent job Y/N, wonderfully put. You’ve always had a way with words, it’s sure to win your audience over. Alright, Jinwoo, you’re next!” Mr. Kim gave Jinwoo a hearty pat on the back as he made his way up to the podium, sans any papers or note cards or anything to reference for his speech.

“I’m not up here to preach, I don’t have any papers or presentations prepared.” The crowd of student government members looked over at one another, wondering where he was going with this. You just smiled at the fact that this was yours to win, he had nothing. It was irresponsible and reckless and it was going to be his downfall, you were sure of it.

“I’m here to speak from the heart, to ask you to help with something that we should all care about. This school needs to become a priority for people, because as much as we may gripe and complain about it to our parents,” He earned a few chuckles and nods from the students listening, “at the end of the day, it’s a gift to be given such a vital tool for our future.”

You crossed your arms against your chest and sat back in your chair, not caring how many jokes this kid had; you were still going to win.

“Now I bet you’re wondering ‘How the Hell is picking up trash going to help?’ Well young citizen, let me enlighten you…”

The speech went on for too long in your opinion but your phone had only timed it at 6 minutes and 53 seconds. Just under the perfect 7 minute parameters that Mr. Kim always talked about. Everyone had laughed throughout his adlibbed speech, clapping loudly when he was finished. Even some people began to chant his nickname, ‘JinJin’ when he stepped down.

This can’t be happening, you couldn’t lose to some clown from another district.

—

“What’s your problem?” Jinwoo approached you one day, his prized smirk on his face as he perched himself on the desk you were seated at.

The meeting for Student Government had concluded, just two weeks remaining for the two of you to finish preparing and promoting your positions for the elections. You had planned to stay behind and practice your speech, wanting to come off as more relaxed and outgoing–not like anyone in particular.

“I don’t know what you mean,” You brush him off, trying to keep a casual air about yourself. After all, you prided yourself in your maturity.

“I mean, all this snobby stuck-up act you always have going on. It’s like you have a stick in your ass 24/7. And not in the good way.” He tacked on with a snort, as if he’d made the joke of the century.

“I’m sorry, is my ability to be a mature adult bothering you? Maybe you should try it sometime?”

“Right, ‘mature’. That’s what it is. I just think you’re afraid–”

“What do I possibly have to be afraid of?” You shrugged, setting up your note cards at the make-shift podium as you prepared to rehearse like you originally intended to.

“Of me beating you. It’s very much possible, especially since you keep acting fake with everyone.” Okay that was a low blow, even for Jinwoo. You looked at him in disgust, not knowing how to respond to such an accusation. “If you were just yourself, you might have better chances of winning.”

“I have the best chances of winning because I am the best candidate for this position. Sorry that you’re too occupied checking out girls and kissing teacher’s asses to see that.” You brushed your hair behind your ear and cleared your throat, making it obvious that you were done speaking with Jinwoo.

“Nothing wrong with being someone’s favorite. Not that you would know.” Jinwoo exited with those last words, the pressure settling in your chest as they echoed in your head for hours after he had left.

He was right; the realization hit you like a truck and you couldn’t help the tears that slowly trailed down your cheeks as you cried instead of practicing your speech like you’d planned.

The walk home in the rain was the perfect cover for your mom when you came home, she was none the wiser that you’d been crying over some kid’s harsh words to you.

—

You were on the rooftop of the theater, a secluded space that barely anyone knew about. It was bright and airy up here, a private place for you and your thoughts.  

Or so you thought.

“Woah, never pegged you as a ‘rooftop’ sort of chick.” His voice made you grit your teeth, the feeling of your heart tightening from the memory of his last words to you making you itch to cry again.

But you couldn’t do that in front of him. You couldn’t show weakness.

“Didn’t realize you had to be a type to enjoy some peace and quiet.” You kept your biting sarcasm short, not wanting to cause an uptick in your emotions. You weren’t sure just how well you could keep the tears at bay.

“Guess you’re right. Mind if I join you? The stress is getting to me, I could use some peace–”

“The quiet part means you don’t talk.”

“Right.”

Jinwoo sat next to you by the edge where it was closest to the middle of the campus, a clear shot of the courtyard from where you sat. You could see all the cliques, interacting with one another and enjoying their lunch amongst their peers.

The silence lasted for a solid minute before Jinwoo broke the concept once more.

“Do you always eat your lunch up here?” His voice wasn’t sharp, it wasn’t snarky or flirtatious. He sounded genuinely curious, you supposed that’s why you answered him.

“Not always. Just… often. I guess.” You didn’t take your eyes off the campus, watching as one of the soccer player boys kicked a ball over to the music program kids, flirting his way into the group until he tugged a blonde girl out to join him in a game of pass.

“Why?”

You shrugged, not really having a better answer for him than that. You weren’t really missed by your classmates if you went up here. Sure, you had friends and you weren’t exactly a loner, but you knew that if you had suddenly been moved to another school, you would be forgotten and replaced fairly quickly.

“Jinwoo, do your friends miss you? At your old school, I mean.”

“They text me from time to time, but we hang out as much as we can and we play video games online so… not that much time to miss.” Jinwoo looked over at you, your forlorn expression making him furrow his brows in concern. “Y/N, do you ever think you put too much priority on things like being the class president?”

You laughed, the bitter sound making you feel even more pitiful than before. You felt about 10 centimeters tall right now.

“Not that much else to do,” You mimicked his earlier response, finally tearing your eyes away from the kids down on the ground to look at Jinwoo, who had seated himself a little too close for comfort. His face wasn’t very far from yours, his own eyes dropping down for a moment to rest on the pout that naturally formed on your lips.

“I could think of a couple, just off the top of my head.” He murmured, his voice a little more labored as he inched closer. You could see the move from miles away, yet something in you didn’t want to stop him.

You should, he was terrible to you and he’s made your life a living hell from the first minute he’d showed up on campus. He hasn’t treated you with a single ounce of kindness since you first spoke and he surely hasn’t made an attempt to fix that anytime soon.

Yet as he came infinitely closer, you could only hold your breath and await for the inevitable.

But it never came.

Instead, his lips hovered over your own, his breath ghosting as he spoke, “This is already way better than practicing some dumb old speech, huh?” He huffed a chuckle that puffed over your mouth and his words brought shock to your system, waking you up from whatever trance he had you in as you pulled back quickly, standing up from where you were sat.

“It’s not some dumb speech, it’s important to me. If you can’t understand that, then maybe you shouldn’t be running for Class President!” You exclaimed, frustration digging into your skin as you realized how stupid it would’ve been to have done anything with Jinwoo.

“Honey, there’s more to life than some meritless title. The Prez doesn’t do anything, they’re just a figurehead to a bunch of hormonal and dumb teens. Pretty sure you don’t want to be known as the poster child for the graduating class of teen angst and acne.” He leaned back on his palms, still exuding an air of coolness and you hated it.

Everything he did, he did it was grace. He was suave, debonair; an asshole among it all. And he made your blood boil in ways you’d never felt before, heat pooling in places you’re sure it shouldn’t.

“In that case, why the hell are you even running?”

“Because. It’s fun. It gets me girls and if I win, it looks good on a college application and I won’t even have to do anything. Don’t tell me you actually think this position actually means something? Just another boring achievement kids rip themselves apart to try and reach.” He finally made his way onto his feet, dusting off whatever debris he thought was on his pants.

“Well it’s more than that to me. It’s something I have to do—”

“Wait, you have to? That’s bull Y/N. You don’t gotta do anything.”

“Maybe you don’t Jinwoo, but not everyone has that luxury in life and I’d appreciate it if you’d drop out of the running if all you have are wrong intentions for wanting to be President.” You gathered your things and made no motion to look back up at the other, not wanting to acknowledge him any further.

“Would that make you happy?” The question took you by surprise; it wasn’t sarcastic like you’d thought it would’ve sounded. You turned around to face him, just as you reached the door to the stairway off the rooftop.

“Yeah. It would.”

–

“Alright, so here are the final ballots for the election. Please proofread them and make sure everything is accurate before we send them to be printed off for the student body to use.” Mr. Kim passed around a few of the copies he’d made of the ballots Somin and Tiffany had made. A few murmurs made their way around the classroom, the keyword you’d heard being Jinwoo’s name. You wondered what all the commotion was but before you could ask, one of the copies was handed to you and your eyes scanned for your position and name. There it was, in dark bold letters and underlined. But it was what wasn’t there that made you stop in your tracks.

Jinwoo’s name was nowhere to be found.

You looked up and down on the page, flipping it to the back and flipping it once more when you were faced with the blank reverse side. Your eyebrows scrunched together in confusion, not understanding what was going on.

“Mr. Kim! Where’s Jinwoo’s name?” One student shouted from the back, a girl that Jinwoo had spent plenty of time flirting with all throughout his career here.

“Ah, yes. Mr. Park will not be running for office, he had decided to drop out at the last minute. A shame, really, but I’m sure he had his reasons. He was very adamant about it though, so I wouldn’t press him about it.” Mr. Kim told the class, some saddened groans coming from a few of the students around you. It hurt you a little, to know that they had wanted him to beat you so badly that the news made them so sour. But you were more confused more than anything else at the moment.

When the bell rang to signify lunch hour, you nearly bolted from the classroom, making your way up the stairs to the rooftop at a breakneck pace.

You found what you’d been looking for when you reached it, Jinwoo perched on the edge and looking down at the students; much like you usually would.

“Why?” Your voice broke whatever silence he’d been in, his head slowly turning to meet your gaze. He looked calm, as cool as always. But less arrogant, a softer aura of green surrounding him instead of the usual striking orange.

“I don’t know what you mean Y/N—”

“I mean why the fuck did you drop out of the running?” You shook the ballot you had taken, crumpling the page in the process as you stood there panting—partly because of your flaring anger and also from the run up the stairs.

“Because you asked me to.” He shrugged, as if it was all no big deal. But this was a very big deal, you had made that crystal clear to him. “You said it’d make you happy, and that’s all I wanted.”

It was too many emotions at once, all of them clouding your vision and judgement as you dropped your bookbag and let the ballot swirl off with the wind right over the edge of the roof as you leapt forward into Jinwoo’s space. You reached for the collar of his jacket and tugged him into a kiss, feeling his lips stiffen in surprise at your bold move. It didn’t stop you from pressing further, grip hard on his jacket as you shut your eyes and let the moment succumb the two of you.

Jinwoo finally caught on and his hands snaked around your waist, his lips molding against yours and you breathed a sigh of relief.

You two broke apart, a soft smacking sound following as you took in a couple of deep gulps of air, not realizing how you’d held your breath through the kiss. Jinwoo’s hands now were at the small of your back, holding you in a gentle hug as he looked you in the eyes, the soft brown of his irises making you melt a little.

“Took you long enough, and here I thought I’d have to get a big neon sign just to point you in the right direction.” He laughed, breathless and light.

“Wait, was that your sorry attempt at flirting with me? By making me miserable and trying to one-up me everywhere I go?” You laughed out of the sheer humor of the situation. This sounded like it was something straight out of a cheesy romantic comedy that you’d probably go see on the weekends with a couple of friends.

“It was a sound strategy, since you wouldn’t have even batted an eyelash in my direction if I wasn’t involved in this whole student government thing.” You shrugged as you accepted his reasoning, though you weren’t sure if you were ready to let him off the hook just yet for making you cry a few times too many. “Now, isn’t this way more fun than practicing some dumb old speech?” You giggled and reached to wrap your arms around his neck, tugging him down into another kiss.

Yeah, this was pretty fun too—Jinwoo didn’t have to know you thought that though.

“I’m not sure how this relationship is gonna work out, you’re competitive and so am I, and it’s going to lead to a fight.”

“Guess we’re just gonna have to strap in for the ride and find out eventually.” Jinwoo mumbled against your lips before locking you into a kiss once more. 

You’re going to have to kick his ass one day for causing you hell but for right now, this worked for you. 

request a drabble to celebrate 1k! I’m clearing out the remaining requests, thanks for playing!

[mitchbeck]

CANTLON: (1/5/19) PACK CLIP PHANTOMS 3-1

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - The Hartford Wolf Pack Wolf Pack won their fifth in a row edging out the Lehigh Valley Phantoms 3-1. The Pack rode a goal and an assist from Peter Holland and Matt Beleskey, a very strong team defensive performance, and a sterling 25-save performance from Dustin Tokarski to get the win. With the lead after two periods, the Wolf Pack are 11-2-1-2. They sit in sixth place and raised their record to 17-15-2-2 (38 pts), but remain one point behind the Springfield Thunderbirds who defeated the Providence Bruins, 5-3. “Scoring the first goal was big," a measured winning coach Keith McCambridge said. "When they did score, we did a good job of not getting down. We were able to limit their amount of scoring chances overall. We were pleased with the win." In the third period, the Wolf Pack played very strong team defense and got timely stops from Tokarski especially late in the game. Mark Friedman and Mikhail Vorobyev had Grade A chances, but Tokarski offered no rebounds as the Pack netminder got pucks to the corners or his defense came in to clear it away as the team worked in their own zone as a five-man unit. “One of the things I like was he (Tokarski) didn’t give anything away. There were no rebounds lying around the front. He did a good job managing the game,“ remarked McCambridge. The Wolf Pack scored early in the third to get the two-goal cushion. Cole Schneider in front snared a rebound of Steven Fogarty’s right point shot and tapped in the rolling puck. “It deflates teams when you get that two-goal lead. That was a huge goal by Schneider’s line.” Holland said of his team captain’s tally. Closing out the game was an early season nightmare now this group has found a way to shut the door on their opponents. “At the beginning of the year we struggled when we had the lead,” Holland said, “and now we’re finding a lot more consistency and getting better when playing up.” The Wolf Pack grabbed the lead back at 2-1 early in the second period. Rob O’Gara sent Matt Beleskey up the right wing and just after crossing the blue line he launched a backhand pass to Peter Holland on the left wing. Holland used the Phantom’s Reece Willcox as a screen and whipped his eleventh goal of the season off the post and into the net at the six-minute mark even for the lead an eventual game-winner. “I knew we had numbers (coming in),“ Beleskey said. “I saw him coming in late so I just got it to him and that’s his patent shot these days and he put in the right spot.” The line picked up another four points on the night. Holland has seven points over his last three games and should be an AHL Player of the Week candidate The Wolf Pack reversed the first period by changing the shots on goal in their favor 13-5. They were able to keep the Phantoms at bay with strong one-on-one battle wins like John Gilmour on Mark Vecchione and then using his stick to blunt another Phantoms offensive foray. Bobby Butler and Gabriel Fontaine converged nicely in front, but couldn’t jam the biscuit home and then later, Ville Meskanen shot first from the right wing and then Vinni Lettieri had a whack at a loose puck, but it just bounced on him as he took a swipe at it with just under minute left in the period. Science says for every reaction you can get an equal reaction and that is what happened for the Wolf Pack in scoring the game’s first goal. Just seven seconds after Dustin Tokarski handled the game’s first quality scoring chance as Greg Carey picked off a bad clearing and fired his slap shot from the top of the right circle. “He’s been playing great, you need everyone playing their best right now, and you can see what this team is capable of,” Holland noted about a rejuvenated Wolf Pack squad. The ensuing faceoff Holland cleanly won the draw from Phantoms Mikhail Vorobyev and got the puck back to John Gilmour. Then 7:15 Acela Gilmour left from behind the net train and raced up the right wing side and fed Ville Meskanen as they hit the Phantoms blue line. Meskanen then led the Wolf Pack break in a quick developing three on two he caught Peter Holland perfectly in stride on the left wing who in turn feathered a perfect soft pass for Matt Beleskey going straight down the middle that he redirected top shelf over the left shoulder of Phantoms starting goalie Branden Komm making his first AHL start for his fourth goal of the year at 5:07. “That was perfect who could ask for anything better,” smiled Beleskey with four points his last three games. Meskanen has seven points in his last six games. The rest of the period the Phantoms were able to finally get around the Pack defense with 15 more shots and the better quality shots came just before and after the goal. “He’s been solid back there, he has brought a calming influence. He’s a pillar we have a lot of confidence with him back there,” remarked Holland. The Phantoms tied the game as a cross-ice pass from the right wing boards by Mike Vecchione who initially kept the puck in the zone put it across the crease area and it hit off the back of Libor Hajek's skate who was turned around facing the net and Nicolas Aube-Kubel with a wide open net to shoot and put his 10th of the season into open cage at 17:52. The Phantoms had a glorious late chance with 58 seconds to go with some poor puck handling by Lias Andersson at the right point Connor Bunnamen to get a breakaway that thankfully his poor shooting skills, he missed the net by 10 feet stick side on Tokarski. WOLF PACK LINES: Fontaine-Butler-Leedahl Andersson-Gropp-Lettieri Holland-Meskanen-Beleskey Fogarty-Schneider-Gettinger Gilmour-Hajak Bigras-O’ Gara Day-Lindgren SCRATCHES: Shawn O’Donnell (Flu/Injury) Brandon Crawley (Healthy) Shawn St. Amant (Healthy) Terrence Wallin (Healthy) NOTES: On bring your dog night Cole Schneider’s bulldog terrier Chase came out with Holland for the interview. The Wolf Pack booster club named Vinni Lettieri their Player of Month and gave him an award in a pre-game presentation. The Wolf Pack defenseman Vince Pedrie who was reassigned a second time this year to Maine earlier in the week his time with the Rangers has come to an end. Pedrie, from Penn State, was placed on unconditional waivers with the purpose of terminating his contract. No other info on his next destination is available. Congrats to ex-Wolf Pack Ryan Graves of the Colorado Avalanche who scored his first NHL goal ironically in New York against the Rangers on Friday. The goal put the cap on a 6-1 win came unassisted out in front of the Rangers net. He spent three years with the Wolf Pack and never once was recalled. His smile could be seen back in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island where he lives and in Quebec City where he played his junior hockey. The US World Junior team beat Russia yesterday 2-1 in Vancouver to advance for the second time in three years to the gold medal game however lost to Finland 3-2 wh won their 5th title, but first one outside of Europe. Kappo Kakko on the doorstep lifted a backhander to the top half of the net with 1:32 remaining to give the Finns victory The loss came in part because a US goal by Sasha Chmelevski in the first period was disallowed ruled goalie interference that would have given the US a 1-0 lead. This isn’t US bias here it was one of the worst calls I’ve ever seen! I mean Dean Morton, Francois St. Laurent bad. Cayden Primeau, son of ex-Whaler Keith made 32 saves in the win over Russia and was a standout in the final four minutes in helping to hand the Russians their only loss of the WJC tournament. Russia secured the bronze with a 5-2 win over Russia. -Several AHL players have returned to the league from their various World Junior teams Martin Necas (Charlotte/Czech Republic) Tobias Geisser (Hershey/Switzerland), Erik Brannstrom (Chicago/Sweden) and Timothy Lilejgren (Toronto/Sweden) and Klim Kostin (San Antonio/Russia). -UCONN lost the first game of their two-game tourney in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile arena to the #17th ranked nationally Western Michigan Broncos 5-1. The Broncos are 10-6-1 overall were led by Cam Lee and Austin Rueschhoff each had a goal and an assist. UCONN did have freshmen center Jachym Kondelik back from the Czech Republic WJC team and he picked up an assist on the lone Huskies goal. Goalie Adam Huska stopped 36 of 41 shots in the loss for the Huskies now 6-12-1 overall. The Huskies beat St. Lawrence Saturday 6-3 in the consolation game of the tournament. UCONN built a 4-0 lead in the first 10 minutes as Max Kalter got things started at 2:25 into the game and Marc Gatcomb tallied his first collegiate goal, Kale Howarth, Jachym Konedelik, Karl El-Mir, and Sasha Paysuov would help the Huskies with six different scorers and up their record to 7-12-1. Read the full article

[yvonnezoe]

Woohoo! New post! Sorry for the wait again!

So this is the day you had a good night sleep after one whole afternoon of indulging in Penang’s great food and lots of walking under the hot sun. Not forgetting the partying after the Broadway show.

Here’s a recap of what happened in Day 2: Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas Full Review with Tips! Part 3/5: Day 2

Day 1 is here: Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas Full Review with Tips! Part 2/5: Day 1

If you are unsure what to pack or expect at all, check this out: Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas Full Review with Tips! Part 1/5: Getting Ready

Then, when you sense a shimmer shining through the curtain and you open your eyes, you feel the world (the ship) is swaying. But just wake up la. Enjoy the sunrise from your window if your room window is facing the East. Otherwise, go to the viewing deck. You may check the sunrise time on the first page of the Cruise Compass.

Ahoy! We are leaving Malacca Straits. The waves are rougher now…

That’s where we were.

7:00 am Breakfast at Windjammer

The day should start early as we were scheduled to arrive at Phuket, Thailand at 9am. We were all excited about going ashore. However, the breakfast area at Windjammer was so crowded when we arrived around 7am. There wasn’t a lot of seats available. My mom didn’t feel very well as she got sea sick so we didn’t take a lot of food.

We found the utensils were not very clean as you could see many obvious stains of oil and food residues on them. The napkins had a greasy smell too. So, it is advisable to bring your own wet tissue to clean the utensils if you mind!

Upon sighting such uncleanliness plus the waves of the sea, we all started to feel nauseous. My mom couldn’t contain it anymore and we had to rush to find the nearest washroom. To our surprise, the washroom was full of people throwing up! Luckily there was an empty cubicle for mom to relieve just in time.

I guess the seasick got worse after food.  So if you have symptoms of seasick, know your way to the nearest washroom before starting your meal and eat light. You may pack some bread for later.

8:30 am Get Ready and Adjust your Clock

As Thailand is one hour later than Singapore, make sure you adjust your watches and clocks accordingly, i.e. 8am SGT is 7am Thailand time. (You get to sleep one hour more!)

Time to get changed and prepare to go ashore using tender boats. You will need to get a complimentary tender ticket for each person on that day at Royal Promenade, Deck 5.  Your ticket will state the meeting time and location. If you have booked a Royal Caribbean Shore Excursion, there is no need to get the tender ticket and you will board the boat first. The meeting time and location are stated in your tour ticket.

What to pack in your bag:

Sunblock, even if you are not going to the beach

Thai Baht – it is advisable to change it before even going up the cruise. The rate on board is usually not very good. When you first landed in Phuket, you have to already spend $$ and they may charge you more if you are holding foreign currency.

Water – No need to bring a lot as you can easily get mineral water (or even coconut) as long as you are going to the rural area.

Some food – just in case you are hungry when you are on the road.

Towel (if you are going to the beach) – just get from your hotel room or it can be borrowed with your SeaPass card, just note that there is a $25 replacement fee for all unreturned towels.

Masking tape if you are going shopping… I will tell you why later.

SeaPass card – this act as your passport.

Umbrella – be it rain or shine, this comes in handy.

9:00 am Arrival at Phuket

Although the ship arrived at 9:00am at the port, the ship’s clearance was done only at about 9:30am. There were announcements made in the Public Areas to call out the tendering sequence and stating the tender loading area.

Collection of the complimentary tender tickets can be done at the Royal Promenade starting at 9am. You may collect for others. Bring along the SeaPass cards of your group. You need not to queue or rush to get the ticket. It will be distributed throughout the day. Get it only when you need it. Watch out for the announcement and refer to your Cruise Compass.

After collecting the tickets, we headed back to the room for a little rest after the seasick this morning. As people were crowding at the public areas to wait for their turn to get on tender boats, it was really not necessary to rush if you are not on the Shore Excursion tour. However, based on the experience at Phuket which I will share in details later, I strongly recommend you to book a shore excursion for Phuket. You may do so online before going on the cruise. Otherwise, you may go to the Shore Excursions Desk at Deck 5 to inquire.

10:30 am Going Ashore

As the announcement of the ticket number was made at the public area and we were in our room, the sound can be quite soft. We would open the door to listen more clearly and at last just left the door open slightly.

It wasn’t too long till our turn. We proceeded to the gangway and went past the security check counter where we were to display our SeaPass card. The sky was quite gloomy when we board the tender boat. As the ship had docked, it didn’t sway much so boarding the tender boat was not very scary. The boat could probably take around 50 pax.

The boat ride was only about 20 mins. From the boat, you can have a nice view and shots of the Voyager of the Seas.

The Tender Boat

The gangway

Arriving at the port (Phuket Marine Customs Pier) was a huge disappointment… This was never pre-empted by the tour agency. They didn’t even mention the name of the port. Telling you it’s Phuket would only make you imagine the beautiful beach there which you could immediately get into your swimwear right after going ashore right?

It is so different from what I have researched. All my planned “walking” itinerary from the Patong beach to shopping mall was useless because we were at the different part of Phuket altogether! 😦 I even use Google Street view to research what to expect at Phuket and how to walk around… I happily told my mom and sis about the excitement of Phuket. Urgh.

11:00 am Welcome to … Phuket?

Yes, welcome to the eastern part of Phuket where the sea is calmer and suitable for the cruise ship to dock. But going to the western part where all the nice beach and fun is, it’s taking at least 1 hour by car ride… or more by tuk-tuk. 😦

We had a shock when we arrived. It was our first time to Phuket. Groups of locals are touting at us, selling their local day tours at 3000-10,000 Baht per pax. Seriously? That’s probably all Baht I had! Their local tours include visiting temples, Elephant or Tiger “sanctuary” (please, don’t go there! You must have seen how the elephants and tigers were mistreated and drugged in order to look calm for tourists to pet), Cabaret show, massage, some shopping… The price does not include tips and your own food.

Some tourists already know where they wanted to go and were comfortable in negotiating the taxi and tuk-tuk fare.

Some tips here:

Research where you want to go and how much is the standard taxi fare.

If you would like to go for a massage, either you can research which massage place or shopping centre you want to drop by. Alternatively, you have to feel comfortable by their recommendations (which is always bias towards those that pay them a commission).

Pick your tour, get other tourists to go together. Negotiate for a group price instead of per pax.

Share a taxi or tuk-tuk with another group if going to the same locations.

Pretend to go away and engage another driver if the previous one is reluctant to decrease their price. The further inland you go, the cheaper the price would be.

Be reasonable. This is their living hood. Once you negotiate to a price which you are comfortable, just go with it and don’t squeeze them dry.

We almost wanted to go back to the ship after strolling around the little street market for 10 mins. Most of the stall owners were Muslims.

Some drivers were still touting at us. So we thought since we were already here, may as well just give it a try. We didn’t want to go too far as the travelling time is easily 1 hour. So I told the driver we just want to go to a shopping mall, preferably Big C (because I want to buy the Big C seaweed!!). I don’t remember how much we paid exactly but it was less than $50 for a back-seat tuk-tuk.

It started to rain heavily half-way and the driver had to stop by the road to help us “wind down” the window screen made of plastic sheets. Hahaha. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience! Just make sure you hold on to the window rail when the vehicle is moving as there is no door to keep you safe.

The driver had to do a detour to a tourist attraction as part of his “company policy”. So he brought us to Siam Multi Gems and Pearl. We walked one round and came out. Sorry, we didn’t bring enough cash to buy anything there. The driver was kind and say it’s ok to not buy anything as he just needed to show them he did try to bring tourists there.

We proceeded to Big C. We set a meeting time and location with the driver and off we go exploring the 3 levels shopping mall.

We had our lunch first at a food court in the mall. Nothing fantastic. We shopped for some snacks and souvenirs. But if you shop a lot, do consider picking up an empty box near the cashier counter or ask the cashier for one. It’s usually free. Then you can pack your stuff in the box and yes, now you get to use the masking tape! Otherwise, they have the tape sold at 100Baht also la. :p

You can also find tour recommendation in The Cruise Compass. The one recommended is Phang Nga Bay – where the James Bond island is. I’m not so sure how long it takes for the motorboat to reach there though. Probably it’s one of the shore excursions offered by Royal Caribbean.

3:00 pm Back to the ship

The tender boats run approximately every 20 minutes throughout the day and the last tender back to the ship leaves the dock at 8:30 pm.

We were back just in time for tea time. We feel so relieved to come back early. The ship is rather empty so we could have more peace and fun for ourselves. We helped ourselves with the food at Windjammer and it was good – much better than our lunch for sure. There was also free flow soft-serve!

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After the afternoon snacks, we proceeded to explore the ship and try out things we had not done before such as the FlowRider!

Walking around the ship – finding treasures…

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2. Go to the library. You may also do books exchange here – where you leave a used book and take another one to read in your room or bring home.

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3. FlowRider!! The FlowRider simulates a real surfing and body boarding experience. Riders must be at least 1.47 meter tall to surf and 1.32 meter to Boogie Board. Check the operating times for the FlowRider on Deck 13 in Open Hours. 

Here’s a video of someone with body boarding experience. Looks fun eh?

4. Play golf!

6:00 pm Fine Dining at Sapphire Dining Room

The food was good as usual. Here’s a sneak peek to the menu and what I had.

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7:30 pm Rest or Movie

After dinner, we went back to our room to find another cute animal (elephant?) made of a towel. There was an outdoor movie at 7:30pm so we went up to Deck 11 for a quick peek. It was The Legend of Tarzan.

9:30 pm Headliner Showtime Starring “Aussie Boys”

We headed to La Scala Theatre at around 9:15pm to secure the front seats. Trust me, it’s really worth to go a bit earlier to get good seats! By Day 3, others would have figured that out and everyone tried to be earlier.

This was a very nice and charming show by three handsome young singers from Australia. They could also sing some Chinese and Cantonese song such as 朋友 by the 周華健！The crowd went so high and they started to strip off their shirts, leaving just black singlets. Hahaha! Enjoy some photos!

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The ship started to move again during the show as you could hear the engine startup sound for a while.

At the end of the show, there was a distribution of lottery tickets at Royal Promenade which I didn’t know what we could win. We just went there for supper and go to sleep.

Time to sail back to Singapore!

Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas Full Review with Tips! Part 4/5: Day 3 Woohoo! New post! Sorry for the wait again! So this is the day you had a good night sleep after one whole afternoon of indulging in Penang's great food and lots of walking under the hot sun.

[luthien-tinuviel]

1. ok so @maylovely tagged me in this like ages ago (so sorry dear) so here you have six selfies of me :3

More answered tag games below the cut!!

2. @klngfili tagged the #tolkiensquad:

rules: put your music on shuffle and list the first ten songs, then tag ten people. no skipping.

(ok so i just mixed from a few of my playlists..)

Warm foothills - alt-J (soo cozy listen to it!!)

Hold back the river - James Bay

7 years - Lukas Graham

9 crimes - Damien Rice

Somebody that I used to know - Gotye

Shape of you - Ed Sheeran

Shake, shake, shake - Bronze Radio Return (also very cozy)

Immortals - Fall out boy

Fight song - Rachel Platten

Poison - Vaults

3. @ungoliamt tagged the #tolkiensquad to take a screenshot of their mobile background picture (ofc i’ve removed my numbers, mail etc.)

4. tagged by @eveenstar

name: agnes nickname(s): ange, ange-mange, mange (they’re pronunced a certain way, not like in english, idk google translate it if you wanna know??), myggan (eng trans. “mosquito”), agge (but i hate it. only my best friend uses it. i can’t force her.) gender: female star sign: sagittarius (but changed to that new weird one when they changed the dates)  height: 162,5 cm, about 5″3 feet (i don’t really know how that system works tbh) sexual orientation: straight (as far as i know... until i meet the right woman, i guess) hogwarts house: ravenclaw is my absolute “main” one, but i’m such a hufflepuff on the inside favourite colour: purple favourite animal(s): cats, dogs, dolphins, foxes (when they don’t eat cats...), wolves, lions, elephants, and more time right now: 22:43 average hours of sleep: about 5-6 (7 if i’m lucky) on school days, about 9 on weekends cat or dog person: dog-ey cats or cat-ey dogs favourite fictional character: ughh so many... 10th doctor? sherlock? number of blankets i sleep with: 1a regolar + a wool blanket. and an extra blanket if it’s really cold favourite singer/band: florence and the machine, mumford and sons, ted gärdestad <3 dream trip: new zealand or new york or a trip through all of uk (might happen this year yay) dream job: actor (hey, key word, “dream”, but i’m a terrible actor and i’m terrible around people) or author, or teacher when was this blog created: a little before summer 2015 i think? but i didn’t start using it properly until spring/summer this year when did your blog reach it’s peak: i’m just gonna steal bia’s: “idk maybe november of the last year?” what made you decide to get tumblr: a friend recomended it so i created an account, but didn’t start using it until i started reading the best fanfic ever (Ravámë’s bane by RealityWarp - GO. READ. IT.) and wanted to keep track of the author fictional character i’d date: STEVE ROGERS how many blogs do i follow: 330 i think? what do i post about: “multifandom but mostly marvel and tolkien” ~ bia’s answer. do i get asks regularly?: nope, but feel free to drop by! aesthetic: snow; cats; hot chocolate; ginger hair; autumn; fire; quotes about being shitty and firey

5. tagged by @ungoliamt overlined = see above please

Nickname:  Gender:  Zodiac sign:  Height: Hogwarts house: Favorite color: Green (i kid you not i’m the only one in my whole family with green eyes, everyone - EVERYONE - else has these beautiful blue eyes (except my grandma who’s got brown doe eyes). mine aren’t even nice green like the fuck how did i get this screwed??) Time right now:  Average hours of sleep:  Lucky number:  idk. i’m not very lucky lol Last thing googled: “cm to feet” ... Blankets I sleep with:  Favorite band:  Dream trip: Wearing now: yoga pants, slippers, and a t-shirt Age of blog:  Posts: 2 789 What I post about: 

6. tagged by @maylovely

last movie you watched: i honestly can’t remember .-. I’ve read all weekend and watched series

last song you listened to: Flight to the ford - Howard Shore (listen to it rn)

last show you watched: Luke Cage (like half episode? gonna watch the rest when i finish this)

last book you read: Carry on by Rainbow Rowell

last thing you ate: Kladdkaka with vanilla ice cream. Just google it. It’s like mudcake i think? It’s delicious. 

if you could be anywhere right now, where would you be?: I really wanna be in new york right now <3

what time would you travel to?: to when school is finished

fictional character you would hang out with for a day?: 10th doctor (I COULD GO ANYWHERE. LIKE NEW YORK. NO WAIT, NEW YORK’S A BAD IDEA. FORGET ABOUT IT. MAD ANGELS OF STONE)

Jeezus. I’m done. And concerning the tags, just consider yourself tagged in whatever you want, i can’t do this.

(THANKS EVERYONE FOR TAGGING ME IN ALL THESE LOVELY STUFF I TAKE FOREVER TO ANSWER IT MAKES ME FEEL LOVED AND I LOVE YOU)