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I really miss my D&D game, and I really miss my bff Acacius, and I really miss my love Ismark, and I really miss my son Victor Vallakovich, and I really miss my party's funny haha's, and I really miss it all
#idk why but its hitting me hard tonight#i wish we had palyed and could be able to play...#i miss everyone so much
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Remembrance of A Bond
The sun was beating down on anything its rays touched, the sand hot to the touch and creatures escaping to the shadows to cool down. In the water, dolphins chirped and clicked, whistling to each other. They took turns springing into the air above the water. Sea birds soaring in the air and watched below them. One dipping down to catch a fish that was close to the surface.
On the beach, two teenagers were busy playing a game. Tossing a small, hand-sized rubber ball at each other, hoping the other will catch it. One was a boy, who had raven hair and olive tanned skin. His brown eyes were bright with enjoyment. He was wearing a loose blue and white striped tank-top, and a pair of tan cargo shorts. A homemade thread bead bracelet was on his wrist, decorating it was a sandbar shark tooth.
The girl was wearing a white crop-top with a flowing knee-length skirt, a white tank-top and around her neck was a shark-tooth necklace. She, like the boy, ran in the sand with bare feet. Around her head, she wore a headscarf, hiding what was underneath.
“I’m throwing it farl, Troy!” the girl called out, trotting backward. She threw the rubber ball at him, but he didn’t catch it. It soared past him while he tumbled backward into the sand. The boy—Troy, huffed and got up, brushing away the sand that had collected on his clothing. “Good throw, Lian!”
The girl smiled, “Thanks for the compliment, Troy. Maybe one day you’ll be good as me,” her tone was tantalizing. Troy laughed and grabbed the ball that was in the sand a few feet away from him.
“Kids’, sandwiches are ready!” a woman in her late thirties or early forties called out from the porch of the beach house. The two teenagers laughed and shoved each other while retreating to the hut. The woman from before smiled as she watched them, only the slightest frown at the tips of her lips. Lian and Troy finished shoving at each other and went inside, quickly sitting down and eating their sandwiches.
“Gracias, Mrs. Haku, for the sandwich,” Troy said, though his mouth was still filled with ham and cheese sandwich.
“Thank you, Troy—now, please finish eating before you talk,” the older woman chuckled. The boy listened and continue to eat away at the sandwich. Lian, unlike Troy, ate hers at a slower pace, occasionally stopped by small fits of coughing. During one of her fits, the headscarf had started to slip. Lian noticed and simply took it off. It revealed an almost bald head—only a few strands of hair in some places.
“Your father is due home any minute now, Lian,” Mrs. Haku spoke up. She was filling the feed for the parrots, whose cage was in the corner.
“We’re still doing the campfire later, right?” Lian asked. Mrs. Harper laughed half-heartedly.
“Yes we’ll still have the fire, the rain from yesterday wasn’t enough to make the logs wet,” the older woman said. The two teenagers gave their announced excitement, Troy even shooting up and shouting his excitement.
“Troy, I’m just as excited as you, but we don’t want Emilio to cause a disturbance,” a man said from the door, a grin on his face. He was tall with a sunburned tan, his dirty blond hair in a man bun.
“Papa!” Lian ran over to him and wrapping him in a hug. He gave a throaty laugh but hugged her back.
Ollie, the family’s dog, skittered in through the door after the man. It’s colored coat covered in wood shavings and grit.
“Ryan! Clean Ollie off before he comes inside! He’s going to make a mess,” Mrs. Haku exclaimed. The man laughed.
“He can come run in the water with us?” Troy suggested.
“Alright, but Lian, you need to take your medication soon.”
Lian had been a very sick child throughout her school years, missing a lot of days and constant trips to the clinic a few towns away. Doctors claimed it as ‘poor genetics’. It wasn’t until she was fifteen they did a blood test, that’s when they found out she actually had leukemia. It was a devastating discovery, but Lian wanted to keep everyone happy. She continued on with life like before, but with more medications and occasional chemotherapy. Over the time she’s gone through chemo, her skin got paler, she started to lose weight, and her hair started to fall out.
Her father—Ryan Haku—was reluctant to put his only child on the medications and chemotherapy. He eventually put her up for it, hoping it could stop cancer from spreading. Ryan’s wishes weren’t heard, unfortunately. In recent months, their family doctor at the clinic broke the news to them that Lian wouldn’t live to be nineteen. It broke them, knowing their daughter would pass away before them.
Troy had been by Lian's side through those hard years. He was only half a year older than her, and they both turned out to be good friends. Best friends. Troy and Lian were a Romeo and Juliet type of relationship. They loved each other, but Lian was destined to pass away. Troy, however, promised he’d stay with her till she couldn’t anymore.
“When are we having the campfire?” Lian asked.
“As soon as your mother gets the food ready,” Ryan replied, retreating to Nalani and his shared bedroom.
“I have everything ready so we can all head down to the beach,” Lian’s mom—Nalani Haku—mused. She was in the kitchen again, grabbing different foods and drinks into the carrier bag that laid on the counter.
Troy and Lian were already heading for the door, Ollie in tow behind them. The border collie yapped away as it chased after the two young adults, happily jumping in the waves that crashed on the beach. Troy and Lian ran after the dog, laughing while splashing each other. Nalani and Ryan went to join them, sitting a bit away from the water and sat down. Nalani set her bag down beside her, Ryan tweaking the strings of his old ukulele. When the two teenagers were tired out they joined the adults by the now burning fire. The heat from the flames danced on their skin as their shadows stretched out on the sand. The sound of the wood crackling and crashing waves filled the air but was interrupted by a soft strum on the ukulele.
“Mahalo nui ia Ke Ali’i wahine. ‘O Lili’ulani ‘O ka Wo hi ku. Ka pipio mai o ke anuenuehi,” Ryan started to sing, strumming the ukulele’s strings.
“Na waiho’o lu’u a halikeole’e. E nana na maka i ke ao malama mai. Hawai’i akea I Kaua’i. ‘O Kalākaua he inoa. ‘O ka pua mae’ole i ka lā.” Ryan continued singing as Ollie bounded over, sitting at his feet.
“Ka pua maila i ka mauna. I ke kuahiwi ‘o Mauna Kea. Ke ‘ā maila i Kīlauea.” Troy joined, swaying slightly.
“Mālamalama i Wahinekapu. A ka luna o Uwēkahuna. I ka pali kapu o Kau’auea.” The two of them sang, their voices being carried on the wind. The gentle strumming of the ukulele mixed with their sound, creating a beautiful melody.
“Ea mai ke ali’i kia manu. Ua wehi ka hula o ka mamo. Ka pua nani a’o Hawai’i.” Lian’s soft voice braided into their melody as her eyes glittered joyfully. “‘O Kalākaua he inoa. ‘O Kalākaua he inoa. ‘O ka pua mau’ole i ka lā. Ka pua maila i ka mauna.”
“I ke kuahiwi ‘o Mauna Kea. Ke ‘ā maila i Kīlauea. Mālamalama i Wahinekapu. A ka luna o Uwēkahuna.” Nalani started to sing as the two teenagers started dancing around in the sand.
“I ka pali kapu o Ka’auea. Mahalo nui ‘ia ke Kuini. ‘O Lili’ulani Wo ka ‘o hi ku. Ea mai ke ali’i kia manu.” Ollie sprung up and started running around them, it’s tail wagging frantically.
“Ua wehi i ka hulu o ka mamo. Ka pua nani a’o Hawai’i. ‘O Kalakaua he inoa. He Inoa No Kalani Kalākaua Kulele.” The two collapsed back onto the sand in a fit of laughter, covering their clothes completely in sand.
Later on in the evening, when both Ryan and Nalani went inside for the night, Troy and Lian—with the company of Ollie—went to the field a bit away from the beach. It was farther away from the torchlight, making it easier for them to see the billions of stars in the sky above them. The sky was painted like a canvas, the dark sky was the once black canvas, while the stars and clouds decorated it. The moon was raised high in the sky, hanging over them and the ocean.
Lian’s eyes lit up from the joy of watching the stars. She had wanted to study the stars when she grew up, but it was a lost hope. Because she was so sick all the time, Troy brought her astronomy books to read—which she loved and thanked him for.
“The first one to find a constellation wins!” Troy said suddenly. They laughed and began their search of looking for a constellation. They both spotted the Scorpius constellation, then Aquila, then Orion the Hunter. It continued for hours, looking at the stars.
During that time of stargazing, Troy started to feel distraught. He looked over at his best friend, examining her. Her body was thinner, loss of hair, needing a breathing tube to make sure she didn’t pass away in her sleep not being able to breathe. The Hispanic boy sometimes wished she’d never gotten so sick, that she never had leukemia. To people who didn’t know Lian thought of her as weak, but Troy knew better. This was Lian at her strongest. She was fighting to make them smile, to make them happy.
“Troy,” Lian said. “I want you to remember this moment. I want you to make this a special memory, our special memory.”
They had gone back to her house not long after. They bid each other goodnight before Troy headed up farther along the road to get to his house. Lian’s father was already asleep when she came inside—having a tendency of falling asleep while watching the news. She headed for her room, where she changed into her sleeping attire. Walking over to her window, she gazed out onto the empty street. The light of the moon washed over the rooftops and the long road, making everything seem monotone and stale. The only things moving were the branches and leaves on trees, the wind flowing through them. Lian sighed, closing her curtains and flipping off the lights in her room. She crawled into bed, the cool sheets sending goosebumps up her arms and legs, and stared at the ceiling. Her mother came in her room to help her with the breathing tubes, and kissed her forehead, bidding goodnight. Not long later, Lian fell into a sleep-filled world.
In only a matter of weeks, Lian’s health spiral downward. It wasn’t until August twelfth, two-thousand and eleven, at four-twenty two that Lian had passed away. Troy received a call that afternoon about Lian and immediately left to comfort his second family. Two weeks later, Lian’s funeral went as scheduled.
“We meet here today to honor and pay tribute to the life of Lian Hope Haku, and to express our love and admiration for her.
“Also to try to bring some comfort to those of her family and friends who are here and have been deeply hurt by her sudden death.
“Lian wasn't a particularly religious person, so it's befitting that her funeral ceremony should reflect what she was, ...a gentle, ...kind, …loving person; devoted to her family and friends.
“It's only natural that we should be sad today, because, in a practical sense, Lian is no longer a part of our lives, ‘we must die, we know’ said a character in Shakespeare, ‘tis but the time and drawing days out that men stand upon’, and so we all come to ponder the life and death of a truly wonderful lady aged eighteen; with confused and mixed feelings.
“For we have a powerful sense of loss; combined with a recognition that; if death must come, its as well that its not unduly prolonged, we don't want to see someone we love suffer, so this sorrow; and our sense of the fitness of things; don't sit easily together, one purpose of our proceedings here today; is in some way to try to reconcile those feelings.
“Today is also a day for memories, today will be remembered for many reasons, but mainly I hope it will be remembered by you all; as a very special day, a special day in which you shared some time with others; in order to pay your last respects; and to say both mentally and physically; a sad and fond farewell to a wonderful lady, ...lady whom we were all so very privileged to have known,” the funeral service last three hours. Ryan held his wife close to him while she wept. The ones who were to come to the funeral were her parents, Troy and his family, and other relatives. Some were close friends of Lian and the family—like Mrs. Pine from across the street, who had known the family from when Nalani was young.
Ryan and Nalani still stood beside the Banner family after the funeral. Alicia Banner had pulled Lian’s mother into a comforting hug, tears were falling down her face. Troy’s brothers and himself were in a hug as well. Diego was clutching onto Miguel’s shirt as he cried. Miguel, the oldest of the three, could barely keep himself from sobbing. Lian played a big role in their lives and it pained them to see her time come to an end so quickly.
Nalani and Ryan had decided to never move something from their daughter's bedroom. The breathing tubes and oxygen tank beside her bed served only as a reminder that she died. The friend group between Lian and Troy made memorials for the girl, their friend. They place a picture frame with a picture of her out on their porches, beside that were two candles. From then on, Troy had kept a picture in his wallet, the picture of them at the age of twelve, doing a fake wedding.
Remembrance of A Bond was written back in 2018, and was drafted into a writers competition. No winners were announced due to the competition being canceled, but me and my sister had fun writing it.
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Kauai Arrival to the not so big island of Kauai!!!! What this island lacks in size, it definitely makes up in character! We arrived to gusty winds and cloudy skies. I say this as to preface the next thing that’s coming. Unfortunately, although our big jet from the Big Island made it in fine, it was decided that our little plane tour/lesson was probably best left for another day lest we get bounced around and stare into the clouds for two hours. We rescheduled for two days later which turned out to be a much better idea, so we then had two days to explore the island before our sightseeing adventure from the sky. We promptly picked up our little convertible from Enterprise and then went back to the airport to retrieve our bags (in reverse order you see, due to the quick switch over to our next flight, our bags ended up on the next flight over. Since we knew we may be touring the west side of the island with friends in the coming days, we decided to knock out the north/northeast side of the island from Lihue until the road ends at the Na Pali coast. In case this is your first introduction to the Na Pali coast, this is an area that does not have passable roads through it, much like the Darien Gap in Columbia. It is possible to cross on foot, but not by car, the terrain has provided a formidable opponent to the earthmover. We ventured to the last beach at the end of the road (see attached photos) and got a couple of great shots of this amazing topography. As we made our way back towards Lihue, we stopped at a couple of dry caves along the way. We ventured in for a few photos and continued on to Hanalei Bay. We walked out on the lone fishing pier and saw several people learning to surf on the smaller waves that had been subdued by the shelter from the open ocean. Our next stop was the Kilauea lighthouse where the price of admission was covered by our national park pass. It would have been worth double just to see the waves break on the large pockets they had scooped out of the cliff sides over the previous millennia. This is a great point to bird watch and whale watch. We saw several species of birds there which seemed quite different from anything I’ve seen in Oklahoma. Although I must admit I’m not much of an aviary connoisseur, this was pretty impressive. We also saw whales playing a ways off shore, but no breaches this time. As we continued around the island, we passed many awesome beaches and resorts including Princeville, which we understand is the more “uppity” part of the island (read: golf courses & private runways, which is a bit odd since I don’t know of anything that will land on that small of a runway that will make the pacific crossing, but who knows??). As we rounded the east side we stopped by our hotel, dropped off our bags and made our way to the Gaylord Plantation to take part in the ultimate Hawaiian touristy party, the luau. We attended the Luau Kalamaku, which we were told is the best luau on the island to go to. The luau takes place in a large open tent like structure and given the rainy weather, it kept everyone dry. I was pretty impressed with the whole show as it seemed as though everyone was genuinely having a good time, including the performers. I always hate going to events where I feel like it’s a bit of a sideshow/exploitation of cultures, but this seemed more like a big party that was enjoyed by all. I can’t say I learned a ton about Hawaiian culture there, but in hindsight, I don’t think this was the point. The luau is really just a big dinner party with a cultural show that contains a bit of Hawaiian history and context. Misty even got up on stage and tried to learn how to do a hula dance of some sort. Saturday started with our rescheduled plane ride around the island, as we arrived at the airport, we met our pilot, Doug McDuff. Low and behold, Doug was a 1970 graduate of Putnam City High School and entertained us with stories of his football glory days. Real nice guy, good tour guide as well. The skies were still a bit cloudy, but looked reasonable on the northeast side of the island (around the Na Pali coast) where our goal was to be able to see the shoreline of the impassable parts of the island by air. After going through the clouds on the southwest coast of Kauai, we made our way slightly into the Waimea Canyon. We weren’t able to fly too close to the waterfall that is known for it’s appearance in the movie, Jurassic Park, solely because the clouds kept us as bay. Around the west side of the island we passed the Kauai Coffee Plantation (FYI-this plantation grows almost 60% of all coffee sold in the US, who knew?) and continued up the west coast until the Na Pali coast was visible. This was the view we were waiting for and it did not disappoint. Seeing the serrated mountains from the top of the island through the clouds and all the way into the ocean, all untouched by most of civilization was pretty breathtaking. Our journey in the small plane ended as we rounded the last point and made our landing around 2 p.m. local time. We highly recommend anyone who visits Kauai to take a plane ride (not a helicopter tour) to see the entire island. We used Wings over Kauai (I had researched these folks for months before we decided to go with them) and the experience was top notch. Bruce, one of the flight instructors at the school isn’t a big fan of Facebook (self disclosed), so he likely won’t see this, but we wanted others to know the experience was excellent, definitely 5 stars! Around the south end of the island we decided to make a stop at a couple places to sample the local cuisine for lunch before we went to a few landmarks on that side of the island. We stopped at the Koloa Fish Market for the Hawaii staple, Poke. Let me tell you....this stuff is awesome. It’s basically a sashimi salad. I tried two different varieties, a spicy Poke and a Korean style Poke. The spicy definitely won that battle, but both were amazing. I only wish it were available back at home. Misty wanted to go and try Puka Dog, a strange hot dog place she had scoped out on Facebook. It’s basically a hot dog sized pig in a blanket with special local sweet and savory mustards and sauces. It’s definitely worth the stop as it’s another must eat, but it’s not quite to the level as “I NEED THIS AT HOME” as the Poke is. We forged ahead to Poipu and Shipwreck beaches where there were some spectacular views, partnered with sea turtles and monk seals. The local wildlife conservation groups stand guard for the napping seals on the beach and tether off small sleeping areas so gawkers don’t get too close and bother them. Unbeknownst to me, the specific seals on the Hawaiian islands are a species specific to the island and are endangered. After the wildlife viewing and a bit of hiking to get to the great views, we ventured up to Spouting Horn, and areas where the waves have carved out a small cave with a hole in the top. When the waves crash into the shoreline this unique formation creates what looks like a geyser coming out of the rock. It’s a pretty neat thing to see, I’ll add a few photos here so you can see it as well. As Misty has noted, she’s been in recovery mode of this crazy sickness she had for several weeks now. Unfortunately, when we visited Mauna Kea on the Big Island, she started to have some sharp back pain (like you get with pneumonia) when we went to higher elevations, likely culprit, pleurisy. So for four days she pushed through the pain and carried on, but no trip would be complete with one last trip to the urgent care to make sure all was well (and to verify I didn’t need to quickly trade her in for a different model to make the rest of this international trip with). She survived, no trade in needed. While she was in the urgent care, I made a short run around town to find a Hawaiian shirt, I noticed that the little convertible we were in may also be in need to some “urgent care” as it was starting to smell a bit like syrup, and I didn’t have any pancakes on hand at the time. I proceeded back to the Enterprise by the airport, also not far away at this point, and dropped the car back off for repairs. Seemed as though a water pump seal had seen better days, but not to worry, they had a little Jeep to give us in exchange. on us so that we could continue our journey the next day. As the evening set in, we had the chance to meet up with a previous co-worker of MIsty’s at a restaurant in town. Huge shout out to The Oasis on the Beach restaurant, let me tell you, this place has ridiculously tasty food and drinks. First we sampled their house made Mai Tai, which was the best we’ve had yet! We then moved on to a main course of local, freshly caught fish and island-raised steak, both were just amazing. Between the Poke at the fish market and the fish and steak at this upscale eatery, we have definitely been culinarily spoiled by the island of Kauai!!!! We will be coming back to this island, guaranteed! As we settled in for the night, Misty’s friend offered to give us a personal tour (by car) around the west side of the island the next day, taking us to all the greatest spots only known by locals. On that note, off to bed in preparation for another day filled with new sights to see and great experiences to be had!
#kauai#hawaii#room4two#room4two.com#mandmgortw🌎#poke#enterprise#koloafishmarket#wingsoverkauai#oasis
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DAY 3225(i)
Jalsa, Mumbai Jan 27, 2017 Fri 10:35 am
Birthday - EF - Jitendar Shir ..... Fri, January 27 .. so dear Jitendar Ef we did wish you on the Blog last night for today, but as you may have noticed the post just decided to break away .. so here is wishing you for today all the vey best on your birth and may there be hundreds of such occasions ever .. with our love ..
So even though I absolutely detest recounting what I have lost in the Blog the previous night due to a technical problem, I am going against temperament and .. haha .. ‘tradition’, to relive those hours late at night when they were penned .. sorry .. punched .. !!
Mr Ratan Tata
Mr Tata and I are members of a Committee constructed by the GoM, that Government of Maharashtra, to monitor suggest and give advice to an initiative by it to enhance conditions of the villages and rural regions of the State - to enhance their living conditions, education, development, involvement, job opportunities, farming benefits et al .
The picture is a moment when the meeting got over, and the story is as follows :
Mr Ratan Tata and I are also involved in the campaign by the Government for the eradication of TB, and during one of its earlier meetings, when we were being led to the dias, I politely stepped back and urged Mr Tata to walk ahead first, before me, to get on to the stage for the press conference. He in his exemplary manner, insisted that I go first. I disagreed. And for a few minutes, this ‘pehle aap, pehle aap’ - ‘you first, you first’, for those that are Hindi language challenged - continued. [ Of course many of you that are familiar with that famous story that goes with this ‘pehle aap’ attitude, will be better placed to describe to the other Ef, its origins. If not here it is. LUCKNOW, the capital city of UP, the State of Uttar Pradesh in Northern India, and from where yours truly had his origins, was and still is to some extent renowned for its hospitality and etiquette and Nawabi manners. The city and its environs were ruled by the Nawab’s before the British invasion, a class of regal rulers, known for their delicate and immense love for all the good things of life, food, music, dance, manners etc. They would find it rude and improper to lead or walk ahead of their guests at any invite or function or event. Much like the English say ‘ladies first’, the Nawab’s would always, with utmost courtesy, say ‘pehle aap’.. ‘you first’ ... The story goes that two (2) Nawab’s during their erstwhile rule, were at a railway platform to board a train, and following tradition and etiquette, kept doing ‘pehle aap, pehle aap’ to each other, before getting on to the train. Neither relenting, this little conversational etiquette driven tradition, continued for quite a while, until both realised that in their formalities, the train had departed !! ]
where were we .. yes .. Mr Tata ..
So at this event when the two of us were on the verge of recreating that Nawabi railway station episode, I remarked to him, not the story of the Nawab’s, but in all politeness and regard : ‘Age before beauty !’ and he laughed and gave in.
This happened almost several months ago. But when we met at the meeting the pictures of which you see above, he came forward to shake hands as he passed by me standing for him respectfully, and said ‘age before beauty’, to which we laughed again.
I was surprised he had remembered ... !
Haaah aah .. pheew .. end of story !
Next DEEWAR ..
The temple in the film was a set built at the Chandivalli Studios in Mumbai. It is a most remarkable studio. Has been existent I think form the day the first film was made .. hehe .. is just a vast piece of land, with a small area covered with lawns and a few pine trees and other bushes of varied colours, and a small area in the complex made into a rural village, with huts etc ., thats it. But I doubt if there is any film in the history of the Industry that has not used the studio for some shooting or the other. It has never been the location for an entire film, but in the entire film there shall always been a small sequence that has been shot there. Now, I am talking of my time .. now I believe it is mostly used by Tv and others .. but there we are ..
So the temple set was made in the outdoor at Chandivili, and the other made indoors on a floor at RajKamal Studio. The introduction shot of mine and the night scene when I crash my car on the steps is at the outdoor .. the ‘aaj khush toh bahut ..’ scene praying for my Mother’s life, and my death scene was done indoors .. BECAUSE .. we needed greater controlled light and liberty to shoot it any time .. and the benefit of silent shooting and the possibility of not having to dub the scenes for sound. Two scenes, that I shot in there, the prayer for Mother and the death, were never dubbed. I begged Yash ji not to. I would not be able to recreate the original sound, and he graciously agreed ..
There are two sounds in the film during these scenes which I wonder many have noticed. In the prayer scene - ‘aaj khush toh ..’ when I plead the God to give me back my Mother, the camera moves closer to me in a trolley shot, and what can be heard in a short portion of it is a wood sound, like someone stepping on a wooden floor plank, that has been either not firmly fixed or is loose. That sound is the sound of the track on which the trolley runs. Tracks in those days were made of wood, unlike what they are now, metalled and mechanised so there is smooth movement and no sound !!
The other is the death scene. As I say my last lines on the lap of my Mother, Nirupa Roy, you hear the chime of a clock. The audience and the connoisseurs of cinema, complimented Yash ji on the placement of the chime during the death scene, as back ground sound. WRONG ! it was never a back ground sound put in, it happened originally. You see, on the set of the temple as part of a property, there was a clock, and most coincidentally and almost in a most weird telepathic symbolic manner, went off on its own, at a most appropriate time while the shot was running !! We just kept because we could never remove it, for I had requested not to dub the scene. We had to go with the original sound. Many that do not know the detail, felt it was such a pertinent touch - ‘time telling Vijay that it was now running out on him’ .. !!
AND ..
Nirupa ji played my Mother, and the scene where she slaps me in the early part of the film, is a real slap. And I have to admit that it was the strongest hands that I have ever encountered in a lady. My ears were ringing after that whack for days .. !!
Haaa .. another .. phew ... !!!
and this scene was shot in Yash ji’s apartment in Pali Hill, where he lived during that time .. and this is the flat where I during the shooting of the film, met Adi Chopra, just born, for the first time .. today he has become this magnum studio head producer director writer .. and a most respected fraternity member !!
OH .. and the car that I drive in to the temple at night after getting shot by Shashi ji, was supposed to stop at the steps, but in my ‘josh’ I rammed it in and it climbed up a few steps , from where I emerged !! Got a speaking to by Yash ji and the stunt director, for doing that. They said the steering wheel could have given in because of the impact, and crushed me .. !!
OKAAY .. enough no more ... !!!
Good morning and apologies for the disappearance of the post last night .. tonight of course there shall be another - unfortunately that too shall have to be tolerated !!
Amitabh Bachchan
heck ! one more .. I shot for the climax at night at Ballard pier for DEEWAR, where I am running and get shot by Shashji .. finish shooting by 5 am, have the best omelette parathas at Tardeo a lane close by, with Yashji and Shashji for breakfast, drive to the airport catch a flight to Bangalore and shoot for SHOLAY in the day, take a flight back at night to Bombay and shoot for DEEWAR at night. Did that for 7 days !!
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Paul Pogba strikes twice as Manchester United continue revival under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with win over Huddersfield
When their relationship reached breaking point in September it felt inevitable that only one from Paul Pogba and Jose Mourinho would survive long-term at Manchester United and the biggest surprise was just how rapidly the manager was ejected in the weeks that followed.
As for Pogba, he may never be the player whom United hoped they were signing, one that could be transformative for a whole generation rather than just the occasional game, but the unshakeable confidence of the man who cost £89million endures nonetheless. Sometimes that can translate into the anonymous, careless performances that infuriate managers and other times, as with this occasion, he can deliver two goals and finish the day dancing in front of the Stretford End.
Pogba was not United’s best player against Huddersfield, but when the moment demanded he buried two second half goals with the self-belief that seems impervious to the criticism that has followed in the wake of Mourinho’s departure. It was a little taste of what he could be, in the right kind of team, with the right guidance although it was not long before he was beaten for a routine header which gave Mathias Zanka the opening to score his team’s goal. A minor point in the grand scheme of things, but indicative of the great Pogba conundrum.
For Ole Gunnar Solskjaer it was enough for now that his temporary regime have won his two games in charge and United are at least within sight of the top four. Most likely the question of what happens to Pogba will be for another man to solve in the long-term, although he has two goals and two assists in two games for Solskjae. It can be hard to explain how this accomplished footballer, with so many gifts, does not regularly dominate opponents this way.
“That's the Paul I know,” Solskjaer said. “The Paul I have known since he was in the youth team and reserves. He's always been a happy boy, with a big smile on his face and when you score two you're happy – you should be. Palying for Manchester United it's a responsibility and Paul loves playing for this club, he's a Manchester United boy through and through, and he knows what it means.”
There will be more severe tests for United than Huddersfield and Cardiff City, beaten on Saturday, and it will be intriguing to see how they handle the upwardly mobile Tottenham Hotspur and their manager Mauricio Pochettino when they meet on Jan 13. Solskjaer had been true to his word so far in allowing his team to pass the ball forward rapidly and to press high up the pitch but when they go to Wembley to face Spurs that plan may have to be adapted.
Nemanja Matic gave United a first half lead and this was a good day for United’s disaffected support against a spirited Huddersfield team. It returned some of the joie de vivre to Old Trafford and by the end the Stretford End were demanding a wave from Solskjaer, then his assistant Mike Phelan, and then the coach Michael Carrick. Solskjaer gave ten minutes to the 18-year-old substitute Angel Gomes, which was met with a roar of approval from the home crowd.
For Huddersfield, bottom of the league, there was cause for regret because, as their manager David Wagner pointed out after the game, they had chances but failed to take them. As on many occasions for United over recent years there was a crucial save from David De Gea at a point when the victory was less secure. He stretched to push away Laurent Depoitre’s goalbound shot which would have been an equaliser, although by the end the margin was comfortable.
Depoitre’s was not the only opportunity, there were others for Terence Kongolo early in the game, and then Philip Billing just before half-time. “We were beaten by the world-class of Paul,” Wagner said, which was generous in the circumstances but intended to emphasise the difference in the quality of the finishing. The Huddersfield manager reluctantly conceded that it does look a little grim for his team, five points off safety at halfway, but he is right to say the performance give hope.
Solskjaer gave a start to the Brazilian midfielder Fred, another one of those who found himself excommunicated under the final days of Jose Mourinho, and there was also a place in the team for the 19-year-old Diogo Dalot. Both of them were off early in the second half, Dalot struggling with the pace of Kongolo and Fred just struggling in general. Solskjaer is trying to include all those with Mourinho grievances but some are already proving easier to leave out than others.
He has Alexis Sanchez close to fitness, and Anthony Martial and Romelu Lukaku back soon which prompted the United manager to wonder aloud what it would like to be able to bring those players from the bench to “finish off” opponents. The first goal looked like the kind of set-piece they had worked on, a near post run by Victor Lindelof who steered on the corner and it was as much as Christopher Schindler could do to head it out. Matic was in the right place to score his first goal since March.
Pogba’s two goals came after the hour. The first finished after Juan Mata got in down the right, and the ball worked on to the Frenchman by substitute Ander Herrera. The second was confidently dispatched from Jesse Lingard’s pass. The substitute Steven Mounie out-jumped Pogba to steer the ball down to Zanka for Huddersfield’s goal.
This was a good day for Pogba which shows just how quickly big players can change the mood in a stadium. Building a real lasting legacy at a club takes years, however, and already he is a long way back. At times over the last two years it has seemed like he was too expensive to fail, which is not the way any elite player would wish to be remembered.
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March 8th, 2018 CTP Archive
The archive for the Comic Tea Party chat that occurred on March 8th, 2018, from 5PM - 7PM PST. The chat focused on Motsuro Project by Avalon Mao.
Featured Comment:
Chat:
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
COMIC TEA PARTY START!
Good day everyone~! This week’s Comic Tea Party is now officially beginning~! Today we are discussing Motsuro Project by Avalon Mao~! (http://motproj.webcomic.ws/) For those new or in need of a reminder, discussions about the comic are freeform, so please feel free to bring up whatever you wish. However, every 30 minutes I will be dropping in a discussion question to help those who would like a prompt. These questions are totally OPTIONAL to answer, and you can pay them no mind if you wish. If you miss out on any though, they’ll be pinned for the duration of the chat once they’re posted~! Remember, constructive criticism is allowed, but the primary focus here is to have fun and appreciate the amazing comics that the community makes~! As a bonus, each chat a top comment will be picked and featured in the archives and on an ad for CTP! All that being said, let’s get started and have a great discussion!
QUESTION 1. What is your favorite scene in the comic so far and why?
snuffysam
i really like the story dakota's sister told. the art was incredible there.
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
yeah. i think all around the art in this has some really fantastic detail you dont see all too often.
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Hello, made it! I rather liked when Rong's blue haired sister dropped the bombshell about being a reincarnation and the kingdoms. I really hadn't expected it and it sort of drew the storylines together for me.
Agree on the art. So easy to miss some of the background stuff. That'd take me ages to do.
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
huh? thats interesting. i actually wasnt sure how i felt about the truth dropping. but that might just be because i feel it added more mystery to the whole humans conflict going on with rong
snuffysam
i also liked the chapter were they first test out the motsuro project, because that helped tie in the past to the present
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Well, I figure something had to happen in the intervening 2000 years, and something like that would probably shake things up. Humans don't seem to be shunned in the "time skip" Polaris storyline. Granted, maybe they mostly live by themselves now, the fairy forest seemed off limits.
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
id assume they mostly live by themselves cause the impression im getting is a lot of magical stuff ppl cant see anymore
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Yeah, I was glad they tested out that project. That was sort of a head scratcher for me when it first came up, but it does seem to tie in too.
Can't see? Won't see?
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
im going hard on the cant cause i feel dakota is just special
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
That's possible. She does have the ice powers.
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
I actually started reading this comic this evening... So far, I think the scene where they all get taken to the Principal's office is maybe my favorite?
It's difficult to say because I'm only just now getting a hang on what's going on
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
i do like how the project was tied in with vivian. in the sense that we see her having reservations about the whole project. cause i too would be somewhat suspicious if a school said "here play this game or leave"
snuffysam
that was a great scene too. the principal is so sinister
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
i enjoyed the humor of dakota being dragged there by creepy guys in suits and she's just like "man this school sure does take being late serious"
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
The room 210 scene was interesting. Just, these shady guys are going to escort you. If Dakota hadn't seen the note, that'd be even more confusing.
snuffysam
it's also creepy how she started forgetting the incident in the lobby afterward
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
but yeah i second the principal is shady af. like absolutely no good vibes from him. granted i also partially assume hes a puppet cause iirc they mention the project is being paid for by the government
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
I do really like the overall aesthetic of the comic, and I'm curious to see how that first part of the story with Rong ties in
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Yeah! I feel like at some point they'll forget that it's only a game. (If you die in there, do you die in real life? )
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
but is it only a game is the question XD which i assume its a big, fat "of course not."
i do want to see how the past ties in more to dakota's timeline
partly cause they feel so disjointed at the moment, which makes you feel like something big must happen
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
If it's not a game, are they teleporting?
Or taking over the bodies of some other people?
(Other cats? Like Mimi?)
snuffysam
maybe some weird time travel thing?
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Maybe. Not sure I buy jumping in time... unless they're their own ancestors or something?
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
oh, hey, on page 79 it kind of mentions the whole past thing http://motproj.webcomic.ws/comics/79/
....Yes, I'm reading through the comic as CTP goes on. :'3
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
(The school got a note from the ancestors saying to let these girls in to fulfil their past lives...)
All good, Kabocha.
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
haha thats okay ppl are welcome to read during ctp if thats better for them. gets some fresh commentary.
snuffysam
ctp live reactions are fun
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
Ahahahaha
I really like the switch to digital art
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
It's true, live reactions are so rare to actually see.
I'm so clueless on art, I didn't even realize. ^_^;;
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
heheh. Yeah. The coloring and paneling at least are digital later; it's a lot more crisp, which makes it tons more readable imo
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
I like the cheek effects though! That's nice and unique and makes the characters seem more charming somehow.
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
although I am kind of missing the sound effects in Chinese.
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
The adult characters... they seem to have longer noses? Did I read too much into that?
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
im fond of the colored pencil though agree it could use more clarity. i think the newest page is really great though cause i know (and you can tell) that the creator really worked hard on the clarity issue
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
I noticed that with the noses -- I kind of took it as a pinnochio metaphor?
but who's to say? o_o;;;
I don't know characters like Melody well enough to really tell if they've lied to Dakota or anything
snuffysam
i took it as meaning something about being part-human
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
nah i think there were adults without the long noses. i just assumed it was melody and their mom and it was a genetics thing
what if melody and dakota's "mom" were never real. like they disappeared cause dakota just stopped being able to see them
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Oh, maybe. I thought Jun's mom did too... or was that actually Dakota's mom?
Or they turned into cats.
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
well if im sticking this is rando theory, then perhaps when dakota stopped being able to see them so did everyone else for some weird magical reason
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
http://motproj.webcomic.ws/comics/86/ "We came here to be in the presence of Motsuro, ruler of this land, to seek justice." That's not foreboding at all. Especially not given the story's title. Not one bit.
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Dakota seems to be able to perceive things the others can't though. Like her trick with the ice, or the Mimi cat, possibly even the fairies (no one else was around then). So it makes sense that others wouldn't see strange things.
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
Or the game's title! Um. SO I'm going to guess that Dakota was or is Rong in some form. And Vivian is the blue-haired girl
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
(does a massive facepalm) Would you believe I didn't connect the name of the deity to the game? Despite them having the same name? I'm dense.(edited)
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
I'm going to put money on this game having to do with Princess Motsuro and such
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Is that an actual legend? (still dense)
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
Mmm, I dunno. But huh
there's some interesting stuff going down
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
yeah im sure the princess motsuro has something to do with it and the seeking justice bit. just not sure how thats supposed to tie into the game. unless the main questline in their journal says "seek justice" XD
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
Oh hello there!
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
It's actually "seek just ice". Hence the ice powers.
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
Thought I'd drop in while palying some games
Just wanna say this comic looks intresting and has a cool art style
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
QUESTION 2. As hinted by the comic’s title, one of the central components of the story is the mysterious Motsuro Project the girl’s must complete in order to stay in their elite school. However, many mysteries are left pertaining to it. Is the Motsuro Project just some virtual reality game or is it something else? If something happens to the girls in the “game,” like getting hurt, will it hurt them in real life? What exactly is the ultimate goal behind whoever created the Motsuro Project? Lastly, what does the project have to do with the Princess Motsuro we learn about in the far past (if anything)?
snuffysam
the question is, what is the purpose of the game? because clearly the school is getting something out of them playing it
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
Ah, there's possibly cultural background I'm missing, but from what I can gather, there's five kingdoms -- for one of the elements You have Water, which is human Earth, Fire, Wood, and Metal. They go to the Earth Kingdom and visit and seek assistance. I'm guessing Earth Kingdom has inhuman creatures that are humanoid in form.
snuffysam
also hi sj
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
hi super waves
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
I'm going to guess, with um, Page 90's revelation, that Motsuro Project is meant to overthrow humans.
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Maybe the school got lots of money from ancient ones. (Maybe the girls are a sacrifice? O.o )
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
and take back the kingdom that was stolen from them?
because it looked like Ying Shen did something
snuffysam
i think the sinister part is that they're possessing something or someone in the real world. maybe in the past? maybe to infiltrate the world of non-humans?
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
hai~
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Maybe to give information to the non-humans about humans?
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
well, so, Ying Shen is the Water Goddess -- and humans are water creatures - meaning under her jurisdiction http://motproj.webcomic.ws/comics/90/
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
ying shen seems to be on the human side though cause she calls them creatures of water
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
and it looks like she just took over the Earth Kingdom.
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Water you doin' Ying Shen.
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
So I'm going to guess Motsuro Project is Motsuro's revenge -- so she wants her kingdom back
snuffysam
and she's using humans to do it?
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
That would be ironic wouldn't it?
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Oh, that's an interesting spin.
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
or maybe the goal of the project is to take over another kingdom.
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
Hm. Maybe.
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
maybe
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
So that means Dakota's more than likely a pawn in the long game, rather than a reincarnation
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
But why have those four girls in particular, not the others enrolled in the school?
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
unless Dakota is some aspect of Ying Shen
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Ice is an aspect of Water.
snuffysam
i think it has something to do with their bloodlines. though didn't melody also go to the school?
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
so, I haven't gotten to see if the other girls have powers, but if they do, I suspect there's a fifth one somewhere pulling strings
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
yes melody did seem to go to the same school
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
We see Vivian has power, dunno about the others. Maybe the fifth one is one of the regular students?
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
and yeah we havent seen the other girls do much, and i mean we really havent seen much of the two who arent vivian #A+fornameusage
maybe the fifth one is that chick who delivered the project
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
fornameusage...?
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
Vivian has the character for wood on her forehead
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
cause i dont remember the names of the other two XD
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
so is her power tied to wood?
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Angel who delivered the project seems to be tied up in the defense arc though.
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
http://motproj.webcomic.ws/comics/103/ (This page)
OH YEAH
all right, that makes sense
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
ah youre right
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Kabocha: That's an amazing catch, I don't know from chinese characters. Keep reading, you'll see her do stuff.
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
that is the symbol for wood
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
yus
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
ah okay from wikipediaing water is also associated with winter
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
Yeah
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Snow kidding?
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
Water has association with dark too iirc?
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
it can
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9f/FiveElementsCycleBalanceImbalance_02_plain.svg/720px-FiveElementsCycleBalanceImbalance_02_plain.svg.png
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
That's probably why Vivian and Dakota don't like one another too much at times
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
i hope we get to see the other two girls cause i feel like they could further help cement whether dakota is water or not
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
mm dark water
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Huh. One arrow points out at "insults" and is matched by "destroys". I wouldn't think you'd want to insult the one who can destroy you.
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
http://motproj.webcomic.ws/comics/116/ <- also, lol the project Yu kids' suits have "Ball" written on them. Or maybe it's Gem? I actually know Japanese a little, and I know sometimes the Chinese characters have a slightly different meaning in Chinese. (edited)
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
OOOOHH
That is a NICE color scheme!
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
They're having a ball.
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
I'm a huge sucker for minimalist palettes
especially when the colors contrast nicely
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
hmm thats a detail i missed
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
http://motproj.webcomic.ws/comics/121/ OK WTF happened to melody
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
the superhero thing is called "project yu"
is polaris basically the gov funded school for projects
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Melody was everywhere. And nowhere.
"We'll test all our stuff out on the kids."
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
melody was so awesome at superheroing they decided to turn her alone into a new project
the ceiling thing confused me a bit like is it just over the school or is it over the entirety of where they live?
like what if this is the one human city O_O
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Here's the thing. At one point Melody Wu is stated to be "Class of 5050". I wonder what calendar they're using? (Also, it means the stuff 2000 years earlier took place in 3050 or thenabouts.)
I figured the city. If it was over the school, you'd think they'd know about it.
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
They also mentioned Melody changed
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
i felt it was implied just the school but wasnt sure via the wording
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
So, Melody went to the school, participated in a project, and changed?
we haven't seen her in real time
I'm gonna guess Melody might not be entirely human
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Hmmm. I guess I was also visualizing a sort of bubble rather than a ceiling, so that could make sense. There does seem to be magical science about.
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
lol
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Napples enjoys the magical science.
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
even though this is chinese based, i have to admit the nose thing made me wonder if melody was supposed to be a tengu
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Melody is now the cat? (Sorry, I can't seem to get over the cat people.)
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
No no ahahaha
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
thats good cause cat people are awesome
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
Mimi is just a cat I think
:'3
WAIT
MIMI IS THE LOST ONE
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
that could be. makes me think maybe shes earth then if water took over earth
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
OOOOHHHH
KABO FIGURED IT OUT
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
http://motproj.webcomic.ws/comics/101/
Motsuro Project -- oolong tea
no, I mean
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
and thats why dakota can see her
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
Mimi's the kitten the night stalkers took
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
oh that lost one
maybe shes both O_O
vivian must not have accepted the quest properly
hit the x on the window instead of the accept quest button
/shot
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
hah
so, Motsuro Project sends the girls into the spirit realm, I guess
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
although if mimi is that kitten that has huge implications since mimi is now in the "real" world
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
http://motproj.webcomic.ws/comics/104/ <- also
yes, I believe mimi is that kitten
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Unless the Project is the real world, and everyone else is virtual.
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
Hmmm
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
................... And the text bubbles hint at the elements I think
Kristine is fire
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
that would explain the mix in bubble colors
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
I guess that makes Samantha the Metal girl
OK ANYWAY I AM CAUGHT UP ON THE COMIC NOW
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Oh, that's clever, I hadn't caught on to that.
Heavy Metal?
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
so then it is earth who is missing
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
based on Samantha's build, I'd call her Tin Foil
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Foiled again.
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
instead of assuming sinister, maybe thats the real goal of the project. to find earth because without earth the elements are unbalanced thus the world is unbalanced
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Oh, that's a cool theory. Maybe the school tries this every year, and finally decided it's gotta be people other than their students.
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
if were assuming the colored bubbles mean something
http://motproj.webcomic.ws/comics/116/
gonna point out ppl in jun's storyline have them too
QUESTION 3. It is revealed in the story that Dakota had a rather famous sister named Melody who disappeared under mysterious circumstances. What do you think happened to Melody? Was she kidnapped? Did she disappear of her own volition? Did it have anything to do with the Motsuro Project or the mysteries of the school (like the ghost Dakota meets)? Also, what happened to Dakota’s mother and why would her mother not want Dakota to talk about the magical place Melody showed her?
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
I think Melody went into the spirit world. Or somehow is related to the princess who killed her entire village.
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Oh yeah, the ghost.
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
So, if Jun's team has them, I'm going to guess one side is the light and one side is the dark? Or something?
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Melody was hired away by a publishing company to turn all of her stories into a popular book series.
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
And she can't get out of the spirit world
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
would she want to, though
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
hmmm so theres 4 super heroes if you dont count the person orientating/instructing them. so maybe jun's project is super related. in the sense that it ties back to the elements
and the school super obsessed with the elements
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
Also, it's very interesting that there's a repeated symbolism of humans as skeletons
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Maybe? I gotta admit, the superhero project seemed to be almost more of a side story to me, to give the secondary characters a plot of their own. I could be way off base.
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
it could be. idk. im torn between it being just a side thing, but on the otherhand its a pretty big thing to add in my opinion. like you dont just say "btw some of these kids have super powers but ignore that"
humans are just walking skeletons with fleshy bits on top O_O(edited)
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Humans are mostly water. ^.^
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
http://motproj.webcomic.ws/comics/10/ UM wow now that I've gotten through that bit with Ying Shen, this page
Motsuro Project -- "different"
this page has some new meaning
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Yeah, I wouldn't say "ignore it" but I don't see the main connection yet. Other than a reminder that they have cool science that's like magic.
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
ooh damn
this page
sounds very creppy
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
im really curious why ying shen involved rong in this whole gotta get justice thing. like there must be a specific reason besides that rong is human
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
Rong has a bunch of power behind her, so I imagine that's why
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Half human...
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
Rong DID blow up basically everything around her mother
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
so basically ying shen is like "sweet human bomb easier to sneak past security"
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Don't make her angry. You wouldn't like her when she's angry.
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
Lul
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Sometimes you just need someone to have your back?
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
onto a different noted that pertains to the question, should we assume melody and dakota's mom had the same fate or did something different happen to them? cause the mom seems to be the outlier in this affair since she was like "eww magic" and insofar theres been no confirmation she ever attended the school
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
it may be that mom has a healthy distaste for the supernatural due to her own experiences
maybe that's where the long noses came from
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
I feel like it'd be different? Otherwise why wouldn't Dakota be worried about the same thing happening.
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
'cause mom doesn't wanna talk about it
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Somewhat related, I wonder where the nickname "Cody" came from.
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
cause dakota is young and kids are still developing their ability to consider longterm consequences
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
Yea
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
Probably just part of "Kota" shortened
Dakota -> Kota -> Koty -> Cody
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
maybe the mom used to see stuff too and got bullied for it
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Well, yes, but did Melody start calling her that? I think her mom used it too. Did Dakota go back to her long form name after they disappeared?
Rebel: Could be. Maybe she tried not to see any more.
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
shrug I wonder -- was the comic originally in Chinese? It could be that it's just a nickname that was reserved for while dakota was a kid
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Maybe. Just wondered if there was any connection to the departures.
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
to the best of my knowledge it was not originally in chinese
tho i couldnt say for sure
aha
so i went to the characters page
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
I'm curious too
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
cause i finally found the link for it
" Mystery Girl Saves Rong nu in the Prologue by destroying the temple and all its inhabitants."
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
if there's a Chinese language too
Oooh
Nice find
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
so it wasnt rong did it
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Yeah, I saw that on the character page... guess I didn't make the connection though. (I feel like it hasn't been updated in a bit, Julie has a last name now.)
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
yeah it def hasnt been up[dated in a long time
but still i doubt that info changed since were talking about events that happened at the beginning of the comic
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
True, true.
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
maybe the project is designed to break a cycle of revenge. cause if rong is human perhaps her plight is what summoned ying shen and the only reason ying shen is demanding justice is to be a good deity or something.
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
Hmmm
That would be intresting
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Or it's because she's got an ulterior motive, like to found a school that will one day create beings who will rise up and deify her or something.
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
That too
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
also possible. it could go either way really. as to whether or not the project is sinister or corrective in nature
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Maybe it's just meant to be a new educational tool. "Try the latest tech out, it'll teach kids better about history".
"Okay, but we won't use it on OUR kids until we get some others to write a report about it."
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
all this magical stuff, is really just a school trying to improve themselves.
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
The school aims to better humanity
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
next youre going ot tell me melody isnt missing, she just went to college and dakota forgot XD
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
PFFT
She went to College like Mamoru went to America in Sailormoon
snuffysam
dakota has been having memory issues recently...
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
must be like a japanese animu. she also forgot that her mother moved overseas for work and like in all japanese animu thats perfectly fine cause teens can tots live on their own
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Snuffy: Oh, that's an interesting point. Thought maybe it was because the game was influencing memory, but maybe it's an aspect outside of the game too that they simply installed. Hmm.
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
i think dakota was already having trouble before the game to a small extent but id have to find a very minute piece of dialogue that made me think of and my brain not up for that
snuffysam
she had it before entering the game - it was when she left the principal's office that she started forgetting about the lobby incident
so does the principal have control over these things?
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Dakota is really Melody. There was an accident and they merged.
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
gasp
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
unlikely but not impossible
and maybe. the principal still seems more like a puppet tho to me
QUESTION 4. The comic has plenty of rocky relationships, as well as some minor mysteries that surround them. What do you think more specifically happened between Dakota and the rest of the girls that ripped their friendship apart? Will they be able to hold the friendship together, or will stress and life tear them apart? Will Dakota be able to find common ground with Jun, especially given the newly revealed information about their own childhood past together? Speaking of which, will Dakota be able to grow closer to her crush, Janet Yang, or will Janet Yang’s own mysteries make the two girls butt heads? What other theories do you have about the people introduced in the comic so far?
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Interestingly, I feel like a bigger theme than relationships is not feeling like you fit in.
I was surprised about the Vivian antidepressants thing, but it makes sense.
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
I think the separation from them in schools probably was what did it. When Dakota got into a baaaaaaaaaaaad school...(edited)
my goodness, I can't type tonight.
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
One full of goats.
snuffysam
I think Janet Yang is going to be a lot more important than she seems. like, "janet's behind it all" or "janet's the leader of the resistance movement" or something level of important
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
When Dakota first mentioned looking up to Janet Yang, I thought, ooooh Yuri. But nope. Janet doesn't seem to be into her. (And it's Jun who said he might go for guys.) I'm not sure if it'll go anywhere other than Dakota having to make a choice at some point between Janet and her friends.
So basically the opposite. ^.^
snuffysam
We don't really know enough about janet to know what she's into. she could just be too aloof to notice dakota
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
im gonna admit im really torn and confused on what happened between the girls. cause on the one hand, okay yeah, it seems like a school split would cause a rift. given how pissy everyone is with dakota i feel something more drastic happened. which maybe if were going with dakota got the memory problems maybe dakota forgot what even happened.
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
There was also the thing where Vivian pulled Dakota aside because she was worried that CatPerson might have triggered something.
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
from the impression i get dakota hasnt really chatted with janet yang must (if at all), so of course janet is going to be a bit cold. i mean to her theres just some weird girl who's bugging her while she has mysterious responsibilities to worry about
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Yeah, not sure about Janet. She doesn't seem all that great, to be honest. Not sure what Dakota sees in her.
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
their teens, its not like teens crush for the deepest of reasons all the time. sometimes its just a "wow this person is attractive"
instant otp
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
lol
Rebel
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
i assumed the triggered thing was just tied to melody disappearing or something.
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
Perhaps
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Maybe. Maybe the Melody disappearing thing links to why the group fractured?
snuffysam
given how much the story has tied mysteries together so far, I wouldn't be surprised if the falling out was related to melody's disappearance
jinx
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
you tryin to jinx the plot? X'D
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
clearly melody is mimi and she was living a double life the entire time
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Janet is actually the reincarnation of Melody.
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
this deep lore
snuffysam
that would make dakota's feelings pretty wild
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
A triple life.
snuffysam
though it would explain why they aren't reciprocated
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
but anyway more seriously yeah, i would imagine the disappearance would have to do with melody? although does that mean dakota has basically just been living by herself without guardians since middle school or what not?
snuffysam
...didn't she have a parent?
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
an
*Man
That would be hell for me tbh
but if you can live through school years without a parent
just, my god
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
They seem to be in residence now at least.
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
Do you think Dakota's mom and Melody are in the same place?
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Vivian's mom is still around, I wonder if that's significant.
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
oh, it might be. Vivian's mom was friends with Dakota's mom it seemed
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
tbh i want to assume the mom is dead XD just cause i feel her character is more relevant to the past stuff and i feel like the mom was trying to escape something she couldnt. melody on the otherhand who knows.
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
yay dead parent syndrome
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
i wonder if its significant dakota's mom was working all the time tho
in the sense of what was she doing for work
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Oh right, I'd forgotten about that aspect. Maybe she was working on an invisibility potion.
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
Working all the time is code for "haven't found the body"
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
yes
or they're on vacation
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
shhh no no we see her in that jun flashback im pretty sure.
im going back to my theory they were just never real in the first place and the long noses is cause their existence is a lie
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Could be a vacation. Are the swimsuits missing form the closet?
Except Melody was a graduate of that superhero program.
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
oh maybe they arent human and the reason dakota's mom got mad about the fairies thing is she was like "dakota stfu the humans will find us out"
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Dakota's mom is actually the unicorn that was spying on them in the forest.
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
And what about the dad?
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Maybe Vivian's dad was revealed to also be Dakota's dad. Fractured the whole thing.
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
Maybe so
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Or it's the principal.
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
i doubt theyd have left a child to live on her own even so. i just assume hes not part of the picture because if were being honest the mom probably works so much cause shes a single parent
i was just gonna say maybe its the principal the whole time O_O
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
Yea that makes sense
snuffysam
that's what all the kids in the motsuro project have in common?
Kabocha, Marquess of ✨Sparkle✨
I still keep thinking Dakota's dad is not quite human, but we'll seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
I wonder if the Project will end up anything like the Framework in "Agents of SHIELD". Maybe Dakota's family only exist inside it now, and have forgotten their pasts?
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
maybe although forgotten and fabricated memories are a bit diff
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Dakota's dad is Ying Shen. O.o
Before things wrap up, just want to give a shoutout to the mouse rollovers and the individual titles for each page. That's some extra work right there but helps it be memorable, IMHO.
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
Yeah, I second that
Gives it more flavor.
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Artist has come a long way too. Even the earlier stuff that they didn't like, I thought was pretty good. (Though I'm no art critic...)
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
^
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Also the messages at the bottom were helpful for interpreting, particularly in some of the earlier pages.
Good job!
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
i think the paneling could use a lot of work tbh even now, but the comic has been steadily improving. like i said earlier i really like the cleanliness of the latest page
Superjusting of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨
True
I'm sure it can only get better from here.(edited)
MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑
Panel sizing maybe.
✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨
COMIC TEA PARTY END!
Unfortunately, the scheduled Comic Tea Party time is now up~! Thank you everyone so much for reading and joining this week’s chat~! We want to give a special thank you to Avalon Mao, as well, for making Motsuro Project and volunteering it for our reading queue. If you liked the comic, please be sure to support Avalon Mao’s efforts however you’re able to. All that being said, if you would like to continue discussing this week’s comic, we highly encourage you to do so~!
For next week, Comic Tea Party will focus on Anarchy Dreamers by Emily Ree. As always, please use the next several days to read as much of the comic as you would like. We hope to see you next Thursday on March 15th from 5PM to 7PM PDT for the chat~! Until then, happy reading~! Comic: http://anarchydreamers.com/
#comics#webcomics#indie comics#start faire#startfaire#comic tea party#ctp#comic chat#comic discussion#comic bookclub#webcomic bookclub#bookclub#ctparchive#motsuro project#avalon mao
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San Blas Islands: Desktop Screensaver Come To Life
Everyone has seen this view before: a small virgin island with nothing but palm trees, surrounded by crystal blue water and clear skies. It was probably your desktop screensaver at one point. A place you wish you could teleport to while you were working or studying. I know I did. And when I was arriving by boat to Franklin Island, one of the 365 islands of San Blas, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was actually there. It wasn’t just a screensaver - it was real.
I booked the trip through Casa Areka, a hostel I was staying at in Panama City. They advertised an all-inclusive 2-night, 3-day trip for $200. It was expensive, but it included transportation to and from, a local Kuna guide who spoke perfect English, 3 meals a day, a bed for 2 nights, and a free tour. I had just finished my horrible work experience on Taboga Island, so I was ready for a vacation, and this seemed perfect.
DAY 1
The first morning was rough; I had to be awake and ready to go at 5am. A 4x4 car came to pick me up and then made a couple more stops around the city to pick up the others. We also stopped in the beginning of the trip at a grocery store to buy water and snacks. We were told that there wouldn’t be any food or water besides what they sell in the overpriced shop on the island, and the meals provided aren't enough to keep you full, so I bought a big 5L jug of water and some fruits and snacks. We continued on, and the car ride ended up being half of the fun! It was about 2 hours, and most of it was through curvy, hilly roads in the mountains. It felt like a roller coaster!
I could tell not everyone on the bus was enjoying it - definitely not fun for those who get carsick! We eventually reached the port after entering the Kuna Yala comarca, or territory. The Kuna people have their own government and culture separate from the rest of Panama, and we even needed to provide our passports because it’s akin to entering a different country.
Waiting at the port was a little hectic. There were many other backpackers, and it was difficult to know which was the correct boat to board. I found one of the leaders and asked where to go, they were very helpful the whole time! A tip - it was very buggy while we waited - bring your bug spray!!
Finally around 8am the boats were heading to the islands! I couldn’t have been more excited! The ride itself was gorgeous, passing so many small islands out on the Caribbean Sea. It took about 45 minutes to get to Franklin Island, where I would be staying for the next 2 nights. When we finally docked, I knew I was in paradise. I couldn’t have imagined a site any more breathtaking. The island was so small, you could walk from one side to the other in under a minute. The beach was lined with palm trees and bamboo huts, and there was even a volley ball net and a basketball hoop setup.
Our guide, Pali, assigned everyone beds, and I was placed in a hut with 2 other girls my age from Germany.
We had lunch with everyone at the community table, which was a plate of fish with rice and vegetables,
and then headed straight for the water! We swam almost all day in the beautiful Caribbean Sea, which was the perfect temperature. We even saw some fish swim past us!
For showering, we all had to take turns because there were only 2 showers for everyone to use (and just cold water of course!). The bathroom situation was interesting as well - you had to fill a bucket of water and pour it down the toilet to flush (after traveling more around the Caribbean side of Panama I would learn this is actually common practice!) It’s definitely bare necessities here, but it's hard to complain when you look around at where you are! There was also minimal cell service (I had a Panamanian sim card, so I had some data), and of course no wifi. I was shocked there was any service at all! But none of us needed it, this was a time to be disconnected from technology and immersed in the beauty around us.
Dinner was around 5pm, and we had a choice between chicken or fish with rice and vegetables - the same as lunch. And it was true, the portions weren’t really enough to hold you over for the rest of the night. Luckily I had my snacks, and I even bought wine from the small shop they had on the island. It was a liter of boxed Clos wine for $5, not too bad, but I would later find out that I could buy the same thing elsewhere for less than $3.
There were only about 15-20 people staying on the island total, so it was a small crowd, but we all got together at night and sat around the communal table to play card games and listen to music. We were a very international bunch; there were people from Israel, Germany, Argentina, U.S., and Brazil. I enjoy being around people from other countries because you always learn something new - a phrase in a new language, or something about a culture you aren’t familiar with. It’s exciting, and makes the world feel a bit smaller.
Later in the night our leader, Pali, setup a bonfire for us! We danced around and watched the stars. I have never seen so many stars in my life! It was a beautiful night, but my roommates and I decided to get some rest after a long travel day. It was a bit difficult falling asleep at first, I would hear geckos climbing on the ceiling and little crabs crawling beneath my bed. But eventually, I tuned it out and fell asleep.
DAY 2
It was an early rise for day two! We heard the breakfast conch horn at 7am sharp. Breakfast was eggs, bread, and a slice of cheese. Everyday we are served by the Kuna women of the island, who are always beautifully dressed in their traditional attire of a skirt, mola blouse (which they design themselves), a red and yellow headscarf, and beaded jewelry on their arms and legs. They prefer that you do not take photos of them, so I couldn’t get my own pictures, but you can see examples here.
They also sell their designs on the island, and you can watch them working throughout the day.
I had a couple of tours planned for today, one that’s included in my trip, Isla Estrella (Starfish Island) and one that I had to pay an extra $15 for, Isla Perro Chico (Dog Island). First stop was Isla Perro. A Kuna guide from the island took me and a few others on a small boat to our destination and then waited while we explored. Isla Perro has a shipwreck just off of its shore where you can snorkel and see so many beautiful fish!! I have never seen a real shipwreck in person before, so I was amazed.
The island is also perfect for relaxing on the beach and there is a small shop where you can buy drinks and snacks. The next stop on this tour was a natural pool in the middle of the sea where you can see starfish! You can sit and bathe in the water as well, it’s very shallow.
*A note about seeing wildlife: - I was tempted just like you may be, but please DO NOT take the starfish out of the water. They will die. It’s too common for tourists to hold the starfish out of the water for a photo, but these are wild animals and we need to respect the nature around us!
And speaking of which, my second tour of the day was to Isla Estrella. This island was way more secluded - it was just 5 of us on the whole island! We snorkeled around and saw a few starfish. I’ve heard that there aren’t as many as there used to be due to the increase in tourism, but we were lucky enough to see some. The island has so many palm trees too, and one that you could climb!
As we were returning to Franklin Island, the sun was starting to set. It was a beautiful night. My roommates and I had our last dinner and two of us decided to camp under the stars that night. We dragged our mattresses out to the beach and bundled ourselves in blankets. We fell asleep to the sound of waves crashing. It was one of those nights I will never forget. It was my first real night camping (don’t judge me!). I woke up in the middle of the night a couple of times and the whole sky had changed; a whole new set of constellations to behold. I even saw a couple of shooting stars! I was in awe, and I hope I am able to camp on the beach again someday. I highly recommend it.
DAY 3
Sadly, this wasn’t really a day at all because we had to leave our paradise around 8am. We did wake up to the most amazing sunrise though! It was brilliant with oranges and purples sweeping across the sky.
At 7am, we heard the conch horn, marking our last breakfast. Shortly after, we packed up and boarded the boat back to the mainland. I wish that I could have stayed a few more days, or even a week or two more! I know it’s not the life I’m used to living, but I could have gotten used to it. Those sunsets and sunrises, that water, and the blissful feeling of relaxing under a palm tree?? I already want to go back. And I hope someday I have the pleasure to return to San Blas.
I hope YOU have the opportunity to go if you’re ever in Panama, and I hope you enjoyed reading about my time there! I would be happy to answer any questions you have about this trip, or any others!
Thanks for reading, and be sure to check back soon for my next post!
--» Anna
#panama#sanblas#caribbean#blog#travelblog#andiamoanna#beach#playa#paradise#travel#girl#explore#wanderlust#island#world#life#writing#culture#palmtrees#sunset#starfish#kunayala
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