#being abused as a child and being working class makes you develop some skills lol

[transchaotic]

I feel like people's opinion of Ryan on reddit is split between: 1. People who think he's a huge badass with op strength; 2. He's a terrible and unredemable person and should have been killed off.

Both are wrong, btw <3

[vivalavi-daa]

Fav 2019 K-Dramas

2019 blessed us with many intriguing kdramas with unique stories, don’t you think? I’m bored during quarantine and decided to post this. Anyways, here are my favs:

1. Vagabond

There, this picture says it all: this drama is fast paced, SO intense, and on fire. I love every minute of it! Vagabond is different than another k-dramas. I’m not lying when I say this drama literally makes me cry and scream. Sometimes I even had to pause in the middle of episode just to catch my breath lol. The plot is so well written and full of unpredictable storylines (which is what I love the most about Vagabond–that every episode always has a way to surprises me). Although, many viewers disappointed with how they ended Vagabond with a cliffhanger. I, too, really hope they consider making the second season to satisfy our curiosities. But either way, I don’t regret watching this drama. Not at all. Because this drama is too amazing

2. When the Camellia Blooms

Unlike majority of romance k-dramas, this drama’s love story is centered around a young woman who raises her child on her own. I gotta say, this is one high quality k-drama. I could even judge it from its lovely opening video. Every episode always has meaningful messages behind it. The storylines are rich and presented in such a way that makes viewers immersed in the stories and emphatize with the characters. First, they make us understand Dongbaek’s dark past and her struggle as a single parent, then they make us emphatize with Dongbaek’s son who grow up without a dad figure. We also get to see the perspectives of her mom & Yong Sik (the lead guy)’s mom as mothers,  the issues faced by side characters, and conflicts that arise from triangle love story. In addition, they also involved mistery of murderer in the stories! Can you believe how many of these can we swallow in one drama? One time this drama is heartbreaking, then it’s heartwarming, another time it gets super dark. 

Also, what I find many viewers love from this drama is how Yong Sik cherishes Dongbaek and love her for what she is, which is why I concluded this drama is perfect for woman who feels insecure. Why? Because with the way Yong Sik endlessly convinces Dongbaek, he reminds us that every woman is good enough, deserves to feel loved and receive happiness. And I love him for that.

3. Her Private Life

There is a reason why people said this is the perfect kdrama for fangirl, since the story is told from the perspective of a die hard fan (Sung Deok Mi). Those who have experienced being fangirls know how well this drama represent fangirls’ life: what fangirls do, and how fangirling affects our lives. It’s all displayed in such fun atmosphere that it’d give you good feelings while watching it. Personally, I am attracted to its opening video. It’s really catchy and reflect the fun vibes of Her Private Life. I really recommend this drama if you want to lift your mood.

But on top of that, Sung Deok Mi’s relationship with Ryan Gold is the major part of why I highly appreciate this drama!! Their relationship is unlike any relationship I’ve ever seen before. They’re very mature, respect each others’ dreams and what each other loves, always resolve conflicts through discussion. They portray the definition of a healthy relationship and I really admire that.

4.  Extraordinary You

The word extraordinary isn’t used in the title for no reasons. The storylines are, indeed, extraordinary. It is a mix of comedy, high school romance, star crossed soulmates, fantasy, mistery, comedy and a glimpse of stories in historical settings at the same time. Thus, it’s not exaggerating when fans said ��you don’t have to look for specific dramas, you can get it all here”.

The actors & actresses’ acting skills are superb and we can find so many funny & relatable lines here. But one of the best things about Extraordinary You is they place the second leads in the center of spotlight! Finally nice second leads get the justice they deserve. They portrayed how lead guy who’s rude and feels entitled to have his crush doesn’t have the slightest chance of capturing the woman’s heart. Instead, the nice second leads who show respects and always put the woman’s desire before his own are what woman find attractive. I highly praise this drama for that.

5. Crash Landing on You

In 2019, we encounter many dramas with unique synopsis, including this one: a relationship between a North guy and a South woman. I have no doubt in Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin’s chemistry since the beginning. Their incredible chemisty makes every romance scenes look even more sweet and pure and sometimes cute. Although I wasn’t really engaged with the first two episodes, the next episodes gets more appealing and satisfying. It’s nice to see the progress of both lead characters’ development and how they help each other overcome their issues. Aside from Se Ri (Son Ye Jin)’s relationship with Jeong Hyeok (Hyun Bin), her relationship with the North soldiers and neighboors at millitary village are pretty adorable. Their interaction always give me warm fuzzy feelings and they’re what I miss the most from this drama honestly.

6. One Spring Night

If you love Something in the Rain, I’m sure you’ll love this one too since both are the works from the same director. It has similiar atmospheres and similiar soundtracks vibes (both have really beautiful soundtracks by the way). Like Dongbaek from When the Camellia Blooms, the lead guy in this drama (Yoo Ji Ho) is also a single parent. I agree with fans saying this isn’t the kind of drama for everyone. This is more like slice of life and they aren’t in a rush to throw in conflicts as well as its resolution and I love it that way. Through this, they made it possible for us to process our emotions while the conflicts are presented.

The stories are also realistic: the issue experienced by the lead guy as a single parent, issue that’s arised from triangle love story, how pride and status mean for men, also a glimpse of abusive relationship, and the heartwarming sisterhood. And if we look closely, we could see how they tried to portray the influence of culture in the family and in the way they resolve a conflict. 

7. Catch the Ghost

I thought the ghost from the title refers to an actual ghost but thank god it’s not. Here, ghost is a nickname for a criminal–the villain of the drama. Even when the story centered around the same villain from the firat until the last eps, but I wasn’t bored at all watching this. In fact, it is what made me engage with the stories and made me continue watching the next eps although I had assignments to do 😅. It’s just so, so exciting to watch. The stories are dark, sad, but funny at times. However, some viewers (including me) found the lead woman (Yoo Reung) annoying at first because of her selfishness. But I promise it’s still worth to watch because in the later eps, you’ll understand why she is the way she is which makes it easier to tolerate and even emphatize with her. She’s actually lovable, and her relationship with the lead guy (Ko Ji Seok) is really cute! In fact, Ko Ji Seok is one of my fav characters in kdrama land!

8. Class of Lies

You know, I always love kdramas with unpredictable storylines. Just like what this drama has. I know the settings are set in high school but it is waaay too dark for a high school story. You can even see it from the picture that it has gloomy vibes. I thought it’s the typical high school kdrama about bullies or corruption but it’s truly exceeds my expectation. From the first episode, I already saw the potential of this drama and already hooked with the misteries. I felt so tense throughout watching the entire drama. I kept clicking the next eps to find out if things are getting better and if there is any clue to the misteries here. But I swear everytime I thought I figure something out, this drama always has surprises to give. So brilliant. I stan.

9. At Eighteen

We could tell from the title that this drama must be related to the dynamic life of 18 years old teenagers. Considering this is the age where we explore ourselves, this drama portrayed how different teens could have different issues to face: trying to fit in at school, stand up against bullies, trying to be in top tier at school, trying to get good grades whether it’s to get into reputable colleges or to meet parents’ high expectation, trying to experience romance, AND exploring sexual orientation (actually this is the first kdrama i’ve watched that portrayed gay issues so I was like wow??). So, the stories aren’t only focused on the main characters, but the side characters too. Though I really adore the main guy in this drama: Choi Jun Woo. I even made an essay about why I think he’s an ideal guy lol. If you’re interested, here you go

Not only does this drama describe the issues faced by 18 yo students, but also the struggles faced by the teacher. It shows us how teachers can feel nervous too whenever he’s about to teach or deal with the students, how certain teachers care about the wellbeings of their students, not just care about their grades. I appreciate that from the drama, really, I do. This drama is calm, heartwarming, and meaningful.

10.  Love Alarm

Tried to watch it because of Kim So Hyun, and I quickly got invested in the stories. I like the futuristic theme in this drama. The idea of a Love Alarm app itself is already interesting. Moreover, So Hyun has good chemistry with both guys. Though I don’t find both lead and second lead guys as my best type of guys, but I couldn’t stop watching it and I don’t regret watching it. Their lovestories are bittersweet which kept me looking forward for more. The last episode ended in cliffhanger though, typical Netflix series. If you don’t like uncertainty and want to watch this drama, I suggest you to wait until season 2 is released (yes, they announced there will be a season 2).

k-drama recommendation: 2/?

[overthinkingkdrama]

Hi! So, I’ve just recently gotten into K-Dramas, and... I have a small issue, and that is though I LOVE them in the beginning, by the end they always disappoint me? Like, they start lighthearted and fun, and then by the end suddenly everyone’s in mortal peril, and I don’t care? Or they start all fantasy, and then it’s all about the romance in the end? So... Could you possibly recommend me ones that are good, or tone consistent, throughout? Please?

Hi! Thanks for dropping by for recs. These are some of my favorite asks. I just love going back through my watch list and finding dramas that fit a given criteria. It gets more fun the more dramas I've seen.

The thing about Kdramas that makes them a uniquely sticky beast is that many of them are live-shot week to week, at least for part of their run, and often the scripts are not fully written before filming begins. Popular Kdramas will also occasionally receive extensions which can cause further pacing and plot issues and (sometimes) cause a story to sputter out entirely. With the increasing prevalence of entirely preproduced dramas there's been an increase in overall drama quality and consistency in past years. That being said, Kdramas are still a decidedly mixed bag in terms of overall production quality. So it pays to either drop things with extreme prejudice if you stop enjoying them and watch widely, or to have a good drama filter friend (like me!) to give you vetted recs. As a genre a lot of the more "classic" feeling dramas have a tendency to start really light hearted and then swing super dramatic in the latter half. That's something I occasionally like, but lucky for you not all dramas are like that!

Your ask doesn't really tell me what genre of Kdrama most appeals to you, so I went through my list and tried to find you wide a variety of dramas that I think of as being well-paced and tonally consistent throughout. I've also tried to limit myself to dramas that I rated highly on MDL, although my primary criteria was "good and tonally consistent" so this list of dramas is kinda all over the map. But then, so are my tastes. Also, I kinda got the impression from your ask that you're not a fan of the uber-melodramatic side of kdramas and you want something a little more restrained and less soapy, so I tried to steer away from those more makjang dramas but did not entirely succeed, lol. I gave a couple sentences of description so you can more readily narrow down what you're interested in, and if you would like a more thorough review of the dramas some of these have full reviews on my blog which I went ahead linked where they exist.

Age of Youth: A well written slice-of-life ensemble drama about a group of 5 college age women who end up boarding together. There are a couple moments of high drama/trauma toward the end of the show that might be a turn off. But other than the finale the tone is consistent. 9/10 

Arang and the Magistrate: A dark fantasy fusion sageuk with a romance. I included this drama because it does a good job of developing the creepy worldbuilding and fantasy throughout. Though at points it can be a bit slow and the special effects are hella cheesy. 8/10

Argon: A tight, journalism driven suspense drama. Not always my genre but I found it very engaging, and at eight episodes it does not overstay its welcome. 8/10

Be Melodramatic: Another female-centric slice-of-life ensemble drama, though with an emphasis on fourth wall breaking comedy and clever dialogue. Very funny and heartfelt.  8.5/10

Cheese in the Trap: Maybe a controversial inclusion, but I very much enjoyed this drama. A slice-of-life college romance with psychological thriller elements. Some critics felt that the drama focused too heavily on the second male lead in the later half of the story, but YMMV. 8.5/10

Coffee Prince: Classic cross-dressing romance and still probably the best of its kind. A wonderfully nuanced and progressive handling of the subject matter, even after 13 years. Deals with serious subjects but doesn't go too melo with it. 8.5/10

Children of Nobody: My best of 2019, a dark psychological thriller about a child psychiatrist and a police detective who have to confront gray morality while attempting to track down a serial killer who only targets unrepentant child abusers. 9.5/10

Ex-Girlfriend Club: On the lighter side, a friends-to-lovers type romantic comedy about the writer of an autobiographical webtoon who has to figure out a way to get along with a group of his ex-girlfriends to make a movie based on his work. Only 12 episodes. 8.5/10

Go Back Couple: Also only 12 episodes (these shorter dramas tend to be better paced I find) a time-slip drama about a divorced couple who get the chance to relive their twenties and end up realizing they still have feelings for each other. This drama is both very funny and it had me bawling on multiple occasions. 9.5/10

Healer: A favorite of a lot of drama fans, this is an action-focused romance about an awkward soft boy with a secret identity as a highly skilled errand boy to criminals and an intrepid tabloid reporter who is his biggest fan. This drama is pretty tropey, but it's fun and the romance is great. 8.5/10

Hello Monster (aka I Remember You): A police procedural with a background love line about a criminal profiler looking for his lost brother and a detective looking for her father's murderer. One of my personal favorites. 10/10

Hit the Top (aka The Best Hit): A time-slip fish-out-of-water comedy about a 90s pop star who winds up in modern day Seoul and ends up befriending his biological son and meets old friends who his disappearance left in the lurch. 9/10

Incomplete Life (aka Misaeng): A realistic office drama that gave me real world work anxiety, focusing on a failed Go player who winds up an intern at a highly competitive shipping company and has to find a way to earn his keep even without the background and college education of his coworkers. Unbelievably well done ensemble drama. 9/10

Just Between Lovers: A romantic melodrama about two people whose lives were irrevocably changed by a tragic mall collapse that nearly killed them as children, meeting again as adults and finding comfort and healing in each other. A rough sit at times, but a wonderful love story with incredible acting. 9/10

Just Dance: High school, slice-of-life, drama about a dance club in a technical high school and a group of working class kids who reluctantly become involved in this club and befriend each other. Only 8 episodes (or 16 thirty minute episodes, depending on how you recon it.) 8.5/10

Life on Mars: Remake of the British show of the same name, this is a surreal time-slip police drama, about a forensics expert who gets shot in the head and wakes up in 1988. Or does he? He could also be dying on an operating table. It's hard to tell. Dark, suspenseful and trippy. 9/10

Matrimonial Chaos: An off-beat comedy about two dysfunctional couples who become inescapably mixed up in each others lives. One that's having a hard time getting divorced and another that's having a hard time getting married, and all the messy weird emotions that go along with that. This is another one of those, makes you laugh/makes you cry throughout dramas I have an affinity for. 9/10

Moment of Eighteen: A heartfelt high school drama about a straightforward but awkward loner who is forced to transfer to a new school, immediately earns the ire of a powerful student and experiences first love. Not my usual thing, but very well written with complex and likeable characters. 8/10

Mother: A cold and socially isolated woman becomes a temporary teacher and upon discovering one of her students is being severely abused and neglected, decides to pose as the child's mother and go on the run with her. Like Children of Nobody, this can be a bit of a rough watch because of the subject matter but it is very well done. 9.5/10

My Mister: A healing, human drama about a structural engineer in his 40s and a debt-ridden young woman in her 20s who end up crossing paths and saving each other from a miserable existence. My current all time favorite drama. Cannot say enough good things about it. Practically perfect in every way. 10/10

One Spring Night: A very restrained and naturalistic slow-burn romance about a woman who is about to get married and suddenly begins to question her relationship and a single father who had given up on love who find themselves irresistibly drawn to one another. 9/10

Prison Playbook: An ensemble slice-of-life drama centered on prisoners and correctional officers in their day to day lives. I find the��actual het romances in this drama totally useless, but it's a large and talented cast playing a variety of lovable characters. 8/10

Psychopath Diary: Recent fave. A screwball black comedy about a mild mannered pushover who loses his memory and finds a diary that convinces him he's a psychopathic murderer, which gives him a huge boost of confidence from his new found identity, much to the chagrin of those around him and the actual owner of the diary himself. 8.5/10

Queen In Hyun's Man: A drama about a Joseon scholar who time travels to modern day Seoul and meets an actress who just landed a part playing the queen he served in the past. This one might be on the border line of too dramatic or tonally inconsistent, but it's got one of the most pitch perfect finales in Kdramas and the 45 min episodes keep it a snappy watch that doesn't drag or meander too much. 8/10

Reply 1988: A late 80s nostalgia drama about a group of families who all live off the same alley. Lovely family drama, comedy with a variety of romances. Long ass episodes especially later in the run, but I have rewatched the whole thing and I loved every minute of this show. 9.5/10

Save Me: A dark drama about a young woman who finds herself forced into a dangerous cult by her family, and is desperate to escape, and a group of 4 local young men who try to help her. One of the more unique and well done OCN thrillers. 9/10

School 2013: High school ensemble drama that launched a whole bunch of careers. In general I avoid school dramas (I know there have been three on this list so far, but those are like the only three, lol) but this show got me so invested in all these students and teachers. Also the two male leads are so shippable. 9.5/10

Secret Love Affair: A romantic melodrama about a piano prodigy from an underprivileged background who catches the eye of a married older woman and the two fall into a passionate affair. This drama involves cheating (obviously) but it's beautifully filmed and written and the music is to die for. 9.5/10

Signal: This is a supernatural crime thriller and a perennial favorite in the Kdrama community. An imbittered criminal profiler finds an antique police radio which allows him to speak with a police detective 15 years in the past, and uses this to crack cold cases and try to prevent brutal crimes from ever happening. 9/10

Six Flying Dragons: This one is a bit different from the others on the list, first of all because it's a more traditional historical drama, and secondly because it 50 episodes long. But it is so, so very good. And if you're looking for overall consistency in terms of storytelling and tone this drama has it in spades. 9/10

SKY Castle: A unique melodrama about a group of affluent competitive mothers who will go to any lengths to get they're children into the best medical schools, and a mysterious school coordinator with shady motives who gets brought in as a ringer to give them an edge. This show is kind of hard to sell but very entertaining and watchable. 7.5/10

Stranger (aka Secret Forest): The story of a stalwart prosecutor who, due to a childhood trauma is unable to feel the full spectrum of emotions, works with a bighearted police detective to root out corruption around a series of murders. This one’s rather cerebral and requires your full attention but the leads are amazing and there's a second season coming out this year I'm very much looking forward to! 9/10

The Nokdu Flower: Another sageuk drama about the latter years of the Joseon Dynasty surrounding three people who fall on different sides during the Donghak Peasant rebellion. Incredibly well written and involving historical drama. If you're not sure you're ready to commit to something like Six Flying Dragons, I think this would be another good entry point into the genre. The acting is amazing. 9/10

The Smile Has Left Your Eyes: A romantic melodrama and psychological thriller about a dangerous enigmatic young man on the cusp of becoming either a human being or a monster. He becomes involved in a fraught relationship with the sister of a police detective at the same time her protective older brother begins to focus on him as the prime suspect for a murder. High key moody and tragic if you're into that kind of thing (I am). 9/10

Touch Your Heart: On the complete other end of the drama spectrum, this show is pure unadulterated fluff, which managed to keep me giggling and swooning throughout the run, even though it's typically not my thing. An actress joins a law office as research for a role and falls for the ace attorney she's assisting. 8.5/10

WATCHER: Another OCN thriller about three different people with shady motivations who are connected to the same murder case and become involve in a corruption task force looking into dirty cops. One of those "trust nobody, everyone's a suspect" dramas with lovely complex characters and a fully engaging plot. 8.5/10

Sorry that got so out of hand! This is what happens when you don't give me a little more direction I guess. These are all dramas I quite enjoyed and I believe you will find something in there that will suit your fancy. This is a pretty accurate cross section of my tastes.

Happy watching!

Jona

[quixotic--s]

LIKE ITS 2010

tagged by @oceanstatic​ yes i was looking for it lol

When you were younger, were you ever in a relationship with someone you now realize was way too old for you? yeah but thanks to my parents protecting me it never became a relationship. i’m glad about that, cause you never know, but i don’t think he had bad intentions. he was a fun prom date, years after my parents made me stop seeing him. but by then i was almost 18. and nothing happened. it’s a good memory. Is your family dysfunctional? not really but i think we pretend to be more normal than we are lol How old were you the first time you traveled alone?

I walked around unfamiliar countries alone when I was 15 but I actually traveled alone out of the country at 20 to New Zealand.

When did you last leave the state/province you live in? january to visit my mom for her birthday Did you ever take an intro to law class in high school/college/uni? never Is there anything you feel like you need a break from? technology, being inside, on computers hunched over ow my back

What do you hate to hear people joke about? mental health, child abuse

What architectural style was your childhood home? Cookie-cutter suburbia. (keeping your answer @oceanstatic) Have you ever been in a situation where you had to live off of savings? no, fortunately but I think it’s coming when I go to grad school Tell me a bit about your last relationship. What was it like dating them? the one before this one? hmm. boring and full of anger. we never did anything but we had only been together for 4 months. and he said things like “i’m not racist i have black friends” !!!!! Have you ever been in weather so severe that you feared for your safety? yes when i worked at the country club! I had to do things outside to close for the shift but in the summer where i live we have thunderstorms almost every day. i would be out there in an empty golf field and see lightning strike so close. i would try to wait until it would pass but it’s just so constant sometimes and i’m on the clock and wanted to go home so i would hurry and try to get the golf cart in the garage etc and it was so scary

there was also a time when i was a kid that my dad was driving near a tornado. we didn’t see the tornado but there was a warning where we were and we were near washington DC when this happened trying to drive home. i remember our car was lifting off the ground and he was trying to cross train tracks. the “train is coming” signal arms were going up and down and up and down over and over again. we didn’t know if a train was actually coming or if it was a power fail. so he just kinda went for it. it was terrifying.

there was also a time in new zealand i experienced an earth quake. i thought it was my bunkmate beneath me being really restless, cause i was half asleep, but then someone woke me up and said we have to go outside because there was a 7.8 magnitude earthquake.

What political issues are the most important to you personally?

quality public education and affordable childcare. so many things matter to me in politics but this is one of the first things i look at when considering a candidate. What small thing makes you automatically distrust someone?

talking about another person behind their back to me that i know they consider their friend. it basically means you’re talking about me, too, behind my back.  What countries have you been to?

Norway, Sweden, Finland, Greece, Italy, New Zealand, U.S. (I live in), The Bahamas and Canada. What’s the kindest thing a total stranger has done for you? Nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any pets? If so, how old are they?

My dog Mary Jane I love her so much she is 5 years old we think. She’s a rescue so I don’t know for sure. She is a literal angel. I’m so grateful I found her.

Where do you want to live?

I used to want to move out west. I just want to be happy now. and be with my family. After I get my masters degree I want to be closer to my friends and family from back home. That’s what matters most in life is being near my family and right now they are so far. As long as I have my love, GOOD FRIENDS, my dog, a job I love and trails to bike on and just a home I feel safe and happy in I will be happy. Are you working full-time?

Yes but this pandemic has changed everything. I miss being in the field with my children and I worry about them every day. I can’t contact them. I made them cards. I think the addresses will reach them but some are homeless and I’m not sure if these will actually reach them. We might be able to put some things online but I teach preschool in the roughest areas of where I live and most of my kids don’t have internet, transportation, so I’m pretty sure some are more worried about meeting their basic needs than preschool enrichment right now to be frank. All my staff is figuring out how to navigate this together and I admire everyone’s adaptability. I just hope we can reach our families and help them and teach our students but I’m heartbroken knowing that some of my kids are missing out on essential speech and behavioral services they can’t get over a computer. I feel pretty powerless. I can do read-alouds and activities online which help working parents and help children’s literacy skills, I can brush up on professional development, but that connection and time with my children is lost. I’m literally grieving.

What are your favorite hobbies?

Mountain biking, penny boarding, tennis, thrift shopping

If you could instantly change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

more confident, less nervous around other people.

What’s something not a lot of people know about you?

I don’t know. a lot of people when they first meet me think I’m really innocent, timid, and inexperienced, but I have done a lot of things and I have a lot to share. I just don’t share it unless I’m asked.

I tag @awkwardleznerd

[lesbeet]

this might be a strange question but what goes into becoming a teacher? i've been thinking about becoming a teacher and i'm nervous even though it's something i really think i want to do and i'm curious as to how you go about becoming one like what courses/requirements do you need to take and how do you come up with a lesson plan and everything? and how did you know teaching was something you wanted to do or realize it was something you would be good at?

hm well i can only tell you about my own experience, which i would say is probably pretty unorthodox, but it’s been working really well for me! 

so i’ve been working on a masters in teaching for english/language arts grades 5-12 from western governors university, which is an (accredited) online program for aspiring teachers who need to be licensed as teachers in general as well as certified/endorsed in their particular subject areas. depending on what you want to teach, there are a couple of undergrad teaching degrees they offer (i believe it’s elementary ed, special ed, and a couple of different math and science programs), but to do like language arts or social studies etc, you’d need to have a bachelors degree to qualify -- though i also did my bachelors at wgu (in business management sdklfdjskdflsjd i hated it) so it doesnt need to be education-related or anything

if you wanna know more about my particular program let me know, bc it works fairly unusually but is a legitimate post-secondary educational institution and is also incredibly affordable, and idk what i’d be doing if i hadnt found out that it existed lmao

but so yeah idk what an education undergrad would consist of, but for my program in particular there were a lot of english content classes, obviously, like secondary disciplinary literacy, english pedagogy, secondary reading instruction and interventions, stuff like that

and then there were a lot of more generalized pedagogical courses, like educational assessment, foundational perspectives of education, classroom management, fundamentals of diversity and inclusion, principles of psychology: child and adolescent development, and stuff like that

again, this is just based on my own experience, but re: lesson plans, i actually just had some assignments for my courses where i had to write them and justify the thought process behind the decisions i made! like in my english pedagogy course, i had to write 3 essays (one for a literature-based lesson, one for a grammar-based lesson, and one for a writing-based lesson), and in each essay there was a section where i had to plan an entire lesson using their lesson plan format, and then explain and justify why i made each choice that i made. 

i’m starting student-teaching next semester, as soon as we get back from winter break, and i assume i’ll get more practice with lesson-planning through that, but basically it kind of comes down to like...figuring out the standards your students are supposed to reach, then figuring out how you’re going to break them down into a curriculum, and then for each lesson you figure out what objectives/goals you want your students to reach by the end, and you figure out how to present the material and then assess in some way whether or not the students understand it. once you know what the purpose of a lesson plan is (whether re: the idea of lesson plans in general, or a specific lesson plan you’re working on), the rest is just figuring out how to achieve that purpose. and it comes with practice! and trial and error, and figuring out what works and doesnt work with your own teaching style and in your classroom, etc. ik that’s super vague but so much of it depends of the parameters you’re given—like while i’m student-teaching i won’t be picking the books we read, so i’ll already have that requirement figured out for me, yknow?

as for your last question, my mom has been teaching my whole life, and my dad started teaching when i was about 10. my aunt is also a teacher, and my other aunt is a speech-language pathologist, so. i grew up around teachers kfjsldkfjs

i’ve just always liked explaining things to people and helping them understand them! i think really what it comes down to is that i just have a lot of passion and a lot of things to say sldfksjdkflj like i really do believe that english/language arts in particular is applicable in all parts of life, because all people communicate. i can’t speak for like. calculus or biology or whatever, but 99.9999% of people will need to do some sort of reading, and some sort of writing and/or speaking and/or communication of some type or another, and for all of the “the curtains are just blue!!!” whiners out there, it’s crucial to know how to communicate with others, and to understand what others are attempting to communicate to you, and i can’t think of a single scenario in which that isn’t the case. 

plus like, idk a single person who doesn’t like some form of story, whether through tv shows or movies or books or plays or podcasts or video games etc etc etc, and imo those can all be enhanced and made even better by having some sort of background knowledge of storytelling as an art, or as a process, or as an established medium with its own structures and intertextual lexicon etc! like the more i read about the art and history of storytelling, the more i enjoy movies and tv shows (which i already love and watch frequently), bc storytelling isn’t just a textual medium!

tbh part of the reason i think i’m good at explaining things is because i grew up in an emotionally abusive household, and i learned very early on how to anticipate the way another person (usually my dad lol) would interpret something i said to him, regardless of what i actually meant by it. so i subconsciously learned to apply that skill to other people, and now i’ve got sort of a knack for being able to cater my explanations to different people based on how i think they’ll best understand the information, and not just in a classroom setting—like i sometimes serve as a mediator/”interpreter” when my sister and my dad are having difficult conversations, because i know them both well enough, and the way they think well enough, that when one of them says something, i can usually understand both their intention AND how the other person is going to interpret it, and i can rephrase or explain things so miscommunication doesn’t end up making the problem worse

so in a classroom, i can explain things in several different ways, and if i’m working one-on-one with different kids i can usually figure out what isn’t clicking and can try another way to explain it. also bc my adhd brain processes information by making connections to other things i already know, i’m particularly good at coming up with (often unusual) metaphors or analogies for things, and people are like “oh wow ok that’s a weird way to explain it but i definitely get it now” and stuff

so basically i’ve learned bc of necessity how to communicate more effectively with others, and because i want everyone else to get the enjoyment out of language arts that i do, i’m drawn to teaching because i hope to help the students find at least some area of it that they’re interested in, and to show them that literature/storytelling/communication aren’t just about reading old boring books written by racist white dudes who hated women, but about learning to represent and interpret and take part in the human experience, because the foundation of any sort of society is communication, and that very basic desire to be understood by others

so even when i didnt actively Want To Be A Teacher it was always kinda in the back of my mind like “well if i dont find anything else i wanna do, i can always be an english teacher” bc most of my favorite teachers growing up were english teachers, and even at my absolute worst i did just fine in those classes, even when i hadnt read the books we were discussing (which was most of the time jsdklfsjd which is now kind of a problem for me as a teacher so i do think i shot myself in the foot there but oh well, i was 14)

anyway, as usual that got super long, but i hope it was helpful! lemme know if you have any other questions :)

[rockmywings]

Korean Crime TV Series Review#2: VOICE (보이스)

THE MAIN CHARACTERS TRIO:

Lead Male (Moo Jinhyuk “Mad Dog”): A veteran detective from Serious Crime Unit, being demoted as a leader of Golden Time Team under Emergency Call Department. 

Lead Female (Kang Kwonjoo “Kang Center”): A profiler who has super hearing ability, The chief of Emergency Call Department.

second lead male Main Antagonist (Mo Taegu “Mr. Mo”): CEO of Sungwun Express, an upper-classman. Psychopath.

PLOT:

Main: To catch the criminal who has murdered both Mad Dog’s wife and Kang Center’s dad and who also committed several crimes. 

Sub: To save a life who is in crucial danger from their emergency call.

OFFICIAL ENGLISH TRAILER:

REVIEW BY GENRES:

1) Various Crimes: There are Serial Killer, Kidnapping/Abduction, Child Abuse, Gangster, Illegal Immigrant, Stalker, Human Organ Trafficking, Corrupted Company, Corrupted Police--so complete. The series touches from individual crime to organizational crime, from marginal society to upper-class community. And the gruesome of crime scene places us in reality how horror the real crime is, why they are deserved to be censored in blur like News do on TV Channel (although it’s bothersome to me who use to see gore scenes in The Walking Dead and violence in any US Crime TV Series). I like how Golden Team looks so smart along with Kang Center herself as the profiler and with a hacking skilled officer to get any information. Though, there’s one staff whose multi-language ability is seriously wasted because what she did most times are similar to the hacker, as she also seeks information through internet. However, because our protagonists come from Emergency Call Center, we see how Serious Crime Unit are always outsmarted, making us wonder if they’re a bit competent in investigating while this one should be their expertise. For example, there’s no forensic or CCTV investigation ever shown here but somehow it makes sense because all of the victims who died here are under the main antagonist’s control who could ask to be covered while Golden Team successfully rescues all victims who made the emergency call.

2) Horror Elements: A part of the success of any popular scary movie is the perfect killer. There’s no other character more interesting in the show rather than the killer himself and I can guarantee Mo Taegu would steal your attention in every of his appearance. Let me explain it: A man wearing a black raincoat with face covered behind hoodie but his devilish grin is walking closer in calm steps, a sinister voice with a gravel-like quality of his jaw cracks then strikes the fear of a tormented fresh-faced woman before brutally murdering her--that’s your first impression of him. But, it wasn’t just a typical random unfortunate person whom a serial killer encounter in the dark street with certain modus operandi, nope!! More the killer is introduced, you realize he’s a type who could appear right in front of your door or behind the window creepily, making a hiss like a dinosaur to enter your room whether he decides to kill or just intentionally scare you--we’d find he did it at least 4-5 times in the series!!! (and my fave is when Kwonjoo met his eyes behind the lookout lens of her door) And behind the mask, there’s a rich, smart, and classy-typed businessman wearing an elegant suit with charming face who enchants everyone--so charismatic. Well, there is one episode that doesn’t really makes sense when he’s brutally murdering Madam Fantasia off-screen. The body is nowhere to be found in the building while he clearly didn’t have enough time to hid it in his car unnoticeable, laundry his suit (I mean, look at how much the blood he spread on floor and wall while he killed her not under his raincoat), peeking on Kang Center who has arrived 10 minutes after the phone call only to see her reaction finding his crime scene, then come back to meeting room he left before. But fuck off the logic, once again, this is horror show; let’s enjoy every killing scene of every bone he’s crushing using his kettlebell, or grotesque art of blood he painted on the wall citing Bible quote, or when he keeps the body wrapped in his house then doing bloodbath like Elizabeth Bathory, it’s all horrifyingly entertaining. Don’t forget that his victims also made a bad move tropes to meet him and give us a death flag. As if it wasn’t enough, Taegu also has some hallucination things, how creepy it is when he stared at the policeman in the car like a supernatural horror and when he’s being murdered on his mind like a zombie scene. Although those all aren’t enough to scare me, I’m sure there are some audiences who maintain to keep watching this show with eyes peeking behind their fingers but you can’t leave it yet to see who he’d murder next and who’d be survived. You’d be surprised when it reveals he commits more crimes through his company and more number of murders he had done for years with many different sizes of his weapon that will freak you out!! And with high status to work with gangster and a certain police to cover it all whom he could just eliminate as his next murdering target if he wanted, I’ll say “Welcome to Sungwun City, Mo Taegu’s World.” He is too complete to be a psychopath, an extremely powerful evil case with intellect brain to know what he does. He could be starring his own horror movie if Voice ever made a prequel. Maybe the only thing he hadn’t done yet (or ever shown) is cooking and eating the victims' meat LOL. But seriously, as the citing bible, doing bloodbath, and keeping body or organs, comes from nowhere (that is kinda different persona from the mysterious killer in eps 1-3); the writer even can add if he was ever cannibal too.

3) The high suspense in every episode: While the main villain is horror enough, the co-villains in some emergency cases also could raise the suspension that makes you hold your chair and grit your teeth. This was the most exciting thing because you could see desperate emotions of the victims transported through the call and how The Golden Team is rescuing them, battle in countdown timer minutes by minutes, second by second. Even after the first two cases that you become to feel every rescue is predictably success, you won’t lose the suspense. Voice is directed in plot-driven like a formula one’s car and once you’re seated there, you can’t stop ‘til finish line. My fave case is the child abuse, we feel so pity and hopeless because the one who makes a call is a little boy hiding in washing machine and bleeding. The least suspense is the rescue of bus passengers as the last rescue case in eps 15, probably I’ve been pretty surfeited of the repetitive rescue (but the case is important to show how crazy Mr. Mo runs his business).

4) Full Packed Action: Well, a premise of a lead male seeks revenge for the murder of the person he loves is cliche and standard in action movies; this how Mad Dog vs Mr. Mo’s confrontation has been lead since the series prolog, we know their final battle should happen. Jinhyuk himself wouldn’t be called “Mad Dog” without reason if this genre were absent. Look how his action is performed throughout the series, especially when he beat up all the gangsters in the meat house—so intense and brutal!! Don’t ever ask his nonstop energy, this is how action genre treats the main hero. Then, I expect a same intense hand in hand combat scene as to how action movie’s climax battle should be handled, main hero and main villain are equal although it’s predictable who’d be the winner in the end. Both Mad Dog and Mr. Mo are canonly brutal, you can see the same of them staring terrifyingly and intimidating when they talked to Nam Sang Tae in different scenes; you see how strong they are. Instead, we just get a short gunfighting?! I don’t complaint the gunfighting, but I mean, can they also make a duel with Jet Kun Do vs Tae Kwon Do as the two actors have the martial art skill for real? The director could make they ran out of bullet, then fight brutally, then the cops stop them to arrest him. It’s a wasted potential because the director even had given Mad Dog’s fight against a South East Asian assassin for two episodes! However, Taegu’s ending in the rooftop scene is still satisfying. Maybe the concept of Mad Dog vs Mr. Mo kinda like Batman and Joker. Despite being evil, of course Joker is powerless compared to Batman’s strength if he ever challenged him in combat. The purpose isn’t about which one is stronger. Same as Joker provokes Batman, Taegu also enjoys provoking Jinhyuk to kill himself even by telling him how he killed his wife, to prove he’s just another monster like him. And although we see how Jinhyuk doesn't hesitate to shoot Taegu four times in the rooftop brutally, he didn’t kill him at the end as he pities his enemy. But audiences would know later how it punishes Taegu in a very cruel way unexpectedly compared to what if he just died in Jinhyuk’s hand as he wishes. And of course, he deserves it.

5) The Drama is about The Victims: As well as how the credit title is presented, it tells us that this show is about the victim’s voice in asking help that used to be abandoned by slow police procedural--including our hero and heroine’s beloved one. But not only that, the profiler’s approach to seeking the Criminal’s motive then trying to calm them, making them tremble, and feeling sympathy really reminds me of Criminal Minds; criminals can be born because they were a victim too in the past--trust me, even you’d pity Taegu in the end!

6) Almost Zero Romance: 

Tbh, I don’t like the cliche that the lead male and lead female eventually hook up in the end (although I’m okay with the possible idea) so I’m glad it doesn’t happen with Voice. Even though they start to work together as a team professionally, they didn’t have to fall into an affair like duo Mulder and Scully of The X-Files. Their relationship is amazingly platonic ‘til the end as you watch them developing trust, teamwork, bond, and care to each other. 

If there’s any romance ever sparking, two Kwonjoo’s staffs in Emergency Call may be hinted. The woman is cool at first while the guy is cheerful and kind of a flirt. An obsessive fan of him is even jealous of her. But as I said, it was just hinted. Their occasional heartwarming interaction may be made for taking a break in all suspense and violent cases. It wasn’t out of place since it’s just a little and eps 9 could give you space to breathe. 

Well, this one depends on interpretation, but Taegu seems to have special attraction/interest of Kwonjoo sexually (of course, in a sick mind only psychopath could describe), for example when he stalked her, caressed her bed, stared at her picture, gave her a gift, happy when she found him, claimed that both of them are different from common herd, and show a disappointment that she doesn’t like it. On her profiling, Kwonjoo said why he’s “soft” at her probably because she reminds him of his mother, the only person he genuinely loves. Their chemistry is something the audiences not expecting before, especially in the rooftop scene as their climax. But I'm sure no one complaints [laughs].

Nah, the only true romance no one can’t debate is Jinhyuk’s love for his deceased wife; how he’s broken, how’s he seeks revenge, and then how he finally let it go.

OTHER POSSIBLE FLAWS:

Voice is an easy story and predictable with those action, suspense, and horror elements (although there’s still a twist); the ending is also clear, not open. The main mystery isn’t something that makes you heavily think to guess who is the culprit or suspect someone. Well, it’s enough to thrill for half series because once Taegu’s character is introduced at eps 8, the focus itself actually isn’t about a conspiracy behind the police/prosecutor institution like TvN Signal or TvN Stranger since the mastermind is the person outside it. Some audience may be fooled or even disappointed about it but I’m not (once again, I said Taegu’s character as psychopath fits more in horror tropes). The procedural pace, the variety of crimes, and the plot-driven won’t make you bored that you probably forget to ask for character development and question the logic; though, sometimes the running clock is too long to make us question if the run really happened just in 5 minutes. 

The lead female’s super hearing ability is the reason why all the emergency rescues success where the title “Voice” comes from, it’s full an entertaining fiction, we know real life isn’t like that. Still, it isn’t without flaw; for example, she could amazingly hear the boy’s slow tap behind the wall through communication but she failed to hear the hitting sound Taegu made when he’s smashing Daeshik’s head in the basement right when she’s entering his house. And her ability might be useless if the criminals were smart enough to make sure there's no cellphone being kept in their victim's pocket to be able to make contacts.  

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Voice is definitely my fave Korean TV Series so far. It isn’t perfect but somehow I don’t feel this is a Kdrama at all. Look at those three main characters: 

The nuance I feel around the lead female’s department and how she handles the cases is almost like when I watch US TV Series of Police Procedural Dramas (many felt like Criminal Minds mixed with 9-1-1), 

the lead male’s fighting scene is like The Raid, Bourne, or John Wick (also the Surim-dong case reminds me of NCIS: New Orleans’s case “Clearwater”),

the main killer’s approach is like Wes Craven’s SCREAM and his personality is like American Psycho’s Patrick Bateman. 

With these references, I don’t recommend this series to those who can’t stand to watch gruesome violence. The age rating in Korea's Standard is 19+ and if it was measured to my country's rating standard (Indonesia), it'd be 21+.

I haven’t mentioned yet that the actors and the actresses, both leads and supporting, are amazing. I don’t watch much Korean entertainment (movie and show) so this is the first time I’m introduced to them all, and suddenly both Jinhyuk’s actor (Jang Hyuk) and Taegu’s actor (Kim Jae Wook) are added to my fave list for me interested to watch their other projects. I also like the veteran actress who plays a granny in Surim-dong incident; she could act as three different characters!

I’m looking forward to Season 2 aired on 11th August 2018. Now, without Jinhyuk and Taegu’s characters anymore as their confrontation story is over; I wonder if this time The Golden Team somehow ever fails to save a life like TvN Signal and have kind of a sociopath as main villain like OCN Tunnel. Who knows? I still can’t imagine someone more psycho and charismatic than Taegu yet haha. And with a different director, it’s probably not horror as season 1 anymore, but more thriller. But most importantly, I want to see and know more about the heroine, Kang Center, she’s at least need character development since she was the core of “voice”.

[frankensteindotpdf]

*deep coughing* all. of. them.

Do you prefer writing with black or blue pen? Black

Would you prefer to live in the country or the city? City. I like having so many resources available. I do love the country though. 

If you could learn a new skill, what would it be? ASL (if that counts)

Do you drink your tea or coffee with sugar? As of right now, I don’t drink tea, but yes, lots of cream and sugar in my coffee.

What was your favourite book as a child? Ha that depends on the age. At 2 I had The Cat In The Hat memorized (not exaggerating, there’s videos). As I got older I liked series, first The Magic Treehouse, then A Series Of Unfortunate Events, Harry Potter (obviously) and The Secret Series.

Do you prefer baths or showers? Showers. Baths are gross.

If you could be a mythical creature, which would you choose?  No idea. Maybe a lethifold, because I find them absolutely terrifying. Or a thestral.

Do you prefer reading paper or electronic books? Paper. You just can’t beat the smell of books.

What is your favourite item of clothing? I don’t have a favourite, I love my Hufflepuff jacket, my Cadet jacket, and my trench-coat style jacket though. (Plus my billions of t-shirts) (And my reversable galaxy dress)

Do you like your name? Would you ever change it? My first name I like. My last name, definitely not. If I’m not married by 30 (hahahaha like that’s ever gonna happen) I’m changing it.

Who is a mentor to you? It sounds so nerdy but honestly Dan, Phil, and Thomas Sanders. They’re just so inspiring.

Would you ever want to be famous? If so, what for? Maybe? I like being alone though, so I might find it irritating. Probably for art.

Are you a restless sleeper? Not really? Apparently I snore though.

Do you consider yourself a romantic? Mentally yeah. Couldn’t flirt to save my life though. If I were in a relationship I’d probably be stupid and sappy lol

Which element best represents you? (I know this means air, fire, water, or earth but fite me) Bismuth. Not only is it all rainbowy and weirdly shaped, the chemical symbol is Bi. Quite fitting, if you ask me.

Who do you want to be closer to? Everyone? Anyone? Honestly I never get that close to people, I just never trust people. I would like a best friend or something though. I wish I could be just…closer. (specifically though definitely the girl I have a crush on)

Do you miss someone at the moment? A few years ago, I had a really good friend who just changed out of the blue one day. I miss them. I wish they were the funny, interesting person they once were and not the verbally abusive jerk they are now.

Tell us about an early childhood memory. Once I was at an amusement park with my kindergarten class and the little group I was with decided to go on the teacup ride. (The boy I had a crush on was in my group, and his mom was the supervision) In the middle of the ride he slipped of the seat and into the middle of the teacup. He was super scared and sat in his mom’s lap after that. It wasn’t anything major but I specifically remember that for some reason.

What is the strangest thing you have eaten? I want to say crickets that were sour cream and onion flavoured, live ants, or Chili with PB sandwiches (it’s delicious I swear). The first was out of curiousity, the second was because a crush (sheesh I’m ridiculous) suggested it, and the third is a family tradition.

What can you see outside your bedroom window? My backyard. A tree. Some grass. My neighbours (well their houses and yards lol)

What are you most thankful for? My friends. I talk about wanting friends a lot, but I tend to ignore the fact that I have friends. They may not be “the perfect best friends” I imagine, you know, the Disney Channel “practically live at each others houses, weekly sleepovers, share clothes and go shopping all the time” friends, but they’re still wonderful and I love them all.

Do you like spicy food? Not really. Mildly, but nothing very spicy. I’ll eat it if I’m dared though, always up for a challenge. And trying new foods.

Have you ever met someone famous? Nope. Tragically.

Do you keep a diary or journal? I have tried about a billion times, but it never works out.

Do you prefer to use pen or pencil? Depends on the type, what I’m using it for, and the feel I want. for sketching, a pencil. For math and other things I’m not confident with, a pencil. For other things, a pen with good inkflow. For writing (stories), it literally depend on the day. I’ll use whatever feels most comfortable in my hand at that moment.

What is your star sign? Leo.

Do you like your cereal crunchy or soggy? Crunchy.

What would you want your legacy to be? I just want to help people.

Do you like reading? What was the last thing you read? YES. The last thing I read was The Umbrella Academy (Book 1) by Gerard Way, and the next thing I read will be The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys, also by Gerard Way. Those are both graphic novels. Novel-wise, the last thing I read was probably A Court Of Mist And Fury.

How do you show someone you love them? Usually presents; drawings, little gifts, different things like that.

Do you like ice in your drinks? If I plan on drinking it rather quickly, yes. Otherwise no, it just ends up watering it down.

What are you afraid of? Everything. On a more superficial level, spiders, needles, elevators, walking by myself at night, heights…On a deeper level, being alone, being forgotten, wasting my life, the future.

What is your favourite scent? Oh there’s so many! Books (literally all books, new, old, ugh they smell so good), sweet scented candles (especially cupcake and marshmallow scented ones), baking food, basically sugary sweet smells.

Do you address older people by their first or last name? I hate using people’s name (I’m always scared I’ll say it wrong). If they’re a teacher, I usually just call them Sir or Miss.

If money was not a factor, how would you live your life? Reading, drawing, travelling, helping others.

Do you prefer swimming in pools or in the ocean? I hate both (low self esteem is great) but pools? The beach has too much sand

What would you do if you found $50 on the ground? Probably leave it? I would want someone to leave it alone if I had dropped it, and I’d feel way too guilty to take it.

Have you ever seen a shooting star? Did you make a wish? Not that I can remember. (I totally would make a wish though)

What is one thing you would want to teach your children? To love. Love everyone. Be kind. Think about everyone’s perspective, the reason behind someon’s actions.

If you had to have a tattoo, what would it be and where would you get it? Ha another nerdy one. The VFD tattoo on the inside of my left ankle.

What can you hear right now? “EVERYONE ATTACK!” “RETREAT!” “ATTACK!” “RETREAT!” (I’m listening to the Hamilton soundtrack while I write this)

Where do you feel the safest? Probably libraries. They’re just so calming.

What is one thing you want to overcome/conquer? My fears and doubts.

If you could travel back to any era, which would you choose? I read once that time travel is only a good idea for white men, and honestly it’s very true (In the areas I know about, anyway. I have minimal knowledge of other areas of the world, especially Asia and Africa. I really need to research those). However, I would love to see Victorian England, and see the suffragette movement develop.

What is your most used emoji? 😊

What is your favourite season? Why? Of what show? jk jk Winter or fall. I love the cold, jackets and sweaters and sweater paws and warm drinks and snow and seeing your breath and Christmas and Halloween and manohman do I love fall and winter

How would you spend your ideal day? with a datemate probably read, fully focused and not distracted; draw, paint, or something artistic; listen to music of course; go to a musical with friends or a datemate

Describe yourself using one word. Scared.

What do you regret the most? Certain ways I acted and things I said when I was younger. Nothing too harsh, just little things I didn’t understand were wrong. I didn’t think about how offensive my words were. (I don’t think I actually offended anyone, just realising now some of the really sexist crap I said without realising or understanding that it was sexist is painful.)

Invent your own word. What does it mean? Plunck. It’s the feeling of your stomach dropping when you realise no one cares about what you’re saying, that you’ve been talking too much, or that your phone went off because of social media, not a text. 

[megamikethomson]

ESCORTS IN LAHORE

Former sex workers see value in trafficking education

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — When Kimberly Weller applied for a job at the spa tucked into a seedy Bradenton strip mall near the airport, there was no talk about her skills as a masseuse or related work experience.

The job interview was just one question:

"You know what this is, right?" LAHORE ESCORTS

She knew. She wouldn't be giving massages or pampering soccer moms looking to de-stress. She would be having sex with a steady stream of customers.

The 24-hour brothel, just around the corner from a Manatee County elementary school, charged $60 for an hour with Kimberly. She kept half, plus tips, and was soon making up to $700 a day. She was easily out-earning her fellow graduates from Sarasota Military Academy, class of 2006.

She took the job because she wanted to be in control of how she earned her money, and as a kid, movies like "Pretty Woman" had glamorized life as a sex worker.

"In my mind at least, I was controlling the situation," she said. "I was reaping the benefits that I thought were there."

But life at the brothel didn't bring shopping sprees with Richard Gere. Instead, it was horrifying encounters with beer-soaked construction workers, businessmen on their way to work, grandfathers on vacation. ESCORTS IN LAHORE

She had never heard the term "sex trafficking" when she started work at the brothel, and she didn't notice the pattern at first — that every other girl working there had similar stories of childhood sexual abuse. While the spa owner's bank account grew, the girls had all become drug addicts, needing to be high to do the job and needing the job to get high. She was no longer in control.

Teachers and guidance counselors had warned her and her classmates of the dangers of drinking and drugs, but no one had ever mentioned the predators looking to get rich off of broken girls like Kimberly, who believed it was her fault her family member molested her as an 8-year-old.

If a teacher or mentor had intervened when she was in elementary school and told her she was actually being abused and given her someone to talk to, her decisions down the road may have been different, she said.

That is why a new rule adopted by the Florida Board of Education gives her some hope.

This month, Florida became the first state in the nation requiring sex-trafficking education as part of every student's curriculum.

"Tragically, human trafficking is an epidemic in our country," Gov. Ron DeSantis said upon passage of the new rule. "Children of all ages need to know and understand the hazards of human trafficking and how to protect themselves from dangerous predators." LAHORE ESCORTS

The new policy requires every school district to implement age-appropriate lessons about the dangers of one of the state's fastest-growing industries.

"I think it is going to be an eye-opener for our students," said Valerie Ellery, the Florida Department of Education's new Human Trafficking Education Specialist. "We are very grateful we are able to have this rule passed so we can start doing education."

The new state rule comes at the same time U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, and Alcee Hastings, D-Fort Lauderdale, filed bipartisan legislation that would provide $75 million in grant funding over five years to nonprofits and schools to develop curriculum to "understand, recognize, prevent and respond to signs of human trafficking."

- Age-appropriate curriculum    ESCORTS IN LAHORE

School districts have until Dec. 1 to select a DOE-approved trafficking education curriculum, and teachers will receive training to implement the material into their coursework. One of the lead proponents for the rule was Selah Freedom, a Sarasota-based national organization that works with survivors of sex trafficking and which is already doing trafficking education in seven school districts in Florida.

Getting schools to talk about trafficking isn't easy, Ellery said. The term can conjure images of children being kidnapped and held hostage as sex slaves, and school administrators have been leery of fearmongering.

Ellery wants to get the message out that, in an internet-soaked culture in which one in 10 children have experienced childhood sexual abuse, the reality of child trafficking is far more common and insidious than parents or educators may think.

"Trafficking can occur with anybody for anybody," Ellery said. "We need to be aware and know what are the indicators that the perpetrators are using."

The key to effective trafficking education is making it age appropriate, Ellery said. Kindergarteners won't be learning about sexual assault or life as a prostitute, but will instead talk about "safe and unsafe touch" and the difference between a secret and a surprise.

One of the goals of the legislation is to teach young children that if someone touches them inappropriately, it is important to tell a trusted adult.

"We are talking about safe adults, what fear looks like, how to use our voices if we are in situations where we feel fearful or yucky," said Kyra Montaque, the Southeast Prevention Coordinator at Selah.

Elizabeth Melendez Fisher Good, the CEO and co-founder of Selah Freedom, said of the thousands of women Selah Freedom has worked with over its eight years in existence, 100% had been the victim of childhood sexual abuse, and most kept it a secret.

High school students will learn about tactics used by traffickers and not to be naive to strange adult behavior.

Normal grown men aren't interested in hanging out with high school girls and showering them with gifts, said Good. If a 15-year-old girl all of a sudden has a 27-year-old "friend" who buys her an iPhone, she should suspect he has some other motive.

Good said one of the goals of trafficking education is encouraging female self-confidence.

"If a guy comes over and says, 'You girls are beautiful,' he is looking for the one who looks down and says, 'No I am not,'" Good said. "They don't want to take on a confident girl."

Teachers won't be expected to serve as counselors or therapists under the new state rule. They'll be trained and administer the curriculum, but if a student comes forward with concerns, teachers will direct students to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, through the PolarisProject. Nonprofits like Selah and other groups providing the curriculum will also provide support.

- Not here

Ellery said part of her job is helping people understand trafficking isn't isolated to back alleys in bad neighborhoods.

"We do have that mentality of thinking 'not in our hometown, not here, it must be somewhere else,'" she said.   ESCORTS IN LAHORE

In 2014, police discovered a prostitution ring involving students at Riverview, Sarasota and Venice high schools. Alexa De Armas, a 17-year-old Sarasota High girl, and Julian Luis Mathena, a 15-year-old Venice High boy, teamed up to recruit classmates to have sex with men in exchange for money and alcohol.

The pair arranged an encounter between a 15-year-old female classmate and John Mosher, a 21-year-old dishwasher, in a community pool shed in Nokomis. The girl said she didn't want to have sex with Mosher, but he held her against the wall. In exchange, he gave her classmates $40 and a bottle of alcohol.

The students saw how easy the money was and started crafting plans to recruit more girls through a series of online messages, according to investigators who searched the pair's Facebook accounts.

The students planned to "pimp hoes," charging $50 to $70 for oral sex, $100 for sex with a virgin, and giving the prostitutes a 40% cut, according to the online exchange.

"lol we need to start a business," wrote De Armas, whose mother had been a participant in the Selah program.

After students alerted Venice High administrators that De Armas and Mathena had tried to recruit them, police arrested the pair and charged them with human trafficking. Mosher was arrested and charged with sexual battery on a victim older than 12, and he received a sentence of one year and a day, plus three years of probation.

- Hope for girls like her

Kimberly's time at the brothel in Bradenton was short-lived. She began smoking crystal meth between clients and developed the scabs and grim appearance the drug is known for. As her appearance deteriorated, customers were less interested in her services, and she ended up getting fired after four months.

"I kind of looked a little bit like a zombie," she said. "I'm the only person I know who can be successfully terminated from a house of ill repute."

What came next were three and a half years of walking U.S. 41 and countless sexual encounters with men in an abandoned lot where the Wicked Cantina Mexican restaurant now stands. She was assaulted more times than she can remember.

It seemed like a strange life for a girl who graduated from Sarasota Military Academy with a 3.75 grade point average. She had grown up in a home where they got new bikes every year for Christmas and Nintendo 64 the day it was released.

"I used to say when I was on the street I don't know how I ended up here," she said.

She got picked up in a sting operation in 2016 and had the option of jail or a recovery program through Selah, which has partnered with the State Attorney's Office and Sarasota Police Department to offer programs as an alternative to incarceration.

She completed Selah's intensive program over the next two years and now works as a nail specialist at the Paint Nail Bar in Sarasota. She is also the nail salon's National Brand Ambassador and oversees a partnership with Selah to provide work opportunities for women participating in the program.

Three women from Selah work at Paint now, and Kimberly is mentoring one of them, a 19-year-old former Sarasota County School District student who got pulled into prostitution.

After the countless hours of therapy, Kimberly understands more clearly how she got swept up into "the life."

She doesn't blame anyone else for her choices, but she is able to connect the dots more clearly now — from the sexually abused child, to a girl with deteriorating self-worth and a feeling that all she was good for was sex.

She also sees more clearly the role the brothel owners, countless buyers and her pimp on the street played. They saw a girl who had no self-confidence and could be taken advantage of, and she is hopeful that the new state mandate will help girls like her avoid those predators.

"In that person's mind, all you have to offer the world is your body," she said. "If someone is broken, you don't want to exploit that."

[reversewerewolf]

Answer character creation questions for your D&D boys!

HOO BOY OK

Naveen:

1. What was the first element of your OC that you remember considering (name, appearance, backstory, etc.)?

Appearance and personality…? I wanted a sassy gay elf lol

2. Did you design them with any other characters/OCs from their universe in mind?

No, I didn’t really know the setting or the other characters when I was doing character creation.

3. How did you choose their name?

My best friend/DM for the campaign I use Naveen in actually named him. I had a name for him and it didn’t fit, and I was struggling before the start of the first session. She asked me a bunch of questions about him and named him at the table literally five minutes before we started the first session of the campaign. It fits him better than any name I could’ve chosen for him.

4. In developing their backstory, what elements of the world they live in played the most influential parts?

Not applicable… I hashed out a very basic backstory for him before our first session, but didn’t know anything about the world until later.

5. Is there any significance behind their hair color?

Nah

6. Is there any significance behind their eye color?

Nah

7. Is there any significance behind their height?

Nah

8. What (if anything) do you relate to within their character/story?

I relate to Naveen a lot. He tends to feel very alone and even though he doesn’t want to burden others with his problems he relies on other people very heavily… he wants to be a better person, and he wants to be more confident in himself and his ability to love other people. He wants to lift other people up and make the people he cares about happy.

He’s also fat and trans, lol.

9. Are they based off of you, in some way?

No. As he grows as a person, I find he has traits I’d like to see in myself, though, lol.

10. If they have an LI, how much of their character is tailored to be compatible to that person?

Assuming this means love interest?? He has crushes on like… three to four people. Maybe more… No part of him was made to be compatible with any of them, and he’s not compatible with any of them.

Maybe with Reginald…

11. Did you know what the OC’s sexuality would be at the time of their creation?

I mean… I went into creating him like “bitchy gay elf haha” but like, the finer details of it, not really? He likes people regardless of gender. I also thought he was asexual at first which has turned out not to be true in the least.

12. What have you found to be most difficult about creating art for your OC (any form of art: writing, drawing, edits, etc.)?

When I created him I wanted to draw him, obviously, but I hadn’t tried to draw seriously in at least two years. I had a set idea of what I wanted him to look like and didn’t have the skills to do that which is why the initial drawings I have of him are so different from how he looks now - I went outside my comfort zone to try and teach myself how to draw different hair and body types, for example. I’ve gotten better, but that was really hard.

I also try to write poems as him to get a better feel for his character, which has been helpful, but was difficult as I hadn’t tried to write a poem in over a decade.

13. How far past the canon events that take place in their world have you extended their story, if at all?

We haven’t finished the canon yet!

I just want his story to end happily.

14. If you had to narrow it down to 2 things that you MUST keep in mind while working with your OC, what would those things be?

1. He’s going to do stuff I don’t want him to.2. I should lean into that a little bit from time to time.

15. What is something about your OC can make you laugh?

He’s very easy to pick on, which tends to make for funny situations.

16. What is something about your OC can make you cry?

He’s a fucking idiot who doesn’t know how to relate to other people and he constantly puts his foot in his mouth and it’s so frustrating.

17. Is there some element you regret adding to your OC or their story?

Uhh… I regret his whole existence sometimes.

I didn’t want him to be horny but he is and I hate that.

18. What is the most recent thing you’ve discovered about your OC?

He likes kids, which is sort of surprising? Like, they’ve found themselves around a bunch of goblin kids and a little vampire girl and he was kind of overwhelmed at first because he hasn’t spent a lot of time around kids, but he really loved them. He was amused by their antics and wants to take care of them.

19. What is your favorite fact about your OC?

The two strands of hair that frame his face are coiled just a little bit tighter than the rest of his hair because he twirls them around his fingers when he’s nervous!

Dro’gul:

1. What was the first element of your OC that you remember considering (name, appearance, backstory, etc.)?

I just wanted a beastmaster ranger. (Naveen was initially going to be one but another player claimed that class first!!) Dro’gul has actually been through a lot of iterations. He was initially a female half-elf and has gone through a lot of revamps until he became something I was happy with.

2. Did you design them with any other characters/OCs from their universe in mind?

Sort of. I wanted a character whose personality would mesh better with this particular campaign’s chaotic team than my straight-laced, goody-two-shoes drow wizard.

3. How did you choose their name?

I liked the shorter name “Gul” for a while because it frequently came up on the Orc name generator I used, lol. I found out during that time that it also means “rose” in Persian, which I thought was sweet. I just added “Dro” to make it longer.

4. In developing their backstory, what elements of the world they live in played the most influential parts?

Honestly? None at first… In fact his backstory really makes very little sense for the time period this particular campaign is set in (1920′s, but we all keep forgetting and picture it as medieval fantasy…).

My friend was also wanting to switch their character to someone more fitting for the vibe of the campaign, so our DM asked if our characters could know each other. We linked their backstories (”he broke her out of jail and they’ve been together since!”) and it quickly went downhill into shipping them, lol. That’s been more influential. But it’s fun and it’s solidified who he is as a character very significantly.

5. Is there any significance behind their hair color?

Nah

6. Is there any significance behind their eye color?

To match his wolf!

7. Is there any significance behind their height?

Wanted… big boi

8. What (if anything) do you relate to within their character/story?

I relate a lot to Dro’gul as a survivor of family abuse who struggles with PTSD. He’s been through more and worse than I’ve been through but I relate to the feelings of despair and guilt and panic that he feels. He’s done bad things and he thinks he’s a bad person though he tries to combat that line of thinking. He wants to do good to make up for the bad he’s done. He wants to raise other people up.

9. Are they based off of you, in some way?

No, though we share the self-deprecation and (usually unintentional) self-sacrifice.

10. If they have an LI, how much of their character is tailored to be compatible to that person?

He’s dating my friend’s tiefling sorcerer, Nowhere. They were created separately from each other, and he wasn’t tailored to be compatible with her, but they work well together incidentally. I love them together very much but with that said his devotion to her is pretty decidedly unhealthy. If she felt like taking advantage of his good nature it would be easy for her to do so. (She doesn’t want to, luckily!)

11. Did you know what the OC’s sexuality would be at the time of their creation?

Not in the least. When I created him I wasn’t really thinking about his romantic or sexual preferences. I kind of assumed he was straight for a bit but I was incorrect. I also thought he was cis, but he’s nonbinary - he’s comfortable being identified as male but he doesn’t really care about differences in gender one way or another and thinks the idea that there are masculine traits and feminine traits are ridiculous.

12. What have you found to be most difficult about creating art for your OC (any form of art: writing, drawing, edits, etc.)?

I… can’t draw muscles or strong jawlines or body hair or tusks or curly hair, but he has all of those things.

I’m still learning.

13. How far past the canon events that take place in their world have you extended their story, if at all?

I’ve talked about his plans with Nowhere with Nowhere’s player, but for now those will remains secret! We haven’t finished the campaign and therefore the canon yet so it’s up in the air either way.

14. If you had to narrow it down to 2 things that you MUST keep in mind while working with your OC, what would those things be?

1. He’s an idiot2. He’s going to die because he’s an idiot

15. What is something about your OC can make you laugh?

His lack of intelligence makes for funny moments - for example, someone described coffee to him and he became convinced coffee was drugs. He also thought their very short party member was an actual child. Both of these are things he believed for some time.

16. What is something about your OC can make you cry?

He’s got too good of a heart and he’s going to get hurt because of it.

17. Is there some element you regret adding to your OC or their story?

I wish his conversation confessing to Nowhere had been more romantic. But, it was really awkward and genuine, which makes more sense narratively, so I’m okay with it.

18. What is the most recent thing you’ve discovered about your OC?

He’s got a lot more anxiety than I thought he did, lol.

19. What is your favorite fact about your OC?

He fidgets a lot when he’s nervous - runs his hands through his hair, rubs the tips of his tusks against his upper lip, rubs his cheek. He cute.