#but it was a super nice theater 10/10 recommend very pretty

[spirirsstuff]

i should so go to ny again and watch a musical and while waiting for it read gay fics

[tiredgeekgirl]

trolls 3 reviewww

so i've kind of had an off and on obsession with the trolls franchise since i saw the first film in 2016 as an almost 12-year-old who thought it was going to be the worst movie ever, and then after i watched it I was very pleasantly surprised, and it became one of my favorite films at the time

like I said the obsession's been on and off and while my opinion of the first movie has changed and I don't love it nearly as much as I did before, the franchise still holds a special place in my heart and makes me very happy, and I was so excited to see the third movie after I saw the trailers for it in theaters

anyway here are my overall thoughts:

• BRANCH-CENTRIC STORYLINE!!! Branch is my favorite character in this franchise and I loved seeing a plotline focused on him and his backstory. the "singing killed my grandma" line from the first film is still very funny, but honestly this movie actually made me a little emotional with the flashbacks we got, and said flashbacks shed some light on how sad his backstory actually is

• this movie was shockingly funny, of course there was some typical potty humor and a few questionable jokes, but overall a lot of the visual gags and jokes in this film were actually pretty hilarious, especially the scenes with Bruce/Spruce's family

• one of my main reasons for loving this franchise is Branch and Poppy's relationship, and they were SO freaking cute in this film, idc I'm a hopeless romantic and I loved seeing moments of these two as a canon couple

• I literally had a new favorite character every 5 seconds, from Branch's brothers to the new villains to a lot of the little background characters, and ofc it was also super fun to see this movie bring the Bergens back, it's super weird that the second movie kind of just ignored their existence entirely when they were one of the main plot points in the first film (at least that's what I've heard, I've never actually seen trolls world tour and I do not plan on it)

• THE MUSIC!!! I'm low-key kind of obsessed with white girl music from the early 2000s, so seeing the NSYNC reference at the end made me very happy, and I also just loved all the music in general in this film, Better Place (that song's been on repeat for me for about a week now LOL)

there were a few things I didn't love, namely Tiny Diamond's role in the film, I hate him and if you had taken him out of the film entirely the plot would not have changed whatsoever. luckily he wasn't even actually in it that much and some of his lines were actually kind of funny, but even when he was being his typical annoying self he didn't take away from the plot too much, which was nice. still, he's one of the main reasons I don't want to watch the second movie. and of course, like I mentioned earlier, there's some potty humor and suggestive jokes I didn't care for, but honestly the positives way outweigh the negatives with this film.

overall, i absolutely adored this movie! as a long-time fan I think it's the best piece of trolls media we've ever gotten, and even if you hate the franchise (which I completely understand regardless of my love for it), I feel like you would still enjoy this film, even if just for the visuals and character designs. solid 9/10 movie, would definitely recommend. think I'm going to go watch it again honestly LOL

[itcamefromthetoybox]

He’s Just Ken

“Barbie” is coming to theaters next month, and it looks really great so far! It’s also caused a worldwide shortage of certain shades of pink, which is both amazing and delightful. Anyways, because I’m very pumped about this movie, we’re going to spend the next few weeks looking at the latest Barbie dolls on the shelves and seeing what’s up, starting with “Barbie Fashionistas 191!”

Alright, if you‘re reading a “Barbie” review, I’m pretty sure I can assume you know what Barbie is. The “Barbie Fashionistas” line is, essentially, the standard Barbie doll. They’re Barbie and Ken dolls that come in nice, casual clothing, have basic articulation, and come in a variety of body types, skin tones, and hair styles. While they come with default outfits, these are the dolls that are specifically made for you to buy different outfits for. Some Fashionistas come with additional accessories, like wheelchairs and prosthetics, which can sometimes cost a bit more, but are important since they reflect the diversity of the real world.

Each Fashionista doll has a number, and number 191, today’s review, is a Ken doll. This Ken’s very much what you’d imagine when you think of Ken: blonde, smiling, a bit tanned, and in decent shape. He’s the quintessential Ken.

This doll’s made out of 100% Boyfriend Material.

I really like Ken’s head sculpt. He has a pretty relaxed smile, so he actually looks happy to be here and not like he’s being forced to smile at gunpoint, unlike a great deal of holiday pictures of kids, where one has the instinctual urge to ask them to blink once if they’re being held against their will. Ken’s hair also looks pretty good, too. It looks like he put effort into making it look nice, but not so much effort that it seems like he’s freaking out. It shows the confident attitude of “I look good and know it,” while also saying, “I still put effort in because my partner deserves to be with someone who tries for them.” It’s a really good head sculpt.

Fun fact: Ken is named after the real-life Barbie’s brother. That’s what we call a “Folgers Coffee moment.”

Ken’s outfit is one where I like the individual parts, but am not crazy about the whole look. This is purely my opinion, though. He’s got a checkerboard sweater with white and black squares, but it also has some smaller areas all over it with more traditional white and black squares. I personally am not super crazy about the sweater, but I feel like it would work great with a jacket, maybe for a more winter look. Ken’s also wearing a pair of blue shorts, which I do really like, but feel they conflict with the sweater. Like, where are you going where your lower half is warm and your top half is cold? It just feels like anywhere you’d wear this outfit, half of your body is miserable. He also has a pair of Robin’s Egg blue shoes that I really like and feel go well with either part of the outfit. And, of course, if you’re not crazy about this outfit, remember that you can always get Ken a different outfit. Like I said earlier, the Fashionista line is the one specifically made for different outfits.

Ken has the basic Ken articulation. His legs move back and forward and can slightly go side to side, but not by much, and his shoulders can move every direction. His head’s on a swivel and does not have a ball joint, unlike Barbie typically has, and his hair is sculpted onto his head, unlike the more expensive Kens. Other than his outfit, Ken comes with no accessories. He’s literally Just Ken. And behold, I have worked a movie reference into this review after already using it as the review title! Feeling proud of myself.

Selfie!

Fashionista 191 is available at mass retail with a starting price of about $10, but I’ve seen him for as low as $6, which is a great deal. Would I recommend him? Absolutely. Like I said earlier, he’s the quintessential Ken, which makes him a solid addition to the collection of any Barbie fan ages 3+, especially ones who don’t already have a Ken. Also, his packaging is reusable, so if you wanna keep him safe or need to pack him for a trip, you already have a little way to store him, which is a plus in my book. Next week, we’ll be continuing our look at Barbie with a review of one of my favorite doll ideas from the line, so be sure to come back and have a read! This is JS signing off and wishing you Happy Toy Hunting.

[heart-of-the-morningstar]

I forgot that I wanted to talk about the Super Mario Bros. movie! (SPOILERS!)

So I went to see it on Easter, the theater I went to was pretty crowded, not just with families but with people my age as well! I’ve been a Mario fan for a while, my first experience with a Mario game was playing Super Mario Bros. 3 on the NES at my summer camp when I was about 9. I’ve played a good amount since then and I’ve had fun with all of them! So what do I think about the movie…

IT’S SO MUCH FUN!!!!!

Guys, I cannot explain how much fun and enjoyment I got out of that movie, I was smiling pretty much the entire time! I loved that the references in the movie weren’t shoved into your face for nostalgia bait, they felt like they occurred naturally for the most part! The original scores are fantastic! They reimagined a lot of staple Mario songs that are easy to recognize and sound amazing with a full orchestra!

The animation was also very bright and colorful! You could tell a lot of work went into designing the characters and locations! Probably Illumination’s best work as far as animation goes! The characters look so squishy and huggable, I would commit crimes for them tbh.

I loved all of the characters, they each had unique and interesting personalities, I thought almost every VA did a pretty good job with their roles; but of course Jack Black as Bowser stole the show (to no ones surprise lol). Even Crisp Rat did a serviceable job, it definitely wasn’t as bad as everyone thought it would be, including me. I loved the few cameos Charles Martinet had too!

Of course it’s not a perfect movie, my biggest gripe is the amount of 80s songs put into the movie, it definitely reminded me that Illuminations made this movie. I think if they stuck to more original songs, it would have worked more in the movie’s favor. Also, it’s only an hour and a half long movie, which means a lot of scenes move pretty quickly and you don’t sit in the moment for too long. So it would have been nice if they let scenes play out a little slower. Another thing is that Luigi gets sidelined for a lot of the movie which was a shame because he was my second favorite character in the movie! Hopefully they get a sequel and can have him in a lot more scenes!

But honestly, I had a blast watching this movie! I will go as far to say that this is on par or even better that Despicable Me (Illumination’s only really good movie IMO). I HIGHLY recommend that you go see this movie if you’re a Mario fan, because it’s just a blast from start to finish! I’d definitely go see it again!

The movie itself I’d give an 8/10

My enjoyment was like 12/10!

[nelson-riddle-me-this]

10 Shuffle Tracks

tagged by the lovely Lucie @hildy-dont-be-hasty!

rules: we’re snooping your playlist. put your entire music library on shuffle and list the first ten songs, then choose ten victims

“Doll on a Music Box Parts 1-3 (Playback Track)” from the ‘Very Very Special’ edition of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1967). This track’s like 7 mins long and the second half includes verses from various foreign language recordings of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” - Italian, German, some ?Scandinavian? language where they pronounce it “Shitty Shitty bAHng bAHg”, Japanese, a dialect of Chinese, French, & Spanish. Since I’m not finding this track online, here’s the music box scene

“Mom & Dad” by Marc Shaiman, from his score to the gay coming-out comedy, In & Out (1997). It’s got heartwarming ‘90s family film vibes. Very orchestral, very pretty. Nice clarinet, nice oboe. I also can’t seem to find this on YouTube... Good movie, I recommend it. Shaiman really is a wonderful composer not just of musical theater songs; his film scores are lovely as well.

“Bound Bowl GP” by Shiho Fujii, from the score to Super Mario Odyssey (2017). Tbh I only got this album because I was playing the song “Jump Up Superstar” with my college’s video game orchestra. This track is cute and very ‘Mario’ but like it’s a little annoying.

“The Prince in the Palace” by Erich Korngold, from his score to The Prince and the Pauper (1937). Korngold’s good swashbuckling ‘30s adventure music. Haven’t listened much to this though.

“The Hunt” by Buddy Baker, from his score to The Fox and the Hound (1981). I’m 5-for-5 film [& video game] scores. Tbh the audio quality of this album isn’t very good, so I’ve been hesitant to listen to more than the lovely song “The Best of Friends”. It’s good dramatic scoring with a lotta bite.

“Trouble is a Man” sung by Sarah Vaughan, from her album It’s a Man’s World (1967). Finally! Some non-film music. Luv me sum sassy. Tbh I haven’t listened to this songs before :0

“Well, Did You Evah?” sunch by Seth MacFarlane and Curtis Stigers with the John Wilson Orchestra, originally from High Society (1956). Seth is so put-on, but I guess it works here. It’s a fun song, and I love John Wilson’s work transcribing old MGM musical arrangements. It’s great hearing them in crystal clear modern recordings, and his orchestra really knows how to handle these songs. It never comes out stiff or sterile, they can swing, be big, brassy, and lush. Marvelous.

“I’ll Never Be The Same” arranged by Nelson Riddle, sung by Frank Sinatra on his album In the Wee Small Hours (1955). This album is so gorgeous. I used to fall asleep listening to it while I was in high school.

“Afro-Centric” by Joe Henderson off his album Power to the People 1969). This is a cool album, though I gotta say hard bop isn’t much by bag. Still, Joe Henderson’s cool and I dig the vibe of this record.

“Man Does Not Live by Bread Alone” by Jerry Goldsmith, from his score to Our Man Flint (1966). A lovely Goldsmith cue - I think this is used in the film during a showcase of James Coburn’s harem of exotic girlfriends. It’s a neat and peaceful cue - reminds me of the time I wrote a wanna-be ‘60s spy spoof set in ancient Rome, using this score as inspiration.

I tag: @sailor-freddie-mercury, @slapstick-crescent, @bottomsrightsactivist, @the-will-henry, @atouchofsass, and anyone else who wants to participate!

[thewritingstar]

1-200 we're all in quarantine so got nothing to do. Might as well ask pls

oo anon you were gonna ask anyways lol. But I did this hella quick during a zoom.....

1. What is your middle name?

-Rose

2. Do you have any nicknames that aren’t derived from your actual name?

-Star

2. Do you have any allergies?

-Penicillin (not really thou), but no

4. What is the longest your hair has ever been?

-Lower back

5. How well can you write in cursive?

-Its readable

6. Name one item on your bucket list.

-Going to all the Disney parks in the world

7. Have you ever been on a blind date?

-haven’t even been on a real date

8. What is the oldest piece of clothing you still wear and how old is it?

-prob like five years ago and its jeans

9. How often do you eat out at a fancy restaurant?

-nothing like I have to dress up but maybe once a year??

10. How grammatically correct are you when you text?

-rules don’t apply in text

11. Can you drive stick?

-hell no

12. What foreign country would you most like to visit and why?

-japan because I think it would be so cool

13. Nutella or peanut butter?

-NUTELLA

14. At what age did you have your first kiss?

-...............ahahhahahh

15. DC or Marvel?

-DC. Harley Quinn owns my ass

16. Have you ever hosted a wild party?

-my parties consist of drinking capri suns and playing cards against humanity and Mario kart

17. Name/author of the last book you read cover to cover. Do you recommend it?

-...ooof haven’t read a book in a while

18. How many of your Facebook friends do you actually hang with?

-my mom

19. Have you ever donated blood?

-I was apart of a cancer study so I used to donate my blood (and pee) to science

20. From 1-10, how much do you like decorating for holidays?

-8 I love to decorate but I’m not allow near the Christmas trees

21. Coffee or tea?

-vaniila iced lattes or raspberry ice tea own me

22. What is your go-to Starbucks drink?

-Vanilla bean frap with extra vanilla

23. Last show you binge watched?

-currently its assassination classroom

24. Dogs or cats?

-puppy’s

25. Favorite animated Disney character?

-Jessica Rabbit, Dumbo, Rey, Tamatoa and Guedo

26. Have you ever cooked a big family meal by yourself?

-mostly baking for my family

27. Favorite winter activity?

-Staying inside

28. Have you ever butt dialed anyone?

-probably

29. Can you blow a bubble gum bubble?

-yes

30. How early in the year do you start celebrating Christmas?

-my mom plays Xmas music year round

31. What emoji best describes your life right now?

-the wilting rose

32. Are you fluent in more than one language?

-nope

33. What is the longest you’ve ever kept a New Year’s resolution?

-I don’t make them

34. Have you ever successfully been on a diet? Did you gain any of the weight back?

-I’m on a diet to gain weight and its not going well

35. Are any of your grandparents still alive?

-only on my moms side

36. How good are you at communicating through facial expressions?

-hahaha my face gives everything away and I can read people pretty well

37. Have you ever gotten a commercial jingle stuck in your head?

-EDUCATION CONNECTION! Get connected for free

38. Have you ever left a movie theater before the movie was over?

-Nope

39. Do you consider rapping singing?

-rapping is in its own ballpark...its why its called rapping

40. Does your home have a fireplace?

Yep

41. Favorite non-chocolate candy?

-sour gummies worms

42. If you could have only one superpower, what would you want and why?

-oooof ummmmmm maybe teleportation

43. Have you ever locked your keys in your car?

44. Do you listen to any religious music?

-noooooooooo

45. Do you drink soda? If so, which one is your favorite?

-I hate soda

46. What was your ACT score?

-do not do me like this (21)

47. Rice or quinoa?

-rice

48. From 1-10, how good of a driver do you consider yourself?

-like an 8

49. Do you like horror movies?

-nope

50. How easily do you cry?

-uh depends on what it is

51. Do you have any tattoos? If so, of what and where?

-no but I want some

52. You are hanging with your closest friends. What are you most likely doing?

-being dumb and quoting tik toks at target

53. Can you handle spicy foods? What is your spice limit?

-not very well

54. Can you play any musical instruments? If so, which ones?

-no

55. Are you more introverted or extroverted?

-middle of the road

56. Last CD you bought?

-Folklore by Taylor Swift

57. Do you like roller coasters?

-yessss but they cant be extremely tall

58. What day of the week is laundry day for you?

-uhhh depends on when I have time

59. Have you ever played spin the bottle?

-uh maybe once but I was in fourth grade and walked away

60. How long have you known your best friend?

-I’ve known my bestie for 16 years (met when we were 4)

61. Can you eat using chopsticks?

-yes!! I usually eat my Chinese food with them

62. Do you have any stickers on your laptop computer? If so, what are they of?

-no because I need to get a case for my iMac and iPad

63. How often do you say y'all?

-every fucking day. Y’all is my go too

64. Favorite flavor of ice cream?

-cookie dough, pralines and cream, blue raspberry sherbert, vanilla, coffee

65. How long was your longest relationship? Are you still with that person?

-my longest relationship was like three weeks in fourth grade with my friends cousin who I saw twice

66. Star Trek or Star Wars?

-haven’t seen either but prob Star Wars cause r2d2 is cute

67. How good are you at math?

-ehhh I’m okay at stats

68. Have you ever acted in a play or a musical?

-used to do the plays in middle school :)

69. How often do you read/pay attention to your horoscope?

-not much my horoscope but just my sign in general

70. What is the shortest your hair has ever been?

-just above my shoulders

71. Have you ever broken any bones?

-my big toe

72. Do you like to go fishing?

-nooooooo I went fishing once and it pooped on me

73. Do you believe in evolution?

-of course

74. Favorite costume you wore for Hallowen? How old were you?

-I was perry the platypus…. 19

75. Real or fake Christmas trees?

-fake!!! WHO WANTS TO CLEAN THAT UP???

76. How many pillows do you sleep with?

-usually 1-2 but like 5 in the winter

77. Do you live in an apartment or a house?

-House rn

78. How many of your friends are of the opposite gender?

-in my close circle, one but I do have many boy homies

79. Have you ever had a near-death experience?

-many times

80. How long have you been at your current job?

-four weeks

81. What kind of car do you drive (year, brand, model, color)?

-white car

82. How flexible are you?

-not super but mama can bend

83. Have you ever ended a romantic relationship?

-haven’t even started one

84. Phrase you say the most?

-“I’m uncomfortable” “Y’all” “I would let J.D from heathers…..”

85. Have you ever kissed anyone of the same gender? If so, did you like it?

-no but I wish

86. Do you own any homemade clothing?

-not that I know of

87. Do you like fast food?

-yessss

88. Have you ever given anyone CPR?

-nope

89. Have you ever learned to do anything from a how-to video on YouTube?

-I fixed my moms glasses yesterday with a video so she wouldn’t have to spend a shit ton of money

90. Describe your sense of humor.

-if Always Sunny in Philadelphia and “vine comp that butters my eggroll” had a baby

92. Favorite cereal?

-no

93. Have you ever auditioned for a reality competition show?

-no

94. Have you ever gotten a TV theme song stuck in your head?

-Sugar, spice and everything nice, these were the ingredients…….

95. Do you believe in ghosts?

-indifferent

96. Do you think there is life on other planets?

-hell yeah

97. Have you ever given money to a street performer?

-yep

98. Your deepest fear?

-lets not go there

99. Pancakes or waffles?

-waffles but I don’t even like them that much

100. Are you still friends with anyone from high school?

-yep, my friend circle dates back to elementary

101. From 1-10, how good of a dancer do you consider yourself?

-7

102. How much of a patient person are you?

-I can be extremely patient. Once waited three hours in a dressing room with my friend and I didn’t have a phone

103. Do you know your IQ?

-no but its prob god level

104. Do you eat meat at all?

-mama loves meat

105. Do you own any clothes from a garage sale or a thrift store?

-I think so

106. Have you ever bought anything from a flea market?

-yess my mom used to take me to flea markets all the time

107. Have you ever quit a job?

-early this year

108. Have you ever gotten a song you dislike stuck in your head?

-many times

109. Any movie(s) you can watch over and over and over again and enjoy just as much each time?

-robots to ratatouille

110. Do you or have you ever worn glasses?

-just sun glasses

111. Have you ever skinny dipped?

-when I was like 6

112. Are your birth parents still together?

-yep

113. Have you ever been in the audience for the taping of a TV show?

-not that I know of

114. Favorite type of cookie?

-chocolate chip or the sugar cookies with the pink frosting on them (I’m a whore for them)

115. Have you ever been broken up with?

-nope

116. How often do you smile when getting your picture taken?

-most of the time

117. Have you ever accidentally dialed 911?

-yes I have and I was 6 and bullied for it for years by my uncle even though my cousins tricked me into doing it

118. Oldest memory?

-throwing a chair at a kid in preschool for stealing my cookie

119. Have you ever been the victim of a nasty prank?

-nope

120. How often do you snort when you laugh?

-uhhhh a lot

121. From 1-10, how good of a singer do you consider yourself?

-5

122. Favorite Disney song?

-uuuuuuhhh Shiny, See the Light, Why Don’t you Do Right, Show Yourself

123. Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

-hopefully in la

124. What is your Myers-Briggs personality type?

-I’m an advocate

125. Have you ever had a fortune cookie fortune come true?

-I think so

126. Name one thing you wish people would stop posting on social media.

-fascist, racist, homophobia stuff

127. Last musical artist you saw live?

-Jonas brothers

128. Credit cards or cash?

-cash cause I feel like I didn’t spend anything

129. Favorite fandom?

-the powderpuff girls or fairy tail

130. What is your astrological sign?

-Aries

131. Have you ever been fired from a job?

-nope I’m a good noodle

132. Any hidden talents?

-I can do the cinnamon challenge

133. Can you surf?

-nope

134. What motivates you to do well in life?

-the fear of failure

135. Your worst physical feature?

-my acne

136. From 1-10, how much are you like your father?

-mehhhhhhhh like a 4

137. How lucky do you consider yourself?

-I’m a pretty lucky person ngl

138. Name a moment in your life when you were pleasently surprised.

-when I won a coffee maker at my senior grad night raffle

139. Have you ever been summoned for jury duty?

-nope

140. What type of shoes do you wear the most?

-my converse

141. Favorite summer activity?

-getting coffee

142. Favorite song to sing in the shower?

-any Taylor swift song

143. Have you ever lived with a roommate you did not get along with?

-my parents sometimes

144. Have you ever lived on a farm?

-my grandparents owned a cherry farm when I was little

145. Have you ever kept a diary or a journal?

-tumblr is my diary

146. TV show or movie you quote/reference the most?

-Always Sunny, The Office, Gotham

147. How often do you get mad at yourself?

-constantly

148. Have you ever gotten any stitches?

-only in animal crossing (he’s so cute)

149. Have you ever been hunting?

-no

150. Favorite YouTube channel?

-Jenna marbles, try guys, mukbang edit channel, drama channels

151. Have you ever had a pet besides a dog or a cat?

-I had a mouse once

152. From 1-10, how well do you work with others?

-9

153. Are you friends with any of your exes?

-I don’t got exes

154. Apple or PC?

-I have an Apple Mac rn but I think I loved my pc so much so I’m getting used to the format

155. Do you collect anything?

-what don’t I collect? Funko, pins, so much stuff

156. Have you ever seen any Broadway plays or musicals?

-I saw Newsies and A Music chorus

157. Any missed opporunites you wish you had taken?

-I’m not too sure

158. Have you ever uttered a spoken hashtag?

-yes

159. Do you have a pool at your house?

-nope

160. What is the longest you’ve gone without sleep?

-like 24 hours and it was hell

161. Last thing that made you laugh?

-a meme 20 sec ago

162. Disney or Nickelodeon?

-Disney

163. Name one celebrity you wish was still alive.

-Billy Mays (Oxyclean dude)

164. From 1-10, how much are you like your mother?

-maybe a 6

165. Your best physical feature?

-my hair

166. Earbud or earmuff headphones?

-earbud

167. Have you ever wished you were born the opposite gender?

-..hmmmm sometimes I think it would be cool but I’m pretty content with being a girl...

168. Do you have any piercings anywhere besides your ear lobes?

-my nose

169. How often do you wash your hair?

-every other day usually

170. Showers or baths?

-I love a good bath but I take showers more

171. Have you ever been a bridesmaid or a groomsman?

-noooo but I wanna be

172. Bottled or tap water?

-bottle

173. What was your favorite TV show when you were a kid?

POWERPUFF GIRLS

174. Any guilty pleasures you’re willing to discuss?

-watching glee

175. Favorite video game?

-Mario kart

176. Have you ever gotten a New Year’s kiss exactly at midnight?

-nooooo why are there so many questions about kissing

177. How many of the United States have you visited?

-four, ive passed over a few more in a plane

178. Have you ever given money to a homeless person?

-yes

179. Have you ever gotten a surgery?

-no

180. Your least favorite food?

-cheese

181. From 1-10, how competitive are you?

-depends. I’m like a 6 but I can be pushed to a 10 when motivated

182. Do you like wearing hats?

-only a snap back occasionally

183. How much of a jealous peron are you?

-ehh not really

184. What was your SAT score?

-900-1100 (stop nationwide testing doesn’t work and I didn’t learn eveything)

185. Have you ever voted for a reality competition show?

-no

186. Does anyone in your family currently serve in your country’s military?

-my cousin

187. Snowboarding or skiing?

-I don’t do snow

188. What celebrity would you most want to play you in a movie about your life?

-jack black

189. Have you ever been a Boy or Girl Scout?

-hell no

190. Have you ever dyed your hair?

-many times

191. From 1-10, how good of a cook do you consider yourself?

-7

192. You have just opened up a web browser. What is the first site you visit?

-this cursed site

193. How many things can you do with your weaker hand?

-a lot

194. Were you involved in any academic clubs in high school?

-honors i guess

195. Have you ever played hooky from school?

-like twice

196. Are you comfortable with watching rated R movies?

—-not with my parents

197. Do you root for any sports teams?

-bold of you to assume i do sport

198. First thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

-pee

199. If you could take home any one animal from the zoo, which one would you choose?

-a lizard

200. Tell something about yourself most people don’t know.

-uhhh ummmm (I have a tik tok with 7.5k followers) 

[movienotesbyzawmer]

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)

I mostly like Quentin Tarantino's movies, but when I saw this in the theater I considered it one of his worst. But I still liked some stuff about it. I liked the thick atmosphere of late-sixties Los Angeles, and I liked Leonardo DiCaprio's character's arc & his performance, and I liked some of the playful touches, even though some of them feel indulgent. "Indulgence" is a big concern when it comes to evaluating QT's movies. Sometimes his indulgences are charming and sometimes not so much. I'm kind of hoping a second viewing will make me like this movie a bit more. Okay, here goes…

Vintage Columbia logo. That kind of thing always works well on me.

First five minutes or so are cinematic in a familiar way, not much to note. But at about 0:06:15 there's a jarring little interruption where a narrator tells us LD just lied. The only moment of narration at all.

Then Al Pacino is reflecting on some of the movies he's been watching, and we see some clips. They look kind of vintage, but also kind of Tarantino-y. Like, that scene where LD torches Nazis doesn't actually look like it could be from the 60s.

"Bounty Law! Starring Rick Dalton!" Then a cut to a dorky TV musical sketch. Kind of funny. Not subtle. I love that announcer voice that says "Bounty Law!"

One thing that often works well in QT movies is when he has an actor deliver, and savor delivering, a weighty minute or so of dialogue that really sets up a situation. Think Christopher Walken's monologue in Pulp Fiction or the first scene with Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds. This AP conversation where he talks to LD about where to take his career is like a mini version of one of those but doesn't last as long.

0:15:10 - First really nice period shot of LA. Very nice to look at.

I think the intended audience for this movie knows details about the Manson murders that most moviegoers don't actually know. For example, the ominous close-up of the sign for Cielo Drive. I don't think it's a mistake; I think he's knowingly alienating some viewers so he can give a better experience to those who do know about them. So I can't imagine recommending this movie without also strongly suggesting studying the Manson murders first.

Brad Pitt speeds down a boulevard in West Hollywood, a filming location which has been very lovingly decorated in the style of the period. The production design of this movie was rightly heralded.

Sequence with BP in his trailer making dinner for himself and his dog. Vivid; at one point they cut to a closeup of a pinup poster. Doesn't seem to be a reason for that except for "I'm Quentin Tarantino and I do whatever I feel like". Indulgent, is what I'm saying.

Also indulgent is this minute we're spending watching Roman Polanski drive to this party at the Playboy mansion.

I don't remember noticing this before, but that's Damian Lewis playing Steve McQueen and that's kind of perfect.

Scene where Kurt Russell is telling LD that BP has a creepy vibe and killed his wife, then we cut abruptly to apparently a scene of BP having a mundane argument with his wife maybe… okay, leaves the audience wanting more info, but maybe in kind of an irritating way.

Now this scene with Bruce Lee holding forth. Bruce Lee probably didn't generally speak in arrogant, bullying Quentin Tarantino monologues. Entertaining scene though.

But the left-me-wanting conversation from the previous scene helps this scene with Bruce Lee be more tense. Also the not-ringing-true snottiness of Bruce Lee makes it funny how that fight goes down.

0:52:30 - Okay, LD is in costume as a bad guy on a show, and he's got the long hippy hair that was spoken of in the AP scene. Just saying, I like that it was described and now we're seeing what I'd pictured.

And now this memorable conversation between LD and the little girl actress. The kid acts so grown up. This could have failed because of course no eight year old talks like this girl. But this scene is awesome. And without movies by QT, there aren't scenes like this.

Now Margot Robbie. We've seen her in a few scenes so far as Sharon Tate, but she's only been depicted as a dancing starlet bopping around town. For those of us that know she's a Manson victim, it works in a certain way. But does it work otherwise?

Okay, this is a peculiar part of the movie, it's pretty fun but kind of insider-y. LD is talking about being in the running for Steve McQueen's role in The Great Escape, and they edit in some outstanding CGI scenes of LD in the actual movie of The Great Escape. Playful, but just a weird bit of color…

…but then here's this next scene where MR, playing Sharon Tate, happens upon a cinema playing a movie she's in, and after a leisurely-paced interaction with the cinema workers, she goes in and watches the movie. Unlike the CGI trickery demonstrated in the last scene with LD, we watch actual Sharon Tate on screen. MR is visibly delighted to see "herself", and to hear the audience reacting to her performance. It all works, maybe more in spite of than because of QT's ever-present choice-broadcasting (which is also why we get a good look at MR's feet in this scene).

This is followed immediately by the sequence of the TV show LD is shooting. More playful indulgence. We see the scene edited as it probably would have been edited in 1969, but shot with modern cinematography, and interrupted by LD calling for his line, then backing up and redoing some of the scene. Can it be justified beyond just the undeniable fact that it's pretty interesting? Maybe that's enough. Maybe I'm being a snob, but also, what, was I not supposed to acknowledge it at least?

Stuff now starting with BP picking up Margaret Qualley's dirty hippy flirty cultist character. Before she even has any lines, the screen is practically bulging from the force of MQ's personality. It's entertaining.

1:28:30 - More of the TV show. We get to see LD's character be a good actor, and impress the director and the kid actor, which touches him, it's nice.

It's an hour and 38 minutes into the movie, and now we're to the scene on Spahn's Movie Ranch. I'm already thinking that by now we should be deeper into some kind of story than we are, and now this scene that I remember vividly. Not totally in a bad way, but for all the good things about it, it is stretched way out. Suspense is built up, skillfully, but without the kind of payoff we'd probably like. I mean, it's like a horror movie, with the rat squirming in the trap and the tense music and the "HE MAY BE TIRED" line from Dakota Fanning, but then it's back to not being a horror movie….

…in fact, it's on to this charismatic-tough-guy scene that feels Pulp-Fiction-y. Our MINDS are BLOWN that he hit the guy so hard and made the cultists so mad, it's a fantasy come to life, but just in a movie!!! This stuff is long, but not THAT boring, but maybe it could have been a little less boring, plus more relevant to later events.

LD and BP are now watching an episode of a show he'd done. Way more violent than TV shows probably were in 1969. They like watching his little "heavy" role and chuckling about it.

Then a SIX MONTHS LATER card, and some narration for the first time since that little jokey bit in the beginning. Also jokey is the fact that this new section is narrated, VERY narrated, and is the fact that Kurt Russell is the narrator also jokey?

2:02:50 - "…going back to Missouri." LD's character is from Missouri? With that accent? Is this also an in-joke?

The aforementioned narration persists for a long time. Seems gratuitous. QT was clearly like "We'll do the first two hours of the picture without a narrator, and then suddenly there will be a whole bunch of stupid narration hahahahahahaha! No one else would do that!!! That's reason enough for me to do it!!!!"

Finale is going on now with the Manson cultist killer people approaching the house. If you know what really happened, you're freaking out. But if you know what really happened and you already know how this movie changes that story… it's entertaining. What I'm saying is that it's funny this second time through, without the worry about seeing what really transpired.

"And you were on a horsie!" "Nah something dumber than that" Hahaha BP is super funny in this scene.

Dang, the dog just mutilates Tex, and it's funny!

He violences that woman very very very much, it's nuts, kind of funny but so disturbing.

LD flamethrowers that girl in the pool. She's in the pool. But still dies from being on fire. /shrug

We never did get the whole story about BP killing his wife.

The last scene, MR talks to LD, inviting him up for a friendly drink with her friends. It ends with us thinking how nice it would be if she and her friends hadn't been the victims of a cruel slaughter just moments earlier. That's not a bad way to end a movie. But it's a long movie, and I'll say this again: indulgent. You might not feel that in on the jokes, and even if you do, you might not have as much time for them as this movie requires.

[soulbutterlanguages]

See Chicago on the Budget of a Poor College Student !

Chicago is absolutely beautiful if you know where to go! And there’s plenty more to see than just The Bean. I moved here for school a year and a half ago, and I still have much more to explore in this amazing city.

I’ve written up a little guide for anyone interested in visiting Chicago on their next trip. This guide is also based off of ‘El’ (train) stops.

Totally free things both downtown and north.

   - Maggie Daley Park is just a two minute walk from the always mentioned Bean (which is actually meant to be a cloud) and as an adult, I’ve never felt like more of a kid again. It’s a fantastic date spot, or if you’re just feeling silly, take a stroll over the bridge and find yourself on a pirate ship.

  -Navy Pier disclaimer; Navy Pier is a tourist trap, but it is also beautiful. Totally free to just stroll across, but the attractions come at a heavy price. Worth seeing once. 

   - ChristkindlMarkt  no doubt you’ve already heard of this, but during the winter months, Chicago hosts three different German Christmas Markets scattered across the city that are rival only Europe’s Christmas Markets. 

   -Lincoln Park Zoo/Conservatory I ADORE the conservatory! They have a whole room of Orchids and more or less any plant you can imagine (including the Sensitive Plant that curls up when you touch it) it’s very cute and I love spending time there. Also pretty close if you want to get away from the crowds is a beautiful little Lily Park across the street. Really nice to sit and read by and the ducks are 11/10.

   -Chinatown! Blocks and blocks of asian culture!! There is hardly any English seen or even spoken it’s so cool to see (but you can certainly get by). If you’re a K-Pop fan, there are at least three stores dedicated to K-Pop merch to peruse. 

   -Boystown! Pride flags everywhere, drag shows, comedy shows, LGBTQ+ facts literally posted on street corners. It’s so much fun. You will pass sex shops that aren’t afraid to tell you what they’re all about if you’re traveling with children, just know that.

   -Bookstores (depending on who you ask) are free to look around in! We have some really amazing bookstores both new and used, so do your research if you’re interested. 

  -Little Vietnam! There’s a whole stretch of road where there is nearly no English a block or two away from the Red Line Argyle stop. Really amazing food and shops. There’s also a whole bunch of other cool things in this area too.

  -Big Ass Starbucks ! I’m not a fan of Starbucks, but this one is super cool. I highly recommend if you stumble across it, to take a look. There’s a bar on the top floor.

  -Red Line Roulette a great little game we like to play where we close our eyes and point to a random stop on the red line (usually north of Roosevelt) and get off there and see what we can find. This works with most lines, we just live on the red line and therefore use it the most.

Nearly free things

  -Museums! Most places have pretty nice student discounts, or even free student tickets. Some museums are pricier than others but totally worth it! You can see some of your favorite paintings at the Art Institute, or learn about your favorite American authors down the street at the lesser known American Writers Museum. There is a variety of science museums as well to check out. My favorite is the Chicago History Museum, where you can learn about gangsters and the packing industry and hundreds of fascinating other things.

  -Cultural Centers! As you can imagine, Chicago is incredibly diverse! Chicago is home to the National Museum of Mexican Art, as well as the DANK Haus, and even the Swedish American Museum. 

  -Jenni’s Ice Cream! I don’t want to set the bar too high on this one but once you try it, ice cream will never be the same.

  -Music Box Theater! Beautiful little theater, sort of off the beaten path, with all sorts of obscure movies playing at all times. 

  -DIY Music Scene!!!! This is truly amazing. One thing I’ve noticed in my time living here, is that apparently when people are moving out of their apartments, the tradition is to clear out all furniture and have local rock bands play. Some of the best nights of my life happened in a room of twenty people trying to dance in a kitchen. If you’re interested check out bands like Ex Okays, Spacebones, and Engine Summer. Usually they’ll charge something like $3-9 for a show, but you have to find them. 

  -Go on an architecture tour! Chicago history is really fascinating! Learn about it!

 Here’s a list of restaurants that are great

   Nutella cafe (worth going once if you like Nutella)

   Stan’s Donut’s 

   Anne Sather’s

   Here’s some more

      General tips ~

    -ditch the car. Even if you’re an amazing driver, it’ll only cause stress and you’ll find yourself spending more time getting to places than being there. Plus we have a really amazing public transport system!

    -similarly, don’t be afraid of the public transport system! You might occasionally stroll into a car that smells like pee or have someone come up and talk to you. Be polite and they’ll leave you alone. As a short woman who likes to be out late, I have never really felt unsafe in my time here. That being said, be cautious. If it’s after 10pm, have at least another person traveling on the bus or train with you.

  - you don’t need to lock your zippers or wear your bag on your front. In fact, you might even be targeted more. Once I accidentally rode three stops on the El with my back pack totally open, and I got to my destination and nothing was missing. On the other hand, I had a friend have his phone stolen on the CTA (the train) but only because the man said “please let me borrow your phone, I have to call my daughter.” so my friend stupidly handed it to him to which the man responded “this is mine now.” I shouldn’t have to say this, but don’t hand your stuff to people you don’t know.

  -for god’s sake check the weather before you come ! Weather here is really temporal. The joke is; if you don’t like the weather now, wait five minutes. 

  -Uber instead of taxi if you can’t take the El Taxi costs  a lot more money

  - Know when the El shuts down. I think only the Red Line runs 24/7 so have a plan. 

  -Have evening plans before the evening comes. Surprisingly, things close pretty early in the day, so know what you want to do

There you go! If you have any questions message me! Or feel free to add on. The list is really endless, this is just what I could think of off the top of my head. 

[geek-gem]

Brightburn

Basically made this on DeviantArt first and my friend @whovian45810 told me of the extras thing and it's on here. Pretty long post, just a warning and some what of a review and reaction whatever in a way.

Pasted it and adjusted it. My honest thoughts on the film.

Well after long while of anticipation I finally saw Brightburn.

I didn't make this immediately because walked over here to this McDonald that's near my theater or theatre whatever. Especially was texting some friends and the internet wasn't up or something.

I'll just get it over with but I thought it was excellent. I liked the film but I feel like my anticipation might of got me a bit. Yet not in a very negative way. Yet I feel my friend Whovian told me about when she saw the movie last night.

I don't wanna make this very long but I wanna say some stuff. Again I liked it, but I feel after watching the trailers a lot and I guess yeah theorising about the film might of actually got me to see how the movie goes.

Yet I was pleasantly surprised still. Mainly by some directions they took with the film. But I'll be honest while my legs felt weird(but also because of personal reasons) like out of fear. But I wasn't horrified a lot because I think because of watching the trailers I kind of guessed what happened.

But I appreciate what the film was doing. Especially the promotions using the word, "Bold" as a way to describe the film I agree.

While it is undeniably a horror film. Including there were moments I was shocked by(mostly of how they were played out and other things) some moments where I had my arms almost over my mouth.

I weirdly view this film as some sort of tragedy in a way. Because the way it's played out, it's literally a super villain origin film. But with a horror twist. Especially it being heavily inspired by Superman because it is using Superman as the basis and his origin in a way. But I do view even though I view it as some sort of tragedy. Our main antagonist and in a way protagonist Brandon Breyer what he does in the film is basically unjustified. I think it was the way the film with of how he became what he was that makes me feel sad of how everything went. Because it feels like what happens to Brandon could of been dealt with but like I read on Wikipedia even before the movie came out. It's the Superman origin story but it takes a terrible left turn or something. Someone said that somewhere but it's not quoted by someone.

Especially to me I think what made it work was the cast. I feel the standouts were I hoped were Elizabeth Banks, and David Denman as Tori and Kyle Breyer. They were the strongest of the cast to me. Everyone else did a nice job but I just loved Elizabeth and David with what they were given. Including throughout the movie as things get worse.

But also the other stand out is Jackson A Dunn who appeared in Avengers Endgame as well as Brandon Breyer or the title Brightburn. He does a good job of playing a pre teen kid especially as he turns into the monster the promotions keep seeing.

Again it's what I thought what the movie might be. While it's a horror film yes, but it's weirdly this tragic tale that to me is kind of sad.

In fact I felt like I wanted to cry a bit but it sounds ridiculous. Because again I don't defend what Brandon does in the film. Including I don't wanna compare this to something like Jason Voorhees because they are two completely different characters.

But it feels like the film to me was a horror film mixed with tragedy. I could be stupid or what the hell.

Including to me personally while I don't wanna spoil anything. While Brandon is menacing when he needs to be. It wasn't all Michael Myers as I heard some folks talked about or what I had thought. Again he was great in the role, more emotional than what I was expecting which is good in a weird way.

Let me tell you this. Especially I read from Twitter and a guy's review I retweeted I saw someone mention, "Mortal Kombat style fatalities" or something like that. Yeah their is some gore and the film does not hold back on it.

Including I'm not gonna spoil any deaths or any gruesome stuff. But during the PE school scene, and the trick scene. I heard a guy I think the same guy go, "UGH" or, "OH" I think most likely during those two moments. Because they are just shocking to see how they play out and I wondered as well. Including other scenes it's just shocking.

To me personally because while yes evil Superman has been dealt with in other media. Yes I know in Superman 3 from what I know their is a evil Superman. But I'm talking about a being with Superman like powers doing this stuff in a R rated fashion and it's brutal. So just a warning about that if you plan on seeing it. Because I even thought if I recall they didn't hold back. Especially even said that to the guy on his Twitter review.

Also it felt short I've read someone said that too. Yet the movie did it's job but it didn't reveal everything. Including I feel in some weird way the ending seemed rushed. But it didn't anger me but it was short. Mainly the last part of the last act or whatever.

Now the ending and this is what people were complaining about and hated. Especially I was spoiled in a way by a thumbnail. The ending of the movie before the very ending. In a weird way I expected that final scene to be something like shot by Zack Snyder like it's weirdly beautiful but tragic. Because it's like this moment where Brandon's arc as a antagonist and his transformation as Brightburn is complete in a way.

I think the best way to say the film ends well, grim might be the best word. I've remember the guy from that Twitter review even say it's not for everyone if they can't handle the doom or gloom stuff whatever he said.

But I don't know if I should say depressing. Because it really does leave the idea of, "What happens next" and fits into what I said, it's basically a super villain origin story, it's about Brandon and his arc to become what could be the most terrifying force on the planet. Unless they do more films in the universe of Brightburn because I'll talk about that.

Again basically what Bruce and Lex talked about in BVS. Including like I said the dark reflection of what Clark Kent could of been. Including I'm gonna mention this I'm a guy who loves Man Of Steel and Batman V Superman. It truly is the what Amanda Weller said in Suicide Squad if another Superman came around and wasn't like Clark. Yet I still haven't seen Suicide Squad.

Gonna say again I'm not spoiling anything. I had hoped for a scene where Kyle says shit like, "Stop expecting him to save the world, fighting super villains, or saving cats from trees!" As a call back to Superman in a way or what I thought Tori would think Brandon might become. But the film deals with Brandon's origin in a different way. Because again it still surprised me. Also it would probably make the transformation of Brandon into a super villain even more sad if something like that was said.

Now the well....Whovian told me this...theirs a mid credits scene yes. I stayed for the whole movie after the credits hoping for the scene or an extra one in case, because I'm weird like that.

It's a little spoiler but I don't wanna spoil anything major. The mid credits to me goes quick and if you weren't told about the mid credits scene you wouldn't think it was. I was expecting one after it but their wasn't any.

Yet it does set up some stuff if this franchise is continued. Because to me a little spoiler.

I swear I feel one of the pictures had a little Spider-Man reference to what could be the Brightburn version of what Spider-Man could be like. It was mainly the eyes but I'd rather have you guys see it.

Yet I didn't look fully at the others but it was that one picture that really got my interest. Because I'm wondering if we will get more films like this of, "What if this popular superhero but not the same character instead became a super villain or some killer" while I worry it might get lazy because I think of my ideas. Also the audience might get tired of it. Yet I do wanna see more films like this.

Anyway I should close this up. I wanna mention my theater/theatre wasn't really packed at all. Only a few people but seriously I was in seat G1 funny Transformers reference I thought when I got the seat. But really maybe 10 or 9 just I wasn't sure 8 or 7 or 9 I don't know and wanna be honest with myself

But I'm grateful no kids were in there during the showing. Because hearing stories of kids being taken to films like Deadpool weirdly bothers me. I feel the films promotions really got the message out that this isn't a horror film. But what it's called a super hero horror film. Especially I don't want any kids seeing this film holy shit.

Again I liked the film. It wasn't as amazing as I thought it was. But it was good and I hope to see more like it. I recommend it if you want something different instead of the MCU or other comic book related stuff. Despite the film is mainly it's own original work not really based upon anything but uses Superman as a basis. Or if your a DCEU fan you might like this.

But be warned it's brutal and it doesn't hold back on what it does. It can be scary and tense at times it depends. Just don't get over hyped maybe.

On a more sillier note to end on. If we get a sequel or have a cinematic universe for Brightburn and even before I saw the movie I'm concerned this movie might do well since not many people saw it when I was there. I mean Aladdin came out today too.

But again if we get a cinematic universe and well a sequel, bring on the Brightburn version of Lex Luthor. But most importantly bring the Brighburn version of Doomsday please! I want to see that immortal friendly giant that would take on Brandon aka Brightburn please. But also other Brightburn versions of popular comic book characters so they can fight to the death in a weird way similar to Freddy Vs Jason but with superpowers and other stuff.

[lindsayruebens]

The Grand #5-10-30

Last fall, Kane and I had two Frontier flight vouchers burning a hole in our pockets.

Also that fall, we celebrated being together for a decade. And then I turned 30 in December. April is Kane’s 30th birthday. And May is our fifth wedding anniversary.

And, for the past five years, we had exclusively used our vacation days for traveling to see family during the holidays and weddings. We were not only ready to celebrate but extremely ready for a vacation, and ready to do it up big.

Enter what my social-media-eschewing husband has persistently referred to as the #5-10-30 trip (yes I know there are no hyphens in real hashtags, but here we are), and he did so persistently enough that I too eventually broke down and also called it The 5-10-30.

Direct Frontier flights from Philadelphia narrowed our options considerably, and we wanted to pick somewhere we’d never been, so Denver it was. My parents very generously offered to watch Russ in Pennsylvania for a week, and after lots of research and planning, that’s how the best vacation Kane and I have ever had, or shall I say, The #5-10-30 Trip, materialized.

We rented a 2019 Nissan Rogue and basically did a loop beginning and ending in Denver. I kept a detailed journal of the trip, but I’ll spare you the less-thrilling details and share the highlights:

Day 1: Afternoon/evening in Denver

(^Ready for takeoff to Denver!)

Great AirBnB cottage in the LoHi neighborhood. After meeting us, our host ran into her house to bring us her own nice bottle of tequila, limes and shot glasses to start off our trip on a celebratory note. Cheers!

Speaking of cheers, we recommend the Recess Beer Garden, where we watched Virginia win the national title.

Day 2: Denver/Colorado Springs

We kicked breakfast off at Bacon Social House with a flight of bacon. And because we’re corny, we gave serious thought to ranking the six bacon styles (French toast was my fav, barbecue was Kane’s). Scissors for sharing the slices were included.

Next up: Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. The red rock formations were breathtaking, and we’re glad we went to the visitor’s center for info on hiking trails. Great views of both Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak.

Another fantastic AirBnB in Old Colorado City, and delicious dinner — just say yes to the brisket grilled cheese and lamb sliders — outside at Cerberus Brewing Company while watching the sun set behind the Rockies.

Day 3: Colorado Springs

We spent much of this day in the earth.

First stop was Cave of the Winds. Holy cow, do the Lantern Tour if you can. Our self-described hippie tour-guide, John, thoroughly scared us before we even began, warning us of having to walk crouched low for a couple of minutes through under-4-foot-high tunnels, that we’d only be walking by the light of candle-lit lanterns (hence the name Lantern Tour) and that we were about to enter the supposedly most haunted caverns in North America. It’s not a tour for the faint of heart (nor the arthritic). Learned the history of the 19th-century pioneers who took ownership of the caves and held exotic parties in them, and of course there was a generous helping of spooky ghost stories.

(^Our only photo in the cave before the tour began-- not the kind of setting to take a selfie!)

Back in the sunlight, we had lunch at Ivywild School, an elementary school-turned community center/local business spot/brewery.

Dinner in downtown Colorado Springs at The Rabbit Hole, also underground. We did actually try rabbit with the Bunny Bites appetizer… a drier, leaner version of chicken nuggets.

Day 4: Cañon City/Nathrop

Spent the day at the Royal Gorge in Cañon City. The gondola ride across was slightly panic-inducing, but offered amazing views; informative short movie about the Gorge in onsite theater; then walks across America’s tallest suspension bridge. The gaps between some of the wooden planks of the floor allowed you to see all the way to the Arkansas River flowing below. YIKES. Of course Kane insisted we really feel “fully alive,” and so we were the only ones nutty enough to go back and forth several more times in the wind. Don’t worry, I felt super-alive, and thankfully, remained in such a state.

Spectacular mountain drive along Route 50 to Nathrop, where we checked in at the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs Resort. It’s in the San Isabel National Forest.

(^Serious room with a view.)

That evening we donned bathing suits in 30-something degree weather to recline in the hot springs of Chalk Creek. We laid our heads on rocks, stared at the stars and crescent moon overhead and enjoyed deep conversation that also included momentarily pretending we were contestants on The Bachelor, because it was such an over-the-top date, and I assured Kane I was most certainly there for the right reasons.

Day 5: Nathrop/Breckenridge

Hot springs again in the bright morning sunshine before driving to Breckenridge, which was a little insane with hairpin turns up and down mountains. We drove through Alma, North America’s highest incorporated town, and were relieved to make it to our AirBnB. Then: A scrumptious sushi lunch downtown at The Blue Fish and perusing the town’s many shops.

We called up the Lost Bus, owned and operated by the Broken Compass Brewing, which picks up people for free from downtown Breckenridge to its brewery site a few miles away. This was my favorite brewery of the trip! Fantastic craft beers and great local vibe.

Then we walked about half a mile down the road to Flight Club for food. It was an extremely local experience (complete with a guy glass-blowing pipes next to the bar!) and even featured a local battle-of-the-bands winner, Hollywood Farmers, who were actually quite talented.

(^My view from the bar. Just some casual glass-blowing, dudes.)

Day 6: Boulder

A crazy drive to Boulder on Route 70 with foggy snow showers. But we made it in one piece to Chautauqua Park and hiked around the Flatirons on the Enchanted Mesa Trail and loved it.

Lunched at Roxie’s Tacos, where they served amazing Mexican-Indian fusion in the lovely campus area of CU-Boulder, then drove to the Celestial Seasonings headquarters for a free tea tour and samples. A highlight was the peppermint room! Free aromatherapy.

Checked into a Courtyard Marriott and ate at Avery Brewing Company.

Day 7: Boulder/Denver

Amazing breakfast at Lucile’s in adorable downtown Boulder. Walked around Pearl Street Mall, where the tulip beds were in bloom. If I had to choose one of the places we visited to move, I’d pick Boulder!

Drove back to Denver and attended a beautiful Palm Sunday Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. Proceeded to a tour of the Molly Brown House. Loved learning her incredible story: a rags-to-riches miner’s wife, Titanic survivor, philanthropist, winner of French Legion of Honor… Google her if you have time!

On to Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey for a delightful distillery tour. We learned how it was made and aged and also how to properly drink whiskey. Not sure I’m a converted whiskey-drinker, but loved every minute of the tour.

We ended our trip where we began, in the LoHi neighborhood, at a fantastic Mediterranean tapas restaurant called El Five. We sat outside overlooking the Denver skyline and the Rockies before catching a red-eye home. It was the perfect way to punctuate a pretty near-perfect trip.

(^Dinner view. Until we meet again, Colorado!)

[thiinka]

Hey there! I know I’m a stranger but I was recently admitted to CUI (which I heard you attend?) and I was wondering your personal opinion on it! I think it’s an awesome school but I’m not entirely sure if I want to attend, ya know? Could you offer some advice? Thank you either way!

Oh heck yeah! I’m really curious as to who you are and how you found out I go to CUI, haha.

Personally? I love this school and the time I’ve spent here, and I’ve had moments walking across campus thinking, “I’m so glad I went here,” no joke. There are several reasons for that: small size of basically everything, the faculty, the location, and the cafeteria (mostly). 

Everything is small here. You can walk across campus in 5 minutes. The classes are always under 30 students (except for precious few general classes like the freshman intro class and general physical fitness lecture) and I’ve mostly been in classes of 10 or under in my majors’ classes (Math and Graphic Design). Also kinda on the topic of rooms, the dorm rooms are cushy comparatively to other dorms. The non-quad buildings are suite-style and the quads are apartment-style, with a toilet and shower per 4 students, not a floor of students sharing a stall bathroom. Also, you don’t have those brick walls that a lot of other universities have, you can actually put thumbtacks into these walls. And there are professors in residence! I live in the Uppers Quads, where there are 3 separate families of professors with their kids, and personally? I love it. Uppers has always felt like a big ol’ family to me, especially with hall events.

The small size helps out the faculty, and all the professors I’ve had except for like... one or two have been amazing and passionate about what they’re teaching. I took a look on your profile and it looks like you like history and psychology? I’m not even in those areas and I still have personal experience/positive grapevine talk about those professors. For me, Dr. Armstrong (also highly involved with Honors goings-on) was the professor who got me to finally like history in CHST 201 after high school killed it for me, partially because Ancient Greek and Roman history is his baby. He also takes students on Getty Villa field trips at least once every semester, once to see the play that happens out there, and it’s great. Dr. Cosgrove was my professor for Intro to Psychology, and she was fantastic with a class of 4 students including me! I know about other professors (Flores, Francisco, Karges, Matthews) and that they all have excellent reputations. Word of mouth is swift here, and you *will* get recommendations on whose classes to take. It’s a bit more likely that adjuncts will provide inferior learning, but faculty who care about the students interview them, so it’s not nearly as bad as a large university.

Personally, my experience with the Mathematics and Art faculty has been so amazing. Math (Prof Melberg and Dr.s Croll, Schulteis, Taylor) and Art (Soo, Hayes, Dunham, Kruger) are all so invested in their students’ success, no matter if it’s a GE or a major-specific course. There’s also a bit of group discussion encouraged as a mix with traditional lecture at least for Math.

Additionally, I’m in the string orchestra, and while ensemble directors all have this “Music is the only thing you should be focusing on” attitude to some extent, I really love interacting with them. Also, they’re super helpful in networking with theater and church gigs if you ask (Dr. Held recommended me to one of the theater profs, Dr. Vezner, to play violin, and subsequently got pulled back for nice paying gigs several times). Not as applicable if you’re not in music, but we will have the new music and theology building open for use starting I think in Fall 2019. And even if you’re not in music, we have *so many* great performances for strings, winds, choir, *handbells*, and the mini theater productions. CUI (and our donors) really loves the arts, man. 

The location is excellent, especially if you’re from out-of-state. Irvine is literally ranked the safest city in California, and UCI with all of its amenities (the library!!) and other fun stuff (University Town Center, Woodbridge area) is right next door. You’re a stone’s throw from the beach and the mountains and theme parks and several malls (The Spectrum, South Coast Plaza, Fashion Island, The District). Some of these places are 100% close enough to walk or bike to, and I’ve done so many times. I guarantee at some point you’ll make friends with someone who has a car, or if not, there’s a shuttle service that goes out on weekends.

And finally the cafeteria. It’s comparatively better than other college cafeterias in my opinion. There’s always something you’ll want to eat; just don’t let Senior Preview Day trick you on the daily quality of the food! Also, breakfast is consistently good, since you can order eggs and omelettes how you’d like them. Meal plans work on an allotted x meals a week deal, starting on Monday, at either 19, 14, or 10, or you can appeal to have no meal plan past freshman year in case of dietary stuff. 

Some cons? If you’re not too into Jesus then the required Theology (Old Testament and New Testament) probably won’t be cool. The school *is* affiliated with LCMS Lutheranism, and I’ve had my fair share of Catholic vs Protestant joking around with professors. All Theology and some History profs are Lutheran pastors. As a very personal note for when I turned 21, the campus is a dry campus for the sake of reducing liability issues, and it’s pretty frustrating to me. If you eventually have a car, parking is free but holy crap is it hard to find a parking space sometimes!! I’m not involved in sports, but we apparently do well?? but we don’t have a football team. The bureaucracy has gotten really congested with clubs and orgs over the past 5 years I’ve been here. 

But I mean, in short? Like I said way up there, sometimes I get moments where I’m walking across campus and I think, “I love this place and I’m so glad I came here of all places.” I met my rock-solid group of close friends and my boyfriend (long story) here, I have professors who I really do consider friends (and for the end-of-the-year math dept. dinner? Almost like family! Three of them are moms!) and who are so invested in my and other students’ success, and I believe I can truly say I've grown tremendously as a person while going to CUI because of these people. 

That, uh... mini-essay kinda encapsulates my personal experience with and feelings about CUI. I definitely recommend campus visits to each college you’re accepted to if you’re undecided and able to, though. Good luck picking where you want to go, and I hope this helped you understand CUI better!

[hoogiehowser]

MEDIA DIARY JANUARY

:::::::::: MOVIES ::::::::::

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) I liked this so much I ended up seeing it twice. The animation is on a whole different level from everything else in theaters I just can’t believe it. Nothing has immediately endeared me to a character more that when Miles gets to the place where he’s going to put up graffiti and yells “BROOKLYN!” to get the echo. Absolutely perfect. 

Happy Death Day (2017) The trailer looked good but the trailer for the sequel looked even better. Good time repeating movie. Way better than Blood Punch. I’m excited to see more of this.

Alien: Covenant (2017) Had no clue what to expect going in but I actually dug it. It’s just Alien again like every Alien movie but what they do with David from Prometheus makes it really interesting. There’s also some straight up slasher movie sleaze that definitely appeals to me.

MacGruber (2010) It’s just a bunch of dick jokes while a bad action movie happens. There’s no clever spin to it.

Better Luck Tomorrow (2002) Wanted to watch this due to the Fast & Furious connection. It’s a great movie about overachievers and getting away with shit. I think Justin Lin is a great director and his unique voice benefits every movie he does.

Collateral (2004) I didn’t realize until the credits that this was a Michael Mann movie but it was so obvious in hindsight. The premise is simple, Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx are great, and everything comes together in a genuinely cool film.

Wilson (2017) Based on a comic I don’t particularly like from Dan Clowes’ grumpy old man phase. The cool thing about the comic is that each page works on its own and has a different art style. The movie can’t do that. But it’s still faithful to the book which means it feels like a series of one page gags strung together until it finishes. Woody and Laura Dern are great though and it is pretty funny at times.

Blumhouse’s Truth or Dare (2018) There was another truth or dare based horror movie a year before that was a Syfy original. The Syfy one is better. The problem with them both is the supernatural contrivances that make people play truth or dare against their will. It’s such a strained premise.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017) Guy Ritchie made a King Arthur movie and it feels exactly like you’d expect. 

Thoroughbreds (2017) Girl who can’t feel emotions befriends girl who is very politely hiding her extreme emotions. Things get bad when they start to think about murder. Anton Yelchin plays a druggie scumbag loser. It’s such a good movie. 100% my kind of thing.

:::::::::: TV ::::::::::

The Great British Baking Show (Beginnings, Collections 1-4) Got addicted to this one. I love cooking competitions shows and pleasant ones are usually the best. I like seeing competitors that like each other. I like Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry not trying to tear people down. I love Mel and Sue. It’s just a nice show for the nice people.

Toei Spider-Man (Episodes 1-5) I’m not a big toku guy but Spider-Verse got me curious about various Spider-Men. Takuya Yamashiro wasn’t bitten by a radioactive spider, he was injected with blood from the last survivor of Planet Spider and carries out a mission against Professor Monster’s Iron Cross Army to avenge Planet Spider and his own father. Next to nothing present from the classic Lee/Ditko Spider-Man and that’s totally alright. I’m going to try to watch more because the episode where Spider-Man has to donate his blood to hurt child has some serious heart.

The Prisoner (Episodes 7-17) I started watching this a while ago but only now got around to finishing. Mostly super clever plots and the atmosphere is always great. Patrick McGoohan sells it every single time. Some of the later episodes go really off the rails though. There’s an entire wild west episode. Nothing in this stretch tops my favorite episode, The Schizoid Man, where Number Two brainwashes Number Six to act differently and then forces Number Six to pretend to be Number Six while a different man is already pretending to be Number Six. The ending is solid though and carries a really good tv series to a confusing, surreal end.

Cutthroat Kitchen (Season 7, Episodes 1-7) Polar opposite of The Great British Baking Show. It’s the Mario Kart of cooking competition shows. Everyone tries to fuck each other over and Alton laughs at them the entire time. It’s brilliant.

:::::::::: PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING ::::::::::

TJPW Tokyo Joshi Pro ‘19 (January 4) I don’t follow TJPW and don’t know any of their wrestlers besides Meiko Satomura but I watched this because it was on before Wrestle Kingdom. Meiko vs Reika Saiki definitely made the show worth watching and the rest was pretty alright. Lots of fun, new personalities that I like.

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13 (January 4) Probably the most I’ve looked forward to a show and it absolutely delivered. For the past few years I’d watch WK and recommended matches but in in July I started following everything NJPW. That added investment made this WK special. Ibushi/Ospreay tore it up and I really hope Ibushi recovers soon. Jay White/Okada shocked me. Naito/Jericho was fucking brutal. And Kenny Omega vs Hiroshi Tanahashi was a match I was so invested in that I thought I was going to cry. If you haven’t checked out New Japan yet this show would make an excellent start. GO ACE!

Impact Homecoming (January 6) Impact has gotten pretty good. I’ve only seen a few of their most recent ppvs but it’s obvious that they have a wealth of talent and they’re willing to tell the kind of dumb stories that I really like. Since Homecoming was in Nashville I went and it was one of the best shows I’ve been to. The energy was insane all night and LAX vs Lucha Bros has to be the best match I’ve seen live. Now that they air on Twitch I’ve been following the weekly show and enjoying it quite a bit.

WWE Royal Rumble (January 27) I always love the rumble but the rumble was weird. Both rumble matches were okay but filled with dumb stuff and way too many recovery spots that were immediately deflated by the person getting eliminated. I like the winners. AJ/Daniel didn’t deliver like I wanted. Sasha and Ronda had a good match. I loved how Finn Balor worked Brock Lesnar’s diverticulitis. Fun show.

NXT UK Takeover Blackpool (January 12) NXT UK doesn’t really grip me aside from the women’s division. I liked this well enough but nothing really changed my mind. Finn Balor made a surprise appearance and he looked like such a star compared to everyone else. Excited to see what WALTER can do here though.

GCW 400 Degreez (January 12) GCW’s brand of hardcore indie nonsense is my absolute favorite. 400 Degreez isn’t the best they’ve done but it was full of disgusting beautiful deathmatch bullshit. Markus Crane vs Nate Webb especially.

NXT Takeover Phoenix (January 26) Takeover always delivers. Johnny Gargano vs Ricochet was definitely the match of the night. I don’t dig the War Raiders schtick but their match was great. Bianca Belair and Shayna Baszler also killed it.

:::::::::: COMICS ::::::::::

One Piece by Eiichiro Oda (Volumes 1-10) I wanted something long to start reading so why not One Piece? Enjoying it so far. I like getting the crew together and Usopp’s story in particular is great. Oda is a master cartoonist. I love every time we get reaction faces.

Spider-Man: Fever by Brendan McCarthy Spider-Man fever got me wanting to revisit Spider-Man: Fever because I remember liking it. I still like it. Doctor Strange accidentally opens a doorway into a spider dimension and Spider-Man gets caught in Doctor Strange’s bathtub and the alternate dimension spiders take him. All this and McCarthy’s art make Fever pretty far out. 

Spider-Man 2099 by Peter David, Kelley Jones, and Rick Leonardi (1-15) Miguel O’Hara wasn’t bitten by a radioactive spider, he had Peter Parker’s DNA put into him by weird future DNA machine and he wages war against the gigantic corporations that control everything. I like Spider-Man 2099. Miguel is so different from the Peter Parker archetype and he’s got claws and fangs. He’s brutal. It’s got a neat post-hero future kind of like Batman Beyond. I stopped reading because the next part is a crossover with Punisher 2099, Ravage 2099, Doom 2099, and X-Men 2099. I’ll hopefully pick it back up because I want to know what happens with the hologram that’s in love with Miguel. 

Spider-Man by Kazumasa Hirai & Ryoichi Ikegami Yu Komori was bitten by a radioactive spider and he definitely wishes he wasn’t. It starts off a lot like our usual Spider-Man but the villains are so much more tragic and Yu deals with some heavy shit. Ikegami’s art evolves from cartoony to serious as the tone of the book changes. He’s a really incredible artist who is consistently pulling neat tricks and trying new things. I really liked this and it may top my favorite Spider-Man comics. It’s just so bleak and unforgiving to poor Yu. By the way, the final plotline is exactly the same as the Sonny Chiba movie Wolf Guy. Turns out the comic that movie was based on was written by the same guy that write Spider-Man. An odd find.

:::::::::: VIDEOGAMES ::::::::::

Axiom Verge Had my eye on this for a long time and finally picked it up on sale on my Switch. It’s okay. There are a lot of clever ideas here that I don’t think work for me. But I do like the decorrupter and the teleport. Some of the movement feels great but some stuff like the grappling hook feels awful. I hate the story. Completely incoherent sci-fi nonsense. But it’s a fun game and I enjoyed my time with it.

Hollow Knight I’ve spent about 30 hours on this game and I feel like I’m close to the end of the story. I absolutely love it. The movement, the combat, and the exploration all feel excellent. I’ve played over ten metroidvanias in the past year (I really like them) and this might be the best. My favorite part about them is how you’re almost never wasting time because there are new secrets to discover all across the map and Hollow Knight does such a good job with that.

[wanda-porter]

TEXT 📲 SAM EVANS

WITH : Sam Evans ( @gfn-sam-evans)

DATE & TIME: September 3rd - 4th.

WP: So i know anime date night is on tuesday, but would you like to be my +1 to game night on wednesday? WP: Please, please, please, please? SE: What game night?? WP: Finn is making his annual game night and he told us that we could bring partners! WP: And I clearly thought you wanted to win so I thought you could be mine.

SE: I do like to win. What type of games? Cards? Board? Sports? WP: Cards and board games and karaoke. I also gotta sing so do you wanna miss that? SE: A karaoke competition? Hmm. That as a duet or solo? SE: I used to be in choir and we compete tons. SE: I’ll cheer you on if it’s solo WP: I kinda told Finn I was gonna sing duets with him.   WP: But you are my special one so totally singing one with you.  WP: You just gotta know I suck, a lot WP: You do like board games, right? SE: What makes me special? SE: Heck yeah I do! I play tons of them. WP: Well, you are gonna be my date, if you say yes. WP: We just have one mission and it's not lose against my brother, cause he is being talking shit SE: You’ve gotta talk smack. That’s part of the fun of competing.  SE: You’ve got a song in mind.  SE: I’ve got a better idea...  SE: Will you be my date, Wanda? WP: YEAH BUT HE TALKING TOO MUCH  WP: Not really. We can always do a fun song. WP: agdasjfkddhdkjghdkgjWP: SAM WP: YOU ALMOST OWNED ME A NEW PHONE [...] WP:  I would be honored, Sam. SE: You need to let it roll off your shoulders, beautiful. It’s part of the game.  SE: Why?!??  SE: Awesome. Since this is a date then let’s do it right. What time is this game thing starting. I want to take you to dinner WP: Nonono, he is gonna go down. He is gonna be ended but I'm gonna do it silently like a snake.  WP: CAUSE MY HEART WAS FRAGILE.  WP: Omg oieufgoigjr I don't know but we can be a little bit. I go out at six from work, is that good? SE: then you have to tell him that. Not me. But if I catch him before then I’ll let him know he won’t know what hit him.  SE: I can meet you in front of your job.  SE: You’re cute. WP: Just throw a paper ball and hide. He then really wouldn't know what hit him  WP: I'll make sure to go super pretty to work so you can see.  WP:  That's you. I'm so glad you said yes, I was really excited already to do this with you. And now it's just ten times better. SE: That’s not the type of hit I was thinking but I have to say I like the way you think.  SE: I did, technically but I went ahead and decided to make this a full blown date. WP: He is gonna get scared really easily so it's gonna be hilarious. Did you know he was complaining all day today cause I let him have a hungover? The nerve.  WP: It was really hot let me tell you, but also really sweet what is a great combination. A+ 10/10 would recommend SE: How did to let him have one? Did you get him drinking?  SE: you’d recommend people to date me? I think that’s the nicest thing a girl I asked out has offered to do for me. WP: Of course not. We went home last night and my mom made us daiquiris and i drank with her till i passed out. THEN mom needed a drinking buddy and she got William. See? Not my fault.  WP: I'll write you a review: 'Adorable smile, arms that you actually want to be killed in and hotness to change your date proposal into his date proposal' SE: You’re right. He’s gotta go after your mom for pushing those daquirues. I’ve never had a drink with my mom before. I bet drunk William was hilarious.  SE: You want to be killed in my arms?  SE: That’s different.  SE: Think people will want to date me after reading that? Or you gonna keep it to yourself? WP: Right??? He could had played like he was asleep too, so it's all on him. WP: Well, they are nice arms! If I had to leave this world, I would like it to be in a nice situation.  WP: Totally gonna keep it for myself. I'm gonna recommend you to myself and that's it. SE: Exactly! Can I give him crap about this? SE: looks like the review worked then. SE: Thought to give you a pic of me that shows my arms. And other things WP: Of course you can, do what you gotta do  WP: Jfc WP: I can totally die in your abs too  WP: It's gonna be so hard to not want to rip your clothes off now that I have that mental picture why u this rude

SE: I have faith you can wait until the end of the date before that happens. SE: Do you live alone? SE: That sounded creepy didn’t it? WP: But we have game night after and that is sooo long  WP: A little bit but I know why you ask so its chill WP: A rommate but she is never there SE: Oh! We’ll still go and do the game thing. This is after. Like when I drop you off at your place.  SE: if they’re not there then maybe I’ll pull you into my arms and kiss you. WP: It's gonna really taste my patience let me tell you.  WP: Oh really? Kiss me like the end of a romantic movie or Kiss me like the start of 50 shadea? I gotta know... For science SE: Isn't 50 Shades that kink movie with the whips and blindfolds? I don't know what that kiss looks like. WP: You never seen it? Its so bad its hilarous, we totally have to now.  WP: WHAT A I MEANT was that like a sexy kiss or a romantic kiss SE: My mom was happy about the movies and dragged my dad to see them in the theater. Not a cool image to have when it comes to your folks. SE: I think I'll go ahead and leave how the ends as a mystery. Keep you on your toes. WP: ... I feel like, for your safety, we are not gonna watch them. Ever.   WP: Why u gotta be so rude, dont u know i'm human too. SE: For my safety? What happens in them??  SE:I don’t think it’s being rude. It’s more of a surprise. WP: I'd never betray your mom by telling you.   WP: Now I feel like I have to have a surprise on my own HMMMM SE: This you getting back at me?? That’s not cool, Wanda! WP: Okay, picture this. Imagine you had seen a very... Sexual movie. WP: And your kid wants to see it. SE: That’s the surprise? WP: I thought you were talking about the 50 shades!  WP: The surprise it's a surprise and I gotta keep it that way SE: No! I moved far away from the mom porn! SE: We’re just going to tack on more and more surprises until everything is one giant one WP: It's not mom porn! Jamies's butt is everyone's porn. WP: Omg imagine that in a turn of events we end up with very extra surprises? Like, trying to top each other we completely lose our minds? lol SE: I don’t know what his butt looks like. I’m glad it makes a lot of people happy? SE: Ours and every else’s. WP: Googleee iittttt.  WP: 'Wanda why do you have a million papers?' 'I HAVE TO GIVE SAM  A MILLION ORIGAMI ' SE: I read that as orgasms! WP: I can give you that too WP: But boy you gonna have to give me some time cause a million is like, a lot. SE: I’m so red right now. One of the guys asked if I’m okay.  SE: I’m surprised you want to give me that many. That’s...flattering? WP: I want a pictureeeee  WP: 1. Why I wouldn't want to? You are awesome.   WP: 2.  Not like I don't get off but getting people off, so SE: No! It’s better you think of me as that cute guy you know and not the one who gets embarrassed when a pretty girl wants to get you off. WP: Those two are not mutually exclusive at all. I think you are cute for that SE: Thanks. SE: I can get awkward sometimes. SE: But let’s see how this date goes and then we’ll see about the whole million thing WP: You know you can tell me whenever I step out of line, right?  WP: I'm not gonna get weird or anything. SE: No! It’s not out of line. I’m not used to girls telling me what they want to do. I think it’s sexy you know what you want and how to get it. It just takes me some time to wrap my head around it is all. But don’t think I’m not interested. I am. WP: I know you are,  but still. I just want you to know that you can always tell me. Above all, we are friends okay? SE: Of course.  SE: I do want to kiss you.  SE: Just so you know WP: I do too, just so you know.   WP: Since the day of the headphones SE: The first time or second time? WP: First time. SE: I had no idea! SE: Im so clueless sometimes WP: Well, I was a bit more forward the second time.  WP: And contrary to public belief I'M SUBTLE SE: Then that’s probably why I didn’t get it!!  SE: You have to hit me with a brick to realize I’m being flirted with WP: That's a little bit dangerous???? SE: It gets the point across???? WP: You  won't notice if someone is flirting if you are passed out??? SE: But I will when I come to! WP: When you end up in the hospital, I'm gonna make you a cake saying I told you so

[the-juanderer]

My Thailand Experience Highlights Guide

Oh the places you'll go!  

It was about that time of the year for me to scratch something of my bucket list. It was time for a solo adventure and I had plans for South East Asia.  Being a Latino born and raised in South central Los Angeles not too many people I grew up with can say they've been backpacking in a foreign country. I am lucky enough to have came across and met some really dope people in my life I can call friends. Who travel the world and influence me on living my best life and showing me that anything I want do in life I can accomplish! I was 26 at the time just a month away from turning 27, May 26th whoop!  and I’m still just irresponsible enough for random, spontaneous, probably not the smartest or most willing travel plans, but made it happen and my first backpacking solo trip to Thailand was a success!  

I had difficulty planning for Thailand, mostly because whenever I would try to Google “ The best things to do in Thailand”, there were too many recommendations and activities. I had sort of an idea of what activities I wanted to do like play with elephants, eat some bomb food, take a typical tourist selfie, but it was just way too confusing and overwhelming to try and plan anything definite.  

I decided to just search and find cool blogs of locals and people who decided to go live out there. That way I can get some insights from a locals point of view. In which I can tell you all had great advice! The more you research the more you’ll come to find that travelers seem to go to the same places but I didn’t want to follow that pattern. I wanted to get lost and just find my own routes and unique places. So in combination with their advice, and my many mishaps, fails, good ideas, and good luck, here are a couple highlights of my dope 10 day adventure and some helpful tips I have for anyone planning to visit Thailand.

First for anyone planning on going to Thailand coming from one of the biggest over planners and over thinkers of all time, you have to trust me on this one, don’t over plan! There are so many things to see and do, and they’re all cheaper once you get there, as opposed to pre - booking online. People would also tell me to book a hotel until I landed there so that I could walk around and see what areas I liked best. They’re typically cheaper if you just walk in to the hotel instead of booking online. Though I booked hotels because I’m an over planner like I said. Ha!

Bangkok

Tip #1

Take a tour ! There is a tour desk on every corner, literally. If you are staying at a hotel they have a tour desk but I felt the tours were a little cheaper when you bought them from the outside tour desks on the streets. They are literally on every corner once you get to the main roads. They are the best ways to explore and see the best parts of Thailand. Especially if you're only visiting for a few days.

I first started my Thailand adventure by landing in Bangkok. Always wanted to go to Bangkok after the “Hangover” movie though not to black out and wake up not knowing what happened the next day. It was my first time traveling solo and on top of that to the other side of the world.  Definitely a nerve racking experience before getting there. 

I stayed at Hotel Icon Bangkok for 3 days which was a great stay. Hotel was very clean, Wi-Fi was super good and hotel employees were so helpful and nice. I really liked the comfy rooms also it was so conveniently central to a lot of bars and stores. So I definitely recommend this hotel if you guys going to Bangkok and its super affordable it was about 2100 Baht per night which is about 70 dollars in American. Though you can find way cheaper hotels and hostels which range from 15 dollars a night.

Tip #2 

Money = BAHT (1,000 baht= $30    100b= $3  50b= $1.50   25b= .75) This was a helpful way for me to remember the currency exchange rate.

Getting around

Tuk tuks are the most fun to take in Bangkok as they race around traffic and make your heart stop a few times, no joke! If you go to the big shopping district take the Sky train there and a tuk-tuk back. I was also taking taxis and using Grab (Uber) make sure you get your taxis and tuk-tuks metered some try to gyp you by giving you a price up front and its usually way cheaper with the meter on. Stay alert! and just be aware. I would ask the taxi drivers to turn it on when it would be off and they were pretty cool about it. The sky train is mostly everywhere though and that was my main source of transportation.

Side note never taken a subway in my life and my first time happened to be in Bangkok and I got lost a few times but it was awesome. Don’t get frustrated just embrace it you’re in a foreign country its okay to get lost!

Let’s Party!

Let’s get the party talk out the way, if you want to party make your way down to Khao San Rd. is the main backpackers’ road and is filled with bars, clubs, hostels, and vendors! This is definitely the place to party in Bangkok and often people will go and never end up leaving this road since there are so many things to do here. Oh! and beer and liquor are super cheap! 

Rambutri St. is a street parallel to Khao San, actually connected to it if you take the “walking streets” or alleys which are pretty sketch. I started recording while walking down those alleys just in case something went down but its totally safe! So don’t worry.  Ramburi St. has the same stuff going on but instead of bars it has more hostels and is a bit quieter place to stay. Besides that you’re in Bangkok and night life is crazy everywhere, no one sleeps!

Bangkok was pretty cool did a lot or most of my shopping there so many street vendors and malls. Check out the malls some of the biggest malls I have ever seen in my life and you can find anything and I mean anything! Bangkok’s biggest shopping district is the sky trains stop Siam. Check out the Siam Paragon, the nicest mall I have ever been to that also has the nicest movie theater I’ve ever been in if you want to see a good movie. There is also an aquarium on the bottom floor that I’m sure is really nice I didn't get a chance to check it out though. In the same area across from Siam Paragon is MBK, this mall hosts no designer stores but here you can get practically anything you can think of for super cheap, filled with hundreds of little booths selling stuff and a good food court, it’s fun to walk around in if you don’t get too overwhelmed, and a good place to get cheap souvenirs in bulk before going back home. 

Tip #3

BARGAIN HARD - Everything is worth about half its said price so even if you can’t get it that low bargain your ass off! I was out there hustling.  Ask for a discount or offer around half the price and bargain up from there. The best tip of all start to walk away and say you aren’t interested! They’re quick to accommodate you better when they see if they might have no customer at all, I did it all the time!

My favorite part of Bangkok was the river crossing ferry I took. A ferry transports people from one side of the river to the other, and a journey only cost 3 baht. The most popular ferry crossing for sightseers is the crossing between Wat Pho Temple and Wat Arun at Tha Tien Pier. I took it down to about 7 stops, took all day but so much fun.

Tip#4

Learn to Talk Thai! Helpful words to know. Trust me, always better being there knowing something than nothing.  

FYI: Thai’s use Kap (boys) and Ka (girls) as a polite word at the end of sentences or phrases, it also kind of works as a short “Hi” “O.K” or “Yes” so don’t be confused by all the Ka’s and Kap’s that are thrown at you out there.

1.           Sa Wa Dee KAP (Kap for boys, Ka for girls) = Hello

2.           Kap kun KAP (again, KA for girls)= Thank You

3.           PET= spicy MAI PET= no spicy PET NOY= a little spicy

4.           Chai= Yes

5.           Mai Chai= No

6.           Foods:  Guy= Chicken     Mu= Pork       Kye= Egg  

7.           Mai Cow Jai= I don’t understand, Cow Jai= I undersand

8.           Nam Kang= water

9.           Mai Loo/Roo= I don’t know

What to eat?

Food! There was food everywhere from night markets to street food every few feet. It’s easy to find good food on Khao San/Rambutri and much more American foods than you will find anywhere else in Thailand. For cheap food go to the vendors, Pad Thai is really popular and a good dish that you can get almost anywhere tell them if you want Chicken (Guy) or Pork (Mu). I fell in love with Tom Yum soup out there so definitely recommend that.

Take a Thai cooking class!

A dope experience! It’s about a half a day course and is so delicious and worth the time. It’s a small group and you visit a Thai market to buy supplies and the guide explains to you different kinds of food. DON’T EAT! Before you go, you end up extremely stuffed from morning to night! You cook 5 different dishes out of categories and you get a cook book to take home and everything. Don’t be afraid to try the Northern dishes and curries. For sure try Mango Sticky Rice it’s so bomb!

The Islands

The islands were my favorite part of my whole trip in Thailand, beautiful beaches, dope people, and you’re surrounded by so much beautiful culture. I took a flight from Bangkok to the islands and decided to land in Phuket first. It’s the most popular island for tourist so wanted to see what all the hype was about.  I used Sky scanner to look up flights, there super cheap from within Bangkok ranging from $70 - $100. I stayed at Blue Ocean Resort, which was a really nice beach front resort. Wi-Fi was so-so and they had a cool little gym to put in some work if you want to. The location was the best part, Patong beach was literally across the street which is Phuket’s most popular tourist spot. Nightlife is insane full of bars and clubs and women (also lady boys) on poles! The beach was pretty cool, where you can do about anything you can imagine on water like jet skis or windsurfing.

Tip #5

Do not forget to bring Bug Spray! Trust me you’ll thank me, especially if you’re traveling to the beach areas. They’ll eat you alive!

James Bond Island in Phang Nga Bay  

There is so much to do in this area so you definitely need to go on a tour. Tours are so dope if you are staying at a hotel they usually have someone there offering different tours at different prices but don’t just buy from there walk around and explore. (Remember you can pretty much bargain anything) I did the James Bond, Phang Nga Bay trip by Long Tail boat. The tour guide was hilarious and very knowledgeable. First went to a monkey cape which was awesome! Never seen monkeys up close like that. Literally a park with wild monkeys jumping and running around everywhere. I tried getting cool with one by feeding it a banana but he wasn’t having it and chased me down! My life flashed before my eyes! But I survived.  Awesome experience being around wild monkeys, here’s actually a picture of the monkey and I right before he decided to turn against me and chase my ass. 

                   Monkey -  “Punk ass human don’t even know me like that! ”

Later went canoeing down Phang Nga Bay to Talu Island and went through some amazing sea caves. You literally have to duct down in the canoe to get passed the entrances of the sea caves. Some really nice spots to take pics. Shortly after you get to James Bond Island where I got to see the famous movie location “The Man with the Golden Gun” was filmed. Took some typical tourist selfies. That whole day was a fun experience with dope views and good vibes.

The cool part about being alone in a foreign country and taking tours is the awesome people you meet along the way. When you’re alone on a tour sometimes you need a partner so I would get paired up with other solo travelers. Other travelers from around the world with dope stories and wisdom. Don’t be afraid to spark up a conversation with people. There just out there exploring and having fun just like you.

KOH PHI PHI

Koh Phi Phi was my favorite island of them all. If you’re looking for crystal clear beaches, a place to relax or even a place to party hard Koh Phi Phi has it all! It is so tiny when you get off the boat on one beach you can see the other beach ahead on the other side.  I was here for 1 day but I felt that’s all you needed to explore and get a good feel for the island. I took the morning ferry from Phuket, arrived and had breakfast and booked a boat tour, spent the day on the boat and went snorkeling. I then arrived back at around sunset. I had enough time to hike up a viewpoint to see an incredible view of the whole island. The tour was about 1800 Baht / $60 bucks.

 Elephant Sanctuary

You can’t go to Thailand and not visit some Elephants!  Going to Thailand I was under the impression I was going to ride some but as I was there I learned how they treated the elephants when you go trekking and they abuse them and beat them to have people ride them for pleasure. I was totally against that and hated hearing how these animals were treated. I ended up finding the Green Elephant Sanctuary they have built out facilities that were so amazing and great habitats for the elephants. Such a fun experience! Really awesome that it was ethical and the animals were treated incredibly well. 

You start by feeding the elephants fruit and taking photos. Next, you go into the mud pit and rub mud on the elephants. You can tell they were really enjoying this. After the heavy mud, you go into a mud bath. You are waste deep in muddy water and you rinse them off with buckets and the elephants will sometimes squirt you with their trunks. Lastly, you shower with the elephants and you brush them clean.They also serve you food buffet style at the end, BOMB! All I can say.

An amazing experience all around these people clearly care so much for these animals and giving a positive experience for guests. I recommend making your reservation in the morning because it's less crowded. If you are reading this and thinking about an elephant ride versus going to a sanctuary I would highly encourage you to stay away from any place that rides elephants. They are not humane. These animals need to eat 400 pounds of food per day and they can't do it when they're giving rides or hauling logs. Moreover, they are abused quite horribly in those situations. Please come to a place like this. I loved it, probably the highlight of my trip.

 Message!

Overall my first international backpacking trip was way beyond my expectations. I made new friends and met some interesting kind hearted people from different parts of the world. I saw some of the world’s best beaches and monuments.  The locals are so nice and humble and treat you so well. I went out there to find and become a better version of myself. To temporarily detach myself from my current reality and realized there is so much more this world can offer. There are so many other types of struggles and obstacles that I don’t have to ever deal with. People are so much more humble and happy with far less in their possession. I learned to be grateful for what I have and be thankful every day that I’m so blessed to live the life that I do. I take so much for granted and when you travel to a third world country, you are immediately struck by the fact that people are happier, even though they have a lot less than you have. When we are constantly seeking to upgrade our lives with a better car, new job, or a better smartphone, just think about this - you can still be happy with what you have got.

  Well these were just a few highlights of my trip and I hope you enjoyed reading my experience and the few tips I provided. Remember to embrace everything you see, hear, and do. Definitely won’t be my last time in Thailand I have been bit by the travel bug so I’ll be traveling soon again and eventually make my way back to Thailand for some Tom Yum Soup and some Thai Tea which btw is the greatest only in Thailand!  

[unlimitedsadworks]

Heaven’s Feel: “Quick” Review and Thoughts

Okay! I’m finally getting this done! There’s going to be SPOILERS down below so I don’t recommend reading this if you haven’t seen the movie or read the vns

So, I broke this review down into four parts. Things I Wish They Added But I Get That They Had Limited Time, Things I’m Glad They Added, Things I Wish They Kept Out, and Things I’m Glad They Kept Out. I’m also gonna include some personal theater experience and general thoughts about the movie. 

Alright! Here we go!

Things I Wish They Added But I Get That They Had Limited Time:

-Okay, one of the major things that I wish they had time for was that one scene in the vn where Rin tells Shinji to come out of hiding (I like to imagine him appearing from behind a curtain) and SHE JUST DRAGS HIM. Seriously, that was one of the highlights for me in the vn and I wish I could’ve seen it on the big screen. 

-They didn’t have the rider master reveal yet??? I think they’re doing it in the next movie though

-I’M SO DISAPPOINTED THAT THEY KEPT OUT ARCHER MENTIONING THE GUARDIAN THING LIKE C’MON. However, I do appreciate his alternative line, so that’s going in the Things I’m Glad They Added.  

-Okay, I’m not sure if this was an English translation thing or not, but I didn’t get to hear Kirei say “want some”. I don’t remember exactly what he said, but minor disappointed there. (If any of y’all understand Japanese, let me know if this was a thing or not) 

-I wish Kirei walked in circles around Shirou when he was info-dumping. That would’ve been Great™

-Okay I felt like the berserker vs saber scene went by waaaaaay too fast. Especially since it was immediately after Shirou talking to Kirei and I was like “okay I guess we’re doing this now”. I get the limited time thing, but even just a few more sword clashing would have been nice. However, they did show all the necessary parts in that scene, so I guess it’s okay in the end.

-The dialogue in the assassin vs. saber scene and the dialogue in the scene where assassin and Zouken talk about their contrasting/similar views were great in the vn, and I wish we got more of that. However, their few exchanges got down to the point, so it was fine in the end. But this is why we read the vns, friends. You get more of that sweet sweet dialogue 

-I wish we got to see more of that exchange between Shirou and Mitsuzuri, but again, time

-OKAY WHAT WAS WITH THAT SCENE WHERE SHIROU DROPS OFF SAKURA AND FIRST MEETS ZOUKEN. In the vn, Zouken was like “Ah, yes. What a bummer that you do not know the Einzbern’s. Well, goodnight, young chap!” but in the movie, he was like hmmm......*long awkward silence*.....*backs up into the dark*. Like??? what was that????

-I LEGIT THOUGHT THEY WERE GONNA LET SHIROU PUNCH SHINJI. He was marching his way over and I legit held my breath because I thought we would get to see the Evil Boy punched again in HD. Disappointed we didn’t see that, but I get why it was left out. (but also, #LetShirouPunchShinji2k17)

-Um??? Where were my Saber and Sakura moments??? It was much more in depth in the vns and I was upset that we didn’t really get that in the movie. 

-They left out saber locking in Shirou to protect him before she fights assassin. Instead, it was Zouken’s doing. I felt like that could’ve been important to character but they left it out. Kinda bummed

Things I’m Glad They Added:

-I think it was really awesome that we finally got to see the whole Archery Incident in an anime adaption and we even got to see more of Shirou’s and Shinji’s past of being friends, making the whole “my friend’s sister” and the Betrayal even more of an impact. I’m super happy we got that important exposition

-THAT HOSPITAL SCENE WITH ISSEI. His grief was always implied, because of course who wouldn’t be depressed/traumatized, but seeing it on screen,,, it broke me. 

-I’m really happy that we got to see the moment where caster and assassin meet. We didn’t get that much detail in the vn, it was just implied, so seeing it was really heartbreaking and Great. Also, if they left it out, it wouldn’t make any sense probably so

-THAT FREAKING SCENE WITH KIREI. YOU KNOW THE ONE

-Okay, back to the archer scene where he should have mentioned being a guardian: although I’m disappointed that they didn’t include that, the alternative “With everything going on, I guess I’ll have to put my personal business aside” HAD ME IN TEARS

-cu finally got the fighting scene he deserved!!! I’m so proud of my husband!!! and BOY was that an EXCELLENT fight scene. 10000/10. What a turn on

-I’m really happy they showed scenes of Shirou trying to make everyone happy and smiling even though it hurts. My boy,,,,,

-Gil chilling out in the church pews while Kirei helps Shirou was Iconic. Especially when he bugged Shirou even though they had not met yet

-Sakura subconsciously tugging at her bow, bless

-I’m so happy they made a huge emphasis of Shirou’s PTSD by showing his nightmares and him nearly throwing up a few times. I feel like Shirou’s trauma has slowly been more spotlighted throughout each anime adaption and I’m glad they’ve finally gotten to a more realistic viewing of his PTSD

-Rin threatening Shirou and then him flying at her feet, asking her to help him and her being speechless was,,, so,,,,amazing

-I might be remembering this totally wrong but...was saber,,,, wearing Kiritsugu’s old kimono???

-THE SNOW

-I thought the ending was very fitting. Even though it wasn’t in the vn, the Dark Squiggly Boy appearing before Shirou, Illya mentioning that she was going to go shopping, and Assassin and Zouken talking about ideals was a great way to end I think. 

Things I Wish They Kept Out:

-The boob grab. It was WAY less smuttier than the actual vn scene, but,,,,,, the e cup joke is still enough for me lol

-I think...that’s it

Things I’m Glad They Kept Out:

-Again, super happy we didn’t get That One Dream Scene and all the boners Shirou and Sakura have for each other. I just don’t need that in my life lol

-They kept out a lot of info dumping and the same scenes you get in UBW, which was smart

Personal Experience/Conclusion: 

Just watching the movie itself,,,It was AMAZING. I can't describe how happy I was throughout the whole movie.  When it first started, it was like all my worries, troubles, and anxieties were all gone. I was just so enveloped in it that I forgot who I was. I was on cloud 9, it was amazing. And during movies, I'll usually snap out of it and think about other things but NO. Heaven's Feel had my undivided attention to the very end, I was so hyperfocused on it. Analyzing, comparing it to the vn, thinking about characters, it was like the only thing in the world was me and that movie. And even when I got home, I couldn't stop smiling. It had it's problems, for sure, but I was just so,,,,, genuinely happy. I just laid down for a few hours replaying the movie in my head until I fell asleep. I wish I could feel that way all the time, I was such on a high. But of course, this is coming from someone who has sold their soul to Fate. If I were a casual fan, it probably wouldn’t have been that awesome. The movie was meant for those who have read the vns and/or watched the other anime adaptions. It was extremely choppy, face paced, and there was a lot of info dumping. Even if you’ve only seen UBW and Zero, it probably wouldn’t have been enough. Having the vns as a background made it a million times more enjoyable. As a set up movie, it was great. As a movie in general, not so good. But heck, maybe it’s just worth it to just watch the fight scenes haha they WERE SO GOOD. 

In conclusion, it was a really good movie if you’ve got fate background, the fighting scenes are my sexuality, and there was only a few things I wish they added but they weren’t completely necessary. All in all, it was pretty good with some issues

[toraonice]

Final Yuri on Museum report

So, the other day I finally completed my 6th visit to the Museum and listened to the secret audio guide. As I don’t think my impression of the Museum will change any more, I’m writing a short extra report of what I think about the whole exhibition after going there 6 times.

The post has no “spoilers” nor details about the conversations in the guides so it’s safe to read even for people who are planning to visit. I will only post “spoilers” when the Museum is over and (hopefully?) the no-spoiler rule is lifted. 

I have already made a few posts about “how to visit/buy tickets”, so if you’re looking for that kind of information check out the last few posts of my blog!

After writing the first report I was asked whether I would write which audio guides I liked the most. Here is my personal ranking: 1) Victor & Yuuri 2) Yuuri & Yurio 3) Victor & Chris 4) Yuuri & Phichit 5) Yurio & JJ

I am leaving out the secret one not to give out hints, but I liked that too. It was... interesting.

Yuuri & Yurio’s guide was really cute. It’s not like they “act cute”, but they are cute together because you can understand that they are friends even if they bicker. And Yuuri & Phichit are really “longtime best friends”. If you want to listen to something that heals you when you go to the Museum you should probably choose one of these two. If you are tired I would not recommend Yurio & JJ’s because it will probably tire you more, though it is amusing... It actually managed to be “more JJ” than I expected. Victor & Chris’ was hilarious and kind of “R-rated”, but it also had some interesting serious parts. You can feel that Victor & Chris are also longtime friends, but their relationship is clearly different than Yuuri & Phichit’s. Victor and Yuuri were... Victor and Yuuri. In the audio guides you are basically a visitor who kind of follows the characters through the Museum, and in some cases they will speak to you, like to explain things about their skating programs. In Victor and Yuuri’s case, you may as well introduce yourself as “hello, I’m here to play gooseberry”.

I am actually planning to go to the Museum again (as if I haven’t already given them enough money, lol) to take pictures at the kiss & cry display with a friend, and I will probably listen to the Yuuri & Victor guide again so that I can take some more notes when I get home for whenever the spoiler ban is lifted.

Except for the first time (it was the second day and it was super crowded) I always visited the Museum late at night on weekdays, which was really nice because we were always less than 10 people and it was very peaceful. Thankfully enough all the pictures except a few (like the new picture of Yuuri, Yurio and JJ on the GPF podium) have been turned into merchandise, so the ones who can’t go can at least take a legit look at that and hopefully it will dissuade people from sharing pictures of the areas were photos are forbidden. There are no released pictures of the costumes, but to be honest they probably look much better and real if you look at them directly. Considering how much time and money they must have spent on them I’m pretty sure they will display them again somewhere, though I guess it will probably still be in Japan. Apparently they are considering touring Japan with the Museum, which would be nice at least for all the people who do live in Japan but cannot come to Tokyo. Taking them abroad would probably be very expensive.. (Having worked in the forwarding business I have experience with shipping mannequins for exhibitions and it’s not cheap)

Highlights of the costume mannequins: -The mannequins themselves. They have been as careful as to make all the mannequins different in size and body build, so you can not only take a look at how the costumes would look in real life, but also at how they would look on the characters if they existed in real life. Except for Otabek I guess, because no matter how you look at his mannequin it’s basically as tall as Yuuri and towers over Phichit and Yurio (he’s between them) while he should only be 3cm taller than Phichit.. Maybe they ran out of mannequins? -Yuuri’s FS costume is a remake, not the same one that was displayed at previous events and at the Chacott cafe. It should be closer to the anime version. -Chris’ mannequin definitely has something stuffed in the crotch. -If you are a hardcore figure skating fan you can probably make out not only the skate brands but the blade types too, as you can look at them quite closely. -The different physique of Yuuri & Victor’s exhibition mannequins. They are standing next to each other so it’s very easy to compare the differences. They really paid attention to everything... The size of their legs, thighs, arms are different, the muscles on their chests, even the throat and collarbones area!! (They don’t have heads, only up to the neck, but still the throats are different!) I don’t know what those golden decorations on their chests are called, but Yuuri’s are more loose and U-shaped, while Victor’s are almost a straight line because his chest is wider. And of course they have golden rings. Their EX costumes were only shown for a short time in the anime so it’s a nice occasion to see how they are made, though I wish we could see the back side better too (you can’t go behind them). Victor’s normal FS costume is alone in the Victor area but he’s also against a wall so you can’t see the back either.

There’s also an “Easter egg” in the Victor area... On the wall on the left side of Victor’s FS costume mannequin there is a small hole. If you look inside... there is actually something. It’s nothing like new art or new information, it’s just random but it’s still amusing that they made that. I don’t know whoever had the idea of actually looking inside that hole the first time... 

Staring at the new art of young Victor (which everyone has probably seen by now thanks to the merchandise so I can talk about it) I noticed that he actually seems to have more muscles on his chest than Yurio? Probably also more than Yuuri had at his age. Looking at his full body too, he doesn’t seem to be as lithe as Yurio, which makes me think that even if Yurio grows taller (and he likely will) he will probably be more slender than Victor, not as muscular, so he might still keep a different jumping style. Also, this is very random, but young Victor for some reason reminded me of Mao Asada in her late teens... (I wouldn’t even know how to explain why)

I could finally smell Victor’s cologne, though they probably don’t spray it as much in the late evening as in the day because it’s not that evident.. (I have hopes for the 4DX screening of YOI though, lmao) In the evening the staff only stands there to check on the statue, so if you want them to take a picture of you with Victor you must ask them yourself (the first time I went the staff was offering to do it themselves). In the kiss & cry area there is usually no staff so if you want someone to take your picture you would need to ask a random visitor.

The first time I went to the Museum, in the room with all the genga art they had a screen showing pages from the Setting Material Collection. However, a few days later it apparently changed, and now they are showing the genga of some animation sequences (Victor removing his sunglasses and winking at the Worlds in Yoyogi, Phichit jumping in his SP costume, Makkachin about to jump on Yuuri in episode 1, Nishigoori uncovering Yuuri’s belly when he was chubby, Victor skating to Hanarezu ni Soba ni Ite, and I don’t remember what else). So that’s worth taking a look at too!

Lastly.. just a note regarding “spoilers”. I am aware that some people have been ignoring the Museum’s requests and posting detailed information about the audio guides. I myself had to stay away from Tumblr because I was scared to be spoiled about the secret guide before I could listen to it... I can’t force people to keep quiet, but what annoys me the most is that there is little respect for the ones who do not want to see spoilers. It will probably happen whenever the YOI movie is released in theaters too, and it’s kind of sad if Tumblr turns into a spoiler minefield for people who can go watch the movie but not on the first day. There is a “keep reading” feature, so it’s actually easy to hide spoilers and let people choose whether to look at them or not.. Anyway, I dislike spoilers myself, so rest assured that this blog will always post spoilers hidden and with a warning.