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miracle-sham · 3 years ago

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Long for Who You Could Have Been.

| {Jasonette July 2021, Week 4, Day 19: Mistakes} |

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| They might be monster hunters and that might mean their lives are fraught with chaos and danger. But there were moments in between the contracts and courts, fragile and wavering like the dying embers of a flame; where pasts, and hopes, and dreams were shared in the refuge of the campfire. |

| Word Count: 1,764. |

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| A/N: So this is my second to last Jasonette July fic but the last to actually be posted in July since the other fic (Prompt: Loss) is taking longer than expected to write, whoops! Anyway here's a shorter Witcher au that's mostly fluff with a tinge of sadness here and there. Definitely feels weird to be using/needing so few tags for the first time in a long while! Lastly, thanks to my friend Saf whose reactions to the snippets I send her, absolutely fuel my will to write! |

| Also side note, Don’t Like? Don’t Read. Also also, please do not criticise any of my writing. This was written for fun and receiving criticism, even in a compliment/criticism sandwich, is the exact opposite of fun. |

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The fire crackled gently, flames flickering in soft almost hypnotising patterns. The light and warmth were all that was keeping the chilling coastal mist at bay, from reaching their little makeshift camp.

Crescent moon and stars twinkled above, shining their silvery light down to mix with the ghostly mist below.

It was almost haunting, in the precious silence, punctuated only by the gentle lapping of waves against the cliff rocks not too far away. And the low hum of the local nocturnal bugs and other such creatures; the flap of bat wings, the cry of an owl, the flutter of moths and beetles, the scuttling of hedgehogs, mice, and foxes. The air was still, not even the faintest sea breeze and yet the fret rolled and crept and seeped into every nook and cranny outside of the protective glow of the campfire.

Jason sat on one side of the fire, on his bedroll and worked on cleaning his silver and steel swords with a rag, not quite humming as he quietly mouthed the words to a jaunty little tavern song, the Fishmonger's Daughter.

On the opposite side of the campfire, on her own bedroll, Marinette had a cloak splayed out across her knee with a needle and thread in hand. Tongue sticking out slightly, in concentration, carefully she darned away at the numerous little holes that had formed from walking through the thorny bush filled forest that their current contract had led them into entering.

With a huff, Jason threw the cleaning rag at the saddlebag on the ground beside him. He sheathed his swords and pulled out his favoured weapon, the crossbow with steel and silver-tipped bolts. Immediately he began checking the bolts for any potential damage and ensuring the shooting mechanism on the crossbow hadn't jammed.

“Something on your mind, Blue Jay?” Marinette asked, glancing up from her needlework for a moment.

He tipped his head back and sighed. “I've been thinking…”

“That's new.” She responded, mirth glinting obviously in her eyes and the bubble of laughter in her tone.

Jason gasped in faux offence, mindfully dropping his crossbow and scrambling for the cleaning rag just to throw it at her face.

Before it could hit her, Marinette plucked it out of the air with two fingers. She hummed mock-thoughtfully. “Your aim's off.”

“You take that back! My aim is impeccable. Alfred said so!” He argued back.

She snorted. “Alfred is biased because he's your grandfather figure. And I'll take it back next time we get through an entire contract without you missing a single shot.” To punctuate her point, she tossed the rag back at him.

He half-dived for it, grabbing it with both hands and with it safely in his grasp, placed the rag inside the saddlebag beside him. Throwing his arms up in mock-exasperation, Jason scowled playfully at her. “C'mon! That's not fair, you've never gone an entire contract without messing up or missing with your magic either!”

“Yeah,” Marinette agreed with a nod of her head and a smirk on her lips, “but I've never claimed to be perfect at magic!”

Her words caused him to falter slightly. “Right,” he swallowed a breath of air thickly, “That reminds me of what I was going to say before we got distracted.”

She frowned, furrowing her eyebrows and putting on a softer tone. “What is it? As much as we joke, I'd never actually judge you for missing shots or anything else, you know that right?”

“Yeah, I know… I just.” He huffed in frustration. Hesitantly, he held her gaze with his own but not a second later, winced and shifted his to stare down at the flickering embers of the campfire pit. Avoiding eye contact with her. He clenched his fists. “D'you ever, I don't know, feel like this was all… a mistake?”

Scrunching up her face in confusion, she squinted at Jason. “What do you mean? As-as in taking the contract?”

“No! Well, yes but no. I mean…” He waved an arm, gesturing vaguely around them, “just everything. Becoming a Witcher. Or I guess in your case, a Sorceress. Do you regret it?”

When she didn't immediately respond, Jason huffed again, hunching his shoulders up and practically bristling like a particularly grumpy and grizzling moggy. “Look, never mind. Stupid question.”

“It's not stupid!” Marinette retorted, “I just… wasn't expecting a question like that at this moment.”

He stared at her expectantly. “Well?”

Tipping her head back slightly, she fiddled with the needle still in one hand and sighed. “I suppose I do, I know I shouldn't… but I miss the easy days. Like before I knew what I was capable of. Before I knew what horrors the world could bring. Back when my only worries were getting stitches right and not messing up when dealing with expensive materials. Or maybe having to worry if the Alderman's daughter was going to harass me at some point during the day.”

Marinette tilted her head forwards again, a frown gracing her lips, and shrugged. “What brings this up?”

There's not an immediate response, as Jason casts his gaze away from the fire—towards where the sea could be heard but not seen. His fingers twitched midair, almost as though plucking the strings of an instrument. “I never wanted to be a Witcher. I was a Child Surprise, dunno who was the one that offered the Law of Surprise though.”

“Ah, I sorta get that. I'm also a Child Surprise, didn't get to choose to be a Sorcerer either.” As she spoke, she nodded in solidarity.

Jason jolted, gaze immediately snapping up to stare at her, completely taken aback. “Wait seriously? You're a Child Surprise too? How'd that happen?”

“Well, my parents' bakery was attacked and Félix, y'know my mentor, saved them. He invoked the Law of Surprise, expecting to get bread or some other baked goods.” She snorted, “he was awfully surprised to end up getting me instead. And when I accidentally cast my first ever spell trying to escape the Alderman's daughter, I ended up teleporting to Félix.”

“So, wait Félix fucking invoked the Law of Surprise to get food? And got you instead. Holy fucking shit that's hilarious!” He wheezed, doubling over in raucous laughter.

Huffing, she cast a spell, causing a vine to sprout up out of the ground beside him and slap him on the knee. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up!”

“Ouch! Hey, no fair!” Jason mock scowled, choking back any further laughter. Quickly, in retaliation, he cast a weak Aard.

The telekinetic wave knocked into Marinette, pushing her onto her back from the weakened force.

“Wha—! Oh, so the vine isn't fair but throwing me to the ground is!” She griped, crossing her arms (carefully as to not prick herself on the needle) but made no attempt to get up.

Half-shrugging and grinning smugly, he replied, “you started it!”

She made an exaggerated groaning noise in response before slowly shifting her position to push herself back up into sitting cross-legged. “Well, now you know how I became a Sorcerer. How'd being a Child Surprise tie into you ending up a Witcher, if you don't me asking?”

“I dunno,” he shrugged with both shoulders this time, “I tried to steal the infamous Bat of Gotham's horse, he asked me my name. Reluctantly and after some bribery of hot food, I told him. Didn't think to give a fake one, at the time. He made a face, invoked the Law of Surprise owed to him and dragged me back to the Bat Witcher school.”

“Huh,” Marinette responded, “so if you hadn't… what would you have done with your life?”

Jason raised an eyebrow at her. “Seriously? This is me we're talking about. I'd have gone to Bard College, obviously. I'd have written poems and shit. And books, I'd have written books.”

Scrunching up her face once more, Marinette glanced down at the needle in her hand. “We're by the coast.”

“What?” He asked incredulously, giving her a bemused and questioning look. “What does that have to do with poetry and books?”

In a rush of words, she rambled, “we could take a holiday. I could find out about the spell to disguise your eyes… and uh hair too. That way no one will know you're a Witcher. And we can go to the bard college-town that's down the coast from where we are. We can scavenge together enough gold for you to attend, and you can write your poetry and books.”

Jason stared at her in shock, tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. Softly, as though anything louder than a whisper would cause the offer to shatter like his childhood dreams once had. “Oh, oh, could you really?”

As warmly as the fire between them, Marinette smiled, “of course! I'd have to ask Félix first of course. But he fell in love with Bridgette and she was a Witcher and he came up with a spell to disguise her whenever they weren't doing contracts or courtly politics. So I don't see why he wouldn't show me how to do it!”

Shakily, he wiped his eyes and smiled back. “Fuck, I'd love that!”

“Okay then! I'll contact Félix on the xenovox tomorrow.” As she spoke, a yawn slipped past her lips. “I think I'm gonna head to sleep now. I'll see you in the morning!”

“Good night, Marinette. I'm gonna stretch my legs real quick first.” He answered, hefting himself up and stretching his arms. “Sleep well, though.”

“Be careful!” Marinette yawned again and packed away her needlework for the night. She then wriggled into her bedroll. “And I'll try, g'night!”

“Night,” he whispered once more.

Quietly, so as to not disturb her, Jason slipped away from camp. Following the direction of the fret, he made his way down the safest cliff path he could find in the dark until his boots hit the sand. Step by step, he walked across the beach until the sea spray spattered against his clothes. He's close enough that the waves gently lapped at the toes of his boots.

Clutching one hand to his chest, just over where his heart was, Jason sighed and gazed longingly at the mist-shrouded sea.

“I never thought I'd get to continue my dreams after becoming a Witcher.” He whispered to the wind. “And now I can, thanks to her.”

He sighs again, heart warmed. And silently in the quietude of the beach at night, he cries alone. For his heart is too full with the kindness of another to contain the feelings any longer.

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| Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this little fic! Comments, Likes, and Reblogs are much appreciated! |

| Also feel free to send me any comments with any questions you have regarding this fic, I’ll be more than happy to answer! |

| @jasonette-july-event |

#Maribat #MLB x DC #DC xMLB #Jasonette #Jasonette July #Jasonette July 2021 #JasonetteJuly2021 #JasMari #MariJay #Marinette x Jason #Jason x Marinette #Jasonette July Week 4 #Jasonette July Day 19 #Jasonette July Mistakes #Long for Who You Could Have Been #LfWYCHB #Sham's Posts #Sham's Writing #Sham's Fics

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nikolai-novak · 3 years ago

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Nikolai’s Travel Timeline

Nikolai graduated from high school in 2018, shortly before his 18th birthday in August. Given his family circumstances at the time, he really needed to get away so he took advantage of the fact that he had a full drivers licence and more than enough money to fund his travels.

June 2018 - December 2018

Nikolai was inspired by a photographer that he really liked -- Brian DeFrees -- when it came to mapping out his road trip around the state. In 2011, Brian travelled through 30-odd states in 53 days to see all the major landmarks. Nikolai followed a similar pathway by catching a flight to Virginia, bought a Kombi van, and started the road trip. Nikolai, however, took a full six months to complete the trip. Nikolai visited the following states and explored significantly in each:

Virginia

South Carolina

Georgia

Florida

Louisiana

Texas

New Mexico

Arizona

Nevada (in which he caught up with old friends from high school)

California (in which he briefly stopped in and visited his parents to ease their nagging)

Oregon

Washington (in which he met August Bright for the first time and his intended short stay in Washington was extended considerably. This is a major contributing reason as to why a trip that could have been completed in two months ended up blowing out to six months in duration. (@augustbright)

Idaho

Montana

Wyoming

Utah

Colorado

Nebraska

South Dakota

North Dakota

Minnesota

Wisconsin

Iowa

Illinois

Ohio

New York

Nikolai then sold his Kombi van in New York and booked the cheapest round the world ticket that he could find. The ticket included flights from New York --> London --> Bangkok --> Singapore --> Sydney.

December 2018 - September 2019

After booking his flight to London, Nikolai spent the next nine and a half months backpacking around Europe. Now this was genuine backpacking, with Nikolai relying on various forms of transport -- including trains, buses, and even hitchhiking at times. His adventures were as follows:

Great Britain leg - England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland

Central Europe, primarily via train - Netherlands, Germany, Czechia, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Switzerland, France

Balkans leg - Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo

Iberian leg - Spain and Portugal

Transylvanian leg - Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania

Baltics leg - Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Russia

Scandinavia leg - Denmark, Sweden, Norway

South Caucasus leg - Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan

Greek Islands leg

Note: It was in London that he first met Hannah Callaghan. The two met in a bar, hit it off, and fell into bed together. Nikolai didn’t stay in London for long, however he and Hannah have remained in sporadic contact ever since and will always hook-up again when they’re in the same place at the same time. @hannahcallaghanmu

October 2019 - November 2019

After finishing in Europe, Nikolai booked the next flight on his round the world trip and headed to Bangkok. He spent the next two months backpacking around Thailand, both north and south:

Thailand - Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Kanchanaburi, Hua Hin, Ko Tao, Ko Pha Ngan, Ko Samui, Khao Sok National Park, Krabi, Rai Leh, Ko Phi Phi, Ko Lanta

December 2019

After finishing his travels in Thailand, Nikolai used the next part of his round the world the world ticket to head to Singapore.

Singapore - exhausted from all the backpacking, Nikolai just spent a week in a resort in Singapore. Whilst he did explore the city, he was mainly focused on relaxing and recuperating in a 5-star hotel after primarily sleeping in vans, backpacker hostels, and even tents in some places since first beginning his travels.

December 2019 - July 2020

After Singapore, Nikolai booked the last leg of his round the world ticket and headed to Australia. After landing in Sydney, Nikolai scoured local car dealerships and bought himself another second hand Kombi van and commenced a backpacking trip around Australia. Starting from Sydney, Nikolai’s journey was as follows:

New South Wales - The Blue Mountains, Hunter Valley, Port Stephens, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Yamba, Byron Bay

Queensland - Gold Coast, Brisbane, Noosa, Fraser Island, Hervey Bay, Agnes Water, Lady Musgrave Island, Lady Elliot Island, Airlie Beach, Hamilton Island, Townsville, Magnetic Island, Mission Beach, Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef

He sold the Kombi van after finishing in Cairns so that he could fly over to Western Australia. After spending about a week on Rottnest Island, he managed to buy a second hand van that the owners had renovated for their own past long distance road trips. From there, the adventure continued:

Western Australia - Margaret River, Denmark, Albany, Esperance, Perth, Kalbarri, Monkey Mia, Coral Bay, Exmouth, Ningaloo Reef, Karijini National Park, Broome, the Kimberley

Northern Territory - Darwin, Litchfield, Kakadu, Katherine, Alice Springs, Uluru, The Red Centre

South Australia - Adelaide, Grampians National Park, then the Great Ocean Road into Victoria

Victoria - Melbourne, Carlton, St Kilda, Brighton, Collingwood, Fitzroy

Nikolai then sold the van, took a flight over to Tasmania, and rented a vehicle as he knew that he would only be there for a few weeks:

Tasmania - Hobart, Wild West Coast, Cradle Mountain, Launceston, Bay of Fires, Wineglass Bay, Port Arthur

Nikolai then took a flight to Australian Capital Territory, where he spent a few last days in Australia before having to fly back to start at MU:

Australian Capital Territory - Canberra, Jervis Bay

July 2020

After finishing his mammoth Australian adventure, Nikolai received the ultimatum from his parents: either come back to California and get a university degree or they would be cutting off his access to his trust fund. Nikolai requested a couple of weeks to think about it and immediately booked a flight to Bali, Indonesia. Nikolai spent the two weeks in Bali thinking about the offer, before reluctantly booking a flight back to California.

August 2020 - December 2020

It was during this period that Nikolai was a student at Monarch University, having enrolled to study Exercise Science and Physiology. Nikolai really didn’t want to be at university and certainly wasn’t passionate about his chosen major. Struggling to adjust to life at MU, Nikolai crunched the numbers and he realised he could continue funding his travel expenses through his travel and photography blog. With that realisation, he called his parents bluff and left campus. His parents didn’t fully cut off his access to the trust fund but did restrict it (meaning that he was able to withdraw less money than usual each month) but between that and his blog, he was able to make it work.

January 2021 - April 2021

After leaving MU, Nikolai impulsively booked a flight to Florida. He intended to just stay for a couple of weeks to party and blow off steam but ended up meeting Este Castillo (@estecastillo) in Miami. The couple of weeks turned into a few months whilst the two of them casually dated -- which is the most commitment that Nikolai has given to anyone since the whole mess with Lily. Whilst in Florida, his blog really started to take off. Despite the fact that he wasn’t travelling as extensively as he had in the past, people really loved his photos of Florida; and he had plenty of unseen pictures and stories from his previous adventures that he finally had the time to fully share. Este and Nikolai eventually had an amicable breakup as Nikolai was itching to hop on a flight.

May 2021 - June 2021

Hopping on a flight led Nikolai to another backpacking adventure, this time in Brazil. Nikolai really hit a sweet spot with his photography and travel blog -- when he had first started the account after finishing high school, he had posted a photo a day; which really was only the briefest snapshot of his adventures as he would take countless photos each and every day. Each photo was accompanied with a brief caption to explain where said photo was taken. Having had some time to fully fleshed things out in Florida, Nikolai started posting more and more of the photos that he had taken over the last few years and accompanied them with detailed stories. The combination of his photography and genuine passion for travel was a recipe for success and this only continued as he backpacked through Brazil for two months.

July 2021 - current

Nikolai is back at MU and studying Business and Photography because he wants to figure out a way to make his blog into a sustainable career. Nikolai still has thousands of photos in his back catalogue that he can share, along with countless stories. Still, he’s making sure to supplement the blog by fully exploring everything that California has to offer; and whenever he can, he will take short weekend trips away or make the most of semester breaks to ensure that people get a good combination of both old and new content.

#muse #travels #nikolai's travel journey #itinerary #guys #you have no idea how long this took #what a mammoth effort #yet I regret nothing

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awakendreamersworld · 3 years ago

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And here's the final chapter! Let's Stay Together

It was late at night and Doria was sleeping after a long, hard, busy day. Maria got up and packed her personal items into a crab shell bag and set a note on the her bed and started sneaking out out her home, but before she left, she decided to bring Alberto's record player along so they could listen to music together. Before heading above depth, she took one last look at her home and smiled, "I promise I'll be safe." She said and started swimming above depth out of the kingdom towards the current. Maria went inside the current and started swimming through it back to Italian Riviera, where Alberto was.

Alberto woke up the next morning quickly running down stairs and running up to Giulia before she headed out to take care of fish deliveries with Luca. "Hey Giulia, mind if I speak to you for a sec?" He asked grabbing Giulia's arm and heading back upstairs to her room, "What is it, Alberto?" She asked "I wanna get Maria something really special. Like something that means a promise or that we'll stay together no matter what happens!" Alberto said, "Like... and engagement ring?" Giulia said "YES!... What's an engagement ring?" Alberto asked "Its a ring indicating that the person wearing it is engaged to be married, its like a promise to stay together forever." Giulia explained, "Yes, that's perfect!" Alberto shouted "Where can I get one?" "I know someone in town that sells jewelry, maybe they can help you get one." Giulia said, "Perfect! Let's go!" Alberto said grabbing Giulia's arm again and racing downstairs to her bike and hopped on, "We'll be right back, guys! C'mon, Giulia!" Alberto said and Giulia quickly hopped on her bike and started riding up the hill the the person that sells jewelry. Giulia parked her bike by the door and went infront a building with a tent outside on top and a window with jewelry separated in boxes at the bottom, "Ciao, Mr. Miguel, my friend here would like to buy an engagement ring." Giulia said, "What kind?" Mr. Miguel asked, he was bald with scars on his face and a muscular chin and wore an eyepatch over his left eye and was wearing a avocado green shirt with white shorts on and slip on brown shoes. "Well? Which one do you prefer, Alberto? Giulia asked "Hmm, do you have any ocean-like ones?" Alberto asked, "Ohh, I have plenty, Amico. Be right back." He said disappearing into his store. A few minutes later, he came back with a medium sized box of rings, some were silver with ocean blue diamonds on them and some were gold with sapphire blue diamonds on them. There were so many to choose from, they were really pretty too, Alberto had no idea which one to choose, he put his hand inside the box and started moving some of the rings around so he can see what else was underneath them. At the very bottom, he found a ring that Maria might like, Alberto grabbed it and took it out the box, "That's my goddess of the sea ring. You want to buy?" Mr. Miguel asked, Alberto nodded and Giulia gave Mr. Miguel the money to pay for the ring, "Let me get a beautiful box you can put the ring in!" Mr. Miguel said and once again, vanished into his dark home to scavenger around for the perfect box for a perfect ring.

A few miles off the coast, Maria swam up to the surface to see if she was heading the right way, she looked and saw the two islands, one separated and one bigger than it with buildings on it. Yep, this was the place. Maria took a deep breathe and swam towards the island with the town while still holding Alberto's record player with the magical singing lady. Maria's shadow hovered past Luca who was putting his fish herd away, Luca looked up and saw Maria and started swimming towards her. "MARIA!" He yelled excitedly hugging her, "Hehe, hey Luca! Sorry I was gone for so long, my aunt kept worrying about my scars and was trying to keep me home until they were 'ok' on her side." Maria said "Its so good to see you again! Alberto's been missing you, like REALLY missing you." Luca said, "Oh, uhh, well, I'm here now! Where is he?" Maria asked "He's with Giulia, they went to get something I think." Luca said, "Ok, c'mon!" Maria said and started swimming to town with Luca.

Once on shore, Maria headed towards Giulia's home and went inside. Massimo was in the kitchen preparing some food, "Hi Massimo!" Maria said, "Welcome back, Maria. How's your wounds?" He asked, "They're all healed and well!" Said Maria, "That's good, you must be hungry after a long trip back. Please, sit and eat." Massimo said. Maria sat down at the table setting her stuff and Alberto's record player down on the ground and began to eat her pasta. Once finished, Maria went to the tree to decorate it to surprise Alberto. She put seashells around the edges of the wooden bed and set down the record player right in the center, she thought it was perfect and that Alberto was gonna like it. Maria started climbing through the window into Giulia's bedroom and began heading downstairs. Luca went outside and saw Giulia and Alberto heading their way back, he panicked and quickly ran to Massimo. "Alberto's back! Quick, take him with you to catch fish!" Luca said, "But Maria's here. He would want to see her first." Massimo said "Its a surprise! Maria doesn't want to spoil it!" Luca said and Massimo headed outside to Giulia and Alberto setting down the bike, "just in time, Alberto. Come, we have some more fish to catch." He said. Alberto put the boxed ring in his pocket and followed Massimo to the docks and jumped onto the boat and started heading out to the open water. Giulia went inside and saw Maria standing next to Luca, "Maria! Your back!" Giulia shouted in excitement and hugged her, "Hehe, its good to see you too, Giulia! Where's Alberto? Luca told me he was with you." Maria asked, "Oh, he's with my Papa hunting for some fish." Giulia said then looked down at Maria's dress, it had ripped holes from the shark bite and was stained with blood, but Giulia seemed more worried about the dress then Maria's wounds. "Aye, Maria! Your dress! C'mon, lets head back to the tailor. He'll make you a new one." Giulia said grabbing Maria's hand and heading outside to her bike as they hop on and started heading back to the tailor. They hopped off the bike and placed it near the entrance and headed inside, "Ciao, Chipo! We're back!" Giulia said, "Welcome back, Mia- DIO MIO! What happened, Amica!?" He said looking at Maria's ripped bloody dress, "She was attacked by a shark, but she's ok now." Giulia said "Sorry about the dress, do you think you can make a new one?" She asked. "Of course! Anything for a friend! And you need to be careful out in the waters. It may look pretty, but there's all kinds of predators down there!" Chipo said to Maria, "I'll be sure to be more careful next time." Maria said following him to the back so he can make a new dress for her.

Doria woke up and headed to Maria's room to wake her up for school, but her room was empty. There was a note on her bed, she picked it up and it read: 'Dear aunt Doria, I left early, by the time you read this I'm already at Italian Riviera with Alberto! Relax, I'm fine :).' Doria shook her head and smiled then set the note down and put on her crab gear, grabbed her weapons, and headed outside to go start her job on protecting her kingdom.

Massimo started pulling the net up when he noticed Alberto looking inside a small box. "Is that for Maria?" He asked, "Yeah, its an engagement ring! I'm gonna ask her to stay with me." Alberto said and showed the ring to Massimo "I'm sure she'll love it." Massimo said smiling, "I think so too!" Alberto said closing the box and putting it back in his pocket. They continued pulling the net up with another load of fish and started heading back to shore. After waiting a few moments, Maria came out wearing a 1950's light blue rockabilly polka dot Audrey retro vacation summer dress. "Whoa, you look amazing!" Giulia said "Thanks, you think Alberto will like it?" Maria asked "Of course he will!" Giulia said while heading back outside "Thanks, Chipo!" Giulia said waving goodbye to the tailor "Bye, Giulia! Come back soon! And be careful!" He said and Maria and Giulia hopped on the bike and headed back home.

Alberto and Massimo went inside and set the net full of fish down in the corner, "I'll prepare dinner, you go on upstairs to your friend." Massimo said. Alberto went upstairs to Giulia's room and went through the window to the tree, when he was in the tree, he saw his magical singing lady gift he got for Maria and there were seashells around the edges. His eyes widened open to think that Maria was here, Maria headed upstairs with Giulia and the window was open, Maria climbed through the window to see Alberto checking out her decorations. "Do you like it?" Maria said and Alberto turned around and saw her wearing a new beautiful light blue polka dot vacation summer dress, "Whoa, nice dress! Sorry about your old one..." He said "That's okay! Sorry for being gone for so long..." Maria said "... You know how protective my aunt is." "Yeah, I remember..." He said remembering her warning that if he's not careful with protecting Maria, she's coming after him. "Luca told me that you and Giulia went and got something, what was it?" Maria asked, "Oh, right!" Alberto said and grabbed Maria's hand and they both sat down on the wooden board next to the record player.

"Maria, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for 'kinda' faking being in love with you. I just wanted to hang out with you to forget my jealousy of my best friend Luca, he's been hanging out with Giulia all the time and it made me feel isolated. But then meeting you and realizing how much fun I had with you made me realize how much you mean to me, how happy I am with you." Said Alberto,

"Me too! Back at home, I was kind of this kid who breaks the rules and wrecks everything... I even ruined Emily's friendship with her long-time friends. I was just... an outsider... I thought that's how my life was gonna be, just a reckless kid who never learns. But then, I met you! You made me feel like myself again! And I haven't felt like myself in a while, but you helped change that! You showed me that staying with you I'm free to be myself and do whatever I want! And I thank you for that. And when you went after me down into the Midnight Zone, I thought I didn't deserve the rescue since I've done very little to earn it, especially from you." Maria said and smiled "And I'm happy to be with you too."

"Then let's make it official, to stay together forever!" Alberto said pulling out a small, royal blue box and opening it revealing a sterling silver ring with a mermaid on it. "This is a goddess of the sea engagement ring I got from Giulia's jewelry seller friend." He said putting it on Maria's ring finger and holding both of her hands. "Maria, will you stay and live here with me in Portorroso?" Alberto asked, "Yes, of course!" Maria said and hugged Alberto. "Ok... Silencio Bruno..." He said sighing, "what're you doing?" Maria asked "I saw human couples do this, and honestly, its nerve-racking." Alberto said blushing "What?" Maria said. Alberto took a really deep breathe "Silencio Bruno!" He said and quickly kissed Maria on the lips. Maria was surprised, but went with it and kissed back while hugging Alberto, "Ti Amo!" Alberto said ((I love you)), Maria giggled and spoke in her siren language, "Lu fow, that means 'I love you' in Murine Siren language." She said smiling. Alberto smiled back, "Anyways, wanna get some ice cream? My treat!" "Hehe, sure!" Maria said and they stood up and hopped down from the tree and opened the wooden gate to go and get some strawberry ice cream while holding hands.

When they got their ice creams, they went and sat over by the water at the docks and watched the sunset, "I'm really happy to be staying here with you, Alberto." Said Maria, "Me too." Alberto said, "Ah, how nice of you two fish freaks to enjoy a relaxing sunset pretending to be 'normal' when your not." Ercole said walking up to them. Alberto sighed, "Do you mind going someplace else?" "Do YOU mind taking a bath once in a while?" Ercole said while pushing Alberto into the water and he transformed back into a sea monster, Ercole started laughing, "Talk about swimming with the fishes!" Maria then went down to help Alberto up and dragged Ercole down into the water and he was all soaking wet and screaming, "'Talk about swimming with the fishes,' huh?" Maria copied and she and Alberto started laughing. Ercole started getting out of the water, "You will pay for this!" He said and ran off. "I wanted to go for a swim anyways, what about you?" Maria asked Alberto "Yeah, me too. Race to my island? I still have stuff there I want to show you." He said, "Sure." Maria said and they both dove underwater and started swimming towards Alberto's island, Alberto showed Maria all the human stuff he collected and Maria was impressed with the stuff he had. They brought the record player with the magical singing lady and played it, Alberto took Maria's hand and started dancing with her.

"What are you doing?" She asked

"Its called dancing! I basically invented it." Said Alberto twirling Maria

Maria giggled, "How do I do this?"

"Just let the music control your body and it makes you dance." Alberto said

Maria started spinning and skipping like it was a ballet as Alberto watched in amazement. He then grabbed her hand again and they both started dancing with each other spinning, skipping and twirling.

After a few hours of showing Maria all the cool human stuff, they swam back home and ate some pasta. They went back up to Giulia's room and climbed through her window to the tree and layed down together looking at the starry night sky. "This was the best day ever." Maria said happily, "I know, right? And are you sure that you aunt isn't gonna come here and take you back?" Alberto asked nervous that her aunt would return to check if he's taking care of Maria or else, "Don't worry, I left her a note this time. I'm sure she won't come back here." Maria said snuggling closer to Alberto "That's a relief." He said and kissed Maria's head "Goodnight, Maria." He said "Goodnight, Alberto." Maria said and they both dozed off into a deep sleep with Alberto's right arm wrapped around Maria and Maria's head laying on Alberto's chest while hugging him.

Chapters: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9

#pixar luca #luca 2021 #luca movie #luca paguro #alberto scorfano #giulia marcovaldo #massimo marcovaldo #maria rose #Alberto x Maria #Malberto #ercole visconti

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comebeonetwothree · 3 years ago

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Blog #8: Country Roads

07/13/2021

Currently driving through roads where pro-life billboards are placed in front of graveyards… we are officially on the road back home.

Traveling fast but seeing the most we have while covering 1,500 miles and two time zones in the last week. 900 miles to go. We jumped from Portland to northern and southern Montana then all the way through to Chicago… our last stop ;(

We met some really nice people out here- the kind of people that want to take time out of their day to interact with you. People actually smile at you and mean it when they say “have a good day.”

There were a lot of experiences this week that were indescribable. All senses were at full throttle from sleeping in the heart of Portland to camping in National Parks.

Being our last stretch of the trip, it has been hard to not feel sad when we are closing such a big chapter of our life. It’s a weird feeling of being sad but also still being so excited for the next stop. I hope the excitement doesn’t end.

Who

Who is ready to rumble…

In Portland we got to meet up with Maya’s cousin, Michael and his daughter Thea. He moved out there 13 years ago and never looked back.

He was telling us he did a similar trip with his college buddies back in the day and fell in love with the city, so moved there shortly after the trip.

Sounds fun, might fuck around and move…

Batman was ready to rumble, and fumble and everything in between. While whitewater rafting in Glacier National Park, we had the pleasure of riding with Batman The Guide. Batman, because you can’t change who you are but if you can always choose Batman.

He had been living in Montana for 17 years after moving from Oregon. He had previously worked in the park as a shuttle bus driver and recently switched over to a whitewater rafting instructor.

He was a funny fucking dude; the whole crew was super hyped but he had a comedic sense that made it an entertaining day.

While on the water, we were joking around and splashing the neighboring rafts, an independent rafter said they will bomb us with beers if we splash them. One of the other people on the boat yelled back, “Are they full beers?” and they responded by launching three full miller lite beers at our raft.

At the end of our tour, Batman gave us the three beers then we dedicated those three beers to him with a funnel.

More Friends!!! Its wild how many people we got to see throughout this trip. Hitting Yellowstone National Park, we met up with Mayas friends from home: Cole, Jamie and Declan.

They were just starting their cross-country trip from Nyack, NY, hitting the Northern route to the southern, vs our trip ending in the North. Funny coincident.

We camped out with them for two nights… it was too beautiful to just stay one night, so we pushed back our trip to badlands and stayed the extra night.

We were all out at this joint called Buffalo Bar, it had a great outdoor area with corn hole, ring toss and puppiesss. There is something so fulfilling in petting random dogs with a beer in your hand.

This one dog I was petting had an exceptional owner who was traveling him across states to bring him home. I spoke with the owner for quite a while, she was so friendly about letting me pet her dog. She really was doing it all, back at home she has three kids and two other dogs.

When people hear about our travels, their reactions usually make us realize how cool it is to have the opportunity to do a trip like this.

Many times they wish they did the same when they were our age, *cough, cough, go travel right now, cough, cough.*

This woman explained how she jumped right into working out of school and has always regretted it. Her children were already teenagers so I told her she should get out there and do it. Traveling her new dog home was a great start to the on-the-go lifestyle, she seemed to be enjoying it.

I later found out she picked up our tables tab… thank you Jennifer, you have a heart of gold and a generous soul. She explained her hopes that her kids will one day get out there and see the world like she always wished, and we were accomplishing. It was a pass it forward request, when I am able to cover the bill of a lovely traveling stranger. I hope I cross paths with this family eventually and pay it forward for her children that may travel.

What

What a reality…

The National Park pass is something you buy and are given access to all the national parks in the US. We got one in the beginning of the trip knowing we would be reaching quite a few parks. Unfortunately, we lost it after just seeing the Grand canyon.

It fell in a black hole… the area where your dashboard and windshield meet. Remember this when you put shit on the dashboard. It can slide right down to its death, the only way to get the shit out is by taking off the windshield.

Those passes are irreplaceable, of course.

In badlands, we posted up around 10 p.m. in our hammocks. It was a new experience for us, we thought hey its our last time camping, lets try it a new way.

We set our hammocks up underneath this podium and slept there. It was perfect for a quick and easy set up/clean up. There was a solid amount of people around us, so we weren't too worried about getting attacked by coyotes again.

Where

When driving to Portland we drove through the Redwood National Forest. This made me realize how long this Earth has been around.

Trees take a while to grow, and these trees were as thick as three full grown pine trees and as tall as two stacked on top of each other.

Neck breaking tall.

After crossing through, we hit the upper west coast and traveled on route 101 until we hit Portland. It was filled with jaw dropping views, so much so I woke Mary and Maya up every 5 minutes to show them the views. Most times it was the same view as before, just with a new massive rock to look at.

It was a relatively foggy day, so we couldn’t see certain lookout points, but there was something so majestic about the fog within the forests and hanging on the coast.

There were points where you cross over a bridge and there was nothing around you, just white. It appeared as being stuck in a dream or driving my bitchass to heaven.

Arriving in Portland, we stayed at a place in ChinaTown. It was so cute and located on top of a great deli, Charlie’s Deli.

We checked out a bunch of shops and stores while in Portland. While we were walking around, this coffee shop had the sweetest workers. They enjoyed interacting with their customers and weren’t just looking to take your money.

Portland is filled with mockingly friendly people, they weren’t mocking anyone though, they were just that fucking friendly. They actually want to converse with people... what a concept.

For dinner we went to this food truck pod place, which is about 15 different food trucks serving food, with a communal sitting area to eat the food.

We met up with Maya’s cousin there for a drink and to catch up.

Hitting Glacier National Park, we started our camping excursion. We started off sleeping in our car since we arrived late to our campground after driving 10 hours to get there. It was pretty comfortable and with the knowledge of bear attacks in the area, it was a secure place to sleep.

While in Glacier, we decided to go whitewater rafting, a whole new way of seeing the parks. It was so dope, the rapids were on the weak side since the heat waves.

After rafting, we found a great lake front public access point where we hung our hammocks up and took a nice long nap.

There are lakes EVERYWHERE here in Montana and great fishing! Let’s travel and fish all over Montana, okay? Cool.

We waited until 5 p.m. when the park lets you in without a pass, to do a sunset hike in the park. We took Going-to-the-sun road to the highline hike, where we got to see some wild animals!

In the parking lot we got to see a horned sheep (looks like a ram) and more mountain goats!! We saw three full grown goats and one baby goat.

This horned sheep actually stormed at us and we had to jump into our car. The people that parked in the spot before us left their cheetos on the ground. This guy was hungry as fuck I guess. Relentless to say the least.

This National Park is my new favorite spot-on Earth. Spread my ashes here. Moseying through the park was a full body experience.

All your senses are involved, the smells of the forest are beyond refreshing. The touch of the crisp air brings goosebumps to your skin, and the taste of wind in your face emphasizes the overload of oxygen in that area.

There are no commercialized areas for hours outside the park. Just a fuck ton of trees.

The sounds of different birds chirping harmonizes in your ears with the wind blowing and the rocks falling below you. Your sight is spiked the highest out of the senses. These views seemed so unreal they appeared fake. When you finally touch the grounds around you, you realize how really unreal this land is.

Heading to Yellowstone the following day brought a similar element of nostalgia. We camped right outside the park, on the state border lines of Wyoming and Idaho.

Our friends we stayed with luckily still had their national park pass, so we all took our car and got into the park early that next morning. We got to see some bison! Fun Fact: Bison and Buffalos are actually the same thing.

There were so many beautiful trees and hot springs throughout the park. So many cool colors to see. We also watched Old Faithful blow her hole!!

Getting to Badlands eventually, we got a campground directly in the park. Since we got there later than five it was free. We posted up our hammocks for our last night camping on the trip ;( when we woke up, the views were so cool.

Badlands is a shit ton of clay forming giant sandcastle hills all over. But there is so much green for a desert it was an interesting combination.

When

When can we shower…

We have completed so much of the drive home its wild. We stayed in an apartment for the first two nights in Portland and then spent the rest of the week camping.

We hit our record of days without a shower… 5 full ass days. I’m so proud of Mary and Maya, they really can’t stand being dirty.

When driving long ass 10 hour plus drives for a week you find yourself enjoying nothingness. Head empty is such a vibe after jamming to music and listening to murder mystery podcasts for hours on end.

Our music ranges widely, depending on crashing periods. Whenever Mary is driving, she is either blasting screamo edm music or 2000s pop music.

Maya plays some bomb bops; I really don’t know any of the songs, but it has opened my mind to all these new artists!!

I personally love the murder mystery podcasts, there were a few times I had to change it though because it got too spooky. In the case of this week, we were driving to camp in Montana and a murder mystery came on about the Montana Child Killer… dope.

Why

I have ruled out ever living in a city. From the driving on busy ass streets to the dirty smells everywhere, I will happily reside somewhere in the country. Where? Still have no idea… Why? Because there are so many pros and cons to all these places we saw.

I guess i'll just have to come back out here!

I’m really thinking somewhere up north on the west coast. The west coast will forever hold my heart, but I really don’t have the money or the ability to live in a city out there. Maybe one day with a bombass money making job.

Coming back to the East has made me realize how much nicer people are out west and how much slower of a pace it is.

How

How are we coming up on our last spot…

We are hitting our last stop… Chicago. Shoutout to my cousin for going to school here and letting us use and abuse his apartment! Hehe just kidding we will take care of it for ya, Owen!

It feels so strange to be this close to New York. Our license plates being from New York is no longer that cool.

I’m going to miss people peeping our plates and asking us about our travels and/or wishing us luck!

Thanks everyone throughout, we are almost accomplished with this chapter!

#blogging for beginners #fuck it #post grad #cross country #jubilation #travel #beginners guide #covid made me do it #road trip #bloggersdiaries

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newstfionline · 4 years ago

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Saturday, March 13, 2021

Lawmakers consider keeping daylight saving time year-round (Washington Post) After a long, dark winter, our noticeably sunnier evenings are about to turn even brighter. At 2 a.m. Sunday, the clocks will “spring forward” one hour as we return to daylight saving time (DST). The time shift means we lose an hour of sleep, but in exchange we’ll enjoy more evening light for the next eight months — until we “fall back” to standard time again in early November. But what if we advanced the clocks this weekend and never had to turn them back? The idea is gaining some traction after a bipartisan group of U.S. senators this week reintroduced a bill that would eliminate standard time and keep daylight saving time year-round. The Sunshine Protection Act, proposed by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), along with four Republican and three Democratic senators, says we should ditch standard time since we only use it four months of the year, from November to March. “The call to end the antiquated practice of clock changing is gaining momentum throughout the nation,” Rubio said in a statement. The United States experimented with year-round DST during the 1970s energy crisis, from January 1974 to October 1975. The dark winter mornings were not too popular, however, and ever since, we’ve switched the clocks back to standard time during the winter months.

With ‘big one’ coming, quake alert system launches in Oregon (AP) People in Oregon will be better prepared for earthquakes—particularly important in the Pacific Northwest because experts say “the big one” is coming—as an early warning system launched Thursday, the 10th anniversary of a devastating quake and tsunami in Japan. California already has the system, while Washington state will join in May to complete coverage of the West Coast. The ShakeAlert system operated by the U.S. Geological Survey uses seismographic sensors to detect significant earthquakes quickly so alerts reach smartphones and people can seek cover before the shaking starts. “It’s very important that (the three states) are all partners in ShakeAlert, because earthquakes don’t respect geographic boundaries, and we have huge population centers all across the West Coast where earthquake risk is the highest in the contiguous U.S.,” said Gabriel Lotto, ShakeAlert user engagement facilitator for the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. Earthquakes in the Cascadia subduction zone, which extends from the ocean off Northern California to Canada’s Vancouver Island, have an average magnitude of around 9, making them among the world’s biggest. A quake in that zone has a 37% probability of happening off Oregon in the next 50 years, with a slightly lower chance of one striking near Washington state, according to Chris Goldfinger, an Oregon State University professor and earthquake geologist. When an earthquake is detected, people who have alerts activated on their smartphones will get a message saying, “Earthquake detected! Drop, cover, hold on. Protect yourself.” Mobile apps also carry the alerts.

Rage Spreads in Paraguay as Virus Surges, Exposing Corruption (NYT) For nearly a year, Paraguay was a leader in keeping the pandemic at bay, and despite its persistent troubles, the country remained fairly calm. Not any more. Paraguay’s coronavirus infection rate has soared, becoming one of the worst in the Americas, and its already shaky health system has been stretched to the breaking point. In the last few days, demonstrators by the thousands have filled streets, demanding the ouster of President Mario Abdo Benítez, and in a few instances there have been bloody clashes with the police. For many Paraguayans, corruption and elite entitlement that were once just unpleasant facts of life have become intolerable in the face of the pandemic. There is a shortage of basic drugs that doctors and nurses blame on graft; nonemergency surgery has been suspended because of a shortfall in medical supplies, and there are few vaccines to be had. The crisis has spilled into the streets with a level of rage the county’s leaders have not faced in years. Daily protests started last Friday with medical workers, who were quickly joined by other frustrated people. Most have been peaceful, but in some cases security forces have met the demonstrators with rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons. “There are so many deaths and it is all the fault of the thieves who run our corrupt institutions,” said Sergio Duarte, who joined a demonstration outside of Congress on Saturday in Asunción, Paraguay’s capital and largest city.

Amid pandemic, ‘an international epidemic’ of childhood pain (AP) By the time his parents rushed him to the hospital, 11-year-old Pablo was barely eating and had stopped drinking entirely. Weakened by months of self-privation, his heart had slowed to a crawl and his kidneys were faltering. Medics injected him with fluids and fed him through a tube—first steps toward stitching together yet another child coming apart amid the tumult of the coronavirus crisis. For doctors who treat them, the pandemic’s impact on the mental health of children is increasingly alarming. The Paris pediatric hospital caring for Pablo has seen a doubling in the number of children and young teenagers requiring treatment after attempted suicides since September. Doctors elsewhere report similar surges, with children—some as young as 8—deliberately running into traffic, overdosing on pills and otherwise self-harming. In Japan, child and adolescent suicides hit record levels in 2020, according to the Education Ministry. Pediatric psychiatrists say they’re also seeing children with coronavirus-related phobias, tics and eating disorders, obsessing about infection, scrubbing their hands raw, covering their bodies with disinfectant gel and terrified of getting sick from food. Also increasingly common, doctors say, are children suffering panic attacks, heart palpitations and other symptoms of mental anguish, as well as chronic addictions to mobile devices and computer screens that have become their sitters, teachers and entertainers during lockdowns, curfews and school closures. “There is no prototype for the child experiencing difficulties,” said Dr. Richard Delorme, who heads the psychiatric unit treating Pablo at the giant Robert Debré pediatric hospital, the busiest in France. “This concerns all of us.”

Everest reopens (NYT) Nepal has reopened to foreign tourists who test negative for the coronavirus and spend one week in quarantine, meaning an often-overcrowded Everest has reopened to climbers. The decision to reopen the peak is proving controversial, with at least one tour company canceling its spring expeditions over safety concerns. Meanwhile, some in Nepal want to see restrictions eased even further, as many of the cooks and porters who typically make a living as support staff for Everest climbs have struggled to feed their families amid the sudden loss of income.

Myanmar junta kills more protesters, adds Suu Kyi accusation (AP) Myanmar’s security forces shot to death at least 10 people protesting the military’s coup Thursday, spurning a U.N. Security Council appeal to stop using lethal force and as an independent U.N. expert cited growing evidence of crimes against humanity. The military also lodged a new allegation against the deposed government leader Aung San Suu Kyi, alleging that in 2017-18 she was illegally given $600,000 and gold bars worth slightly less by a political ally. She and President Win Myint have been detained on less serious allegations and the new accusation was clearly aimed at discrediting Suu Kyi and perhaps charging her with a serious crime.

China legislature endorses reducing public vote in Hong Kong (AP) China’s ceremonial legislature on Thursday endorsed the ruling Communist Party’s move to tighten control over Hong Kong by reducing the role of its public in picking the territory’s leaders. The measure drew condemnation from Britain and the U.S. and accusations it will disenfranchise Hong Kong’s people. It adds to a crackdown against a protest movement in Hong Kong calling for greater democracy. The crackdown has prompted accusations Beijing is eroding the autonomy it promised when the former British colony was returned to China in 1997 and is hurting its status as a global financial center. Beijing’s crackdown on Hong Kong has added to irritants in China’s relations with Washington, Europe and other governments that also include trade, technology and the party’s treatment of ethnic minorities.

Japan to tighten border control against variants (AP) Transportation minister Kazuyoshi Akaba says Japan will tighten border controls and limit the number of entrants to up to 2,000 per day to guard against the more contagious variants of the coronavirus. The health authorities have found the cases of the new variants to have quadrupled over the past month. They said the cases have been found in about half of Japan’s 47 prefectures but need to be closely watched and precautions should be increased. Tokyo and its three neighboring prefectures are under a non-binding state of emergency since Jan. 7. The measure, which was to end on March 7 in those areas, has been extended for two weeks as the infections have not slowed enough.

‘People are starving’: New exodus in Ethiopia’s Tigray area (AP) Skinny, hungry, fleeing threats of violence, thousands of people who have been hiding in rural areas of Ethiopia’s Tigray region have begun arriving in a community that can barely support them—and more are said to be on the way. For months, one great unknown in the Tigray conflict has been the fate of hundreds of thousands of people in vast rural areas beyond the reach of outside aid. With the region largely cut off from the world since November, fears of violence and starvation have grown. Now those people are starting to arrive, many by foot, in the community of Shire, aid workers who are there and who have visited say. Some 5,000 people had arrived between last Wednesday and Sunday, and humanitarian teams are being sent to find those said to be on the way, Oliver Behn, general director for Doctors Without Borders-Holland, told the AP. “They are coming in very bad conditions … very exhausted, dehydrated, skinny,” Behn said after a visit. “It’s becoming a desperate situation very quickly.” The people arriving bring an idea of the deprivation gnawing at the Tigray countryside. Aid workers say some describe surviving by eating leaves—or the seeds they had put aside for planting, in a sign of even worse hunger to come.

#headlines #news

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funthingsfortoddlers · 4 years ago

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The 1st Day of School 2021 is nearly here!!!

Which also means playgroups and mum’s groups should also be ramping up for 2021.

Check out the Fun Things for Toddlers website to find a local playgroup near you: https://www.funthingsfortoddlers.com/playgroups/

#first day of school 2021 gold coast #playgroups gold coast #mums groups gold coast #fun things for toddlers gold coast

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ahz-associates · 3 years ago

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University of Essex

Overview

In the Times University Guide 2021, the University of Essex is placed 40th, while in the Guardian University Guide 2021, it is ranked 85th.

HM The Queen has bestowed the renowned Regius Professorship Award for political science on the University of Essex.

In 2017, the University of Essex won gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework.

Professor Chris Pissarides, a University of Essex alumnus, is a Nobel Laureate.

History

Sir Albert Sloman established the groundwork for what would become a one-of-a-kind research university in 1963. The University of Essex in the United Kingdom was founded in 1964 as 'Essex Spirit,' with Sir Albert Sloman serving as its first Vice-Chancellor. Essex Spirit received its inaugural class of 122 students in October 1964, who were drawn to the university's unique purpose.

By October 1964, the student batch had grown to 750 students, and Lord Butler had been appointed as Chancellor. Between 1970 and 1980, the university expanded its present facilities by adding a new health centre, day nursery, bookstore, and art gallery.

In 2015, Essex Business School was established as the UK’s first zero-carbon educational institutional building. In 2019, the University of Essex allied with seven other prestigious UK universities called the Young Universities for the Future of Europe (YUFE) Alliance.

Breakdown of the Fee Structure

International students can expect to pay £15,023-£21,000. Fee structure may vary depending on the courses and degree program selected by the student.

Scholarships

International students can apply for a variety of undergraduate scholarships and awards at the University of Essex. The University of Essex offers a number of notable scholarships, including:

Academic Achievement Scholarship for International Master's Degrees

Regional Scholarship for the Indian Subcontinent (Undergraduate)

Regional Scholarship for Europe (Non-European Union)

Scholarship for International Baccalaureate Excellence

Global Partner Scholarship from Essex Law

Are you looking forward to starting your next degree programme at the University of Essex in the United Kingdom? Please contact our experts, who will assist you throughout the application process and provide professional guidance and support.

Student Life

Colchester, Southend-on-Sea, and Loughton are the three campuses of the University of Essex in the United Kingdom. Essex's student life can be described as culturally diverse and vibrant.

Students at the Colchester campus may enjoy the evening at a selection of bars and nightclubs. The world-renowned Arts Centre and Mercury Theatre are located in the town, which is also noted for its arts and culture.

Southend is known as 'London's playground,' and it attracts visitors from all over the world. Sailing, kitesurfing, and cycling along the coast are available to students interested in sports and adventure. The University of Essex's Southend Campus has an exclusive 'SU Lounge,' which students totally manage to give a safe space for hanging out with friends.

The University of Essex's Loughton Campus is located near London. Students may simply commute to London's central city via the Central line rail and enjoy the city's spectacular nightlife.

Accommodation

All new students at the University of Essex's Colchester and Southend campuses are given housing for their first year. On-campus housing is secured 24 hours a day, seven days a week to ensure that all students are safe at all times. Over 16 students can live together in a flat or apartment with private rooms and a common kitchen.

Self-catered students' average accommodation expenditures range from £100 to £200 per week, depending on the type of accommodation they choose. If students do not want to pay such a high price for housing, they can choose from a variety of cheap solutions.

The University of Essex holds the prestigious International Accommodation Quality Mark award, with a 90% student satisfaction score from international students living in on-campus accommodation. The University of Essex also holds the rank of being the winner of the National Student Housing Survey in 2009 and finished runner up in 2010 and 2011.

Transport

For University of Essex students, getting around the campus and town is a breeze. Accommodations in both Colchester and Southend are near to the main campus. Students can either walk or ride their bikes to and from campus. On campus, there is also a secure bike parking facility.

The bus and railway are the most convenient ways to get from the Colchester Campus to the town centre and London. The Southend Campus is located close to the airport and is just a short train ride away from Central London.

The Loughton Campus is located near London and is only a short train ride away. The main campus is about a 5-minute walk from the Debden underground station.

Students Services

The University of Essex's student services encourage diversity and multicultural harmony in order to provide a friendly and learning environment for all students. The University of Essex has students from 140 different countries, and there are more than 30 distinct cultural groups for them to join.

Essex's student union is made up of approximately 15,000 students who want to be the best student-centered organisation in the world. The mission of the Essex Student Union is to provide continual support and assistance to all students. They've set up a number of pop-ups throughout campus to assist students.

#studyinuk educationalconsultant

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your-dietician · 3 years ago

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DESTIN EVENTS AND ENTERTAINMENT June 26

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/entertainment/destin-events-and-entertainment-june-26/

DESTIN EVENTS AND ENTERTAINMENT June 26

Please send your events, meetings, etc., to [email protected] at least 2 weeks in advance.

Destin City Hall

All city meetings are being held at the City Hall Annex, 4100 Indian Bayou Trail, until further notice. All meetings are subject to change or cancellation. To virtually view the meeting, https://www.cityofdestin.com/. To view/stream is www.youtube.com/CityofDestin.

Family Fun Day

The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart will host a Family Fun Day in Santa Rosa Beach from 9-11 a.m. June 26. The location will be the new Ascension Sacred Heart building at 179 Mack Bayou Loop. The event is free of charge and celebrates the expansion of pediatric services to the Emerald Coast. Outdoors, masks are encouraged, but not required. Inside the building, masks are required.

Rock the Docks

Rock along the docks at HarborWalk Village and under the stars for a free live concert from 7-9 p.m. June 26 with Frank Fletcher.

• July 3: 18 Miles Band

• July 10: Flash Flood

• July17: way Ja Vu

• July 24: The Hoodoos

• July 31: Scenic Heights

• Aug. 7: FIinga Faya

• Aug. 14: TBA

Sunday Cinema

Grab a lawn chair or blanket for the free movie “Moana,” a featured film on the big screen at 8 p.m. June 27 on the Events Plaza Lawn at Baytowne Wharf.

• July 11: Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

• July 18: Pete’s Dragon

• July 25: Sing

Rosemary Beach Summer Concerts

Bring your chairs and blankets and enjoy the night on St. Augustine Green in Rosemary Beach with music of Totally Awesome 80’s from 6:30-8:30 p.m. June 28.

• July 5: Ocean’s Nine (boat Pop)

• July 12: Kool Kats (50’s & 60’s)

• July 19: British Invasion (Beatles and Stones)

• July 26: Flying High (Bryds to the Eagles)

• Aug. 2: Fais Do-Do (Cajun & Zydeco)

• Aug. 9: Totally Awesome 80’s!

ACT Workshops

Workshops to assist students in Okaloosa, Escambia and Santa Rosa County high schools who will be taking the July 17 ACT tests will be held in Gulf Breeze. The workshop will be from 9 a.m. to noon July 12, 13, 14 and 15. Registrations must be postmarked by June 28. All materials, snacks and drinks are furnished. Students will need to bring calculators. If you have any questions, email [email protected] or call 615-585-2401.

Wednesday Night Concert Series

Enjoy free live entertainment with Dion Jones & The Neon Tears from 7-9 p.m. June 30 on the Events Plaza stage at The Village of Baytowne Wharf.

July 7: Boukou Groove

July 14: Forrest Williams Band

July 21: Six Piece Suits

July 28: Rust & Gold

Summer Storytime on the Lawn

Cuddlers and Toddlers Storytime is continuing through the summer at 10 a.m. every Thursday and run approximately 20 minutes. Come enjoy Tails & Tales themed stories while waiting for the weekly Summer Reading events to begin at 10:30 a.m. Get more information at cityofdestin.com/655/Summer-Reading. If you have any questions, call 837-8572 or email [email protected].

Summer at HarborWalk Village

• Monday: Dance to your own beat with a silent disco experience in front of the main stage from 7-10 p.m. Sanitized headphones provided.

• Tuesday: Carnival comes to HarborWalk Village with live music on the main stage at 6:30 p.m. and the Fat Tuesday Parade at 8:30 p.m. Catch beads as the floats roll through the Village. Want to celebrate on a float with you and your krewe or promote your business? Email [email protected] or call 850-424-0600.

• Thursday: All American Thursday is from 6:30 – 9 p.m. Celebrate the USA with a one-of-a-kind vintage airshow, hero salute, live entertainment, fireworks and a fire spinning show with Hero Salute and Vintage Air Show 6:30 p m. and fireworks at 9 p.m.

Rosemary Beach Moonlight & Movies

Bring blankets and lawn chairs for a movie night under the stars in Rosemary Beach July 1 with “The Secret Life of Pets 2” on the Western Green. Balloon art starts at 6 p.m. and movie at 8:15 p.m. Enjoy popcorn and hot dogs on the beach from DogManDu.

• July 8: Toy Story 4

• July 15 Moana

• July 22: Sonic the Hedgehog

• Aug. 5: Tom and Jerry

• Aug. 12: Trolls World Tour

Let Freedom Ring

HarborWalk Village’s 4th of July celebration, Let Freedom Ring, begins at 7 p.m. July 2 with The Two Hoo Doos. The Miles Band performs July 3 at 7 p.m. and The Manly Hero July 4 at 7 p.m. Fireworks and fire spinning by Autumn Lyfe begin at 9 p.m. Sunday. On-site parking $10.

Movies & S’mores Series

The free Movies & S’mores series will be at 5 p.m. July 3 in Camp Helen State Park Recreation Hall with food and fun. Seating will be provided. Programs begin at 6:30 p.m. with an interpretive table of activities, a merchandise table, prepackaged smores around the bonfire and a souvenir cup. Movie, “The Lion King (2019),” begins. at sunset. Donations are accepted and will go directly to the Friends of Camp Helen State Park to be used to benefit the parks resource management, projects and interpretative programs.

• July 22: Onward with a special treasure hunt/guided tour throughout the park

Smoke on the Coast

Destin Commons will host 15 local non-profit organizations at the 10th annual Smoke on the Coast BBQ & Fireworks Festival from 5-10 p. m. July 3. Each non-profit organization teams up with a restaurant or BBQ aficionado. Cast your vote for $1 for your favorite BBQ team, support their mission, and enjoy a day of family fun.

Seaside 4th of July

Seaside is hosting a day of patriotic activities from 9 a.m to 9 p.m. in Central Square, with storefronts decorated in red, white, and blue. While there will not be a parade along 30A, Seaside will feature second-line-style patriotic music performances around town throughout the day, with a special performance by the Rep Theatre. All of this will culminate into what will be the largest fireworks show not only in Seaside but along the entire Gulf Coast.

Red, White & Baytowne

The Red, White, and Baytowne celebration takes place from 7-9:15 p.m. July 4 with music from Donovan Keith on the Events Plaza Stage at Baytowne Wharf. A fireworks display will light up the night sky at 9:15 p.m. The Village will also host kids activities including kids crafts, face painting, and balloon sculpting.

Foster Gallery

The public is invited to a reception celebrating both the Summer Rotation and upcoming Juried Special Exhibition artists at Foster Gallery from 5-7 p.m. July 14. Enjoy tasty sips and snacks while perusing all the works on display and available for purchase.

Summer Pop

The Emerald Coast Theatre Company presents Jordan and Michelle’s “Back to Broadway” show, a fun-filled, high-energy tribute to the Broadway music of today and yesterday. July 17 at ECTC’s performance space, 560 Grand Boulevard, upstairs, in the Grand Boulevard Town Center in Miramar Beach. Tickets are $30/person at www.emeraldcoasttheatre.org.

• July 24 – Frank & Friends with Peter Lake. Enjoy tunes from Frank Sinatra, Giacomo Puccini, Andrew Lloyd Webber and many more favorites.

Mattie Kelly Arts Center

Jesus Christ Superstar is the 2021 Summer Musical at 7:30 p.m. July 21-24 and 2 p.m. July 25 on Mainstage. at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center Amphitheater in Niceville. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $20. Call the Box Office for tickets at 729-6000 or visit https://mattiekellyartscenter.org/.

Billy Gray Testimony

Billy Gray, who ministers to people around the world and is former pastor at The Gathering, will give his testimony at First Baptist Church, 201 Beach Dr. in Destin, on July 27 at 10:30 a.m. All are welcome.

Hydroflight Monday

Enjoy shows from fly-board extraordinaire Ben Merrell over the lagoon at The Village of Baytowne Wharf at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Mondays through Aug. 2.

Boomin’ Tuesday

Turn your eyes on the sky at Baytowne Wharf and watch as the sky lights up with a fireworks show over the Lagoon at 9:15 p.m. Tuesdays through Aug. 3. Also, a DJ Dance Party with DJ Mike Whitty begins at 7 p.m. in the Events Plaza.

Magical Thursday

Magic, music, and mayhem with Baytowne Wharf’s featured pirate Captain Davy takes you on an adventure with two magic shows at 7 and 8 p.m. Thursdays through Aug. 5.

Destin Woman’s Club

The Annual Fashion Show held by the Destin Woman’s Club has been cancelled this year due to the Covid virus. The Fashion Show for 2021 has been scheduled for Nov. 5. As their major fundraiser, net proceeds go toward the Club’s Family Assistance Fund designed to help local families and a local charity.

RECURRING EVENTS

Destin Community Center

All activities are at the Destin Community Center, unless noted. Call 654-5184 or email [email protected] information and to register. Persons with disabilities who require assistance are asked to notify the center 48 hours in advance.

Pickleball: Sessions are Mondays from 12:30-3:30 p.m. Wednesdays from 1-2 p.m. and Fridays from 10:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Fee is $3/session. Racquets and balls are available, just bring your gym shoes.

Table Tennis: Play from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Paddles and balls provided. Fee is $2/resident and $3/non-resident.

Senior Programs

All activities are at the Destin Community Center, unless noted. Call 654-5184 or email [email protected] for information and to register. Persons with disabilities who require assistance are asked to notify the center 48 hours in advance.

— Destin Senior Membership: Join the Destin Seniors to enjoy multiple festivities including the senior lunch bunch, potluck, casino trips, cruises, bingo, chair exercise, knitting, scrabble, and Mexican dominoes. Members must be a Destin resident.

— Senior Book Club: The Destin Senior Members meet at 10 a.m. the 2nd Wednesday of the month at the Destin Library, 150 Sibert Ave.

— Senior Drop-In Hours: The Destin Senior Center at Buck Destin Park, 724 Legion Drive, offers senior drop-in hours from 9 a.m. to noon every Tuesday and Thursday for Seniors (50 years and older) to meet and enjoy each other’s company, participate in games such as Mexican Train Dominoes, Scrabble, cards, etc.

— Senior Walking Club: The Destin Senior Members walk around the Destin Community Center’s gymnasium from 8-9 a.m. Monday-Friday. All of the miles that you walk will be added to the “team map” as we travel from one region to the next. The team’s miles are reported on the 4th Friday of each month at the Destin Senior Membership’s Potluck.

— Destin Senior Chair Exercise 50+ years: Monday and Wednesday mornings from 10-10:45 a.m. at Buck Destin Park consists of performing light exercises to help improve balance, flexibility, strength, and circulation. Free/residents.

Book Club

The Destin Library’s Novel Idea Book Club is open to adults and meets every fourth Thursday of the month at 11:30 a.m. via Microsoft Teams. Club members can submit book recommendations – primarily fiction with the occasional non-fiction title – and the club will vote on which ones to read. Membership is open to everyone; however, you will need an Okaloosa County Public Library card to check-out materials. Members will need an email address and internet access to join the discussion.

City of Destin Annual Passes

Full-time residents (within the incorporated city limits) are encouraged to submit their request for a 2021 Annual Pass at https://www.cityofdestin.com/342/Annual-Passes. For those who do not have internet access, beach parking passes are only available at City Hall. Henderson Beach State Park and Joe’s Bayou Boat Ramp passes are available at both City Hall and the Destin Community Center. For questions, call 837-4242.

Adopt-A-Street

The City of Destin’s Adopt-A-Street Program allows local families, businesses and community groups to perform a valuable community service by adopting sections of a street to keep clear of litter and debris. Groups who participate in this program will have their name listed on the City’s website and signage installed on their adopted street. For more information, call 837-6869 or email [email protected].

Grand Boulevard Farmers Market

Grand Boulevard Farmers Market takes place every Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Grand Park in the heart of Grand Boulevard in South Walton. Bring your shopping bag and load up on local produce, eggs, jams and pies. Homemade soap, good olive oil, and pickled things are all there for the taking.

Rosemary Beach Farmers Market

Come browse the 30A Farmers Market in Rosemary Beach on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The local farmers market takes place on Sundays year round, and Thursdays throughout the summer months, in North Barrett Square along Scenic 30A.

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thesun · 3 years ago

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[24/6 7:25 ಪೂರ್ವಾಹ್ನ] Babu Anjanappa: ╭───────────────────╮

🌄 *S̴h̴u̴b̴o̴u̴d̴h̴a̴y̴ : 24 Jun/जेस्ट मासा (Thursday) ग्रीष्म ऋतू*🙏🏻

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*Today's top News* ➣➣➣➣➣➣➣➣➣➣➣➣➣➣

1. J&K leaders arrive in Delhi to attend PM’s all-party meeting. 14 leaders, including 4 ex-chief ministers of J&K, invited for an all-party meeting with PM Modi on the Union Territory on June 24.

2. Congress president Sonia Gandhi will decide on the Punjab Govt & party revitalisation by July 8-10, AICC general secretary in-charge of the state Harish Rawat said.

3. Assets worth Rs 9,371 crore belonging to fugitive businessmen Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi have been transferred to state-run banks, who suffered losses, on account of the fraud committed against them. Total assets worth Rs 18,170.02 crore has been seized by the Enforcement Directorate so far, 80% of which is the the total bank loss.

4. Union Cabinet on 23 June approved allocation of additional foodgrain under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, Phase IV for another period of five months from July to Nov 2021. Under it, 5 Kg foodgrains per person per month free of cost will be given to the beneficiaries covered under National Food Security Act .

5. National COVID-19 vaccination coverage crosses 29.46 crore mark; Recovery rate reaches 96.56%

6. Around 40 cases of the Delta Plus variant, classified as a variant of concern (VOC), have been detected sporadically in Maharashtra, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh, the Union Health Ministry said.

7. In Bihar RJD Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav asked LJP leader & Jamui MP Chirag Paswan to join him, reminding him how Lalu Prasad had helped Ram Vilas Paswan get nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 2010 when LJP had no MP or MLAs.

8. Delhi Dy CM Manish Sisodia said that the Central govt in a letter said it has “rejected” a “proposal” for doorstep delivery of ration in the city and attacked PM Modi for it.

9. The weather forecast for today says, the National Capital Delhi is likely to have strong surface winds during daytime. The temperature will hover between 28 & 40 degrees Celsius.

10. The Karnataka govt on 23 June set in motion the process to conduct the Secondary School Leaving Certificate Examination or the 10th standard examination in third week of July by releasing the standard operating procedure (SOP) for teachers.

11. Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College & General Hospital, popularly known as Sion Hospital has thanked Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan for providing critical infrastructure worth almost Rs 1.75 crore, including class 1 ventilators

12. An unidentified terrorist gunned down in encounter between terrorists and security forces at Shirmal area of Shopian in J&K

13. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is set to back in action.

Defence sources said that new missile, a variant of Agni-I, will be flight tested from a defence facility off Odisha coast between June 28 - 29. Initially christened as 'Agni Prime', the missile will have a strike range of 1000 km to 1500 km.

14. Four theatre commands likely to be raised by year-end. The four commands planned are air defence command, maritime theatre command, integrated eastern theatre command and integrated western theatre command. Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat held extensive deliberations with the Vice Chiefs of the three services and senior officials of the defence ministry to iron out differences on setting up of theatre commands.

15. It was expected that PM Modi would make an announcement on the creation of the commands, which would be the biggest reorganisation of the Indian armed forces since Independence, and the commands were likely to be raised by year-end.

*✈INTERNATIONAL NEWS*

1. The Indian Navy will get three MH-60 Romeo helicopters in July this year, out of 24 MH-60 “Romeo” multi-mission heavy-duty helicopters, these are equipped with multi-mode radars & night-vision devices as well as armed with Hellfire missiles, MK-54 torpedoes and precision-kill rockets, it was the Rs 15,157 crore

contract inked with the United States.

2. Indian Navy and Indian Air Force (IAF) are participating in a Passage Exercise with US Navy’s Carrier Strike Group (CSG) Ronald Reagan which is transiting through Indian Ocean Region (IOR) from June 23-24, 2021.

3. India is pushing for a comprehensive ceasefire in Afghanistan amid a massive spike in violence in that country and reports of its contact with the Taliban for the first time in the backdrop of a renewed push for the Afghan peace process.

4. Russia is offering the Indian Army a comprehensive upgrade of the Dragunov sniper rifle in service with almost all frontline battalions, with a demonstration planned next month.

5. Last week, the Border Security Force arrested a Chinese national identified as Hun Junwei close to the Bangladesh border in Malda.Investigations so far have revealed that he was involved in cyber fraud and alleged acts threatening national security. He also said that several agencies of China are trying to hack various websites of the Indian govt including those under the Ministry of Defence. He was possessing an Indian identity card and Aadhaar card with him.

6. Pakistan continues to “provide pensions to dreaded and listed terrorists” and host them in its territory, India said at the United Nations. The remarks were made by Pawankumar Badhe, first Secretary, Indian Permanent Mission in Geneva at the 47th Session of the United Nations Human Right Council (UNHRC).

7. Air France to commence Paris-Chennai weekly flight from June 26 under air bubble pact.

8. India reaffirmed its commitment towards eliminating educational inequalities at G20 Education Ministers meeting held in Italy virtually. Addressing the meeting, Minister of State in the Education Ministry Sanjay Dhotre reiterated the country’s commitment towards reducing and eventually eliminating educational poverty, inequalities and early school leaving.

*🌎WORLD NEWS🌍*

1. The Communist Party of China will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its founding this July. The Communist Party of China was founded in 1921 by Chen Duxiu and Li Dazhao, with the help of the Far Eastern Bureau of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks), who seized power in Russia after the 1917 October Revolution, and the Far Eastern Secretariat of the Communist International.

2. A Russian military ship fired warning shots at a British Royal Navy destroyer after it entered Russian waters in the Black Sea. The Royal Navy destroyer HMS Defender briefly sailed through territorial waters off the coast of the disputed territory of Crimea.

3. A sudden Bomb Blast took place Outside the Wanted Mumbai blasts master mindTerrorist Hafiz Saeed's House In Lahore; 3 killed and 20 Injured.

4. The US military could slow down its withdrawal from Afghanistan due to the gains made by the Taliban insurgents.The situation in Afghanistan changes as the Taliban continue to conduct these attacks and to raid district centres as well as the violence.

5. Face masks to no longer be compulsory in Italy from 28 June: Health Minister Roberto Speranza said. By June 28, experts predict all of Italy will be classified a "white" zone.

6. Bangladesh railway has suspended all trains operating to and from Dhaka in view of the current COVID situation in the country.

*🚣🚴🏇🏁🏊Sports:*

1. WTC Final: New Zealand beat India by 8 wickets to win inaugural World Test Championship.

IND vs NZ Cricket

Final test, The Rose Bowl, Southampton,

INDIA. 1ST INN

217/10. (92.1) RR 2.35

2ND INN. 170 /10

(73.0) 2.33

NEW ZEALAND

1ST INN

249/10. (99.2) RR 2.51

2ND INN. 140 /2

2. Indian Golfer Anirban Lahiri qualifies for Tokyo Olympics. Lahiri, a former Asia No. 1 and two-time winner on the European Tour, will be representing the country in Olympics for the second time.

3. The Indian Davis Cupper,

Ramkumar, who slipped out of the top-200 for lack of good results, is just win away from his maiden Grand Slam appearance after progressing to the final round of the Wimbledon qualifying tournament with a straight-set victory over Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry, in London, on 23 June (won 6-3, 6-4.). India's Prajnesh Gunneswaran and Ankita Raina exited from qualifier earlier.

4. England Beats Sri Lanka By 8 Wickets To Open Twenty20 Series in Cardiff. England reached its target of 130 with 17 balls to spare. Sri Lanka was limited to 129/7.

5. Men’s tennis player, Denis Shapovalov of Canada, has pulled out of Tokyo Games citing “safety reasons” due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

*USD 74.15 💷GBP 103.64*

_In Puducherry_

⛽ *Petrol ₹ 95.28*

⛽ *Diesel ₹ 91.83*

*LPG : ₹ 822/14.2 Kg*

*BSE Sensex* 52,306.08

*NIFTY* : 15,686.95

Ⓝⓐⓥⓔⓔⓝ Ⓚⓤⓜⓐⓡ

*🇮🇳Facts about India🇮🇳*

Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty, who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from c. 268 to 232 BCE. The grandson of the founder of the Maurya Dynasty, Chandragupta Maurya, and the son of Bindusara.

Ashoka waged a destructive war against the state of Kalinga (modern Odisha), which he conquered in about 260 BCE. He converted to Buddhism after witnessing the mass deaths of the Kalinga War.

The national emblem is an adaptation of the Lion Capital, originally found atop the Ashoka Column at Sarnath, established in 250 BC. ... The capital was adopted as the national emblem on January 26, 1950. It was chosen as a symbol of contemporary India's reaffirmation of its ancient commitment to world peace and goodwill

*😀Thought of the day*

Challenges make you more responsible. Always remember that life without struggle is a life without success. Don't give up and lear not to quit.

*Joke of the day*

*टीचर* - बताओ रोज बादाम खाने से क्या होगा।:

*स्टुडैंट* - बादाम खतम हो जाएंगे ।🤪🤣😂

*😳Why❓❓❓*

*Why Do We Have Eyebrows* ?

Eyebrows keeps moisture out of our eyes and for making communication.

Ever notice how your eyebrow hairs grow outward, toward the sides of your face? That helps direct any moisture away from your eyes toward the side of your head. Eyebrows can also reduce the amount of light that gets into your eyes and keep dirt away from them, too. They help us express emotions and recognize each other. Eyebrows are an important part of human expression and communication. They allow us to show our emotions. One raised eyebrow expresses skepticism or interest. Two raised eyebrows can express surprise.

Beyond looks and emotions, eyebrows are also more generally important for facial recognition. In one older 2003 study scientists asked a group of people to identify the faces of fifty famous people, such as former U.S. president Richard Nixon and actress Winona Ryder. The scientists manipulated the photos so that they’d either have no eyes or no eyebrows. Subjects could still identify the famous faces 60 % of the time when they lacked eyes.

But when the faces lacked eyebrows, subjects could identify them just 46 % of the time. Scientists said this indicates that eyebrows are just as important as — or maybe more important than — eyes in allowing us to recognize faces.

*LEARN Sanskrit*🙏🏻

*स्पंदन* : प्रतिक्रिया Recation

🤔 *How it works* ⁉

*How does snow form?*

Snow forms when tiny ice crystals in clouds stick together to become snowflakes. If enough crystals stick together, they'll become heavy enough to fall to the ground. Snowflakes that descend through moist air that is slightly warmer than 0 °C will melt around the edges and stick together to produce big flakes. Snow is defined as *solid precipitation* Precipitation falls as snow when the air temperature is below 2 °C. It is a myth that it needs to be below zero to snow. In fact, in this country, the heaviest snowfalls tend to occur when the air temperature is between zero and 2 °C.

💁🏻‍♂️ *GK TODAY*

*GOOGLE* : Global Organization of Oriented Group Language of Earth.

🐣 *BORN TODAY* : Kannadasan pronunciation (24 June 1927 – 17 October 1981) was an Indian philosopher, poet, film song lyricist, producer, actor, script-writer, editor, philanthropist, and is heralded as one of the greatest and most important lyricists in India. Frequently called Kaviarasu or Kavirajar (King of Poets), Kannadasan was most familiar for his song lyrics in Tamil films and contributed around 5000 film lyrics apart from 6000 poems and 232 books.

*Omkarnath Thakur* (24 June 1897 – 29 December 1967), was an Indian music teacher, musicologist and Hindustani classical singer.

A disciple of classical singer Vishnu Digambar Paluskar of Gwalior gharana, he became the principal of Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Lahore, and later went on become the first dean of the music faculty at Banaras Hindu University.

🛕 *VEDIK GNAN*

🧘🏻‍♂️🧘🏻‍♀️

According to Indian philosophy, the chakras are considered the centres of spiritual power and energy within our bodies.

The word chakra literally means "wheel" in Sanskrit and symbolises the flow of energy in our body. The 7 chakras present in your body are actually energy centres and are known to regulate emotions.

Fundamentally, any spiritual path can be described as a journey from the base chakra, called the "Mooladhara," which is located at the base of the spine, to the "Sahasrar," which located at the top of the head. This journey of movement from the Mooladhara to Sahasrar is from one dimension to another. It may happen in many different ways, and various yogic practices can effect this movement.

*Muladhara* Chakra - Root Centre

*Svadhishthana* Chakra - Lower Abdominal Centre

*Manipura* Chakra - Navel Centre

*Anahata* Chakra - Heart Centre

*Vishuddhi* Chakra - Throat Centre

*Agya* Chakra - Eyebrow Centre

*Sahasrara* Chakra - Crown Centre

The vibration and energy flow of the Chakras influence our consciousness and also our physical health. Incorrect food, bad company and negative thoughts reduce or block the energy of the Chakras, which may lead to disorders of consciousness and illness of the body.

#@#@#@#@#@#@#@

We can remember name of these chakras by words (Not in order)

*MAV MASS*

Its spells just like Nav mass(9 months); it is only a trick to remember all chakras. Accordingly we can use other tricks..

( *Note* : These home tips followed in villages/ancient traditions, it is up to you to use it or not🙏🏻)

Eucalyptus leaves/oil are a great source of antioxidants, particularly flavonoids, which protect your body from oxidative stress and free radical damage. Eucalyptus contains a compound called eucalyptol, which has been found to decrease nasal congestion, cough frequency, and cold-related headaches. It may also improve asthma symptoms, although more research is needed.

Chewing eucalyptus leafs decrease plaque buildup on teeth and signs of gum disease.

*Regards*

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[25/6 7:23 ಪೂರ್ವಾಹ್ನ] Babu Anjanappa: ╭───────────────────╮

🌄 *S̴h̴u̴b̴o̴u̴d̴h̴a̴y̴ : 25 Jun/जेस्ट मासा (Friday) ग्रीष्म ऋतू*🙏🏻

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*Today's top News* ➣➣➣➣➣➣➣➣➣➣➣➣➣➣

1. PM Modi chaired a high-level meeting today with leaders of various political parties of Jammu and Kashmir. Detailed discussions were done on strengthening democracy in Jammu & Kashmir.

2. The former Rajya Sabha MP Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the Congress has placed five demands before the Centre. Azad, who was aided by his Congress companions Ghulam Ahmed Mir and Tara Chand, said that the meeting took place in a conducive environment and that there was no hostility. Azad also revealed that there were no restrictions in the meeting & representatives were allowed to bring up any issue speak freely without any time constraint.

3. Ghulam Nabi Azad said that

(a) Restoration of statehood is first & foremost.

(b) Conduct elections to the legislative assembly as the environment is now conducive, considering the ceasefire at LoC and the smooth conduct of DDC polls.

(d) Fourth is that the Centre should assist the return of Kashmiri Pandits to the valley, who have been in exile for over 30 years now.

(e) The fifth Congress demand is that political prisoners detained in the aftermath of abrogation of Article 370 should be released.

4. PM Modi said he wanted to end 'Dilli ki duri' as well as 'Dil ki duri' with J&K which has been witnessing prolonged spell of militancy and unrest.

5. Karnataka High Court granted interim relief to Twitter India's Managing Director Manish Maheshwari, directed Ghaziabad Police not to take any coercive steps against him till June 29. Twitter India's Head Manish Maheshwari, who was summoned by the Ghaziabad Police in connection with a probe related to the assault of an elderly Muslim man there recently, did not appear before them as the Karnataka high court restrained police from initiating coercive action against him.

6. The Ghaziabad Police on June 15 booked, Twitter Communications India, news website The Wire, journalists Mohammed Zubair and Rana Ayyub, besides Congress leaders Salman Nizami, Maskoor Usmani, Shama Mohamed and writer Saba Naqvi. They were booked over the circulation of a fake video in which the elderly man, Abdul Shamad Saifi, claims he was allegedly thrashed by some young men who also asked him to chant 'Jai Shri Ram' on June 5. The police said the video was shared to cause communal unrest and to create disturbance.

7. The Govt of India, Govt of Mizoram & the World Bank have signed a USD 32 million Mizoram Health Systems Strengthening Project to improve management capacity and quality of health services in Mizoram. The project will strengthen the governance & the management structure of the Department of Health + Family Welfare and its subsidiaries.

8. Pratham Pooja of Shri Amarnathji Shrine was performed on 24 June by Shri Nitishwar Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, he said that since the Yatra this year has been cancelled due to the current COVID-19 pandemic situation, the Shrine Board however is committed to carry out all religious rituals as per past practice.

9. The weather forecast says, the National Capital Delhi is likely to have thunderstorms with rain. The temperature will hover between 29 and 37 degree Celsius.

10. *What Is The Delta Plus Variant?* The Delta variant of COVID-19 or the B1.617.2 highly transmissible variant of concern (VOC). Later, the highly transmissible variant of Sars-CoV-2 mutated further into Delta Plus of AY.1 lineage. The new strain Delta Plus contains a K417N mutation in its spike protein, which has been formally designated B.1.617.2.1

11. Andhra Pradesh Inter, SSC exams 2021 cancelled, results to be based on internal assessment. The decision will impact nearly 15 lakh students who registered for AP Board Exams.

12. The Delhi Police has arrested 4 college students from Kargil in connection with a low-intensity blast that took place near the Israel embassy on January 29 no injuries were reported.

13. Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank will be virtually interacting with students at 4 pm on Friday on evaluation of CBSE board examinations.

. Now readers can use below links to get daily news directly.

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newstfionline · 4 years ago

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Monday, January 25, 2021

Americans remain sorely divided as Biden’s quest for unity begins (Washington Post) The other day, Stu Ross, a retired elementary school teacher, threw his neighbor out of his townhouse in Harrisburg, Pa. The guy had said he saw nothing wrong with the attack on the U.S. Capitol. The two haven’t spoken since. So when Ross heard President Joe Biden’s Inauguration Day appeal for a lowered temperature, for unity, he wasn’t seeing a realistic path to that goal. Ross called the new president’s first speech “soothing and calm.” But unity? Normalcy? A return to how things used to be, to Biden’s idea that “politics doesn’t have to be a raging fire?” Come on. At the dawn of an administration that seeks to return to a less fractious, even boring, politics, many Americans grant that Biden’s quest for a quieter culture is a nice enough goal, but, from the left and right, many say the country’s divisions remain too deep to allow for such a shift. In Topeka, Kan., Ed Myers has no patience for the debate over whether to hold Donald Trump to account for his role in inciting the attempted insurrection at the Capitol. A retired farm equipment factory worker, Myers says he was suspended by Twitter after he wrote that Biden is “an illegitimate president.” The way Myers sees it: That puts him in the same boat as Trump, whose Twitter account was banned for “incitement of violence,” which Myers views as a move to stifle free speech. So no, Myers sees no reason to unify, no cause to rally around the new president to combat the virus and revive the economy.

Barred From U.S. Under Trump, Muslims Exult in Biden’s Open Door (NYT) As the results of the American presidential election rolled in on Nov. 4, a young Sudanese couple sat up through the night in their small town south of Khartoum, eyes glued to the television as state tallies were declared, watching anxiously. They had a lot riding on the outcome. A year earlier, Monzir Hashim had won the State Department’s annual lottery to obtain a green card for the United States only to learn that President Trump, in his latest iteration of the “Muslim ban,” had barred Sudanese citizens from immigrating to the United States. The election seemed to offer a second chance, and when Mr. Trump was eventually declared to have lost the vote, Mr. Hashim and his wife, Alaa Jamal, hugged with joy. Few foreigners welcomed Mr. Biden’s election victory as enthusiastically as the tens of thousands of Muslims who have been locked out of the United States for the past four years as a result of the Trump-era immigration restrictions popularly known as the “Muslim ban.” By one count, 42,000 people were prevented from entering the United States from 2017 to 2019, mostly from Muslim-majority nations like Iran, Somalia, Yemen and Syria. But the human cost of Mr. Trump’s measures, stitched into the fabric of disrupted lives stained with tears and even blood, can hardly be counted—families separated for years; weddings and funerals missed; careers and study plans upended; lifesaving operations that did not take place.

A Digital Dragnet Is Coming For The U.S. Capitol Insurrectionists (HuffPost) The insurrectionists might have been able to leave without being arrested. Their friends and family members may not have turned them in. But slowly but surely, the digital surveillance net is tightening on the supporters of former President Donald Trump who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Most of the cases being unveiled by federal authorities are still originating with tips from the public, and there are hundreds of future defendants who have yet to be identified and charged. But a few of the criminal charges appear to be built on wider-spanning search warrants to social media companies that appear to have given federal authorities investigative leads they’ve used to identify lawbreakers. The cellphones that the Capitol insurrectionists carried with them when they tried to overturn the results of the presidential election through force were feeding information to a variety of tech companies that now hold incriminating information about their users’ violations of the law. “We’re all carrying tiny tracking devices with us all the time, and people aren’t necessarily conscious of the extent to which that information is obtainable from a variety of sources,” said Julian Sanchez, a senior fellow at Cato and an expert on technology, privacy and civil liberties.

Mexican president Lopez Obrador tests positive for COVID-19 (AP) Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Sunday he had tested positive for COVID-19, amid an intense second wave of the coronavirus pandemic that has pushed the health system of the country’s vast capital city close to saturation. The 67-year-old president said in a tweet that his symptoms were light and he was receiving medical treatment. Lopez Obrador has maintained a busy public schedule during the pandemic and has said he enjoys good health, after suffering a serious heart attack at the age of 60 in 2013.

Spain’s virus surge hits mental health of front-line workers (AP) The unrelenting increase in COVID-19 infections in Spain following the holiday season is again straining hospitals, threatening the mental health of doctors and nurses who have been at the forefront of the pandemic for nearly a year. A study released this month by Hospital del Mar looking at the impact of the spring’s COVID-19 surge on more than 9,000 health workers across Spain found that at least 28% suffered major depression. That is six times higher than the rate in the general population before the pandemic, said Dr. Jordi Alonso, one of the chief researchers. In addition, the study found that nearly half of participants had a high risk of anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic attacks or substance- and alcohol-abuse problems. Spanish health care workers are far from the only ones to have suffered psychologically from the pandemic. In China, the levels of mental disorders among doctors and nurses were even higher, with 50% reporting depression, 45% reporting anxiety and 34% reporting insomnia, according to the World Health Organization. In the U.K., a survey released last week by the Royal College of Physicians found that 64% of doctors reported feeling tired or exhausted. One in four sought out mental health support. “It is pretty awful at the moment in the world of medicine,” Dr. Andrew Goddard, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said in a statement accompanying the study. “Hospital admissions are at the highest-ever level, staff are exhausted, and although there is light at the end of the tunnel, that light seems a long way away.”

French Roosters Now Crow With the Law Behind Them (NYT) The crow of a rooster and the ringing of a church bell at dawn. The rumble of a tractor and the smell of manure wafting from a nearby stable. The deafening song of cicadas or the discordant croaking of frogs. Quacking ducks, bleating sheep and braying donkeys. Perennial rural sounds and smells such as these were given protection by French law last week, when lawmakers passed a bill to preserve “the sensory heritage of the countryside,” after a series of widely publicized neighborhood spats in France’s rural corners, many of them involving noisy animals. The disputes symbolized tensions between urban newcomers and longtime country dwellers, frictions that have only grown as the coronavirus pandemic and a string of lockdowns draw new residents to the countryside. Perhaps the most prominent of these noisy animals was Maurice, a rooster in Saint-Pierre-d’Oléron, a town on an island off France’s western coast. His owner had been sued by neighbors—regular vacationers in the area—because he crowed too loudly. Politicians and thousands of petitioners rushed to the Gallic rooster’s defense, and a court eventually ruled in 2019 that Maurice, who died last summer at the age of six, was well within his rights. It is too late for Maurice. But his successor, Maurice II, can now crow with the full-throated confidence of someone who has the law on their side.

Davos ski resort eerily quiet without economic talkfest this year (Reuters) Student protesters who urged world leaders at the 2020 World Economic Forum in Davos to “Stop (f)lying to us” must be pleased this year, at least as far as the flying is concerned. The streets of the little Alpine town that welcomed around 3,000 business chiefs, political thinkers and state leaders for last year’s annual meeting lie deserted. Discussions have moved online, starting Monday, and COVID-19 restrictions are also keeping regular tourists away. “Look around, it’s empty. Normally, all hotels would be fully booked at this time,” Reto Branschi, head of Davos Klosters tourism, told Reuters in an interview this week. There are no helicopters patrolling the skies, no protesters trying to outwit security forces sealing off the Alpine resort. But not everybody is sad about the lack of buzz. “Complete peace and quiet,” a local woman wearing a mask said. “I don’t miss it at all.”

Trapped for 2 weeks, 11 workers rescued from China gold mine (AP) Eleven workers trapped for two weeks inside a Chinese gold mine were brought safely to the surface on Sunday, a landmark achievement for an industry long-blighted by disasters and high death tolls. Hundreds of rescue workers and officials stood at attention and applauded as the workers were brought up from the mine in Qixia, a jurisdiction under Yantai in the eastern coastal province of Shandong. The cause of the accident is under investigation but the explosion was large enough to release 70 tons of debris that blocked the shaft, disabling elevators and trapping workers underground. Such protracted and expensive rescue efforts are relatively new in China’s mining industry, which used to average 5,000 deaths per year. Increased supervision has improved safety, although demand for coal and precious metals continues to prompt corner-cutting. A new crackdown was ordered after two accidents in mountainous southwestern Chongqing last year killed 39 miners.

U.S. carrier group enters South China Sea amid Taiwan tensions (Reuters) A U.S. aircraft carrier group led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt has entered the South China Sea to promote “freedom of the seas”, the U.S. military said on Sunday, at a time when tensions between China and Taiwan have raised concern in Washington. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement the strike group entered the South China Sea on Saturday, the same day Taiwan reported a large incursion of Chinese bombers and fighter jets into its air defence identification zone in the vicinity of the Pratas Islands. The U.S. military said the carrier strike group was in the South China Sea, a large part of which is claimed by China, to conduct routine operations “to ensure freedom of the seas, build partnerships that foster maritime security”. China has repeatedly complained about U.S. Navy ships getting close to Chinese-occupied islands in the South China Sea, where Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan all have competing claims.

Israel targets flights, religious scofflaws, as virus rages (AP) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said Israel will be closing its international airport to nearly all flights, while Israeli police clashed with ultra-Orthodox protesters in several major cities and the government raced to bring a raging coronavirus outbreak under control. The entry of highly contagious variants of the virus, coupled with poor enforcement of safety rules in ultra-Orthodox communities, has contributed to one of the world’s highest rates of infections. Experts say that a lack of compliance with safety regulations in Israel’s ultra-Orthodox sector has been a major factor in the spread of the virus. Throughout the pandemic, many major ultra-Orthodox sects have flouted safety regulations, continuing to open schools, pray in synagogues and hold mass weddings and funerals despite broader lockdown orders. This has contributed to a disproportionate infection rate: The ultra-Orthodox community accounts for over one-third of Israel’s coronavirus cases, despite making up just over 10% of the population.

Arab Spring exiles look back 10 years after Egypt uprising (AP) The Egyptians who took to the streets on Jan. 25, 2011, knew what they were doing. They knew they risked arrest and worse. But as their numbers swelled in Cairo’s central Tahrir Square, they tasted success. Police forces backed off, and within days, former President Hosni Mubarak agreed to demands to step down. But events didn’t turn out the way many of the protesters envisioned. A decade later, thousands are estimated to have fled abroad to escape the government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi that is considered even more oppressive. The significant loss of academics, artists, journalists and other intellectuals has, along with a climate of fear, hobbled any political opposition. Human Rights Watch estimated in 2019 that there were 60,000 political prisoners in Egypt. The Committee to Protect Journalists ranks Egypt third, behind China and Turkey, in detaining journalists. El-Sissi maintains Egypt has no political prisoners. The arrest of a journalist or a rights worker makes news roughly every month. Many people have been imprisoned on terrorism charges, for breaking a ban on protests or for disseminating false news. Others remain in indefinite pretrial detentions.

Severe winds wreck homes, displace thousands in Mozambique (Reuters) Severe winds and heavy rains wrecked thousands of buildings, ruined crops and displaced almost 7,000 people in Mozambique over the weekend, officials said in their first detailed report on the disaster. Tropical cyclone Eloise hit Mozambique’s Sofala coastal province on Saturday morning before weakening and heading inland to dump rain on Zimbabwe, eSwatini—formerly known as Swaziland—and South Africa. The region’s Buzi district had been particularly hard hit with wind speeds of up to 150 kph.

Raising kids bilingual can make them more attentive and efficient as adults (CNBC) Adults who grew up speaking two different languages can shift their attention between different tasks quicker than those who pick up a second language later in life, according to a new study. This is just one of many cognitive benefits of being bilingual. Research has shown that bilingual kids are constantly switching between two languages in their brain, which increases “cognitive flexibility,” the ability to switch between thinking about different concepts or multiple concepts at once, and “selective attention abilities,” the mental process of focusing on one task or object at a time. Other studies have shown that bilingual children can complete mental puzzles quicker and more efficiently than those who only speak one language. The reason? Speaking two languages requires “executive functioning,” which are higher-level cognitive skills like planning, decision making, problem solving and organization. Basically, this task is a workout for the brain. The mental benefits of starting a new language early appear to last even as children grow into adulthood.

#headlines #news

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orbemnews · 4 years ago

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Covid? What Covid? Taiwan Thrives as a Bubble of Normality TAIPEI, Taiwan — As the coronavirus has upended lives and economies around the world, Taiwan has been an oasis. Every day, droplets fly with abandon in packed restaurants, bars and cafes. Office buildings hum, and schools resound with the shrieks and laughter of maskless children. In October, a Pride parade drew an estimated 130,000 people to the streets of Taipei, the capital. Rainbow masks were abundant; social distancing, not so much. This island of 24 million, which has seen just 10 Covid-19 deaths and fewer than 1,000 cases, has used its success to sell something in short supply: living without fear of the coronavirus. The relatively few people who are allowed to enter Taiwan have been coming in droves, and they’ve helped to fuel an economic boom. “For a while, Taiwan felt a little empty. A lot of people moved abroad and only came back once in a while,” said Justine Li, the head chef at Fleur de Sel, a Michelin-starred restaurant in the city of Taichung, which she said had been booked up for a month in advance since the fall. “Now, some of those once-in-a-while guests have moved back.” These Covid migrants are largely overseas Taiwanese and dual nationals. They have included businesspeople, students, retirees and well-known figures like Eddie Huang, the Taiwanese-American restaurateur and author. About 270,000 more Taiwanese entered the island than left it in 2020, according to the immigration authorities — about four times the net inflow of the previous year. Taiwan’s borders have been mostly closed to foreign visitors since last spring. But highly skilled non-Taiwanese workers have been allowed in under a “gold card” employment program, which the government has aggressively promoted during the pandemic. Since Jan. 31 of last year, more than 1,600 gold cards have been issued, more than four times as many as in 2019. The influx of people helped make Taiwan one of last year’s fastest-growing economies — indeed, one of the few to expand at all. There was a brief slowdown at the start of the pandemic, but the economy grew more than 5 percent in the fourth quarter compared with the same period in 2019. The government expects 4.6percent growth in 2021, which would be the fastest pace in seven years. Steve Chen, 42, a Taiwanese-American entrepreneur who co-founded YouTube, was the first to sign up for the gold card program. He moved to the island from San Francisco with his wife and two children in 2019. Then, after the pandemic hit, many of his friends in Silicon Valley, particularly those with Taiwanese heritage, began to join him — a reverse brain drain, of sorts. He and colleagues like Kevin Lin, one of the founders of Twitch, and Kai Huang, a co-creator of Guitar Hero, have traded coffee meet-ups at the Ferry Building in San Francisco for badminton matches and poker nights in Taipei. Taiwan’s leaders say the infusion of foreign talent has given a shot of energy to its tech industry, which is better known for manufacturing prowess than for entrepreneurial culture. “That whole chain that you have in the Silicon Valley — the entrepreneurs who are willing to take a risk, the investors that are willing to write an early check — all of those folks have actually come back and are in Taiwan now,” said Mr. Chen, lounging on a couch at his office in a government-backed co-working space in Taipei. “I feel like it’s a golden era for tech,” he said, “and it’s dawning on the government that they should really take advantage of this time now.” The surge of returning citizens has put a squeeze on the short-term rental market. One property manager estimated that the number of dual nationals or overseas Taiwanese looking for apartments was twice as high in 2020 as in most recent years. Updated March 13, 2021, 3:49 a.m. ET Not all of Taiwan’s industries have been flourishing. Those that depend on robust international travel, like airlines, hotels and tour companies, have taken big hits. But exports have been on the rise for eight straight months, fueled by shipments of electronics and surging demand for Taiwan’s most important product, semiconductor chips. Domestic tourism is also booming. Taiwanese who had been used to taking short flights to Japan or Southeast Asia are now exploring their home. Sightseeing destinations like Sun Moon Lake and the Alishan mountain resort area have been swamped with tourists, and at least one upscale hotel outside Taichung is booked through July. Orchid Island, a small, coral-ringed island off Taiwan’s east coast, had so many visitors last summer that hotel operators started a campaign encouraging them to take two pounds of trash with them when they left. Some aspects of pandemic life have permeated Taiwan’s borders. Temperature checks and hand sanitizing are common, and masks are required in many public places (though not schools). But for the most part, the virus has been out of sight and out of mind, thanks to rigorous contact tracing and strict quarantines for incoming travelers. Some returnees, like Robin Wei, 35, are dreading their eventual departure. “We just feel very lucky and definitely a little guilty,” said Mr. Wei, a product manager for a Bay Area tech company who returned to Taipei with his wife and young son last May. “We feel like we are the ones who benefited from the pandemic.” For many, coming back has meant a chance to reconnect with Taiwan. After getting a master’s degree in computer science in Australia, Joshua Yang, 25, a dual Taiwanese-Australian citizen, decided to return in October. The job market in Australia was looking bleak, he said, so he took the opportunity to do the military service required of all Taiwanese men under 36. Mr. Yang wasn’t the only one with that idea. When he arrived for basic training in December, Mr. Yang said, he found himself bunking with an assorted group of returnees and dual nationals, including an American, a German, a Filipino and an overseas Taiwanese who had been studying in California. Since completing two and a half weeks of training, Mr. Yang has been allowed to finish out his service by volunteering at an Indigenous history museum in a remote town in southern Taiwan. “It’s something that I have always wanted to do, but I don’t know if I would have had the opportunity if it weren’t for the pandemic,” Mr. Yang said. “I’ve been able to understand my homeland in a different way through a different lens and learn what it’s like for the Indigenous people of Taiwan, who are the traditional owners of the land.” Many are wondering how long Taiwan’s status as a Covid-19 outlier can last, especially as vaccine rollouts surge forward elsewhere. So far, officials have been slow to procure and distribute vaccines, in part because there has been so little need for them. The government announced just this month that it had received its first batch, to be given to medical workers. Some people, like Tai Ling Sun, 72, are already making plans to leave the bubble. In January, Ms. Sun and her husband came from California to the city of Kaohsiung, where she grew up, at the urging of friends and family in Taiwan. They were concerned about her safety in Orange County, where coronavirus cases had been on the rise. After two weeks in quarantine, Ms. Sun stepped out into a Taiwan that — aside from the masks — looked and felt almost exactly as it had on previous visits. She has since been making the most of her stay with a series of routine medical checkups, something that many in the United States have been delaying since the pandemic started. But a virus-free paradise doesn’t provide immunity to all ailments. Ms. Sun said she had begun to feel homesick. She longed to see her five children and breathe pristine suburban air. And, she added, she wanted a vaccine. “It’s been great to be here,” Ms. Sun said. “But it’s time to go home.” Source link Orbem News #Bubble #Covid #Normality #Taiwan #thrives

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jobinterviewghost · 4 years ago

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Bowls champ’s incredible career borne of boredom | Sunshine Coast Daily

It has been 18 years since a bored 12-year-old Kelsey Cottrell stopped hitting tennis balls up against a wall at Tewantin Noosa Bowls Club while her mum competed on the green and decided to roll a few down herself.

Just two-years later Cottrell showed nerves of steel at a New Year’s singles tournament at Maroochy Bowls Club to down top Aussie bowls player Karen Murphy in a nailbiting final.

At just 15 and while still attending high school on the Coast, Cottrell became the youngest player selected to play senior bowls for Australia.

Now the newly anointed Bowls Australia International Female Bowler of the Year has reflected on how she started chasing the jack with amazing talent.

Now based on the Gold Coast, the qualified journalist has being enjoying a COVID-19 break from the game that has fired up her always competitive nature.

She is 38 weeks pregnant with her second child.

But her absence from the game, and the Sunshine Coast has not meant locals could escape getting rolled by her uncanny bias for making the winning shot.

“My brother’s actually just joined the Pomona Bowls Club, he’s right into bowls,” Cottrell said.

Kelsey Cottrell.

She said Wade, eight years her senior, took up the game to encourage their mother Marilyn Clayton back into the game after a bout of illness.

“He’s far beyond the natural talent I ever had, he’s always been the gifted sportsman,” Cottrell said.

“He’s only been playing for about 12 months and he’s loving it, he wants to go to all the tournaments.

“It’s funny watching him now, because I think that’s what I was like back in the day when I was 12 and 13.”

Cottrell said she looked back at her early career and realised how more free and easy her approach to high pressure matches was, including her breakthrough win against Murphy.

“You don’t think about prize money or anything, you’re just playing because you want to have fun,” she said.

“It was a good thing to do during school holidays to kill a few days.

“I think it was easier back then, as a 15 year old you just go with the flow, you get a phone call and they say you’re going to play for Australia and you say ‘that’s awesome, I get a few days off school’,” Cottrell said.

Cottrell enjoyed yet another stunning year for the green and gold across four international events, with contributions to the Jackaroos’ overall success at the Multi-Nations and World Bowls Challenge, in addition to two Trans Tasman Test Series, where she resumed the coveted blue-ribbon singles position.

Bowls Australia congratulated Cottrell for her first recognition in either of the national or international Female Bowler of the Year awards which was determined through voting by her peers and the high performance coaching staff.

A younger Kelsey Cottrell with the world at her feet.

Cottrell said it was an award she had been keen to take out for years since being pipped at the post as a youngster.

“When I got the phone call I was very excited, it was good to reflect on all those events we had before COVID leading up to selection for worlds,” she said.

She celebrated a subdued 30th birthday with just 10 at her party, where she announced her three-year-old daughter Sienna would have a sibling in the near future.

“I’ve had a nice little break from bowls which I haven’t had since I was about 12, I haven’t barely picked up a bowl for the last few months,” Cottrell said.

“The world championships were postponed for COVID, they’re now set down for September, 2021, and I’m keen to build towards it.”

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her-one-true-love · 4 years ago

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Life Update

Hey hi hello!

So it’s been a hot minute since I was actually on here. (like 6 years oops. I didn’t think my account would still be active.. Anyways...) And I don’t know, recently with so many things going on in the world I kinda felt like having a blog to escape too. A place where I could come and vent, or just look at things that I can forget about life for a while. It’s not like I can do much more right now but go to work (and I am beyind grateful that I’m still employed and working) and head back home again. I live in Melbourne, and we’re still under some pretty strict lockdown rules for those of you playing at home. And I was thinking I could start a new blog and then thought nah, too much effort. So I checked to see if my Tumblr was active and it was. Saves a set up and I still have a bunch of awesome people I follow that hadn’t deactivated.

So, under the read more I’ll do a bit of a wrap up of what I’ve been up to since 2014...

2014

Not a lot really happened here. I don’t really know why I stopped using Tumblr either. I was really just working and going to concerts like I normally would. One highlight was getting pulled up on stage during ‘Dancing In The Dark’ at a Bruce Springsteen concert. One of my fave memories really.

2015

I did a bit more travelling, with a trip to the UK to go to some of the shows on the S Club 7 reunion tour, and I have no regrets (except booking the flights I did because I almost got stranded in Singapore because of a flight delay with one airline making me miss flights on another. But I did make some new friends on that little detour so that was nice and they kept me sane) I went to New Zealand and had some fun. And really, just worked. Nothing too crazy

2016

Not too much to report here either really, I started planning (and booked) my trip to the USA which I took in 2017 (more on that soon haha) and just lived my life really. Travelled a little. But really, nothing to note haha.

2017

This was a year. I went to NZ a couple of times (in Feb for a quick trip, and then again in July for a wedding) and of course my big USA trip. 6 weeks of not having to worry about much of anything. Except when Greyhound lost my suitcase for 53 hours and I almost had to leave Austin for Miami without it. But it was such a good trip. I went to San Francisco and saw the Golden Gate Bridge (and walked it and damn my legs haha) and Alcatraz. Plus the Painted Ladies and the house they used for the outside shot of Full/Fuller House. Then Hollywood where I stayed right in the heart of Hollywood and got to see a taping of the first season of the Will and Grace reboot. And I did the Paramount tour which was awsome. And I finally got to meet a friend I had known for years too. I did a quick trip to Vegas and went up the Stratosphere and did the rides and they were insane. And I saw the Human Nature show at the Venetian. On to Austin (never again on Greyhound, it was like 33 hours and they lost my luggage. I should have just forked out for the flight. But if I hadn’t I might not have started speaking to a friend that I still have today.) which I did a day trip to Waco to go to the Silos, but beyond that I was drained and didn’t enjoy it as much as I should have done. But the friend that I made did get me out of the hostel (we were on the same coach Dallas-Austin and turned out we were in the hostel in the same dorm haha!) a bit and I did some drunk karaoke! On to Miami and i walked the beach and went for drinks with a couple of girls in my room and caught up with a friend south of Miami, again, finally meeting them in person. New Orleans was the next stop and and i loved wandering the old streets and the WW2 museum was fascinating. A place I want to go back too. After that was Chicago, and I got to see a Cubs game and toured Wrigley Field. Wandered Millenium Park and soaked up the awesome. I did a day trip to Toronto too. But it poured all day till I had to leave for the airport so that was annoying! On to the big apple NYC and I fell in love. I sat in Times Square, went to places that were used as outside shots for some shows, saw School Of Rock on Broadway, and visited the 9/11 memorial museum. I also did a Gossip Girl tour. Then Boston. Such a historical city and I walked the common and the gardens, did a walking tour of movie sites and saw Bruno Mars play at TD Garden. After that I hit up upstate New York and stayed with some friends, again finally meeting them in person after years and years. It was nice to just relax and do nothing much after such a fast paced holiday. After that I spent a night again back in NYC then a night in LA before I flew home. Once this pandemic is well and trulyover and done I want to go back and see some places again and explore places I didn’t get too.

2018

Again, not a lot to report. I didn’t really have any leave to take to go do much of anything hahaha. I got into watching Drag and Drag Race and got to see a couple of shows which was fun, and made some friends because of it. Some I talk too and some I don’t but all in all, a decent year

2019

A couple of quick trips (a week in Queenstown, NZ and a few days on the Gold Coast) and a few drag shows and concerts. Really not too much to say

2020

Well, before the year turned to utter shit, January I just worked and then February I spent all of in NZ. I saw some shows, caught up with some friends and made some new ones (one of which, one of her best friends was one of the people I got stranded in Singapore with in 2015. Small world right??) I went to some places I had been before (Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown) and went to a couple for the first time (Taupo and Dunedin) and just all in all, had such a good trip.

Then the pandemic smacked us all in the face and I had to cancel a bunch of trips and leave applications at work coz things have been postponed until next year. So I’ve really just been working (I work at a supermarket, so I haven’t stopped, and again, I am so grateful to still be in work) And Living in Melbourne has been kinda tough (lockdowns and a limit on how far from home we can go and a curfew and carrying a permit so I don’t get in trouble for being out after curfew coz i would finish work as it started. The curfew is over now at least but we still have a ways to go to get out of this other stuff)

And one thing that really threw me was the sad passing of Naya Rivera. She was someone who, through her portrayal of Santana Lopez (along with Heather Morris’ portryal of Brittany) and the Brittana relationship, helped me be okay with who I am. It hit harder and it still hurts to think about. If you followed me back in the day, you’ll remember how much of a Brittana/Brittany/Santana stan I was. And I still am. And all this has rekindled my love for Glee and what I gave me. And I’ve started writing fanfic again (I might link when I get the updates uploaded coz I haven’t had a chance to type them up and upload. Coz I write on paper first aha) and it’s been a source of comfort and let me escape reailty for a while.

2021

If all goes to plan, I’ll be seeing some more drag shows, Including the postponed AU/NZ Trixie and Katya UNHhhh Live tour which was meant to be June this year but is now July next year, and me and a friend have tickets to every city because we could. So please, people, act responsibly, don’t be a dick, and follow the rules so that maybe, we can see the other end of this sooner rather than later.

So. That’s that. I guess there’s stuff I missed but that’s the main stuff haha. If you got through all this, you deserve an award. I’m gonna try be a little active here and actually use this again. I see stuff on my timeline and I see accounts that haven’t changed their name (or did but kept the old one as back ups on a dormant URL) and I’m like I remember them and I smile. I think back to when Tumblr was where we all were all the time. And I’ve already found some awesome new accounts to follow too!

Till next time,

xoxo

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newstfionline · 3 years ago

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Thursday, September 16, 2021

Newsom Defeats Recall (1440) California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) defeated an attempt to recall him from office yesterday, with voters turning down the effort by a 64%-36% margin as of early this morning. It marked a significant victory for the Newsom administration after polls last month found voters effectively split on the decision. The ballot had two questions—whether Newsom should be recalled, and if so, which of more than 40 candidates should replace him. Because a majority voted “no” on question one, no one was selected for question two.

Hurricane-battered Louisiana braces for Nicholas drenching (AP) Residents of southern Louisiana still recovering from Hurricane Ida just weeks ago were bracing Wednesday for expected heavy rains as Nicholas crawls across parts of the state from Texas. Nicholas made landfall as a hurricane early Tuesday on the Texas coast, dumping heavy rain even though it was quickly downgraded to a tropical storm and later a depression. But forecasters said Nicholas could stall over storm-battered Louisiana and spread life-threatening floods across the Deep South over the coming days. In a state still recovering from Category 4 storm Ida weeks ago—as well as Category 4 Laura a year ago—Nicholas and its potentially heavy rain bands were unwelcome news.

Haiti Prosecutor Says Evidence Links Prime Minister to President’s Killing (NYT) Haiti’s chief prosecutor said on Tuesday that there was evidence linking the acting prime minister to the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, and prohibited him from leaving the country until he answers questions about it. Last week, the prosecutor issued a police summons for the prime minister, Ariel Henry, requesting that he testify about contact he had with one of the chief suspects in the killing. Phone records show that Mr. Henry spoke with the suspect—Joseph Badio, a former intelligence official—in the hours after Mr. Moïse was killed in July in his home in Port-au-Prince, the capital. Mr. Henry, who swiftly removed the prosecutor from his post, is by far the most prominent figure to be swept up in a murder investigation that has resulted in the arrest of more than 40 people but has shed little light onto who ordered and paid for the president’s killing—and why.

Belarus’s ‘Cyber Partisans’ expose secrets of Lukashenko’s crackdowns (Washington Post) A series of hacks on Belarus’s government by pro-democracy activists have uncovered details on apparent abuses by security forces, exposed police informants and collected personal data on top officials including the son of President Alexander Lukashenko. The vast trove amassed by a group calling itself the “Cyber Partisans” appears to be part of one of the biggest and most organized hacks by opposition activists against a government, analysts say. The records—ranging from tapped phone calls to internal documents—offer a sweeping look at Belarus’s efforts to crush political dissent and could be part of potential future judicial reckonings over jailings and other abuses that have been widely condemned by the West. The group says it has access to 5.3 million recordings of wiretapped phone calls, including those of top police and security officials, on the servers of the Interior Ministry.

Unvaccinated French health care workers face suspension (AP) Health care workers in France face suspension from their jobs starting Wednesday if they haven’t been vaccinated against COVID-19. With about 300,000 workers still not vaccinated, some hospitals fear staff shortages will add to their strain. Vaccines are now compulsory for medical care, home care and emergency workers in France, and Wednesday is the deadline for such staff to have had at least one shot. Failing that, they face having pay suspended or not being able to work. But a top court has forbidden staff to be fired outright. Some hospitals fear staff shortages could spell disaster. The government health authority said Tuesday that 300,000 health workers remained unvaccinated.

Well before the evacuation, a generation of Afghans escaped to Europe. Their experience has been dire. (Washington Post) The many Afghans in this city consider themselves lucky—to be safe and alive—and so they begin with those caveats before acknowledging the next part: They have escaped war only to wind up in a different kind of crisis. One immigrant, who described each day in Greece as feeling like “an entire year,” said he now needs a cocktail of pills for sleeplessness and depression. Another, who works only sporadically, regularly skips meals so her children can eat; even so, one child became malnourished to the point of hospitalization. Another Afghan, Fatah Mohammad, 33, said he sometimes punches himself in the head, raging about his own helplessness in a place where he can’t speak the language and where social services are strained. Though he’s been in Greece since November 2019, he hasn’t managed even to enroll his 7-year-old in school. Though most immigrants who have reached Europe through unofficial channels in recent years have faced hardship, the Afghan experience has been particularly grueling—adding to the calamity of the West’s 20-year war. “Unless your life is in direct danger in Afghanistan, I’d tell others not to come,” said Mohammad Sultani, 40, who used to own a gold shop in Kandahar province. Almost all the Afghans he knows in Greece are jobless.

In Myanmar’s Jungles, a Struggling Resistance (NYT) The Myanmar soldiers attacked the village of Yay Shin, deep in the furrows of the Himalayan foothills, just after dusk, descending with flamethrowers and heavy weaponry. Clutching aging AK-47s smuggled from India and Thailand, members of a self-proclaimed People’s Defense Force returned fire so the rest of the villagers could scramble into the hills, several residents said by phone. By the time the 77th and 99th Battalions left Yay Shin this month, little of the village in northwestern Myanmar remained, just smoldering ruins of a hamlet that had dared to take up arms against the military’s February coup. Seven months after ousting Myanmar’s elected government, the country’s fearsome army, known as the Tatmadaw, is ramping up attacks on a largely improvised armed resistance, and on the villages where its members live. It is a pattern of slaughter that the Tatmadaw has inflicted for decades on various ethnic minorities. Now, the Myanmar army is targeting a much broader segment of society, and its brutal campaign has galvanized a more robust resistance, even if civilians are again caught in the crossfire. Nearly everyone who lived in Yay Shin is now camped out in a forest valley rife with poisonous snakes, malaria and dengue, children whimpering from hunger and the damp cold. Residents of dozens of other villages in the Kalay region, a stronghold of opposition to the military, have also fled to the jungle, according to members of the People’s Defense Force.

Rival Koreas test missiles hours apart, raising tensions (AP) The rival Koreas test-launched ballistic missiles hours apart from each other on Wednesday in a display of military assets that came amid a faltering diplomatic push to strip North Korea of its nuclear program. South Korea’s presidential office said it conducted its first underwater-launched ballistic missile test on Wednesday afternoon. It said a domestically built missile fired from a 3,000-ton-class submarine flew a previously set distance before hitting a designated target. The test followed two short-range North Korean ballistic missile launches detected by South Korea’s military earlier Wednesday. On Monday, North Korea said it fired a newly developed cruise missile in its first weapons test in six months. Experts say the North Korean launches showed it’s pressing ahead with its arms build-up plans while trying to apply pressure on the United States to resume stalled nuclear talks.

Billions blown as Macau casino investors fold amid gambling review (Reuters) Shares of Macau casino operators plummeted as much as a third on Wednesday, losing about $18 billion in value, as the government kicked off a regulatory overhaul that could see its officials supervising companies in the world's largest gambling hub. With Macau's lucrative casino licences up for rebidding next year, the plan spooked a Hong Kong market already deep in the red after Beijing's regulatory crackdown on sectors from technology to education and property that sliced hundreds of billions of dollars off asset values.

Taliban leaders in bust-up at presidential palace, sources say (BBC) A major row broke out between leaders of the Taliban just days after they set up a new government in Afghanistan, senior Taliban officials told the BBC. Supporters of two rival factions reportedly brawled at the presidential palace in the capital Kabul. The argument appeared to centre on who did the most to secure victory over the US, and how power was divided up in the new cabinet. The dispute came to light after a Taliban co-founder, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, disappeared from view for several days. One Taliban source told BBC Pashto that Mr Baradar and Khalil ur-Rahman Haqqani—the minister for refugees and a prominent figure within the militant Haqqani network—had exchanged strong words, as their followers brawled with each other nearby. The sources said the argument had broken out because Mr Baradar, the new deputy prime minister, was unhappy about the structure of their interim government. The row also reportedly stemmed from divisions over who in the Taliban should take credit for their victory in Afghanistan. Rumours about a fallout have been spreading since late last week, when Mr Baradar - one of the best-known faces of the Taliban—disappeared from public view. There was speculation on social media that he might have died.

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