#go look at their motor carriages and see how good of a match they are to their riders

[danielpowell]

I gotta say that I find it so lovely that both Harry and Kim are objectum. You can pat objects and talk to them, and instead of Kim thinking you are weird, he will pat the box too (if you are mean). When you talk about holding a funeral for your Coupris, he likes the idea. Harry personifies almost everything and Kim undoubtedly personifies his Kineema. They're all I want from mascs.

[shenandoahandback2021]

We got to Missouri and ended up new near Laura Ingall's Wilder house and decided to stop and see it.   It was very interesting and she had a very interesting life before she starting writing the books about that life. As luck would have it, there was a campground right across the road from the house. We spent a nice relaxing evening there is there and then headed East on route state 160 which was like a rollercoaster but nice driving and good pavement.   Sep 2    We found a campground that was only available for one night  on Thursday. It's a campground specifically designed for 4 wheelers to come and ride around in the wilderness. It's near the river and quiet hours don't start until midnight! The owners of the campground ask us to come over after we ate and visit with her friends and family.  It was an interesting visit. Her husband and a couple of the other guys are Civil War  Re-enactors. They have some interesting stories about incidences happen during some of their maneuvers.  In the morning we went over and spent a couple of hours chatting with some other people and had a great time but finally had to leave   Sep 3    We were close to Loretta Lynn's home place in Butcher Holler so we decided to go there. Getting there was a hoot and the road turn into a single lane road and there was no place to park for an RV. We drove past the house and turned around on a on a very narrow turnaround place. Wed were able to park parallel to the road. The house was very interesting and had most of the original furniture. Her 2 nieces gave the tours and they knew much more about a her than any person who had been schooled in it.  Since it was Friday night of the Labor Day weekend, we could not find a campground so we had to sleep in the Hardee’s parking lot.   Sep 4    We drove to the New River gorge National Park. There were no rooms at the end at the 1st two RV parks but we found a nice park across from a National Guard armory and decided to spend 2 nights. In the morning, we went to the New River Gorge National Park.  You can walk under the bridge, but there were no openings at the private company that ran the bridge walk.  The bridge is the longest single-arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere and the 3rd longest in the world.  It was the longest in the world for 26 years when first completed. We drove down to the bottom of the gorge and stopped on the way to look at the bridge construction. We drove over the river to the other side of the bridge and parked to come back and look at it from a different perspective.  The signs said the road was not recommended for RVs or trailers, but when we parked on the other side of the river there were school busses and trailers carrying raft equipment for people who raft down the river down the river. We met a group from Raleigh and New Jersey who commented that they were looking at a Leisure Travel Van to purchase so we showed them ours.  At 1st we didn't know they were from Raleigh but when we found out I told them I had graduated from NC State. One gentleman, Clive, had graduated from state and the other man was from New Jersey. They had a Chinese grandmother with them along with the Chinese wives from New York City and we had a great conversation. I showed them my lifetime membership to the NC STATE student union.  The grandmother said when you come to Raleigh again you must come visit and I said be careful what you ask for. You only have to give me your address. I gave them my card but we haven't heard from them.   Next day.    We had two things on our minds for the next day and decided to drive down to an old abandoned coal mine. Again it said the road was not suitable for RVs, but I stopped at the last leg of the trip and asked the man living there if our RV could make the trip. He looked it over said, ”Yup” because he drives his oversized pickup truck down there often to the river. It was an interesting drive and we had to blow our horn around a couple of the curves to make sure no one ran into us. Sure enough one curve had someone coming around and she heard our horn and stopped before we smacked into each other. Her little Chevy would have been a hood ornament on the Mercedes. It was a pretty interesting drive all the way and when we were 100' from the parking lot there was a pothole on the left side. I decided to go a little bit right to miss that instead of slowing down too much and there was a rock hidden in the grass and it tore out our steps from the side door. We were able to tie the mangled steps up to the frame to drive back out of the area. I stopped and told the man who said that RV would go there that we lost the steps. He was apologetic but I told him it was not his fault.  I asked if he knew someone who had a torch that I could get to cut the mangled steps off so we could continue our trip. He said to pull over front of my white truck there. As I drove over to it, I noticed that he had cutting torches on the back of his truck and he was a welder. How lucky can you be when you are so unlucky to start with. He cut the mangled steps off and we discovered that he had trained to be a tanker at Ft Knox after I had been there. We had a nice talk and he wouldn’t take any pay for the work. We went back to the campground and worked on the minor metal damage under the door. The motor was still working but it had nothing to move. I think I'll leave the body damage alone to remind me of my situation. There was plenty of room to make the drive I just had a 50-50 decision and went right instead of left. At least I can buy a new set of steps on Amazon and put them on when I get home. There are only 4 bolts holding the step mechanism is up to the frame.   Next day    We drove down to the end of the gorge and turned back up to the Sandstone Falls that are part of the National Park. There is a boardwalk that you can walk out to see them and it's a very interesting area. We met a nice couple from Virginia Beach, Ted and Julinne on the way out there. They have been thinking about buying an RV like ours to start traveling with in a couple of years. They were very interesting couple and had traveled a bit already. We invited them to have a cup of coffee with us because it was coffee time and we ended up spending 2 and a 1/2 hours discussing the RV, traveling what’s to see in Virginia et cetera. We hope we hear from them again and they said they would to ask us more information about the RV. On the way in we had seen an RV park on the river so we went back to that and stopped because it was getting late. We got a spot there for the night and it was very peaceful on the river.   Next day    We had morning fog below the ridge line call my but it was very nice and we had a relaxing start to the morning. We headed toward the north end of the Shenandoah Valley National Park. We got within 2 hours of my cousins house and her 3 daughters before we stopped for the night. I contacted them by phone and I thought by text but the text didn't work. We spent the night in a Walmart parking lot because there were no openings at the nearby RV parks.   Next day    We had given up seeing my cousins because I had not heard back from them, but in the morning, they called me and said please come by. We went to Ashburn, Virginia to see them and were able to park in the driveway. We had a good 3 hour or so visit is and they decided to go for a late lunch at one of their favorite restaurants. It was an old barn converted to a restaurant and it added on to it with different venue spaces and had several bars. In one bar they had carriages hanging from the ceiling from different eras. When we got back to the house about 5, I said guess we'll be going now try to get somewhere before it got too late. They said the traffic will be pretty bad and said why don't you spend the night. We said, well if you don't mind we'd love to. They have a 5-bedroom, 5,500 ft² house on 3 levels to the head plenty of room. We stayed up watching the news and then the US Open tennis matches and talking until midnight when I suspect they usually go to bed pretty early. I had not visited with my cousin or her family except for a funeral for her brother and we didn't get to visit very much then.  The three sisters have been living together for several years, at least 20, I think.  When their dad died a few years ago, my cousin, their mother came to live with them. Everyone has their own bedroom and bath and private space.  There is a suite downstairs with a gigantic screen TV with a Projector. We had that suite last night. After a late breakfast and lots more stories, we headed down to the Skyline Drive for the Shenandoah National Park. It was a beautiful drive part way down the Park until we decided to stop at KOA for the night.   Next day  We arrived at the Luray Caverns and spent most of the day there. We had a very nice visit at Luray caverns, very relaxing. It is an interesting cave, unlike any we have seen. The formations are striking and many stalagmites have come together with the stalactites. It is a very easy walk through the caverns on a paved walkway that is non slippery. They have an antique vehicle museum with all types of vehicles calls from buggies to Rolls Royce’s. They also have a Pioneer replica village set up that has many buildings from the surrounding area that were taken down and completely restored in this village. When we got back to the RV, there was a nice young couple next to us that we struck up a conversation with and ended up talking to them for about an hour. The husband is a pastor at the local Hispanic church and he is also a computer Tech for the IRS for his regular job. His daughter plays the flute and his wife sings and leads the church choir. They are from Puerto Rico and most of the family have come here to be with them. They came here 21 years to go to live 5 years or so and go to school. He was a police officer in Puerto Rico. When we got back to the KOA for the night, a couple we had met our first day stopped to speak to us and we had a drink and talked for an hour or so. They said they were sorry they didn't get to say goodbye to us this morning not knowing we would be back tonight. We didn't know we were going to be back tonight until we got to the caverns and decided we should stay another night to relax. It's lucky that we called as soon as we decided, because the campground is full tonight. We just enjoyed some homemade fudge from a small shop in the Luray Caverns Village.    

[hurt-care]

Dear lord please tell me you'll bring back Francis and his poor asthmatic allergy stricken lungs at some point. He is 💗💗💗

Thanks!

For those of you who haven’t met Francis yet, you can read the first story about him here

-

As Long As You’re There

The spring weather in Plymouth had been temperate and pleasant all season. Away from the heavy smog and pollen of the inlands, Francis had been free to spend his days blissfully (mostly) free of sneezing and itching and all the general unpleasantness that came with his hay-asthma. His respiratory system would always be sensitive, but the sea air made a huge difference in his health.

And spending the days with one Miss Caroline Willison had been a delight. Their blossoming romance was no secret and they could often be found sitting together looking out at the ocean or playing cards in the solarium. Unbeknownst to the rest of the household, they'd been finding themselves more private corners of the estate for more intimate matters. Francis was dreading the thought of heading back to his business affairs in Surrey at the end of the hay-asthma season because it would mean leaving her.

They'd been apart a few days this week and already Francis was eager to have her return to her family home. She'd gone up to London on the train to do some dress shopping with her mother and was schedule to return on the afternoon train. When Francis woke, he rolled over to see a grey sky out his window and the trees bending in the wind. For a season that had been so mild, it looked to be a disappointing day.

He dressed in his best day suit with the green trim and went down for breakfast with Mr. Willison.

“I'll be going over to call on Lord Ashford today,” Mr. Willison said over their shared meal. “Miss Caroline and Mrs. Willison will be in on the two o'clock train. We can have Evans fetch them but you're welcome to go down to the station to greet them if you feel up to it.”

“Plymouth has been a great relief,” Francis said, sipping his tea. “I will most certainly go to fetch them. It'll be nice to have them back home. It seems so quiet without them here.”

Mr. Willison laughed knowingly.

“I'm certain that you speak only of my Caroline,” he said fondly. “She is taken with you, Mr. Miller.”

“And I with her,” Francis said, trying not to blush too obviously. He was still shy around her father, unsure of his feelings about his daughter's relations with a man who was so often affected by ill health. While Francis was a successful businessman with a substantial inheritance in the bank, he sometimes felt an inadequate match for someone as beautiful and vibrant as Caroline.

“She will be glad to be back, I'm sure,” Mr. Willison remarked. “She despises the city.”

“I understand that,” Francis replied. “I would relocate permanently if my father's business affairs allowed it. Unfortunately, until I'm able to sell the company, I'm obliged to return to Surrey.”

“You're a good lad. I'm sure he'd be proud of all you've done for the business.”

Francis looked down modestly.

“Thank you, sir.”

They finished their breakfast, exchanging casual conversation. At eleven, Mr. Williston took a motorcar off to visit Lord Ashford and Francis settled into the atrium with a book. He could not fully concentrate on the plot, however, as he continuously was drawn to his pocket-watch, counting down the hours until he could leave for the station.

When the time arrived, he rang for Evans and the valet brought around the second motorcar. Francis checked his jacket pocket for his familiar companion, a small folded stack of handkerchiefs. Though he'd been mostly free of his affliction, the smoke and dust of the train station could often trigger his symptoms, as could a ride in the car. It did not matter compared to the anticipation of seeing her again.

They sped off down the roadway towards the station, cruising along the coastal road. Francis looked out at the seaside, observing the rolling clouds gathering and the darkening sky. The heavy feeling in his sinuses and head foretold rain and he mentally cursed himself for neglecting to bring an umbrella. He'd have to ask the train porter to accompany the ladies to the shelter of the car with one.

They were about two kilometres from the station when a sudden BANG! sounded and the car lurched worryingly. Evans pulled over to the side and Francis leaned forward, calling through the window between the rear carriage and the driver's seat.

“What happened?”

“Blown tire, sir,” Evans called.

Francis took out his pocket watch and was dismayed to see it reading ten-to-two.

“They'll be arriving soon,” he said, leaning out the window. “How long will it take to fix?”

“I'm not sure, sir,” Evans replied, surveying the damage. “I can do it but it will take a while. Probably a half hour or more.”

Francis looked at his watch again and sighed. The Willison women would arrive to no car and would have no idea why they'd been abandoned at the station.

“I'll walk down and meet them,” Francis suggested, hopping out of the back of the motor. “It isn't far and I don't want them to arrive and think we've forgotten them.”

Evans nodded.

“Good idea, sir. I'll drive over when the tire is repaired and fetch you.”

“Very good. See you soon,” Francis said, settling off down the road towards the station.

The sky overhead was darkening and he quickened his pace. Though the station was not far, there were a few hills along the way and the exertion of climbing them left Francis' weakened lungs straining for air. He huffed a sharp cough into his sleeve and continued on. The air was growing heavy and humid, and above the clouds were getting denser. A clap of thunder startled him and then the heavens opened.

The rain began to pour in sheets, starting to soak Francis through to the skin. He rushed along the road, boots sloshing through the mud and puddles. He thought briefly of poor Evans back at the motorcar, fighting to get the tire changed in this dreadful storm.

Water dripped down from his head of dark curls, trailing across his cheeks and down his nose. His cravat stuck to his neck uncomfortably and his trousers were dark with rain. Even his sturdy day coat was soaked-through.

By the time he approached the station, he was starting to shiver a little. Water pooled in his boots and mud splattered his trousers. He ducked under the awning of the station, gulping for air as his lungs strained in the humidity. He coughed rattily and leaned against the wall, trying to steady his breath.

In the distance, the sound of a train whistle rent the air. Francis reached reflexively into his pocket and withdrew a damp handkerchief, clutching it over his nose and mouth. The steam engine barrelled into the station, spewing smoke into the rainy air. It slowed to a screeching halt and puffed a last great cloud of steam before settling at the station. The doors opened and people began to spill from the carriages, opening umbrellas or rushing towards the shelter of the station awning.

Francis lowered the handkerchief tentatively, searching the crowd for the two women. In the bustle of people, he thought he saw Caroline's auburn hair but he was forced to turn away as a tickle burst forth in his sinuses and he pressed the handkerchief to his nose, sneezing with an irritated sound.

GhhTSXHT!

“Francis?”

Emerging from the crowd was a radiant-looking Caroline. Her auburn hair was damp and sticking to her forehead, but she was glowing and smiling at him.

“Welcome home,” he said, ashamed at the hoarseness in his voice. “I'm afraid we have had a spot of trouble.”

Mrs. Willison appeared behind her daughter, wiping rain from her face.

“Trouble?” she asked.

“The motorcar had a blown tire. Evans is repairing it but I walked ahead to greet you. And I fear I got caught in the storm.”

“You're soaked through!” Caroline exclaimed, getting a good look at him. He tried valiantly not to shiver but he could barely keep his limbs from quaking. The sopping clothes were clinging to his slight frame and chilling him to the bones.

“I am, I'm afraid,” he admitted. “I'm sorry I'm not more presentable. Evans should be here shortly with the car. In the meantime, I suggest we have the porter deliver your bags here under the awning and we'll try to stay dry.”

They huddled under the glass canopy, watching the rain fall as they waited alongside the Willison family luggage. As Francis hugged his arms around himself in an attempt to get warm, he felt the gentle reassuring touch of Caroline's hand on the small of his back.

“I wish I had something to offer you to warm you,” she whispered softly so her mother would not hear.

“I'm better with you here,” he replied quietly.

There was a car approaching in the distance, headlights shining through the heavy rain. It trailed through the thick muddy road and came to a stop at the front of the station. Evans emerged, equally as muddy and damp as Francis.

He came over and bowed to the ladies.

“My apologies,” he said. “I'm sure Mr. Miller has filled you in on our misadventure. I do hope you haven't been waiting too long.”

“Not at all, Evans,” Mrs. Willison replied. “You've both done us a great service. Now, let's to the car and out of the rain.”

Evans loaded up the luggage while Francis helped the ladies into the back seat. He took the front spot beside the valet and when Evans had finished packing, they began the drive back to the family estate.

Francis rubbed his hands up and down his arms in a futile attempt to stave off the cold. In the back of the car, Caroline spoke cheerfully of their time in London and her visit with her cousin, Olive.

She was telling of their afternoon tea at a family friend's townhouse when Francis interrupted with an urgent, throaty sneeze.

Hurhh-TSGHHT!

He pressed a sodden handkerchief to his nose.

“Bless you,” Caroline said, her voice carrying a hint of worry.

“Thank you,” Francis murmured, wiping his nose gently. “Sorry. Go on.”

She continued her story but again, Francis interrupted unintentionally. He started to cough softly and it quickly turned to a harsh hack that he muffled with his handkerchief.

“Mr. Miller, have you taken ill?” Mrs. Willison asked.

“No, sorry,” Francis said between sputtering coughs. “The humid air isn't agreeable with my health. I apologize.”

He took a wheezy breath and huffed a final cough into his handkerchief.

“Forgive me,” he said again. His skin felt ice-cold and tingled all over, sending chills quaking through his limbs. He hugged himself to stop the shivering, focusing on the passing seascapes and willing his lungs to be quiet.

The motorcar arrived at the estate and rumbled into the front drive where they were met by the butler and a footman bearing umbrellas to escort them inside. Francis let the ladies go first and then followed, pausing in the front foyer to tug off his mud-soaked boots.

Hurshh-TSGHHT!

A sneeze tore out of him with a throat-scraping sound and he barely managed to shield his nose into his shoulder. A soft touch settled on his back and Caroline was looking at him with a concerned expression.

“You need to get out of those damp clothes. I'll send Parker up to help you dress.”

“I'd rather do it myself,” he croaked, trying to wipe his nose under her intense gaze. “I'll be down for dinner.”

Caroline reached down and squeezed his hand.

“Ring if you need anything. I'll let the staff know not to bother you.”

Francis escaped up to his rooms, shutting the door and stripping off his layers of sodden clothing. He was shivering madly, unable to keep his limbs from trembling. Goose-pimples rose across his bare skin and he searched his wardrobe for a pair of his pyjamas. He put them on and topped it with a dressing gown. Still shivering, he pushed down his bed sheets and climbed under, bundling himself in the quilts.

He lay with his damp hair on the pillow, wheezing audibly with his nose dribbling down his lip. He would need something hot to drink and a cigarette if he wanted to be comfortable, but the bone-deep cold and his pride kept him from calling for the footman. Instead, he propped himself up with some pillows until he was elevated enough to breathe more easily. And closing his eyes, he focused on small, slow breaths. Gradually, the quaking chills settled and he felt his body feel as if it were thawing. Heavy with cold and exhaustion, he drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

When he woke, it was to the sound of a knock on his door.

“Dinner, sir,” a voice boomed from outside his rooms.

“Yes, coming shortly,” he called, embarrassed to hear how raspy his voice sounded. He climbed stiffly out of bed and went for his wardrobe, selecting a dinner jacket and trousers with his favourite paisley ascot. He tied the silk securely around his throat, but not so tight as to restrict his already laboured breathing. Though his asthmatic wheeze was quieter with some rest and warmth, his chest still felt tight.

Fully dressed, he dragged a comb through his thick tangle of hair and scrubbed his face clean, pausing to fret at the pinkish tinge around his nose. The last touch was a trusty handkerchief in his pocket.

The family was in the parlour and they greeted him warmly.

“You look much drier,” Caroline teased, smiling at him.

“I feel it too,” he remarked.

They went through to the table and settled at their places in front of the starting course. They all tucked in to the delicious squash soup, chatting casually about the trip to London and catching up on the week.

Francis could feel his attention drifting in and out of the conversation as he ate. Perhaps getting out of bed had not been the best idea. It still felt like a struggle to get a full breath and he was becoming keenly aware of a dull ache in his limbs.

Though it was terribly impolite to cough at the dinner table, he soon found himself unable to help it and withdrew his trusted handkerchief to shield his mouth, turning away from the table and barking some chesty coughs into its folds.

Under the table, Caroline's hand found his thigh and squeezed it reassuringly.

She said something witty to her father, steering the conversation away from Francis' cough.

Francis sputtered and tried to recover his breath, but he could not. Pushing back his chair, he stood with his handkerchief poised over his mouth and managed to say his apologies before retreating out of the dining room.

He stumbled down the foyer, wheezing and hacking miserably before he found himself out on the front veranda. The rain had ceased and the temperature had dropped, leaving the yard masked by a low fog. The cool evening was a welcome shock to his beleaguered lungs and he took a raspy gasp as the coughs began to settle. He leaned back against the cool stone of the house and closed his eyes, feeling woozy and tired.

“Sweet?” a voice said.

Caroline emerged from the house and was at his side in an instant. She lifted her hand and pushed back the curls from his brow, testing its heat.

“You're fevered,” she said. “You should be in bed.”

“It's my affliction, nothing more,” he said wearily. “I'm still recovering from all the train smoke. You know it takes me some time to get over it.”

“This isn't hay-asthma,” she chided. “This is a chest cold from being stuck in that horrendous rainstorm because you insisted on being noble and coming to fetch us yourself.”

She cupped her hand to his flushed cheek and thumbed across the pink skin.

“Come inside before you get a worse chill,” she said gently. “Sit in the library if you won't go up to bed. Father suggested we go through for a glass of brandy.”

Reluctantly, he followed her into the library. Her parents were not yet there which was a great relief. He sunk into an armchair and sat with his handkerchief clasped in his lap.

“Do you want a brandy or something warmer?” asked Caroline.

“Something warmer would be for the best,” Mrs. Willison said as she entered the room. “I've asked Parker to bring up a tea tray with some honey.”

“Thank you,” Francis said, blushing. “I'm sorry for spoiling dinner.”

“Nothing was spoiled,” Mr. Willison said, selecting a cigar from his humidor and lighting it. “I'm sorry you're not well, Mr. Miller.”

“I think I just got a bit cocky going to see the ladies at the train and thinking I'd get away without a reaction.”

“He has a fever,” Caroline interrupted. “I told him that he should be in bed.”

As if perfectly on cue, Francis clasped his handkerchief to his nose and snapped forward with a harsh sneeze.

Hurrr-TSGHHHH!

“I'm so sorry,” he stammered from behind the cloth square.

“It's just fine, lad,” Mrs. Williston said. “Don't you worry yourself. You can have some hot drink and then to bed.”

The library door opened and the footman Parker entered with tea tray.

“And here we are!” Mrs. Williston exclaimed. She poured a generous cup for Francis and spooned in some honey, stirring it until it dissolved.

Francis took it from her gratefully and he sipped a little, feeling the warm liquid soothe his dry and aching throat.

The family made small-talk while Francis sat quietly drinking his tea and pausing every so often to surreptitiously wipe his runny nose.

Ehh-tsGCHHTT!

He put his tea cup down just in time to avoid spilling it before he wrenched forward with a sneeze.

“Let me walk you up to your rooms,” Caroline offered, putting her hand on his arm.

He smiled wearily at her.

“I think it's for the best,” he rasped.

“Mother, Father, I think I'll retire to bed soon too. I'm worn out from traveling,” Caroline said.

“Alright, dear,” Mr. Williston said. “Sleep well.”

Francis added his good evenings and followed Caroline out of the library, climbing the stairs to the bedrooms and turning down the hall. When they reached Francis' door, she paused. Leaning in, Caroline kissed him on the cheek.

“Father won't leave his brandy and Mother never goes to bed before nine. May I come in and get you settled.”

Francis smiled a little.

“You're very sweet,” he said quietly. “But I don't want you to have to be looking in on an invalid.”

“You're not an invalid,” she said, pulling him into her grip. She wrapped her arms around him and twined her fingers into his hair, scratching lightly along his scalp. “It would make me feel better to see you settled comfortably.”

Francis reached around her and opened his door.

“Come in.”

The went into his room and shut the door behind them.

“We have to be quiet as church mice,” she warned, reaching up to loosen his ascot from around his throat. Her fingers stroked the rise of his Adam's apple as she unwrapped it from his neck.

“I cannot promised that,” Francis croaked. “You heard me earlier.”

“Yes, but I must be,” she said, starting to unbutton his shirt. When she reached the bottom one, she plunged her hands under the shirt and pressed them against his chest. He sighed with a sharp wheeze and let his head loll forward to rest on her shoulder.

“No sleeping yet,” she said, rubbing slow circles on his chest. “Where do you keep your pyjamas. I'll fetch them and you keep undressing.”

“Third drawer in the wardrobe,” he said.

She guided him to sit down on his bed and then went in search of his pyjamas. Francis reluctantly unbuttoned his trousers and slid them down so that he was sitting shivering in his boxers and socks.

Caroline returned with the silk pyjama set, his favourite ones with the green pinstripes. She guided the sleeves around his arms and bent to button up the front. Francis took the liberty of putting on the bottoms, blushing slightly. Though they'd done plenty of exploring with each other, the vulnerability of being naked alone in front of her made him nervous.

Caroline drew down the bed sheets and helped Francis under the quilts, tucking them back up to his chin. She pushed his hair back, testing his forehead again with a frown.

“Thank you,” Francis said, giving her arm a gentle squeeze. “I'll be alright.”

She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

“Okay. I'll tell the footman to keep an ear out for your bell. Ring if you feel unwell during the night.”

He nodded and settled down into the pillows, coughing a few times as he closed his eyes. He felt Caroline's hand stroke his cheek a final time and then the sound of her quietly closing the door.

The next morning, he came back to consciousness with a start, taking a sharp breath and instantly dissolving into a fit of chesty, painful coughs. Someone had knocked and woken him. The door to his chambers opened a crack and Caroline's face peered around. She took one look at him and rushed over to the bedside.

“Oh, Francis,” she said sympathetically. “You should never have gone out in that rain.”

He took a shuddering breath and covered his mouth with his pyjama sleeve, hacking until he was red in the face and wheezing audibly. She pressed her small hand to his brow and frowned.

“You still have a fever,” she said. “We need to send for the doctor.”

“No,” he rasped, gasping for breath and trying to get the coughs under control.

“Francis, you can barely breathe!” she countered. “Please.”

He managed to get the coughing to quiet for a moment and he took some shallow, careful breaths as he wiped his nose with a handkerchief.

“I'll recover.”

“You don't get a fever from the rain,” she said. “We'll call for Doctor Harris.”

She went and tugged on the sash that would alert the staff to Francis' rooms.

“Now,” she said, leaning over the bed and pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “Mother won't like finding me in your rooms alone. I'll come back soon.”

She cupped a hand against his feverish cheek and he leaned into her soft touch.

“Thank you,” he said, defeated. The more awake he became, the more he realized the deep, heavy congestion that gripped his lungs and sinuses. He cursed his damn weak lungs and constitution for making him so vulnerable to illness like this. He watched Caroline leave, wondering if she'd ever considered that there were other men who could weather a little rain and escape unscathed.

Parker, the footman, arrived outside his rooms and Caroline instructed him to fetch a hot tea and to see to Francis' comfort.

Soon, a flurry of activity filled the bedroom as staff delivered a tray of hot tea and began setting up the sick room, spreading an extra quilt across the foot of the bed and providing more pillows to keep Francis upright.

“A flannel for your chest, sir,” explained Parker, arriving with a steaming bowl. He wrung out the hot cloth and reached over to unbutton Francis' pyjama top, spreading the fabric across his upper torso. “Miss Caroline said you might require your inhaling device?”

Francis, mortified to be caught amidst so much attention in his weakened state, shook his head.

“I will wait for Doctor Harris' advice,” he said softly. “But if you'd be so kind as to fetch it in case he recommends it, it can be found in the box atop my dressing table.”

While Parker went to fetch the ceramic inhaler, Francis searched the sheets for his discarded handkerchief, feeling the tingle of an oncoming sneeze. He located the cloth in time to press it against his nose, stifling a sneeze.

NghXHT!

He instantly went from the sneeze to a volley of barking coughs that left him wheezing softly again. Parker smiled sympathetically and put the inhaler down on the bedside table.

“Anything else I can fetch for you before the doctor arrives, sir?”

Francis shook his head as he wiped his nose. “No, thank you. I will just rest.”

“Very good sir.”

He bowed a little and left Francis alone for a moment. And then there were voices at the door and the Willison family entered, looking sympathetic. Francis felt his face flush at being seen in bed by all three of them.

“I'm so sorry you've taken so ill, Francis, dear,” Mrs. Willison said. “You should have stayed in the motorcar. We've called for Doctor Harris, but he'll be another few hours yet.”

“Our Caroline has offered to sit with you, if you'd like some company,” Mr. Willison said. “But if you'd like to rest, that is fine too.”

“I would like that very much,” he said quietly, trying to shield them from the dribble of snot that was threatening to escape his nostril. He pressed his handkerchief there briefly and sniffled.

“I'll be happy to keep watch,” Caroline said. “I'll go fetch a book and be right back.”

Mr. Willison moved the armchair from the corner to beside Francis' bed and Mrs. Willison offered her best wishes for a fast recovery before they both left him alone. Caroline returned holding a copy of one of their favourite novels, “Jude the Obscure” by Thomas Hardy. She settled into the chair at his side and leaned over to take his hand.

“Sweet, tell me truthfully how you feel?”

“Like my lungs and head are stuffed with cotton fluff and honey,” he admitted wearily.

She frowned.

“The doctor will not be here for some time. Can I persuade you to take some hot drink and maybe to try your inhaling device?”

“I'll take the tea first, thanks,” he said, accepting the steaming cup as she passed it over.

“Shall I read a little to you?” she asked. “Or do you want quiet?”

“Your voice is as good a medicine as any,” he said softly. “I'd like that very much.”

She smiled affectionately at him and opened the book.

Barely a few pages in, he interrupted her reading with a coughing fit. He shuddered and hacked, bent at the waist with his cheeks puffing as each pained bark filled the room with the uncomfortable-sounding coughs. Caroline put the book down and stood, bending over the bed and rubbing his back.

He took a strained breath and coughed hard, grabbing the handkerchief and clutching it over his mouth.

“Love?” she said, worried.

He hacked one last, hard cough into the cloth and slumped back into the pillows, fighting for his breath.

“I think we should use this,” she said, reaching for the inhaler.

He nodded reluctantly.

“The tincture is in my box there,” he said, gesturing to the dressing table. He huffed another wheezy cough and added “we'll need some boiling water.”

“I'll have some put in it,” she said, leaning over and kissing his flushed cheek. “I'll be back shortly. Rest.”

He watched with a fevered gaze as she left and returned a while later with the ceramic inhaler filled with a steaming mix of water and medicine.

She held it out to his lips and he took the curved portion into his mouth, sucking in the steamy medication. The harsh, fragrant medicine always seemed to burn for a moment but he felt the congestion easing. She pulled it away as he started to cough with a looser, wetter hack.

“There,” she said, gently rubbing his back as he coughed weakly into his handkerchief. “That'll help.”

He went limp into the pillows, still sputtering with coughs but utterly exhausted by the illness. She pushed his hair back and removed the cooling flannel from his chest, buttoning his pyjamas back up and tucking the quilts up to his chin.

“Thank you,” he rasped. “I'm sorry. I feel silly being so ill like this from something as simple as a rainstorm.”

“You can't help it,” she said. “Now, quiet. Don't strain yourself.”

She settled back into the chair and took up the book again. Francis closed his eyes, floating between sleep and waking as the fever pulsed in his body and robbed him of his strength. Soon, he was sleeping fully, wheezing quietly as he breathed. Caroline set down the book and tested her hand on his brow. It was still burning with a steady heat.

Francis' pocket-watch was on the nightstand and she checked the time, wondering how long it would be before the doctor arrived. She hated seeing him feeling so poorly and struggling to breathe.

He dozed fitfully for the next hour, snorting and snuffling for air. Caroline had a maid fetch a cool bowl of water and a flannel. She dipped the cloth and wrung it out, gently sponging off Francis' face and neck. He stirred and his eyes flickered open for a moment.

“The doctor will be here soon,” she said softly, pushing back his sweaty hair and wiping his brow with the cloth.

Francis opened his mouth to speak but only a croaking noise came.

Caroline tipped a glass of water to his lips and helped him to drink.

“Thank you,” he rasped wearily. “I'm sorry.”

“I told you to stop apologizing,” she chided, taking up the flannel again and pressing it to each flushed cheek.

There was a knock on the door and a kindly man with a white moustache entered.

“Mr. Miller?”

“Yes, this is him Doctor,” Caroline said, standing and approaching the doctor to greet him. “Thank you for coming.”

Mr. Williston followed the doctor into the room and smiled at his daughter.

“Your nursing duties are relieved, dear,” he said. “Why don't you go down to the parlour for some tea with your mother and let the doctor look in on Francis?”

Caroline turned and gave Francis a small smile.

“Yes father,” she said and reluctantly left the room.

The doctor sat Francis up and listened to his chest with a stethoscope.

“Definitely congestion of the lungs,” the doctor murmured. “I've seen you before, for hay-asthma a few years back?”

“Yes,” Francis croaked. “I'm affected rather severely by the climate inland. I come to Plymouth for my health during the warmer months. You saw me when I was affected by an unfamiliar plant at a neighbouring estate.”

“Those prone to the modern affliction of allergies and asthma are often more vulnerable to diseases of the respiratory system,” Doctor Harris said, leaning Francis forward to listen to his lungs from the back.

“I'm afraid I caught a nasty chill in a rainstorm,” Francis said. He sniffled softly. The leaning forward was making his nose run.

“I'm sorry doctor-- I --” he began, voice wavering. He turned away and sneezed damply into his pyjama sleeve.

Hurhh-TSCHGHHHT!

The doctor passed him a fresh handkerchief from the nightstand and Francis blew his nose softly.

“Excuse me,” he said, mortified that Caroline's father was witnessing this whole display.

“Is there much sneezing and congestion of the nose?” the doctor asked.

“Oh yes,” Francis replied. “It's hard to get my breath either way. My nose is not quite as troublesome as it is when around pollen or dust, but I'm still quite prone to sneezing today. It feels as if my head is stuffed with cotton.”

“And how long have you felt feverish?” the doctor asked, taking a small mercury thermometer from his case.

“Since the afternoon yesterday,” Francis replied. The doctor wiped off the thermometer and put it under Francis' tongue.

“Hold that there a moment,” he instructed.

The doctor busied himself with rummaging through his bag while the thermometer measured Francis' temperature. Holding it under his tongue, Francis focused on breathing slowly through what little passage was left in his nose. But his lungs were not in agreement and he found himself gripping the thermometer tightly between his lips as he started to cough.

“Just a moment more, lad,” the doctor said as Francis' cheeks puffed with the suppressed coughs. After a moment, he removed the thermometer and Francis took a gasping breath, dissolving into harsh coughs.

“Yes, still fevered,” Dr. Harris said, consulting the thermometer's gauge. “I'm going to give you some medicines to calm the coughing and allow you to rest. And I'll leave some pastilles to help soothe your cough as well. Mr. Williston has told me you already own an inhaler?”

“Yes sir,” Francis sputtered between small coughs. “On the nightstand there.”

“Ah yes, very good,” the doctor said, examining the device. “I would recommend a treatment before resting and another upon waking, up to four times daily to keep your breathing loose. You'll take a spoonful of the cough medication twice daily and make sure to have plenty of rest, hot drink, and it is important that you stay warm and dry so you do not catch a worse chill.”

Francis nodded, feeling his energy fading away. The coughing fit had left him feeling drained and he wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and submit to sleep.

“A spoonful of medicine and then you may rest,” the doctor said, sensing his exhaustion. He dosed a small teaspoon of thick, dark syrup that Francis swallowed followed by a bit of lemon water to remove the harsh taste.

“Mr. Williston?” the doctor said, turning to the master of the house. “I recommend that he remain in bed at least a day more and that he limits his physical activity for a week. No strenuous walks or tennis and I think it best he stay indoors given his propensity for reaction to natural irritants. Calm afternoons spent reading or playing a quiet game of cards will be the best medicine for his recovery once he's well enough to be out of bed.”

“Very good,” Mr. Williston said. “We'll ensure he does just that. Thank you, doctor.”

“Do ring if his condition worsens or does not improve within a few days.”

“We will. Francis, do you have everything that you need before I show Dr. Harris out?”

Francis raised his head from the pillow and nodded.

“Yes, thank you sir. I think I'll just have a rest. I'm feeling quite tired.”

“I'll leave you to it then. Ring if you need anything.”

Mr. Williston accompanied the doctor to the door and sent him on his way before heading to the parlour. His wife and daughter were playing a game of bridge over afternoon tea.

“How is he?” Caroline asked eagerly.

“Quite unwell but the doctor believes he'll recover within a few days. He dosed some medicines and recommended that he rest as much as possible.”

“May I go sit with him?” she asked.

“He's going to sleep now, dear,” Mr. Williston said. “I think it best you let him. I worry about you wasting your affections on a man with such a poor constitution.”

“I'm not wasting my affections!” Caroline retorted. “Francis is a dear and kind man who has never been anything but sweet and respectful towards me. I love him, papa, and he loves me.”

“I didn't mean to say the affections were wasted,” Mr. Williston replied. “I just worry you'd be left playing nursemaid more than you should. Think of the state of him when he arrived here at the beginning of the season. There'd be no freedom to travel during the warm months, no garden parties, no impromptu train trips.”

“It won't matter,” Caroline said defiantly. “We'll make a home here on the seaside. I detest London and when Francis can sell his family business, we'll have enough to live here comfortably without worrying for his health. I'd be happy enough with that.”

Her father smiled at her.

“Yes, darling,” he said, leaning over to kiss the top of her head. “I believe you would be. He's a good lad, I agree with you there.”

Later that night, Caroline crept along the dark corridors of the home after everyone had gone to bed. In her nightclothes and dressing gown, she slipped into Francis' room and sat down on the edge of the bed. He was asleep, hair wild and unwashed with a pink nose and flushed cheeks. She felt a swell of affection as she watched him at rest.

He stirred and opened his eyes as she leaned over to kiss his brow.

“Love?” he whispered.

“Yes,” she whispered back. “Just checking in on you. Mother and father insisted I leave you alone to rest but I wanted to see you for myself.”

“The medicine is helping,” he murmured. “But I'm ever so sleepy.”

“That's okay,” she soothed, stroking his cheek. “Get some rest. I'll sit for a while and then I'll come visit you tomorrow for tea.”

Francis closed his eyes and dozed off again as she sat, carding her fingers through his hair. With a last kiss she went off to bed, relieved to see him recovering a little. Two days later, he was well enough to join her in the library for tea and cards. And one week later, they strolled arm-in-arm along the coast as Francis drank in the cool summer air with a cheerful eagerness. He leaned in to kiss her as they reached a secluded spot free from prying eyes.

“I will marry you,” he said into her ear and she laughed playfully. “And we will build a home with this view.”

“I don't care about the view,” she said, returning the kiss. “As long as you're there, I'll be happy.”

[eaexu]

       COME AND TALK TO ME! It is an eerie staccato voice. The voice of cigarette advertisements, fierce sun, a two-bit bar with dead flies on the floor. They turn round to see they are standing outside a pinball arcade. CASINO! The Yankee growling voice comes from a silver and chrome machine. On its screen a square muscled man jumps up and down in a computerized urban landscape of skyscrapers and highways. Hands in raincoat pocket, jaw jerking to one side, he drawls again, COME AND TALK TO ME.          Gregory nudges J.K.’s arm. ‘Well, listen to the man, let’s take up his invitation.’ He puts ten francs in the slot. 

        HOW YA DOING? says the man TYPE SOMETHING INTO THE KEYBOARD AND I WILL RESPOND. The screen shirs as the urban cowboy crosses his arms and leans towards them.         ‘It’s in English.’         ‘Well, tell him how you are.’         Gregory turns to face the man. He puts another ten francs into the machine and spreads out his fingers. Pink and blue bulbs flash above him.

Do your lips burn up when we kissed right? Let me kiss ‘em again baby. Let me let me let me. I would like to fuck you. I would like to make you happy. How do you like to be touched? On the aeroplane over here, the air hostess demonstrated various ways of surviving an aircrash. She said we must blow on a whistle to draw attention to ourselves. Dont you think that is a little narcissistic? If everyone in the everyday of their lives who wanted to draw attention to themselves blew a whistle where would we be? What do you do to make people love you? I do cheap things to make people like me. I make them feel more important than they are and flatter them and when someone makes me a great cocktail I take a sip and shout DRAGONFLIES! In England I light my cigarettes with matches made in Yugoslavia. The picture on the box is of ‘Scenic Cornwall’ and shows a number of signposts on the edge of a cliff. One of them says THE FALKLANDS 8109 and the other says AUSTRALIA 170001. I tell you this because when I was a boy I collected stamps. It was my way of naming places and conquering the world. A stamp is a small picture. So I had lots of small pictures of the world. Madagascar, China, Mexico, Argentina, Egypt. A kind of virtual reality. 

What’s your name my sweet? Is it Johnny or Sam or Brett? I’d like to go down on you and for you to talk to me about football and religion and hamburgers and beauty and death and what it feels like to come. Were you bullied at school? When you were a teenager did you spend hours in your bedroom changing your clothes? Did you save up to the boots and shirts other kids had? What kind of Darwinian programmed you? Do you want to change yourself in anyway? Like speak in a deeper voice or have a different nose? Do you feel safe in this world? Or do you feel alone and scared? What kind of gadgets do you have in your home? Do they comfort you? Baby do you sometimes feel glum? Baby take care of yourself. Oh baby I’d like to stroke you and whisper things to make you not have fear. 

Honey, I want to tell you about a train I took to Kiev with my bit of a squeeze. We made love just as we got near Chernobyl and the loudspeakers in our carriage played a kind of lament to mark the tragedy of the nuclear accident. In some way it seemed to mark all tragedy ever. The cries of our lovemaking as we passed the infected cattle, children with shaved heads playing by the railway tracks and the eerie stillness of deformed trees were the only sound, snow falling, he and I sweating in each others arms and honey we were, in that moment, without fear. The high-rise blocks of flats we stayed in were called The Sleeping Region. I was brought up in a block like that in London. As a kid we lived on tins of beans and meatballs and hated to sleep because we were frightened. Darling, do you sleep sweet and easy and deep? Does someone sleep beside you? Breathing into the pillow next to you and you wake up first and feel them there and its just so great that they’re there and you know very soon they will wake too and you will move closer and kind of pull in the beginning of a new day together? In Kiev I opened tins of crab meat and caviar bought with hard currency and we slept easy. We slept easy and there was a famine outside. The circus played every night in Kiev -- an old man sitting next to me made a joke about eating the cats and horses after the show. Are you happy with your life, my sweet? The man said ‘You can always tell a tourist, their eyes don’t know where they’re going. Here everyone knows where they’re going.’ Do you know where you’re going baby? Is it a good place? Something to write home about? Is home a good place? Or just somewhere to return to? 

Are you pleased to open your eyes in the morning? What do you see? Do you like what you see? If you hate it do you feel you have any power to change it for something else? Oh my love, let me call you that -- My Love -- let us imagine what that means, you and I liplocked some place in the American South, perhaps where the Klan lynched our brothers? You and I in a motor on the high way making plans for the future. The radio is on and we hear the Soviet Union has come apart and then there are some ads for Pepsi and bagel chips, and back to a war in Yugoslavia, nationalisms, the internationalisms, an election in Great Britain, refugees crossing mountains looking for a country to feed them, a jingle for vitamin capsules; and all the time we are hot for each other through all this world news we just want to be in each others pants, and we pull in for gas and I’m saying, No baby don’t light a cigarette, right now, wait till we pull out and anyhow we’ll check into a motel soon. Hey Brett, Im Imagining America! It’s all from movies and magazines, I am fumbling to make you America. I am fumbling to make you and unmake you. Abe Lincoln on your dollar bills -- IN GOD WE TRUST -- pastrami and gas and tacos and beer bought with this image, he’s the guy that keeps the wheels turning. I’m stuffing chocolate into your mouth and baby ... you’re so hard, so hard honey ... you’re all fired up and I’m talkin’ dirty, Im talking physical, Im talking politics and dontcha just love it, got my fingers in your mouth and you want it bad. I want you too baby I want you too. Y’know that Springsteen song ... oh baby I’d drive all night again just to buy you a pair of shoes? Well I would. I’d drive to hell and back just to make you love me. 

How do you love? Do you keep it quiet and put it all in your fingertips or do you say words? What are your lovewords baby? What if the United States came apart? Would God come apart too and the stone pillars of the Abe Lincoln Memorial crumble and statues of George Washington be torn up from squares of green, watered by sprinklers? Torn up by crane and bulldozer? 

Now I am imagining Switzerland, Brett. I can see snow and stripped pine floors and coffee shops and cream cakes and blond people tinkling little silver spoons against their cups. I see children in nursery schools that are heated, very warm and very clean and their little snow boots lined up against the wall and gloves sewn into their coat pockets. I cant imagine you there, Brett. I am trying to see a teacher bent over your shoulder while you draw your mother and father and the house you live in and giant flowers -- but I just cant vision you in in Switzerland skiing and eating chocolate. You’d probably shoot up in your chalet, lie down in your shorts under the skylight, arms folded behind your neck looking up at the stars and dreaming of home and bourbon and cookies and having a haircut. You see how I am making you up, same as Switzerland and America? Does it feel like it fits you? Have you made me up too? Am I some kind of English faggot crazy for boys, cruising into my adult life in black leather under strobe and sonic boom of city discos? There’s such a lot to talk about baby, just you and me, man to man.

Did you hear about the man who went to a psychologist and said, Doctor I think I am a dog, and the doctor said, we’ll sort that out, now get on the couch. And the man said, but I am not allowed. Well I’m inviting you to be whatever you like sweetheart, Im listening to you, I am listening to everything you want to be and were not allowed. Brett, I am saying make yourself up for me baby, have as many goes as you like, be the man you always wanted to be, and I’ll be the man that lets you. Brett, life is long dontcha think? When you tot up the hours and days and months, its a lot of time. How much of that time have you felt precious? I want to make you feel precious, my treasure, my lovestuff.

Have you ever driven across a city you don’t know very well and you’re alone? Its night and you’re lost. Had too many beers in some bar where they look at you as if you’re an extraterrestrial immigrant and somewhere else in, in another city, there’s someone who loves you and you can imagine them looking at you in this bar now, checking you out, what shoes you’ve put on today and what you’re drinking and what kind of mood you’re in? And you want to say to the people in this bar who think you’re some kind of weirdo blown in to undo them -- I am connected to the same things as you y’know -- I have people who love me and I watch TV and I have a birthday and I brush my teeth and I am not always like this, eating crap pizza alone and lost with this look in my eyes. And then you get into the car and none of the street signs make sense, and you just cry. Brett, have you done this? And you think of all the people you’ve jilted meanly and all the people who dumped you, and your pockets are filled with old bills and tickets and you turn over all the secrets inside you? 

            SOUNDS LIKE YOU NEED SOME HELP! The handsome urban cowboy uncrosses his thick arms and takes out a gun. Suddenly he jumps on a moving car, shoots, jumps off the car and thrashes a man across the head with his gun, runs, leaps over a motorcycle, climbs a skyscraper, kicks the man chasing him off the building, holds on with one hand -- a loop of shooting and dying and dying and shooting and dying and shooting and shooting and dying and then the voice says ... COME AND TALK TO ME.....

[vanrentalmelbourne-blog]

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[drtanstravels]

I’ve spent a lot of time in South Korea, but the bulk of that was working in Daejeon 12 years ago. However, I’ve made several trips to Seoul as recent as December last year and every time I’ve been I haven’t needed to travel too far out of my way from where we were staying or if I have, I’ve had someone showing me around. This time we would be traveling for another of Anna’s conferences, but we would also be in a position where we had to try to find everyone else we wanted to meet up with by ourselves. My friends, Andy and Hayley, were still living in Seoul and in recent months I’ve had quite a few friends from Singapore move to Seoul for their work with General Motors, namely Tom Cargill and his wife, Leonie Brown, joining him, plus our mate, George Svigos, and his family. Add to this the fact that mutual friends of all of us from Singapore, Peter Gratz, and his girlfriend, Ray, had timed their Korean holiday to coincide with ours, plus an old colleague of mine from Daejeon that I always enjoy catching up with, Christina Eunjoo Kim, would make the trip down as well. It looks like we had a fun couple of days ahead of us.

Thursday, October 17, 2019 We arrived at Incheon International Airport at around 7:00am, got in a taxi, and made our way through the crazy Seoul traffic for about an hour or so to our hotel, Lotte Hotel World in Jamsil-dong. It was too early to check in, but we were able to dump our bags, get changed, and spend the morning and early afternoon trying to navigate the labyrinth that is the adjoining Lotte Department Store and Lotte World Mall. As is always the case when we land at this time in the morning, the first port of call would be anywhere besides Starbucks that sells coffee. Once caffeinated we explored the supermarket and food area of the mall, looking at the live seafood, marvelling at seeing beef being aged underwater for the first time, and weighing up our options for lunch before walking around both the mall and the department store. The department store was pretty much all luxury brands, not really our thing so we stuck to the enormous mall until it was time to check into our room and grab a bite to eat. A stroll around Lotte World Mall and our hotel:

A small sampling of the live seafood in the food section

Anna’s hand next to a lobster for perspective

This thing was gigantic!

Wet-aged beef

Dried fish

I can’t imagine a child from a western country wanting broccoli-themed toys

Maybe they should’ve checked Urban Dictionary before naming their brand

I wonder who their demographic is

Inside our room

The view from where we were staying

A bad photo, but Anna wanted one of me with this sign

Anna and our lunch

Me doing the same

That was some damn fine clam rice

After lunch we caught a cab down to where we had stayed on our previous trip to Seoul, around Gangnam and Sinsa-dong to do a bit more shopping, but in an area with more of the type of stuff we like. Because of the insane Seoul traffic it took a while to get there and it was quite late, but we finally made it and had a great time just shopping and looking around for a bit until we were hungry again. Andrew and Hayley weren’t in town, Peter and Ray weren’t arriving until the following day, and Tom and Leonie were both working late so we were left to do our own bidding that evening. First of all there was dinner to think of and one of the things I love in South Korea is all of the fried chicken and beer places that are everywhere. Sure, they sell other stuff too, but the main reasons to go to them are the cheap beer and the Korean fried chicken. The only downside is the condition of the toilets, but that is a small sacrifice when the food is this good and the beers are such a bargain. The chicken is served with all of the side dishes that come in any restaurant here, but we learnt our lesson last time when we clearly over-ordered, the servings are massive, so we just got a plate of chicken, some vegetables, and a 2.7 litre (91.3 fl. oz.) jug of beer to get us started.

Once dinner was done the next step was to find a bar to settle into so we found a shisha bar, grabbed a pipe and some drinks, and kicked back for the night. There were free flow pretzels and I’ve had a habit while eating them that dates back to when I was bored at Christmas as a child — I always try to chew them in a way that they form letters to spell things out. My name is easy to do and when Anna saw the initial result of both of our names, she wanted to get in on the act and add the name of our dog, Kermit. We got it done, however, it took many attempts to get the photo right, but here’s a look back at our first night in town:

Anna warming up

Showing her how it’s done

Dinner is served

Mission accomplished

The carnage afterward

I wasn’t kidding about the toilets, it was unisex, too

The view from the shisha bar

Just starting out

My initial creation

Finally got the picture right for the camera on the front of an iPhone

Anna’s contribution

Friday, October 18, 2019 Anna would be spending the entire day at her conference so I would need to occupy myself. That wouldn’t be all that hard, because there were plenty of errands to run, the first being finding an ATM that would accept my Singaporean card. Normally this isn’t too difficult in most countries, but it wasn’t particularly easy in the Lotte maze. I used a credit card to buy some coffee and then spent the next three hours trying to find an ATM or bank that could deliver the cash, all while hopelessly lost again. There weren’t a whole lot of ATMs around and I couldn’t withdraw from the bank either, but five ATMs later I found one that would do the job. Now it was just a matter of finding out where I was and getting a cab back to Sinsa-dong to have an extended look at some stores I had seen the previous day that would have Anna probably quite bored, but no taxis would take me. Instead, I opted for the subway and it turned out to be a blessing in disguise, only taking a little over 30 minutes, instead of being caught in traffic jams for an hour or more. Once there it was interesting walking around this particular neighbourhood. Last time I was here I wrote about how prevalent cosmetic surgery is in Seoul:

Plastic surgery in South Korea is socially accepted. Double-eyelid surgery (also known as blepharoplasty) creates an eyelid crease that makes the eye look bigger and is the most common cosmetic procedure performed in South Korea. Due to the differences in the facial bone structure of Asians, who have a flatter facial bone structure than their Western counterparts, facial bone contouring surgeries are quite popular. V-line surgery (jaw and chin reduction) and cheekbone (zygoma) reduction surgeries are used to change the facial contour. Many celebrities are required to undergo these surgeries to trim their cheekbones, jaw, and chin to create an oval shaped face.

South Korea has also seen an increase in medical tourism from people who seek surgeon expertise in facial bone contouring. Korean surgeons have advanced facial bone contouring with procedures like the osteotomy technique and have published the first book on facial bone contouring surgeries. There was a 17 percent increase in the sales of cosmetic surgery from 1999 to 2000, reaching almost ₩170 billion (Korean won) (US$144 million).

Oh, and vanity isn’t just restricted to women here:

While expectations of female beauty usually outweigh male expectations, South Korea is notable for the standards placed on men. Many of male standards are similar to that of female beauty – the body is slim and the skin is clear. Idols and celebrities especially are expected to not be too traditionally masculine and often adopt androgynous traits, such as a lack of facial hair and use of makeup. In 2012 20 percent of male beauty products were bought by South Koreans.

Sinsa-dong is one of Seoul’s capitals for plastic surgery and I took photographs last time of just a handful of the clinics offering their services in this part of the city, but those were all taken at night and until this trip I had never experienced this area in the middle of the day. I discovered it’s not unusual to walk around Sinsa-dong and see people with swollen, bandaged heads or pairs of friends who had gone for matching nose-jobs and are now shopping with the tape, plasters, and bandages still intact. These people are everywhere here during daylight hours, I even saw one girl out shopping who still had all the lines from a consultation for the procedure she was going to soon undergo drawn on her face with a marker!

Anna had a dinner for her conference at 6:00pm at Lotte World Tower so I got to the station at 5:00pm to give myself plenty of time to shower, put on a suit, and walk over, however, there was a small problem; when I arrived the subway station was packed, but I couldn’t just use my size to bully my way onto the train, like is the standard procedure in some other countries. People line up properly in two lines in Korea and politely wait until they can fit in the carriage so I would just have to wait until enough trains had passed and I had made my way close enough to the front of the line to be able to board. This took some time and when I was finally back at the hotel I had a shower-in-a-can, got changed, and met Anna for the dinner. The first event of the night would be going up to the viewing platform of Lotte World Tower for a look over the city:

Lotte World Tower is a 123-floor, 555-metre (1,821 ft) supertall skyscraper located in Seoul, South Korea. It opened to the public on April 11, 2017 and is currently the tallest building in South Korea, and is the 6th tallest building in the world.

We stood for a while in a queue to get in the elevator, but once inside it took only a minute to make it up to the fully-enclosed viewing deck on the 120th floor, stairways accessing higher floors, all offering a breathtaking view of Seoul:

Looking over one side of the city

Now over the river

Straight down

Standing on a glass floor 123 storeys up

Proof we did it

The dinner was actually quite fun, there was no cringeworthy interactive beatboxing display for a bunch of professors this time, but I get the feeling that the organisers this year believed that not many people attending would eat Korean food. Anna had told me that lunch was all Italian with the main dishes being pasta and it turned out that dinner would be predominantly French.

The dinner finished up at 9:30, Pete and Ray were now in town and neither Tom nor Leonie were working so we went to meet up with them in Hapjeong-dong, but there was just one minor problem — The insane Seoul traffic again, even at that time on a Friday night. We thought our ride would take about 30 minutes, but it was the best part of an hour before we arrived to meet the other four at bar nearby called Cream. We all had a blast catching up while requesting terrible songs at Cream and then we switched things up a bit after a while and went to a small bar that Tom loves called Wolf Bar for a few more at the end of the night. It wouldn’t be the only time we would visit either place over the course of the weekend, but here’s how the second part of Friday night looked:

What we’d be eating at the dinner

I always feel proud when I see Anna’s work posted around the place

Outside Cream

Going up the stairs

Now inside with the guy who’d be taking our requests

People draw stuff and pin them to the wall…

…and some of them are really impressive

Probably Pete’s idea

Now doing shots with the owner of Wolf Bar

I guess Tom went a little too hard before we arrived, because this was not long after he got home

Saturday, October 19, 2019 Anna still had to go to her conference for a bit on Saturday, but there were still a few plans for the day; we were going to change hotel so it would be easier to meet up with our friends, but I also had another buddy to meet up with. Just like the last time we came to Seoul, as well as a couple of times when she visited Singapore, I was going to meet up with my old friend from when we both taught at St. Mary’s Elementary School in Daejeon back in 2007, Christina Eunjoo Kim. Christina’s plan was to catch a train to Seoul to spend the day with me and then stay with one of her other friends in a different part of the city that evening so I checked us out of our hotel, stored our luggage, and met her at Jamsil subway station. We always have a great time when we meet up so the first plan was just to grab a coffee, stroll around Lotte Mall for a while, and then have some lunch, bibimbap this time. We were walking around again for a while after lunch when Anna had a gap in her schedule so she met up with us for an hour before heading back to the conference.

Me at each subway exit

After that it was walking around a nearby lake and taking in a weird Korean European dancing display until it was time for Christina to leave and this was another occasion where I got hopelessly lost. I wanted to get back to the hotel and wait for Anna to come back, but I also mentioned earlier that this entire Lotte complex was massive and nigh on impossible to navigate. Most subway stations in Seoul including the nearest one, Jamsil, have eight exits so I thought I’d try and use those as a landmark for getting back to the hotel, all I would need to do is wander around and find the right one. I stumbled upon the nearest one, walked up the stairs and could see the hotel across the rather wide road that, from a distance, appeared to be behind exit number three. I tried to make my way through the mall to that exit, eventually found it, but when I exited I couldn’t even see the hotel, I was now around the side of a completely different building. Back down into the cavernous mall I went to find another exit, locating one that now had me diagonally opposite the hotel. Fortunately for me, the next exit would be a charm and I would be back at the hotel a mere hour after I made what should have been a 10-minute walk to get there. A look back at a fun afternoon with an old friend:

Having a bite to eat with Christina

Lunch!

Anna joining us for coffee later

This soft-serve in coffee kind of looks like a poop

Walking around the back of the mall

I’m not sure if they’re supposed to be European or just pirates

The lake behind the mall

Now looking across the lake at Lotte World

We seem to be encountering a lot of geese recently

Looking up at Lotte World Tower

Anna soon met me at Lotte Hotel World so it was time to get in a cab, check into our new hotel in Jung-gu, and then meet everybody else at Tom and Leonie’s place to watch Australia take on England in the semifinal of the Rugby World Cup before heading to dinner at 7:30pm. We left our hotel at 6:10pm, but even on a Saturday night it took us over an hour to make the 14km (8.7 mile) journey to our new residence for the next couple of nights, L’Escape, leaving us to check in 15 minutes before we were supposed to be at dinner. Luckily for us there was a screen in the cab showing us a terrible K-pop reality show to keep us amused along the way. Once our bags were up in our room that looked as if it were co-designed by Noel Fielding and Jack the Ripper, we were going to take the subway to avoid the horrendous Seoul traffic, but we still knew we were going to be at least half an hour late regardless, because according to Google Maps we had to do the following to get to the restaurant:

Walk 11 minutes to City Hall Station

Once the train arrived ride six stops on the subway to Hapjeong Station (12 minutes)

Walk six minutes from Hapjeong Station to the restaurant

There was one major flaw with this plan, however — Google Maps doesn’t really work that well at the best of times, but it essentially doesn’t work at all in South Korea, because they want you to use their own online map app, KakaoMap, an app we didn’t have. When using Google Maps in South Korea, besides randomly relocating the user and having them floating through buildings as it does anywhere in the world, it has a couple of other problems; A lot of streets in Seoul have the same name, but are numbered, however, Google Maps doesn’t show the number of the street. Also, the directions don’t show you a route using roads and streets, it just draws a direct line through buildings to where you need to be, as if it were designed by Archimedes himself. This meant that not only did we have to figure out the general route by ourselves, but the usual Google Maps errors initially had us facing in the wrong direction, leading us to walk about a further 15 minutes away from the restaurant, crossing over several exceptionally busy roads and back again in the process. It was close to 9:00pm before we made it to 미담왕파족, our barbecue restaurant for the night, and everyone else had finished eating, but were more than happy to stick around for more beers and soju while we cooked a lot of beef (there was no pork due to a recent swine flu outbreak), recalling hilarious tales from the past, mainly about falling through ceilings, and then trying to decide what to do with the rest of the night.

Once dinner was done we headed out, sans Leonie who was suffering a migraine. We went to the same haunts as the previous night, but it took a lot longer than usual, because we kept having to stop and wait for George. George has a wife and kids, his wife is cool and knew his friends were in town so he wanted to make the most of his night out with old mates, but there was one problem; George gets really distracted when he ‘s drunk. He was constantly just stopping and talking to random people, including yelling “You’ve got this!” in encouragement to a girl who was trying to help her absolutely inebriated boyfriend back to his feet. Once we got to Cream we thought we had lost him again, only to turn around and see him taking a photo for a table of girls in the bar. We went to a few other places and finished up at Wolf Bar again, Tom checking out relatively early because he had to catch a flight to China for work the next day. Naturally, Pete thought doing shots several times was a great idea, but it was a hilarious night out.

That day my pedometer said I had walked a grand total of 18km (11 miles) and I guarantee about half of it was spent hopelessly lost, but here’s how the rest of Saturday looked:

Entering our room at L’Escape

It had a kind of murderous burlesque feel to it

The bathroom

Out the front of seafood restaurant en route to Cream

At the barbecue restaurant. Back row: Leonie, Tom, George, me, Anna. Front row: Peter, Ray, Andrew, Hayley

George distracted again

Me wearing Whitty’s horrendous 80s cap

George secretly taking over the music at Wolf Bar

Sunday, October 20, 2019 We were now staying in an area that had some great hole-in-the-wall type food places and, although we had had Korean barbecue the previous night, Anna still wanted more proper Korean food. While we were having coffee near Namdaemun Market I noticed a small laneway across the road called Hairtail Alley that could have some potential. It turns out I was right. When we walked in we found several stalls selling galchi jorim, a red, spicy stew with hairtail fish, and it looked damn good so we joined the long queue for a table in one of the tiny stalls and waited our turn. Slowly we progressed to the head of the line where at any given time there were multiple pots of the soup boiling on a stovetop with a giant container of fish fillets nearby to keep the service as fast as possible in the minuscule eatery. Once at the very front of the line we started to get curious as to why, despite the fact that they were aware that there were only going to be the two of us eating there, the staff kept taking Korean couples lined up behind us, generally older people. Were they worried that if people saw foreigners inside it may ruin the credibility of their extremely traditional restaurant? Nope, one of the older men working there tried to explain in his very best, but extremely basic English, accompanied by some hand gestures, that they had to wait for a seat in an area big enough to accommodate me to become available. Once we were seated inside I saw the problem he had faced; there was an upstairs seating area, but I wouldn’t have made it up the stairs or most likely under the ceiling. In the main area a lot of the seats were in front of walls and it wouldn’t be possible for me to pull a seat out far for me to even fit at the table. They also brought in other customers to share larger tables once other patrons had finished eating, yet they wouldn’t be able to get me on a shared table, because I wouldn’t fit between someone and the wall, but if I sat on the aisle side, I would block it. We just had to wait for an entire table to become available and when one did we were glad we had waited. The soup was fantastic once we figured how to eat the fish without having the inside of your mouth pierced by tiny little bones and we also had steamed egg which was great as well. See for yourself:

Anna when we first got to the market

As soon as I saw that little alley on the right, I knew we’d be having lunch somewhere down there

The sign above Hairtail Alley

Getting bowls ready before customers have even sat down

Just keep ’em coming

Not a lot of room inside

This was after we had progressed a fair bit in the queue, it was even longer behind us!

They go through so much fish so quickly they just leave the container out once it’s taken from the fridge

We finally have a seat and our lunch is served

Anna looking a bit blurry, but also excited

Me in a seat with a little extra space (except to my immediate left)

Once it was time to pass our table on to the next patrons we explored more of Namdaemun Market, first the food section near Sungnyemun Gate, which was still selling plenty of pork products despite the swine flu outbreak, and then on to the massive Dongmyo Flea Market that runs several blocks and is described as:

Dongmyo Flea Market started life in the late 1980s. Every day an array of street stalls open up along the stone walls of Dongmyo Park. The main items bought and sold here are antiques of every type, including items such as wallets, electronics, old books, film posters etc. Recently vintage clothing and shoes have become the main area of interest. Prices are typically around 1,000 won so you can have fun browsing and shopping without worrying about the cost.

There are all kinds of items from everyday miscellaneous goods to antiques. If you get peckish while shopping, boiled duck’s eggs cost just 1,500 won each or bindaetteok (mung bean pancake) make very satisfying snacks. The market is always crowded with people at weekends. The most popular item in Dongmyo Flea Market is used clothing. When new stocks arrive, the market is packed with people looking for bargains. Prices are normally around 1,000 won, but leather items or furs reach around 10,000 won. Designer labels can reach over 100,000 won. The best time for shopping is on weekend afternoons.

That description brings up clothing several times and maybe it was just because winter was rapidly approaching when we visited, but one thing it fails to mention is that an extremely high percentage of the infinite stalls were solely selling secondhand jackets. It honestly seemed like about two thirds of the stalls were selling just jackets and each one of these stalls had a flock of people trying to score a bargain. We also found some other great stuff there besides jackets, but when it comes to clothing and just about any items in general in Dongmyo Flea Market, it’s amazing how many had the Supreme logo on it. That stuff is huge there, whether it is legit of counterfeit! We saw a lot of really cool stuff as well, including a man working in a jacket stall that was wearing a full, powder blue, velour San Diego Clippers tracksuit from the late 1970s, before the team moved to Los Angeles, and a store where I picked up a very rare Korean copy of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in great condition for next to nothing!

After hours of exploring the market we caught a train back to Hapjeong for dinner and a quiet drink. Leonie’s migraine was gone, Pete and Ray were spending their final night in Seoul before heading down to Busan, but Tom was now in China for work, George had to hang out with the family, and Andy and Hayley were back at their place far out in the suburbs. Ray wasn’t feeling all that spectacular so we opted for ginseng chicken soup, always a good choice and it seemed to help. Once dinner was done we found a cool little bar to have a drink and a chat, but it couldn’t be a late one, we all had important things to do the next day. A whole bunch of photos from the markets and a bit of our dinner:

God, I love chilli

Fine or coarse

Not sure what is going on here

Sungnyemun Gate

Don’t let swine flu stop you from selling pig heads

If you look closely you can make out some pig faces

I wonder how long they’ve been sitting there

Walking down one of many streets in Namdaemun Market

Merely a handful of the jackets on offer

Stone statues of people doing it

One of many antique stalls

“Duct tape. I need it for… taping something.”

Just a pile of toiletries

Is that a Louis Vuitton / Supreme collaboration fire extinguisher?

Seems legit

This flamboyant looking man was the king of the jacket sellers

Harrison Ford seems younger than I remember. More Asian, as well

My dinner, abalone ginseng chicken soup

Anna’s soup

Monday, October 21, 2019 We were going to be flying out in the afternoon, but we still had time to have a look around the mall across the road from where we were staying, particularly the supermarket and food court. I love kimchi and all of the other side dishes and we both love the local soups so we wanted to stock up on a heap of those, as well as have one last proper Korean lunch before we returned to Singapore. We checked out of our hotel, stashed our suitcases, crossed the road and went down to the basement where all of the good stuff was. First we bought a toasted cheese lobster tail to snack on and Anna had a craving for cold noodles so I kept our table, one of the only free ones in the extremely crowded foodcourt, but there was one problem; our table was specifically for customers of a nearby stall, but none of the staff were capable of telling me that at first. Eventually an employee was able to so I apologised using one of the very few Korean phrases I know and went to find Anna to tell her we no longer had a place to sit. Our food soon came so we both spread out to hunt down a table in the massive foodcourt and after a couple of minutes a staff member from where Anna had bought lunch was running up to me from another area, trying to convey the message that Anna had found a table. I’m really not used to being served by people in a new place that are genuinely helpful who don’t want anything in return, it’s kind of refreshing. It also helps that I’m easy for them to see in a crowd, but even after we had sat down some girls on the next table showed Anna the best way to eat those noodles and then just went back to chatting to each other. Once we were finished with lunch we went around the supermarket looking for snacks, soups, and sides to bring back to Singapore, but we had to be rational, we had limited space inside our check-in luggage, however, we chose well. Our last meal for this trip to Seoul:

I love this dried seafood

Cheese and lobster is a great combination

I’m probably drooling in this picture

Hell yeah!

The noodles weren’t bad, either. Or the dumplings

Our stay in Korea was over, but I’m always proud when I go to Anna’s conference dinners and see the praise that she gets from her peers, as well as seeing her work pinned up around the place. This trip was made even better by getting to meet up with some old friends that I haven’t had the chance to see for quite a while. I always appreciate the effort Christina makes to come see me whenever I’m in Seoul, I’m glad Tom and Leonie have hit it off so well with Andy and Hayley, It was great of George’s wife to look after the kids for the night so he could have a night out with us all, and it was cool of Peter and Ray to make their holiday coincide with our stay.

Until next time, Seoul, geonbae!

Meeting friends and shopping in the most inconvenient ways possible I've spent a lot of time in South Korea, but the bulk of that was working in…

[angel-scythe]

Chloe : Chapter 25

Hi people !!

I hope this week is starting good for you?

I give you a lot-lot-lot-lot of love !

And if you have a bit of time (or want to read the next part) here’s my Convin fanfiction! I hope you’ll love this chapter.

Have a nice day!!

|   °|  

16th December, 8:00

 Closing the door of the car, Connor had his new phone against his ear.

“Hi this is Hank. Not here at the moment. You can leave a message if that’s what turns you on but don’t expect me to call back. Beep. … Whatever.”

“Daddy? It’s me, Connor. I just arrived, at the precinct. Everything is alright, I’ll wait for you. I hope you’re alright. Have a nice day!”

He rang off and looked toward Gavin who locked the car. The Human glanced toward him then went to the commissionership. He entered on it, passed the security and sighed when Felix got up and walked toward him.

“I worked to have the mandate and I got the validation at the instant,” he said as he approached.

“Why? People are working as early as that?” Gavin checked the time on his phone.

Yup, it was only eight a.m. and two minutes.

“The validations are made by Androids. Some works all the night or at the right time. I know them so I joined them in particular.”

“Why?”

Felix spread the arms to Connor.

“To start to work?”

The RK800 came to the other Android and hugged him. Wanda wasn’t there anymore and the four others Android cops too. The Humans left as their schedule was off so they were alone. Felix was always there, in fact. He didn’t sleep, just worked.

“Ugh. I rather go on my desk and do nothing. Let’s fucking do nothing!”

“Well, I am sorry but we need to works.”

“Or what?”

“Or I will bring you to the house of those persons by force. You must know that I already uploaded Connor’s memory about the case. I am glad you have found who is the criminal.” He frowned. “The only thing I could not discover is where Chloe Kamski has disappeared. Is it not a good thing to do when we will have put those people in jail?”

“No,” Gavin replied. “Not my work.”

“And you’re Gavin’s partner. I’m not sure you can work by your own…”

“Why?”

“Because you’re the only fucking fuckers who act exactly like you should. You’re a plastic prick and you don’t try to be a Human. Good point now shut up I’ll plan to sleep all day.”

“Gavin…”

It was Connor voice. Well it was hard to difference it with Felix’s one but there was definitely something on it.

“Okay… let’s go.”

Gavin was sitting on his seat, legs across the desk but he immediately got up and went to the exit.

“Aw, I was about to knock him out and drag him with me,” Felix said.

“Don’t need,” Connor smiled. “Go and keep an eye on him! I’ll stay here!”

“Alright. Have a nice day.”

“You too.”

Felix let him go, print the mandate to be sure, send it his partner’s device and followed Gavin’s pace. When he got out, the man was already in his car, switching the radio to find a good music. He had the habit to say it was always crappy R’n’B in the morning. The RK900 entered in the car and Gavin sighed, putting his keys in the vehicle to turn on the motor.

 16th December, 8:21

 He really didn’t want to be there. He hated this place. It was this place he grew up during two years. It seemed everything was the same. The white house, the perfect roof in a demi-circle, the square window with silver framing, it was metal and he knew it, the shiny door and the perfect garden. The lawn was perfectly cut and so green it seemed to be fake. The flowers there used to be pink, his mother favorite color, but now they were purple, silver and white. Were they fake or feed by colorant to make them resplendent like that?

Everything looked fake…

Gavin opened his car door and got out of the vehicle. He turned the head toward the Android who followed him and, with his keys, he closed the carriage by the distance.

“Let’s go.”

He checked his gun then walked in the white gravels he used to crunch under his feet.

In fact, he remembered, too, the slum he lived once and even if it was awful, he had more good memories from there. Here it was…

He rubbed his nose. Once, he ran away from this house, face bleeding and he would never put his nose like before. First of all because he couldn’t find someone to heal him, then because it seems it was meant to be like that. In the end, he didn’t hate that. Some said it was manly plus, when he was still Chloe, that break the feminine beauty he tried all the time to destroy. So it was perfect.

In the end, wasn’t it a good thing that Connor liked that scar?

In front of the door, he let Felix rang the bell.

Soon, it was open and behind it? Not Cheryl Kamski but a housewife. She was in old clothes so she could dirty them, in fact, her purple trousers has bleach spot here and there and she looked tired, her blond hair in a bun quite untie.

“Yes?”

She looked annoyed too. A look like “what are you doing there at this hour?”

“I’m the Detective Gavin Reed and there is Felix. We’re there about a case involving Mr. and Mrs. Kamski. Can we see them?” He showed his badge.

“Yes… They’re still asleep but I can wake them up. Just… stay there.”

Gavin shook his head and gave a bump on Felix’s shoulder. This one showed his hand were the mandate was.

“Let’s us come and look around while you wake up your… masters.” Gavin smirked.

“Okay…”

She let them enter and went upstairs.

“Scan and stuff. Do your fucking job, you plastic prick.”

“Yes, Gavin.”

Felix moved in the house when Gavin just couldn’t. It didn’t change…

When he walked, finishing in the Living Room as if it was normal, he could see it was different in the end. The blood he let flow on the floor when he fled wasn’t there anymore.

Logic.

He looked the pictures and the decoration. He came back to an old frame with the two parents hugging their children. A young girl looking shy, or uneasy, in a pink dress really fluffy and a little boy also shy in his jeans and shirt stuff. He had glasses on his noses and the tiny lady had her clenched in her fist. He hated that picture.

“This house is perfectly cleaned. It is hard to find clue there.”

“Yeah, they seem to have a lot of employees. They must be rich.”

“In fact, no.”

Gavin looked up toward the Android. How fast was it or how many time he lost time in his memories? Or… both?

“I find bill and account statements, they often receive money from Elijah Kamski.”

“Well, they’re his parents, you can understand they’ll do stuff like that.”

“Yes. But that also means they are depends of someone to live. That can change everything. And they look to have any fund they need.”

Felix handed him the papers he found. Gavin looked them and sighed before glancing around. The couple didn’t come yet so he started to help the Android and searched here and there. Any clue.

They find an amount of knife, perfectly cleaned, but that wasn’t strange. The real thing strange was because Felix could match them with the weapons of the crime. As he searched, he found more accurate things and connected with every machine to find planning and schedule. Even if they thought it was erased.

Gavin won’t say it loud but, yeah, that, that was really useful for the police.

Sound came from the stairs as Felix and Gavin looked in the garage. They find stuff and the little infrared lamp that the Human has helped a lot too.

“Excuse me?”

Gavin turned the head to see the housewife.

“Madam and Mister are there in the living room. They asked if you want something to drink?”

“Coffee. Anything with coffee.”

“Alright. I’m coming soon.”

Gavin and Felix came back to the living room were the couple was. Both were in the sixties now and the man looked pretty chubby. He was kind of bald and had a mustache while the woman wore a lot of bracelets on her wrinkled wrist. Her hairs were died in a heavy brown color which looked absolutely not natural. You could think people with money would look better but nop…

Or it was just him? He couldn’t see them pretty anymore.

“Good morning, Officer. I hope you’ll understand that we’re still tired. We went to bed at three a.m.”

“It’s was five a.m. for me and I’m perfectly okay,” he replied nastily. “Plus, we’re there to ask you few things.”

Except in Loïs case, a lot of his old classmates couldn’t remember well what they did to one or other moment. Some had searched in old calendar, some in their e-mail or whatever so…

“What did you do the June 11th 2030?”

“Excuse me?” the man hiccupped.

“You perfectly heard.”

“We can’t reply to that! We’re only Humans?”

Gavin sneered.

“Oh yeah? So if a crime was made this day, you can’t proof it’s not you?”

“No, but…”

“Dipshit, ask them for every date.”

“Yes.”

The Android started to ask and as he did, Gavin couldn’t help a smile, seeing them grew paler and paler.

However more they approach of the date, more they could remember and that special day where the ST200 was drowned.

“Can you stop asking all this things?! We don’t know! We don’t know! I can’t remember what I eat yesterday so what I did one week ago?!”

“It is true,” Felix replied. “However, Mister Kamski, you look pretty uneasy. Something is wrong?”

“Absolutely nothing.”

“You are lying to me.”

Gavin got up, putting his coffee on the table. The housewife had brought it there few minutes before. The interrogation took since minutes and minutes.

“Let’s do it in another way, will you?” He walked toward the pictures. “Nice girl. She’s pretty. I didn’t know Elijah Kamski has a sister. I’m impressed. You must be happy to know he did a model after her?”

“That fucking bitch!”

Cheryl got up, angrily.

“I can’t believe he wanted to do a model from her. She’s a monster.”

“So you’ll be happy to know she’s dead?” Gavin asked.

“Dead?” the man said.

“That doesn’t change a thing.”

“Why?” he asked. “Because, anyway, nothing changed for you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Officer,” Gary said.

“False,” Felix commented. “You are lying.”

“You hate your daughter and you hate seeing her face. Each time you saw it on a bot, you just grew angry and instigate crime.”

“No!”

The man got up.

“Again: false. And my programs never lied. And we have proof with the knives, weapon and even hint of thirium.”

“What are you saying?!” Cheryl said harshly. “You were playing with us?!”

“When you were asleep and we were waiting for you, we searched evidence. And found it. We could have our avowal or… you can try to stay strong in jail. Anyway, you’ll finish in jail so… avowal, not avowal?”

Gavin smiled in a nasty way.

Felix got up as his partners took manacles.

“You can’t prove we have killed those whores! You can’t put manacles on us!” Cheryl screamed.

“Our son is rich, real rich! He’ll make you regrets anything! He’ll come to get us out of that!” Gary added.

“False and right.”

“Yeah? I don’t care.”

The couple ran away in the living room despite their old legs. Felix jumped and took the man by the shirt while Gavin blocked the woman passage and knock her out.

It wasn’t a proof… but it helped.

[itsworn]

Take 5 with SEMA Chairman and Coker President Wade Kawasaki

Wade Kawasaki is a busy man, so nailing him down for a five-minute interview was a little tougher than we originally thought; he is constantly on the go, between his position as president and chief operating officer at Coker Group (parent company of Coker Tire) and his position as the SEMA chairman of the board. Technology allows him to keep up with the daily grind at his main office in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and we run into him on occasion at the SEMA Show, the MPMC Media Trade Conference, and other events all over the world. We wanted to catch up with him, because as far as we’re concerned, he eats, sleeps, and breathes the hot rod lifestyle. On second thought, we’re not convinced he actually sleeps.

Wade has made his mark in the automotive industry by constantly raising the bar at each company he’s been involved with, ranging from his long-term involvement with SEMA to the founding of his own company, and now his crucial role at the Coker Group. Although most of his time is taken up with work, he still gets to enjoy his personal hot rods in those precious spare moments. Let’s jump right in and see what makes this car guy and industry icon tick.

HRM] What got you started in the automotive industry?

WK] As far back as I can remember, I’ve always had a love for cars, especially fast cars. But what really kicked off my passion for the automotive world was working at my father’s filling station. He had a Shell station at the corner of Venice and Vermont in Los Angeles, and the cars that pulled in for service were the stuff of car-guy dreams. I was a 10-year-old kid, out there filling up muscle cars with gas, checking the oil, and washing windows. That experience taught me a lot and even at that early age, I knew I wanted a career that involved cars.

HRM] Tell us about your first car.

WK] My first car was a 1964 Chevy El Camino. It was just your basic work truck when I got it, but I always had big plans for it. In fact, I still have it. For some reason, other projects have always jumped in front of the El Camino, but I’m glad I still have it as a “one of these days” projects.

HRM] We’ve been seeing your GTO Judge all over the place. What’s the story with that car?

WK] It’s a Cardinal Red 1970 GTO Judge that I bought with intentions of it being a driver-quality project to work on with my son, Timothy. After we started researching part numbers and date codes, we realized that this car had matching numbers, down to the carburetor. We quickly realized that the car deserved a better restoration than what we originally planned, so I sent the car off to Bodie Stroud Industries for a complete build. The car was in such good shape that we were able to reuse the original interior. It’s a really nice piece, and it’s been featured on the cover of a couple magazines, used in our SEMA Show booth, and even appeared in an article in the Wall Street Journal. It has been one of my favorite projects.

HRM] What else is in your garage?

WK] I’ll start with the most usable car, a 1932 Ford roadster. This was actually the 2004 Street Rodder Road Tour car, so that means it was road-tested when I got my hands on it. The car has a Brookville steel body and a 427ci LS engine. I made a few changes to the car, and it’s a blast to drive. Another fun one is my 1961 Chevy Impala. It was a TV project car that we got during the finishing stages. It has a Lamar Walden W-motor in it, with dual FiTech EFI units, backed by a six-speed. Other vehicles include a 1968 Mercedes 250SL, a 1973 Mercedes 450SL, a 1978 Datsun 280Z, a 1971 Honda CB750K1 motorcycle, and a custom Harley built by 40Cal Customs.

HRM] What was your first big opportunity in the automotive industry?

WK] As a teenager, I was drag racing regularly at OCIR [Orange County International Raceway], and I was a regular customer at Service Center, which was the go-to speed shop at the time. I was in there so often that it was a natural progression for me to move to the other side of the counter as a parts salesman. This job connected me with car guys in the area, and it also opened an opportunity to talk with the parts suppliers. I eventually worked my way up to store manager. Those were some great years, and I soaked up every ounce of knowledge I could get and made the most of every industry contact.

HRM] How did you get involved with SEMA?

WK] In 1987, I started my own company, Exports International, with my wife, Rose. We were starting from the bottom, but I had lots of great connections from my previous job. In order to reach more customers, and get some advice on operating my business, I joined SEMA. I took advantage of every member benefit available, and I attended as many functions as possible to network with other business owners in the industry. It was SEMA Vice President Don Turney who encouraged me to become more active with the organization, which led to volunteering for several positions through the years and founding YEN [Young Executives Network], which is still going strong today.

HRM] Is it safe to say getting involved in SEMA helped your career?

WK] Absolutely. It played a huge role in the success of Exports International, and it led me to many valuable relationships within the industry as we founded and acquired manufacturing companies. The more active I became, the more I got out of it, both on a business and a social level. I encourage anyone in the industry to join SEMA and get involved.

HRM] Explain your current position with SEMA.

WK] I am currently serving as the SEMA chairman of the board. This is an elected position with a two-year term, and it gives me the opportunity to meet with our board of directors on a regular basis to discuss the state of our industry and develop new ideas to take our industry even further. It’s my chance to give back to the organization that has done so much for my career. It’s a true honor to have been elected to this position, even with the added travel and work hours required to make the most of it.

HRM] The SEMA Show is a big part of the SEMA organization, but give us some behind-the-scenes details of the organization.

WK] The SEMA Show is still one of our most valuable assets. It attracts buyers, manufacturers, and dealers of automotive parts from all over the world to Las Vegas every fall as one of the largest trade shows in the world. But the organization is more than just a trade show. We are a team of industry members who help each other succeed. One of our major agendas right now is keeping the EPA from impacting our hobby. SEMA has worked tirelessly to combat unnecessary regulations, which would prevent individuals from modifying the emissions system of a motor vehicle that is converted for racing use only. As a result, the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act, RPM Act for short, was developed to protect Americans’ right to modify street vehicles into race cars. The RPM Act also protects the industry’s right to sell parts that enable racers to compete. It’s a battle that I’m personally passionate about, and I take every opportunity to shed light on the situation and garner support from individuals and elected officials.

HRM] It sounds like you have quite the task with your SEMA position, but that’s not even your main job, right?

WK] That’s right. The SEMA chairman of the board position is a priority to me, but it’s not my “day job,” per se. My position at Coker Group is the president and chief operating officer. When Corky Coker decided to retire in 2014, he entrusted me to step in and handle the operations of the six companies and 12 brands under the Coker Group umbrella. That consists of Coker Tire Company, Wheel Vintiques, Honest Charley Speed Shop, and more—it’s a lot to keep up with, that’s for sure. I have a great team of folks in the Chattanooga office, as well as our West Coast facility, to keep all of the companies running smoothly.

HRM] What is the key focus at Coker Group?

WK] Our biggest product line is wide whitewall tires. It’s really what our company is known for, but it’s been a goal of mine to spread awareness of all the other cool stuff that Coker produces. The tire company alone has thousands of products, ranging from early 1900s horseless carriages to the latest and greatest drag cars. The whitewalls will continue to be a big target for us, but our muscle-car tire offerings are growing steadily. We recently became the exclusive tire and wheel sponsor of Mecum Auctions in an effort to reach more muscle-car enthusiasts.

HRM] What’s the craziest thing that Coker produces?

WK] In the tire line, there are lots of weird products. Some of which, we might only manufacture and sell a few per year. I guess if I had to pick one weird product, it would be the Snow Bird Paddle Tire for the Ford Model A. The paddle tread is made to lock into a track system, which was manufactured by a conversion company in the 1930s. The niche products don’t make us a lot of money, but we are able to fill voids in the market, and that helps our company as a whole.

HRM] What’s new at Coker?

WK] Our latest product currently in production is the Firestone Wide Oval Radial, a tire with the timeless Wide Oval look, combined with modern radial construction. We built this product line using brand-new segmented molds and modern materials, and we did it all right here in the USA. This has been a hot seller, and we plan to make more of these tires that cross the boundaries between authentic bias-ply tires and modern radials. Next on our product list is a modern radial tire for the Ford Model A. Our newest wheel is the OE six-lug wheel, which will be huge for the classic-truck market.

HRM] Do you play a role in what new products make it to market?

WK] I do, and it’s one of my favorite parts of the job. We want car enthusiasts to continue enjoying their vehicles, so creating new products is the only way to fill some of those gaps in the market. The development process gives me a chance to get back into the gearhead mindset and think like a car guy instead of a businessman. Everyone at Coker Group has a passion for this industry and our customers, so being able to develop new and exciting products brings a smile to all of our faces.

HRM] How do you balance all your workflow, travel, and personal life on a daily basis?

WK] Let’s just say that I’m thankful for technology. My calendar is full of reminders, and I always have my phone, iPad, and laptop with me to stay up to speed, even if I’m out of the country on business. I’m also very fortunate to have an understanding wife and family. Rose has been my number-one supporter for all these years, and we’ve always included our two children, Timothy and Alyssa, in everything we do. The kids were there to see the growth of Exports International, and I feel like seeing their parents strive to succeed helped form their work ethic. I get a firsthand view of it daily, as Timothy has really stepped up to the plate as the national sales and marketing manager at Wheel Vintiques.

HRM] Where do you expect to see the industry in 10 years?

WK] That’s a tough one, because we know that in 10 years, most of the original “class” of hot rodders will no longer be our key demographic. That applies not only to the Coker Group but to the automotive aftermarket, in general. It’s up to us to encourage youth to get involved in the hobby and to make it more inviting. Whether that means making the hobby more affordable or just increasing the user experience at events, we have to recruit young guys and girls to be a part of the hobby. In the next 10 years, I would say that classic trucks will continue to be popular, and we’ll see a rise in 1980s cars, due to the affordability and the nostalgia factor.

The post Take 5 with SEMA Chairman and Coker President Wade Kawasaki appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

from Hot Rod Network https://www.hotrod.com/articles/take-5-sema-chairman-coker-president-wade-kawasaki/ via IFTTT

[oliverwhv05362-blog]

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[hollsteinmon]

Strike A Match

Summary: 

Waverly frowned.

Today Nicole had opened doors for her, paid for her ticket, and jumped a half-mile in the air anytime their hands so much as brushed together. It was time to get something straight. Or, hopefully, not-so.”

Nicole takes Waverly on a date to the fair. At least, Waverly hopes it's a date. It is a date...right?

Read on A03

Waverly watched the man in the ticket booth carefully, as he took the money from Nicole’s hand and tore off two tickets from the reel. He looked at them only briefly as he slid their tickets over the desk.

“Enjoy your day,” he said with a practiced smile.

It was too hard to tell what the stranger was thinking. Did he assume them to be just two friends out for a fun afternoon, or something more?

She made sure to stick close to Nicole, smiling brightly at the security guard who stamped their tickets and let them wordlessly through the gates. Again, he barely glanced at them, only giving a small nod as they passed.

Clearly, no one realised what an enormous moment in history they were witnessing. Waverly Earp was most-likely/probably/hopefully on a date with the one and only Nicole Haught, and she was struggling to keep her excitement in check.

She had been like this all week, to the point that Wynonna had growled that if Waverly so much as mentioned Nicole or the upcoming fair one more time, she was going to drag her outside and throw her into the pool.

The big moment had occurred Tuesday, when Waverly trooped out onto the infield of the athletics track with the rest of the cheerleaders, ready for afternoon practice. Nicole was out running laps as she often did, keeping in top shape for basketball and soccer and softball and whatever else was on the endless list of sports she played. This particular Tuesday however, when Nicole jogged around the bend and onto the straight adjacent to where the cheerleaders practiced, she had taken a hard left and, still running, headed directly into the huddle of girls until she came to a sudden halt right in front of Waverly.

“Hey,” she had panted, cheeks blotchy and matching the colour of her flaming red hair that Waverly was secretly crazy about.

“Hi!” Waverly beamed at her, while deliberately ignoring the ‘OMG’ her best friend Chrissy was mouthing at her from just behind Nicole.

“Would you like to come to the fair-” Nicole took a quick pause to catch her breath, “with me on Saturday?”

The grin already on Waverly’s lips grew impossibly larger until Nicole was almost lost from sight as her eyes crinkled in happiness.

“Sure,” she agreed quickly, only barely restraining from a less cool reply that might have been somewhere along the lines of are you kidding me yes of course yes a million times yes!

“Great,” Nicole smiled back, apparently oblivious to the eyes of fifteen or so curious cheerleaders watching the exchange. “I’ll text you?”

“Sure,” Waverly repeated, still unable to think of anything else to say.

“Ok, sweet.” Nicole took a step back in the direction of the track. “Have a good practice.”

“Thanks,” Waverly beamed. “See ya.”

Nicole waved and jogged straight back onto the track to continue her laps, barely out of earshot before Waverly and the group of girls around her dissolved into excited giggles.

And so, here they were on Saturday afternoon, on what Waverly hoped very much was a date. Nicole was gay, Waverly had known that even before they had become friends a few months ago. Waverly didn’t know exactly what she herself was, but what she did know for sure was that she had a big, fat, ginormous crush on Nicole Haught, with her dimpled smirk and her athletic long legs. And her hair and her dorky jokes and her abs and – well, yes. So, while Waverly very much hoped this was a date, whether it actually was or not had never been explicitly stated.

“Where do you want to go first?” Nicole asked, warm brown eyes gazing down at her.

The fair had been open since that morning and was buzzing with activity, people everywhere in pairs and groups heading between attractions. Jaunty music played as the afternoon sun beat down, while the voices of merchants advertising their stalls rang out. There were showbags, food trucks, rides, sideshow games and even a giant ferris wheel.

One particular ride caught her eye.

“The claw?” Waverly suggested.

The claw was a ride that rose high into the sky and consisted of two giant arms that moved independently of one another, mostly swinging riders in huge circles through the air and occasionally spinning its carriages 360° or tipping them upside down.

“Um.” There was a pause while Nicole watched one of the carriages complete a rotation. “Sure.”

The screams from the people already on the ride grew louder as they approached. They joined the back of the line, both unable to keep their eyes off the people swooping through the air above them.

“This is going to be so much fun!” Waverly squealed as the carriages were loaded with new riders and they shuffled forward in the line.

Nicole looked down at her with a strange kind of smile and opened her mouth to say something, but ended up just closing it again and nodding a few times.

They moved forward again, Waverly rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet in excitement as they reached the front of the line.

“Next!” The operator called as the ride was emptied, and Waverly giddily skipped forward, Nicole shuffling along beside her. They were ushered into two seats at the edge of one carriage, the operator pulling down a large harness over their shoulders once they were in place.

The cogs of the motor clicked into gear, begging to whir, and Waverly couldn’t suppress another squeak of glee as the last rider was strapped into place.

Beside her, Nicole had her hands set on the harness, gripping so tight her knuckles were white. Her jaw was set and her eyes stared straight ahead, seeing nothing. She looked almost…terrified?

“Nicole-”

The rest of Waverly’s question was broken off by her own scream as the carriage took off suddenly, her stomach dropping to her feet as they swooped upwards. They were flung upside down as they reached the top of their arc and she let her arms dangle in the air, giggling uncontrollably. After hanging for a second they dropped down quickly, and Waverly was back to screaming as they flew through another circle. She glanced to her left and found Nicole now had her eyes screwed tightly shut, her mouth clenched.

“Nicole!” Waverly laughed, her voice lost in the rushing wind. “Nicole!”

Nicole peeked one eye open to look at her.

“Are you ok?”

There was a grunt that sounded more like a ‘yes’ than a ‘no’, but wasn’t entirely convincing.

“You should scream!” Waverly continued, shouting to be heard. “It helps! And it’s fun!”

“I don’t-”

But suddenly the carriage jolted and they began to spin rapidly, and when Waverly shrieked her voice was drowned out by the ear-splitting screams from Nicole next to her. This set Waverly off into another bout of hysterical laughter, and by the time they finally returned to the ground a few minutes later she had a side stitch and strands of hair were stuck to the tears on her cheeks.

“Oh my God,” Waverly panted, still giggling to herself as she pulled her hair back and wiped at her face, trying to avoid her mascara.

The operator unclipped them and Waverly immediately grabbed Nicole’s arm as they stood, her legs wobbly as she adjusted to being back on solid ground.

Nicole was quiet as they headed down the stairs and stepped off the path so Waverly could pull some tissues from her bag and wipe her eyes properly.

“So, you liked that one?” Nicole asked finally.

“It was so much fun! What did you think?”

“Oh, loved it,” Nicole replied, with enough enthusiasm that Waverly almost believed her. Almost, but not quite.

“Nicole…” Waverly used her kindest voice. “Are you scared of heights?”

“W-What?” Nicole spluttered, eyes flickering away from Waverly’s immediately. “Of course not!”

Waverly fought to hide her smile. Nicole was good at a lot of things, but apparently lying was not one of them.

She decided to drop the subject and searched for a distraction, her attention caught by flashing lights and the sounds of crashes and bangs.

“How do you feel about dodgem cars?”

As it turned out, Nicole enjoyed the little carts a lot more than she had the claw, and they spent the game steaming around the floor and smashing into each other, occasionally taking out small children along the way. By the time their time was up they were both a little bruised, and Nicole suggested they take a walk around.

They strolled past face-painting and temporary tattoo booths, laughing about tattoos they thought would suit each other, and then dodged the school’s basketball coach who was waiting in line for a hotdog. Nicole did her best to hide behind Waverly as they hurried past, and then launched into a story about the time he had made her run suicides after practice when she had arrived two minutes late.

They checked out the rest of the rides as they walked, deciding on which ones they might like to try. Occasionally their hands would bump together as they walked close side by side through the crowd, which would send a tingle of electricity up Waverly’s arm, and Nicole scrambling to put some distance between them, only to draw closer again a few minutes later.

“What about this one?” Waverly asked, unable to resist teasing Nicole a bit. Nicole was usually so calm, unfazed by the pressures of her sporting commitments or general school drama. It was kind of a relief to see her actually shaken by something.

She saw Nicole gulp, her face pale as she stretched her neck up to look at the carriage suspended in mid-air above them. Waverly had paused in front of the giant drop, the tallest ride at the fair

“Do you want to?” Nicole asked, and Waverly rolled her eyes fondly.

“Nicole,” Waverly tugged on her arm so she had her full attention. “You know I’ll still like you even if you don’t like heights, right? It’s nothing to be embarrassed of, it’s actually a perfectly logical fear.”

“I’m not-” A smirk slowly slid across Nicole’s face. “Wait, you’re saying you like me?”

Waverly flushed.

“Well, I don’t make a habit of spending my free time with people I dislike,” she huffed. “And don’t put this back on me! We’re talking about you here.”

Nicole sighed, rubbing at the back of her neck.

“I’m not embarrassed…It’s just – I don’t want you to miss out,” she explained, and Waverly felt a rush of affection at Nicole’s honesty. “For some inexplicable reason that I will never understand, you love all these crazy rides and I would hate for you to not be able to enjoy them because you’re here with me.”

“Hey, no-Nicole,” Waverly moved her hand down to squeeze Nicole’s, then immediately dropped it as both of their faces’ flared crimson. “Coming here with you today is something I really wanted to do, but not because of the rides, or the fair, or anything else. I came because I like y- spending time with you. I’d have fun no matter what we were doing. So, don’t stress, ok?”

“Ok,” Nicole murmured, eyes wide. A soft smile spread across her face and Waverly returned it for a second, until she looked away, suddenly shy. She was determined not to be embarrassed about expressing her feelings, but it was hard when she was this close to Nicole and didn’t know what the other girl was thinking.

“So then, if we’re not going on the giant drop, where do you want to go next?” Nicole asked after a moment.

“I think it’s your turn to pick,” Waverly offered.

“Ok, let’s see…” Nicole surveyed the rides they’d walked past. “We could do the Haunted House?”

Quite aside from the fact that Waverly was a huge fan of horror movies and anything scary, the idea of being alone with Nicole in a dark building was more than a little appealing. She grinned.

“Let’s go.”

As they waited in line Nicole became jittery once again, seemingly unable to decide what to do with her hands. First, she had them in her pockets, then she repeatedly tucked and un-tucked her shirt no less than three times, and soon after she folded them across her chest. Waverly wondered if perhaps Nicole was nervous about going inside, but the reason for her awkwardness became clear a second later when her arm settled tentatively around Waverly's shoulders.

Approximately one thousand butterflies burst into life in Waverly's stomach, as Nicole looked down at her, her bottom lip between her teeth in a silent question.

“Are you going to protect me from the monsters we’re going to find in there, Haught?” Waverly teased, albeit with a fair more amount of stuttering than she would have liked.

She tilted her head onto Nicole’s shoulder and let herself relax into her, letting her know without words that, yes, this was very much ok.

She watched as Nicole’s cheeks tinged slightly pink. From this position, she had to tilt her head back to look up at Nicole, and for some reason that was doing strange things to her stomach. Like feeling that she might throw up…but in a good way? If there was a good way to throw up on a maybe-first-date. Which she was pretty sure there was not.

“I have a feeling any monsters in there,” Nicole nodded her head at the doorway to the haunted house they were slowly drawing closer to, “are going to need protecting from you, Waverly Earp. I have witnessed your high kick firsthand.”

Waverly beamed up at her, only for her expression to drop a moment later when Nicole continued.

“Although I don’t think you’ll be doing much damage to anyone over five feet tall.”

Luckily for Nicole, a man dressed as a zombie beckoned them through the entryway before Waverly could respond, where he explained the rules (no running, no making contact with the actors) and then showed them through a black curtain and into a dark hallway. Almost immediately the passage narrowed, the walls too close for them to fit comfortably side-by-side.

“Do you want me to go in front?” Nicole offered, standing still as she peered into the darkness.

“Sure,” Waverly agreed. She gave Nicole’s waist a quick squeeze to send her forward. “Let’s go, I’m excited.”

Nicole took a hesitant step into the darkness and paused to glance back at Waverly. After a moment she took one more, stopped, then another, only to stop once again.

“You alright back there, Wave?” She asked, her voice oddly high pitched. They’d made it barely five meters from the curtain.

“Fine,” Waverly assured her. She pressed her hand to the small of Nicole’s back and gave her bicep a squeeze. “Don’t worry about me, let’s keep moving.”

“Ok, ok.” She heard Nicole let out a breath of determination and she strode forward, Waverly trotting close behind with her fingers twisted in Nicole’s shirt.

The temperature dropped dramatically as they approached the end of the hallway where it turned sharply left, and there was an eerie kind of whistling coming from around the corner.

The corridor they turned into was slightly better lit, and Waverly could make out several closed coffins against the wall.

“I bet there are vampires inside,” Waverly guessed, as they inched past the first.

“Vampires aren’t real,” Nicole whispered, but her voice was so quiet it sounded as though it might have been herself she was reassuring.

The first coffin remained firmly shut, as did the second as they tip-toed past it.

“What’s that?” Nicole asked suddenly, pointing toward a light glittering amidst a cloud of fog up ahead of them.

Waverly peered around Nicole’s arm, squinting into the darkness.

“Boo!”

The roar came from right beside them, as the doors of the third coffin burst open and a vampire threw his arms in the air, fangs bared.

“Holy shit!” Nicole scuttled backwards, flattening herself against the opposite wall.

“Oh my God,” Waverly panted, pressing a hand over her racing heart. “I knew it was coming and it still scared me.”

The vampire leered at them and stepped forward ominously.

“Go, go!” Nicole hissed, edging Waverly into the lead.

Waverly hurried forward, Nicole’s nails digging into her forearm as she clutched onto her tightly.

A moment later her eardrums were almost burst when another vampire launched itself from the final coffin and she nearly tripped over her own feet as she scrambled away, Nicole hollering in her ear.

They stumbled into a room filled with piles of skulls and twinkling gems, skeletons rattling at the bars of their cells. Waverly shifted her hand until her palm met Nicole’s, and she wrapped their fingers together.

She very quickly discovered it was hard to be scared of anything while Nicole’s hand was in hers, and instead of paying attention to the creepy scenes surrounding them, most of Waverly’s focus was soon taken up by trying hard not to collapse at the knees or walk into any walls, a difficult task with Nicole brushing up against her. Together they navigated ghosts, clowns, a suspicious substance dripping from the ceiling and a host of actors who popped out from hiding spots all over the place.

Nicole remained tense behind her the whole time, her breath sending Waverly’s hair billowing every time she gasped in surprise or fear. Which was often.

Finally, Waverly rounded a corner to see a square of sunlight at the end of the hallway, nothing but empty space between themselves and the exit.

“Thank God,” Nicole muttered into her ear, and Waverly chuckled softly.

“Dealing with all that scary stuff is kind of like practice for you,” Waverly commented. “Since you want to be a cop.”

Nicole laughed and the sound vibrated through Waverly’s spine.

“I’m hoping being a police officer will involve significantly less monsters than we just saw.”

A buzzing from somewhere behind them cut through the air, and Waverly’s heart leapt into her throat as she turned to find a hooded figure rushing towards them with a roaring chainsaw held aloft.

“CHRIST ON A CRACKER!”

Nicole let out a bloodcurdling scream, and attempted to take off running, only to instantly collide with the wall that was Waverly, rooted to the ground in terror. Nicole’s arms looped around Waverly’s neck, and one leg jumped around her waist, leaving her in what might have been almost a piggy-back if it wasn’t for the insurmountable height difference.

“Holy crap, move Waves, Go!”

Almost all of Nicole’s weight landing on Waverly had shaken her into action, and as the chainsaw-wielding figure drew closer she took off running, one of her hands gripping Nicole’s thigh at her hip while Nicole propelled them along with her other leg, hopping furiously.

They burst into the warm outside sun in a flurry of limbs, breathing ragged as the pseudo danger dissolved in the face of upbeat carnival music and the smell of fried food.

“Sorry,” Nicole apologised awkwardly once they came to a stop, gingering untangling herself from Waverly.

Waverly’s ears burned, her heart still racing from their fright. The exit of the haunted house was a solid 20 meters away; they’d staggered all the way across the path and into a small field of generators and power cords.

“No worries,” Waverly blushed, and cleared her throat. “That was scary, at the end there.”

Nicole scratched at the back of her neck, sheepish.

“I may have over-reacted a little. That dude probably wasn’t actually going to hack us up with his chainsaw.”

“Probably not,” Waverly grinned. “Still, better safe than sorry.”

“Sounds like something a potential police officer might say.”

Waverly laughed, but shook her head. “I don’t think my sister would think much of me becoming a cop. I’d probably end up having to arrest her all the time.”

“Wynonna?” Nicole looked amused. “Is it true she tried to hold up a bakery last year?”

“I’ve been sworn to secrecy.” Waverly rolled her eyes at the memories of Wynonna’s antics. “But let’s just say she would do a lot for doughnuts.”

“Speaking of doughnuts,” Nicole nodded her head at the assortment of food trucks they had ended up behind. “Is it time for dinner?”

They decided not on doughnuts, but tacos, and scored an empty table away from the main area, where it was quiet enough that they could chat softly as the sun lowered in the sky. Unfortunately, it soon became apparent that tacos were in fact a terrible first date food (seriously, was this a date? Waverly was losing her mind), and Waverly ended up with lettuce on her denim shorts and guacamole all over her fingers.

Nicole somehow looked just as gorgeous as always even with salsa smeared on her nose, her cheeks tinged as pink as the sky behind her when Waverly leaned over the table to wipe it off with a napkin.

“Is there anything else you want to do?” Nicole asked, once Waverly had returned from a nearby food stall with extra napkins and a bottle of water for them each.

Honestly, Waverly was exhausted. Spending hours with Nicole, who had her heart racing non-stop, combined with the adrenaline from the rides they had been on, had her feeling like she’d sent her emotions through a washing machine, and she would be perfectly content to curl up on the spot for a long nap. But she didn’t know when she would next have the chance to hang out with Nicole like this, and she sure wasn’t ready for the night to end.

Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a game stall, a basketball hoop with prizes displayed on the back wall.

“You would be good at that,” She said, pointing it out to Nicole.

“They’re always rigged,” Nicole frowned. “The ball is too big, or the ring is super bouncy.” But she stood up anyway, and offered a hand to Waverly to help her up. “Still, could be fun!”

Nicole was right, the game was definitely rigged. She had three tries, the ball ricocheting off the rim of the hoop each time. She convinced Waverly to have a go, but the result was the same, and they walked away empty handed.

“They must make a killing,” Nicole commented, as they strolled through the rest of the game stalls. They passed games of dart throwing, knock down the pins, and duck fishing. “Hardly anyone ever wins.”

“We need to try one where there’s a winner each time,” Waverly suggested. They came to a stop in front of a water pistol game. “Like this one!”

Waverly handed over enough coins for Nicole and herself, and they each took a seat behind a pistol as they waited for the remaining chairs to fill.

The rules were simple. A maximum of ten players could play per round, each sitting behind a water pistol that was aimed at a target. Once the game started, the pistol would automatically shoot a jet of water, and if it hit the center of the target, a little cowboy doll would begin to be pulled upwards into the air. Whoever’s cowboy was highest when the timer finished would be the winner.

“Have you done this before?” Nicole asked, as a couple of kids around their age sat down to her left.

Waverly squinted in concentration, her tongue poking out as she aimed the pistol directly at the centre of the target.

“No,” Waverly replied, “But I know my way around a gun.”

Lights surrounding the targets flashed red, yellow and then green, and the pistols each began to shoot a constant stream of water. The cowboy above Waverly’s target immediately began to climb as she blasted the center of the bullseye. Nicole, meanwhile, attempted to wrestle her pistol back from where it was spraying water harmlessly over the back wall.

There was nothing more distracting from any task than looking at Nicole, so Waverly made sure to keep her eyes forward, holding the handles firmly in position even as the force of the water tried to send the pistol off-target.

A bell sounded and the flow of water from the pistols ceased. An operator cast a quick eye over the cowboy dolls; most had made it about halfway, while Waverly’s was almost at the roof, and Nicole’s barely off the ground.

“Looks like player six is the winner!” He announced. The players around them groaned, standing up from their chairs or handing over money for another round.

“Whoohoo, Waves!” Nicole cheered, reaching over to give her shoulder a squeeze.

The man beckoned them over to the prize wall, and told Waverly she had won so convincingly that she could choose any prize she liked.

She cast her eyes upward, all the way to the huge stuffed animals at the very top of the wall.

“Which one do you want?” She asked Nicole with a smile.

Nicole’s mouth dropped open, eyes wide, but she was quick to decline.

“Oh no, Wave, you were the winner, you should pick one for yourself.”

Waverly frowned.

Today Nicole had opened doors for her, paid for her ticket, and jumped a half-mile in the air anytime their hands so much as brushed together. It was time to get something straight. Or, hopefully, not-so.

She planted her hands on her hips and looked Nicole dead in the eye.

“Is this a date?” She demanded.

Somewhere around seven different emotions crossed Nicole’s face before her confident smirk eventually settled across her lips.

“I sure hope so,” she drawled, stepping a little closer to Waverly.

“Great!” Waverly chirped and closed the distance further still, only for her voice to then lower dangerously, eyes narrowed. “So now we’ve clarified that I am in fact on a date to the fair with a pretty girl, I would very much like to complete this particular rite of passage and win you a shitty prize from a shitty carnival game. So, if it’s not too much trouble, kindly choose your prize.”

“Um,” Nicole blinked at her. “The lion?”

“Are you asking me or telling me?”

“The lion,” she repeated, a little more assured this time.

Waverly beamed at her.

“That one please,” she said to the man, pointing at the large orange lion that was on display, squashed between an elephant and a purple sausage dog. He dragged a stool over and clambered up, then pulled down the lion and presented it to Waverly with a smile.

“Well done miss.”

Waverly accepted the stuffed toy that was over half the size of her, and turned to hand it to Nicole.

“For you.”

“Thanks Waves,” Nicole smiled as she took the prize, then pulled Waverly into a one-armed hug, the best she could manage with the toy tucked under her other arm. She pulled back to have a proper look at the lion and smoothed its impressive mane.

“He can sit at the end of my bed,” she said and suddenly Waverly was picturing Nicole dressed in a pair of fluffy winter pyjamas, looking adorable all snuggled up with the lion perched proudly at her feet. Then her imagination switched to a less PG scene of Waverly in bed with Nicole, the lion forgotten on the floor, and her face burned.

“Great, um… that’s- uh…” Waverly trailed off as Nicole held her hand out to her, totally oblivious to Waverly’s thoughts.

“C’mon, there’s one last thing I want us to do.”

Waverly took a deep breath and then folded her fingers carefully around Nicole’s as Nicole watched, eyes bright. A date. They smiled shyly at each other. Waverly felt the fingers around hers tighten as Nicole gave her hand a soft squeeze, then let herself be led through the crowd.

Twilight had fallen, the sounds of insects buzzing in the warm evening air as Waverly realised where they were headed.

“The ferris wheel?” She asked, confused. “Are you sure? I thought-”

“I’m sure,” Nicole smiled. She stopped and let her hand slip from Waverly’s for a second to trace her thumb along Waverly’s eyebrow, then down the side of her face to her jaw. A shiver ran through Waverly as she stood enraptured, the lights from the floodlights above bathing Nicole in a golden glow. “But only if you want to.”

“Yes,” Waverly breathed.

Nicole’s hand curled around hers once again, and they approached the ride operator, who pointed them into a cabin and pulled the clear roof down, shutting out the world.

Nicole settled the lion against the wall and joined Waverly in the middle of the plush seat, her jeans cool against Waverly's legs.

The cabin jolted ever so slightly and began to move, slowly rising from the ground.

“I had a really good time today,” Nicole said.

“Me too,” Waverly replied quietly. Understatement of the century.

She shifted her hand to Nicole’s thigh, thumb brushing back and forth just above her knee.

A comfortable silence fell over them, both gazing down at the movement below them, the dwindling crowd wandering back and forth.

The horizon stretched in the distance as their carriage drew closer to the highest point of the wheel, the darkness sprinkled with pinpricks of lights from the town. Everything was quieter so high up, the chatter and music from below finally muffled.

Waverly shuffled impossibly closer to Nicole, who was gazing into the distance, her hands relaxed in her lap.

"We’re so high up,” Waverly said in wonder. “Aren't you scared?"

Slowly, Nicole turned to look at her, and when she did she held her gaze with such intensity that Waverly's heart began to race. Nicole's face was so close that Waverly could have counted her eyelashes.

"No," Nicole said, and her dimples popped as a warm smile spread across her face. "Are you?"

Waverly couldn't keep her eyes off Nicole's lips.

"A little," she murmured.

Nicole quirked an eyebrow at her, her forehead scrunching slightly.

"I thought you weren't afraid of heights?"

"I'm not."

There was a pause as Nicole's eyes widened ever so slightly, and Waverly could hear nothing but her heart thumping in her ears.

"You're really pretty," she whispered, because it was all she could think about with Nicole so close.

As soon as the words left her mouth she held her breath, watching as Nicole's smile grew, and she shifted on her seat so she was facing Waverly as best she could, their knees pressing together. Carefully, she reached forward and tucked a lock of hair behind Waverly's ear.

"So are you," Nicole said. Her hand moved from Waverly's hair to her shoulder, then trailed down to her arm, and she leant forward slowly until Waverly could feel her breath ghosting over her lips.

With shaky hands, Waverly cupped Nicole's cheeks, dusting her thumbs back and forth over her cheekbones. Nicole held still as Waverly brought her fingers down to trace Nicole's jaw, then under her hair to rest at the nape of her neck.

"You smell like vanilla," Waverly breathed.

Nicole let out a quiet laugh. "My shampoo."

Waverly hummed. "It's really nice."

Then she closed the remaining distance between them and pressed their lips together.

Nicole’s lips were impossibly soft against her own as she kissed her back, and Waverly absolutely melted as Nicole’s hands curled at her waist, trying to pull her closer. Kissing Nicole was intoxicating; she was dizzy as her fingers cupped Nicole’s jaw, feeling nothing but Nicole’s mouth moving against her own. She pressed closer, and could feel Nicole trying to deepen the kiss, but struggling with the awkward angle.

Eventually Waverly took matters into her own hands and clambered onto Nicole’s lap, planting her knees on either side of Nicole’s legs and kissing her soundly. Nicole hummed against her mouth happily, eyes twinkling when Waverly pulled back between kisses.

“You’re missing the view,” she teased.

“No I’m not,” Waverly replied, eyes never leaving Nicole’s.

Nicole’s laugh was giddy.

“Are you always this cheesy?”

“Is that going to be a problem?” Waverly smirked.

Nicole’s smile grew, hands on Waverly’s back already guiding her down for another kiss.

“Not in the slightest.”

***

Waverly was so full of happiness she pretty much floated back to the car, Nicole’s hand in hers the only thing keeping her tethered to the ground.

Quiet music played from the radio in Nicole’s rickety old second-hand car as Waverly chatted away while Nicole drove, the toy lion stuffed into the backseat. All too soon, the wheels crunched over the gravel of Waverly’s driveway, her house dark but the porch light left on.

Nicole walked her to the door, waiting on the top step while Waverly fished out her keys from her pocket.

“Thanks for inviting me today,” Waverly said, stepping back into Nicole’s space, her fingers brushing along her forearm.

“Thank you for coming,” Nicole smiled, “We’ll have to do this again sometime.”

“Sometime soon,” Waverly agreed, her eyes once again flicking down to Nicole’s lips.

“How about this Friday? There’s a movie coming out I think you might like.”

Waverly caught Nicole’s belt loop in her finger and tugged her close, pressing a firm kiss to her lips.

“It’s a date.”

Just so they were clear.

[thecaptainsdesk]

  Wherever you go around the world, you’re most likely to use public transport at some point. Once you get to the airport, taxis are normally the best option, especially if you have lots of heavy luggage. However, in most countries around the world – in my experience after 30 years of travelling – public transport is sorely lacking.

Here in the Philippines, it’s a very different story. I’ve travelled to every continent, and covered 132 countries, both as a tourist and a soldier, but in all of that time, there has never been a “public” transport system to match that in the Philippines. That’s not to say it is the same all over the country. There are many remote regions where public transport is not as good, such as remote areas of the provinces where people live miles apart, and riding your carabao (the Philippine domestic water buffalo) is still considered the fastest way to get around.

However, in the area where I live, in the Province of Laguna, public transport is unbelievable. Moreover, it is like that in almost every part of the country where there is a decent population. Everywhere I go around the world, I like to try out the public transport systems. From the rickshaws in India and Thailand (here we call them pedicabs or traysikels) to the dolmuşes of Turkey (a kind of minibus on a set route), I’ve tried them all. However, in none of the countries I have visited could you travel from door to door, on a motorized public transport vehicle, without walking more than a few yards. Here you can, and I will explain how later.

I use public transport here all the time, whether it is a journey north to Ilocos Sur, or a quick trip to bayan (town centre – pronounced buy-an) to get some groceries. After I first came here, I soon discovered that Filipinos drive like no-one else on the planet – with a complete disregard for any other road user, and an “I have the right of way” attitude that makes me want to blow up their car, with them in it! I had a few near misses in the first couple of years, driving the car, my motorbike, and my father-in-law’s traysikel, and finally decided that I was going to give up driving. Road rules are completely ignored, and it is not uncommon to have traffic driving contraflow and blocking the road for oncoming traffic, which they then blame for slowing them down. Safety first – let someone else drive!

Local Transport

So, let’s look at the forms of local transport we have here in the Philippines, and how each one works, both on its own and in conjunction with the other types of public transport.

Taxi

Metered taxis are common in Manila and most major provincial hubs. Flagdown fare starts at around P40, and a 15-minute trip rarely costs more than P150. Airport taxi fares usually start at a minimum of P70, then a per-kilometre charge.

Most taxi drivers will turn on the meter; if they don’t, politely request that they do. If the meter is “broken” or your taxi driver says the fare is “up to you”, the best strategy is to get out and find another cab (or offer a lower price). Rigged meters are also becoming more common, although it must be said that most taxi drivers are honest.

Though it’s not common, there have been cases of taxi passengers being robbed at gun or knife point, sometimes with the driver in cahoots with the culprits or the driver himself holding up the passengers. Get out of a cab straight away (in a secure populated area, of course, not in the middle of nowhere or in a slum area) if you suspect you’re being taken for a ride in more ways than one.

An alternative is to arrange a car and driver for the day – from P2000 to P4000 – through your hotel or another trustworthy source.

Uber

The Uber system of getting a car through an app on your smartphone has had major problems in the Philippines, as the whole concept of using a private vehicle for paying passengers is illegal. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has put a hold on new drivers, and wants Uber to disassociate themselves from drivers without proper documents.

Meanwhile, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) regulations state that in order to carry paying passengers, vehicles must have a commercial license plate, and carry insurance as well as the driver having a professional driving license. Uber drivers being able to continue in the Philippines is as yet uncertain. The costs are not that low either.

Light Rail/Manila Rail

Some parts of Manila are served by an elevated railway system, akin to rapid transit metro. Known locally as LRT-1 (the Green Line that runs north-south) and LRT-2 (the Blue Line that runs east-west), and MRT-3 (the Yellow Line, which runs along the north and south lanes of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, known locally as EDSA), these three railway lines transport more than 1.25 million passengers a day.

The major benefit of the LRT and MRT lines is the speed at which you can get from one part of Metro Manila to another. With Metro Manila comprising of 16 cities and the municipality of Pateros, this huge metropolis, known collectively as National Capital Region, covers an area of 619.5 km2. To complete the journey along EDSA by bus or car, from south to north, would normally take 4-5 hours, due to the immense volume of traffic.

The main drawback of the LRT and MRT lines is the crowded carriages. No matter what station you get on, chances are you will be standing the entire trip, and crushed up together with hundreds of other commuters.

Jeepney

The first jeepneys were modified army jeeps left behind by the Americans after WWII. They have been customised with Filipino touches such as chrome horses, banks of coloured headlights, radio antennae, paintings of the Virgin Mary and neon-coloured scenes from action comic books, as well as national flags and scenes from different countries, depending on the work location of the Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) that paid for the jeepney.

Jeepneys form the main urban transport in most cities and complement the bus services between regional centres. The starting fare is usually P8, rising modestly for trips outside the primary distance allowed for that P8 fare. Routes are clearly written on the side of the jeepney, and signs in the windscreen show what locations the jeepney will pass through.

Jeepneys have a certain quirky, cultural appeal, but from a tourist’s perspective, they have one humongous flaw: you can barely see anything through the narrow open slats that pass as windows. The best seats are up front next to the driver.

Again, in most places, jeepneys can fill up fast, especially during rush hours, and sitting cramped with 10 other people on each side of the jeepney is normal. Drivers try to cram as many people in as possible, to get the maximum possible fare, and some passengers are even hanging on to the back, while standing on the step or the rear fender, although this is technically illegal. In more remote areas, it is common for jeepneys to have a roof full of passengers.

I have to say it, jeepneys are one of my favourite forms of public transport here, and I love to commute around the country. Although I can drive, I don’t like to here, and it’s much nicer to let someone else worry about the traffic while we watch the world go by through the small “windows”.

Traysikel

Found in most cities and towns, the traysikel (pronounced try-see-kell) is the Philippine rickshaw – a little, roofed sidecar bolted to a motorcycle. The standard fare for local trips in most provincial towns is P8, which goes up piso by piso the further you get from the pickup point. Traysikels that wait around in front of malls, restaurants and hotels will attempt to charge five to ten times that for a “special” trip, which is like hiring the whole vehicle. Avoid these by standing roadside and flagging down a passing P8 tricycle.

The general rule is, if you flag down a passing traysikel it is single fare only. And they will normally slow down to ask where you are going as they go past. If they don’t, it usually means they are going home or are probably not for hire. Travelling on a traysikel can also be done from a terminal. Just like buses and jeepneys, traysikels have terminals (or should if they are franchised, although some “colorum” traysikels just roam around without the correct plates or licenses picking up passengers along the way). A trip from the terminal, unless you ask for the “special” trip, will cost a single fare.

For example, if I get a traysikel from bayan to the house, it’s P13 if it’s shared. The “special” costs me P52, the price of four normal passengers. Prices can vary from terminal to terminal, so it’s best to always ask the fare before you ride. Traysikels are my other favourite form of public transport here, and the drivers work hard to make enough to feed their families, but they will rarely try and rip you off, even as foreign visitors. If the single fare in your shared traysikel is P8, that’s what you’ll pay.

You can also charter tricycles for about P300 per hour or P150 per 10km if you’re heading out of town.

Pedicabs

Many towns also have non-motorised push tricycles, alternately known as Pedicabs or padyak, for shorter trips. Padyak is a the Tagalog word for stomping or forcefully stepping, which is the action used by the drivers when they are pedaling a pedicab with passengers.

Fares are really cheap, sometimes as much as a few pesos less that traysikels, but they will only go short distances. Many open subdivisions (our kind of housing estate) have Pedicabs at the entrance, as well as dotted around inside, for resident’s convenience.

Habal-habal

In the mountain barangays or in the countryside where roads are steep and unpaved, Filipinos always find ways to make things faster and easier to navigate. So, motorcycles are turned into motor-taxis to replace carabaos as a mode of transport.

The normal motorcycle or motorbike is enough only for a passenger and a driver. However, the “habal-habal” motorcycle can carry 2 to 8 passengers (if installed with wooden wings). They are most common in the Visayas and northern Mindanao, although the motorcycle taxi is making inroads in Metro Manila in recent years, just taking only one passenger at a time.

ONLY IN MINDANAO. A motorcycle with 6 passengers ply the Pagalungan highway in Maguindanao province on June 8, 2012 MindaNews photo by Ruby Thursday More

In some areas in the Visayas and Mindanao, “habal-habal” is the term used to call a motorcycle-taxi where the driver and the passengers are in “habal” (animal) position. “Habal” is a Bisayan term that literally means “the sexual (act) intercourse of animals” but now, it seems like the meaning has evolved to mean the mode of transportation… probably due to the “intimate” way passengers are crammed together behind the driver.

Kalesa

A kalesa (also known as caritela or karitela) is a horse-drawn calash used in the Philippines. It was one mode of transportation introduced to the islands in the 18th century by the Spanish, and was initially reserved for only nobles and high-ranking civic officials. These are rarely used in the streets today, except in the tourist-frequented areas of old cities and some rural areas.

A kalesa looks like an inclined cart, and is drawn by a single horse. It has two round wheels on each side and two rows of seats that can accommodate four persons. The driver sits on a block of wood located at the front of the cart near the horse.

Although the kalesa has become a rarity, century-old examples are still preserved in areas of the Philippines, such as in Vigan and Laoag. Kalesas can also be found in Intramuros, where they cater to tourists and Binondo in Manila, as well as in Iligan, where decorated kalesas can be taken for a ride along a specific street. In Cagayan, kalesas are common, especially in Tuao and other municipalities of the province. In Tuguegarao, the carriages are a part of the traffic along with private cars, motorcycles, tricycles, jeepneys, trucks, and bicycles.

Bus & Van

Philippine buses come in all shapes and sizes. Bus depots are dotted throughout towns and the countryside, and most buses will stop if you wave them down. Bus “terminals” also run the gamut. Some are well-secured large garage-like structures with destinations clearly signposted and even ticket booths, whereas others are nothing more than a few run-down outdoor sheds with drivers clamouring for your business. I have even known some locally that are “terminals” in the car park of the local Jollibee or SM Mall.

More services run in the morning – buses on unsealed roads may only run in the morning, especially in remote areas. Night services, including deluxe 27-seaters, are common between Manila and major provincial hubs in Luzon, and in Mindanao.

In NCR, there are normally two kinds of buses. The air-conditioned buses, with closed windows and cool, have their refreshing AC running at close to freezing all the time, while the “ordinary” buses are open, old and amazingly fast. Whereas the AC buses run along the highways almost following the road rules, the “ordinary” buses, which have no air-con except the open windows and rust holes, race along at breathtaking speeds, changing lanes at the drop of a hat, and not slowing down for anyone or anything smaller than them.

While it is nice to ride the AC buses in the hotter weather here, the “ordinary” buses have more character, are cheaper, and often get you there faster, unless it is rush hour in Manila. They look and sound as if they are about to fall apart, but I’ve not ridden on one that has… yet! And when they are going at speed, the open windows give you a cooling breeze, even if it is smog-filled from traffic fumes.

When riding the buses in Manila, especially the “ordinary” ones, be aware of the fares from place to place. It pays to listen to where the people around you are going, to know how much the ride will be, as the conductors will often add a little “surcharge” to foreigners who don’t know the fares. In more than a year of daily trips from Laguna to Makati, I was often told the fare was P10 more than it actually was.

Air-con minivans shadow bus routes in many parts of the Philippines (especially NCR, Bicol, Leyte, Cebu, Palawan and Mindanao) and in some cases have replaced buses altogether. However, you may have to play a waiting game until the vehicles are full. While they are a lot faster,  they are not allowed to stop anywhere in Metro Manila, unlike the jeepneys, and there are many that are run illegally, with private use plates instead of commercial plates.

Door-to-door Service

As I mentioned earlier, the Philippines is the only place I know where you can go door-to-door without walking more than a few yards. And I said I would explain how, so here it is.

The best example is going from my house, inside a subdivision, to my wife’s tita (aunt) who lives in Parañaque, Metro Manila.

From my house, I can get a traysikel just outside the house to the main highway. Since I live inside a subdivision, a little village of sorts inside the city limits, traysikels often drop passengers off inside, and then go back out. Since they are often not part of the TODA (Traysikel Operators and Drivers Association) for that subdivision or barangay, they cannot go to the nearest terminal, and will pick up roadside passengers along the way, to maximize their income for the trip.

From where I get dropped on the highway, I can get a jeepney across the road to take me to Alabang, in Muntinlupa, which drops off inside Starmall.

The terminal for the buses going all over NCR is right outside, and I can get on one that says “Ayala Ibabaw” on the signs in the windscreen. Conductors are always touting for passengers, and will help with which bus you need to take for people who are not sure.

The bus route takes me all the way to Parañaque along SLEX (South Luzon Expressway) and Metro Manila Skyway, and drops off at the Sucat exit.

Cross the road, and I get a jeepney going to San Isidro, which is a single fare price of P8. Get down from the jeepney at the BPI Bank at Greenheights Ave, and cross the road, to the compound where my wife’s tita lives.

The return journey is much the same. A jeepney going past the road outside the compound will take me back down to the Sucat exit, where I can jump on the first bus back to San Pedro, Laguna. Both AC and “ordinary” buses run the route, and there are hundreds of them going that way looking for passengers. (Alternatively, I can get the bus back to Starmall, and do the journey exactly backwards, but I prefer to get a bus all the way to San Pedro.)

At San Pedro, a jeepney passing by can take me into bayan, and drops off around 20 yards from the traysikel terminal for my subdivision. Another P8 fare for this part of the trip.

From the terminal in bayan, the traysikel takes me back to the subdivision, as a shared ride for only P13, and I can direct the driver on which turns to take to get to my house, though since most of them know me from the terminal, I often don’t need to direct them.

What about the other passengers in the traysikel? Well, it’s the norm here for traysikels to carry rideshare passengers (see, we had rideshare and pool vehicles years before Uber!), and there is a courtesy to let the closest one out first, even if it means travelling through many streets to get to your own house after dropping them off.

Another thing that we have with the traysikels is service. Traysikel drivers are some of the nicest people you can meet here, and will gladly carry your shopping bags and sacks of rice to your door, and even inside (if you don’t have nasty, biting dogs like I have), for no extra charge.

So, if you are thinking of coming to the Philippines, try to travel on the local public transport, and experience commuting the Filipino way. It really is “More Fun in the Philippines”.

Travel in the Philippines – Commuting like a Local Wherever you go around the world, you’re most likely to use public transport at some point. Once you get to the airport, taxis are normally the best option, especially if you have lots of heavy luggage.

[tinaparkerusa]

An Advanced Guide for Everything You Need to Know About Garage Door Openers

image screenrant.com

Post updated: 6/3/2017

Garage door openers are necessities in today’s modern home life. It provides convenience and comfort to the dwellers and drivers. It is almost impossible to imagine managing your day-to-day life without a remote or wall control to press and do everything for you.

If you’re moving into a new home and planning to get a new garage door opener, you need to familiarize yourself with how everything works. Here’s a guide that will show you everything that you need to know, from the kind of garage door openers in the market to troubleshooting your garage door opener:

Types of Garage Door Openers

Garage door openers are usually classified by the drive that they operate in and by the power that they have. Each of this garage door opener has its own set of pros and cons that you should weigh in to see if it fits your needs at home.

Chain drive. This is a common garage door opener found in most homes today. The chain-drive opener uses a chain to pull a trolley which moves the door up or down. This type of garage door opener is reliable and affordable. The only disadvantage towards the chain-drive garage door openers is that they tend to be noisy. This may not be ideal if you have bedrooms directly adjacent or above your garage. Chain-drive openers are suitable for detached garages.

Belt drive. Unlike the former, the belt-drive garage door opener uses a belt to move the largest moving part of your home. This is also a powerful opener that tends to be expensive. The great thing about this garage door opener is that it operates quietly which makes it agreeable to homes with living spaces above or beside your garage. This can be an investment on your part if you want a quiet opener.

Screw drive. The screw drive is somewhere in between the two former garage door openers. It rotates around a steel rod that moves the trolley to open or close the door. Because of its simple mechanism, this opener requires less maintenance. Unfortunately, the screw-drive opener tends to be noisier than the chain drive.

Aside from the drives that garage door opener operates in, these are also classified according to the power that these have.

Most homes have a ½-horsepower garage door opener. This is an ideal opener for those with two-car garages. It has enough power to lift and open a heavy garage door. If you have a larger and heavier garage door, a ¾-horsepower can be a good option. This is great for heavy doors and can be durable. A 1-horsepower opener is suitable for the heaviest doors as it provides maximum power and efficiency. These more powerful garage door openers might be a better choice for carriage doors.

Garage door openers with a smaller motor can be used for lighter doors. These are powerful enough to lift your garage door whenever you need it.

Choosing an Opener for Your Budget and Needs

In choosing a garage door opener, you have to factor in the things that you need for your home.

Being familiar with the types of garage door openers and their respective price points will allow you to choose the opener that suits your budget. If you’re looking for a durable yet affordable opener, you can go for chain drive. If you have extra money to spare for your big purchase, a belt drive might be the perfect option.

After identifying the type of garage door that is ideal for your family, be it chain drive, belt drive, or screw driver, go into the features and performance of the garage door opener. Look for an opener with safety features, such as child lock or safety sensors. These mechanisms prevent the garage door from running over objects and pets that are on its way.

photo Clear Lake TX Garage Door Repair

Security features should also be on top of your list as theft is a common problem. Rolling codes are standard features in most garage door openers and prevents piracy. If you desire added security features, such as smartphone controls and others, you might need to pay extra.

Controls and keypads are garage accesses that you should also consider in choosing an opener. Those with remotes allow convenience of opening even if you’re still far from your home. Multi-button remotes are ideal for those with multiple garage bays. A wall keypad provides you with access without the remote.

Remember, it is a must to stick to your budget when deciding on a new garage door opener for your home. However, do not sacrifice durability and performance for some extra savings. The garage door opener is an investment that you and your family can make towards a more convenient home life and that extra dollars spent can provide you with lasting comfort through the years.

Setting up Your Garage Door Opener

There are different options when it comes to installing your garage door opener once you’ve made the purchase. There are do-it-yourself kits that give you a step-by-step guide on how to mount your opener properly. This is a great idea for the handy homeowners out there who enjoy getting themselves worked up on a weekend. This might take effort, but can be fun to those who are builders by nature. This route is also cost-effective.

If doing it yourself is not your thing, you can also leave it to the professional installers. This makes your job easier and you only have to sit back while waiting for the task to finish. Do this if you are not to be left with tools. However, this might require you to spend a bit more on convenience.

Programming your Remote or Keypad

Once the opener has been installed, you must program your garage door opener to prevent break-ins.

If you’re using a remote, ensure that this matches the opener that you have. Next, go over to the opener and find the learn button. Press this button and in 30 seconds, press your desired button to be programmed on your remote. The LED light will blink to show that programming has been a success.

The same thing works for the keypad entry. Within 30 seconds of pressing the learn button press the desired four-digit pin. Avoid using familiar or common numbers. Then, press enter.

Test both remote and keypad after programming to check if these work with the correct garage door opener.

Basic Troubleshooting

As a homeowner, be knowledgeable on simple troubleshooting tips that can help you in an unexpected time. Although garage door openers are durable, at some point, they may break.

If the garage door does not open or close, there are several factors that you need to investigate.

Check power. Inspect if the garage door opener is plugged and if your backup

photo searsgaragedoors.com

batter is working. This might be a ‘duh’ moment, but this can happen. The batteries on your remote or keypad might be in need of changing. Try replacing the batteries and test the garage door opener again.

Reset the opener. If the problem still persists, reset the opener by unplugging it and plugging it again. This oftentimes does the trick as it resets the opener.

Check the sensor. If the garage door does not close, the safety sensor might be detecting an object on its way. In addition to that, the sensors might not be fully aligned which wreaks the garage door opener. These can sometimes be moved due to the constant movement of the opener. So ensure that the sensors are aligned and cleaned and that there isn’t any object blocking it.

Call a professional. If the previous steps did not work, it’s time to call a professional to take on the bigger chunk of work.

The post An Advanced Guide for Everything You Need to Know About Garage Door Openers appeared first on A Click Away Remotes.

from House Retoration Tips http://blog.aclickawayremotes.com/garage-door-openers-101-by-a-click-away-remotes

[cristinkgarzaky]

An Advanced Guide for Everything You Need to Know About Garage Door Openers

image screenrant.com

Post updated: 6/3/2017

Garage door openers are necessities in today’s modern home life. It provides convenience and comfort to the dwellers and drivers. It is almost impossible to imagine managing your day-to-day life without a remote or wall control to press and do everything for you.

If you’re moving into a new home and planning to get a new garage door opener, you need to familiarize yourself with how everything works. Here’s a guide that will show you everything that you need to know, from the kind of garage door openers in the market to troubleshooting your garage door opener:

Types of Garage Door Openers

Garage door openers are usually classified by the drive that they operate in and by the power that they have. Each of this garage door opener has its own set of pros and cons that you should weigh in to see if it fits your needs at home.

Chain drive. This is a common garage door opener found in most homes today. The chain-drive opener uses a chain to pull a trolley which moves the door up or down. This type of garage door opener is reliable and affordable. The only disadvantage towards the chain-drive garage door openers is that they tend to be noisy. This may not be ideal if you have bedrooms directly adjacent or above your garage. Chain-drive openers are suitable for detached garages.

Belt drive. Unlike the former, the belt-drive garage door opener uses a belt to move the largest moving part of your home. This is also a powerful opener that tends to be expensive. The great thing about this garage door opener is that it operates quietly which makes it agreeable to homes with living spaces above or beside your garage. This can be an investment on your part if you want a quiet opener.

Screw drive. The screw drive is somewhere in between the two former garage door openers. It rotates around a steel rod that moves the trolley to open or close the door. Because of its simple mechanism, this opener requires less maintenance. Unfortunately, the screw-drive opener tends to be noisier than the chain drive.

Aside from the drives that garage door opener operates in, these are also classified according to the power that these have.

Most homes have a ½-horsepower garage door opener. This is an ideal opener for those with two-car garages. It has enough power to lift and open a heavy garage door. If you have a larger and heavier garage door, a ¾-horsepower can be a good option. This is great for heavy doors and can be durable. A 1-horsepower opener is suitable for the heaviest doors as it provides maximum power and efficiency. These more powerful garage door openers might be a better choice for carriage doors.

Garage door openers with a smaller motor can be used for lighter doors. These are powerful enough to lift your garage door whenever you need it.

Choosing an Opener for Your Budget and Needs

In choosing a garage door opener, you have to factor in the things that you need for your home.

Being familiar with the types of garage door openers and their respective price points will allow you to choose the opener that suits your budget. If you’re looking for a durable yet affordable opener, you can go for chain drive. If you have extra money to spare for your big purchase, a belt drive might be the perfect option.

After identifying the type of garage door that is ideal for your family, be it chain drive, belt drive, or screw driver, go into the features and performance of the garage door opener. Look for an opener with safety features, such as child lock or safety sensors. These mechanisms prevent the garage door from running over objects and pets that are on its way.

photo Clear Lake TX Garage Door Repair

Security features should also be on top of your list as theft is a common problem. Rolling codes are standard features in most garage door openers and prevents piracy. If you desire added security features, such as smartphone controls and others, you might need to pay extra.

Controls and keypads are garage accesses that you should also consider in choosing an opener. Those with remotes allow convenience of opening even if you’re still far from your home. Multi-button remotes are ideal for those with multiple garage bays. A wall keypad provides you with access without the remote.

Remember, it is a must to stick to your budget when deciding on a new garage door opener for your home. However, do not sacrifice durability and performance for some extra savings. The garage door opener is an investment that you and your family can make towards a more convenient home life and that extra dollars spent can provide you with lasting comfort through the years.

Setting up Your Garage Door Opener

There are different options when it comes to installing your garage door opener once you’ve made the purchase. There are do-it-yourself kits that give you a step-by-step guide on how to mount your opener properly. This is a great idea for the handy homeowners out there who enjoy getting themselves worked up on a weekend. This might take effort, but can be fun to those who are builders by nature. This route is also cost-effective.

If doing it yourself is not your thing, you can also leave it to the professional installers. This makes your job easier and you only have to sit back while waiting for the task to finish. Do this if you are not to be left with tools. However, this might require you to spend a bit more on convenience.

Programming your Remote or Keypad

Once the opener has been installed, you must program your garage door opener to prevent break-ins.

If you’re using a remote, ensure that this matches the opener that you have. Next, go over to the opener and find the learn button. Press this button and in 30 seconds, press your desired button to be programmed on your remote. The LED light will blink to show that programming has been a success.

The same thing works for the keypad entry. Within 30 seconds of pressing the learn button press the desired four-digit pin. Avoid using familiar or common numbers. Then, press enter.

Test both remote and keypad after programming to check if these work with the correct garage door opener.

Basic Troubleshooting

As a homeowner, be knowledgeable on simple troubleshooting tips that can help you in an unexpected time. Although garage door openers are durable, at some point, they may break.

If the garage door does not open or close, there are several factors that you need to investigate.

Check power. Inspect if the garage door opener is plugged and if your backup

photo searsgaragedoors.com

batter is working. This might be a ‘duh’ moment, but this can happen. The batteries on your remote or keypad might be in need of changing. Try replacing the batteries and test the garage door opener again.

Reset the opener. If the problem still persists, reset the opener by unplugging it and plugging it again. This oftentimes does the trick as it resets the opener.

Check the sensor. If the garage door does not close, the safety sensor might be detecting an object on its way. In addition to that, the sensors might not be fully aligned which wreaks the garage door opener. These can sometimes be moved due to the constant movement of the opener. So ensure that the sensors are aligned and cleaned and that there isn’t any object blocking it.

Call a professional. If the previous steps did not work, it’s time to call a professional to take on the bigger chunk of work.

The post An Advanced Guide for Everything You Need to Know About Garage Door Openers appeared first on A Click Away Remotes.

from House Retoration Tips http://blog.aclickawayremotes.com/garage-door-openers-101-by-a-click-away-remotes

[maryrharris]

An Advanced Guide for Everything You Need to Know About Garage Door Openers

image screenrant.com

Post updated: 6/3/2017

Garage door openers are necessities in today’s modern home life. It provides convenience and comfort to the dwellers and drivers. It is almost impossible to imagine managing your day-to-day life without a remote or wall control to press and do everything for you.

If you’re moving into a new home and planning to get a new garage door opener, you need to familiarize yourself with how everything works. Here’s a guide that will show you everything that you need to know, from the kind of garage door openers in the market to troubleshooting your garage door opener:

Types of Garage Door Openers

Garage door openers are usually classified by the drive that they operate in and by the power that they have. Each of this garage door opener has its own set of pros and cons that you should weigh in to see if it fits your needs at home.

Chain drive. This is a common garage door opener found in most homes today. The chain-drive opener uses a chain to pull a trolley which moves the door up or down. This type of garage door opener is reliable and affordable. The only disadvantage towards the chain-drive garage door openers is that they tend to be noisy. This may not be ideal if you have bedrooms directly adjacent or above your garage. Chain-drive openers are suitable for detached garages.

Belt drive. Unlike the former, the belt-drive garage door opener uses a belt to move the largest moving part of your home. This is also a powerful opener that tends to be expensive. The great thing about this garage door opener is that it operates quietly which makes it agreeable to homes with living spaces above or beside your garage. This can be an investment on your part if you want a quiet opener.

Screw drive. The screw drive is somewhere in between the two former garage door openers. It rotates around a steel rod that moves the trolley to open or close the door. Because of its simple mechanism, this opener requires less maintenance. Unfortunately, the screw-drive opener tends to be noisier than the chain drive.

Aside from the drives that garage door opener operates in, these are also classified according to the power that these have.

Most homes have a ½-horsepower garage door opener. This is an ideal opener for those with two-car garages. It has enough power to lift and open a heavy garage door. If you have a larger and heavier garage door, a ¾-horsepower can be a good option. This is great for heavy doors and can be durable. A 1-horsepower opener is suitable for the heaviest doors as it provides maximum power and efficiency. These more powerful garage door openers might be a better choice for carriage doors.

Garage door openers with a smaller motor can be used for lighter doors. These are powerful enough to lift your garage door whenever you need it.

Choosing an Opener for Your Budget and Needs

In choosing a garage door opener, you have to factor in the things that you need for your home.

Being familiar with the types of garage door openers and their respective price points will allow you to choose the opener that suits your budget. If you’re looking for a durable yet affordable opener, you can go for chain drive. If you have extra money to spare for your big purchase, a belt drive might be the perfect option.

After identifying the type of garage door that is ideal for your family, be it chain drive, belt drive, or screw driver, go into the features and performance of the garage door opener. Look for an opener with safety features, such as child lock or safety sensors. These mechanisms prevent the garage door from running over objects and pets that are on its way.

photo Clear Lake TX Garage Door Repair

Security features should also be on top of your list as theft is a common problem. Rolling codes are standard features in most garage door openers and prevents piracy. If you desire added security features, such as smartphone controls and others, you might need to pay extra.

Controls and keypads are garage accesses that you should also consider in choosing an opener. Those with remotes allow convenience of opening even if you’re still far from your home. Multi-button remotes are ideal for those with multiple garage bays. A wall keypad provides you with access without the remote.

Remember, it is a must to stick to your budget when deciding on a new garage door opener for your home. However, do not sacrifice durability and performance for some extra savings. The garage door opener is an investment that you and your family can make towards a more convenient home life and that extra dollars spent can provide you with lasting comfort through the years.

Setting up Your Garage Door Opener

There are different options when it comes to installing your garage door opener once you’ve made the purchase. There are do-it-yourself kits that give you a step-by-step guide on how to mount your opener properly. This is a great idea for the handy homeowners out there who enjoy getting themselves worked up on a weekend. This might take effort, but can be fun to those who are builders by nature. This route is also cost-effective.

If doing it yourself is not your thing, you can also leave it to the professional installers. This makes your job easier and you only have to sit back while waiting for the task to finish. Do this if you are not to be left with tools. However, this might require you to spend a bit more on convenience.

Programming your Remote or Keypad

Once the opener has been installed, you must program your garage door opener to prevent break-ins.

If you’re using a remote, ensure that this matches the opener that you have. Next, go over to the opener and find the learn button. Press this button and in 30 seconds, press your desired button to be programmed on your remote. The LED light will blink to show that programming has been a success.

The same thing works for the keypad entry. Within 30 seconds of pressing the learn button press the desired four-digit pin. Avoid using familiar or common numbers. Then, press enter.

Test both remote and keypad after programming to check if these work with the correct garage door opener.

Basic Troubleshooting

As a homeowner, be knowledgeable on simple troubleshooting tips that can help you in an unexpected time. Although garage door openers are durable, at some point, they may break.

If the garage door does not open or close, there are several factors that you need to investigate.

Check power. Inspect if the garage door opener is plugged and if your backup

photo searsgaragedoors.com

batter is working. This might be a ‘duh’ moment, but this can happen. The batteries on your remote or keypad might be in need of changing. Try replacing the batteries and test the garage door opener again.

Reset the opener. If the problem still persists, reset the opener by unplugging it and plugging it again. This oftentimes does the trick as it resets the opener.

Check the sensor. If the garage door does not close, the safety sensor might be detecting an object on its way. In addition to that, the sensors might not be fully aligned which wreaks the garage door opener. These can sometimes be moved due to the constant movement of the opener. So ensure that the sensors are aligned and cleaned and that there isn’t any object blocking it.

Call a professional. If the previous steps did not work, it’s time to call a professional to take on the bigger chunk of work.

The post An Advanced Guide for Everything You Need to Know About Garage Door Openers appeared first on A Click Away Remotes.

from A Click Away Remotes http://blog.aclickawayremotes.com/garage-door-openers-101-by-a-click-away-remotes

[itsworn]

Custom Bumpers for Your Early Ford

Automotive styling was rapidly changing in the mid ’30s. The 1933-1934 Ford fenders were the first with side skirts behind the wheels; by 1935 Ford had entered what hot rodders affectionately call the “fat fendered” era. The new, round fenders were more streamlined and fully covered the wheels. The 1935 Ford employed a grille with styling cues carried over from 1934. While the 1936 Ford shared many body parts with the 1935 model, the new grille had a distinctly modern look, with the V-shape tapering back to the hood. It was a stylish treatment that met with the approval of the general public and hot rodders alike. While the grille was modern, the front and rear bumpers were still reminiscent of the 1934 bumper. The center dip provides clearance for the hand crank, should it be needed, and the curled ends of the bumper definitely recall the earlier cars. However, in our humble opinion, the bumpers, both front and rear, appear to be too short for the car, ending almost in the center of the front fenders.

The 1936 Ford body style lends itself to being a rod, a custom, or often both. Think back to the famed Pierson Brothers 1936 coupe. It ran DeSoto bumpers, fender skirts, Appleton spots, wide whitewalls, but could also be stripped down for a rapid pass across the salt. Such is the versatility of the 1936 Ford, which brings us to the 1936 Ford phaeton seen on these pages.

As we all know, street rodding is as much about friends as it is cars. So after selling my 1957 Ford Ranch Wagon, my good friend Al Casteen was certain he had the next car for me. After some brief negotiations I was the proud owner of the 1936 tub seen here.

I headed up to Virginia to collect said phaeton and along the way picked up another longtime pal Larry Shoaf. We retrieved the car and on the way back home I mentioned the first thing to go would be the stock bumpers. I spoke of V-ing a 1940 Ford pickup bumper for the front when Shoaf mentioned he had an old bumper in his shed that carried a factory V-shape. He thought it was a late ’30s or early ’40s GM bumper. When we arrived at his house the bumper was placed on the front bumper irons of the 1936. It appeared to be the perfect width and curvature, plus it was a great-looking bumper.

Once home the original bumper was removed and the “new” bumper was clamped in place. I felt it was the perfect upgrade for my newfound 1936. A bit of research indicated it was a 1939 Buick bumper. In less than an hour online I had located a rear 1939 Buick bumper, so I now had a matching pair.

The phaeton will be running a hopped-up 59AB Flathead motor so the key here was to keep things traditional. We decided to use the stock Ford bumper irons to mount the 1939 Buick bumper. We also filled the original bumper mounting holes for a nice early custom touch and fabricated mounts to the backside of the Buick bumper to mate to the Ford bumper irons. Our mounts are simple, 3/16-inch plates welded to the inside of the bumper. This provides a nice flat surface to mate to the bumper irons and also ensures we won’t distort or crack the bumper when tightening the bolts; two problems that can occur if you simply weld studs to the back side of the bumper.

In the process of adapting the bumpers we did heat and bend the Ford brackets a bit and we also slotted the bumper iron mounting holes on the driver side bumper irons to provide front to back adjustment. This allowed us to fit the bumper perfectly. Remember you are working on an 81-year-old automobile. That original bumper has no doubt been bumped, used to pull other cars, and maybe had the weight of the car lifted on it. It pays to take preliminary measurements of the original bumper and the bumper irons before trying to adapt a new bumper. By getting the bumper irons matching from side to side, mounting the new bumper level centered will be much easier. The job is pretty straightforward work, but like all things, work slowly, measure twice, cut once, and keep things centered and level.

In the end we believe the 1939 Buick bumper gave our 1936 Ford a wider, lower look and the 79-year-old bumper was just “modern” enough to provide a nice custom touch. The bumper also gently sweeps around the corner of the fenders providing protection and good looks. The sculpted shape of the Buick bumper also adds a nice touch of detail. The filled holes enhance the smooth lines of the Buick bumper and when the bumper returns from Advanced Plating in Nashville our bumper makeover will be complete. The principles behind mounting this bumper will apply to many cars with exposed bumper irons, so follow along as we mount a 1939 Buick bumper to our 1936 Ford phaeton.

A filled 1939 Buick bumper gives our 1936 Ford a wider, smoother appearance, and the good news is adapting it was easy.

The new grille was sleek and aerodynamic by 1936 standards, and in our opinion the Ford bumpers look too old and too short for the sleek new design.

The first step was to simply rest the new 1939 Buick bumper on top of the bumper irons to check for proper width and contour. The Buick bumper was V’d from the factory and the width appeared to be good.

After removing the original bumper we clamped the Buick bumper to the Ford bumper irons. We were amazed at how perfectly the new bumper fit the contours of the 1936 Ford fenders.

The next step was to center the bumper and level the bumper. We put a bolt in the original bumper mounting hole and measured to mark in the center of the grille. We did this on both sides and moved the clamps until the bumper was perfectly centered.

Next we measured from the face of the sheetmetal to the bumper on each side. As it turns out one bumper iron measured 8-1/8 inches while the other was 8-5/8 inches. We would have to adjust this gap.

We decided to slot the bumper irons on the driver side of the car. This would allow us to move that side inward to match the 8-1/8-inch gap on the passenger side. We began the process by drilling two 9/16-inch holes on both driver side bumper irons.

We then used a cut-off wheel in a die grinder to remove the metal between the holes. A little work with a file and a die grinder burr provided smooth adjuster slots in the bumper irons. We now had ample forward and back adjustment for the bumper.

Next up was making mounts for the new 1939 Buick bumper. We began by making four 3/16-inch plates measuring 1-1/2×2 inches. Each plate was drilled with a 7/16-inch hole.

After cutting the head off a 7/16-14 bolt we gently clamped it in the vise and placed the plate over the stud for welding. The stud is slightly recessed in the plate.

After a quick pass with our Miller Synchrowave 200 TIG welder the 7/16-inch stud and plate were one. Since the bumper is contoured there is no need to grind the weld off this back side of the plate.

After marking the center of the original inboard Ford bumper iron hole we tack-welded the stud plate to the inside of the Buick bumper. Note that all of the chrome and copper plating has been ground off the bumper prior to welding.

With the mounts tack-welded in place we testfit the bumper one last time. Satisfied that the mounts were properly located, we TIG-welded the stud plates to the bumper. These two studs make mounting the bumper a simple one-man job.

The Ford bumper irons were not perfectly parallel to our new mounting pads. The remedy is to simply heat and bend the mounting end of the irons. First we brought the bumper iron to a bright red color using an oxy/acetylene cutting torch.

Then we quickly slipped the bumper in place and used a C-clamp to pull the bumper iron flat to the mounting pad. We left the C-clamp in place until the bumper iron cooled. We then did the same thing to the passenger side bumper iron.

While the driver side outer bumper bracket was close to fitting the bumper, it was a bit high, possibly from a jack sometime in the past 81 years. We would need to pull that bracket downward.

While the driver side outer bumper bracket was close to fitting the bumper, it was a bit high, possibly from a jack sometime in the past 81 years. We would need to pull that bracket downward.

A simple cargo strap was wrapped around the very end of the outer bumper iron and down to our lift. We heated the bumper iron and used the ratchet to pull the bumper iron down into place.

On the passenger side the bumper iron was in the middle of the bumper but was pushed inward. We applied heat to the bumper iron and pulled it forward with a C-clamp.

The outboard brackets would be a bit more involved than simple flat plates. We began by finding the curvature of the bumper with a profile gauge. These gauges give both a female and male profile by simply pushing it against the bumper.

We fabricated the small “leg” of the bracket with the proper profile to match the bumper. On the back side of the mount we welded a 7/16-14 nut to act as a receiver for the bumper bolt.

We bolted the bracket to the bumper iron and then marked the location on the bumper. Once again, tack-weld, testfit, and then finish weld the bracket to the inside of the bumper on both sides.

With our new brackets welded inside the bumper we bolted the bumper in place and made the proper adjustments to center and level the bumper. The bumper matches virtually every curve of the Ford front sheetmetal.

The next job was smoothing the bumper. We cut a 1/2-inch carriage bolt head off and used it to fill the square holes in the bumper. We tack-welded the bolt head on the inside of the bumper.

Here you can see how nicely the carriage bolt fills the square hole. The chrome and copper plating has been ground off the bumper in preparation for the final TIG welding.

Once again the Miller Synchrowave 200 TIG welder was called into service. We left the weld a bit high to provide material to grind down, but we were also certain to have good penetration of the weld.

A little work with a small grinding wheel and the hole disappeared. One small low spot required a quick hit with the TIG welder and a bit more grinding.

When it came time to fill the round holes we found a 5/8-inch bolt and cut thin pieces that were a bit thicker than the bumper. The thick piece on the right is for the center hole.

Since the center hole is in the middle of the bumper “V” we let the filler plug protrude a bit. This allows enough material to match the profile of the V. The bolt thread on the plug helped hold it in place.

The plug was then TIG welded on both sides. Note we have ground off the chrome and copper plating. The two outer round holes were filled in similar fashion.

Once again using a 100-grit, 2-inch grinding pad we shaped the filled hole to match the bumper. We left the area slightly high as this will provide material for the finishing team at Advanced Plating to work with when doing the final smoothing of the bumper.

This side profile view shows how perfectly the 1939 Buick bumper fits the 1936 Ford sheetmetal. Likewise the rear bumper from a 1939 Buick fits the contour of the 1936 Ford rear sheetmetal. More on that later.

The “before” view: The stock bumper isn’t as wide as the fenders and the center dip, bumper guards and Cats-Eye Auxiliary Lamp all combine for a rather busy look.

The “after” view shows a smooth bumper that is wide enough to protect the entire front sheetmetal. The dip of the stock Ford bumper has been replaced by a stylish “V” and we think the straight bumper adds a lower, wider look to our old Ford. Now it’s off to Advanced Plating for some perfect chrome.

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