#french provincial goes modern

[scrapxrat]

Minneapolis Laundry Multiuse Large transitional utility room design example with a gray floor and porcelain tile, a single-bowl sink, white cabinets with recessed panels, quartz countertops, side-by-side washer and dryers, and white countertops.

[yessir38]

Master Bath in Minneapolis

Large transitional master bathroom with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, an undermount tub, a bidet, white walls, an undermount sink, quartz countertops, and white countertops in a room with beige tile and porcelain tile, travertine flooring, and beige walls.

[notsureaboutnameyet]

Master Bath in Minneapolis Large transitional master bathroom with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, an undermount tub, a bidet, white walls, an undermount sink, quartz countertops, and white countertops in a room with beige tile and porcelain tile, travertine flooring, and beige walls.

[cecilbaldwinfan]

Exterior Brick Minneapolis Idea for the exterior of a large transitional white two-story brick house covered in a variety of materials

[alex8cr]

Freestanding - Transitional Home Office Photo of a home office with a large transitional freestanding desk, a medium tone wood floor, and a brown floor.

[dekarios]

Five Books That Conjure Entirely New Worlds

The best-written stories can make readers feel as if they have passed through mundane states of being and been brought over to another universe.

By Jeff VanderMeer

Pale Fire, by Vladimir Nabokov

Perhaps the most effervescent and elegiacal of Nabokov’s novels, Pale Fire famously consists of a long poem written by John Shade, an English professor at a small fictional college, which is explicated in extensive endnotes by his new neighbor and self-proclaimed close friend Charles Kinbote, who has come to rural Appalachia from a country he calls Zembla. The poem itself conjures up hints and glimpses of a place after death, while Kinbote’s ongoing commentary builds up a rich and detailed story about an exiled king, an assassination plot, and an unknown European land. But Kinbote’s references and allusions, over time, become more and more unreliable, and the shape of the novel reminds us that what we think of the truth is at times completely dependent on whose perspective shapes our view of events. Pale Fire opens out beyond its central verse into a wider space that asks us to decide what is fantasy, what is fact, and whose reality to live within.

Primeval and Other Times, by Olga Tokarczuk, translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones

In a series of interwoven vignettes that roam from character to character, the fearless Nobel Prize–winning novelist Tokarczuk explores how folklore, ritual, and strife shape the minds of the inhabitants of a village appropriately called Primeval, over a long period starting in 1914. Dreamlike and yet viscerally real, the book feels like what you might recall in that space between sleep and wakefulness, when people are more in touch with otherwise-hidden instincts and emotions; meanwhile, the roving from one point of view to another recalls the technique of the avant-garde filmmaker Luis Buñuel. The author touches on key events in 20th-century Polish history while also introducing unreal phenomena, such as archangels who watch over the village and seem truly alien. You may never know what it was really like to live in a village in Poland during the period in question, but in Tokarczuk’s skillful hands you receive something both more intimate and more fulfilling: an understanding of the life of the mind in a different time.

Brodeck, by Philippe Claudel, translated by John Cullen

The past is another country, as the famous saying goes. But novels can help us enter territories otherwise closed off to us. In Brodeck, a stranger arrives in a remote French village in the mountains, disturbing the everyday existence of its inhabitants, who have secrets to hide. Brodeck, a nature wanderer who has himself returned to the village after time away, then assembles a “report” on the clash between the world the stranger brings to the villagers and the world they try to force him to accept—a disconnect that creates a dramatic, tragic conflict between the past and the present. But Brodeck’s own experiences outside the community begin to influence the telling of the tale. As the stranger suffers from the clash of two crucially different views of reality, the report becomes an indictment and a record of human folly with political undertones. By the end, Claudel’s novel is a heartbreaking and stunning work of fiction about provincialism and secrets that I think about frequently, unable to escape the unknowable place it documents in such meticulous yet compassionate detail.

The Ravicka novels, by Renee Gladman

In understated prose, Gladman’s dispatches from an imaginary city-state remake the very idea of architecture into a new concept. One of the four books in the series, Houses of Ravicka, chronicles the quest of the city comptroller to find a house that has disappeared from its set location, while an invisible house begins to appear elsewhere. Similarly, other stories set in Ravicka address odd physics, ritual, logic, and illogic in peculiar ways that nevertheless feel modern and relevant. In a sense, Gladman defamiliarizes our world to show us how it works, and her novels wrench this kind of fantastical fiction into the 21st century by referencing the mundane municipal roles often left out of other works. It’s no wonder, then, that her exploration of Ravicka has spilled into her nonfiction and visual art, because the sociological and philosophical questions she poses feel as if they require expression in other media as well.

Dark Matter, by Aase Berg, translated by Johannes Göransson

A work of phantasmagorical, erotic, postapocalyptic unease by one of Sweden’s most important poets, Dark Matter exists in a nightmare state that entangles nature and the pollution of human-built environments in unsettling ways. A hybrid composition of prose and poetry, the book has a tactile quality that colonizes you without mercy. “I now slowly fold myself like a muscle against the wet clay to press the flesh against the sleep-gland’s mouths,” Berg writes, the terrain fusing with the speaker’s body. “I will sleep now in my bird body in the down, and a bitter star will radiate eternally above the glowing face’s watercourse.” Despite the way Berg implicates the reader in what amounts to body horror, by some alchemy she ends up transforming the reader’s initial fright into feelings of febrile fascination. Berg pulls in string theory, folklore, references to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and what appear to be H. R. Giger–esque flourishes, meshing them with a contaminated yet still powerful view of nature. There is no way to describe this trenchant, uncompromising view of a transformed landscape other than to continue to quote from it: “But time runs on time and starvation and the weakness carries me in across the gray regions. And the soul’s dark night will slowly be lowered through me.” This is the ultimate other world, created from broken pieces of our own.

[lightdancer1]

Wrapped up a book on Canadian history:

Wrapped up the Canadian history book. One of the unfortunate aspects of American exceptionalism is a stoic ignorance of the rest of the hemisphere and of its history. Canada suffers from this every bit as much as Latin America. The history of Canada illuminated here offers three main rules of appraising Canadian history. The first is the familiar hemispheric conquest of vast regions and relegation of the original inhabitants to brutalized remnants of themselves dammed up on small slices of their old land, and their modern descendants contesting this. The second is a habit of both Anglo-Canada and French-Canada deciding that whatever else they are they are not of the United States and never will be. This produces ebbs and flows of anti-Americanism that is often far more defensive than that of Mexico, which rather does have vastly more reasons for anti-Americanism than does Canada.

The third is Canadian federalism, which evolved in spite of the best wishes of both Canadian and British leaders, which creates all the problems of the US version and few of the advantages, and which also goes through cycles of government from Ottawa as if Ottawa were Sinai propounding the law eternal, and cycles of government from the provinces and provincial prerogative, which is a Canadian equivalent of states' rights and used in the exact same ways by the exact same people.

On the whole it's a fascinating mirror to that of Mexico, as while Mexico lost immensely more from contact to Washington Canada has never been able to live without one and a half eyes turned to the giant neighbor to the south, which it lives with in a blend of resentment and affability depending on the mood and the self-confidence of Canadian masses and politicians.

9/10.

[raeynbowboi]

Dating Disney: Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast features my favorite love story and my favorite Disney Princess, so it holds a very special spot in my heart. So, it’s worth looking into the film to decide when the Movie is supposed to be set.

During the opening musical number “Belle”, Belle is telling the Baker about the book she’s been reading. She’s clearly describing Jack and the Beanstalk, the earliest version being the tale of “Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean” in 1734. But she also deliberately mentions an ogre, not a giant. Near as I could find, the only version with an ogre was written by Joseph Jacobs in 1890, making Belle nearly contemporary to modernity. Belle’s excitement over the book is likely a sign that this is a new story.

During the same musical number, we see a sign depicting a tobacco pipe, but unlike with the Calabash pipe from the Little Mermaid movie. I could place it to possibly be a Billiard type, but the exact era of creation escapes me. However, tobacco pipes have been around as long as Tobacco has been introduced to European trade, starting in the 16th century.

The history of colored printing goes as far back as the 16th century, and there are illustrations from the early 1700s with an impressive variety of color that help establish a stronger time period. The book also shows the words Le Prince Charmant or Prince Charming. Prince Charming started being used in 1697 in Charles Perrault’s version of Sleeping Beauty, although there, Prince Charming was not a name. Rather, Perrault stated that the Prince was charmed by her words. The first story to use Prince Charming as a name is the Tale of Pretty Goldilocks. It was written at some point in the 17th Century by Madame d’Aulnoy, but in her version the hero was named Avenant. It wasn’t until 1889 when Andrew Lang retold the story that Avenant was dubbed as Charming. One year later in 1890, Oscar Wilde used the term “Prince Charming” sarcastically in his novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, meaning that the term had gotten its more modern meaning by this point in time.

Gaston’s musket is a Blunderbuss, which was invented in the early 1600′s and remained popular through the 18th century before falling out of fashion in the middle of the 19th century. However, considering Belle states that this is a backwards town and Gaston is an old-fashioned, Primeval man, it’s possible he’s using a largely outdated weapon.

While there are no street lamps in the city, we can see in the background lanterns on the sides of buildings, which might allude to the movie taking place before the invention of gas lamps. However, gas lamps were invented in 1809, and if the version of Jack and the Beanstalk is from 1890, then by all accounts the town should have gas lamps. What this amounting evidence is leading me to believe is that the film is directly following the plot of the original fairy tale.

In the story, Beauty’s father is a merchant who loses his fortune due to a storm destroying his cargo. They’re forced to live on a farm until the merchant stumbles upon the Beast’s castle and kick starts the plot. In the opening song, Belle says “every morning’s just the same, since the morning that we came, to this poor, provincial town.” This could mean that she grew up in a much more modern, urban, and progressive town. Possibly even Paris. But that after Maurice suffered severe financial trouble, he was forced to move them to the small, backwards town that was practically living an entire century behind the rest of France, which is why she’s so bored and unimpressed by the little town. It helps explain why she’s so eager to want to get out of this town and see the world. She wants to be part of the modern world again.

Interestingly, I can support this theory with background information. According to some of my research, Belle’s village was based on the little town of Riquewihr, France, which still looks like it did in the 16th century to this day. So the idea that Belle’s little village lacks so many modern elements could be a nod to the architecture of this sleepy French village that has remained largely untouched by the march of time. Hence why it looks more like something out of the 1700s despite the many elements from the 1800s being present.

During the song “Be Our Guest”, Lumiere dances with a match stick. Match sticks were invented in 1805. Assuming the film still takes place in the 1890s, this would be concurrent with the other evidence we’ve seen thus far. Later in the same song, the silverware makes an Eiffel tower, which was constructed in 1889. Since Jack and the Beanstalk was written after that, it still fits within the suspected time frame.

During the climax of the battle, Cogsworth is wearing military garments reflective of Napoleonic styles. Napoleon was coronated in 1804 until 1814, had a brief return to power in 1815, and eventually died in 1821. So this is also congruent to the established time period.

In the Youtube Video “Fashion Expert Fact Checks Belle from Beauty and the Beast’s Costumes” by Glamour, April Calahan, a Fashion Historian from the Fashion Institute of Technology directly noted that Belle’s yellow gown lacks the shape of a proper 18th century dress, and more closely resembles the shape of 19th century dresses, fitting into the evidence that’s been mounting in support of a late 19th century setting.

As a part of his primary costume, Lefou wears a waistcoat and tailcoats, which came into vogue in the 1800s, namely from the 1840s through the 1850s.

But if the film is set in the 1800s, how can the Beast still be a prince after the French Revolution? Well something worth noting is that when he finds out that Belle isn’t coming to dinner, the Beast storms through the halls to her room as Cogsworth calls after him as “Your Eminence” and “Your Grace”. The address of “Your Eminence” is reserved for Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church, and is an ecclesiastical style of address. “Your Grace” is noticeably an English style of address, but it’s being used by Cogsworth who is British, so I can chalk that up to just part of his culture. Although it was used for British monarchs, it fell out of use during the reign of King Henry VIII (1509-1547) and after that, the use of “Your Grace” became used to address archbishops and non-royal Dukes and Duchesses. Now clearly the Beast is not a cardinal or a bishop, especially if he is looking for the love of a woman to make him human, since it’s forbidden for Catholic priests to marry. So clearly that is not what is meant here. But the other answer actually does hold a bit of weight. Beast’s father was in fact, a Duke. So how is the Beast a prince? He’s not. Not entirely. See, there’s more than one kind of Prince in French nobility. There’s a Prince du Sang, or a Prince by Blood. Effectively, the Crown Prince, the sons of ruling monarchs. But the title is also given to lords in charge of a Principality, one of the smallest territorial sizes. The Beast’s principality probably only extends to having power over the little unnamed village. And with it being after the revolution, Beast might not even have the proper use of his title anymore. He’s effectively a rich kid in a fancy house with no real authority or power. He’s just old money from a by-gone era of human history. But if Beast’s address of “Your Grace” is accurate, that would mean that he’s a non-royal Duke, meaning he would not likely have been executed during the Revolution, as his family would have essentially been governors or senators than actual monarchs. They just had jurisdiction over a small piece of the Kingdom of France and reported back to and obeyed the orders of their King. Thus, he would not have been important enough to be killed or chased out of power by the townsfolk.

CONCLUSION

The movie is set between the late autumn and early-to-mid winter of 1890. Although the snow is gone when Belle returns to the village, the trees are still bare, signaling that it may just be unseasonably warm, though it could be the very early spring of 1891 between the receding of the snow and the blossoming of new spring foliage. Between the books, clothing, and references made, my conclusion is that Belle is a very modern girl living in a backwards little town stuck in the past, thus why a village in 1890 looks so completely lacking in modern technology despite the era. The Prince is nothing more than a fancy title as the son of a Duke, and he likely has very little if any actual government authority. Essentially, Belle married into wealth, not power, and will never be a proper queen, and I’m not sure if the wife of a lord ruling a principality is a princess or not, but I suspect the answer is no. Making Belle, like Mulan, a Disney Princess who did not marry royalty, was not born royalty, and thus, cannot be called a Disney Princess. She’s definitely a noblewoman, but she’s not royal by any means.

SETTING: Riquewihr, France

KINGDOM: The French Republic (France)

YEAR: Autumn, 1890 - Spring, 1891

PERIOD: The Third Republic (1870-1940)

LANGUAGE: French

[honourablejester]

Again, browsing back through my original stories and attempting to catalogue them. This is arranged by … mood, maybe, more than genre? Things of a similar feel, let’s say:

Fairytales:

With a Faerie Wild and Wary – fairytale. In a strange, otherworldly forest, a mischievous young woman meets a much more wary fairy

A Silent Companionship – fairytale. The story of a little river gnome and the much more grim and dangerous fey knight that she accidentally adopted

Autumn Fairytale – fairytale. A little family history about a grandmother who courted a lady elf knight in her youth, mostly with food

Cursed Blessings – fantasy. Basically what would result if, during the ‘fairy blessing’ scene from Sleeping Beauty, the fairies got a bit confused on the gender of the pair of children in question and gave them the ‘wrong’ stereotypical gifts

The Rain Witch – urban fantasy/fairytale. An exhausted and tearful young woman has a little breakdown in a rainy park, and then a witch happens

Dark Fantasy Westerns:

(This is a weirdly specific subgenre for me to have multiples of, but it’s a type of a mood?)

Angel Killer – dark fantasy western. You ever heard tell of the hunter with the angelbone knife?

Mr Shadow & Mr Sweet – um. Religious fantasy? Strongly inspired by Terry Brooks’ ‘Knight of the Word’ series. In a strange desert purgatory, an angel and his dark companion find a young woman in need of help reaching the light (or, well, a bus)

The Demon-Eater – mythological western? A young woman with a hole in her soul gets possessed by a demon and sets about eating it, only to be counselled/rescued by the little god in the thorns

Into Whitewood – fantasy western. A magess investigating a potential evil in a small town meets an odd old woman who knows more than she should

Scales Uneven and Balance Skewed – vaguely horror-western in which a tired hunter retires to a Badlands town and almost doesn’t notice that the town doctor is an equally tired monster

Science Fiction:

The Long Dark – old-school soft science fiction. Scouting for an exiled cityship along the galaxy’s edge, the crew of the crystal aethership Voidsong encounter a strange installation

Talaris – greek mythology meets science fiction. Hermes and Helios stand on a space station and discuss humanity’s first FTL mission beyond the bounds of what even they know

Historical Fantasy:

(historically inspired, really, not actually historical in any even approaching accurate way)

Castles in the Sky – dieselpunk fantasy fairytale. Two exiled fairy lovers stand in a world of iron and airships, fearing that the advent of a second world war will drive them back into the mists from which they came

The Statue – historical fantasy/romance. A bereaved and lonely regency-ish young lord fantasises rather vividly about the sphinx statue at the bottom of his garden

A Thief’s Challenge – historical fantasy. A semi-retired queen of thieves wants some comfort in her old age and so sets a challenge for her hand in marriage. Her oldest friend is first shocked, and then alarmingly enthusiastic …

The Rose Knight – vaguely French historical fantasy. A tired provincial nobleman in need of help comes to the capital to meet a famous spiritualist and champion, and comes within inches of royally botching the interview

Fraternity of the Maimed – sort of Victorian-esque urban fantasy. A woman being persecuted by an aristocratic vampire gets stashed with a manor house full of werewolves for safe keeping

High Fantasy:

Passing Through – fantasy. Roving mercenary Haleth gets chased into a haunted forest by an angry lordling, and meets a poor bastard even worse off than her along the way

Heartwood – high fantasy. A mercenary and her elven lover escort some diplomats to the edge of the wyrldwood, the border with chaos, and then said elven lover reveals some things about himself that he should probably have mentioned previously

Logistically Complicated – vaguely African-inspired fantasy meets a reverse Beauty & the Beast. The beautiful scholar prince of a conquered country is given in marriage to the monstrous warrior queen of their conquerors, and does his best to make the best of it

The Kingfisher – irish mythological fantasy. A dreamer awakes in the Otherworld, and gets some advice from Manannan Mac Lir on how to survive

Fantasy Humour:

Manners Saveth Man – fairytale fantasy humour. Just a sorceress and her dragoness friend ranting about the idiocy of ‘heroes’ who keep interrupting delicate and occasionally apocalyptic workings

The Witch Run of Gethryck – Pratchett-esque fantasy. The story of the annual witch run of a vaguely welsh-inspired province, and all the sordid gossip that generally arises from it

Lessons in Invocation – tiny fantasy fragment, on the subject of silence in the library and why it’s especially vital in a magical library

Urban Fantasy & Noir:

(again, it’s a consistent mood for me, shows up a fair bit)

Black Moon Blood – cosmic horror/urban fantasy. A vaguely cold-war era pair, a vampire and a distinctly off scientist, take out an installation of moon slugs for an occult organisation

Long Nights and Lord Save Us – urban fantasy. A team of modern monster hunters on a case, and then a little bit of backstory on the demon funhouse.

La Nuit – dark superhero noir/cosmic horror. A pair of small stories from the life of Etta James, a WWII ambulance driver who survived a hole in the world and the emergence of the Capes, ‘superheroes’ who range from the typical to the utterly lovecraftian

Night Shift – urban fantasy/superheroes/noir. A morgue cleaner goes missing, and the revenant she helped once gets a band of dark superheroes together to find her again

Welcome to Carogne – Redwall-ish animal dark fantasy. Various fragments following a blind doctor with a lot of secrets through the horrific criminal underworld of a city of rats

Cityside Fairytale – Dark little urban fantasy noir in which, mob boss or not, it is extremely inadvisable to piss off naiads when you live in a riverside city

Misc Genres:

(I love these, but they tend not to match much else I’ve done)

Loved Not Wisely – fantasy/tragedy/soulmate. A pair of soulmates reincarnate over and over again under a curse to destroy each other in each life unless they renounce their love, and have so far defiantly refused

A Reaper Come Lately – ghostly romance. An old woman dies, and finds her husband waiting to joyfully continue all their many arguments over the years

The Interrogator – cold war-ish dystopian fiction. A monologue on justice and mercy from an ‘interrogator’ for a fallen regime as he awaits execution

… I’ve had a few odd notions over the years, you know that?

[baeddel]

deckhandishly

a lesser known eichmann imo. he doesnt really earn any credibility when he writes about war or anything either. he talks up his ww1 experience but in the second he just did clerical work and shmoozed with french collaborators. in his brief sojourn to the eastern front he basically says "whoa shits getting pretty real" and goes home when his dad dies. afterwards he's back to paris to waffle on whether to join the plot against hitler until it happens without him

deckhandishly

never read that piece tho so disregard ig

yeah I had a look at the wikipedia article for him & it tries so hard to make him seem like a conservative anti-nazi hero that I decided he must have really been an enemy of humanity. We are, of course, interested less in his life and personal virtues than in what he had to say about the state, war, technological progress, and so on. (I think a true German patriot would have defected and fought for the enemy, like Clausewitz did; although was Junger actually a nationalist at all...?) Anyway, Benjamin was probably right about him.

I think Total Mobilization is interesting, his anti-modernism seems very differnt to the Wagnerian strain (he opens it by bickering w/ rejections of progress which are 'too easy') & he politicizes technology in an interesting way. He narrativizes the change from early-modern provincial wars to large existential conflicts of the 19-20thcs in a way that is consonant w/ recent military theory I've read but he politicizes it, imbricating the political machinery of war and the political machinery of the state, linking the kind of technology used and the kind of draft policies to which political factions were pushing for those upgrades and policies and which opposed them. The argument is very convincing.

[vietnamtour-blog]

Ha Giang: Things you should know before visiting

Ha Giang: Things you should know before visiting

Vietnam owns majestic mountains and winding passes, which can match the beauty of widely known spots in the world. When it comes to mountainous areas, we cannot help but mention Sapa and Ha Giang.

Both Sapa and Ha Giang are gateways to the outstanding mountain scenery of the Northwest and extreme north of Vietnam. However, in comparison with Sapa, the town hidden in the clouds, Ha Giang is not yet on the beaten trail. So, let’s get to know more about magnificent Ha Giang!

1. Overview of Ha Giang

As the northernmost province of Vietnam, Ha Giang is regarded by many as “The Final Frontier of Viet Nam,” which is a home for ethnic minorities such as Hmong, Tay, Lo Lo, etc.. Each of which has its own history, tradition, clothes, and cuisine that create a unique regional culture.

Ha Giang is also known for the buckwheat flower season in November, which drives people to visit this space to admire blooming flowers on rocks. Moreover, since it is far from the city center and the infrastructure is not yet expanded, tourism is left behind. Therefore, everything is reserved in their pristine beauty. Let’s make your way to Ha Giang to be rewarded by sweeping views of karst mountains, carpets of flowers, and colourful markets!

2. Geographical features

Naturally, Ha Giang is divided into 3 sub-regions. As the northern part is called, ��Dong Van Karst Plateau”, there are numerous rocky mountains, deep canyons, large caves and separated rivers. The plateau is covered in bare limestone, which created bizarre, yet splendid sceneries.

Dong Van Karst Plateau. (Credit: Tien Nguyen)

Secondly, the western area consists of 2 districts: Hoang Su Phi and Xin Man. This one has many sloping mountain sides, high pass, valley and narrow springs, and is famous for its wonderful terraced paddy fields.

Finally, the southern part, including the small, provincial capital city of Ha Giang is mostly covered by low hills and valleys along the blue Lo river.

3. Local Culture (History, people)

History

Since ancient times of the legendary Hung kings, Ha Giang was called Tan Hung. It was an autonomous zone under the control of various tribes of Thai and Tay people.

In 1886, the French occupied this region and named it Ha Giang. After independence, Ha Giang was a part of Viet Bac, the local base of support for the Viet Minh troop. The city had to be rebuilt after being heavily bombed in both Indochina wars and Chinese’s artillery in 1979. It was not until 2010 did this city gain attraction when the Dong Van Karst Plateau was designated as a member of the UNESCO’s Global Geoparks Network.

People and Culture

Unlike many parts of Vietnam that are dominated by the Kinh ethnic minority, the community of Ha Giang are formed by minor ethnics, such as H’mong, Tay, Nung, Dao, Giay. While some of them have lived in the region for thousands of years, some have only migrated here in the last few centuries, living on different terrain and altitude. For example, while the H’mong live on the high mountains of 800m and above, the Tay live in valleys and near the rivers. After hundreds of years living together, their culture blended together, too, to create one of the most diverse yet unique cultures in northern Vietnam.

Among many ethnics living in Ha Giang, the Hmong people are a colorful and culturally and historically-rich ethnic minority that occupies the majority of the population in Ha Giang. If there are two things you should know about the H’mong culture, they are “Khen” and linen waving.

Khen

Khen is their traditional musical instrument. It is a polyphonic instrument in the shape of a set of bamboo pipes of varying sizes. This instrument is an integral part of the life of the Hmong people since they use it as a way of communication and express their liberal soul. Therefore, they always bring khen with them.

(credit: vnexpress.net)

Linen waving

A woman is waving linen at Lung Tam Commune

While khen is still a preserve of men, textile is the passion of Hmong women. They are still an important part of modern Hmong culture. The Hmong women employ many techniques such as embroidery, applique, reverse applique, and batik to brocade costumes with various symbols that tell stories.

A H’Mong saying goes: “A beautiful girl that can not make linen is also an ugly one.” Hence, Mong girls are proficient in weaving linen. Of course, in the modern context, you should not take this proverb literally. Please just bear in mind that this custom drives them to make the best clothes for themselves to wear on the festival, to go to the fair, and especially to dress-on on the wedding day.

4. Things to do in Ha Giang (What to eat, where to visit)

What to eat:

Steamed rolls: Trust me, Ha Giang’s version of steamed roll is quite different from Hanoi’s: stuffed with minced pork or cloud ear fungus; served with broth. Perfect for breakfast or a late-evening (9P.M or later) meal.

Au tau porridge: As its name suggests, the dish is made from rice with au tau’s root and porks’ legs. The main ingredient, au tau, gives the dish a bitter taste, and can cause harm if not made well. Luckily, the locals of Ha Giang are experts in using Au Tau. They turn the poisonous roots into something that helps ease joint pain and aiding sleep.

Recommendation: Ms.Huong’s porridge, at 161 Tran Hung Dao Str., Ha Giang City.

Thang Co: The dish’s name derived from Chinese, which literally means “soup cooked in the big pan”. The main materials of Thang Co are bone, internal organs (heart, lungs, nerves, e.t.c…) and meat of a horse, or a buffalo, cooked together in a big pan, then served in a small bowl. It is common to have a sip of corn wine while savoring Thang Co . The added spices such as hemp, cardamom, cinnamon, and anise made Ha Giang’s Thang Co unique and, probably, the best Thang Co in northern Viet Nam.

Where to go:

Ma Pi Leng Pass: Undoubtedly, Ma Pi Leng Pass is one of the most astonishing mountain roads in Vietnam. The 20 kilometre-long road has many sharp turns and incredibly panoramic views. Especially from Ma Pi Leng Viewpoint, you can overlook Tu San Canyon and Nho Que River which flow between its ridges. An hour boat-trip on the Nho Que River is a must when visiting Ha Giang.

H’Mong Royal Palace (Palace of the Vuong): Located in Sa Phin valley is the residency of Vuong Duc Chinh, the King of Opium. Built from stone and fir wood and terracotta tiling in a combined Qing-Chinese, French, H’mong traditional style, the building is considered a gem of the northern district of Dong Van.

Legend has it that before the beginning of the construction, Vuong Chinh Duc went to China to find a Feng-shui Master to Vietnam. They went through 4 district areas under his jurisdiction to find out the best terrain. Ultimately, they decided to choose Xa Phin village – the land located in the middle of the Sa Phin valley. Thanks to a block of soil rising high like a turtle’s hood, symbolizing the Golden Turtle God in Vietnamese legends, this place was chosen. It was believed that by forming up Vuong Chinh Duc’s erection in this territory, his ambition would become true.

As Vuong Chinh Duc was a Hmong wealthy and powerful man for trading goods, especially opium. Sa Phin is the transshipment place for opium from the Burmese golden triangle and the Yunnan region of China to Indochina. This made him decide to incorporate the design of opium into the building. The pillar footstones are shaped into opium fruit, its outside also has unique patterns. Not only the footstones of the pillars but under the eaves and rafters are also sculpted in the shape of opium fruits and poppies.

Khau Vai love market: Another must-do activity is to visit Khau Vai love market, a special and unique annual festival that is held at 26 of the third Lunar month. Lively, colorful and crowded, this is the place where lovers meet and talk, ex-lovers who can’t make it together reunite and tell the story of their life.

Hoang Su Phi: The western mountainous district of Hoang Su Phi is famous for its wonderful terraced paddy fields, poetic Shan Tuyet tea hills from Thong Nguyen’s famous trekking path and the gigantic 2400-meter high mountain of Kiou Leou Ti (Chieu Lau Thi).

Lung Cu Flag Point

Located on the top of Lung Cu with a height of about 1.470m above sea level, this flag’s size is exactly 54 square meters, representing Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups. Lung Cu Flagpole was built first in the Ly Thuong Kiet dynasty and was originally made of wood only. However, it has been rebuilt and repaired many times, and nowadays, the 9m high flag handle is made of stainless steel.

Interestingly, this place has various legends. The most famous one is attached with King Quang Trung. The legend tells that after a grand victory over Thanh’s army, the King was punished for placing a gigantic drum on Lung Cu’s peak. At a particular time, he signed a soldier to beat the drum three times to affirm Vietnam’s sovereignty over China. After years, as a habit, whenever there is a problem at the border, the Vietnamese beat the dumb again to awake people’s patriotism.

What to do, see: From the top of the flagpole, you can admire two ponds on both sides of the mountain that never run out of water. The landscape at the foot of the Lung Cu flagpole is mountains interspersed by terraced fields creating a wild beauty, the typical feature of the Northwest regions of Vietnam that you do not want to miss. The most exciting and unexpected thing is that coming to the Lung Cu flagpole, you will stand right next to the border of Vietnam and China to have a glance of the neighboring country.

Quan Ba Heaven’s Gate

Located at 1.000 meters above sea level, Quan Ba Heaven’s Gate is the first gateway of Ha Giang to Dong Van Plateau. It owns the pretty magnificent scenery of the Northwest mountains. The most exciting thing is that Quan Ba Heaven’s Gate creates the feeling of bringing visitors up to the clouds to touch the sky, true to its inherent name.

Quan Ba Heaven’s Gate is associated with many historical events, especially military ones, such as the struggle between Vietnam and France to preserve the country. Therefore, during the war years, the gate had a wooden door built by the French to separate two ethnic groups, the Kinh and Hmong. However, presently due to severe weather conditions, that door was replaced by a large sign which makes Quan Ba heaven gate just a distance between two mountains. Even so, the landscape that you can observe from the Quan Ba Heaven’s Gate will take your breath away.

What to do, see: Climb to the top of the mountain to observe a breathtaking view of the Dong Van Plateau, and sightsee the vast valley of Quan Ba, offering the silent charm of the yellow ripped rice, the terraces, the houses of hill tribes, and Co Tien Twin Mountain, which is a natural work of art that makes a captivating poetic frame of clouds stretching all the way. Also, Quan Ba Heaven’s Gate is the first attraction in Ha Giang, so you can grab coffee and locally produced honey here after a long ride.

Lung Tam Weaving Village

Located not far from Quan Ba Heaven’s Gate, Lung Tam village is a small valley with a flowing through Miem river. It is also a home for Hmong people, who are seasoned professionals in textile art.

In the past, Lung Tam village was a typical village of the hill tribe. However, when the traditional trade seems to be extinct, one strong, smart woman appeared to save the craft and bring brocade linen products to the domestic and international markets. The name of this woman is Vang Thi Mai, the founder of The Linen Co-operative. Despite the traditions of hill tribes, where a woman’s role is limited to household matters, Mrs. Mai helps people continue to preserve and uphold traditional values and culture by bringing Lung Tam linen down the mountain, up to the city’s streets and then fled abroad.

Lung Tam Linen Commune

Linen weaving in Lung Tam is a traditional handicraft with a long history, not only bringing income to households in Lung Tam village but also contributing to preserving the traditional cultural values of Mong people. And thanks to one wonderful woman, the linen village of Lung Tam is now an unmissable authentic destination that attracts thousands of visitors.

Souvenirs at Lung Tam Commune

What to do, see: Coming to Lung Tam village, you can see beautiful Hmong batik hemp panels, hear stories about savior Mrs. Mai, who they are proud of, and linen development. Of course, you can also purchase hand-crafted hemp products with specific details, which have a particular meaning, as a souvenir. In addition to buying special gifts, you can also learn about the uniqueness of an old brocade-weaving village of Ha Giang mountain land and join in some parts of the 50 stages of waving linen.

Nho Que River

Nho Que River

Nho Que River is one of the deepest canyons in Southeast Asia and one of the unique geological formation valleys in Vietnam, which originates from the mountains of Nghiem Son (China), from an altitude of 1500m. Nho Que flows smoothly all year round through the majestic mountains with a poetic, mysterious, and fanciful beauty that you will find hard to leave.

In previous times, the Nho Que River was not as smooth as it is now and considered to serve the fishing purposes of the Ha Giang people only. However, since a hydroelectric project was built, water flows more smoothly. Moreover, after construction, locals opened boat trips on the river to help travelers explore Tu San Canyon, the deepest canyon in Southeast Asia.

What to do, see: Nho Que River is quite wide, therefore to fully admire the beauty of the Nho Que River, you can settle on the Ma Pi Leng pass to observe all the splendor of the river and the grandeur of nature Ha Giang. There are two stations leading to this blue river, one can be reached by foot, one by bike. Make sure when traveling to Ha Giang, you can try to mingle with nature on the Nho Que river and combine a Tu San canyon visit, which will bring exciting experiences.

Meo Vac Market

Since Ha Giang is the home for various ethnic groups, to explore local culture, the best way to do it is to shop like the locals at their markets. It is highly recommended to visit the famous Meo Vac market, which is a museum about the lives of ethnic minorities in the borderland of Meo Vac. Every Sunday, all minority groups will come there to hold the market in the middle of the district’s central town, which makes a good chance for you to survey locals’ culture and lifestyle. It is also a fantastic venue to see the ancient bartering of remote ethnic people in Ha Giang. It is unknown when the Meo Vac market was formed, but every Sunday at dawn, people are eagerly dragging each other down to the market at crossroads. Going to the market has become an indispensable cultural feature of Meo Vac people in particular and Ha Giang highlands in general. After those hard-working days, the market day is also the time for ethnic minorities to go to the market, to purchase necessities for daily life. Also, it is a very important need, exchanging with each other. This is a rather special value of the Meo Vac upland market, different from the lowland markets. It is a mental factor characteristic that you do not want to miss.

What to do, see: There you can walk through stalls that are divided into 2 sections: outdoor and indoor markets selling everything, starting from mobile phones to livestock.

On the livestock section you can see little piglets, goats, chicken, ducks and even puppies sold along the street. Not far from this section, you can also find a cattle market, where locals inspect water buffaloes or cattle on sale. Besides, you can watch how the various parts of the animals are checked before a sale is completed.

What is most fascinating is that here you will get treated to some interesting views, such as locals walking a piglet with a lead, men carrying a couple of chicken holding their feet, motorbikes passing where the chicken are hanging with their feet down the handle, or having to share a cage at the back of the bike with a dog. However, if you are not a fan of such views, you can move to the indoor market, another area to explore local culture. There, you can find a few food stalls with the fireplaces preparing food, which make a great sight. It is a nice place to have a cheap, uncommon delectable breakfast.

Best time to visit

The best time to visit Ha Giang is in dry season: from early October to late April

October: It is the time when the paddy field turns yellow, which is stunningly beautiful. Also, it is interesting to see local ethnics in their colorful dresses happily harvesting the rice, putting it in the sack and transporting home. It is recommended that you should visit Hoang Su Phi’s terraced paddy fields during this time of the year.

November: The northern plateau is covered by the purple of buckwheat flowers, the symbolic flower of Dong Van. Sidenotes: This is also the time of “Buckwheat flower festival”, therefore a large number of tourists will flock into Ha Giang, and the whole plateau suddenly becomes crowded. Reservations should be made at least a week prior to the trip.

December – mid January: It is when rapeseed flowers blooms. The weather gets really cold, and the wind is chilly. There might be snow-if you are lucky enough, which is amazingly beautiful, but also quite rare in a tropical country like Vietnam.

Late January – February: It’s the end of a Lunar year, and the beginning of a new one. The people of Ha Giang celebrate Tet, too, just like any other Vietnamese, and all tourists are welcomed to join. You’ll have a good chance to learn the culture and traditions in the most natural way.

March: When the mountains of Ha Giang enter springtime, the landscape is full of life with numerous kinds of different species of flower bloom at its fullest beauty, most notably the pink color of peach blossom, and the white of plum flower, along with their nice fragrance. Many spring festivals are held, such as Buffalo fighting, Horse racing, Long Tong (the festival of Tay ethnics people to pray for a good crop and bountiful harvest).

April: It is the time when the local people water the terraced paddy fields so they look like giant mirrors, which is breathtakingly beautiful. The weather in April is also warmer, which makes trekking and biking more pleasant. It is also the time when the famous Khau Vai love market festival is held.

How to get to Ha Giang

Located northwest of Ha Noi, without an airport or railroad connected, the most recommended form of transportation is bus, which is surprisingly cheap, from 8 to 13$ for a ticket, depending on departure time and how comfortable the bus is. It would take 6 to 8 hours to get to Ha Giang.

Travel in Ha Giang : Of course, it is possible to travel in Ha Giang by bus or private car, but I strongly recommend to hire yourself a bike, so that you can stop at any point of your adventure, and take a snapshot of the breathtakingly beautiful nature of Ha Giang

Some alternative route to Ha Giang: Beside the main road of QL2 straight from Hanoi to Ha Giang, Ha Giang can be accessed from the nearby attractions such as Sa Pa, Ba Be Lake or Cao Bang.

From Sa Pa: The border road from Sa Pa, via QL4D through Lao Cai City – Muong Khuong- Si Ma Cai – Xin Man (Coc Pai)- Hoang Su Phi Ha Giang. You can also take a detour to visit the beautiful town of Bac Ha, which is only 10km from the main road, or take a half-day, or a full-day trekking in Thong Nguyen or around the Kiou Leou Ti mountain in Hoang Su Phi.

From Ba Be Lake: There are two options: From Ba Be to Yen Phu town of Bac Me, then take a detour to Du Gia Commune of Yen Minh – a famous destination for trekking and Meo Vac town to start the famous Ha Giang Loop via DT176 and DT182, or straight to Ha Giang City via QL34.

How many mountainous areas in Vietnam have you visited? Please tell us, we would love to hear from you. Get prepared with more tips and travel plans in Vietnam at Eviva’s blog or contact our travel consultant for more support.

Writers: Pham Thi Nhat Le and Nguyen Le Hai

Source: https://blog.evivatour.com/ha-giang-things-you-should-know-before-visiting/

[creativity-is-rebellion]

Top 10 Favourite Books I Have Read (So Far)

As a writer myself, I can’t help but look back at the novels that have shaped the sort of writer I have become today, and helped me find my own unique voice. A good novel captivates, puts it’s twists in all the right places, and makes you think about the story long after you have finished reading it. It makes you contemplate what it is to be human. It hits you hard and leaves a lasting impression. I thought I could share a few of them with all of you. Without further ado, here goes:

Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy (1873)

It's a story as old as time; someone, bored with their life, risks it all to have an affair; but this one is special for a number of reasons. First, it serves as a commentary about 19th century upper-class Russia, a time when it wasn't necessarily scandalous to have an affair, but it was scandalous to leave your husband or wife because of it. Many people conducted their affairs in secret, but the passion Anna felt for Vronsky spilled over into her everyday life, and because she had suppressed feeling any kind of emotion for so long, the passion she felt was obsessive and all-consuming, even though in the end it sours and she blames Vronsky for her fall from grace, which is so devastating (she is cut off from seeing her son Seroyzha that she had with Count Alexei Karenin) that in the end she ends her life. It is made all the more ironic that the novel starts with her convincing Dolly, her sister-in-law, to stay with her two-timing brother, Stepan, as “family is all that matters.” The elements of the complexity of families is also makes this tale so unique. Secondly, it could be argued that Anna is not the protagonist of the story at all, but that Levin is, because his upward trajectory is juxtaposed with Anna's fall from grace. He starts off an awkward and gruff loner, and moves toward being a content and happy family man, with a wife Kitty whom he truly loves. His skepticism and malcontent drifts away as the novel wears on. It is said that Levin is actually a representation of Tolstoy himself, but the book was actually a labor of guilt for cheating on his own wife. The novel ends with a broken-hearted Vronsky enlisting for a battle that he hopes not to come back from alive. I love how rich and evolved each character we are introduced to is. As I also have a love affair with Mother Russia myself ever since I studied Russian history in high school, this novel is truly my favorite classic.

On Writing, Stephen King (2000)

This book is the most straightforward account of what it is like to be a writer from one of the great (if not greatest) modern novelists of our time. It also offers invaluable advice to aspiring and new writers who are looking to hone their craft, but without the flowery, navel-gazing musings so often found in books of a similar ilk. King's real-life descriptions of his struggles with addiction, his pre-writer life, the early days of his success, and his recovery after a horrific accident where he nearly lost his life are related back to his craft so masterfully, and, as such , I cannot recommend this book more to those who are either interested in the mechanisms behind being a writer, or want to be writers themselves. It also serves as a great book to refer back to after you become a writer to make sure you don't get bogged down in common writing mistakes that inadvertently make your work clunky or uninteresting. To paraphrase, King states, to become a writer, talent is essential, but if you don't have the right toolbox to use when writing your masterpiece, its going to look sloppy. King's toolkit, which he elaborates on in his book, is guaranteed to prevent this from happening.

The Virgin Suicides, Jeffery Eugenides (1993)

I read this novel after I saw the movie of the same name, which was Sofia Coppola's directorial debut. Like most book-to-movie adaptations, this novel contains slight deviations and more character development than the movie, but is still a deeply fascinating examination of both the psyche of the Lisbon sisters, the minds of the neighborhood boys who were obsessed with them, the paranoia of suburbia, parental oppression, and neighborhood carelessness. I remember that this movie came out when I was 16, but we had to wait until it came out on DVD to see it, because, as the movie dealt with teenage suicide, and the place I lived at at the time had one of the highest youth suicide rates in the state, it was banned in local cinemas. The most interesting character in both the book and the movie was 14-year-old Lux ​​Lisbon, primarily because of her rebelliousness toward her parents' overbearing protectiveness (mostly from her mother, but the spineless dad is definitely an enabler) which borders on abuse. This is perfectly juxtaposed with her inherent need to be an ordinary teenage girl in an abnormal household, and the oppression of this need leading to unbridled promiscuity. The accounting of the Lisbon sisters' story in both the movie and the novel, however, is unreliable, as it is never told from the point-of-view of the sisters themselves, but from the grown-up versions of the neighborhood boys who we were in love with them, and continued to be so after their deaths. The passing of the Lisbon sisters left a lasting impression on each of the boys, and still haunts them in the present. Decay in both the novel and the movie in the form of the diseased neighborhood trees and the decline of the local auto industry, are used as both foreshadowing of worst things to come, as well as an allegory of the Lisbon's family life. Finally, the accountability of the neighborhood and neighbors, and their willingness to turn a blind eye as to what was happening in the Lisbon household is also examined. Their fleeting, off-the-cuff and detached observations, as well as the (mostly) silent monitoring of the girls by the boys, is an excellent example of the damaging consequences of the bystander effect, which all to often leads to disastrous ends. the accountability of the neighborhood and neighbors, and their willingness to turn a blind eye as to what was happening in the Lisbon household is also examined. Their fleeting, off-the-cuff and detached observations, as well as the (mostly) silent monitoring of the girls by the boys, is an excellent example of the damaging consequences of the bystander effect, which all to often leads to disastrous ends. the accountability of the neighborhood and neighbors, and their willingness to turn a blind eye as to what was happening in the Lisbon household is also examined. Their fleeting, off-the-cuff and detached observations, as well as the (mostly) silent monitoring of the girls by the boys, is an excellent example of the damaging consequences of the bystander effect, which all to often leads to disastrous ends.

Eugene Onegin, Alexander Pushkin (1831)

As opposed to the entry above, I read the novel before I saw the movie, which did a pretty good job, considering the novel was written entirely in prose. 230-odd pages of verse penned by one of the greatest Russian poets of the 19th century may seem like a big ask to read, but I can assure you, it is entirely worth it. It tells the tale of an uppity lothario named Eugene Onegin, who, bored with St. Petersburg society, decide to move to his recently-deceased uncle's country estate. This move ultimately leads to Onegin leaving a trail of destruction in his wake, including ruining a woman's reputation, killing her fiance after he challenges Onegin to a duel to defend her honor, and spurning the advances of local provincial beauty Tatiana. Onegin then flees back to St. Petersburg, and after several years, crosses paths once again with Tatiana, Who is now married to a high-ranking general and is a permanent fixture of the St. Petersburg high-society set. When Tatiana shows a grace she never possessed before, and treats him with a cold distain whenever they cross paths, Onegin decides that he loves her, and pursues her doggedly, leading to a show-down between the two would-be lovers, but not in the way you would think. His chance at redemption is alt for nought. Although Tatiana admits her love for Onegin, she also tells him that she would never betray her now-husband to be with him. It is a scintillating slow-burn of a tale of love, loss and propriety in a way that can only be recounted by Pushkin. Interestingly, Pushkin himself was fatally wounded in 1837 after he challenged his brother-in-law, Georges-Charles de Heeckeren d'Anthes, also known as Dantes-Gekkern, a French officer serving with the Chevalier Guard Regiment, to a duel, as he had attempted to seduce the poet's wife, Natalia Pushkina. In some cases, life really does imitate art.

The Book Thief, Marcus Zusak (2005)

I like the voyeuristic feel of this novel, even if this sounds a little strange. The special interest that Death himself takes in the main character, Liesel Meminger (who is The Book Thief in question) is perfectly juxtaposed over the horrors of living in WW2 Germany. It’s a charming story, recounted by Death himself, all the way up to the main character’s death many years later. It gives us special insights into all the characters and they way they think and act, with no-holds-barred. A unique and truly good read.

The Big Sleep, Raymond Chandler (1939)

This is hands-down the best noir detective novel ever written, a point I regrettably missed when I first had to read it for Advanced English in Year 11 at school. It has all of the grit expected of the genre and follows Chandler’s mainlining private detective Philip Marlowe, who is hired by a rich family to deal with a blackmailer, Arthur Geiger. His life takes an unexpected turn as he pursues the case and Arthur is found dead.It is both a good detective mystery and a perfect layout for a by-the-numbers look at how this genre should be written. Cool side fact: The Big Sleep is a euphemism for dying.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Series, Stieg Larsson

Lisbeth Salander is still the best kick-arse anti-heroine around, a fact that is evident from her character being re-imagined by David Lagercrantz in further novels in the Millenium series after Steig Larsson’s untimely death. At the time these novels came out, I remember everyone on the beach reading a copy, and I especially enjoy the first entry in this series, which explores a missing woman, the demise and rise of journalist Mikael Blomkvist, the back-story and growth of Lisbeth Salander, female sex-trafficking, and feminist themes. On top of being a missing-person story, it is also a murder mystery, and has an awesome twist at the novel’s denouement. A thrilling, wild-ride of a read.I think I especially enjoyed it because I like reading novels situated around serial killers. That’s all I’ll say. Read the book.

We Need to Talk About Kevin, Lionel Shriver (2003)

This book is just brutal and a no-holds-barred look at whether killers are born or made.It is told by Eva Khatchadourian in a series of letters to her husband, Franklin, which discuss their son, Kevin, and his behaviour growing up, as well as her reactions to said behaviour, which ultimately lead to a thrilling, if unnerving, conclusion. 

IT, Stephen King (1985)

Although it is a gigantic read at 1,128 pages, IT is worth every page. Stephen King's novel about a demonic, otherworldly entity that preys and feasts on the children of Derry, Maine every 27-odd years is a masterpiece second only to his equally weighty saga The Stand. It tells the story of childhood friendship, and the strength one can have when standing together with friends. It is a perfect tale of good triumphing over evil, which is a familiar theme in King’s books which tends to get overlooked in favour of the more horror-like elements. Be warned, it does jump back-and-forth in time, and there are a few awkward parts of the book that the movie thankfully skipped, but they don’t really feel out of place in the novel. This “clown” will give you nightmares, but the ultimate triumph of The Loser’s Club is worth hanging in for.

The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold (2002)

I've gotta admit, the ending was unsatisfying, but is probably a more realistic account of what usually happens in unsolved cases such as Susie Salmon's. There is a karmic vibe, and at least the killer is disposed of in an unceremoniously undignified way. It’s ultimately a tale of how grief can keep you stuck, and how acceptance is part of moving on. Totally skip the movie and just read the book.

I just realised, all but one of these books has been made into a movie, whether it be a box-office hit or Indie, which I suppose really just attests to how good they are. I’ll be back with another top 10 favourite books soon no doubt. See you on the flip-side.

[phillippmoreland-blog]

The West Mountainous White Terrier

On February 8, 2008 President Vladimir Putin of Russia made an amazing pep talk at the Expanded Satisfying of the State Authorities. While the federal government grabs its feet on attending to climate change, conditions and also areas are boosting along with clean-air securities of their own. I also experienced concerned as well as depressing for my friends in china and also my pupils considering that i hope they may be delighted however i think that their government is fascist as well as prevents mandarin individuals happiness.

Captive people in The United States on a regular basis experienced advertising, lashing, and also establishments as approaches of willpower. The Edwardian and also Victorian styles of the time are actually still a popular option today. Many other interviews were done with artists like Maskiri as well as Xtra Large in news article. In doing this he claims his very own literary cosmopolitanism as he examines the narrow provincialism of his African American critics: "If my brethren had actually taken the trouble to look a little bit of right into my odd lifestyle they would have found out that years before I had regained the sense of the Jamaican croppers in knowledgeable, presenting their uncultivated pleasures, their loves and also detests, their work as well as play, their dialect. Tracks and also videos like this assistance our team to keep in mind the straightforward traits in lifestyle; affection, tourist attraction, exciting, acquiring close to a person. Thus stand pleased, Americans, and compose your congressmen to inform all of them you do not want your nation contracting out torture. Today, the job of separating unclean cash coming from an innocent public falls to the Federal Book. Based upon the advantages that every nation supports, while considering several standards for every assortment, Mr. Assa places the leading three nations that are actually currently very most encouraging for United States clients.

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In French country kitchen concept you will certainly find that ceramic tile, rustic urns, hand-painted European ceramics and ceramic tones are used extensively. A nutritional evaluation of cannibalism and addressing renal rocks on roller-coasters were analysis projects recognized through jokingly awards at Harvard College Thursday, made to produce you laugh initially, as well as think later. Today, Lisa's communication with departed loved forefathers as well as ones have touched hundreds of folks worldwide. It likewise stated afro-americans aged 18-49 are pair of times as very likely to pass away coming from cardiovascular disease as whites. This is a query in to the variations in between urban canals music as well as mainly hip-hop popular music in The United States focusing on correlations and distinctions in relations to themes in order to determine metropolitan canals loyalty to our culture as well as identification or even whether they are actually just an additional social transplant of American hip-hop music. You will certainly be actually given access to a diff for each and every modified post that is going to show the modifications that were made. They located a sympathetic ear in the Trump management after the White Residence named famed protestor investor as well as refinery proprietor Carl Icahn as an exclusive consultant to President Trump.

Contemporary type white buff surfaces offer a really sleek modern-day look, while white colored repainted timber brought up panel door designs can give a warm and comfortable typical emotion in a home kitchen. The means to utilize the concept of the American flag are just limited by the creative imagination.Among males that state a circumstances of clinical depression over their life-time, the amount of African-American males that experience anxiety enduring longer than a year is significantly more than white men, at 56 percent compared with 38 per-cent, depending on to the report.

[thepotionsapprentice]

4, 5, 16, 26

4. favourite dish specific for your country?

have you ever heard of… la raclette? a real blessing. a greasy food orgy. it warms your whole heart and soul in the winter. Raclette does not go to your stomach, no… Raclette goes straight to your heart.

5. favourite song in your native language?

most difficult question ever. bc i rarely love modern French music, i genuinely find most of it tasteless tbh so when i listen to songs in my native language, it is usually French songs from the 1970s/1980s & 1990s. So i’m going to make an effort here and give you one ‘old’ French music + two more recent :

Les Avions - Nuit Sauvage (1982)

Stromae - Ta Fête [he is actually Belgian but sings in French, so] (2014)

Julien Doré - Paris Seychelles [that voice istg] (2013)

16. which stereotype about your country you hate the most and which one you somewhat agree with?

i don’t know if you can really call this a stereotype but one thing which makes me pretty angry everytime is that people tends to summarise France to Paris and i do think it leads to a majority of the other stereotypes. For instance, French people being rude: do not take it personally guys, you think Parisians are rude because you are a foreigner/tourist? DO NOT WORRY. Parisians are just rude with everyone, including us other French people who live in provinces (even if at least half of Paris’ population are ex-provincials… funny isn’t it?). So, yeah, when people sums up France to Paris, it really upsets me.

A stereotype about French people i agree with is that most of French people can’t speak English, and tbh, it is mostly true BUT i do think this comes from the way we learn English in France which is… outdated. If i had not learn english also by myself next to my english classes, today, i would not be able to understand half of tumblr and i am not joking. I recently got my degree in English, so i was in my last year of Uni, do you know how many hours of oral practice i had per week? One (1) hour. This is ridiculously not enough and when you can’t afford to go abroad for one year to improve your english, of course you end up with a poor level of english (except if like me, you choose to be self-taught in english).

26. does your nationality get portrayed in Hollywood/American media? what do you think about the portrayal?

Of course. Don’t you know? We French people always wear berets while holding some baguette and walking in the streets of Paris (aaaah, Paris, the only good city of this country ofc). We sit in a café and drink (unaffordable) good wine while smoking too much cigarettes. We are the best lovers and can take you at the top of the Tour Eiffel anytime of the day without being bothered by other people (spoilers: it is basically always overcrowded and full of pickpockets). Ah, yes, so romantic…

[eloquenceinc]

Creating an Elegant Home With French-Style Furniture

Have you always wanted to create a romantic home arrangement that is at once whimsical and practical? French-style furniture combines traditional usability with artful aesthetics that flow together seamlessly, the perfect solution for anyone wanting a more refined and inviting feel to their home.

Whether meticulously reproduced by skilled artisans or 100% authentic, French furniture pieces shine with luxury yet embody a sense of down-to-earth simplicity, which is why they are so sought after. This style has endured for centuries and is still one of the most popular ways to infuse your home with a feeling of luxury.

If you are new to Provincial furniture and are interested in learning more about their features and where you can find high-quality pieces, you will find more information below.

Elements of the French Style

While on the surface, the French style may seem elaborate compared to most modern furniture styles, the truth is that most French pieces are centered around practicality before anything else. An authentic French-style furniture piece will be sturdy, well-crafted, and typically embellished with small details that give it a subtle charm.

Often you will see gently curved legs and flowery carvings. Calls to nature like this are common in these kinds of furniture pieces, which is why they are a favorite staple of farmhouse-style home arrangements as well.

Another aspect of French furniture pieces that you will want to take note of is their timeless nature. These pieces of furniture sport a look that never truly goes out of style, because of the way in which aesthetics and practicality are combined. Though these pieces often look centered around artistry, in reality, they are designed specifically for long-term use. These aren’t mere decorations designed to sit unused in a corner of your foyer or parlor. French furniture is both welcoming and attractive.

How Can You Fill Your Home With French Furniture?

If the Provincial look has captivated you, there’s only one place online you need to think about shopping for all of the furniture you need. EloquenceⓇ specializes in luxury-quality French furniture pieces that truly capture the spirit of Provincial living. With an absolutely stunning collection of French bedroom furniture, sofas, cabinets, dining room sets, lighting elements, and more, you can completely change the way your home feels using their fine furniture pieces.

Not only do they feature beautifully handcrafted French-style furniture, but genuine French antiques as well. Whether you are in need of a weathered dining room table or a romantic bedroom set that has just the look you want, EloquenceⓇ will have what you are looking for.

Furniture that honestly matches your vision can be difficult to come by, especially if you have your heart set on a particular piece or want your room to look a certain way. This is where EloquenceⓇ stands out, as they have an unmatched selection of fine furniture pieces that you won’t find anywhere else. Browse through their online catalog of furniture today and fill your home with French luxury.

[adelineadkin]

Considerations in the Design of a Royalty Regime for Helium

By: Nigel Bankes

PDF Version: Considerations in the Design of a Royalty Regime for Helium

Matters commented on: Press Release, “New royalty rate responds to soaring helium interest” Minister of Energy, May 13, 2020; Department of Energy, Information Letter IL 2020-22 , Helium Royalty Rate, May 13, 2020; Natural Gas Royalty Regulation, 2009 (AR 221/2008) as amended by OC 154/2020; and Natural Gas Royalty Regulation, 2017 (AR 211/2016) as amended by OC 155/ 2020.

On May 13, 2020 Minister Sonya Savage announced the establishment of a new royalty rate for helium produced from Crown lands. The new rate (5% minus a 0.75% helium royalty adjustment factor, for an effective rate of 4.25%) replaces a zero royalty rate for helium production. The press release suggests that the proposed royalty structure “helps set the stage for investment” by providing some certainty while “ensuring a fair price for Albertans.” (This is misleading. The market will set the price not the royalty.) The press release goes on to indicate that, “[t]his effective royalty rate is set for an initial period of five years. At that time, the rate will be reviewed to ensure it remains competitive and allows for any necessary adjustments.” The accompanying Information Letter issued by the Department (IL 2020-22) suggests that the review is to be limited to the appropriateness of the 0.75% adjustment factor, not the entire rate.

The new royalty is implemented by amendments to the Natural Gas Royalty Regulations of 2009 and 2017 (each applies to different ‘vintages’ of production) and made retroactive to April 1, 2020. (Prior to these amendments there was a requirement (see IL 2018-25, now revoked), that “operators producing and selling helium must report monthly helium production volumes and monthly average selling prices ….”) The new royalty will only apply to helium produced from lands where the mines and minerals are vested in the Crown. If helium is produced, saved and sold from private mineral lands, the applicable royalty will be established by the terms of the lease between the owner of the mines and minerals and the working interest owners.

Helium is an important non-renewable natural resource with many significant applications, for some of which there is no substitute. As the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) notes on its “About Helium” page:

… helium is a critical component in many fields, including scientific research, medical technology, high-tech manufacturing, space exploration, and national defense.  Here are a few examples:

The medical field uses helium in essential diagnostic equipment such as MRI’s.  Helium-neon lasers are used in eye surgery.

National defense applications include rocket engine testing, scientific balloons, surveillance craft, air-to-air missile guidance systems, and more.

Helium is used to cool thermographic cameras and equipment used by search and rescue teams and medical personnel to detect and monitor certain physiological processes.

Various industries use helium to detect gas leaks in their products.  Helium is a safe tracer gas because it is inert. Manufacturers of aerosol products, tires, refrigerators, fire extinguishers, air conditioners and other devices use helium to test seals before their products come to market.

Cutting edge space science and research requires helium.  NASA uses helium to keep hot gases and ultra-cold liquid fuel separated during lift-off of rockets.

Arc welding uses helium to create an inert gas shield.  Similarly, divers and others working under pressure can use a mix of helium and oxygen to create a safe artificial breathing atmosphere.

Helium is a protective gas in titanium and zirconium production and in growing silicon and germanium crystals.

Since helium doesn’t become radioactive, it is used as a cooling medium for nuclear reactors.

Cryogenics, superconductivity, laser pointers, supersonic wind tunnels, cardiopulmonary resuscitation pumps, monitoring blimps used by the Border Patrol, and liquid fuel rockets all require helium in either their manufacture or use.

For many of these applications, there is no substitute for helium.

Establishing a Royalty Formula

A royalty is one of the mechanisms that a government, as the resource owner on behalf of the people, can use to appropriate the economic rent available from the production of the resource. In somewhat simplistic terms, economic rent can be thought of as the difference between price (value of the product in the market) and the full cycle costs of production, including a reasonable rate of return recognizing the relative riskiness of the business. In that sense (potentially, at least), economic rent is a surplus that a government should be able to appropriate without removing the incentive to invest in that business. I say “potentially” because if the market price drops and costs of production exceed the market price (as has been the case for oil this year), rent is negative and there is nothing for governments to appropriate.

It follows from this that the available rent will vary, principally in relation to the costs of production and market price. As the costs of production fall (for a sector or a particular producer) and market price rises, the economic rent available increases (and vice versa).  Governments and other resource owners can respond to this variability by designing a royalty that is explicitly sensitive to price and cost or, more generally, profit-sensitive. Governments can also structure royalties to allow for some sharing of risk between the government as owner and the resource developer by deferring significant rent recovery until the operator has recovered its costs. This may be particularly important for capital intensive projects such as oil sands projects. These risk sharing arrangements result in governments taking a small gross royalty until the operator has recovered its sunk costs (this recovery point is often called “payout”, for ABlawg discussions of payout see here and here), and then a share of net profits after payout.

The government of Alberta has long applied this sort of royalty design in the oil sands sector and has applied these ideas more generally to the conventional sector following the last royalty review (see Alberta, Modernized Royalty Framework Guidelines (2017)). Within such a scheme, there may be separate royalty rates for co-produced products. This is the case, for example, with respect to sulphur produced through the processing of a sour natural gas stream that is not subject to geological acid gas disposal. Schedule 6 of the current Natural Gas Royalty Regulation, 2017 establishes a sulphur royalty of 16.67%.

While the availability of positive rents places a cap on royalty implementation options, other factors will also influence the ambition of governments when settling on a royalty rate including other sources of government “take” (e.g. taxes, federal or provincial), but also “competitiveness” considerations. Competitiveness refers to the fact that capital is mobile and will migrate to jurisdictions that offer it the best return. Competitiveness therefore asserts a downward pressure on royalty rates; it can have a ratchet effect that can lead to an unhelpful (from a public perspective) race to the bottom. 

Application to Helium

The helium market, and especially the North American helium market, is a distorted market that has been distorted for years by the national security policies of U.S. federal government. Graham Simpson of GLJ Petroleum Consultants offers an excellent summary of these policies. According to his account (supplemented by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) helium page) the U.S. federal government cornered the market on U.S.-produced helium through the Helium Act of 1925 and, subsequently, in 1962, arranged for its storage in the partially depleted Cliffside gas field in Texas. A change of policy in 1996 gave direction to the BLM to begin disposing of the helium reserve. This continues today under the terms of the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013, which mandates the disposal of all helium assets by 2021.

There is no benchmark price for helium (like WTI or Brent for oil) and it is therefore difficult to get a firm handle on price (much depends on the purity of the helium), although in recent years the price has certainly been trending upwards. The most recent BLM helium data sheet (published in 2020 but quoting figures from 2018) informs that, “[t]he estimated price for private industry’s Grade-A helium was about $7.57 per cubic meter ($210 per thousand cubic feet), with some producers posting surcharges to this price.”

With the termination of the U.S. helium program in 2021, there should be a less distorted North American helium market. Globally, the most important producer of helium outside the U.S. is Qatar, which may suggest the risk of considerable price volatility, given geopolitical considerations.

Opinions differ as to the pricing implications of disposing of all the helium stored at Cliffside. While some suggest that the loss of incremental supply from that storage (approximately 30% annually of U.S. supply) might lead to a price spike, others anticipate that this will simply encourage the development of new projects, such as those eagerly anticipated in Alberta and Saskatchewan. For details of proposed projects see Maurice Smith, “Weil group plans Canada’s first helium liquefaction facility Medicine Hat”, JWN Energy (1 November 2017); Janet French, “Alberta’s new helium royalties could see rise of extraction industry”, CBC News (17 May 2020); and “The rise of helium”, The Weil Group (September 2019). Perhaps all that we can say is that it is difficult to predict the future for helium prices.

Most helium is produced as a valuable co-product of natural gas processing from helium-rich natural gas deposits (containing between 0.3 and 4 per cent helium). More recently, however, others are focusing their exploration activities on nitrogen-rich accumulations that contain even higher percentages of helium. In both cases, helium can be separated from other gas streams by cryogenic processing. The principal economic difference between these two production scenarios is that in the former, natural gas will generally provide the principal revenue source whereas in the latter, the principal, if not the only, revenue source will be the helium. Press reports (see Janet French above) suggest that the recent interest in southern Alberta is targeting nitrogen-rich accumulations to explore their helium potential.

Where does all of this leave us in terms of royalty design for such a commodity? What do we know? We know that the government has established a flat rate royalty for helium that is produced, saved and sold, and we know that it has picked an effective rate of 4.25%, but we have very little idea of what might have informed either of those decisions. The little that we do know suggests that competitiveness was certainly a significant driver. We know this because IL 2018-25, which required the reporting of helium production and sales, indicated that, “[e]fforts to establish a royalty rate for helium production will be done with consideration for competitiveness with neighbouring jurisdictions.” The concern with competitiveness is reiterated in IL 2020-22, as noted above.

As it happens, Saskatchewan’s helium royalty rate is the same as that introduced in Alberta: 5% minus a 0.75% Saskatchewan Royalty Credit (see The Oil and Gas Tenure Registry Regulations, RRS c C-50.2, Reg 31, s 9-26 (Saskatchewan Tenure Regulations)). We should ask if competition to attract helium investors best serves the interests of the two provinces. Is this perhaps not an instance where Saskatchewan and Alberta might be better served by cooperation – especially given the need to establish coordinated helium processing and infrastructure facilities?

Missing from any of Alberta’s publicly available information is any consideration of whether an effective rate of 4.25% represents a fair sharing (as between the government and proponents) of the available rent at different price levels. In other words, there is nothing in the public record that I have found, other than the reference to competitiveness, that justifies either an effective rate of 4.25%, or the choice of a flat royalty rather than a profit-sensitive royalty design. While a flat-rate royalty might be more readily justified in the context of helium that is co-produced with methane and other hydrocarbon liquids (on account of the complexity of any cost allocation as between the different revenue streams), it would be good to know more about why the government did not adopt a profit-sensitive royalty to dedicated or pure-play helium projects, for which helium is the only source of revenue. 

Tenure Design Issues

Reference to the Saskatchewan Tenure Regulations also raises the question as to whether or not Alberta’s tenure scheme under the Mines and Minerals Act, RSA 200 0, c M-17 (MMA) and associated regulations is really fit for purpose in those cases in which the proponent’s target is an accumulation of nitrogen containing helium, rather than a hydrocarbon accumulation that may contain some helium. In the case of the latter, the appropriate form of tenure is clearly a petroleum and natural gas licence or lease issued and continued under the terms of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Tenure Regulation, Alta Reg 263/1997, but this is less obviously the case for a drilling operation that is not directed at petroleum or natural gas.

Saskatchewan has addressed this issue by establishing forms of tenure that are specific to helium (namely, helium and associated gases permits and leases). Indeed, while the Saskatchewan Tenure Regulations contain no less than 113 references to helium, there is not a single reference to helium in the MMA or any of its more than 30 regulations. While there is no doubt that helium found underground is a mineral for the purposes of the MMA (see the recent decision in Alexis v Alberta (Environment and Parks), 2020 ABCA 188 (CanLII) and the ABlawg post here), it is not a hydrocarbon, and neither is nitrogen. (I acknowledge that the definitions in the Oil and Gas Conservation Act, RSA 2000, c O-6 may ultimately have some limited bearing on the appropriate legal characterization of helium).

Royalty Certainty

Readers of this blog will recall that during the 2019 fall session the Kenney government introduced and passed the Royalty Guarantee Act, SA 2019, c 9, amending the MMA to provide that no fundamental restructuring of the royalty framework should apply to any new well until it had been in production for ten years. I commented on Bill 12 here. In the present context it is important to note that the amendment only applies the guarantee to “hydrocarbon royalties reserved to the Crown” (emphasis added). Helium, as noted above, is not a hydrocarbon and therefore one would anticipate that the guarantee would not apply to the helium royalty – neither the zero royalty that applied until April 1, 2020 nor the current effective rate of 4.25%. However, it is not inconceivable that, insofar as the helium royalty is established as part of the Natural Gas Royalty Regulations, some may try to argue to the effect that the helium royalty is simply part of the hydrocarbon royalty framework and thus entitled to the same level of protection. As I commented at the end of the post on Bill 12 “the only sure bet is that if Bill 12 is enacted in its current form it guarantees that the validity of all future royalty changes will be challenged in the courts.”

Conclusion

As noted in the introduction, helium is an important non-renewable natural resource with many significant and non-substitutable applications. Given Alberta’s considerable strengths in conventional oil and natural gas production and processing, the possibility of tapping potentially significant helium resources in the province represents a significant diversification opportunity for Alberta. However, in seeking to incent investment in this resource it is also important to be sure that we have an appropriate tenure regime in place and that we have, not only a competitive helium royalty rate, but a royalty rate that is fair to both project proponents and the public in those instances in which the public is the owner of this valuable resource. Based on the evidence in the public record it is not clear that this regime strikes the right balance.

This post may be cited as: Nigel Bankes, “Considerations in the Design of a Royalty Regime for Helium” (May 21, 2020), online: ABlawg, http://ablawg.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Blog_NB_HeliumRoyalties.pdf

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