#fanny price appreciation week

[bethanydelleman]

I could not agree more! Can we please have an adaptation that retains her true character and wasn't made 40 years ago?

Fanny is a heroine as much as Elizabeth or Elinor ❤️

I have started obsessing over Mansfield Park again. How I love this book, and how I adore the character of Fanny Price. I can't understand people who call her boring, dull or even stupid (I see lots of these comments in discussions online), and I think it's terribly intolerant to love only loud, witty and bright character like Emma or Lizzie. Fanny deserves being loved, she deserves her own story, and she most certainly deserves her happily ever after 🙏🏻❤️

[adobongsiopao]

I finished reading "Mansfield Park" by Jane Austen and it was surprisingly good. The main character Fanny Price was an interesting heroine in general. I can see why many readers think it's the weakest novel Austen created but it deserved to be appreciated more.

On the other hand, my brother's smartphone was broken for another time and my mother claimed it caused by a cat tripping it from the arm chair while charging. She found out that were cracks on the screen after she returned home from Sunday mass. If only she could have carry that small rectangular bag to keep it safe. I'm forced to allow her to use my smartphone once again. We have to wait for another week for my father to return the smartphone he borrowed from my mother. What a disappointing day.

[nonsenseandnosensibility]

For this week's Tumblr post, I decided to use this meme that I had seen on Google. The original scene is from the show Schitt's Creek, where Alexis is talking to her brother David about his recent behavior of just lurking around and not really going out. Alexis, in her typical passive-aggressive way, calls out David for “hanging around” in a way that isn’t necessarily bad but definitely not good either. I felt like this was a very fitting representation of how Fanny Price is perceived by everyone in Mansfield Park.

For most of the book, Fanny is treated as an afterthought and overlooked by the people around her. Even though she is a close relative to the Bertrams and is occasionally relied on for tasks, she is not truly cared for or valued. Fanny is always present, but her presence is often ignored, much like David’s in this Schitt's Creek scene. Another parallel to notice between the two scenes is that like Alexis’s light-hearted critique of David, the people around Fanny seem indifferent to her existence. Not hating her, but not appreciating her either. Even Mrs. Norris, who openly dislikes Fanny, still keeps her around because she’s useful.

This idea is further emphasized in the novel when Fanny is literally "lost" by the family as they become preoccupied with their own drama, and even the narrator momentarily forgets about her. I think this also is a way for Austen to subtly critique how people in Fanny’s position, those dependent on the wealth of relatives, were often neglected or undervalued in society. While Fanny ultimately proves her worth by the end of the story, her journey is filled with moments where she’s simply “hanging around,” much like David in the meme.

[readabookknightly]

For my post this week, I've taken an adaptation of the meme template "The Ideal Man" with the addition of only "Is Not Edmund Bertram".

I would like to preface the following Tumblr post by saying that I have done my best to find Austen's love interest in Mansfield Park appealing, however at approximately 90% through with the novel, I can confidently say that I am failing. This is for a number of reasons, the least of which not being Edmund as a character.

Mansfield Park is a novel cherished by readers particularly because of how different it is from Austen's other tales. In many ways, this is a beautiful thing. Where extroverted readers may find common ground with the audacious Elizabeth Bennet or the determined Elenor Dashwood, Fanny Price speaks to a different audience. For Fanny Price, her novel speaks to those in need of appreciating their own self-worth. Fanny grew up in a home where the only lesson she was taught with enthusiasm was that she was lesser than her cousins. The only message her aunt ingrained into her from age ten, was that she deserved nothing, and must be grateful for everything. This, I believe is the reason Fanny Price is convinced her "Ideal Man" is Edmund Betram.

Because when one dissects Edmund Betram as a character, they discover that he is alarmingly stagnant in nature, and easily distracted. Indeed, he is a fickle match for Fanny Price. Throughout overlooks her. He is instead enraptured by the elusive Mary Crawford and captivated by every breath the lady breaths. While serious concerns arise, not only regarding Fanny's health, but also the dignity of his sisters, Edmund is easily persuaded to ignore them in favor of gaining a maiden's attentions. Furthermore, this never changes.

Fanny as a character is different from Austen's other heroines because she lacks confidence and determination. Despite its alarming nature, she is wholly attached to her cousin and has been from a young age. Except, unlike many other heroines of Austen's Fanny has no expectation that he would reciprocate those feelings. She is resigned to spinsterhood and thinks it is what she deserves as a poor lady.

If Mansfield Park were any of her other novels, Fanny's insecurities would be met by a man who is infatuated and dedicated to showing her worth. Mr. Darcy might go to the ends of the Earth to convince her that they are perfect compliments. But sadly it is not. And he is not. Instead Fanny Price is stuck with her cousin who views her as a younger sister and treats her as though she is forgettable and generally inconsequential. In all regards Mansfield Park is a remix of her other novels, except its leading man is without his primary endearments.

[bethanydelleman]

Jane Austen agrees with you: She was of course only too good for him

Fanny Price is quiet, but unlike Edmund, she is not blind.

(this is Fanny appreciation week. I scrolled all the way to the bottom of the Fanny Price tag)

I'm finding it hard to get behind Edmund as the love interest. While the cousin thing is the first turnoff for me, I can ignore it and just pretend he's adopted. But what I can't ignore is the fact that he is completely taken in by Mary Crawford. Despite the clear differences in values that they have, he is almost blind to them because of how beautiful and charming she is. It's just hard for me to want him to end up with Fanny when he is so infatuated with Mary at the moment. I personally think Fanny could do better than him. 🤔

[umichenginabroad]

Visiting Vietnam Part 2 (Week 17)

With one day left in the Hanoi area, we scheduled a day tour to Ninh Binh where we biked around rice fields surrounded by mountains, took a boat trip down a river in Tam Coc which went through three different caves, climbed up steps to Lying Dragon Mountain, and visited Dinh King temple. The various mini-adventures were all stunning, but it was hard for me to properly appreciate them after spending three days in the most beautiful environment I’ve ever laid eyes on. The intensely hot and humid weather (which wasn’t a problem in the mountains of Ha Giang) didn’t help either. Just a few minutes of walking outside was followed by sweat and dehydration. If anything, this weather encouraged us to always have a smoothie or juice of some sort in our hands. For $1-2, the drink options are endless and we sure took advantage. Once we returned to Hanoi, we quickly made our way to the airport and flew to Ho Chi Minh City where we were spending the next two days.

^ The view from Lying Dragon Mountain

Our first day in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, was spent exploring the city and doing a food tour in which we once again rode on motorbikes, but this time in the city. Let me tell you, being on the back of a motorbike in a Vietnamese city is not for the faint of heart. Bikes and cars are constantly appearing out of nowhere and are often on a collision course with you until the very last second. The stream of vehicles never stops — not for pedestrians, not for other vehicles, sometimes not even for an ambulance. A perk of the food tour was that our three drivers were young university students who knew a good bit of English, so we could finally ask questions about their lives and experiences as well as Vietnamese culture. The other highlight was the food. I had the guides help me make a list of all the foods we tried:

Bun bo hue - spicy noodles soup

Banh xeo - Vietnamese pancake/crepe eaten in lettuce wraps with shrimp, bean sprouts, and a variety of leaves including basil and mint. It is dipped in a sweat sauce. (This was a personal favorite)

Dim sum

Banh mi - Vietnamese sandwich

Banh trang nuong - Vietnamese pizza

Bo lui xa - grill beef and lemongrass

Kumquat & sugarcane iced tea (personal favorite)

Coffee Banh flan - flan cake (personal favorite)

^ Banh Xeo - A very yummy dish which requires skilled rolling to produce.

^ Banh flan - literally the best flan I’ve ever had over a bed of crushed ice and coffee.

It goes without saying that we left that food tour with happy stomachs and a strong desire for a nap. Later that day we did some shopping! It turns out that Vietnam has endless stalls of knock-off (but very high quality) backpacks, bags, clothing, and so much more. We were particularly eager to buy backpacks and fanny packs which were significantly cheaper than normal prices. As crazy as it may sound, over those two days in Ho Chi Minh, the three of us bought 13 bags/backpacks for us and our friends/family in addition to other clothing, coats, and souvenirs. To this day I will never know how I managed to bring everything I bought back to Sydney in addition to my already full backpack and one-weeks-worth of clothes. I do always love a packing challenge!

With one day left in Ho Chi Minh, we had to take a tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels not too far away. These tunnels were the site of many battles between American forces and the Vietcong during the Vietnam war. In addition to getting to see several traps used by the Vietcong and learning about how the Vietcong formed (and survived in) the tunnel system, we got to walk 100m in the tunnels ourselves! Walking so far crouched over in a tunnel with a height of 1.5 meters was not easy, so you can imagine our shock when we got out and learned that the tunnel we went through was made 1.5x larger than the actual tunnels used in order to accommodate tourists.

^ examples of traps used in the Vietnam War

^ A cross-section view of the underground tunnels used by the Vietcong. Traps were set at the entrances and throughout the tunnels in case intruders found their way in. The kitchen was strategically designed so that smoke from a fire would leave through incremental holes making it less visible near the ground. To prevent wild dogs from approaching the smoke and revealing its position, spices were mixed with water and poured around the smoke’s backdoor to scare them away. The tunnels were only built at night as well so as not to draw attention, and all entrances were covered with leaves to blend into the environment.

Between the nature, people, culture, food, and shopping, Vietnam was hands down one of the best trips I had the chance to go on and I can’t wait to return one day. Cheers!

David Bayer

Biomedical Engineering

University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia

[cherhorow1tz]

For this week's Tumblr post, on the theme of YA, I looked through this list of YA Jane Austen retellings. I wanted to highlight a couple that were interesting to me.

First, Being Mary Bennet by J.C. Peterson stuck out to me. Something that I appreciate is when adaptations, fanfics, sequels or prequels elaborate upon characters that stayed kind of in the background. Modern example that I watched recently was that I loved the spin off of Bridgerton, Queen Charlotte. I thought it gave the story of Bridgerton so much more depth and I loved being able to piece everything together and understand character nuances. Similarly, loved the Hunger Games prequel for its background of President Snow. This is why I feel like Being Mary Bennet would be so interesting because it delves into a seemingly side character. What seems cool about it, though is that it's not just an addition of Pride and Prejudice with more of Mary's backstory. It's about a girl who reads P+P and finds herself reluctantly identifying with Mary more than Lizzie, and showcases her own self-discovery journey of realizing that even if she felt like a side character, she is her own main character. Personally, also, I resonate with this as a middle child. Shout out to my overlooked middle child friends; I feel your pain. We are our own main characters.

Second adaptation I looked at was Sense & Second-Degree Murder by Tirzah Price. The first thing I noticed was that they just slightly changed Elinor's age for some reason. I looked it up and she's supposed to be 19 in the og, so I don't know why Price decided that 18 was better than 19. In the same vein of expanding on small (albeit not that small) parts of the original novels, I like how this adaptation goes into depth of Mr. Dashwood's death. It's something just mentioned in the beginning of S+S and the issue more becomes of what to do with his wealth. Though, I like the modern take of more focus on his actual death and what happened here. In the description, they also mention that John and Fanny exiled the girls to Barton Street in London, which I looked up and you can see below. I appreciate the author's selection of this street and the construction worker's tank that matches the "warning alarmed" sign. Adds to the effect of being relocated to a suboptimal living situation.

[tipstosellhomefast]

New Post has been published on Homes Below Market | Homes For Sale Dallas TX Area

New Post has been published on https://foreclosures-dallas-texas.com/dont-believe-everything-you-read-about-home-prices/

Don’t Believe Everything You Read About Home Prices

According to the latest data from Fannie Mae, 23% of Americans still think home prices will go down over the next twelve months. But why do roughly 1 in 4 people feel that way?

It has a lot to do with all the negative talk about home prices over the past year. Since late 2022, the media has created a lot of fear about a price crash and those concerns are still lingering. You may be hearing people in your own life saying they’re worried about home prices or see on social media that some influencers are saying prices are going to come tumbling down.

If you’re someone who still thinks prices are going to fall, ask yourself this: Which is a more reliable place to get your information – clickbait headlines and social media or a trusted expert on the housing market?

The answer is simple. Listen to the professionals who specialize in residential real estate.

Here’s the latest data you can actually trust. Housing market experts acknowledge that nationally, prices did dip down slightly late last year, but that was short-lived. Data shows prices have already rebounded this year after that slight decline in 2022 (see graph below):

But it’s not just Fannie Mae that’s reporting this bounce back. Experts from across the industry are showing it in their data too. And that’s why so many forecasts now project home prices will net positive this year – not negative. The graph below helps prove this point with the latest forecasts from each organization:

  What’s worth noting is that, just a few short weeks ago, the Fannie Mae forecast was for 3.9% appreciation in 2023. In the forecast that just came out, that projection was updated from 3.9% to 6.7% for the year. This increase goes to show just how confident experts are that home prices will net positive this year.

So, if you believe home prices are falling, it may be time to get your insights from the experts instead – and they’re saying prices aren’t falling, they’re climbing.

Bottom Line

There’s been a lot of misleading information about home prices over the past year. And that’s still having an impact on how people are feeling about the housing market today. But it’s best not to believe everything you hear or read.

  If you want information you can trust, turn to the real estate experts. Their data shows home prices are on the way back up and will net positive for the year. If you have questions about what’s happening in your area, connect with a local real estate agent. 

[bethanydelleman]

If the Persuasion 2022 people come for my dear Fanny...

The story of Mansfield Park cannot hold together without Fanny being as she is in the book. It just doesn't make sense. Her choices and conduct are wrapped up in her personality and situation and more than any of the other novels, Mansfield Park is driven by its characters.

Give us the real Fanny Price! (And my Hot Bertrams)

I started watching Mansfield Park 1999 for the first time and it is quite clear that I did not pick the correct adaptation. Idk who this chick is but she ain’t Fanny Price and that’s a fact. I was so excited but it’s just the original Persuasion 2022 😭

[thelistingteammiami]

Thinking About Buying a Home? Ask Yourself These Questions

Thinking About Buying a Home? Ask Yourself These Questions

If you’re thinking of buying a home this year, you’re probably paying closer attention than normal to the housing market. And you’re getting your information from a variety of channels: the news, social media, your real estate agent, conversations with friends and loved ones, the list goes on and on. Most likely, home prices and mortgage rates are coming up a lot.

Here are the top two questions you need to ask yourself as you make your decision, including the data that helps cut through the noise.

1. Where Do I Think Home Prices Are Heading?

One reliable place you can turn to for information on home price forecasts is the Home Price Expectations Survey from Fannie Mae – a survey of over one hundred economists, real estate experts, and investment and market strategists.

According to the most recent release, the experts are projecting home prices will continue to rise at least through 2028 (see the graph below):

So, why does this matter to you? While the percent of appreciation may not be as high as it was in recent years, what’s important to focus on is that this survey says we’ll see prices rise, not fall, for at least the next 5 years.

And home prices rising, even at a more moderate pace, is good news not just for the market, but for you too. It means, by buying now, your home will likely grow in value, and you should gain home equity in the years ahead. But, if you wait, based on these forecasts, the home will only cost you more later on. 

2. Where Do I Think Mortgage Rates Are Heading?

Over the past year, mortgage rates spiked up in response to economic uncertainty, inflation, and more. But there’s an encouraging sign for the market and mortgage rates. Inflation is moderating, and here’s why this is such a big deal if you’re looking to buy a home.

When inflation cools, mortgage rates generally fall in response. That’s exactly what we’ve seen in recent weeks. And, now that the Federal Reserve has signaled they’re pausing their Federal Funds Rate increases and may even cut rates in 2024, experts are even more confident we’ll see mortgage rates come down.

Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at Realtor.com, explains:

“. . . mortgage rates will continue to ease in 2024 as inflation improves and Fed rate cuts get closer. . . . a key factor in starting to provide affordability relief to homebuyers.”

As an article from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) says:

“Mortgage rates likely have peaked and are now falling from their recent high of nearly 8%. . . . This likely will improve housing affordability and entice more home buyers to return to the market . . .”

No one can say with absolute certainty where mortgage rates will go from here. But the recent decline and the latest decision from the Federal Reserve to stop their rate increases, signals there’s hope on the horizon. While we may see some volatility here and there, affordability should improve as rates continue to ease.  

Bottom Line

If you’re thinking about buying a home, you need to know what’s expected with home prices and mortgage rates. While no one can say for certain where they’ll go, making sure you have the latest information can help you make an informed decision. Let’s connect so you can stay up to date on what’s happening and why this is such good news for you.

[nsrealestate]

According to the latest data from Fannie Mae, 23% of Americans still think home prices will go down over the next twelve months. But why do roughly 1 in 4 people feel that way? It has a lot to do with all the negative talk about home prices over the past year. Since late 2022, the media has created a lot of fear about a price crash and those concerns are still lingering. The answer is simple. Listen to the professionals who specialize in residential real estate. Market experts acknowledge that nationally, prices did dip down slightly late last year, but that was short-lived. Data shows prices have already rebounded this year after that slight decline in 2022. What’s worth noting is that, just a few short weeks ago, the Fannie Mae forecast was for 3.9% appreciation in 2023. In the forecast that just came out, that projection was updated from 3.9% to 6.7% for the year. This increase goes to show just how confident experts are that home prices will net positive this year. But it’s not just Fannie Mae that’s reporting this bounce back. Experts from across the industry are showing it in their data too. And that’s why so many forecasts now project home prices will net positive this year – not negative. So, if you believe home prices are falling, it may be time to get your insights from the experts instead – and they’re saying prices aren’t falling, they’re climbing. If you want information you can trust, turn to the real estate experts. Their data shows home prices are on the way back up and will net positive for the year. If you have questions about what’s happening in our local area, DM me.

[miekasa]

okay but what about airport!levi? he gives quiet businessman vibes sitting in his slacks and turtleneck

IN HIS TURTLENECK 😭😭 He would also be quiet and to himself, but not in the emo way. You got me thinking about all of them now, so here are my other thoughts about the boys at the airport.

Levi

He thinks the idea of separating classes on an airplane is beyond stupid, but if the flight is particularly long, or particularly packed, he’s not above paying for business class for a little extra personal space for the two of you.

When he doesn’t do that, tho, he never picks your guys’ seats ahead of time, so sometimes you’ll be separated. Good thing he’s also not above lying at the check-in desk, “I’m in Zone 1, could my wife be seated next to me so that we can board together?”

They respond with an “of course,” and move your seats together, and Levi walks back with a content nod of appreciation. You are not married, and marriage sucks about as much as class separation on a 30 foot long plane, but it has its benefits.

Masks on, regardless. No debates. Pandemic or not, the mask stays on. Do not perceive him, keep the pressurized air sharing to a minimum.

Doesn’t wander much in the airport. There’s nothing in there that he hasn’t seen already, except for the marked up prices on touristy t-shirts.

And if you wander, he’ll usually just sit in the waiting area to watch your bags while you window shop and do your thing. If you’re gone for more than 30 mins, he might call, under the pretenses of, “Making sure you didn’t get lost. You know that Starbucks was near gate 41 to the left, not the right, right?” Like he’s a comedian or something 🙄

He does encourage you to get snacks before you board, tho. Airplane food is gross, and he would much rather pay for a $13 sandwich that you can snack on later, than for you to have to eat mush.

He’s got a little portable mug he takes with him for when he’s wants to buy a hot drink before getting on his flight. It’s cute.

Doesn’t fall asleep on the plane ever. No matter how long the flight is—at most, he’ll take a quick power nap somewhere in the middle if it’s over 9 hours, but other than that, he’s good to go.

Doesn’t mind if you fall asleep, and he always adjusts your neck pillow to make sure you don’t get cramps.

Jean

Travel champion. This man loves being in the airport even though he’s convinced it’s a time capsule, he fucking loves it.

King of “your airport fashion matters, babe.” Not necessarily wearing a whole three piece suit, but he does put in a little effort; it’s not just the first pair of sweats he has laying around.

Swears coffee tastes better in the airport. It does not. That does not stop him from buying it. He should learn to quit tho, especially for someone who hates airplane bathrooms as much as he does.

Charming with all the security personnel and desk assistants. You could be checking in for a flight at 4am, and Jean’s got people smiling and cheery for their shifts.

Bitches about the selection of movies on the flight, and learns to just download his own ahead of time. Gets really startled when he’s watching something and the flight attendants try to grab his attention for food or drinks—the very loud, classic, Jean Kirstein “HUH?”

On that note, he also gets startled by the loudspeaker announcements in the airport. He doesn’t know why he has to hear about American Airlines flight 2170 to Cancun, when he is not on American Airlines flight 2170 to Cancun.

Not opposed to paying extra for better airplane food or drinks on the plane if it’s the right time of day. He always finds something to toast to, plus he likes to treat you whenever and wherever he can.

Takes care of your overhead luggage and helps out the people around him if he sees they’re struggling. Gets shy when you call him a gentleman for it, and he rubs his neck, grumbling, “I was just helping the line move a little faster.”

Great timing, generous, will pick up your checked bags for you, and already rented a car a week in advance: 10/10 travel buddy.

Porco

He doesn’t like planes and there’s no solid reason why—nothing bad happened to him as a kid, and it’s not even that rare unfortunate incidents freak him out or anything—something flying just makes him a bit uneasy.

He won’t say it though, and he tries to keep it together when you’re checking in, but you can tell he’s anxious once you’re sitting and waiting for your flight to board.

He’ll ask to switch seats if you have the window seat, because somehow the feeling of being boxed in between the plane wall/window and another person makes it feel more like a car than a plane and he’s okay with that.

Going to the airport is one of the few times he hair won’t be styled, and falls in his face a bit. He usually throws on a beanie to cover it up, but you think he looks pretty cute either way.

Can’t usually fall asleep and he hates it because he just sits there thinking about the worst for the entire duration of the flight. But when you travel with him for the first time and coax him into taking a nap it’s so much better.

It’s about the only time he’ll let himself be publicly babied by you; but it makes everything so much easier that he doesn’t even mind.

So now, whenever you get on flights, he just puts his hood up, lays his head on your shoulder and waits for the magic to happen.

Bonus: you’re traveling with his friends, and Pieck and Marcel past to your seats, surprised to see Porco fast asleep on your shoulder. Pieck squeals, going on about how you must be a wizard to have gotten him to nap, to which Marcel just shakes his head, “Nah, he’s just really in love with her. Look at his face, that’s the calmest he’s been since he was five.”

Connie

Loves the airport. Not an ounce of organization in his soul though. By that I mean, yeah, he’s probably forgotten his passport at home, or forgotten that a full size bottle of body wash cannot go into his carry-on luggage.

Forgets to wear shoes that easy to take off and is fumbling over himself after the security check trying to lace them back up or put them back on.

Likes for you guys to have coordinating sweatsuits, and even though you don’t travel super often, Connie’s got at least 3 pairs of them lined up for you guys.

Sweet enough to drop plans or rearrange his schedule to travel with you if you were originally gonna be alone. He knows you can handle yourself, but he doesn’t want for you to travel alone if you don’t have to, especially if you’re going someplace far and/or for an extended period of time.

He always finds breakfast food to eat before he gets on his flight (if you two even have time to spare for food that is). It could be 9pm, but Connie’s asking for a breakfast wrap.

Hates waiting in the little pre-flight area. Claims it’s boring as hell and that’s why there’s no reason to get there 3 hours early 🙄🙄

He always spends at least 30 minutes browsing all the movie and TV show options available on-board, loudly exclaiming in excitement when they have something cool to watch—only to fucking fall asleep 10 minutes later. Right on top of you when he was oh-so-excited to watch Madagascar 2.

Always steals the aisle seat, even if it’s yours. It’s probably for the best though, because he has to get up to pee at least twice, no matter how short your flight is.

Makes some cheeky remark about you meeting him in the bathroom. He doesn’t mean it... unless he does. Unfortunately, you’ve never... successfully been able to do that out of fear of being caught by the flight attendants, but there have been a few quickies in the “family” (“It’s ethical, because technically we’re participating in the act of making a family, babe”) bathroom before you boarded. It’s his fault, not yours.

Armin

He really likes planes, and traveling in general. I think trains would be his favorite mode of transportation, but airplanes are good too.

I hate to say it but he claps when the plane lands. I will not elaborate or defend my stance on this.

Prefers the window seat because he likes to look out at the clouds as he’s in the sky.

He took his passport photo a little before he cut his hair, so the security personnel always hold it up and flicker between his ID photo and his current appearance a few times before stamping it. It makes him a little embarrassed because he can’t tell if they think he looks better or worse and sometimes he’s really fighting for his life convincing them that that’s him in the picture 😭

Listens to music rather than downloading a movie or watching a show, and always brings wire headphones to the airport so that it’s easier to share and listen with you.

If you fall asleep on him first, he’ll likely fall asleep on you shortly after. If he’s tired enough, he’ll fall asleep first, though he’s somewhat embarrassed and disappointed because he wanted to see the descent and skyline outside.

When he’s not asleep or window-watching, he’s somewhat fidgety out of excitement, rather than nervousness. He’s excited to be traveling and looks forward to wherever you’re going, even if it is just a weekend long work trip.

Hates traveling alone, though. It just feels particularly lonely to him to be going someplace foreign without company by his side. So, he’ll call you at every checkpoint and send you updates.

He only ever buys two things in duty free: shot glasses with the name of the city/country you’re traveling to, and whatever variety of button down short-sleeves are available to him.

Erwin

You knew this was coming, but this man is absolutely at the airport 18 hours before your flight takes off, and he’s driving like a manic getting there, like you don’t have all the time in the world.

Fascinated by anything and everything in duty free. Definitely spends more money than necessary on your return flight on the grounds that he was getting a good deal.

Exchanges money in the airport and keeps cash in his fanny pack. There’s no traveling without the fanny pack.

Plays crossword puzzles on his phone on the plane, and it’s just about one of the only games he has. That and Candy Crush—I get the feeling he’d be on level 500+ of that game and he always knocks out at least 10 levels on a flight.

Always a little surprised when he feels his your head on his shoulder, but he says nothing, and acts like he didn’t even notice, but there’s a telling little smile on his face.

Takes the most foul selfies of him and your sleeping self. In his defense, he had the best intentions; but that angle was flattering nobody. It’s too bad he’d already paid for the in-flight wifi and sent it to Hange because now you’ll never live them down.

You could probably get him to put on a (skincare) face mask during your flight. He forgets to take it off tho, and if you don’t tell him, he’d fully walk through customs with it on his face.

Accidentally gets drunk because he doesn’t understand that just because he can handle several glasses of whiskey in his favorite bar on a Friday night, does not mean it will translate on a plane.

[deafchild2000]

H2O Headcanon #23:

Gracie Made All Of Annette's Dresses

A Word from our sponsor: All dresses can be linked to this IG Page:

https://instagram.com/xtabayvintage?utm_medium=copy_link

Alright, let's get started!

So, I had been thinking about this for a while and I was like: Why not have Gracie learn sewing? Considering she's lived through the 60s, 70s, 80s, and early 90s, it wouldn't be ridiculous thing to pick up maybe a lesser known talent. So, I got to thinking of narratives:

Gracie is a mostly forward person, but even as she grew up, she had a divided taste in fashion, especially in the 80s. On one hand, she loved the vibrant neon colors and fabric that came with the new decade, but sometimes the mother in her turned her head from the more newer designs. Gracie guessed the girl from the 50s inside her preferred more classic and somewhat conservative looks to what else was being worn nowadays [80s]. Just don't get her started on two-piece bikinis! (It was one thing having the top part as a mermaid, where there was nothing to show from the waist below, but the bottom part was something she still needed getting used to.)

But that didn't mean she didn't enjoy new ideas! Working in a restaurant as a manager paid the bills but she enjoyed working on her artwork most of all (tied with spending time with her daughter, Annette.)

However, she wasn't blind. Her daughter was entering her teen years and for the curly, blonde hair she inherited from her father, Annette - to the dimples, high cheekbones, and rose cheeks - got all the beauty from Gracie, which made both of them head-turners, unfortunately.

However, unlike her mother's reservations, Annette was immersed in the 80s trends of big hair, scrunchies, leg warmers, fingerless gloves, leotards , oversized shirts, plastic bangles, large funky earrings in neon shades, mesh accents, fanny packs and pearl necklaces (probably the only thing in regards to accessory Gracie appreciated!)

Gracie HATED it all! The 80s was very materialistic and all about flaunting wealth and who payed the price for all these fancy and designer clothes!? Where did the pearls come from? How much labor went into sewing a shopping out clothes to stores? What about the work laborers and the excessive need to mass-produce at fast rates? What happened to quality over quantity!?

(Annette got these lectures every time she asked for something out of a catalog and just beared with it.)

In some ways, it was lucky enough that Gracie preferred handcrafted quality items, with the occasional vintage jewelry found in second-rate stores and market stalls. She enjoyed the classics, but there was something divine in wearing something handmade. Back when her husband was alive and she lived on the military base with him, she had told this to a friend and fellow army wife one day, who reckoned her an "Old Soul" and suggested she take up sewing if she disliked name-brand clothes so much. At the time, she never considered it, but it wasn't a foreign concept. She grew up in a well-to-do family and her mother always made her dresses for special occasions. From her evening gowns to her school formal, perhaps there was something to it that she could do for her future child. Alas, it wasn't easy, but she had her mother and local wives to help with her exciting projects! Even once she left, she never really stopped making dresses.

If anything, she found it challenging to make dresses to prove to Annette that homemade was better than store brand! And especially bring the 50s to the 80s!

The Debutante Dress (Age 16- 1981)

Ah, the debutante ball. A girl's coming out to society and the elegance of being accepted as a lady - and there was just something about that flowing white, silk dress that Gracie just loved! When she had the first opportunity to be a part of one, it was for charity and her mother convinced her. To be frank, the etiquette lessons were a bore and the only real excitement was the dance lessons. Looking back, those lessons did pay off whenever she had to attend functions with her husband. She and Julia had been selected and their escorts had been Max and Karl (perhaps that was the only reason Julia took fancy to the entire event.) It had been held at the Cloudland Ballroom and been an invigorating event! She danced all night in the gown her mother made for her and she felt like the wind gliding through the air.

So perhaps it was destined that the very ballroom (unaware of its drastic fate) would be danced upon by Gracie's daughter, the very floor where she once danced with her first love and later met and fell in love with her future husband! Annette however wasn't taking being a debutante so well and fought every minute of it. It took time to get her stubborn daughter to get used to the idea and perhaps her hand-sewn dress also helped:

(The pearls were once Gracie's...and she realized she had turned into her mother!)

Halloween Costume

This one caused a fight between mother and daughter. See, while Annette wasn't going all-out Disney, she requested a princess dress that would make her stand out. And Gracie did just that, only it mirrored something more traditional with a red cloak when what Annette wanted was something more glamorous. The fight wasn't bad (compared to the ones they'd have in the future) but it did leave Gracie a bit heartbroken and the girls in separate rooms. Eventually, Annette came around and apologized, saying she'll still wear it. (Which she wouldn't regret seeing as a lot of people enjoyed a more realistic take of medieval fantasies!)

First Date

Annette had her first date! Gracie knew that he was taking her out on a beach date (Sugtons Beach) and wanted to express just that. Turns out her date was the one who was commented Annette on her Halloween costume! Annette had nothing to wear and consulted with Gracie again, this time asking if she owned anything and could modernize it. Well...Gracie did have something, but though she herself thought it could have been done better, Annette loved it! [10 points to whoever recognizes such a design from H2O!]

Year 11 Formal (age 17 - 1982)

The formal was the first dance Annette had gone without a date and was just going with her girlfriends. She turned out to like her mother's sewing skills and told her she didn't want anything too fancy to go in. However, she begged her to make it something 80s-like! But alas, Gracie could only grant that request so much before she had her artbook in one hand and needle & thread in another! [With a reference to a dress Tiffany Lamb (Annette) to rein the 80s!)

Wedding Guest

Annette and Gracie had been invited to a wedding! Well, it was more of a vow renewal, as the couple were old friends of parents back when they lived on the base and had a bit of a nostalgic touch! Considering Gracie was a bit of the same way, she found an old dress she owned when she was 16 and spruced it up a bit for Annette.

Dance Party Dress

After so much time and begging, this would be the ONLY dress Annette got from her that even resembled the 80s glitz and glam they once fought over. To be fair, the glitz existed in the 60s but she wasn't a fan of them. However, Annette was over the moon once she saw this:

Yearbook Photos

Annette may have been getting only a headshot for her school yearbook photos, but Gracie wanted to make memories. With the help of a friend, she and Annette took pictures all over Brisbane to add to the photo album. And once again that pesky beauty the mother and daughter shared cropped up when someone thought it was a genuine photo shoot and tried to recruit Annette into modeling! Gracie herself was a model in her teens and while she can say she had a good experience, there was a reason she never joined the industry full time! Luckily for her, Annette was more into becoming an inspiring chef than photos.

Year 12 Formal (age 18 - 1983)

At this point, Gracie had decided to take her daughter's advice and try to at least incorporate modern 80s with the classic 50s, and at the right time. Unlike the last formal, this time, Annette had a date, Gracie decided to do something to reflect the occasion. It also hit her how much she changed herself at 17 (most, she would never bring herself to tell Annette) and found herself designing a dress that brought back an old memory.

Gracie's 50th Birthday (age 25 - 1990)

There must have been a hint of irony in the world as for as Gracie knew. For weeks, her daughter had been quite secretive and she couldn't guess why. And when she questioned her son-in-law, he had the nerve to be cheeky and not confide in her daughter's secrets (but then again, that's how she knew he was the one for Annette!). However, during that time, she had asked once more for a dress. At the time, it had been year's and the last thing she made was the veil and reception dress for her daughter's wedding (the wedding dress she wore ended up being the one from the Debutante ball.) However, that night of her 50th birthday, Annette presented her a gift: A seafoam blue dress with pearls that she recognized as being something out of the 80s (irony Is that she liked the dresses when the 90s hit!) Annette has made it - with help, as she didn't inherit the skill from her mother and grandmother. She, Annette, and her son-in-law went out to what she thought was some fancy dinner...when it was revealed to be a small dance hall with the theme: Cloudland. Everyone they knew from friends (old and new) to coworkers, and even strangers she befriended who kept in touch, attended the party. She did raise an eyebrow at Annette being fit for the 50s while she was in the 80s...at least until an old song started playing and Annette asked her to dance...dance to the very song she fell in love with her father to. And then, she told her the most surprising news: She was to be a grandmother.

[fromthedeskofthecaptain]

For anyone who would like to know the contents of the Ghosts Empire Spoiler Special, I’ve summarized the discussion below.

There are two episodes, both centered on series 2, excluding the Christmas special. The first is Martha, Ben and Larry and the second is with Matt and Jim (and is better in terms of how deep they go into characterization and the writing process). I’ll skip the bits that are just chatter.

I’m not going to transcribe it all, but I’ll spend a few posts talking about the key points. I’ll do the second one first, because it’s the richest.

Writing process-

Storylining is done half a series at a time as a big group and then who writes each episode depends on availability and not being engaged on other projects. People will often write an episode because the plot was their idea, but it can work out that they write up an episode based on someone else’s outline.

They knew they wanted to show characters going against type - angry Pat and vulnerable Captain - and that they wanted to explore love between the Ghosts. They wanted to show humanity, add complexity and depth to characters and allow a range of movement into the present and the past. It was harder to write than Yonderland because there isn’t a new character with an “adventure of the week”.

Episode 1 -

The original idea for Pat’s DJ spot was that he would give an intro to Dexy’s Midnight Runners “Come on Eileen” and hum the first few bars, but it turned out to be £1000s to obtain the rights. Jim was so thrilled that it got such a laugh in rehearsal he considered paying himself. They tried a few others (2,4, 6, 8 Motorway) and then Jim improvised “Chicken and Chips” thinking he’d have a lot more tries, but Tom Kingsley moved them on before he could.

(Btw, they had no problems getting Kylie to agree to use of “I Should be so Lucky” because she loves the show! Music Club presented the same problem of having to ask for clearance and pay. Apparently there’s no standardized system so they had to think of something and ask, rather than picking from options with a price list.)

Episode 2 -

They came up with Dante’s plot to give Alison some way of moving through the house and interacting with everyone. They went with the Ghosts natural reactions to partying. Pat was conflicted between fun and the right thing. The plague ghosts and Mick giving everyone the plague was based on a play Matt was in years ago about a village where this happened.

They structured the episode by using the principle “what’s the worst thing that could happen next?” a la Curb Your Enthusiasm and thought the answer was the plague ghosts coming upstairs and there had to be a cause of that. The archaeologist was a good person to deal with the question of how is it they’ve just found out what Mick did.

Mary x Robin came from them thinking someone would end up having some intimacy with someone in hundreds of years without much stimulation or any other people, or even things, to touch. They joked about everyone having had ghost sex(!!) with everyone else at one point. (Editor’s note: I can’t really see this. Kitty doesn’t know what it is, Cap and Fanny are too uncomfortable with it so that leaves Julian, Thomas, Humphrey and Pat, who I suspect is too loyal to his wife).

Episode 4 - The Thomas Thorne Affair

There was an awareness that Thomas’s character could become a “one note joke” with no capacity for development. Jim described him as potentially like Pepe Le Pew. Matt asked Charlotte how she felt about the sameness of some of their interactions. They thought about having Alison just lay down the law as it were, but that would change who he was too much. They needed to “play the same tune with a different dynamic” in Thomas’s arc. They considered making his character a peeping Tom, but thought that would bore everyone quickly.

Episode 4’s plot structure came about because they wanted to promote the unreliable narrator idea. They knew some ghosts would have witnessed Thomas’s death and that, plus familiarity with characters, let them play with the format. Matt didn’t want to have the flashbacks to deaths to be done the same way each time. Pat’s in series 1 was obvious because he “wears his death” (Jim). Jim did an improv of Pat’s death in the writer’s room when they first had the idea of how he died. It worked because although it’s quite horrific, the audience knows he’s ok, in a sense, afterwards, so it can be comedic too.

Matt felt a bit guilty about being front and centre of the story he wrote. The unifying thread was Mike and Alison’s issues with truth / perspective. His death also establishes that some ghosts are present at others deaths.

They developed Thomas by writing about why he is as he is. Matt thinks that because Thomas died “heartbroken and fixated” Mary’s observation that “you stays how you dies” is psychologically true, too. They always knew he died in a duel over a woman, but elaborated it to include dying thinking he’d been abandoned. He transferred this state of unrequited obsession onto Alison. Thomas can’t cope with Robin’s point, re monogamy, about what would he do if both Isobel and Alison were alive.

They still aren’t sure if he’s a good poet - they wrote it so we know it’s bad BUT he can believe it’s good and the audience within the show are a bit confused about whether it’s just confidently delivered rubbish or not. They think he’s capable of good work but gets too caught up in his fixed ideas of what being a good poet is and tries too hard (the implication being that this blocks genuine creativity/ originality). His vulnerability is quite charming (Matt).

The idea of the cousin betrayal was thought up once they started. The first idea was just that Thomas tells a story and others interject to say it wasn’t like that and Kitty would tell her version which the audience would know to be true because she has no guile. The contrast was originally just in Thomas’s grand passion cruelly interrupted story versus the actuality of a not very good poet being deluded about a random woman who barely knew who he was. The twist of the cousin was a spark in the writers room that everyone was immediately excited about and that matches Thomas’s sense of the melodramatic.

(As an aside, they always knew there were different groups of people in the house before the Buttons and intended to use that to explore other stories and characters throughout history.)

Matt is a bit embarrassed that they didn’t really have space to give Francis a proper motivation for orchestrating his cousin’s death. They put in a bit about him appreciating Button House and added a line from Thomas - “don’t embarrass me, cousin” - to suggest perhaps Thomas bullied him a bit. They thought about giving Francis lines about having gambling debts to create an urgent need to marry into money, but that made it too obvious that Francis was a bad guy.

To be continued...

[funkymbtifiction]

Do you know how in Harry Potter we know exactly what he is thinking/feeling at all times and his point of view is the one we filter the world through? I wanted to ask if, by any chance, you have 1st person narrative book recommendation of an ENFP 9 and other for INFP 9 person please. The idea came due to the fact that reading Harry’s thoughts helped me with Fi.

I’m afraid I don’t have one offhand; I tend not to think about typing characters when I am just reading and enjoying a novel, but I’m so familiar with HP and have read it so many times that I’m reading it now as much to type characters as for fun, so... I’m paying attention to that as much as the narrative. I can fulfill your following request, however (please don’t use this as a ‘which character am I more like?’ method to self-type, btw -- you need to look at Ne-dom vs. Fi-dom separately and self-analyze to determine your type).

Since that is A LOT to ask, how about a comparison between a ENFP 9 and a INFP 9? Appreciate it.

Claire from Elizabethtown is an ENFP 9 and she just... as an extrovert, takes a real interest in other people and inserts herself into their lives. She sees Drew sitting all alone at the back of the plane and tries to befriend him, then starts giving him advice, she picks up on his father’s death through their chat with each other and then takes him under her wing. All in all, Claire is a great person who... deserves better than she has, because she’s asleep to her own needs and wants. She embodies this when she tells Drew “I am fine with whatever you want to say. Or not say.” She’s even a little intimidated to invite him to be her boyfriend and stay with her, because... what if that isn’t what he wants? Even when she makes her move, she leaves the choice totally up to him, in a very Ne-dom casual “whatever happens, happens...” way. You can join me or not, it’s fine. She chats with him all night on the phone and cancels a trip to Hawaii to be with him. Then she inserts herself, in his absence, into a group at the hotel, and they are all crazy about her, because she’s so great. Extroverted behavior -- she went out and made friends while waiting around for Drew to get back. But she over-tolerates people’s bad behavior, and is in a relationship where she waits around for a guy to show up, but never does anything about it when he doesn’t prioritize her enough to keep his appointments.

Fanny Price of the older Mansfield Park is an INFP 9 and... there is a marked difference. She gets overwhelmed by people and runs upstairs to her desk, to read over her plays and things that she is writing and look out the window. She chooses to be alone quite a lot of the time. Her Fi-dom comes out, despite her 9ish desire to be appropriate and avoid conflict; she has strong opinions and is not afraid to express them with people she loves and trusts (Edmund). She can be stubborn and withdrawn, refusing to do things she doesn’t want to do (Fi-dom/Te inferior and 9ish passive resistance) -- including not marrying a man who she knows is ‘wrong’ for her. Fanny filters everything through herself, and how she feels about it, despite being a 9. She self-references, she goes by what she feels and believes is right, and she does not seek external approval as much. She prefers smaller groups and more intimate friends and is more discriminating in who she spends time with, as a Fi-dom (Claire casts a wider net and has a more amiable disposition overall; Fanny is nice, but not particularly outgoing).

I have personal experience with an NFP 9 of both types. The ENFP 9 is more directly pursuing of people, due to a desire to connect and for her, especially in her fiction, it is all about ideas and turning things on their head. The INFP 9 is also a writer, but I’ve noticed her book is highly ‘personal’ -- about a lot of her own feelings, inner experiences, and actual world experiences. She is extroverted when she is at home -- funny and outgoing, but like most introverts (much to the consternation of us extroverts :P) -- she can disappear for weeks at a time without saying a word, because she’s lost in her own little world and not particularly interested in seeking widely beyond it. Whereas the ENFP bugs me and others for attention far more often and comes up with some crazy ideas.

- ENFP Mod

[its-ashleyreads]

Finished: 27/09/2020

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

Rating:  ★★★★☆

Summary:

Fanny Price, an outsider adopted into her uncle’s family, loves her life of simplicity and tranquility. When the Crawford’s arrive to town Fanny’s life is subsequently thrown into chaos as flirtations, rumors and scandal ensue. Fanny must decide who she is and what she stands for and make the choice between what is easy and what is right.  

Review:

The long answer:

My feelings after finishing Mansfield Park was that it was just “okay”. I was a bit disappointed because of how much I remembered loving the film as a teenager, but I did still enjoy reading it, even if I was a bit bored. I was always expecting more, waiting for Fanny to stand up for herself and stop being so passive. As I was reading, this passivity was one of the things I disliked the most. As someone who always has something to say, I found it hard to connect to Fanny’s stony silence. However, after just a week or so of contemplation and one re-watch of the 1999 adaptation, I grew to like Mansfield Park a lot more than I first thought. It’s still not my favourite Austen, honestly, it’s my least favourite, but I do have a strong appreciation now for Fanny as a character where I didn’t before.  

When reading Austen’s novels most of us connect to characters like Elizabeth Bennet and Emma Woodhouse, Fanny Price hardly even gets a mention which makes sense; Mansfield Park is the least reviewed Austen on Goodreads, so maybe it’s just that Fanny doesn’t have that widespread recognition like the others. She’s also not as much of a big character in her story as the other heroines are in theirs. Emma revolves around Emma, P & P around Lizzie, but Mansfield Park is more about everyone around Fanny. She feels like a spectator to me; it’s the Crawford’s and the Bertram’s story and Fanny is just watching it all unfold. She’s more of a narrator than a heroine. While reading I thought that was a bad thing, it’s something that I’m still not totally in love with, but after waiting a bit and letting Mansfield Park fully sink in, I feel like Fanny and Mansfield Park on the whole are a lot stronger than they receive credit for.  

Fanny has a sort of silent power that rivals that of Emma Woodhouse, a strength of character and conviction that could stand up even against our own Elizabeth Bennet. While it may seem like Fanny just lets life happen to her, and sometimes she does for sure, she really is just doing what she wants to, which isn’t a lot but it’s what makes her happy. Fanny is easily pleased, she just wants to live a simple life and all of these buffoons (AKA the Crawford's) keep getting in the way. But when her simple life is truly jeopardised by an unwelcome marriage proposal, Fanny doesn’t back down. Not even when Sir Thomas, the person she feels most indebted to, whom she holds to a very high standard of morality, says that she should accept. Fanny hates feeling like a burden or a nuisance but she couldn’t live with herself if she let her high standard of morality slip for the sake of pleasing others.  

It’s in this that I see a lot of myself in Fanny, in fact without romanticising myself, I think of all of Jane Austen’s heroines, Fanny Price might be the one I relate to most. While I like to think I’m not as much of a buzzkill, I know that I can be because of my personal moral code which I am uncompromising on, which makes me less susceptible to peer pressure but more susceptible to looking like a self-righteous douchebag. We also share the same feelings of, not self-hate, but of believing that other people and their comfort are more important. Reading from Fanny’s point of view really helped me see a lot of my own flaws as I was pointing them out in her which was helpful but also a bit of a bitch slap when I just wanted to read a good novel... But Fanny’s flaws, unlike those of Lizzie, Emma, Catherine Morland etc., are never really conquered by the end of the novel.  

There wasn’t really any straightforward character growth for the cast of Mansfield Park like there was in Emma or P&P or Northanger Abbey. While in those works the main characters all started off with at least one glaringly obvious flaw and over the course of the story worked to overcome it, with Mansfield Park it was more up and down, more grey. By the end there was no clear difference in any of the characters but they’d all gone through subtle shifts and changes. Mr. Crawford for example. I genuinely believe that Mr. Crawford would have changed to marry Fanny if not for his fatal flaw of needing to be liked by everyone. When Mr. Crawford saw Maria and she hated him, he would have done anything in his power to change that. He didn’t mean for her to fall back in love with him, but she did and the constant rejection from Fanny was getting to him and he slipped. His strides toward becoming good enough for Fanny then meant nothing and he relapsed into being who he was before. I was never a fan of either of the Crawford’s but Mr. Crawford became one of the most interesting characters to me, so much so that I kind of wish that he had ended up with Fanny. I think they would have challenged each other where Edmund only reinforces her ideas of how things should be, not to mention Edmund seemed less than enthused to marry her in the first place.

Edmund’s, almost reluctance, to marry Fanny in the novel seemed so out of place to me since all I really knew of Mansfield Park going into it came from the 1999 adaptation, which I last saw over five years ago. But upon re-watching it after finishing the novel I now see why I was so blindsided. The 1999 adaptation of Mansfield Park while well done and entertaining, is no true adaptation. It misses the essence of these characters and their complexity, reducing them to one-dimensional creators of chaos without any real motivations. We can see that Ms. Crawford wants to marry Edmund but we don’t get the “why”, Fanny accepts Mr. Crawford’s proposal to then refuse him the next day for apparently no reason other than to force him into the arms of Maria, something which goes against everything about Mr. Crawford’s character which I outlined previously. Even with Fanny and Edmund you can clearly see from the beginning that they both want to be together, compared with the novel where it’s only within the last two pages that Edmund basically shrugs and says “I guess I’ll marry Fanny since Ms. Crawford didn’t pan out.” I did enjoy the film but I can’t watch it with the book in mind because they really are so different.

I also just wanted to add that I know a lot of people choose to skip Mansfield Park because cousins, Edmund and Fanny, do end up together but I would actually highly recommend the read. Just do what I did and pretend that the Bertram’s are family friends and not literal family...

Also, I just spent the last few minutes editing this review because I got the name of the Crawford’s of Mansfield Park mixed up with the Crawley’s of Downton Abbey and had to find and correct each one. Lol.