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yegarts · 3 years ago

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“I Am YEG Arts” Series: Michelle Campos Castillo

Comics, design and illustration, sculpture, public art—Michelle Campos Castillo does it all, and with purpose. Born in El Salvador, Campos Castillo uses her art to create tributes to her culture and reclaim space by processing her experiences. In doing so, she’s been changing not only the physical landscape of the city, but the mindset of the community itself—and not alone. Along with other artists she looks up to, she’s carving out more inclusive spaces and opportunities she hopes will empower other racialized artists to tell their stories. Equal parts inspiring and inspired—this week’s “I Am YEG Arts” story belongs to Michelle Campos Castillo.

Tell us about your connection to Edmonton and why you’ve made it your home.

Edmonton was one of the cities in Canada taking in refugees in the 80s and 90s, so that’s how my family and I ended up here. We were displaced because of the civil war in El Salvador where we were born. It felt very random for a long time, but after travelling and living elsewhere, there’s no denying that it’s home. The river, the skies, and the people really make you fall in love, and they always seem to pull you back.

What’s the first thing you ever made that inspired your artistic path? Did you know then that you’d unlocked something?

I created a poster in 2007 for a project called looking for love in all the wrong places, curated by artist Anthea Black. It was the first time that I started to speak about my experiences of migration and queerness, and it really scared me honestly. It would take another 10 years or so before I started to speak about migration again; not necessarily out of fear, but because I didn’t have the space emotionally or financially to make personal art at the time.

Comics, design and illustration, sculpture, public art—is there a common thread that you bring to all the mediums you work in?

My life as a displaced person, as an immigrant, and Salvadoran influences everything I do. I’m creating tributes to my culture, one that I tried to dismiss in order to survive life in Edmonton as a new immigrant child.

What narratives are you drawn to as a storyteller?

Right now I’m just concerned with telling my story. I tried to hide anything that made me different growing up, and reclaiming that space has been a long journey. I’m really drawn to unique stories that are not white and male, and don’t focus on romance. I loved Hiromi Goto’s graphic novel, Shadow Life, about this badass senior who literally challenges death.

Terremoto at latitude 53, 2020. Photo supplied.

Tell us about the best advice you’ve ever received and the last time you called on it.

Vivek Shraya will always tell me to apply for every opportunity available to me, to silence the voices that tell you that you’re not good enough or don’t have enough experience. I always return to that.

What does community mean to you, and where do you find it?

Community to me means a group of people working towards the same goals. Right now I’m involved with the arts community to hopefully create more inclusive spaces as an artist and arts administrator. There’s also my Salvadoran and Latin American communities, as well as queer communities; sometimes they feel too separate, and I’m hoping we can work on uniting all these parts.

Who’s someone inspiring you right now?

I have so many personal heroes living in this city: Christina Battle, Tiffany Shaw, Becca Taylor, AJA Louden, Raneece Buddan, Kiona Ligtvoet and Making Space. They are all contributing so much to the city constantly with their talent—and creating inclusive opportunities too.

What’s your relationship like with pressure, and what tips have you learned for managing it?

I work best with deadlines, and I sort of hate it. I get very distracted easily, so I use whatever technology (phone reminders, calendar) to keep myself organized. I also still use notebooks a ton. It takes a village.

Describe your perfect day in Edmonton. How do you spend it?

I’m already dreaming of summer (best one ever) and just want to sit at Paul Kane Park with friends, watching all the cute dogs walk by. I’ll start my day off at Glass Bookshop, grab coffee at Grizzlar, lunch at Acajutla, dessert at Kind Ice Cream or Doughnut Party or Bloom Cookies. We are good at dessert in this city. Also checking out all the galleries in town is a must: Ociciwan, SNAP, Latitude 53, Mitchell Art Gallery, and AGA.

What are you currently working on or hoping to explore next?

I’m working on a graphic novel memoir based on my life in El Salvador before migrating to Canada. It was a time of civil war that is now in danger of being deliberately erased, and it feels really important to keep talking and remembering. It’s a project that’s been in the works for a long time and will also take a long time to complete. I also have a public art project collaboration with Becca Taylor, Tiffany Shaw, Christina Battle, and Shawn Tse going up at Stadium LRT this year, so look out for that.

How do you hope to help shape Edmonton’s arts community?

I hope that my presence can empower other racialized folks to make art and tell their stories. Edmonton is so incredibly diverse beyond the core, and I want the arts to reflect this.

Platanos at Belvedere Station. Photo supplied.

Want more YEG Arts Stories? We’ll be sharing them here all year and on social media using the hashtag #IamYegArts. Follow along! Click here to learn more about Michelle Campos Castillo and her work.

About Michelle Campos Castillo

Michelle Campos Castillo is a Salvadoran visual artist living in Edmonton. She has been the recipient of several public art commissions from the City of Edmonton, including Platanos, a set of three sculptures on permanent display at Belvedere Transit Centre, and is currently producing artwork for the LRT Valley Line in the west end of the city.

#yeg #yegarts #edmonton #edmontonarts #IamYegArts #ArtistFeature #yegPublicArt

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flamencodiva · 4 years ago

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Getting Back to You 2 - Forgive Me

Description: Amaya Campos and Dean Winchester had a playful rivalry. what happens when Dean is no longer her Dean. Will this change make one of them realize what they really desire, or will they continue to keep secrets?

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Amaya Campos (Original Female Character) , AU Dean Winchester x AU Amaya Campos

Warnings: Language, Violence, Smut, Fluff, Angst

Word Count For Series: 100K+ words

Beta: @superfanficnatural

Book Cover by @talesmaniac89

A/N: Special thanks to - @crashdevlin @atc74 @smol-and-grumpy @winchest09 @waywardbeanie @deanwanddamons @malfoysqueen14 @emoryhemsworth @janicho88 @jensengirl83 @whatareyousearchingfordean @katehuntington @anathewierdo and to all my friends who listen to me ramble about my writing. your words of encouragement mean the world to me! Without you I don’t think I could have found the courage to come back and share what I love most to do, WRITE.

A/N 2: SURPRISE! Decided to post it early so I hope you guys enjoy!

Getting Back To You Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Amaya placed her box on the bed. She had just finished moving into the Bunker permanently, taking room 20 for herself. Being right next to Sam made things easier when Dean was just down the hall.

"Is that all you got?"

Dean's voice made her jump towards him before a small wave of relief washed over her face.

"I mean, what more do I need, right?" she shrugged. "Almost everything I own is either in my duffle or in a storage unit."

"You could always move it here," Dean offered. "How does a nice night out at a bar sound?"

"It sounds good," she breathed. "Could use the time to get plastered before beating you at another bet."

"Oh, sweetheart," Dean licked his lips before crossing his arms. "That witch hunt was just a fluke. I'll win the next one, just you wait."

"Yeah, yeah," Amaya waved him off as she grabbed a few of her clothes and made her way to the bathroom they all had to share. "I'm going to shower and change. I'll meet you in half an hour?"

"Yeah, sounds good," Dean walked with her to the bathroom and placed his hand on her shoulder, making her look up at him.

"Yeah?" she raised an eyebrow at him.

"I figure," he cleared his throat, "we can eat someplace before we get down to drinking."

"Sure," she nodded her head. "Sam joining us?"

"I'm sure I can persuade him," Dean smiled.

With a laugh, Amaya walked inside and closed the door. Dean could hear the soft click of the lock before he turned around and made his way to Sam's room. Running a hand across his face, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. The witch hunt seemed a little too easy for his liking. Lifting his fist, he was about to knock when Sam abruptly opened the door.

"No," was all his brother said.

"You don't even know what I'm going to ask," Dean argued.

"You were going to ask if I would come out with you and Amaya," Sam crossed his arms and leaned on the door frame.

Dean scoffed and gave his brother his best bitch face, "Was not. I mean, eventually, I would have, but I was going to ask if that witch hunt seemed a little too easy."

"Yeah, sure," Sam shook his head. "When it comes to the hunt—" Sam rubbed his hand across his stubbled cheek, "I'm looking into the incantation the witches were chanting. So far, I've been able to translate part of it."

"So, what were you able to translate?" Dean moved aside as Sam walked out of his room and made his way to the kitchen.

"Not much," Sam grabbed the notepad from the kitchen table as his eyes looked over his writing. "What I've translated so far is," he gave a slight squint "’We call upon the ancient powers, to hear our call, feel our power. Across time and space, let the souls switch.’"

Dean raised an eyebrow at his brother as he thought about the words, "’Let the souls switch?’ Which souls?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to keep looking into it," Sam grabbed a mug and poured himself a drink. "Dean, just wing it, or pick up a chick and have fun with Amaya like you always do."

"Sam," Dean sighed, "You know why I keep my distance. This life—" he ran a hand across his face, "this life is not easy, and the last thing I need is another stain on my soul. I don't need guilt when I can't protect her."

"She's not like your other loves, Dean," Sam pointed out. "She's a hunter. She was born a hunter. We’ve known her our whole lives. Dean, she's a legacy like us." Sam grabbed another folder he had out on the table and showed it to his brother, "Her grandfather was a Man of Letters just like ours."

"What?" Dean found the name of Amaya's grandfather highlighted by Sam, with a detailed explanation of his death.

"So just like our Dad," Sam sighed. "Amaya's dad lost his dad the same way. He was killed by Abaddon."

Dean swallowed the lump in his throat at learning the information. He looked at Sam; he knew his brother was right. Amaya wasn't like Cassie or Lisa, she was a hunter; she knew the risks, knew what the job entailed. Then again, so was Jo, but unlike Amaya, he remembered Jo came in late into the hunting game. She may have been a hunter, but she hadn’t really lived the life long enough, and could he really see his best friend and rival get hurt in his arms? It was bad enough when he was keeping his distance, but in revealing his feelings he felt it would just make it worse. He was already worried about her, how much would that change if he let himself feel what he'd been bottling up? Besides, all three of his relationships had something in common: they’d all loved him, and he loved them. In some form or another, he brought bad luck upon the many women he loved.

"Hey," Amaya's voice cut through his thoughts as the sound of her heels echoed in the kitchen. "We ready to go?"

Dean felt his breath get caught in his throat at how she dressed. She stood in her skin tight jeans that hugged her legs with a tube top and fishnet shirt combo that showed off her toned stomach and her perfect breasts. Her leather jacket hung on her shoulders as she stood to almost Dean's height in her four-inch black heels.

"Uhhhh—" Dean lost the use of his voice as he looked at her. His jeans felt a little tighter as he imagined peeling off all of her clothes.

Sam walked up and slapped Dean upside the head, making the older man glare at his younger brother.

"Dean's ready to go," Sam took a sip of his drink. "I'm staying in to try and make sense of the spell that the witches were conjuring."

"Oh Sammy," She walked over to him and gave him a gentle pat on his cheek. "If you don't use it, you will lose it."

Dean chuckled, the sass coming from Amaya snapping him out of his daze.

"She's right, Sam," Dean rolled his shoulders and winked at Amaya. "You don't use what you got, it might just shrivel up, much like all the rabbit food you don't eat that ends up going bad."

"Hey," Sam frowned as he gave Amaya his bitch face. "Just because I don't go out with you two—" he pointed to his brother and Amaya, "doesn't mean I don't get any. I just know how to keep you two from finding out."

Dean cleared his throat and adjusted himself. With a roll of his shoulders, he walked up to his brother and Amaya.

"Well, let's leave Sammy here to keep hitting the books," Dean said as he put his hands in his pockets. He stopped himself from touching Amaya, scared that he would do something they would both regret.

"Lead the way Dean-o," she chuckled, giving his shoulder a slight punch before standing aside to let him walk first.

Back in the other Universe, Henry Winchester surveyed the damage done by Hecate. He looked at his grandsons, who were assessing the best course of action. With a deep breath, he walked over to them.

"It seems this was all planned out," Henry said as he placed his hands in the pockets of his suit as he walked towards the trio.

"We are sorry, sir," Amaya apologized immediately as she stood straight, ignoring the feel of the sticky liquid seeping through her clothes.

"Amaya," Dean's voice sounded surprised as he saw the large gash on her side. "Infirmary, now."

"I'm fine," she waved him off as Henry came closer to them.

"Amaya—" Dean began.

"Dije que estoy bien," she growled and looked at him. "If anyone should be in the infirmary, it's you. You have a large gash on your head and multiple lacerations on your arms and chest."

Dean had to smirk at what she noticed. They had been hunting since they were both sixteen, thrust together at the academy they were both now instructors in. Looking at his grandfather, Dean could tell the old man was not in the least bit angry. This was just another curveball in the hunting game.

"Both of you head down to the infirmary and have Eileen look after the pair of you," Henry ordered be for he turned his attention to Sam. "Is there anything from the video feed from before we stormed the warehouse that we can use to investigate?"

"I have my team looking into it," Sam said as he looked around. "So far, they were able to stay hidden from the camera angle. I have no idea how that happened."

"I need you to work on it while they recover," Henry sighed and looked between Amaya and Dean. "Speaking of recovering—" he used his cane to walk over to them. "You two, infirmary now! I am going to be grounding you from hunts until you heal completely."

"Yes sir," they echoed. Both of them giving each other a slight glare.

A few hours and a couple of stitches later, Dean and Amaya had made their way to their apartment, where a happy German Shepherd greeted them.

"Zep," Dean warned, "Down."

The dog gave a slight whine as he stopped his motions and laid down by the couch.

"That's our good boy, Zep," Amaya praised as she gave the dog a generous pat on his head.

"You going to tell me why you refused to head to the infirmary when I told you to?" Dean asked as he grabbed a beer from the fridge, looking at his fiancée.

"Easy," she said and gave him a slight shrug. "I was perfectly fine. I was more concerned with you and the fact that we are now dealing with a goddess."

"Amaya," Dean sighed as he made his way to her.

He held her hand in his before pulling her to him, her body between his legs as he sat on one of the bar stools. Setting the beer down, he used his now free hand to cup her face.

"Dean," she whispered as he brought her forehead against his.

"I know you are strong, but we have had one too many close calls between us," Dean admitted and lifted his head slightly as he placed feather kisses along her face, avoiding her lips.

"Tease," she whispered before his lips crashed into hers in a heated kiss.

The world seemed to stop around them as Dean pressed her body flush against his. He would give anything to stay with her, but Hecate's words resonated in his mind. She had warned him that he had time to be with Amaya, but how much time did he have left?

Dean moved his lips down her jaw towards her ear. He nipped at her earlobe, before moving down to kiss the sweet spot on her neck. It was the one Dean knew drove her wild. He smirked against her skin when she let out a low, lust-filled moan.

"I don't ever want to lose you, Amaya," Dean muttered against her skin as he pulled her blouse open. The buttons flew across the room.

"You're lucky I have about fifty of these," she moaned, raking her fingers through his hair as he kissed down to the valley between her breasts.

His face nestles deep between them as he left open mouth kisses along her skin. Reaching behind her, he undid the clasp of her bra, freeing her bosom from its constricting grip. Amaya sucked in a sharp breath as his lips sealed around her nipple, his tongue licking as his mouth sucked gently on it. Her fingers moved from his head to his shirt. Quickly unbuttoning his shirt, she let her fingers caress his shoulder as it's removed from its owner and tossed on the floor.

"Always knew you were a boob man," Amaya teased as she pulled his face away from her chest, bringing her lips towards his in a searing kiss.

It didn't take long before Dean had Amaya wholly naked and on the island counter of their kitchen, his head between her legs, tongue lapping up at her juices. The sounds she was making were music to his ears. She was tart and sweet all at the same time as his lips surrounded her clit, sucking on her pulsating nub. Her fingers pulling at his hair just the way he liked it.

"Shit, babe," she moaned. "Your tongue feels so good. You are a damn god with it."

Dean smirked against her wet core as he moved to press his fingers into her. She was nice and warm, making his cock throb against his pants. He continued his ministrations, feasting on her pussy as she pulled at his short hairs. The taste of her driving him wild as he felt her walls flutter as her orgasm hit.

"Fuck," She cursed. Her legs quivered as Dean helped her ride through it.

Amaya hadn't come down from her euphoric high when he undid his belt and made quick work of removing his pants. Dean pumped himself a few times as he looked at her dripping cunt. The sight made him moan before he eased his tip into her.

"Shit, Amaya," he breathed and caressed her cheek before pulling her in for a kiss. "Your pussy feels so good."

"Dean," she whispered. Her fingernails scratching at his back as he thrust his hips. "Fuck," she gasped just as she felt the anticipation build-up.

"You going to cum again, Baby? Going to coat my cock with your cum?" he growled as he snaked his hand between them. His thumb found her clit drawing small circles on the sensitive nub.

"Dean," she moaned, her nails digging into his back as she fluttered around him.

Her legs shook as she orgasmed. Dean grunted and groaned as he snapped his hips, skin on skin echoing around the apartment. Zep looked at his owners, fucking on the counter, head tilted, watching as his owners moved as one. Meanwhile, Dean dug his fingers into Amaya's hips, leaving marks on her skin. She loved it when he marked her as it sent her over the edge again, just feeling his possessive nature, the sensation of him never wanting to let her go. At the same time, she pulled him close to her, her own fingers digging into his flesh, the fear of losing him surfacing in her thoughts. And yet, the sound he made as she rolled his hips brought her out of the negative haze. He felt perfect inside her, filled her just right.

Dean gave another groan as his hips met hers. His lips kissed along any skin he could reach, the smell of her lavender perfume calming him as the image of the ruble almost crushing her tried to push their way through. He couldn’t lose her, couldn’t even imagine what his life would be like without her. He could feel her walls clenching around him again and he gave one last grunt before he came, filling her to the brim with his seed. His mouth devoured hers as he stayed buried inside her until he began to soften.

"Fuck, baby," Dean chuckled. "We need to go on assignment more often."

Amaya playfully slapped his shoulder. "Going on assignment has nothing to do with our chemistry."

Dean helped her off the counter, placing her gently in front of him, his arms wrapped around her, pulling her in for another deep kiss.

"I love you, Amaya," he muttered against her lips. "If anything happens to me, you move on, okay?"

"Hey, where did this come from?" she pulled back to look into his green eyes.

"Just— just something that the goddess said," Dean looked down at the floor. "She mentioned that I need to spend my time with you wisely and—"

"Nothing is going to happen to you," Amaya held on to his face. "Sam will figure out what the witches were up to."

"This is something we've never dealt with before," Dean said as he cupped her face and caressed her cheek with his thumb. "If anything were to happen, if you can't fix it— just let me go?"

"Fat chance," Amaya scoffed. "No way in hell I am ever giving up on getting you back, Dean. Now, let's forget about this, go to bed, and in the morning we teach the future hunters of tomorrow."

Dean took in a deep breath, gazing deeply into her eyes. He could feel himself taking in all her features: the shape of her face, the way her eyes crinkled when she smiled, how her hair framed her face. He pulled her in for another heated kiss. Their tongues clashed as he lifted her up, her legs wrapping around his waist as he began to feel aroused again.

"Babe," she muttered against his lips.

"Can't help it, Sweetheart," he teased with a smirk "I'm hot for teacher."

The sound of her laughter filled the apartment, followed by Dean's soft chuckle. The night was spent with laughs and moans echoing in their home. Before long, both hunters were asleep in each other's arms.

Dean awoke sometime later, not able to sleep anymore. Amaya's soft snores filled the room. Looking down at her, he gently moved her hair out of her face. He smiled a bit when she leaned into his touch. He remembered when he first met Amaya. Her grandfather had brought her to the academy, she was thirteen at the time. Dean had decided that she was probably a snooty spoiled princess, but in the end, Amaya had him on his back as she straddled him, blade at his throat. It was one of his fondest memories. After that, he had tried to always one-up Amaya, but every time he found himself on his back, it made him want her even more. She was independent, smart, and always called him out on his shit. Glancing at the clock, he sighed when he realized he woke up before their alarm. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he gently moved away from her, careful not to wake Amaya. He could hear Zep whining as he made his way to the kitchen to start brewing their coffee. As he set the timer for the coffee to brew, he looked over at Zep, who lay by the sliding glass door to be let out to their tiny backyard.

"Okay, okay," Dean groaned and gave a small smile as he gave Zep a pat on the head before letting the dog out to do his business.

Leaning against the open door frame, he watched as Zep moved around the small plot of land to find the right spot to mark. He never noticed Amaya had woken up. With Zep coming in, Dean turned to see Amaya holding out his favorite mug filled with coffee.

"I see you woke up before the alarm today," she breathed before she caressed his cheek before planting a kiss on his lips.

"What can I say," he acknowledged and gave a soft shrug. "I was anxious to get back in the classroom."

"Eso lo llamo mierda," Amaya scoffed. ( I call that bullshit.)

"What?" Dean mocked as he wrapped his arms around her. "I love my classes. The kids are into learning all the strategies for a good hunt. They’re working on what to look for when hunting a ghost. I think they're ready to move on to poltergeists."

"Really?" she probed while she raised an eyebrow at her fiancé. "Well, My advanced lore kids are already moving up to Demons and Latin incantations," she let her fingers dance across his chest.

"Well, you do have the students that tested into research," Dean reminded her before capturing her lips with his.

"Si seguimos, vamos a estar tarde," she whispered. (If we keep going, we're going to be late.)

Dean groaned. He hated it when she was right.

"Me voy a vestir," he sighed and pressed his forehead against hers. "I also have wrestling try-outs to oversee this afternoon." (I’m going to get dressed.)

"Just don't pop your stitches coach," She chuckled and gave him a playful slap on his ass as he walked back to the room to get dressed for work.

Back in the original universe, Dean looked over at Amaya as he drove them to the local dive bar. He glanced every now and then towards her. The way she bobbed her head to the music made him smile. He was finding it harder and harder to find an excuse to stay away from her. If he pulled away too much, he was risking hurting her as a friend, but if he didn't hold himself back, he’d slip up, and she could be cursed with dying all because he was in love with her.

"So," she broke the deafening silence. "How are we doing this?"

"Doing what?" Dean questioned as he shifted in his seat, driving with one hand on the wheel while the other was casually resting on the open window frame.

"Well," Amaya began and rolled her shoulders, trying to relieve the tension in them. "Que vamos hacer? (What are we doing?) Are we going to hook up with different people? Are we going to hustle some frat boys at pool? I mean, what's the game plan?"

"I was thinking just," Dean trailed off a bit and licked his lips, "drinking and hanging out."

Amaya raised her eyebrow at him, "Okay, what is going on? You usually want to have the hottest girl at the bar hanging all over you."

Dean parked the car and turned to her. He didn't have a chance to continue before she was out of the car waiting for him. Getting out, he jogged slightly towards her.

"What can I say," he sighed and gave a slight shrug. "What if, just for tonight, we stress relief together. No strings."

"No strings?" Amaya asked and opened the door to the bar and made her way to the counter. She sat on the barstool and ordered herself two red-headed slut shots for herself and whiskey for Dean. "I can handle that."

"I know it's—wait, what?!" Dean snapped his head in her direction as she knocked back her shot. "You-you are okay with what I suggested?"

"Yeah, porque no?" Amaya shrugged. "I mean, what do we have to lose, right? I scratch your back, you scratch mine. Who better to make me feel good than the meat man," she smirked.

"Oh, fuck, Amaya! You are not going to let that go are you," Dean knocked his own shot back before slamming the glass on the bar top. It was something that Dean had let slip out on a drunken tirade, he had heard it from someone and figured it described him perfectly. After all, he was a guy who did love eating meat, and then Amaya had to look up the term on Urban Dictionary and laugh at how he used it. "How about we play some pool, hustle some money and then have some," Dean licked his lips before leaning in and stealing a kiss from Amaya, "fun."

Amaya bit her bottom lip when he pulled away. Her brown eyes gazed into his green ones. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She had always dreamed of this but never acted on it. She knew the risks, but she had to keep her feelings in check.

"Bueno, que estas esperando?" (Well, what are you waiting for?) She downed her second shot and looked at him. "If we're going to do this, you need to learn to relax. Besides, it's not the first time we've fucked, remember?" she let her fingers dance along with his shirt. "Gringo, let's see how much money we can make."

Dean let out a chuckle, reminiscing about the time they had a few drinks after a celebrated wolf hunt. Three drinks turned into a make-out session in the alley, followed by stumbling into her room, then a glorious night of fucking until the sun came up. When he woke up, she was gone and left a note that said thanks for the help and stress relief.

Dean shook out his thoughts as she pulled away and walked towards the pool tables, her hips swaying. Dean tilted his head, watching her leave. He licked his lips, wondering what it would be like to have her ass bouncing on his cock. Shaking the thought out of his head, he made his way to her as they picked out the best suckers to hustle. It didn't take long to find some frat boys who were too tipsy for their own good.

"Hey Mama," one of them said, "Why don't you ditch this guy and hang out with us?"

"We can really make you see stars. Besides, you're Latina, right?" The other one interjected. "I'm sure we can make a mean salsa in the bedroom."

Amaya bit her cheek from lashing out and giggled stiffly. "Ay Gringo," she shook her head. "Dudo que vas a poder a hacerme ver estrellas." (I doubt you can make me see stars.) Amaya walked up to one of them, her knife concealed before placing it on his crotch. "The only guy making me see stars or as you put it, helping me make a mean salsa in the bedroom…" she tilted her head, "is the guy I'm with. Entendiste?" (Understand?)

The frat boy nodded while his friend seemed to swallow a lump in his throat. With that settled, Dean and Amaya wiped the floor with the frat boys making off with at least $5,000. With a laugh, Amaya and Dean made their way to the Impala. Dean pressed her up against the passenger door. His fingers found their way under her fishnet top, squeezing her hip.

Amaya moaned into his kiss, "Papi," (Daddy) she whispered. "You gonna make me feel good, Winchester?"

"Oh, it's a promise, Campos," Dean said as he gave her a devilish grin.

The drive back to the Bunker was filled with teasing and moans. Dean's cock was rock hard as Amaya teased him. Amaya's panties soaked through her pants as Dean teased her with what he was going to do to her. The minute the car was parked in the garage, Amaya climbed onto Dean's lap straddling him.

"Amaya," he breathed. "We should move this to my room."

"Y que? (And what?) Give up a chance to make out like teenagers in a sexy car?" she grinned before nipping at his earlobe. "Tienes miedo?"

"M--Mi-eh-dough?" Dean raised an eyebrow at her.

"You scared?" Amaya clarified with a roll of her eyes.

Dean scoffed as he removed her leather jacket from her shoulders, revealing her fishnet top with her tube top under it. "I'm not… are you not wearing a bra?"

"Wow," Amaya chuckled. "That's one way to distract you." she smiled before capturing his lips in a searing kiss.

"Fuck, Maya," Dean placed his hands on either side of her face. "You are as sexy as fuck."

"Tell me something I don't know," she sassed.

With a sly smile, she rolled her hips, pressing up against his erection. She could feel Dean take in a sharp breath before pulling away from her, pupils lust blown as he tried to control himself.

"I really want to take you to my room Maya, please?" He found himself begging.

"En Español," she teased.

"Campos, don't ruin the mood!" Dean growled as he reached into her shirt, squeezing her breast. His thumb rolling over her erect nipple.

"Español, Winchester," she reiterated, grabbing at his short hair, giving it a tug, earning a strangled moan from the hunter.

"Pour Fa-vour," he groaned.

"Nice accent," she teased. "Since you asked so nicely and even said please."

As quick as lightning, she had gotten off his lap and out of the car. Dean stayed shocked for a minute before jumping out after her. By the time he reached room eleven, he had found her in just her panties lying on his bed, legs sprawled. Her fingers played with her clit through her panties. Dean stood there, mouth slightly open at the sight of her fingering herself, her moans, music to his ears.

"Que esperas, gringo?" (What are you waiting for, whiteboy?) she smiled as she ran a hand along her breast, pinching her nipple between her fingers.

"Fuck Amaya," Dean pulled off his jacket and flannel in one swoop.

His hand worked on his belt before unbuttoning his pants and pulling down his zipper. By then, Amaya had shimmied out of her underwear, giving him a good view of her glistening heat. Dean had let out a low growl before licking his lips and striding towards her. His head buried between her legs as he flattened his tongue against her opening.

"Fuck, Dean!" she hissed when he began sucking on her clit. "You really know how to drive a girl loca."

Dean chuckled against her entrance before plunging his tongue into her dripping hole along with his fingers, curling them as she squirmed against him. He let out a moan when Amaya ran her fingers through his hair, giving it a short tug.

"Someone loves their hair pulled," Amaya moaned as his fingers curled and pressed on her g-spot. "Papi, dame lo todo."

"Want me to give you everything, huh?" Dean chuckled. "I'll give it to you… Mami."

Amaya gasps as he continued his ministrations. The coil in her belly snapping as she came on his mouth and fingers. Dean lapping up at her juices, making her moan and scream some more as he made her cum a second time. Amaya had just started to come down from her high when Dean thrust into her waiting cunt.

Their bodies moving as one as they swallowed each other's moans and screams in a heated kiss. They both chased their release, holding and nipping at one another as Dean's thrusts stilled as he spilled into her. Amaya's thighs shook with her own orgasm as she pulled Dean close to her body. Dean groaned as he fell next to her, holding her tight.

"That was nice," he chuckled.

"Yeah," Amaya sighed. "Sleep time."

"Night, Maya," Dean kissed the top of her head.

"Night, Gringo," she whispered.

Dean made sure that Amaya was sleeping before looking down at her. Closing his eyes, he made his decision. Dean had to keep her safe, even if it meant breaking her heart just a bit. Moving the stray hairs out of her face, he leaned in and gave her one last kiss on her temple.

"Forgive me, Maya. I just can't have you put in danger because of me," holding her close, he drifted off to sleep none the wiser at what the witches spell had in store for him.

Chapter 3

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imaginesonurface · 4 years ago

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THE UNTOLD TALE | Chapter III

Draco Malfoy

Summary: brought back to Hogwarts, Sunrise must face the truth about her past while trying to find out the real reason they’re back.

This is my first HP fic, it sets in a world the books were published to hide the whole truth about magic so it’s not chronologically correct, just go with it, please. Excuse my broken English. It’s quite a trip the whole thing and it takes a while before heating up. And if you have read my other stories, YES, I DO USE THE SAME NAME! A LOT.

Sunrise watched her classes with her mind in the past. Questioning if there was something to do with the real reason they were back in school. Meanwhile, Hermione and Ron went back to their nature state of fighting. It was hard, as usual hanging with them. They didn’t have the same classes or shared the same meal table but always made time for each other.

“So, what are you really worried about?” Hermione asked as they sat by the river.

“Ahn... I guess I’m scared about what they’ll think about me after listening to it all. Also, we never talked about it.” Sunrise answered.

“I see... well, I think you will find out their opinion toward you won’t change a bit. I know ours didn’t. Which is one of the reasons we never talked about it.” the other girl answered.

“So, Miss Celebrity, are you ready for dinner?” said Pansy.

Parkinson, Bullstrode, Campos and Hewitt left their dorms to meet the boys at the common room. Sunrise slowed her steps so she could be left a little behind pulling Malfoy with her.

“Already, Hewitt?” smirked the man.

“Ha-ha very funny. Listen, I was thinking... Maybe you could lose a few Slytherins on our way to the Room of Requirement. You know, like, Pansy.” the girl whispered.

“I’d love to help you, indeed, Crabbe and Goyle are not joining us tonight. But I’m afraid your friend insisted Pansy, Emily and Blaise showed up.”

“WHAT? When?”

“During our break. You know, I keep telling you that you would only benefit hanging out with your fellow Slytherins.”

“Stop being such an eleven years old Draco Malfoy”

“What are you guys whispering about? Hope it’s not about me. You know that ship has sailed, Draco. Although, I might make an exception if you ask very nicely.” Pansy got in the middle of them, placing her arms in their shoulders.

“So... second year...” Sunrise started feeling a little upset by the fact that she couldn’t get rid of Pansy Parkinson “It was the year the chamber was opened again, ‘Enemies of the heir beware’ written on the wall. Harry, Ron and Hermione thought it was all about Draco Malfoy but at this point they didn’t trust me to spy on him.”

“It’s not that we didn’t trust you.” Hermione started.

“No, it’s just that you guys were also suspicious that I was the heir too.” they didn’t protest the statement Sunrise made so she went on “But I spied anyway because I also wanted to know. I never believed it was Harry because to me the whole parseltongue thing was normal.”

“Normal? Sunny, as I remember, it was stated that Harry only had this... ability thanks to Voldemort.” added Marta.

Sunrise could feel Ron behind her back, signing Marta to stop talking.

“I’m Parselmouth” she simply added.

“What? Totally normal. Normality itself. Hahaha” Marta said to her bottle resting her back in the armchair she was sitting, wishing to disappear.

“That’s okay. I know it isn’t normal to the rest but I grew up listening to snakes, I just never told anybody because I thought this was normal. After that year I realized it wasn’t. But back to the story, I spied on Draco and noticed very soon that he wasn’t the Slytherin heir. I tried to warn Harry but they were so paranoid that they didn’t listen to me.”

“To be fair, we were already preparing a Polyjuice Potion.” add Ron.

“Yeah, that was fun to watch. I was kind of sad that day because they were the only friends I had.”

“What about me?” said Pansy.

“Oh, come on, you always made my life a living hell.” Pansy faked an over surprise face. Sunrise ignored and continued “Watching Harry and Ron pretending to be Crabbe and Goyle was fun. Especially because I already knew Draco wasn’t the heir. Of course, I didn’t know who the real heir was and it was killing me that the only three people who could help me find out were thinking I was the heir. It was a very lonely year but it made me start hanging with Slytherins more often. They were sure I was the heir so they wanted desperately to be my friends. I didn’t tell them the truth because, well, it was fun.” the Slytherins were very embarrassed but refused to argue about it. Which just made Sunrise have more fun. “Okay, so Chamber. Wasn’t there.”.

“WHAT?” Raul said, clearly disappointed.

“I mean, Harry wasn’t quite talking to me, remember? But as soon as I heard about it, I went after them and found them leaving the Chamber. They spent over a month apologizing for wrongly accusing me. There, finished the second year. Let’s get drunk again.”

“Oh, let’s dance today. PLEASE!” said Lorena.

Everybody agreed and music started bursting. Sunrise wasn’t on the mood so she sat down chatting to Hermione about how the classes changed past the years.

“So... Hewitt, you’re not going to dance?” Draco said loud enough so everybody could hear.

“Here we go” Sunrise whispered to herself.

“You know, Sunrise was a big dancer back then” Draco added.

“It’s true, you two used to dance a lot at the meetings” add Crabbe who finally joined them.

“Meetings?” asked Raul.

“What are you doing here? I thought you weren’t joining us tonight.” Sunrise tried to ignore Raul’s question.

“I got bored” said Crabbe.

“We used to dance a lot, indeed. What do you think, Hewitt? Fancy a dance?” he stood his hand to the girl.

“No”.

Malfoy swigged his wand and “Say My Name” by Alex and Sierra started playing.

“Come on, let’s show them” he grabbed her hand forcing her to stand up.

A little bit contradicted but very excited, Sunrise started following him during the three minutes song. She felt his hand running through her body as they danced a very angry tango.

“Not ex-boyfriend, right” said Ron.

“Ronald!” Hermione whispered.

But the dancers couldn’t listen to him. Actually, they were so busy with each other that they couldn’t listen to anything else. Soon enough the music was over and everybody applauded them.

“Where you... a couple?” said Marta.

“No” they quickly answered.

“We just knew how to dance so why not dance together?” added Malfoy getting himself a drink.

Nobody seemed to believe in their answer. Not even themselves.

#tom felton #draco malfoy #the untold tale #harry potter #tom felton imagine #draco malfoy imagine #harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban #hp3

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dispatchesfrom2020 · 4 years ago

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2020

What stories was I sleeping on?

So, what stories did I definitely miss before this project? Well, Atlantic Hurricanes and the Belarussian protests, for sure. Here are some of the other news I skipped out on during the year - or my recaps.

Ben Curtis/AP

1. Locusts Swarm

An unusually wet 2019 led to swampy conditions across the Horn of Africa and western Asia - giving rise to a nearly biblical swarm of locusts. There are photographs where they literally seem to black-out the sun. The culprit? Climate change. The warming waters of the Indian ocean led to stormier weather - essentially more and bigger cyclones. It’s the worst outbreak of the crop-devouring pests in a quarter-century and it threatens food security across the region. The pandemic grinds international trade to a stop - obstructing many countries efforts to buy pesticides, equipment or bring in expert help to curb the infestation. Throughout the year, these swarms ballooned in size, stretching deep into Asia and across the Pacific ocean to Argentina and Brazil. An estimated 20 million people could face hunger and starvation and the UN’s World Food Program estimates that recovery could cost upwards of $9b USD in Africa alone.

Tyler Hicks/The New York Times

2. The Tigray War

For three decades the Tigray people held the balance of political and economic power in the country, tightly controlled through the Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF), a Tigray nationalist party. In 2018 the Ethiopian election People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, led by Oromo Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, won control of the country’s government.

Animosities boiled over when the Tigray province persisted with the 2020 election, despite government orders to postpone voting until 2021 due to the coronavirus. Prime Minister Abiy cut off funding to Tigray, incising local leadership. In November 2020, youth militias affiliated with the TPLF killed six hundred villagers in the border town of Mai Kadra - and allegedly attacked Ethiopian military bases.

The government responded by shelling the Tigray capital of Mekelle. Ethiopia’s armed forces quickly took control of the city and surrounding towns, with the militias retreating into the mountains where skirmishes have continued.

With Tigrayan people facing violent retaliation - they have faced furloughs from jobs, had bank accounts suspended, faced arbitrary raids on their homes, and been refused permission to board airplanes or travel overseas. Many have faced direct violence, especially from non-Tigray militias.

The conflict has seen incursions from Eritrean forces. Abiy was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for his work mending the relationship with Ethiopia’s former colony-turned-neighbour. They share a common enemy now - Tigray. Eritrean forces slaughtered church-goers at a religious festival in early December, killing children and elders indiscriminately. These shadow forces of Fano militias and Eritrean soldiers have committed war crimes - including extrajudicial killings and rape. They even looted the church that allegedly houses the Ark of the Covenant.

The Tigrayan refugees have only one option: Sudan. One journalist writes: “Several [Tigrayan refugees] told me that they saw dozens of bodies along the route as they fled their shops, homes and farms and took to the long road to the border... in stifling heat.”

The New York Times series on Tigray was helpful in understanding more about the conflict and its historical and ethnic contexts. But I have to say - I feel unclear about what comes next. Will guerilla warfare between the Tigray militias and Eritrean-Ethiopian forces continue? Will the country face international consequences for their move towards genocide? I guess 2021 will decide.

A SolarWinds banner hangs outside the New York Stock Exchange on the company’s IPO day in 2018 - Brendan McDermid/Reuters

3. The SolarWinds hack

I chose to write about icebergs rather than this story for a reason. I wholly do NOT understand cyber security. Like, at all. My eyes glaze over when somebody tries to explain Wikileaks to me. I tried. I really did - I read like three articles trying to parse the details and make sense of anything and here’s what I got:

Hackers - almost certainly Russian - got into the US government secure networks. For a lot of departments. For months. It’s really, really bad. The government has a pretty blasé response to the disaster. Trump blames China. Agencies are turning directly to Microsoft for answers rather than their own cyber security people. It’s a blazing hot mess.

I’m going to continue to not understand this one, sorry.

Juan Carlos Ulate/Reuters

4. Civil Rights in 2020

The expansion of civil rights in Central/South America, with the legalization of abortion in Argentina in December and the introduction of gay marriage in Costa Rica in May, gave us something to celebrate in 2020. These new rights are the result of years - and decades - of organizing by activists in these two countries.

Costa Rica is the sixth Latin-American country to legalize gay marriage. Argentina joins a short list of places in Latin America where abortion is fully legal - just Cuba, Guyana, Uruguay, and two Mexican states.

Some couples rushed to wed on the stroke of midnight - magistrates stayed up late into the night to marry couples. Marcos Castillo (L) and Rodrigo Campos (R) waited until the following morning - and celebrated with a masked kiss after their ceremony.

Other notable moments in civil rights? New Zealand officially revoked their antiquated anti-abortion laws (which they’d been effectively ignoring for years anyway), Bhutan decriminalized homosexuality, Switzerland passed legislation that will allow people to change the gender on their government IDs, and Croatia struck down laws forbidding gay couples from fostering children. Albania banned gay conversion therapy - as did the Yukon, actually - and Barbados made discrimination on the basis of sexuality illegal.

Nicky Kuautonga/The Guardian

5. Oceania crushed the pandemic

Virtually all of the countries reported to be COVID-free during 2020 were Oceanic nations and island territories. Turkmenistan says they didn’t have any cases but they’re lyin’. -Tuvalu Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Palau all ended the year with no cases, while Samoa and the Solomon Islands reported a few isolated cases in quarantine facilities as they re-opened the border to repatriate their citizens abroad.

Some combination of strict travel restrictions, new hygiene rules, curfews, and early lockdowns kept most of these countries relatively untouched. While New Zealand and Australia experienced several flare-ups throughout the year, their targeted lockdowns helped eradicate community spread quickly each time, returning them to schools, workplaces and boozy brunches quickly.

Honourable mentions to Vietnam and Thailand - with 100 million and 70 million citizens apiece both have charted under 100 deaths to COVID - and Taiwan with only nine casualties.

Gulalay Amiri, a pomegranate farmer, surveys his slim haul. Fighting as worsened in many parts of Afghanistan after the United States announced they would withdraw from the country in 2021 - Jim Huylebroek for The New York Times

6. War in Afghanistan

In March the United States signed a peace-deal with the Taliban, promising to withdraw troops by May of 2021. The War in Afghanistan has lasted 19 years - the longest war in American history and the majority of my lifetime.

I don’t know how to feel about it.

During peace talks the Taliban refused to commit to recognizing the country’s elected government, disavowing Al-Qaeda or protecting women’s rights. They support limited education for girls - only up to the sixth grade.

I listened to a few podcasts by the Daily on the ground in Afghanistan with the current government’s security forces. Many of the young soldiers they interviewed were so young they’d never lived in a country governed by the Taliban - and they fiercely oppose the idea. It also appears that the Afghan government were often excluded from peace talks, finding out details of the American meetings with the Taliban through international news reports and Taliban statements on social media.

Since the Taliban’s deal with the United States, Taliban bombings and attacks have continued, targeting both security forces and civilians. The Afghan government has pointed the finger at the Taliban for mass shooting at a maternity ward in Kabul that killed 24 women and infants. “They came for the mothers”, said horrified eyewitnesses.

For almost two decades, the western world has supported the ‘new’ Afghanistan - but it feels very fragile. Will a withdrawal lead those people that assisted coalition forces vulnerable to retaliation? It feels likely. The fighting between the Taliban and the Afghan government has been fierce - and come with high civilian casualties. The year is punctuated, nearly monthly, with news of new attacks in Afghanistan.

It reminds me of the end of the Vietnam war. America withdrew and two years later the south was retaken by the North. In the final days of the Vietnam war the United States evacuated around 150,000 civilians who had worked with American on the ground. Nearly a million others left the country by boat, seeking asylum at refugee camps in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese people who had collaborated with the US-backed South were sent to re-education camps where they were sometimes tortured or starved. Is this what Afghanistan will look like?

There’s no 'good’ solution - and for now the future of the war in Afgahnistan feels very opaque. I think I under-reported stories in the region as a result - it feels too complex to boil down into daily recaps.

Bobi Wine, 38, was detained by police for allegedly breaking COVID-19 restrictions while campaigning in Uganda’s upcoming presidential election - Abubaker Lubowa/Reuters

8. Ugandan election protests

Western media doesn’t seem to place a lot of importance on reporting in Africa - but what little attention they had for the continent focused on the anti-SARS protests in Nigeria throughout the fall. The attention on police violence in America raised the profile of these demonstrations - and the brutality of the government’s response, shooting at dozens of peaceful marchers gathered at the Lekki toll bridge.

But they were far from the only protests in Africa.

As Uganda prepared for an election early in 2021, the government forcefully cracked down on youthful dissidents - like presidential hopefuls Bobi Wine and Patrick Amuriat who were detained by police during the final campaign pushes in November.

Wine, a young musician, has been arrested numerous times since he announced his candidacy. One occasion police beat Wine so badly he temporarily lost his vision - they also killed his driver. They raided his offices, confiscating election materials, and arrested supporters. His bodyguard will later be killed after being struck by a military truck while helping an injured reporter escape tear-gas during December protests.

Police record 56 casualties as they violently put down the large-scale protests - though human rights group have suggested the real number could be dramatically higher.

Ariana Quesada holds a photo of her father, Benito. He died after an outbreak at the Cargill meat-packing plant where he worked. She filed a complaint with the RCMP, asking them to investigate conditions at the plant - Justin Pennell/CBC

9. Meat packing plants become coronavirus hotspots

Meat processing plants become super-spreaders - these often rurally-located factories see massive outbreaks across the United States and Canada. Their floors are crowded with employees working elbow-to-elbow, forced to shout over the loud din of machinery. The refrigeration - necessary for keeping the meat unspoiled - may allow the virus to live longer in the air.

By September of 2020, nearly 500 meat-processing plants had reported at least one case of COVID in the United States. And 203 had died.

At a Tyson Foods factory in Waterloo, Iowa, staff allege that management placed bets on how many workers would become sick - and die. Supervisors began avoiding the floor, relegating their responsibilities to untrained workers.

The plant reluctantly closed - by the time they re-opened two weeks later over a third of their 2,800 workforce had tested positive. Five workers died - including Isidro Fernandez, whose family is leading a lawsuit against the company.

In Canada, Cargill faces a similar lawsuit after an enormous outbreak in their High River facility that resulted in three deaths - two employees and one staffer’s 71-year-old father. They were: Hiep Bui, Armando Sallegue, and Benito Quesada. The company offered a $500 “responsibility” bonus for workers who didn’t miss any shifts - and discouraged employees from reporting any flu-like symptoms. Many of the factory’s workers are temporary foreign workers or new Canadians.

10. The Nazca Lines

I forgot about this and am shoehorning it in now, but Peruvian archaeologists discovered another ancient line drawing in the desert outside of Lima - this time in the shape of a kitty cat.

Of all the archaeology finds this year - remains at Pompeii, a mammoth graveyard in Mexico, and a wealth of sarcophagi in Egypt - this is my favourite.

#2020 recap #2020 in depth

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pcttrailsidereader · 5 years ago

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8 Tips for Preventing Injury and Making the first 100 PCT miles a Success

Originally posted on February 26, 2018 on 2 Foot Adventures . . . this advice is very wise. I have seen lots of otherwise strong hkers in agony not far from Campo because they went too far, too fast. Blisters, stress fractures, and strains can all derail the best plans.

The PCT is a journey, not a race. This can’t be overstated enough as you embark upon the first 100 miles of your 2,660-mile hike to Canada. Injury is among the top reasons hikers leave the trail in the first 100-300 miles. The tips provided below will help you avoid injury and keep you walking happy and healthy well beyond these first miles.

BEFORE THE TRAIL

8. Train - So many thru-hikers neglect this part. Being physically fit before starting the trail is the #1 way to avoid injury on the trail. It’s not a requirement, but it is REALLY REALLY helpful and makes the first 100 miles a little easier. Even if you are fit, the first 100 miles is still tough and will challenge you in ways you never dreamed before. If you live in a place not conducive to training outdoors there are lots of ways you can train indoors. The areas of focus should be:

~ Time on your feet with your backpack fully loaded. One hiker in 2017 told me she lived way up north, almost in the Arctic Circle, and she walked circles in her living room for up to 8-hrs a day to get her body ready. Maddening! But she arrived strong and fit and ready for the trail.

~ Develop strong legs, core, back, and shoulders. When you hike for many hours a day with a backpack on your body gets tired and your body mechanics begin to breakdown. Once your body mechanics breakdown you need to stop hiking ASAP! Continuing on can quickly develop into an injured knee, hip, shoulder, etc. Strengthening these areas ahead of time is better than doing this on trail.

~ Develop a stretch routine that targets all your major muscles. Having a stretch routine before the trail will make doing it on trail much more likely and it’s a very good habit to get into when hiking for 8-10+ hrs/day.

ON THE TRAIL

Certainly not THAT much!

7. Carry just enough water - I know, you’re starting your hike off in the desert. It’s hot. All the books/blogs say there’s no water for the first 20 miles. Have you looked at the PCT Water Report available here? Often times there is water in the first 20 miles it's just a short hike off trail, but there is water. In a wet year there are numerous water sources on trail during these miles. IF you decided you don’t want to walk off trail to get water then consider these items when planning the amount of water you’re going to start with.

~ What is the weather? - If it’s a cool cloudy day and rain is expected (this does happen) then you won’t need to carry the conventional 6L of water at the start.

~ Are you a small, medium, or large guy/girl? - A small female will not need to carry as much water as a large man. Analyze your size and water needs. I am a 120-lb female and started my PCT hike on a day with temperatures topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit. I hiked 15 miles to Houser Creek my first day. I used water in a lunch, dinner, and breakfast before reaching Lake Morena. I began with 4 liters of water and still had some left when I reached the lake. I’m from Southern California and was well acclimated to exercising in the heat.

~ How many miles are you hiking your first day? - There’s no need to hike all the way to Lake Morena on Day 1. You can split it into 2 days. If you haven't be able to train enough, plan to do it in 1.5-2 days and plan on walking the short distance off trail to get additional water so you are more comfortable during the hours and miles you are walking on the first couple of days. You’ll have plenty of time to do this and take numerous breaks.

Water is heavy, weighing approximately 2.2-lb or 1-kg per liter. It’s important that you know where your next water supply will be so you carry just a tad more than what is needed to get there. Be realistic about your water needs and know in many places you can hike a little off trail and get more water if needed. Know where those sources are BEFORE you set out each day and don’t rely on water caches. While 3rd Gate is usually stocked during the season, even if it’s out, there’s a hose a little further off the trail where you can get water.

6. Reduce your food - Most hikers carry way too much food their first 100 miles. They dump half their resupply box into the hiker box and groan about the wasted money and weight they’ve been lugging around for the past week. When packing your food consider the following:

~ Hiker hunger doesn’t kick-in for a couple weeks, sometimes longer.

~ When it’s really hot most hikers don’t feel like eating a whole lot.

~ When you’ve walked all day in the heat and you’re exhausted, you don’t feel like cooking a hot dinner. Although if you’ve followed the advice above you won’t be exhausted. You will have taken plenty of breaks and not walked more miles than your body was ready for.

~ There are cafes/restaurants and resupply options available every 20-35 miles for the first 100 miles. Make use of those and don’t carry so much food with you to start. Your backpack will be lighter, your body will feel better, and this will reduce the chance of injury.

5. Don’t carry “backup” anything - I can write a book about all the “back-up” and “extra” things hikers carry in their backpacks. You haven’t hiked the PCT before or any long trail so you (or your family/friends) have a long list of “what-ifs” that you feel you need to prepare for. 99.9% of those things will not materialize. You only need the absolute essentials. You don’t need an extra shirt or pair of shorts. You don’t need 2 books. You don’t need 3 flashlights and 2 extra fire starting items. You don't need bear spray or a machete or even a bear canister. What you do need is a backpack that is light enough that you are comfortable carrying your food, water, and essential supplies. You may think that you will have tons of time to do “insert some activity here”, but you’ll be too tired to want to do those things, or you’ll be too busy making new friends, making dinner, napping, or looking at what’s ahead for tomorrow.

4. Take Lots of Breaks - You’re walking far, very very far, almost 3,000 miles! Stop and rest. Take off your backpack. Take off your shoes and socks. Stretch. Eat. Hydrate. Taking frequent breaks helps your body avoid injuries by giving it rest and an opportunity to move in a different way. Overuse injuries are VERY common on the PCT and result in hundreds of hikers leaving the trail. It’s advisable that during breaks you take time to massage your aching feet and legs. Move your body throughout a range of motions that are different from walking. It will feel good, trust me! And this is a great habit to form.

OK . . . not THAT big.

3. Get really big shoes - Shoes are tough. Most hikers start with shoes they consider to be big. They size up a half or whole size and feel like they have lots of room in there for their foot to grow. The reality is your feet are going to swell up to 2 sizes during the desert and here’s why. You’re walking EVERYDAY. You’re walking FAR everyday. You’re walking with more weight than you trained with. You’re walking up and down mountains. You’re walking in 100 deg heat. All these factors contribute to big feet! Do yourself a favor and get really big shoes; your feet will thank you!

2. Leave your ego at home

- Sure, go ahead and laugh. You think you don’t have ego or you won’t fall into the pressure to hike more miles than you set out to do, but it happens…a lot. You’re in a new place. You’ve met a couple of really awesome people that you click with and want to hike with but they walk just barely faster than you. They walk a few more miles than you. Having them “leave you” isn’t something you want to think about so you do just a little more to keep up with them and then it happens….BOOM! You’re injured. Now you’ll get way behind them. Now you’re spending money resting in town trying to figure out if you can keep hiking at all. Don’t let this happen! Know that these awesome people will be in the next town when you get there. You will see them again and again and again. You will meet other amazing people. There’s NO reason to hike even slightly out of your comfort zone and it’s a REALLY bad idea in the first 100 miles. Let the speed demons go by you. You might see them laid up in the next town with a blown out knee or shin splints. HYOH - Hike Your Own Hike! Most importantly, Take Care of You!!!

1. Be a tortoise, not a hare

- What?!? Go SLOW! Take your time and ease into thru-hiking. Thru-hiking is incredibly strenuous especially when you are starting out. Your body isn’t used to the demands of hiking every single day with so much weight, in the heat, and up and down mountains that have trails that are slightly cantered to the left and then to the right. Make a plan for your first couple of weeks on trail. Be super conservative with your miles. Plan a couple of weeks at 10 -14 miles a day, less if needed. Plan to take a zero (no hiking day) at least every 5-7 days. Take several half days if you are near town. You don’t have to actually hike your planned miles every single day. Be realistic about your starting fitness. If you’re really fit, your backpack is light, and you’ve trained consistently, then maybe you can do 15-18 miles a day right off. For the vast majority of hikers, that’s too much. Don’t bother planning every day of your hike though. Things happen on the trail that you have no control over. Despite your best efforts you might have a nagging pain starting. There might be dangerous weather up on the ridge you where you were planning to camp. It’s good to be flexible with your plan, listen to your body, and take additional breaks.

Keep in mind, the first 100 miles is indeed the toughest! That’s not to say that any single mile after 100 will be easy, but if you follow these tips, you’ll set a solid foundation for your PCT thru-hike that will last for many miles beyond the first 100.

#advice #foot problems #blisters #shin splints #preparation

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bisonabroad · 5 years ago

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“This experience made me made me think about my own values and how can I change them for the better.”

The Roman Colosseum in Rome, Italy

I had never traveled out of the country before this summer. Italy was the first country I had wanted to visit when I finally got the opportunity to travel out of the country. The reason why I wanted to go to Italy first because that is where my ancestors came from. I wanted to see how my ancestors lived, I wanted to see what the country looks like, and learn about Italian culture. When I learned about the Siena School’s Deaf Studies program through a friend who went there the previous summer, I thought it would be a great opportunity because I would get to learn a new sign language, visit Italy, and experience living abroad. I always go for new opportunities, so I took this opportunity as a unique experience for me, especially because I would be traveling out of the country for the first time.

Duomo di Milano in Milan

When I first arrived in Italy, the bathroom was different from the bathrooms that I was used to in America. The Italians diet is light as opposed to American food. Air conditioning is not common in Italy. It was difficult for me at first since I have never traveled out of the country. However, it taught me a lot of things and made me realize how many things America has that Europe does not and made me appreciate where I live more. In addition, traveling out of the country has taught me how to travel better regarding what to pack, how to get to a destination, and how to prepare myself to be in another country and culture. Last but not least, this whole trip helped me to do a self-analysis. For example, the values the Italians have, such as the importance of family, have made me think about my own values and how can I change them for the better.

Corniglia (one of five villages in a coastal area called Cinque Terre)

In the program, there were a total of 44 students, including students from the University of Arizona, Towson University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Gallaudet University, Italian students from Italy, professionals (who have already graduated college), and the list continues. As part of the program, we got to meet members of the National Deaf Organization in Italy. When we met them, we had already learned some Italian Sign Language (LIS), so our knowledge was put to use. What was interesting is that LIS was not recognized in Italy until the 1980s so many Italian Deaf people rely heavily on using oral communication while signing. We see less of this in America. We tend to see either American Sign Language only or deaf individuals who communicate orally only. It is not as common to see simultaneous communication (simcom).

Siena School Deaf Studies Program with National Deaf Organization in Italy

During our free time, we visited Milan, Cinque Terre, and Rome. It is interesting to see the differences between big cities and small towns in Italy. For sure there are a lot of tourists in the big cities, but there are few in the small towns like Siena, where I stayed for three weeks to study Italian Sign Language, Italian Language, Italian Deaf History and Culture. Because Siena is a small town, it allowed me to immerse myself deeply into the culture there. The Palio di Siena is a several hundred years old tradition in Siena, and we got to watch the Palio di Siena during our stay there. I will not say anything more about this old tradition because if you are interested in this, you should do this study abroad program and find out why the Palio di Siena is so cool to watch and experience!

A view of Siena, Italy

As a Deaf person, if you want to connect with an international Deaf community, the Siena Deaf Studies program gives you an opportunity to learn a new sign language and a few universal signs. After the program, you will be able to communicate with several international Deaf communities, not just the deaf community in Italy because the program will teach you how to communicate with a person who signs another language.

Piazza del Campo in Siena is filled with people to watch the Palio di Siena

#deaftravel #deaf #gallaudet #bisonabroad #gallaudetabroad #gallyabroad #deafstudies #italy #studyabroaditaly #italystudyabroad #sienaschool #sienaitaly #siena #signlanguages #signlanguage #lis #italiansignlanguage

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skammovistarplus · 6 years ago

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Culture and Translation - S01 E01 C05-12

This post deals with cultural and translation concepts in clips 6 to 12, from episode 1. I also wrote about some things that I forgot to mention in the first post. I think this is it for the first episode, though. Let me know if there is stuff you’re still unclear about.

CLIP 5: Let us discuss ALEJANDRO

As I mentioned in the first post (just click the tag), in Spain groups are pretty stable through class periods. Therefore, and based on who we’ve seen in clip 3, Eva, Lara, Lucas, Amira, Viri and Alicia all go to class together. Amira may have met Nora in class, or during break. Cris may be part of the same group, since I gathered Viri is her class president as well.

Prior to the show airing, there was some discussion over what kind of vehicle Alejandro would drive. It is EXTREMELY unusual for a Spanish high schooler to drive a car.

You can only get a driver’s license when you turn 18.

It is a somewhat involved process.

A student turns 18 in his or her second year of Bachillerato, AFTER the New Year. This is similar to Norway. Chris Berg (born the 6th of January, 1999) and Sana (born the 24th of December, 1999) are in the same grade.

Even if Alejandro had the money and means to get a driver’s license and a car in as painless a process as possible, finding a parking spot in the heart of Madrid is a fucking nightmare. My high school teachers came to work via public transit.

We find out in clip 5 that Alejandro comes to school on a motorbike. This is fine; you can get a driver’s license for a motorbike when you turn 16. There are some limits on how powerful the engine can be, but it’s still a bike.

That said, when the profile for Alejandro went up, we found out he’s been held back a year (like Even) and he’s already 18. So he could theoretically show up with a car in the future. This factoid also implies things about Alejandro that weren’t a factor for the other Williams. All the other Williams haven’t had issues education-wise.

CLIP 6: In which Eva’s lineage is besmirched

Eva has already called Lucas a son of a bitch, but in this clip, we get the female form. Daughter of a bitch just doesn’t roll off the tongue as well as the male form, so I settled on fucking bastard.

I could’ve translated it as any number of slut-shaming slurs, but. Given the themes in Eva’s season, I think the actual slut shaming slurs will come out eventually, and I want to make a distinction between those and what Inés calls Eva in this specific clip. Right now, Inés isn’t making an issue of Eva’s sluttiness, but rather her mother’s. Who probably has no idea any of this is happening, but hey. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Inés also tells Eva, “Flipo contigo.” I translated this as the appalled, disbelieving, “I can’t believe you.” The literal translation would be “I’m tripping on [your attitude].” “Flipar” makes reference to the effects a drug has on your consciousness, mainly hallucinations. The construction “flipar contigo” can be positive or negative. They might be appalled with you, as is Inés, or they may think you’re amazing. They might think you’re boasting, or that you’re literally high! So many options!

CLIP 7: Jorge Is Concerned

Jorge has a Slytherin folder! I thought the snake was Lucas. Cute detail, though.

I know that shippers gonna ship, and you’re not going to want to warm up to a Jonas when Penetrator Chris is coming. Still, Jorge might be the most attuned to Eva’s emotions of all the Jonases. He knows something is wrong and insists that she tell him, over and over in this clip.

Hugo and Dilan are apparently doing some kind of Fortnite meme? They could be doing a Polish traditional dance for all I know.

Hugo congratulates Dilan on a dance well danced by calling him a “cabrón.” Literally, this word would mean that Dilan is being cuckolded. For a number of reasons, I will be translating “cabrón” as bastard or asshole, unless someone actually gets cuckolded.

You can check the shows happening in Madrid on the 14th of September, if you would like to make a guess as to where the boys went that was so packed: here.

CLIP 8: Endorphin hits

I already mentioned this on Twitter, but Eva taking off her jeans to put on pajama pants, yet keeping the top she wore to school, is peak relatable.

Eva ordered a pizza from Telepizza. I find them to be too greasy and prefer other chains, but it’s certainly Spanish as fuck.

Again, I can’t tell what she’s snacking on while she reheats the pizza. Some kind of squared-shaped crackers, yes, but the brand isn’t obvious. She also grabs a few ruffled chips.

CLIP 9: These three dumbasses

I’ve said elsewhere that my top 3 Skam characters are Eva, Isak and Sana. That said, I have a huge weak spot for the Eva/Isak/Jonas trio and their dynamic in season 1. It’s a friend group that starts out seemingly stable—a couple and their best friend—but one of the thorough-lines of season 1 is how it comes to disintegrate into lies, cheating and manipulation. All the ingredients for that eventual implosion are subtly interwoven in this clip, and deployed nicely for a wholly original clip.

Tomás Aguilera is doing some great work here, he genuinely looks and sounds like he’s exhausted. But it also means he’s slurring some of his lines. I have listened to them with headphones, had someone else listen to them with the speed slowed down . . . No dice. I tried for an approximation, instead. The lines that are giving me problems are, “el triunfo está siendo una puta ______ en el campo” and “_____ se lo compró sola, ¿eh?”

I love that both Lucas and Eva are wannabe football commentators.

Jorge calls himself “el puto amo,” an extremely common way of bragging. There are in fact og Skam parody subs kicking around on Twitter, where Eskild tells Isak to say that, “Eskild es el putísimo amo,” instead of a guru. A literal translation would be, “the fucking boss/master.” I think these are both valid translations, but I already used “master” for the first clip for a totally different word. “Boss” is good, but I find “badass” to be a much more common way to brag.

Jorge calls himself a badass, and Eva replies, “Te has flipado muchísimo.” This is, again, about “flipar” or tripping. Eva thinks Jorge’s bragging is so over the top that he’s actually tripping—on the drug that is his own ego. In this case, I did go for the literal translation. Their banter is fairly par for the course. Jorge wants to build Eva up, since he just bailed on her, and he succeeds at least at making her smile.

Lucas says of Eva’s hat that it “tiene estilo,” i.e. the hat is stylish. I translated it as, “the little hat is something.” I am aware that it loses some of the subtext about Lucas. I definitely wouldn’t fight a literal translation of the sentence. This is where I go full meta. Are the writers trying to say something about Lucas by having him say that? Or is that something any Spanish dude would say to be sarcastic? I’ve met a lot of straight guys who’d say something like that just to be funny, so I picked something that was a bit more subtle. Lucas is still commenting on Eva’s clothes, rather than Eva’s body or any number of things someone who was into girls would find attractive. He’s just doing it in a way an English-speaking straight dude would go about it. But this is a very personal take, so your mileage may vary. AM I STRAIGHT-WASHING LUCAS, especially since the people watching these subs will have probably watched all other remakes and know what’s coming? A question to ponder.

CLIP 10: Ye olde bait-and-switch pt. II

More thoughts on class trips. As I mentioned previously, I went to Majorca when I was 14. These girls will be turning 17 next year. Because of that, I find Majorca to be a bit of a destination for kiddies. When I did Baccalaureate, the class trip was to Prague, Czech Republic. This is still a thing. In fact, the high school where Skam España is filmed organizes a trip to Prague for Baccalaureate first years.

I’m not naming the school here because it took only a couple days for someone to learn where the show is shot, to go and crash the filming. Let’s avoid another Nissen situation, folks.

The fact that Viri wants to go to Majorca comes across, to me, as Viri being more immature than her peers. But, it might also be that she missed out on an earlier class trip at her former school. Or she knows that parents would absolutely not allow a bunch of high school girls to go to Prague without an adult to supervise them. Or that they won’t ever get enough money to subsidize an international trip, and she’s managing her expectations and ambitions. Or the trip is actually going to take place and it’s easier for the production team to film in Majorca.

At any rate, this trip, much like my trip to Majorca, is not supposed to entail any learning. They’re going to spend the whole day at the beach, and the whole night partying. As an aside, when Viri comments on how hot the guys are, she sounds like a divorcee ogling hot dudes. It’s hilarious because she’s so young. I tried to have that come across in translation.

There was some discussion about Cris in this trip. Og Chris Berg was someone who, while colorful in her own way, did her best to avoid confrontation. She’d much rather not say anything, rather than say something that could possibly offend someone. We see here that Cris Soto is a different kind of Chris. I could start rambling about the way the different remakes have adapted Chris, but I’ll keep this to Skam España. My impression is that, because Amira’s actress has been very vocal about the ignorance she encounters as a hijabi, Skam España is making more of an effort from the jump to show that ignorance. (In the og, we only really start to see this ignorance on the part of the whole girl squad when we get to Sana’s season. The previous impression was that only Vilde was ignorant.) I don’t feel that Cris is being intentionally rude, although Amira is certainly put off—and right to be, since Cris is making a joke about a piece of garment.

Cris just seems like she doesn’t know much about what Amira’s life is like. And although she doesn’t get it, particularly, she’s willing to go with whatever Amira feels is right for her.

As in the og, Cris brings Amira into the group. The difference is that it’s Amira who tips Nora. Of course, Noora only joined the bus group to get to know Eva, but also Sana. It works!

CLIP 11: Madison, Wisconsin

Mr. Wonderful is a Spanish enterprise that takes inspirational/cheesy/corny stuff you’d find on Instagram, puts them on all kinds of merchandise and sells them. As you might’ve gathered from previous clips, Spanish people are a bit more rough and tumble than the Mr. Wonderful products would suggest. So while popular among some, Mr. Wondeful stuff is also hugely backlashed. There’s an instagram account called puterful_es that takes demotivators and slaps them on merchandise, too. Hilariously, Eva follows both Mr. Wonderful and Puterful on Instagram.

I know that people who watched og Skam saw Ingrid and Sara as the popular girls. However, as the show goes on, we learn that Ingrid, Sara, and their crew, are first years, just like Eva. They’re only starting to build their rep at school. The truly popular and feared girls are Maria and her Rad Girls bus crew. This isn’t the case with Inés and Alicia (who earlier was a total idiot about Amira wearing a hijab). These girls are THE girls you want to have on your side, or your projects won’t ever get off the ground.

Amira thinks it’s notable that she was born in Spain, instead of being born somewhere else and moving to Spain. I guess that makes her identity more in turmoil, since she’s constantly moving between two worlds. I think all the Sanas were born in the cities the Skams are set.

Nora is from Madison! I know @lightsandlostbells finds it hugely amusing. So do I! You’d expect someone like the Noora expy to come from someplace glamorous or exotic. Noora, Manon and Mia came from Madrid. Who knows what red-lipped woman of mystery Eleonora has done with her life. Grace is from Dallas, so not that high in the exotic scale. So far, we don’t know whether Liv has spent time anywhere else. There’s some exotism to be mined just from the magic words “Estados Unidos,” but it’s clear the girls don’t find Madison hugely impressive. If Nora had come from New York or Los Angeles, the meeting would’ve gone off the rails because the girls would have so many questions.

In real life, Nora’s actress Nicole Wallace’s father is from the D.C. area, while her mom is Spanish.

Viri’s façade is torn to pieces when she sullenly mutters, “De puta madre.” This would be a sarcastic way of saying, “Fucking great.” I picked fucking hell, but in hindsight, I’d fix that. Subs are a continuous work in progress, I’ve found.

There has also been some discussion regarding house parties. House parties have not been part of my Spanish teenage experience. It is far, far more common to go to “botellones.” I know there’s some confusion over what a botellón is or isn’t, so I’ll explain. There are some public places in Spanish cities (parks, squares, basically any decently-lit place with space to accommodate hundreds of people) where teenies will gather every weekend. They will bring their own beverages and get drunk. They will mingle, perhaps meet someone new and hook up. Botellones are unofficial gatherings. You don’t need to get an invite. It’s a public place. You go there because you know other people are going to be there. You can hit botellones in other neighborhoods for a change of pace, and no one’s going to tell you to stay out.

It is much cheaper to buy some booze at a convenience store, than to buy a drink or several at a bar. Besides, the drinking age in Spain is 18, so the girls wouldn’t necessarily be able to get into a club, and they’d be carded.

I’m not sure whether we will see botellones in Skam España, simply because the logistics of filming one would be really complicated. You’d need about a hundred extras, each with an NDA, the willing participation and silence of a neighborhood, and to make sure no one’s going to wander in and find a camera crew filming everyone. That said, the trailer did contain some videos clearly shot at botellones. Possibly actual botellones, not ones for the show.

But back to the house parties. While they haven’t been part of my experience, I’m told they do happen, in neighborhoods that are way posher than mine. Alejandro and Cristián are implied to be that rich, so I guess it works. More on that in episode 2 commentary.

Amira implies she wouldn’t be successful at flirting, because her hijab would put guys off. This is a departure from the og, where the Penetrators were certainly into the idea of partying with Sana. I’m not sure I believe that plenty of Spanish guys wouldn’t want to hit that BECAUSE of the hijab, too. And let’s be clear, while Amira singles Eva and Nora out as pretty, none of these girls would have an issue getting hot dudes to consider them.

My parents wouldn’t have been happy to find I’ve been drinking their beer, while underage, and offering it to my similarly underage friends.

CLIP 12: Can’t miss that backpack

The microphones caught bits of a background conversation mentioning Ramadan, but I don’t think that was intentional. I didn’t include it in the subs. If a random conversation, such as the girl from the og that was hungover on Wednesday, seems relevant, I’ll include it.

Much like Jorge, Nora has caught on that there’s something wrong with Eva. She asks her if she’s fine several times. Also, I guess since Nora just came from MADISON, WISCONSIN, UNITED STATES, she’s still not great with the bus system. She did get to the meeting late, after all.

#skam españa #skam spain #skamesp #skames #culture and translation

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drinkerrs789 · 3 years ago

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Rioja Guide: The Most Popular wine

Learn about the Spanish wines defined by their fruit-forward taste and aging process in the American Oak Cox. In short this is a Spanish wine; you can’t talk about Spanish without rioja. Wine often embodies the culture of the place where it was made. Like Spain’s long cysts and rich flavors, Rioja wines are also vibrant and elegant. Aged in oak barrels for different periods, Rioja’s signature notes include vanilla and caramel flavors in hardwood. For those of us who have slept in high school Spanish, the word qualified means guaranteed. Only two regions in the whole of Spain have achieved such high marks, and one of them is the Rioja Valley. Rioja is the most favorite drink of drinkers, if you want to drink flavor of rioja then not need to go liquor store, you can order from your phone, you just type on goggle search alcohol delivery nearby me, or you want just rioja then you can type rioja delivery nearby me, and sit relax after 30 to 60 min your order will be at your place. Rioja wines can be red, white or rose; they are the most common Rioja deep red, with grapes like tampranilo and garnacha. No matter what type of flavor you buy, you can expect a lot of fruity flavor and high acidity. It goes well with practically anything, so if you haven’t invented this classic viticulture style yet, you can confidently open the bottle at the next dinner party.

What is Rioja Wine

That’s a question we get asked a lot on our wine tours in Seville. Is it a grape? Is it a place? Or is it a special way of making wine? And the answer? "Merciful to all of them!" Rioja can be hard to catch. But we are promise to you it's worth it. This is the most important wine in Spain and one of them is very tasty!

Rioja Valley

Firstly rioja is not a grape, its region of Spanish; it is much champagne should come from France. The characteristics of the region, such as grape varieties, height and climate contribute to the incomparable taste of the product. Rioja wine is divided into three types: Rioja Oriental, Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa. After all, Rioja Alavesa wine from the north has a higher acidity than before. In the Rioja region of Spain, wine culture dominates. Every summer, thousands of locals and tourists celebrate La Batalla del Vino - The Wine Fight. Living in Harrow, a city full of vineyards, wine lovers honor the annual tradition by feasting on one another and beating oxen. Beyond the speech of regional varieties, Rioja wines really differ from each other through the barrel-aging process. Categories include young wines, crianza wines, reserve wines and gran reserve wines. Reserve wines are fickle. Made from only the best grapes in the most preferred growing season, the reserve brews wine in oak for at least one year and must be at least three years old. The wine tastes old and less fruity accordingly. Its dense and dusty flavor profile includes dark cherries and smoky, paired well with roasted coke lamb.

Food Pairing with Rioja

If you are looking for the perfect wine to add to the details then look no further! White Rioja is an ideal companion to brown evenings or Spanish food in general. The Young Rioja pairing is great with grilled fish, shellfish, garlic, gazpacho and fresh zesty salad. The old-fashioned Rioja pairing is great with many flavored fish-based foods like grilled fish, grilled hake, paella, fish stew, and lobster. In addition to fish-based pairings, Rioja also does well with almonds, serrano, asparagus, grilled meat and strong cheese.

Popular But not Pricy

Gran Reserves, of course, has a high price to start at around $40 per bottle, although you can find good generico and crianza rioja varieties below $ 20 per bottle. Once you get out of the reds with the same oak-aging process, don’t overlook the Blanco and Rose wines from this region. Some of Drinkerrs popular Rioja wines come from the Campo Viejo winery and the Marques de Cos winery. Here are the best-selling Rioja from Drinkerrs. Bota Box Nighthawk Rich Red Wine Blend Campo Viejo Rioja Campo Viejo Reserve Marqués De Cáceres Crianza Rioja Marques De Riscal Reserva Rioja CVNE Cune Crianza Muga Rioja Reserva Unfiltered Marqués De Cáceres Reserva Rioja EI Rioja Rosado Wine lovers may not have explored the Iberian Peninsula’s varieties with the same voracity as Napa Valley, France or Argentina. Rioja’s wines are an easy way to begin exploring Spanish wines comes to fruity, sweeter reds. Add another stamp to your wine passport and discover which Rioja wine is your new favorite one. Even if this drink is a favorite of the Spanish, it is still very popular among the American people and in great demand in the United States of America.

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momo-de-avis · 8 years ago

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Articles like these is what happens when a city is gentrified, apparently.

I mean, mind you. Foreign artists coming into Lisbon (actually, into Portugal, but apparently the whole country is made of one single city) is a positive thing. It widens perspective, it allows communication between cultures and creates speeches and debate around not only multicultural things but also in artistic view. It also creates a more positive speculation in the market for portuguese artists to be put side-to-side with artists who have a better market value, considering our market value is very low (a good book on it is this on, it might be slightly outdated as it’s from 2013 but it does give you an insight of what the portuguese art market looks like by itself without an outside speculation).

It is a positive thing.

It’s just everything else in this article that, to me, it’s out of this world.

I mean, I am very critical of the art market and the art world these days. Anyone who knows anything about art history knows that art and politics are intertwined heavily, but recently the art market has spread so much that it seems it created to opposite poles: one political and one completely absent-minded from the world. (And take into account that I’m speaking from my own social ground. The kind of artistic work I’ve been watching more closely in america, for example, is very political and insanely good.) And these two spheres seem to be distancing themselves more and more. How one and the other work in the art market is a completely different subject that I’m not qualified to analyze, honestly, but I can put my mind on a thing or two regarding one of these poles.

And as a portuguese working in Lisbon, while I find it positive that foreign artists are getting more opportunities and attracted to this city, I can also attest that portuguese artists, on the other hand, are not.

And this is not because they do are differently or whatever. It’s because of what everything this article states as “an opportunity”, to us, it’s actually a problem. It was this paragraph that made me grind my gears:

Besides a more clement weather, the picturesque views, and abundant sunlight, Lisbon also offers more affordable rents for housing and artist studios. While an individual studio in Berlin might set an artist back an average of €400 a month, a similar option in Lisbon has a monthly rent of €200-250, which also helps explain the appeal of the Portuguese capital for young creatives

Rent is not affordable. At all. In the last couple of years, rent in Lisbon has gone up to an average of 800€ in a country with a minimum wage of 500€. More people are moving out of Lisbon to the periphery and you can ask any lisboner about it they will tell you that the only people who live in Lisbon are practically foreigners (and I’m sorry, artnet news, quoting Web Summit as an example just makes it worse. A lot of start-ups and foreign companies found their business here - some even acquiring headquarters in Avenida da Liberdade, where the average cost is millions - because of tax benefits. Also there are people coming from countries with an average income of over 1200€ that ran businesses there and have a network estimated in millions, they literally just move it from one place to another. It’s just... not even remotely comparable).

So, yeah, a studio for around 200-250€ a month sounds cheap if you live in it. Also, it’s not really common to find a studio that cheap, and it’s usually not a studio at all - it’s converted garages or even stores. Some portuguese artists do afford studios for less than 200€ a month because they signed up for past programs that promoted these “arts center” in the middle of the city back in the 90s that were eventually left to die (in Alvalade, Campo Grande, for example). If you read this book, most artists who have these cheap studios you mention had to spend more than they asked for adapting the spaces because they are not studios, they are emptied spaces. And they all complain of the same thing: it’s all they can get.

Lisbon is heavily gentrified. A bunch of celebrities are buying houses here. Just this month Michael Fassbender acquired a 2mil € house in Alfama, a district that is known for being the home of Fade and one of the poorest quarters in Lisbon, but for the past few years, because it is “oh so traditional”, entire buildings are being emptied, their inhabitants, who have lived there their whole lives, are being put on the streets and given one year to find somewhere else, to convert these houses into hostels. These are poor, old people who have lived there all their lives and who pay 40€ of rent because they get a 200-300€ pension of which they can barely live of. And they are being kicked out for 2mil houses for celebrities. The touristic boom is ruining the city. Public transportation is worse than ever, complaints filed against it have hit a record, and even last year, as unprepared as the city was, the number of tourists was so large the metro ran out of tickets. A person who takes the train to Cascais or Estoril every day to work can take up to 2h to take a ticket or buy their pass because queues are that long and the subway is impossible to ride, with masses of people at every hour (also attracting muggers).

With artists almost “forced” to believe they need a studio to work in but being portuguese being also unable to afford a simple rent, portuguese artists are in a huge disadvantage. They get less opportunity than one who comes form the outside with a built portfolio and a rented out studio in the city. And for non-artists, like me, who want to work in the field, the only opportunity is non-paid internships, because the market is saturated.

And there’s also another problem that the artists Pier Paolo Calzolari highlights in the article:

There is something about the quality of the light that reminds me of Venice, where I grew up. But there’s something else in Lisbon that reminds me of Venice, which is how much and how fast the city is changing. Growing up in Venice in the 1940s, there was barely any tourism. That changed suddenly in the 1960s, when tourism came to the city and became the biggest business in Venice, forcing locals to move away, as living there had become too expensive. Sadly, I’m starting to notice that the same is happening in Lisbon. It’s like a virus, and I’m starting to see a lot of people trying to make fast money here, with massive real-estate speculation developing here.

(...) In terms of fabricators and materials, I’ve felt that many artisans have left Lisbon, because of gentrification, and some materials, like wood and metal, have been hard to find due to the crisis first and then because of prices getting higher due to speculation. So on occasions, yes, I have found difficulty in fabricating works.

Yeah.

Also, fuck you Barateiro for saying this:

The art scene is Portugal is less elitist than before, but we still need the creation of a structure that supports artists and all the precarious workers that have made this economic recovery possible.

You mean there are more things happening other than galleries and whatnot, because galleries are pretty much as elitist as ever, if not more.

Lisbon is a great opportunity for wealthy, upper class europeans. Anything below that, it’s hell.

#url #i hate this shit

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sereics · 8 years ago

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under the cut you will find #132 typically female and #115 typically male brazilian first names, as well as #127 last names. i did not include compound names, although they are extremely common around here. brazil is a mixed country, which you should definitely keep in mind when naming your character, however, most (if not all) of the last names i’ve included here are portuguese. a lot of these first names may also not be necessarily of brazilian/portuguese origin, but they’re all names i’ve heard before, even if slightly uncommon. if you have any questions about naming your character, or anything at all regarding brazilian culture, feel free to come to me for help !

typically female

adriana

alana

alessandra

alexia

alice

aline

amanda

ana/anna

andressa

bárbara

beatriz

bianca

bruna

camila/camilla

carina/karina

carla/karla

carmen

carolina

catarina/catharina

cecília

cibele

cíntia

clara

clarissa/clarice

cláudia

cristiane/cristiana

cristine/cristina

dalila

daniela/daniella

débora/deborah

denise

diana

donata

eduarda

eleonora

elisa

emília

erica/erika

ester

eugênia

evelyn

fabiana

fátima

fernanda

flávia

flora

gabriela/gabriella

georgia

giovana/giovanna

gisele/giselle

giulia

glória

graziela/graziella

helena/elena

heloísa

ingrid

isabel

isabela/isabella

isadora

janaina

janine

joana

jordana

júlia

juliana

laís/laísa

lara

larissa

laura

leila

letícia

lívia

lorena

luana

lúcia

luciana

ludmila/ludmilla

luiza/luísa

luma

luna

maiara

maitê

manuela

marcela

márcia

margot

maria

mariana

mariel

marina

marisa

marta

melissa

milena

mirela

mônica

natália

natascha

nicole

olivia

paloma

pâmela

patrícia

paula

pietra

priscila

rafaela

raissa

raquel

rebeca/rebecca

renata

roberta

sabrina

sandra

sara/sarah

sílvia

sofia/sophia

solange

sônia

tainá

taísa/thaísa

tatiana

teresa/tereza

thaís/taís

valentina

valeria

vanessa

vera

verônica

victória/vitória

vivian

yasmin

typically male

adriano

afonso

alan

alberto

alcyr

alexandre

álvaro

amir/amyr

anderson

andré

antônio

armando

artur/arthur

augusto

bernardo

breno

bruno

caio

carlos

cauan/cauã

césar

cláudio

cristiano

daniel

danilo

dante

davi/david

diego

douglas

edmur

eduardo

elias

emerson

enzo

eric/erik

ernesto

fábio

felipe/phillipe

fernando

francisco

frederico

gabriel

Geraldo

gilberto

gilmar

giovani/giovanni

guilherme

gustavo

haroldo

heitor

henrique

hugo

humberto

ian

igor

ivan

jarbas

joão

joaquim

jonas

jorge

josé

júlio

leandro

leonardo

liam

lorenzo

lucas

luciano

lúcio

luís

manuel

marcelo

márcio

marconi

marcos/marcus

mário

mateus/matheus

maurício

mauro

michel

miguel

murilo

nicolas

oscar

otávio

paulo

pedro

rafael

raul

renan

renato

ricardo

roberto

robson

rodrigo

rogério

samuel

sandro

sebastian

sérgio

sílvio

stefan

tadeu

theo

thomáz/tomáz/tomás/thomás

tiago/thiago

ulysses/ulisses

valmir

vicente

victor/vitor

vinicius

vladimir

wagner

william

last names

abreu

albuquerque

almeida

alves

amaral

ambrósio

amorim

aragão

arantes

araújo

arruda

azevedo

bandeira

barbosa

barreto

bastos

boaventura

bonfim

borges

botelho

braz

brito

cabral

cabrera

caldas

camargo

campos

caputo

cardoso

carvalho

castanheira

cavalcanti

chaves

correia/corrêa

costa

coutinho

cruz

cunha

dantas

dias

dimas

diniz

dourado

dutra

estrela/estrella

fagundes

fernandes

ferraz

ferreira

ferro

figueiredo

fonseca

fontes

frota

garcia

gomes

gonçalves

gontijo

gonzaga

guedes

guetierres

henriques

jardim

ladeira

leão

leite

lemos

lima

lins

lopes

luz

machado

magalhães

martins

mato

melo

mendes

mendonça

menezes

meyer/mayer

miller

miranda

mota/motta

moura

neves

nóbrega

nogueira

nunes

oliveira

paiva

parente

pedrosa

peixoto

pereira

perfeito

pestana

pimenta

pinheiro

pires

porto

prado

prata

queiroga

queiroz

rangel

reis

ribeiro

rocha

rodrigues

rosso

ruiz

sales

santana

santos

sena

silveira

souza

tavares

teixeira

torres

valadares

vargas

vasconcelos

veiga

venâncio

villela

xavier

#rph #rph br #names masterlist #name masterlist #masterlist #name help

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foursprouthealth-blog · 7 years ago

Text

The Simple Spanish Habits That Helped Me Drop 100 Pounds

New Post has been published on http://foursprout.com/health/the-simple-spanish-habits-that-helped-me-drop-100-pounds/

The Simple Spanish Habits That Helped Me Drop 100 Pounds

When I landed in Spain, I was a full 240 pounds, courtesy of the Standard American Diet. Though a lifelong vegetarian, I was carrying the heft of readily available, fast, processed foods. But after three years of living in Madrid, I’ve lost 100 pounds—just by adopting a Spanish lifestyle.

While size isn’t necessarily an indicator of health, I was on a quest to trim down my body, so I began studying the differences in the culture I’m from and the one I was immersed in. Without considerable effort, I started noticing my body changing and my clothes hanging in places they once clung. Soon, my third floor apartment felt closer and easier to get to than the first time I reached the doormat, panting, and hopping on the metro for anything closer than three stops became a thing of the past.

The best part is that everything I learned from living abroad can be applied no matter where in the world you live.

1. Use olive oil—but only the good stuff.

There’s no fear of fat here: Whether dipped, drizzled, or deep-fried, oil is clearly the condiment of choice in Spain. In fact, the country consistently ranks among the top three consumers of olive oil in the world. But it’s not only an issue of quantity; Spaniards are serious about the quality of their beloved aceite de oliva. Like perfume, the idea is to buy the best you can possibly afford.

EDITOR’S PICK

displayTitle

I’m still an American, of course, and so I use a misting sprayer, which allows me to infuse foods with the sharp and pungent taste of olive oil without adding hundreds of calories to each meal (or blowing my paycheck on a bottle that lasts weeks). Of course, on weekends when socializing with friends, anything goes. In Spain, bars full of svelte people holding a beer or wine in one hand and an olive oil-soaked snack in the other is a common sight, after all.

2. Keep portions in check with tapas-style plates.

Tapas themselves aren’t always healthy, but the concept of eating several small plates is. Variety and multiple dishes on the table make for a gratifying meal. Pimientos de Padrón, or mild, pan-sautéed peppers, is my go-to dish when eating out in bars. With luck, there will also be a selection of traditional offerings, such as meaty Campo Real olives, chilies stuffed with garlic cloves, and pickles on a toothpick. Other salty favorites include Marcona almonds, anchovies, and paper-thin potato chips.

At home, I use tea saucers to create the appearance of a feast with the same amount of food I’d typically have on a large plate. It doesn’t make cleanup easier, but it’s fulfilling.

3. Walking is a great way to burn calories…

While Madrid has a vast network of public transportation options, the general rule of thumb is if it’s less than a kilometer, walk it. No matter the hour of the day, people are using the ample sidewalks and strolling arm-in-arm for a paseo.

4. …and relatedly, the stairs are your friend.

Fourth-floor walk-ups are the norm in many cities, with elevators often left for the elderly. In the metro, it’s common practice to skip the escalator in favor of taking the stairs and working up a small sweat. There’s also a sense of community with this: When the person in front of you opts to be healthy, it motivates you to do the same.

5. Eat your five meals.

La merienda is the Spanish term for mid-morning and late-afternoon snacks. Typical dishes are tortilla española (a.k.a. a potato omelet), a small sandwich, or a pastry. La merienda is a great way to keep your metabolism going and avoid exaggerated hunger pangs—which can later cause overeating or poor choices. Personally, I try to pack fresh fruit or a stash of julienned vegetables, as raw foods keep me mentally alert and energized.

6. Indulge in the experience of each meal.

The menú del dia, or daily menu, is a Spanish tradition; restaurants advertise lunch menus consisting of two courses, bread, a drink, and usually a dessert. Portions are kept small, but various courses and beverages can make any meal feel very satisfying. While it sounds like a lot of food, many restaurants offer light options—and dessert can always be exchanged for a coffee.

7. There’s even a word for lingering around the table: sobremesa.

The Spanish have perfected the art of hanging around the table after a meal. Plates are piled up, glasses are in various stages of fullness, and conversations begin to really pick up at the end of the meal. This time allows you to feel full, and a customary glass of wine helps you digest the meal. In Spain, there is no pressure to eat quickly—in fact, it can be tricky to get a waiter to bring the bill when you want to leave!

8. Eat local as often as possible.

Spain is overflowing with fruits and vegetables. This is a country known for its persimmons, custard apples, potatoes, and tomatoes. When summer comes, the nation turns to fresh, juicy foods. One of the most wonderful parts of dining out is the wide variety of gazpacho, a cold tomato soup flavored with cucumber, peppers, and garlic that’s blended to a puree and topped with a thick glug of olive oil to give it a silky, gorgeous texture.

9. Fresh is best.

Around 6 p.m., it’s common to see people walking the streets with a nibbled-on loaf of bread tucked under their arm. Most panaderias, or bakeries, also sell small rolls, which allow you to keep portions in check while participating in this daily carb pilgrimage. And there’s nothing like tearing into a hot piece of bread, is there?

The same goes for buying fresh vegetables at the local fruteria—everyone has their go-to shop that keeps their favorites on hand, so it’s common to pass by the shop on the way home to pick up a single bell pepper, a head of broccoli, or bag of Valencia oranges. On Fridays, it’s customary to visit the pescaderia (fish market) around the corner!

While it’s common practice in Spain, you can adopt the habit of buying fresh fruit and vegetables wherever you live.

10. Start the day with pan con tomate.

Rub a slice of toasted baguette with a clove of garlic, top with blended tomato, splash with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. This traditional Spanish breakfast is an easy way to eat good-for-you foods in the morning. Tip: Blend a few tomatoes at the beginning of the week to have on hand, and you’ve just made this a super-achievable 30-second prep.

After years in Spain, I recently returned to the U.S. for a visit and experienced some reverse culture shock (and weight gain) due to the difference in our transportation and eating habits. The quantity of food served in restaurants was overwhelming, free beverage refills snuck hundreds of additional calories into a single meal, and the sheer availability of processed foods for bargain prices was staggering. It’s possible to eat and live well anywhere in the world, but after eight years of traveling the world, I’m doubling down on la vida Española!

Brandy Bell is a freelance travel writer, housesitter, creative producer, and Spainaholic. Find her writing at ItsOneWorldTravel.com, film collaborations on MadalinT.com, and on Instagram and Twitter as @brandyleebell.

#Health

0 notes

foursprout-blog · 7 years ago

Text

The Simple Spanish Habits That Helped Me Drop 100 Pounds

New Post has been published on http://foursprout.com/health/the-simple-spanish-habits-that-helped-me-drop-100-pounds/

The Simple Spanish Habits That Helped Me Drop 100 Pounds

The best part is that everything I learned from living abroad can be applied no matter where in the world you live.

1. Use olive oil—but only the good stuff.

EDITOR’S PICK

displayTitle

2. Keep portions in check with tapas-style plates.

At home, I use tea saucers to create the appearance of a feast with the same amount of food I’d typically have on a large plate. It doesn’t make cleanup easier, but it’s fulfilling.

3. Walking is a great way to burn calories…

4. …and relatedly, the stairs are your friend.

5. Eat your five meals.

6. Indulge in the experience of each meal.

7. There’s even a word for lingering around the table: sobremesa.

8. Eat local as often as possible.

9. Fresh is best.

While it’s common practice in Spain, you can adopt the habit of buying fresh fruit and vegetables wherever you live.

10. Start the day with pan con tomate.

#Health

0 notes

pcttrailsidereader · 6 years ago

Text

FEAR

Michael ‘Pause’ Meyer, a former Newsweek editor and author, is dean of the Graduate School of Media and Communications at the Aga Khan University in Nairobi. This necessitates him periodically leaving the trail and flying back to Kenya and then returning. Despite the logistical nightmare of a global commute, he is hiking as much of the PCT in 2018 as he can. This is an excerpt from his journal entry from the last day of May shortly before a return to East Africa.

As you would expect, his writing rises far above most of the accounts written from the trail. It is a delightful and refreshing read. His blog is: https://pacificcresttrail2018.com/

Facts versus feelings, science versus psychology.

Ask a PCT thru-hiker where the desert ends and the mountains begin, and the answer will be unequivocal: Kennedy Meadows, gateway to the Sierras. That’s where alpine peaks, glacial streams and pine forests supplant sand, sun and cacti.

Scientists, however, will tell you differently. Geologically, the Sierras begin at Tehachapi Pass, bisected by Highway 58. To the south is the Mojave; to the north, the foothills of the Sierras. We hikers may find they look a lot like what we’ve been walking through for the past 500 miles. But in fact, Tehachapi marks a new beginning, a climactic and geological fresh chapter. Which is great. Because, psychologically, I am done with desert. So is everyone else.

The hike from Cottonwood Creek to the Tehachapi – Willow Springs road is 23 miles. I start a bit after 6 am. In the soft sand beneath Cottonwood Creek bridge, hikers are rousing themselves from tents and sleeping bags, preparing to start the day. As predicted, a weather front has rolled through. Temperatures overnight were in the 40s. They will not rise much above 70, according to forecast. This could not be more welcome.

Like many, I’ve been anxious about this last stretch of desert, almost to the point of not wanting to do it. The heat is one reason, the long carries between water sources another. But none of this is new. There have been hotter days, including the very first from Campo. So why the uncharacteristic jitters?

Maybe I sense it’s the end of something. We are all so eager to have the desert behind us. And yet, it has been wonderful — surprising in its austere beauty, even more in its diversity, from featureless scrub to high alpine meadows and those beautiful oak glades in-between.

There’s also fear of the new. The Sierras are still bound by snow; stream crossings can be dangerous in the spring melt. Trail angel Mary, driving me from the train from LAX to Hiker Heaven just a few days ago, warned me against venturing in too soon. Within the past ten days, she said, there was as much four feet of fresh snow around Mt Whitney.

Last year at this time, she gave rides to a pair of Asian girls, Tree and Buttercup, one Chinese, the other Korean. Both died in stream crossings. “I had a terrible premonition about them,” she told me on the road to Agua Dulce. “They were so small, not even five feet tall.” And they seemed over-confident. “Don’t go alone. Don’t cross those rivers without other hikers,” she told them. As it happened, neither listened. “We’ll be ok,” each said. The Korean girl hadn’t told her family she was hiking the PCT. They learned when informed of her death.

Perhaps this is my age speaking. And I am a father of four. In a long career as a correspondent, I have seen wonderful and terrible things — wars, revolutions, the strength and triumphs of ordinary people in the face of danger or adversity, but also their weakness, their capacity for bestiality or mere foolishness. By nature, we behave as though all will be well, however difficult whatever it is we might undertake. But with years, we also learn how badly things can go wrong, often beginning with the smallest things. Like underestimating the force of a small river, perhaps only ten feet wide and three deep.

Whatever my doubts, they vanish on the trail. A brisk winds blows; hikers are bundled against the chill in fleeces and rain jackets. The land is completely featureless — grass and sparse sage — save for the ubiquitous wind turbines, ghostly in the dawn light. They tower above us, in endless rows, emitting a weird whirring noise, their spikey blades miming the even weirder Joshua trees doing their Joshua tree thing. The mountains to the south are cloaked in cloud.

After a steep 3500-foot climb, six miles along, the trail plunges into Tylerhorse Canyon. Three guys who left Hikertown last night are gathering water from the trickling stream and smoking weed. I quickly camel a liter and refill my bottle. “Man, one guy last night was doing acid,” one says. Another: “At midnight, I just sucked down a beer and kept going.” An older guy with a white beard, soft-spoken Bill, listens off to the side as the other three cough roughly after their hit. One hiked 42 miles yesterday and looks wasted.

That turns out to be the pattern. Up one canyon, down another, repeat. All this through the brown, brown hills of southern California where the tallest bush is scarcely knee-high. And yet: even at mid-morning, the day remains cool. The wind blows atop the ridges. With the Mojave and its wind farms stretching far below, it is like walking on top of the world. I gulp huge breaths of air, drinking it in like water.

At 10 am, about ten miles in, I take a break at the bottom of Gamble Spring Canyon. It’s faintly disheartening to walk down the long switch-backs in full view of another set rising 1500 feet on the other side. At the summit ridge of Burns Mountain, there’s an improbable water cache with eight or ten chairs clustered under a red parasol. It even has a name: the “549” Bar & Grill — Fine Dining with a View.” House specials: Lizard Chips, Jack Rabbit Stew, Rattle Snake and Eggs.

Brandon, Penguin Pants, Ranger and Missing Person are there, along with a few others. The talk is of Odysseus, the sacred weight of hospitality in the ancient world and its echo on the PCT. As the Greek mythic hero was blown around the Aegean, he was taken in by various tribes of the Greek islands, like the Lotus Eaters, after their fashion – much as we are by trail angels. “Contrast that to Cyclops, who ate his guests,” says Yoseki. “And look what happened to him.”

Yoseki is one of the few who trail-named himself, a composite of his three favorite places in the world – Yosemiti, Sequoia and King’s Canyon national parks, all just a skip up the trail at this point. Thinking of my own imminent departure, I mention how hard it is to leave the trail, even briefly, and how I (at least) display symptoms of withdrawal, as if from a drug. “We live in Valhalla, everyday day,” Yoseki replies, still in his mythic meme. “It’s a hard place to come down from.” That’s why he recently retired from his legal practice, he adds. “So I can do stuff like this.”

The trail drops down to Willow Springs Road along pine-speckled ridges and field after field of wind turbines in their thousands. The reason they are here by now is obvious: this is one of the most consistently breezy places on earth. At times, the wind is strong enough to knock you sideways on the trail – bam, Bam, BAM! But it’s exhilarating, as well, and I keep gulping in the fresh gusts like someone who has just emerged from a vast desert into a land of cool and refreshing lakes.

It’s another of those very special days, perhaps uniquely common on the PCT, where all feels well in the world, and that deep within the gods are with you.

Where the trail dumps you at the highway, there’s magic. Rodeo happily offers up sandwiches, apples and ice-cold lemonade; the legendary Coppertone, an angel who parks his camper at trailheads up and down the PCT for as long as a week at a time, dishes out his trademark Root Beer floats. Neither expects anything in return. For the Wandering Wayfarers that R Us, it is the embodiment of that caring-sharing PCT ethos — and the antidote to fear.

#Tehachapi #Willow Springs Road #Gamble Springs Canyon #Tylerhorse Canyon #Hikertown #Coppertone #Rodeo

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