#boat tours sydney

[scarlett-ainslie]

The Pleasures & Perks of Boat Tours What to Expect

Primary attractions of boat tours is the picturesque views they offer - the crystal clear waters, the jumping dolphins, or the sprawling landscapes.

[ameliyalanne]

Essential Safety Measures For Unforgettable Boating Adventures

This article will explore essential safety tips for unforgettable boat rides, touching on everything from personal flotation devices to onboard fire safety measures.

[mayooramcruises]

KERALA / ALLEPPEY HOUSEBOAT TOUR PACKAGES

[mo-ok]

australia mention 🦘🦘🏏🦐🦐🦐🥧🥧🐍🐍

[gyustarzzi]

ateez taking you on vacation

★ hongjoong

- Paris, France - takes you on an expensive date - will beg you to go on a night walk to see the beautiful lights, probably the most beautiful city you've ever seen - way too many photos for you to count - probably took a photo of you without you knowing and has it as his lock screen

" Isn't it beautiful tonight? "

☆ seonghwa

- Bora Bora, French Polynesia - the trip was originally for just the group but when he found out he could bring you along of course he couldn't say no - gets a two-bedroom premier beachfront villa estate (WHICH IS HUGE) - you guys go scuba diving and reef discovery with the other members - will dare you to do parasailing, which you both end up doing and let's just say it didn't end well. you get hit in the face by a bird

" I dare you to do the parasailing, if you do it then I'll do it "

★ yunho

- Rome, Italy - you guys go to a lot of historic tours through Rome (Colosseum, Roman Forum) and art-filled institutions (Vatican Museums, Galleria Borghese) - yunho takes way too many photos of you and him during your trip - you guys almost get lost in one of Roman's catacombs, but don't worry you guys get out soon...somehow - probably will go back next time you go on vacation

" Oh shit..I think we're lost Y/N '

☆ yeosang

- London, England - he probably would go back bc he loved the city so much - takes you everywhere and I mean EVERYWHERE (it's his only time to spend time with you all day) - can't stop fangirling over every photo you take of yourself - probably proposed to you at the top of The London Eye, if not then he would just kiss you

" Since you've been around I smile a lot more than I used to, and that's why I love you "

★ san

- Tokyo, Japan - goes to a lot of anime stores and buys way to much stuff - you guys not only go to Tokyo Disneyland but Tokyo Sea Lif Park!! - get to play with cats at Hogoneko Rafu Space and you guys end up adopting a ragdoll named mocha - not only do you get to spend time with San for a whole week, you also get to go home with a sweet kitty!

" She's perfect for us, let's adopt her! "

☆ mingi

- New Zealand - there are so many things to do in New Zealand so of course he would pick to go there - you guys would go to the glow worms cave, which you find so pretty but mingi is afraid they will fall on him (they won't) - you also get to take a tour around the Hobbiton movie set, mingi's treat - you do a lot of more fun stuff during the week you have together (Shotover River Extreme Jet Boat Ride in Queenstown, Waitomo Caves & Te Puia in Aucklund)

�� wooyoung

- New York City, United States - the members were on tour in america and one of their stops was new york city - you ended up flyng down there and surprising wooyoung at his hotel - you guys do a lot of sightseeing: the statue of liberty, summit one Vanderbilt, and you went on a cruise - at night you and the members would go out and have fun...maybe get drunk

" This view is amazing, it feels like I'm about to fall "

☆ jongho

- Sydney, Australia - you've always wanted to go to australia, so jongho decided to surprise you on your birthday - you spend a whole week there going shopping, sightseeing, playing in the water with jongho and having the best birthday ever (Darling Harbour, Queen Victoria Building, Sydney Opera House, etc.) - at the end of the week (your birthday) all the members, and your friends surprise you a birthday cake - you end up with the cake smashed into you face. wooyoung definitely didn't do it..

" You got a little something on your face "

[operafantomet]

How would you rank each non-replica on a scale of creativity/original ideas?

That is a good question with many possible answers! Mostly because there are "good" creative/original ideas and "bad" creative/original ideas out there, and some of the most creative ones may also be the one I dislike the most... For example, if going by creativity and originality alone, Estonia would be very high on the list. But I'm not really loving the production overall, so I wouldn't say it's the best original take on POTO. If that makes sense. But if ranking the productions purely by how different they are and how hard they have worked on not looking like the original, I would say:

ESTONIA: Inter-war setting, rather bleak in its colour scheme and overall design, with one helluva mirror-discoball lair design, leather-coat Phantom, Vivienne Westwood-esque Il Muto, Moulin Rouge-ish Masquerade, 1990s Haute Couture Don Juan... There's so much to say. Definitely original, and not just giving "we had a low budget" vibe.

FINLAND / SWEDEN: 1980s costume vibes, gold mask, rock'n'roll, huge sets, tiny chandelier, gigantic orchestra, for the most actual opera singers in the leads. This one felt odd more than anything. But original? Very much so.

KRISTIANSTAD, SWEDEN: Definitely a production on a budget, but yet checking off all the boxes of what you'd expect of a POTO production. And with some super original ideas for some key scenes - Raoul stumbling around in the falling sets during the Overture, the elegant double staging in the boat scene, the rarities in the Phantom's lair, Red Death crashing through a mirror and later disappearing in mid-air... They had so many cool lil' details going on. In style fairly 1880s, and with a cool horizontal half-mask for the Phantom. I really appreciated this one.

SERBIA: One could maybe argue this was more low-budget than original...? At least the basic black set with few changes and the many low-key costumes didn't feel like the biggest effort out there. But different? Oh definitely.

BULGARIA: Pretty much the same comments as Serbia. However, the Phantom's fruit crown in PONR can never be unseen. Neither can the monkey musical box which seemed to have lost its will to live. Memorable for sure.

ROMANIA / NORWAY / GREECE / TOUR: Whereas the basic drum set was fairly similar to the Restaged Tour, it felt like an original production still. Some independent interpretations of the Palais Garnier (including featuring a huge window as a mirror substitute for Christine), more Edwardian flair of the costume design, and a kick-ass chandelier - grand, fun, and with some cool and independent directing ideas throughout. The idea of never leaving the opera house, for example, was interesting. Very enjoyable overall.

MEDITERRANEAN: Basing nearly the whole set design within a rectangular, turnable box on stage was a neat and cool idea. This, combined with oh-so-Victorian costumes and so many nods to Phantom history, felt original and clever. Also some stunning original visuals, like the Phantom's lair with the Piraniesi-esque labyrinth backdrop. Speaking of original, it probably looked very as expected with its heavy victoriana flair - but to me that's not a negative thing.

POLAND: One could argue this in large was a carbon copy of the 2004 movie. The costumes in particular, but also directing elements like including a sword fight in the Mausoleum scene. But the sets - oh, those beautiful sets! Also a wild chandelier crash.

SYDNEY HARBOUR: A really hard one to rank. The world's first outdoor production (ORIGINAL!), with sets looking like Bjørnson's design on steroids (not as original), with 1860s flair costumes (hello 2004 movie) with a dash of LND Australia (not as original), but then a flying gondola over burning water (ORIGINAL!), a huge cast (very RAH), and performing come rain or sunshine (ORIGINAL!). Something old, something new... But definitely a cool one for the Phantom portfolio!

RESTAGED TOUR: I was a bit in doubt on how to rank this one. I mean, the costume design is in large not new, it's Maria Bjørnson's costumes. But then new set design, new directing and new choreography. With various degrees of success. To me the most original idea is the drum set structure, and also some new magic tricks and added moments. I'm not loving the directing choices, as it makes both the Phantom and Raoul rather unloving candidates for Christine - why would she pick either of them? Also felt too much like a nod to Love Never Dies to appear truly original. So yeah, mostly for the sets.

HUNGARY and CZECH REPUBLIC: Whereas the productions themselves may not look the same, they both feel like two similar takes, to loving interpretations of the original, sticking to the same colour schemes and with a heavy Victorian flair. Directing wise they also feel like the same landscape. I appreciate both a lot, and especially Hungary has some clever ideas going on. I also loved how they picked Palais Garnier as a base - but totally different areas or angles of the Palais Garnier than what Bjørnson did. But if going purely by originality they don't move too far outside the box.

NEW ROMANIAN PRODUCTION: Nearly impossible to rank. AI design with some tweaks, which has resulted in a sort of amalgamated combo of all the non-replica production set design, with a sprinkle of Maria Bjørnson design on top. With some playing-card-odd costumes. Some visuals are stunning, some are very traditional, some are way out there. Yeah, I have no idea how to rank this one.

(and of course this is just my impression of them - have in mind that I've only seen three of them live, and if I see more of them in the future I may feel different about this ranking)

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week - July 25, 2023

If you're ready to "paws" for a moment of joy and laughter, read through stories that'll leave you feeling inspired. It's time to fetch some happiness, one headline at a time!

1. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signs bill outlawing pelvic exams on unconscious patients without consent

A little-known practice that allowed medical students to perform pelvic and other intimate exams on unconscious patients without their consent is now banned in Missouri after action taken Thursday by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson.  

2. Indonesia market caves to pressure, ends dog, cat meat trade

Authorities on Friday announced the end of the “brutally cruel” dog and cat meat slaughter at a notorious animal market on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi following a years-long campaign by local activists and world celebrities. An anti-animal cruelty group will move the remaining live dogs and cats from the slaughterhouse to sanctuaries

3. Colorado food bank receives donation from Taylor Swift. She has been donating to food banks across the country during her "Eras Tour."

Taylor Swift made a donation to Food Bank of the Rockies on Friday before playing two sold-out stadium concerts in Denver.

Food Bank of the Rockies announced Swift's donation and said it will allow it to purchase food for 75,000 meals. 

4. Earth’s atmosphere can clean itself, groundbreaking research finds

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine, have found that a strong electric field between airborne water droplets and surrounding air can create a molecule called hydroxide (OH) by a previously unknown mechanism.

This molecule is crucial in helping to clear the air of pollutants, including greenhouse gases and other chemicals.

5. US woman, 55, searching for long-lost Singaporean pen pal, 56, reconnects with him after 30 years

The pair started exchanging letters way back in 1983 when they were still in their teens, but lost contact after 10 years of correspondence.

Now 55 years old, Kelly is eager to reconnect with Cheng, and has been actively searching for him via appeals on social media.

6. ‘Intuitive’ pet who ‘hears’ for deaf owner named National Cat of the Year

An “intuitive” cat who helps his deaf owner by alerting her to sounds around the house has won a national award.

Zebby was named Cats Protection’s National Cat of the Year 2023 in recognition of the way he supports owner Genevieve Moss, 66, by alerting her to noises like the phone ringing or a guest at the door.

7. Australian sailor and his dog survive two months at sea

An Australian sailor who survived two months in the Pacific Ocean by eating raw fish and drinking rainwater is "stable and very well", a doctor says.

Sydney resident Tim Shaddock, 51, and his dog Bella left Mexico for French Polynesia in April, but their boat was damaged by a storm several weeks later. They were rescued by a trawler this week after a helicopter spotted them.

----

That's it for this week :)

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[incognita-soul]

It's been a wild first few months of the season on Lady Washington, full of uprig, field trips, dockside tours, and public sails. i swear the only way i'm getting through it is getting to bury my face into Marlin and Darrell's fuzzy bellies on a daily basis.

Marlin is doing well on his first season back on the boat as Chief Morale Meow Officer since 2019 and has as of yet not escaped to commit treason on navy bases again. Both bois are adjusting well to sharing space in the aft cabin and have started cuddling more (a few years ago when I brought Dary to the seaport during the winter they spent the whole winter cuddled up in the same cat bed in front of the space heater). During sails Marlin can usually be found sunning himself on the main hold hatch, often on top of a passenger's bag.

Darrell the Bosun's Pawsun's Mate has been gaining more confidence being on deck and exploring the boat, but he still prefers to stay below when passengers are aboard, especially when those passengers are rowdy middle school classes. His obsession with staring through the anchor hawes continues, and his new favorite things are curling up in the merch boxes in the main hold and hanging out in dark places so he can a) give me a heart attack thinking he's missing, and b) embrace the void.

photo credit for half of these shots goes to the incredibly talented and utterly ravishing Sydney @the-lone-star-state and the other, equally amazing Syd @birdybirdnerd

[brighter-by-the-daly]

Rachel Daly x Reader

Part Twenty - On Top of the World

The team had settled into camp and were into the second week of training, the first game against Haiti was fast approaching. You had started a vlog to keep yourself busy while the girls were in training and often sat on the sidelines watching. After training you went to wait for Rachel outside, picking up a drink you laid down on the grass to soak up some sunshine while editing today’s videos. Flicking through the close ups of your girl, you didn’t see her approach until she slumped down beside you with a thud. Giving her thigh a squeeze she leant down to kiss you “you’re so sexy in your kit baby” you chimed showing her the videos you took of her, “look at those legs!” Zooming in on her muscles showing thanks to her new short socks trend, you rested your head on her thigh. “I can’t wait til they’re wrapped round my head again” looking up at her with a cheeky smile to see the reaction your statement had caused. Rachel instantly shot you a look with a serious expression trying to hide her smirk, “stop now” shutting you down bluntly. You giggled knowing you were both finding it hard not being intimate, it’ll be worth it though. It’s giving you time to get to know each other without every day starting or ending with sex, thus making your relationship stronger with every day.

“Aih up!” Millie’s voice turned both your heads away from the dirty thoughts in your minds. She threw her bag down next to you as she laid her head on your arm, “what we doing?” she asked rolling up the sleeves on her top. “Getting a tan, I’m not going back until I look like Beyoncé” you laughed, putting your arm next to theirs to compare skin colour. “What’s next on your agenda for today girls?” you asked, wondering if they had anything else scheduled for today “Nothing, we’re free to enjoy ourselves before the game tomorrow” Millie said delicately unfolding the time sheet in her pocket. The paper was barely held together and was on its last legs, you wondered how it was possible to even read it with how crumpled and faded it was. Throwing around ideas of how to spend their spare time, they asked you what you wanted to do. You’ve been on a few of Katie Zelem’s tours but haven’t explored with your people yet and asked to check out Sydney.

Walking along the harbour and seeing a seagull you couldn’t help but shout “MINE” repeatedly like the one in Finding Nemo which caused the others to start flying quotes from the Disney movie around too. All giggling your way along the harbour towards the Opera House arm in arm until you spotted a paraglider. Eyes flickered between each other’s face like you were thinking the same thing before sprinting towards the boat, climbing aboard and sailing out to sea. You were all strapped together before being lifted into the air - Rachel had her selfie stick, Millie had the go pro and you were just happy to be there. The driver dipped your toes in the water then lifted you all high up into the air so you could see for miles. Your spontaneity soon disappeared as the rope reached the full distance, Rachel and Millie were excitable until they noticed your silence and quickly clutched your hands to point out the dolphins down below. They reminded you it’ll be over soon and this is your only time to enjoy it, your hands in theirs blowing the anxiety away. “That was incredible! I can’t believe I just did that, in Australia of all places!!!” you screamed once you feet touched back down on the ground, your hands shaking from the adrenaline. You grabbed some dinner in a restaurant that over looked the harbour and watched the boats come and go until you spotted Mary, Jordan and Lucy getting on the paraglider too. Millie texted them when they came off to join you for a few mocktails, bringing with them an announcing that Sarina had planned a surprise at sunset.

Flagging down a taxi you bundled inside and headed over to the meeting place and were in shock as you turned into the car park. Seeing helicopters lined up in a row with Sarina standing next to them made her look even smaller than usual. Standing back to take photos of the girls with one of them you were shocked when the coach asked if you and Rach wanted to go alone or with Millie. “I’m not part of the team Sarina” you said to her, not expecting to be including in the club outing. “Maybe not, but you’re part of this family” she insisted as Millie shouted “I’ll go with you then boss!” dragging her over to one too. Sarina felt like a mother to the team and she wasn’t going to have one of her children left out.

Taking off felt a little wobbly but you couldn’t wait to see Sydney from above again! It was as mesmerising as you had imagined, higher up than you were earlier your fingers interlocked as Rachel pointed out where different things were. You tried to take everything in knowing you’d probably never do this again in your lifetime and wanted to be as present as possible.

Arriving back onto land Rachel held out her hand for you to jump from the helicopter back onto the ground. Stumbling a little as she steadied you, tucking your hair behind your ears that had flopped in front of your eyes. Rachel stroked your face then cupped your cheeks, sharing a silent intimate moment. Gazing up at your girl you have never felt more loved by a person, she made you the happiest you have ever been and you couldn’t imagine doing all these things with someone else. “I’m obsessed with you” she admitted resting her forehead on yours making a smile spread across your face. Losing yourself in her beautiful blue eyes, a wave of emotion washed over you making your eyes well up. “Hey what’s this?” she pouted cutely, lifting your chin so she could study your face. “I’m just so happy it makes me want to cry” you told her between little sobs. “I guess that’s allowed” she said wiping your tears away and kissing your forehead. Wrapping her arms around your shoulders she pulled you into her chest as your hands rested on her hips. And that’s where you stayed, for how long you’re unsure, it could have been seconds, minutes or hours but what you did know is that you wanted to spend the rest of your life in these arms. You turned your head to kiss her bicep then lifted your chin to kiss her deeply, never loosening her grip around you. “I’ve never loved anyone as much as I love you (y/n)” she whispered between kisses. “I’ll love you forever Rachel Ann Daly” “til the world stops going round” she finished with a kiss on the tip of your nose.

You were both too wrapped up in each other to notice the club photographer was capturing your moment from afar. Neither of you were fans of PDA so as the rest of the team started to land you broke apart, switching to simply holding hands and joining the group who were reeling from the excitement. Thanking Sarina as everyone dispersed back to the bus the photographer approached you. “I hope you don’t mind but I thought these were beautiful” showing you her camera screen as she flicked through the photos of you both standing in front of the helicopter with the sunset in the background. “These are absolutely gorgeous!” you gasped in awe of her talent. On the drive back to the hotel she sent you the photos to admire, the bus was loud with chatter after an adrenaline filled day but Rach’s head was resting on your shoulder as you admired the candids in blissful silence.

Once back at the hotel you had made your way back to your room, laying on your bed you chose which photos to upload and captioned it “I’ve never felt more alive than I do with you 😍💜” As hundreds of comments flooded in thick and fast there was a knock at the door, opening it to see Rachel’s cute little face. “Hello love of my life” she said seductively stepping towards you which made your heart skip a beat and a sigh leave your lips in adoration for your girlfriend. “I can’t wait to go away just us after this” you pandered pulling her by her shirt into the room as she wrapped her limbs around your body. “Me neither, we still haven’t decided where” plastering your neck with kisses. Slipping out of her grasp to avoid being turned on you lead her to the sofa, draping her body on top of you to flick through holidays on the tablet. You landed on Jamaica which you both agreed on, booking it then and there making you both excited to spend some quality time with each other with no distractions. Stroking her hair she slowly succumbed to napping on your chest, watching her for a little while before giving in to your heavy eyelids too.

You awoke at a knock at the door and Millie shouting that it was dinner time from the other side, you both stretched and rolled off the sofa to get ready to go down. Spotting Mary you ran over to her showing her a tiktok dance you’ve learnt while they were training yesterday and asked if she wanted to do it. After dinner the four of you all filmed together, laughing at Rachel’s moves every time which took you ten times longer to film. “Are you feeling ready for Haiti tomorrow?” you asked after you all collapsed on a heap on the floor. “We’re ready for anything!” they chimed in unison, “Haiti ain’t gonna know what’s hit them!” Gathering yourselves up off the floor you made your way back to the rooms and congregated in Mary’s for a while before going back to your rooms for an early night. Rachel walked you back to your room talking about how her and a lot of girls stay off social media for the tournament but you can continue posting as normal. She asked if you’d manage her socials for her too which you agreed to.

She stood back to watch you open your door before losing control for a second, pushing you inside and against the wall kissing you passionately. Her hands roamed over your body making you forget where you were for a moment and enjoy the intense encounter. You had longed for this for weeks but you have to obey Sarina’s rules as you didn’t want to get kicked out. Reluctantly pushing Rachel off of you, “we shouldn’t be doing this” you said regretfully. “There’s nothing wrong with a kiss is there baby?” she said slowly between neck kisses making you smirk as you shook your head. Her lips finding yours again in an uncontrollable exchange until you both called it quits before you got carried away. “Good luck tomorrow, not that you need it” you poked her stomach, “I’ll see you at the game, score for me yeah?” planting a subtle kiss on her cheek. “Anything for you (y/n/n)” raising your hand to her lips and kissing it gently before heading back to her own room. Not long after she left your phone pinged that Rachel tagged you in a post, using photos from your trip already she explained she was passing over the controls to you for the tournament.

Sure enough the first game of the tournament, your girl scored 3 out of 5 goals against Haiti, Mary didn’t concede any which lead them to top their group. Rachel came away with the match ball and was interviewed after the game which was played out to the stadium, she thanked her team for allowing and assisting with her hatrick but your ears pricked up when you heard her cheeky voice over the tannoy - “this ball is for my girlfriend, she told me to score for her today so this is rightfully hers.” You chuckled to yourself knowing everyone back home would have seen that and messages would be flooding your phone soon. A short time later Rachel came skipping over, presenting the ball to you while leaning in for a kiss. You found out later than someone behind you had filmed the exchange and posted it to tiktok as ‘POV: Rachel Daly is your girlfriend’. As has come to be expected, Rachel took you back to the changing room with her where she was greeted with cheers, the party in full swing, the team recording on their phones which meant you were in the background of most making you more visible on social media. Sarina gave a match review and discussed the next game against Denmark - a team they know very well.

Back at the hotel, you joined Rachel and Millie in their room, tossing the match ball between your hands you asked what players do with them - you’d been wondering that for years! “Usually just stuffed in a cupboard” Millie laughed, “we should display them in our future house, we could get plaques for each one - what game, score, maybe get the team who played to sign? I think that’d make a cute display yknow” you pondered, flopping down on the bed. “Not a bad idea that, you don’t like my house then?” Rachel laughed “well that’s yours isn’t it, not ours” you said shyly, second guessing your words. “Oh I see, a ball isn’t enough for you anymore” she joked with a silly voice, “well I can’t wear a ball on my finger can I!” your announcement made everyone laugh, “she’s got a point there Rach” Millie backed you up.

Part 21 - Power Couple

[scarlett-ainslie]

Setting Sail for Success: The Rise and Impact of Corporate Boat Tours

Explore how corporate boat tours have emerged as a novel strategy for team-building and corporate events, offering unique experiences that foster team cohesion and creativity. Discover their growing popularity and the impact they have on employee engagement and organizational culture.

[ameliyalanne]

Sydney Harbour Sightseeing Boat Tours | Guide for First-Time Adventurers

Explore Sydney Harbour with our guide to sightseeing boat tours. Perfect for first-time adventurers, discover iconic landmarks, scenic routes, and tips for an unforgettable experience.

[yangsharperavery]

my non carmy/sydney thoughts on season 2

it's very different than the first which is interesting bc the structure they had in the kitchen last season worked so seamlessly.

i think this season was lacking that frequency and flare. i think because of that it suffered a bit. i think the viewership did too for that reason.

it was nearly impossible to recreate the magic of the first season without the constant buzz and intensity and immediacy of food service.

i do think that they still could have retained some of that energy by incorporating more demo/planning/training via the familiar staccato, regimented and frenetic pacing of the scenes WHILE also showing the more slowed down exploration of each character being pulled away to get the skills needed to advance the team and its mission.

but it's like they slowed the story telling all the way down immediately.

even opening with marcus and his ailing mother felt like such a specific and poignant choice in that vein.

almost like the theme of the season was going to be all types of grief, preemptive and reactive.

i think they dropped the ball having everyone so spread out over the course of the ENTIRE season and not making the ones that were together exist in the heightened energy we're used to from this show.

here are some things i loved about it:

•  richie's growth. i love an asshole character that is held to account, actually takes correction and impact and works to evolve and improve.

• marcus in copenhagen. he's so sweet and demure. i loved him getting the one on one attention. him exploring the city and staying on the boat. i was worried he'd be forgotten about in the story so its nice to see that someone bts fought for that not to happen.

• sydney's chicago food tour. the cinematography was STUNNING during these sequences. i read someone say that those moments felt like such a deliberate love letter to the culinary industry and i wholeheartedly agree like it made me SO happy to see.

•  the christmas bottle episode. listen. LISTEN. if you have ever lived in or been subjected to a nuclear family/household that operated like that, i know you watched that entire episode with a pit in your stomach. it was devastating and poetic and maddening and SO deeply fucking impactful. it painted the perfect picture of exactly why michael, natalie and carmy are the way they are. i SOBBED. and i lightweight think that's the episode that's giving this season such critical acclaim and the 100% on rotten tomatoes. it was SO strong and sooooo deeply harrowing.

• natalie's presence. i love her. just her being around was so comforting to to me. i enjoyed how sweet she was to fak.

• tina singing. they still underused her but i loved seeing her shine outside of her element and having the full support of her classmates. i love confidence baring moments for characters who've struggled, felt second or been ignored. that moment and sydney asking her to be sous were so special!

• the “bears are aggressive but sensitive, compassionate, deeply empathic” line. i've thought about it several times since finishing the season. because wow. also richie's dialogue about purpose. olivia coleman's character's conversation with richie about rebirth and timing. there are so many gorgeous lines that speak to the ingrained grief, brevity, import, ability and power of this human experience and all its many facets. the writer's really do SUCH a wondrous job highlighting the humanity of it's characters and their struggles, obstacles and heartache.

• the fucking chocolate banana. i absolutely CRIED. they need to stop playing around and calling this show a comedy because c'mon. that was such a good callback for cisero and richie.

•  pete crying. when i tell you that shit was so deeply powerful. to see him hurting so acutely for natalie. knowing how much he loves her and how much her mother's conditions impacted her entire life. so much so that she hadn't even known nat was pregnant. like that scene GUTTED me. the actor only had .3 scenes this season but that one was an absolute stand out.

• ayo's performance. this girl is an ACTOR. like i know she's a writer and a comedian but she is SO exquisite in the role of sydney. i'm endlessly enamored.

what i didn't like:

• them completely dropping the ball on ebra's storyline. so he disappears for WEEKS from fear and then returns and has a 3 second convo with tina? and then is all of a sudden back in an apron in the kitchen. please don't piss me off. wasteful.

• lack of gary screentime. he should have had as much screentime as fak minus the christmas episode. sidelining two of the black men was foolish and wholly unnecessary.

• the AMOUNT of claire/carmy scenes. like i totally get it. i get why it had to happen, i get the point they were trying to make and the consequences they were driving home but the sheer enormity of the claire/carmy scenes and how LONG they were was dumb. we could have been shown carmy was distracted/absent without having to see those two together for these elongated ass scenes. and them kissing in front of the fireworks? like GAG me. PLEASE BE SERIOUS RN.

• i need to see my babies breaking bread and having found family dinner at least once per season, if not more. thx.

this is just part 1, part 2 will be carmy/sydney focused.

[deadandphilgames]

Im in a similar boat as you said for the tour where my gf doesn’t really watch them or care about meeting them but still wants to go, yet i really want to try for vip this time so i feel in a weird spot lol

luckily for me they are having two shows in sydney this time so i intend on going to one show alone VIP and the other with her in regular seats. i think maybe just let them know that you are so glad they're supportive and wants to go but you wanna try for VIP tickets and know that wont be their thing? or start the phannie recruitment process so you can both get VIP

[tigerballoons]

🌧️ August books 🌧️

Yeah so I have no excuse this month, and actually the boat problem is worse than we thought...

🔹 The Island of the Day Before - 3⭐

A seventeenth century nobleman is shipwrecked on the date line. I don't know about anyone else, but I find that with Eco's books you need to already know something about the subject in order to appreciate them. While this one does touch on the search for a method to reliably establish longitude, it's also about seventeenth century mysticism. There's lots of long descriptive passages which go over the same thing over and over again. I've had it for years, so at least I can now say I've read it...

🔹 The Lieutenant - 3⭐

To set the scene here: my friend wants to tour the little free libraries of Mildura. I'm going along, but have no intention of picking anything up this early in the trip. Then I see this title... 🤦 It tells the story of the establishment of Sydney, NSW, and how one of the settlers becomes disillusioned with his own culture after making friends with the native people. Based on true events!

🔹 Out of the Ice - 2⭐

Laura is a scientist working in Antarctica, sent to do a survey of an abandoned village near a secretive base. Terrible secrets are uncovered. It's engagingly written which gets it an extra star, but the rest of it isn't up to it. The abandoned whaling station is a great setting, although the plot turns on it being built on the ice. Not on land like they actually were. The mystery is extremely OTT and not even remotely plausible. It's very Modern Fear ™️. Disappointing because the setting has such promise.

🔹Phaedrus - 3⭐

Do I actually have to rate this? I have no opinions on this as a translation and we know I'm not really here for the philosophy either... 😂 It has been useful though. I have a lot more context for some of the things Ralph is saying in The Charioteer, especially the line about "trying to turn it into a religion". I'm even more convinced the poor boys are doomed to fail when they take this as their model.

[sc0tters]

after a short yet unplanned break, the aus are back! And with that so are the daily thoughts, since we missed a few days below you will a thought for each au and even the ones that we have been developing (such as Mat and Gabe’s sister and Will x Junior!) oh and all of these are at random points within timelines…

Cole and Darcy: Rowden is TERRIFIED of Youppi! Like this happy child won’t stop crying the moment he sees that mascot

Jack and Kennedy: she gets to month six of the pregnancy and is still avoiding him but when she heard that he went and had surgery she wonders if she should invite him over to talk.

Elias and Gracie: Gracie got a busted lip in the game and Elias straight up went a bit bat shit about how the preds player put his hands on Elias’ girl.

Willy and Matilda: with him not being fit for game Matilda is trying to nurse him back to health through love.

Trevor and Blair: Trevor has finally accepted that Blair will love him if he was a worm. But now Blake wants to know if she would love him too. Blair now wants to change all of Trevor’s original answers to “would feed you to the birds”

Jeremy and Adelia: when the wags got their jackets Adelia wasn’t at the picture because she was working but then she thought she was forgotten until Moa pulled it out of her bag forgetting to give it to her.

Matt and Sydney: Sydney made a deal with Matt that for every game in the playoffs that he ended up back in the box that he wouldn’t get any kind of sex time until after the next game. She wants her brothers and parents to see him be more well behaved, but that’s not working too well…

Sidney and Camille: this woman is so excited to go tour around Czechia and when their daughter (I decided we give them a girl but if you guys think otherwise then let me know) is born she loves getting to take quiet walks around the city with her in Camilles arms.

Gabe and Jamie: Jamie got hurt in the second game and lost another tooth, but she scored another goal. So Jamie was definitely on FaceTime with Gabe asking if she was still pretty. Gabe remembered what it was like in Sweden.

Mat and Gabe’s sister: this one is more of a thought in general but I like the idea of her being a doctor. Mat was literally going through ALL the stages of grief though when he realised that she was Gabe’s sister (have we named her yet?)

Cutter and Lillian: Cutters family are so beyond pissed off that he hurt Lillian. Cutter had to tell them that he wasn’t going to her lake house that summer and therefore was going to come home.

Ryan and Ava: Layla has been laying between her parents as she crawls around the bed and Ryan is calling everyone to tell them how smart his daughter is.

Will and Bailey: Max is ready for the summer and to kick his little feet up at Lillians lakehouse because now he wants to see her new boat 

Drew and Erin: Erin and Drew have been spending most of their time at Lillian’s apartment making sure that she is okay.

Jacob and Ivy: Ivy is teaching Jacob different points within figure skating and honestly she’s never found him funnier in her life.

Ethan and Astrid: Astrid got to shave his beard today and she’s never been happier.

Luca and Aspen: Aspen and Sabrina were talking about how cute Gavin and Marisa would be and now Luca would like to return Aspen and Vivi because Vivi says she misses her uncle Gav.

Rutger and Emmy: Emmy has spent her weekend explaining to Rutger why they are on Lillian’s side in the break up.

Gavin and Marisa: Marisa got irritated because a girl kept on flirting with Gavin when they were still sleeping together so Marisa made sure that when he was gone for a week that he had his favourite pair of her panties and a Polaroid of them together in his bag. This man shares a room with Adam…

Nick and Fran: they are currently arguing over if they should get a cat or a dog. The boys are having to remind them of the time they looked after someone’s goldfish and killed it, they had it for two days…

Jacob and Emma: Emma got released from hospital and ended up spending a night back in her parents place which meant that she and Jack ended up catching up on life. She let it slip that she was in love with Jacob. But of course Jacob hasn’t been sleeping thinking that it was he who put her back in the hospital.

Seamus and Liana: Leigh has a new duck towel when she is done in her baths and Seamus doesn’t know what is cuter, his child or Liana’s excitement that it fits.

Jimmy and Tate: Tate went home for a couple of days without him and swore it was torture. Like this man had to go wait for her arrival because she was on the phone with him 24/7

Mark and Abigail: Abigail has been clingy all weekend after she got sick and Mark was lapping it up literally living for every single moment of it!

John and Maya: Auggie is getting to see his hometown for the first time and it makes John so happy seeing his girls get accepted by his family.

Umich Throuple:  Because Lucie was gone they spent the weekend in Ella’s dorm.

Steve and Lucie: Lucie made a mini road trip to see Steve and got to spend the weekend with him in his new apartment!

Will and Junior: when they eventually talk their shit out Will is so worried because she is so drunk and ends up staying with her to make sure she doesn’t do something stupid, but instead she wakes up forgetting they spoke.

Luke and Allie: Allie has booked her and the girls flights to Czechia and has her letter of transfer printed and ready to give to Luke! But for now whilst she finishes off the year he is in Michigan getting to spend time with the twins and sometimes take them to see their mom after lectures.

Quinn and Rouge: They had their first kiss after game one in the playoffs because he thought she needed to be rewarded for her goal.

Cole and Parker: Parker wants a dog, Cole said no. Parker is not very impressed right now.

Nick and Scottie: they have finally started talking to each other and have accepted that they are not doing okay and therefore want to go into some kid of therapy.

Adam and Sabrina: Sabrina has a mini tour this summer and Adam is gonna come with her now that they soft launched her album with a picture of his hand in hers!

Jack and Mila: soaking up the love and attention of their new born boy 

Luke and Isabel: Isabel is ready to go to Prague because her and Blair have already decided on so many things to do together and Blair hasfound a new little sister through it. 

Nico and Bianca: Bianca is trying to convince Nico to tell her where Timo lives so she can go irritate him, she has stopped crying this pregnancy, but now she wants a good laugh and knows that an injured Timo will do it for her.

Timo and Julie: Timo misses being able to call Bianca fat and wants Nico to bring her over

Philly Throuple: trying to decide where to go for the break together!

Matthew and Lilah: they just got their license to foster!

[charlesandmartine]

Sunday 12th February 2023

Happy 4th Birthday to Elsie

The weather in this part of the world is very odd and has been so for some while. The sun is beating down again and temperatures have soared. The meteorologists are keeping a very close eye on Cyclone Gabrielle which is sweeping down from the top end out to the east and should miss the mainland but could cause strong winds on the way. Poor old NZ appears to be in its path. Ovation, after we left it, was destined for New Caledonia, Mystery Island and associated other islands. I have read that out of about 5 ports of call due to bad weather and conditions, it has only managed one and huge compensation is on its way.

Shoal Bay is part of Port Stephens which in 1770 James Cook named after Sir Phillip Stephens, Secretary to the Admiralty. Of course this is in total deference to the actual previous owners, the Worimi Peoples. Port Stephens is a larger coastal inlet than Sydney Harbour and is largely used for fishing and recreational purposes. Not a great deal is noted until 1934 when Bob Elliott, Alex Kufner and Tony Raper decided Shoal would be a great place to build a club house. During WWII coastal defences were positioned here as well as amphibious training centres for US and Australian forces. Today it is a lovely holiday location and a great place to live. I suspect it is mainly a holiday resort for Australians. To get here yesterday, we drove around Newcastle, strangely also well known for its coal mining just like its namesake. We passed huge open cast mining operations which enable the port of Newcastle to claim the title of the world's largest coal export port shifting some 160 million tonnes of coal per anum, mainly to Asian markets.

Being a very pleasant, if rather hot day today, it started with an early morning run followed by a trip to the stunning beach. Despite being Sunday, it was nowhere near busy. Home for lunch then out to some of the neighbouring bays. Firstly Fingal Bay. A very comely sort of place where we found a compelling walk across the headland to Fingal Point; a high vantage point where two bays may be viewed at once. There we saw our first goanna lizard. Next bay had to be Anna's Bay with its very large sandy beach, great for windsurfing. The final bay for today was Boatman's Bay where there was no boat but was quite old by Australian standards. A settlement was here in the mid to late 1800s as the strange little cemetery bore testament to. Well, what with all that baying, we struggled back to Shoal for a bottle of SB, and fish & Chips. Barramundi for me and Hake for Martine. Perhaps tomorrow a little more relaxing in this lovely area. An absolute must see if touring in this part of NSW.