#i bought early entry access for my ticket so if that works then all i care about is getting barricade tbh

[goldengodcannibal]

Am I seeing Starset again? Sources say...yes.

[kyndaris]

There’s a Hole in my Wallet, Dear Liza

I’ve unabashedly admitted multiple times on my blog that I’m a bit of a nerd. That is, of course, if my gaming entries haven’t already given it away. My tendrils also reach deep into the pop culture conscience. Whether that be books or shows or movies. There are only a few choice fandoms that I haven’t dipped my toes in - and not for lack of trying. So, with the loosening of restrictions, was it any wonder that I’d attend not one but two conventions in Sydney? After all, I need to update my walls with posters of the hottest and freshest dankness that fan communities can provide. 

That and geek out about supposedly niche things that my uninformed friends and colleagues know nothing about. Honestly, it’s like they don’t even try to understand internet culture.

The first on the list was Supanova. With @bleachpanda at my side, we ventured into the vaunted halls of the Dome at the Sydney Showground in Olympic Park. Given that borders had only reopened, only a smattering of celebrities were present for meet and greets. None, however, had much caught my fancy. Smallville might have been the pinnacle of television when it aired during the early noughties but I’d never fallen down that rabbit hole - too limited, at the time, with my screen time.

I mean, yes, there was also Veronica Taylor but one does not simply approach the dubber of Ash Ketchum so easily. After having my Mistborn trilogy signed by Brandon Sanderson so many years ago, I knew that encountering my heroes in life could prove disastrous. I’m an awkward person by nature, more confident when I only have to select pre-programmed dialogue options than come up with anything off the cuff. Written communication has always been more my forte than verbal. Stumbling over words, phrasing things poorly...I mean I’ve leaned into it in some ways but it’s not the best representation of who I am.

Still, Supanova offered me the chance to buy, buy and buy! To immerse myself in what artists had cooked up and drown myself in cute collectibles that would serve almost no practical purpose besides looking cool. So, of course, I bought art from Anthony Christou. His art isn’t based on anime and isn’t only limited to character portraits (which, while understandably awesome in their own regard, aren’t as universal). My favourites are his landscape works, of which I’ve collected several.

Supanova, though, also enticed me with little charms and crocheted goodies. After much hewing and hawing, I finally picked up Winnie the Pooh. Crochet Cthluhu was also high on my list but perhaps I’ll snag him up next time. The patterning on each creation was wonderful and I envy those with the time and skill to make such wondrous pieces of art. 

Still, can’t believe I whiffed on The Great Ace Attorney tamogochi-esque charms that had animal versions of Ryunosuke, Kazuma, van Zieks, Susato and Herlock Sholmes. Let’s also not forget Gina Lestrade. 

At the very least, my friend bought me a Halloween witch Mimikyu, content in its field of mushrooms and autumn leaves, that now sits on my work desk for all to admire as they walk past.

But while Supanova was grand in its own way, it could not compete with the numbers that came to SMASH! It should be noted that SMASH! stands for the Sydney Manga and Anime Show. Thankfully, after some pressure from people manning the SMASH! stand at Supanova, we bought our tickets for Saturday without having to resort to scalpers or begging friends for access to the show floor in the ICC (International Convention Centre) where most people were dressed as, and bought goods of, characters from Genshin Impact, Demon Slayer and Spy x Family. 

Guests wise, we had Gigguk (with his delightful received pronunciation accent), Sydsnap (Gigguk’s American wife), CWDawgVA who can pronounce the most impossible name that has ever been written and spoken: llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, and there was also fellow Sydney-sider TheAnimeMan. A shame that Akidearest couldn’t make it. I would have liked having a YouTube celebrity I could discuss Kingdom Hearts with. 

Because @bleachpanda is a fan of these AniTubers, I sat and watched through two panels with her where they discussed their lives, their projects and provided well constructed arguments for or against controversial hot-takes for popular anime.

Since a few of my other friends are also deeply entrenched weebs of the third degree, I managed to bump into them as I walked the stalls of Artist’s Alley. Here, though, I found the collections a little lacking. Most of the artwork was focused on what was hip and popular. No longer were Free! or Haikyu! or even My Hero Academia products being sold like hotcakes. Instead, it was all about Genshin Impact (which isn’t a game from a Japanese developer), some Danganronpa (because who can ever get over Junko Enoshima and the dichotomy between hope and despair) and other random anime that I’ve not really watched. 

It was disappointing, actually, to see that games released only just last year such as The Great Ace Attorney and NEO: The World Ends With You having so little merchandise on sale. I honestly would have gobbled them all up if there had been better quality products on display. Alas. I would have paid good money for some Kariya and Minamimoto goods. Those two are super cool cats that I wouldn’t mind sporting on my bag or just to stare at on my desk.

I DID almost buy more Riku merchandise as well as a figurine of Edogawa Conan. Of course, in saying that, @bleachpanda knows that Tooru Amuro came in a close second too.

Long story short: be prepared to spend far more than you intend should you visit a convention. They are dangerous things, worse if you bring along enablers that encourage you to ‘treat yourself.’ I might not forgive my friends for encouraging me to buy a set of dice but I will admit that they look pretty and will look forward to rolling them to cause my players as much distress as I possibly can in the next Dungeons and Dragons game that I cook up.

Y’all have been warned, m’kay?

[itsbenedict]

recently bought and beat the new Pokemon, finally. i’d been holding off because i’d heard about things being rushed (the dex stuff being just a symptom of that), but i was actually pretty impressed with this one. there’s a lot of great quality of life stuff like immediate access to Fly and on-field PC access, and my worries about the Wild Area siphoning personality from the routes were ill-founded. the massive variety of wild pokemon to catch and build a team from early on was also something i’d criticized other entries in the series (sinnoh through kalos especially) for lacking. the basic catch-’em-all experience is better than ever, save the dex issues.

of course, i’ve still got a bunch of niggles:

the draw distance issues in the Wild Area were really noticeable, to the point where it interfered with gameplay sometimes when a pokemon i had my eye on would cross an invisible zone boundary and vanish. there’s a logic to how it works that you can get used to, but it’s definitely a logic that exists to paper over technical shortcomings

whose dumbass idea was it to include extensive player customization, and then force you to wear the exact same dweebus football uniform in all gym battles? those are the moments where you’re supposed to look the coolest, and they take that all away? they even sell, at exorbitant prices, different uniforms in different styles, except you’re not allowed to use those in gyms either! so what the fuck!! i had to fight the champion while wearing the color red on my body and i’m fuckin STEAMED about it

the plot on this one is as bare-bones as it’s ever been- which is a mixed bag, IMO. the “evil team does evil thing” sideplot in every game has never been, like, remotely good at all, and on a level i appreciate that they crammed the entire apocalypse plot into one sequence between the elite four and champion fights. but... man did it not make a whole lot of sense. who the big bad was is obvious, but even in the scene where he explains his evil plans after bringing them to fruition, he doesn’t actually explain his evil plans at all. something something energy the future????? apparently he fucked up but they really have no interest in explaining what he was even trying to do. the whole thing really felt like an afterthought.

the mechanics of Max Raid Battles are severely underexplained, and it’s really hard to tell what kind of force you should be bringing to these things ahead of time- they don’t list level numbers or anything, just a star rating that doesn’t tell you anything about how strong you actually need to be.

dynamax is pretty cool actually (it’s less of a buff than it looks, so it needs to be used strategically), but- hey, wait, what? you need to catch special unique capable-of-gigantimaxing versions of pokemon that can gigantimax from raid battles, and can’t use, like, the ones you’ve actually been raising? that is some prime bullshit right there.

aaaaaagh bike handling bad. i just want to pick up the dang pokeball right in front of me i don’t want to do donuts around it over and over! (plus bikes *also* force you into a dweeby sport outfit, which isn’t any different from SuMo’s ride pokemon but this time the color coordination is even more godawful.)

i have very little idea what the point of Watts is supposed to be. there’s not much worthwhile you can buy with it, and the stuff that is worthwhile (TRs mainly) costs so much you’d need to grind for ages to get enough. it’s like tickets at a shitty kids’ arcade place. either this is a system they wanted to build out more but didn’t have time to, or it becomes more relevant in post-game content i don’t have time to bother with. Just Use Money Yo

camping is also underexplained- i’m not sure what’s going on with the friendship mechanic this time around, or how much petting and playing affects it. without clear mechanical incentive, i pretty much didn’t bother unless i wanted a full party heal from curry (whose minigame is, you guessed it, underexplained and kinda bullshit).

the same issues that plague every single pokemon game are still here- most egregiously the glacial progression of battle notifications. i don’t need you to take up ten full seconds at the beginning of every battle to have Corviknight shiver a little bit and then tell me that it’s hailing and then also tell me that Pressure is active! i don’t need a three-second text notification every time Fury Attack gets another one of its 2-5 hits! i don’t need you to give me separate “you took a teeny tiny amount of damage from sandstorm” and “the enemy took a teeny tiny amount of damage from sandstorm” messages! i can tell that my health went down from spending four seconds watching the bar tick down! jesus FUCKING christ, streamline your UX fucking AT ALL from the way it was in 1996!!! how is your battle conveyance STILL this archaic despite all the other QoL stuff you’re apparently not afraid to include?!?!! I’LL KICK YOUR ASS THROUGH YOUR GODDAMN TEETH BECAUSE WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

but yeah other than that it’s pretty good

[guylty]

Have you got your tickets for UV locked down? Maybe you are like me – tickets bought but not all other details finalised. Priorities, right? The most important consideration is to make sure we get to see RA on stage. Flight? Accommodation? Can be dealt with later. On the latter, I’ve had a few questions bts about hotel recommendations. Now, I do not want to presume better local knowledge than all the English/British fans. However, as a frequent visitor, and particular while I was still working for my London client, I was put up in hotel accommodation on many occasions. In that sense, I may have seen more London hotels than our actual London-based fan sisters *waves at Hariclea and tinyclanger and anyone else whom I am shamefully overlooking here* and can possibly make some recommendations.

A quick note on location and transport

My collection of Oyster Cards. Yes, I’ve had to buy several because I stupidly left mine at home… They give you a little wallet for safe-keeping when you buy yours.

All hotels are fairly centrally located – if you are a walker and do not mind 45 minutes walking, they would even be in walking distance of the city centre of London. Transport, on the whole, is not a problem in London. The tube is never far away. I recommend you buy a so-called Oyster Card upon arrival in London. This is a commuter card that you load credit onto. You can buy it at any (larger) tube station (ticket counter). You can get the £10 deposit back when you return the card before you leave London. You charge your card via the ticket machines located in every tube station. Paying for the tube is via flashing the card at the gates for entry and exit. A display at the gates will always tell you how much money you have left on your card. An Oyster card is a must, even if you only stay for three days. The difference in price between buying single tickets and using your automatic card credit, is significant: A single journey will set you back £4.90 whereas the Oyster card is £2.40!!! Also, the Oyster card has an automatic cap. That means you will pay a maximum of £8.20 (zones 1-3) versus single journeys or a daily travel card at £13.10 (zones 1-4)!!!

However, the best tip when it comes to London public transport, I received from local Hariclea: Bus fares are much cheaper than the tube. A single journey will set you back only £1.50. The daily cap for Oyster Card here is £4.50. So if you can, take the bus. Or walk, that is *my* personal tip. For a long time on my travels to London, I did everything by tube, thinking that London was a huge city and everything was very far apart. It took me 3 years to realise that Piccadilly Circus was only 250 meters away from Leicester Square! Doh. So make use of Google Maps and walk. You will be rewarded with a fantastic view of the city, too, because London treats you to a journey through all architectural ages in almost every street.

Fleet Street. From Tudor half-timbers to 1920s in 500 meters

Guylty’s Hotel Insights

I’ll give you a little review of all the hotels I have stayed at in the last four years. A caveat at the beginning. At least half of them were paid for by my client – and they didn’t skimp. I would not have paid £350 for a hotel room myself. My budget – even while still employed by them – would usually not stretch to that. However, I am including it here, too. Who knows, maybe you have a significant birthday/anniversary, or you want to treat yourself to an extraordinary London experience. Or maybe you just appreciate a lovely boutique hotel, just like I do. Where possible, I will add my own pictures – and occasionally even videos – for a little more insight into the hotel. Links to the hotel website under the name. In no particular order…

Pop!Thoza sneaks up on breakfast

The Rookery – my absolute favourite, but the above mentioned luxury option. Located in Farringdon, opposite Smithfield Market – a boutique hotel completely furnished with antiques and with every room looking different. Close to two tube stations, near the Barbican centre, too. It really looks like the photos on the website – or in my videos. Yep, I have three of them, just because the hotel was so beautiful, I had to document it every time. But I’ll only bore you with one of them. (If you want to you can see the other two if you click on my name on the video below!) This hotel has beautiful common rooms but no breakfast room. So if you want dinner, you need to eat elsewhere. Breakfast is available – but only served in your room. However, it was not any more expensive than in other hotels, and at the same time so good that I always set the alarm for two hours early so I could have long, leisurely breakfast in my fluffy bed before I went to work.   

https://vimeo.com/133549399

Purple light show. Not sure what mood *that* is…

Citizen M in Southwark (Bankside) is completely at the opposite end of the style spectrum. Ultramodern hotel. Every room has a kingsize bed (no single rooms available) and lots of tech gimmicks. Has a fantastic entertainment offer with wide screen TVs in every room. You can operate different lighting scenarios with an iPad in the room, and the blinds are automatically adjusted depending on whether you have set the room settings on “romantic” or “business” 🤣. Located behind the Tate Modern, but still very central. I loved this place and stayed there a couple of times privately, too – my son called it the “cyber hotel” and specifically asked me to book us in there when I gave him a trip to London as a gift. He (age 18 then) even shared the kingsize bed with me – that was the price for being in the cyber hotel… Buffet style breakfast is available in the hotels bar area. I loved the cool style and design of this hotel.

The Park Plaza County Hall is also situate d on the Southern bank of the Thames. I was upgraded to a suite there – with a separate sitting room and a small kitchenette. Comfortable, modern, light-filled rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows. The kitchenette would be really useful if staying for a few days and trying to budget a little bit because eating out in London is expensive. It doesn’t mean you have to cook – but just having a fridge for a pint of milk for your cornflakes in the morning, would already save you a good bit of money. I did like this one very much and remember making a little video – can’t find it anymore, unfortunately. It is part of the Radisson chain, so good quality.

I slept on top bed – wanted the “young” feel

Z Hotel City Another very modern hotel, centrally located in Fleet Street. The rooms are very modern, but also fairly small. I had a room that was billed as a “family” room with two double beds. But even though the room was tiny, they solved the problem really well: One double bed was like an enclosed alcove (fitted with a big TV) while the second double was built on top of the alcove and you accessed it via small steps. The second double also had a TV screen. The drawback was that the hotel did not offer breakfast, and even though it operated a café next door, it did not provide a discount to residents. However, as you can see from the photo, this kind of room would really lend itself to sharing if you are coming with a friend. Share the costs – still get privacy. And style, too.

        No real vines, that’s the graffiti on the wall!!

The Malmaison on Charterhouse Square. Another boutique hotel in Farringdon (like the Rookery above) (near Barbican), located on beautiful Charterhouse Square where you get London at its historic best: There is the eponymous Charterhouse from the 14th century, then there is Georgian architecture, the Victorian hotel building, and an Art Deco block of flats (which was used as location for Hercule Poirot’s flat in the Poirot TV series with David Suchet). Every room differently decorated – modern eclectic. The rooms were small but beautiful and all decorated differently. The first time I stayed there, I had an “inside” room with a kind of blind window into a lightwell. The room had really funky decoration with a graffiti-sprayed wall. Breakfast was not included but available in the basement restaurant – really nice, though.

        Glimpse of room on the right. Bathroom had massive dimensions. Wheelchair compatible

The Premier Inn County Hall is probably on the affordable end of the scale. Centrally located, directly behind the London Eye and more or less directly on the banks of the Thames. The rooms were not particularly cosy or original, but clean, light and big. Probably more on the practical side. Prices are pretty good for London – and for the location. Breakfast available in the hotel – nothing special, but good price.

          You can see what I had for breakfast

The Marlin Aparthotel was an affordable option when I took my mum to London last year. This hotel is fairly well connected, just behind Waterloo Station. In walking distance of the Old Vic Theatre and Westminster on the other side of the Thames. The rooms were bright and modern – and they came with a kitchenette. We ate breakfast in our own room every day and saved on another tenner for meals that way. This hotel is easily accessible by bus – which will also get transport costs down…

Lastly, The Grange Strathmore Hotel is the last hotel I stayed in when in London in April this year. The building is the former residence of the Earl of Strathmore (the Queen Mother’s father), and as such an imposing Victorian residence in a very pretty part of London. The room was small and looked out onto the mews at the back. Kensington is a very nice area for walking and looking at the grand white townhouses, but it’s not as central as the other hotels listed above. Also, I didn’t find the transport options quite as close as the other hotels.

So, here is an overview of the hotels and their relative location. It’s an interactive map – you can click on the markers and see which hotel it is.

That’s it for my own experience with hotels in central London. As I said – not necessarily the cheapest *thanks to my former employers*. I am sure there are other, if not better options available. If anyone has some recommendations, please add them in the comments! And for further questions – I’m delighted if I can answer, although I am sure that the resident Londoners are probably better equipped than I am.

Leaving you with a little London Lucas for good measure.

  Notes on Staying in London Have you got your tickets for UV locked down? Maybe you are like me - tickets bought but not all other details finalised.

[bebehowell]

LINEUP SZN IS HERE... WHICH MEANS FESTIVAL SZN IS UPON US! SECURE YOUR TICKETS NOW!

it seems that every day now a lineup is dropping left and right. ubbi dubbi, coachella, bonnaroo, beyond wonderland... the list goes on and on.

with that being said, now is also the best time to grab your passes well in advance before a). they sell out or b). the price tier rises!

when it comes to my favorite festivals, i am always sure to buy my ticket far, far in advance. my ultra 2019 pass was secured in may 2018! i ended up paying around $300, whereas people i know who bought theirs later on paid almost double that price. 

i’m super excited to have teamed up with pollen this past fall to bring my followers, family, and friends the best access to the best festivals around. tickets purchased through pollen are 100% legitimate (we are partnered with each festival we promote) and offer various perks, such as:

discounted price

discounted fees

early bird tier access pricing 

express entry (skip those lines!)

free drink/food

free merch

etc.

each festival is different with its rewards, and i’ll be sure to tell you what you’re getting when you buy your pass.

with all of these festival lineups appearing, i wanted to post a master list of the ones i am currently promoting/will be promoting in 2020. if you are interested in purchasing tickets to any of these events, send me a message or DM me on instagram and i’ll hook you up with a unique purchase link! if you’re already planning on buying a pass to any of these, you might as well buy it through me and thus earn the perks.

without further ado (& in order of occurrence)...

(** = high in demand, aka will sell out soon so buy ASAP!)

x games aspen (CO)

gem & jam (AZ)

az roots (AZ)

innings fest (AZ)

afro nation (PUERTO RICO)

phx lights (AZ)**

ubbi dubbi (TX)**

high water fest (SC)

shaky knees (GA)

homecoming (OH)

shaky boots (GA)**

defected ibiza (IBIZA)**

lightning in a bottle (CA)**

elements lakewood (PA)

cali roots (CA)

gov ball (NY)**

bonnaroo (TN)**

sonic bloom (CO)

we are fstvl (IBIZA)**

escapade (OTTAWA)**

heartland (KS)

forecastle (KY)

night in the country (NV)

electric zoo (NY)**

voodoo (LA)**

AND COMING SOON...

moonrise (MD)**

ever after (ON)**

austin city limits (TX)**

sweetwater (GA)

spring awakening (IL)

515 alive (IA)

hangout (AL)**

dreams (ON)

north coast (IL)

jmbyla austin (TX)

veld (ON)

lollapalooza (IL)**

and with that, HAPPY 2020 FESTIVAL SZN Y’ALL! i’m so excited to be working with pollen again this year and bringing you all the experiences of a lifetime. if you have any questions, or are interested in purchasing, don’t forget to shoot me a message.

happy raving!

:) -bebe

p.s.-- bonnaroo tickets go live tomorrow, and my oh my they are going to sell out quickly. don’t skip out on this stacked lineup! message me :)

[canvaswolfdoll]

CanvasWatches: Detective Pikachu

Well, I really want to play Pokemon now.

Not so much the actual Detective Pikachu game, because it’s burdened with a boring tutorial, and it’s just not engaging… but, like, maybe I’ll pick up the Blue or Gold versions I have on my 3DS. Poke away at my leisurely quest to finally catch them all by going through the entries.[1]

Anyways, my brother and I went to see Detective Pikachu. I left satisfied, and suspicious that any sequel will have to be a shameless cash-grab production, so let’s not hope for that.

Didn’t sit through the credits. Foxface was impatient, and I left Emi home alone with the lights out.[3] There was probably an after credits scene. Probably dancing Pikachu, from the fake leak.

Summary conclusion before the spoilery rambles: it’s fine. If you love the franchise, you’ll probably enjoy it. If you’re not a big Pokemon fan, you can skip it or see it with a fan. It’s competently adequate.

So, let’s review this thing. With spoilers! (Probably including the games. Don’t know, I write these things stream of thought style.)

The experience started when I bought the movie ticket, and was handed a promotional pack of pokemon cards along with it. I was surprised for half a second, before I thought back to receiving the Ancient Mew card when I saw Pokemon 2000 in theaters. Of course they’d give me cards to go with the movie. That’s how Pokemon movies work.

I got the Detective Pikachu card presumably everyone gets, and Jigglypuff.

Kind of disappointed to get Jigglypuff.[4]

I’ve always felt a strange relationship with Pokemon. I like the games, and do enjoy the trivia and random lore, but I’ve never absolutely loved it.[5] I’ve always felt like the franchise has a lot of potential, but never really commits. Plots could be a little meatier, the world a little more explored. A sense of wanderlust and nostalgia for a world distinct from our own that’s never really delivered.

Fanworks carry a lot of that weight, but I don’t like putting in effort for IPs that aren’t mine.

Anyways, similar deal with Detective Pikachu. Plot could use more meat,[6] world feels underexplored.

It’s based in Rhyme City, a film original locale. This provides a good excuse not to have Pokemon stored away in Pokeballs so they can mingle about the scenery, which is a good narrative handwave. However, it means we don’t get to see the locations of the games realized, the mechanics explored, and a kind of odd ‘One Pokemon per Trainer’ situation.[7] Especially since Pokemon battles are illegal in Rhyme City, making them more… well… dog-fighty.

Slash underground Fight Club-y.

Okay, to be fair, they do a good job of portraying the one on-screen combat involving Pokemon that are both willing and enjoying.

But we also miss the chance to see what an officially sanctioned Pokemon Battle looks like.[9]

Also, at no point does anyone ride a bike. One out of ten, literally unwatchable.

One thing that stuck out to me was how anime it felt. Japanese business signs filled the backgrounds, the vehicles were right-hand drive, and other subtle details really left an atmosphere of “I’m watching a live action anime!” beyond even the typical Japanifornia set media like Big Hero 6 or Legend of Korra used. Which, I suppose, helps sell the efforts to sell this as the live action Pokemon film.

Honestly, if Hollywood wants to adapt more anime, they should study this film. It understands how to portray Japan taking over the world without feeling like Blade Runner.

The movie also is very good at taking pokemon from all generations, my eye catching the fifth gen roster most often, but Aipoms, Torterras, Totodiles[10] and more are accounted for. I was worried that it’d be a genwunner pander-fest after watching the first trailer. There seemed to be a lack of Alola Pokemon, though, or at least I didn’t notice any, and they didn’t take the opportunity to reveal any Sword & Shield Pokemon.

I guess, given the choice, I’d prefer they not turn it into a Sword & Shield marketing push, but I also feel like the movie could’ve done it tastefully.

The movie is just filled with good will for the franchise, beginning with showing two friends (coded in red and blue clothes) going just outside of town to capture a pokemon (It was a Cubone! I love Cubone!) all the way to having credits showing the cast in the art style of the games, with particular nods to the lovely sprite work I miss.

As for the actual story… it’s fine. They didn’t really go out of the kids film mold, to the detriment of doing an actual Pokemon plot. There’s no bad guy team, and besides naming the rage-inducing chemical “R”,[11] not even a nod to Team Rocket. Which I think could’ve been done very easily. Just introduce Team Rocket funding somewhere, maybe having the all-consuming corporation running the city secretly funding their activities?

Is this film lighter, softer cyberpunk? Detective Pikachu might be child-grade cyberpunk. That’s cool.

There wasn’t any sock blasting twists. The red herring villain was a red herring villain; the nice seeming CEO guy was behind it all; the Dad was the Pikachu all along. It was what it was looked to be.

I will concede I didn’t see the Ditto twist coming, but mostly because I forgot about Ditto.

And, as Suede pointed out in his Pokemon anime reviews, it’s odd that what was meant to be a one-off quirk for a one-off Ditto has become a racial trait. It lends itself to pretty decent effects, but I can’t put the thought out of my mind now that it’s been pointed out.

The actual Pokemon were a nice, even mix of Uncanny Valley to just the Pokemon. Mr. Mime wasn’t notably as creepy as he was when shown in the trailer, and in fact was the center of one of the best scenes. Pikachu is adorable when his brow isn’t pulling overtime, and the Audino that pops up here and there looks like a mascot suit. It’s a good mixture.

I must suggest that, after watching the movie, go look at the merch online. Not necessarily to buy it like crazy, but just for the fun little details that can be gleaned.[12]

I hope this opens the door to more live-action Pokemon films, especially ones that will explore the world and develop the plot out more. Maybe do a PG-13 one for the older kids. Detective Pikachu was fine, but there’s a lot more that could be done.

Thanks for reading my review. To support this and my other works, consider either Patreon for early access and regular support, or Ko-fi for a one time tip. There’s much more I’d love to do, and every dollar allows me the opportunity to do more.

Now… guess I should go plod through Kanto as I deliberate on Sword versus Shield.

Kataal kataal.

-

[1] Well, I’m switching Ruby/Sapphire out with AlphaSapphire, because I don’t actually feel like going super intense with the ‘hit every generation’ thing.[2] [2] Am going to also do HeartGold, though. Because I have it, and love Johto. [3] She’s fine! And adorable as always. Just… didn’t think ahead. [4] Foxface got Lickitung. Wish I got Lickitung. [5] Maybe because I still have scars from siding with Digimon during the wars. Maybe because you don’t have to love or hate every IP. [6] Yes, it’s a kid’s film, but kids can parse a little more depth than they’re often given credit for. [7] Because, since generation six, Pokemon has been struggling to be Digimon.[8] [8] Even call them “Partner Pokemon”. Come on! [9] Maybe the sequel can be about reintroducing Pokemon Battles to Rhyme city, with Team Plasma either cameoing or as the antagonistic force. [10] Literally all my preferred starter lines of the first six generations are accounted for somewhere. Which makes me feel good. [11] Which is a stretch. [12] The neighborhood watch sign has a Patrat!

[recentanimenews]

REPORT: Comiket 99 — What It’s Like Inside The World’s Biggest Anime Event During COVID-19

All images taken by Daryl Harding

  It was two and half years ago in my write-up for Comiket 96 when I pondered how the then-upcoming Tokyo Olympics would affect Comiket in the next year, not knowing what would lie ahead for Comiket … or the world at large. Two years on, and with multiple Comiket either canceled or postponed, one has to wonder how Comiket’s first convention in two years works in the current day during one of the biggest pandemics known to mankind. 

  Comiket 99 was the first event in two years, with the last being Comiket 97 in December 2019 — Comiket 98 was moved online for the first time in the event’s history, but ultimately wasn’t much of a success. Held on a cold December day, this year’s FuyuComi (short for Winter Comiket) was unlike anything I’d ever seen. 

    Getting Into Comiket 99

  Our story starts at 5 am in the morning, where a very brisk -2 degrees Celsius awaited me as I walked to the train station to get to Tokyo Big Sight for the first wristband exchange. Comiket is known for its midnight lines that begin when the last train arrives in Odaiba, but this year saw no one turn up at the directive of Comiket itself.

  For the first time ever, the only way to get into Comiket was to exchange the ticket bought with a wristband, with a temperature and vaccination check along the way. While this would be simple when an event only has a few thousand people, with 55,000 tickets sold — and according to Japanese media, used — the sheer amount of logistics involved in this endeavor is near incomprehensible. 

    Comiket, in the before times, would see over 700,000 people walk through the doors of Tokyo Big Sight throughout the weekend, but due to government regulations, only 50 percent of the capacity of Tokyo Big Sight is allowed in, leaving only 55,000 tickets available for each day. The tickets were then further split into the East and West halls, effectively splitting the event into two smaller ones where people were not allowed to mingle. I got the West halls in the lottery, which allowed me access to the business hall. (And all the VTuber booths!)

  The event is known for having the best line logistics in the world — every single line manager for conventions worldwide should visit Comiket once to learn how to handle lines — but COVID has pushed the whole entry procedure to its knees. Even though I was in the first group of the day, paying premium prices to do so and arriving at Odaiba before the sun had fully risen, the lines still spanned kilometers, with minimal social distancing. 

    Guiding me through the lines was a Kill Me Baby bag, probably one of only a few still in existence. From the front of Big Sight to the wristband exchange/vaccination check near the Gundam of Diver City, I was guided by the light of the Kill Me Baby bag … until I had to show my vaccination certificate and was moved to the “international certificate” line even though I got my vaccination only across the bay from the event. Luckily it didn’t take long to once again get through the line and the staff member and I joked that sometimes Tokyo does feel like a different country.

  After I had acquired my wristband, I had to walk back to Tokyo Big Sight and climb to one of the highest meeting points on the West side of the exhibition center to await my early entry. It was 8:30 AM by this point, still 0 degrees, and the wind from Tokyo Bay was chilling. Got a nice picture of Mount Fuji from the deck though, almost made up for the cold. Almost.

  Fuji-san!

  The Emptiness Of Comiket 99

  There were three aspects of Comiket 99 that, in hindsight, I should have expected, but never thought of at the time. 

  How sparse Tokyo Big Sight is when there are only 25,000 people in an area that used to hold hundreds of thousands.

The lack of cosplayers. If you’ve read my previous Comiket reports, you’d know that I love visiting the cosplay areas. 

VTubers have taken over (and they’re here to stay).

  When walking into the first hall of the West section, I was greeted with the usual, large flashy booths of companies like ZONe Energy drink — yes, the brand from the Lost Judgment video game — and Muv Luv with a car that had the same energy as Mircosoft at E3 in 2015. Of course, nestled to the side of these flashy booths was an adorable booth from Mages. looking at the history of the Science-Adventure visual novel series.

    The second business hall was where most of the “anime” related stuff was, with franchises like Girl’s Frontline, Tribe Nine, and The Quintessential Quintuplets all on show promoting their upcoming works. But the biggest new entry to the Comiket scene was hololive and 774, two massive Japanese VTuber agencies. 774 by far had the better booth, with more stuff on display, whereas the hololive booth only had a shop and a giant screen.

      “Shop” was by far the biggest theme of Comiket 99 business booths. Usually, you’d see some exhibition (granted Aniplex had ufotable display keyframes from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and Fate/stay night Heaven's Feel), or even some sort of interactive element, but most were just booths with merch, non-exclusive too. Even the booths with giant posters were mostly made up of a shop component with a fun side. There was a smaller number of booths this year that were spread out more for social distancing purposes, which made the lack of people even more noticeable.

      This spread was even noticeable on the first floor of the West area, which was this section’s doujin space. Comiket is mostly known for being a place where fans and creators come together (sometimes secretly!) to make fan goods and books on their favorite works. Because of the split, the East section was all doujin, while the West was business booths and some doujin — mostly cult books, communist manifestos (which looked to be sold out), and fan-made manga that would get me arrested for trying to import to Japan (selling inside is okay though) and Fate doujin. 

  Which was a bit of an annoyance, as most of the creators I personally follow were in the other hall or were going to be at Comiket the next day — which I didn’t get a ticket for, no lottery win there. I was lucky enough to be able to pick up Yutaka Nakamura’s keyframe flipbooks that feature his work on My Hero Academia and Mob Psycho 100.

    The cosplay area was the surrealist aspect of Comiket 99 this year. Again, most of the cosplayers I follow and know were going into the event the next day, but it was the lack of cosplays that got me. 

  Usually, you’d see lines upon lines for the hottest cosplayers, with space for cosplayers nearing capacity — which is why the nearby park is also used for the bigger shoots (see: Enako ring). But even the fountain area was lacking in cosplayers, being able to count the number of them on two hands. Though every time a new cosplayer set up, there were at least 20 photographers lining up for them.

    Nothing makes me happier than seeing Comiket come back, even with a price increase from 500 yen (US$4.34) to 5,000 yen (US$43.37). It was touch and go for a little while if the event would even return after the many delays, but seeing an event at this scale be put on with only minor issues during COVID-19 times just shows the experience and skill the Comiket staff possess. 

  The next Comiket, the 100th, is scheduled to be held in August 2022 with more details to come. Hopefully, those details include free water with testing because NatsuComi (Summer Comiket) is like walking through hot soup.

        Daryl Harding is a Japan Correspondent for Crunchyroll News. He also runs a YouTube channel about Japan stuff called TheDoctorDazza, tweets at @DoctorDazza, and posts photos of his travels on Instagram. 

  Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features.

By: Daryl Harding

[gorillaznorthamerica]

I got this in my email the other day and thought I should maybe share my not-so-great experience with Adventures in Wonderland last July.

1) I’m not doing this out of resentment to give them bad publicity. I just now that many Gorillaz fans are going crazy trying to decide if they should spend all their money on their passion

2) maybe AIW have fixed things since then and my story is irrelevant now? I hope so.

But just in case…

When I tried to buy g.a. tickets for Gorillaz’ concert in Toronto during one of the many “presales”, the only options were nosebleed seats or VIP packages. I panicked and bought a (too) expensive VIP package. It included: - g.a. ticket - access to soundcheck - early venue entry - exclusive vip merch

I thought well, this sounds great, you only live once, take my money (315$ C)

Here’s what happened:

- we got very little detail prior to the event. I decided to show up around noon, started the queue… Queued for hours. Then some AIW people started to give us t-shirts and wristbands and said we were supposed to get more “vip merch” but they had had a delivery problem so we wouldn’t get it right away but no worries, they would send it later to our homes. ** it’s been almost 4 months and I still haven’t received anything **

- finally, they let us in for soundcheck. That was the good part. It was awesome! Damon and Seye were amazing and generous, interacted with the fans, the band played a bunch of songs (and I filmed a lot of it! https://instagram.com/p/BavMfD5nGNm/)

- then… they kicked us out. We were confused. Weren’t we supposed to get in the venue early? How would this work? I was asking a lot of questions and the AIW people looked confused and didn’t know how to answer. And then they told us we’d have to queue again to get in for the concert. Well… While we were at soundcheck, a loooooooong queue of g.a people had formed. And yes, oups, we’d have to get behind these thousands of people. Talk about “early venue entry” huh?

I complained A LOT and ganged up with a few fans and one of the AIW was kind enough to help us sneak in at the beginning of the line. But many vips weren’t that lucky and realised that their “VIP” status was bullshit. In other words, our “VIP packages” made most of us get the worst possible g.a. spots.

This happened in July, it was the second concert of the tour. I know things were messy in Chicago and Philly as well but I haven’t heard horror stories since then so maybe they realised it wasn’t working and decided to fix things? I hope so.

I had a lot of fun that day and the concert was magical but… the queuing and “vip” thing was super stressful and most of us felt we didn’t get what we paid for.

Anyways. Enjoy the concerts!!! The band gives a wonderful show ❤️🤘🏽

[holidayinhongkong]

I don’t have a bucket list, but  I have family goals

When I started working abroad, I promised myself to take my daughter to places I’ve never been. Apparently, travelling with my family has become my favorite thing to do as well as trying some things we’ve never done before at least once a year. With that being said, let me share with you our 5D/4N trip to Hong Kong and Macau in 2018.

I heard there are many good reasons to visit Hong Kong - from learning their culture, mouth-watering street food, night market, neon lights, Disneyland experience and many more! Thank God for making our dream trips to reality because of cheap fares! I rarely talk about figures on blogs cause I’m pretty bad at keeping track of our expenses but trust me - I’m trying. Since I don’t normally delete my flight tickets on email, I’m happy to share some of the costs for this itinerary.

Manila to Hong Kong: Php 5,747

Hong Kong to Macau via TurboJet Ferry: Php 3,483

I might have deleted our Macau to Manila flight tickets (told you, I’m bad at these things) but if I remember correctly, we’ve paid around Php 6,300

The rates I’ve mentioned are for 3 pax without baggage allowance. We always choose to pack light and tight cause we’re always on the go and of course, we try to avoid the chaos of travel - high cost of checked-in luggage, waiting at the baggage carousel and the inconvenience of having to carry heavy bags whilst navigating a new place.

Our flight was scheduled to depart at 0600. One thing I know I’m doing right is to arrive at the airport at the earliest possible time to avoid the Manila traffic jam and long queue (I hate lines!) Rational fears aside, we had plenty enough time to have breakfast whilst talking about Disneyland cause the little girl was too excited!

Most of you know that Hong Kong International Airport won multiple airport awards - World’s Best Airport Dining and World’s Best Airport Immigration Service in 2019.

We arrived safely and on time (yes, without delays thanks Cebu Pacific!) As soon as we passed the immigration counter around 0800, we saw immigration officers on the side doing random security checks. I’m not sure what the red flags are but I remember a friend of mine who travelled solo in Hong Kong years back and told me she was stopped by an officer and went through everything in her carry on luggage! She was also asked hundreds of questions and it scared the hell of her thinking someone might have inserted drugs in her luggage but she stayed calm the whole time and answered the questions promptly. I think it’s their way of stepping up the series of measures to avoid entry of prohibited items (drugs mainly) in their country. So guys, if at all they stop you at the airport, don’t panic. You may be asked more questions based on your answers so it’s important to be prompt and direct when talking and be ready to show proof! If you know you have nothing to hide, you’re good.

We took F21 Bus from Airport Terminal 1 going to our hostel. We were aware of the unpredictable weather in Hong Kong so we planned ahead. It was drizzling on our way but it stopped by the time we arrived at our destination.

Days Hotel - Chungking Mansion Building, 36-44 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

I booked via booking.com and paid Php 7,800 for 4 nights excluding breakfast. Price was reasonable considering we’re a family of three. The room was clean and location was close to the metro stations and shopping areas. It’s most likely an old hostel with busy people (mainly Indians) selling food and stuff down the building. Our room attendant was a fellow Filipino who seemed very nice and helpful. We’re mostly outside exploring the city - so I can say it’s a good place after all.

If you plan to stay in Hong Kong for a few days, I would suggest that you buy an octopus card which can be used at public transport, fast food shops, convenience stores, vending machines and many more. It also comes with a refundable HK$ 50 deposit (we claimed our refund before heading to Macau) Their transport system is very well maintained so you won’t have a problem getting around by MTR and buses. 

A glimpse inside the MTR (Mass Transit Railway) with the little one

Day 1: 

When I watched Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, I realised that exploring cultures is also a great way of making travel more meaningful. In this journey, we visited one of the most famous temples closest to our hostel - Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple. It claims to be a place of worship for people seeking to have their fortunes told whenever they have health and business issues.

Many people are praying and burning incense. We’re one of them

I planned to end the day by enjoying the spectacular view of Hong Kong Island at the Avenue of Stars along the Victoria Harbour waterfront but unfortunately, it was under renovation when we visited so we decided to go for a walk along Tsim Sha Tsui to look for a place to eat. My cousin’s ex girlfriend told me to try one of Jackie Chan’s Restaurants near the hotel. We didn’t have internet access outside and we found it extremely difficult to converse with locals cause majority of them don’t speak English so we spent hours of searching! Since my husband has a very bad habit of being grumpy when he’s hungry, he went back to the hostel instead. I tried my very best to go out of the way not to argue with my very hangry pouting husband knowing we’re on vacation. The next day was supposed to be our Disneyland trip so imagine the agony I went through. Haha! I bought food from Jollibee for our daughter and went straight to our room.

Day 2:

Our Disneyland trip was cancelled from last night’s dilemma. On this day we went to Sneakers Street to hunt the latest shoe trends located at Fa Yuen St., Mong Kok. Before heading to the Metro Station, we decided to have brunch near the hostel. You know they say ‘when you stop searching for something, that’s when you finally find what you’re looking for’ hell right we found that freakin resto just right beside our building! Grr! We went there to have brunch and I can tell you that food was bland at all and therefore not worth the fight. Lol

 And just like that, everything went back to normal

Street Food

If you’re on a diet, Mong Kok is the worst place for you! Hong Kong street food made our trip more memorable! We didn’t make a list cause it’s going to be long plus we had limited time but here are some of the most popular food we’ve tried

Fish balls

Cheung fun (Rice noodle rolls)

Egg tart

Stinky tofu with chili sauce

Fried pig intestines & Steamed dumplings

Beef brisket noodle soup

Wonton noodle soup

Eggettes

More eggettes

Mochi (Blueberry)

More mochi (Chocolate)

Japanese cake

Chocolate croissant

Vanilla ice cream

The original Taiwan cake

How can we not love Hong Kong street food? Life sure is a combination of travel and good food!

Day 3

It didn’t rain, but wasn’t sunny either - we call it a perfect weather to be at the happiest place on earth - Disneyland Resort

Tickets booked and purchased via Klook: Php 9,730 1 day for 3 pax 

Let the photos do the talking (;

The Disneyland Resort Line

At the entrance gate

Main Street U.S.A.

Adventureland

Fantasyland

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

Toy Story Land

Mystic Point

Wakanda forever!

Grizzly Gulch

Tomorrowland

Disney Parade

It’s a Small World

Disney’s Paint the Night

I didn’t upload all the photos cause it’s gonna be long so I just shared the highlights for you. It’s quite sad cause the Disney Castle was under renovation and there were no fireworks when we visited. We also didn’t get the chance to take photos with Mickey cause I didn’t want to waste our time to wait in a queue. Everything inside was expensive - from meals to souvenirs. I bought meal coupons in advance via Klook as well cause I thought I’d save more but the difference wasn’t that much. 

A magical place indeed! We enjoyed every moment and it’s absolutely true that Disneyland is not only for kids but for everyone! This experience is something we won’t forget for the rest of our lives. 

Day 4

We were supposed to see the Noonday Gun at Causeway bay and experience the ‘Ding Ding Tram Ride’ but we got lost trying to find the way so we went back to Mong Kok for more street food and a little shopping at the street market instead. If I knew that this was going to be a boring day for us we would’ve just gone to Ocean Park. 

This was also our last night in Hong Kong. We packed our stuff as soon as we got back to our room cause we had to check out early morning to catch the Turbojet Ferry going to Macau (our Macau experience will be on a separate blog by the way) 

I can only say that Hong Kong really is something - and will always have a place in our hearts.

xx

[vinzesmonologue]

Breeze of Baguio

Honestly, Baguio is one of my fond place I wanted to go with. I am very fascinated with her beauty that I'd only seen on the internet, tabloids, and watched on Television which I looked forward to go with which having a chance to see the wonders and of course, to feel within my skin their notorious and very popular cold weather is quite complicated in many aspect: Time, energy and money.

This trip was actually unplanned. When my former team mate asked me if I want to go and hang out with him there, I’d never hold back to say 'yes' cause damn! I wanted and dreaming it for a very long time. It may sound silly and childish to some but I ecstatically accept the offer cause why not? If you think you deserve some getaway, why bother to give it to yourself? I accept the offer despite of making an excruciating decision of going on to this trip without filing a vacation leave, but somehow its worth of risk. I think using only your off-days is not enough, you should allot at least one vacation if you want to explore and experience the Baguio moment for long time. I regret not to prolong my stay because it hypes, cliff-hang and trigger my drive to crave with more trips and exploration but the good thing is making things unplanned and let the time nicking to create abstract on how should be ended was wonderful and extra fun at the same time. I know, in ahead, I will have a chance to roam there with a plenty time. Maybe I will include Sagada as well.

From Cubao terminal 11:40 pm of friday, we bought our tickets pricing Php. 485 ($9.35) for trip to baguio with stopover but you can avail their one way trip or deluxe package with bathroom in the bus which cost a little bit expensive. We arrived in our transient house at almost 5:00 am in the morning, which is not our arrival time making our stay-in fee cost with addition because we check in very early but its not that heavy if you add a little, if you want to really save big, arrived on what the owner expect you to check in. Moreover, the price of transient varies, in our case we come up with Php. 700 ($13.49) per head (1Night stay) (The extension of hour excluded) but I hear some transients offers only ranging Php. 400 (7.71$) per head (1Night). If you good in bargaining, and no contact there to stay lot of strangers within the vicinity of Baguio terminal once you arrive will offer you wide range of their promos.

The Trip

This is tiring yet fun quick side-trip. My friend toured me with some of their basic landmarks and I'm happy with the outcomes, we may not have chance to visit some of their very commend highlight destination due to time constrain, I'm still happy to step on the grounds of their popular landmarks my friend and that also the one brought me there can't hold back to spill his sentiments about some spot in the city which underwent a drastic change making it little underwhelming and he can't help to compare how it should look like before than now. I can't blame him but that's how the process of progression work which make it a little different, and the idea of maintaining the grace and nostalgia of old looks is complex. This sudden shift of change makes it a little 'nah' in some but I’m not mad at all and this trip actually not went bad, fascination and my awe to have here still dominate. Despite of not given a chance to went on most hotspot attraction due to time constraint, Baguio still satisfies me. If you just want a little break like this just to cleanse your mind with some positivity and stressed out yourself with pressure of the world, probably this place and little time given is 'must to go' action plan. This is quick and penny saving trip. 🤗

One of the factors to enjoy Baguio if you have plans to go there is to pick a perfect place to stay in. My friend is very good on choosing a perfect transient which is convenient with cheap price. If chose a place near the vicinity of some attractions you have a easy access to their popular places making it more walk-in friendly but if you want to experience deluxe lifestyle while staying here, hotel accommodation is widely accessible. In our case, with simple needs and demand, transient is a great choice. Squad getaway is also perfect with transient option which make it a lot cheaper than less than two people.

Burnham Park is like a usual classic park we grown with and usually go to place to have some fitness routines or meet somebody but for me, this place has a extra-special characteristic which make it a little different with typical park I already went in. Its already given that city parks created to have perfect blast of fun or to have a family get together and picnic with your friends, but what astonished me is how this park maintain her solemnity despite of busy atmosphere. Parks usually annoys me when it became crowded; full of PDA's and loud noises. But here? I don't know, it's relaxing, maybe the cold weather here added up the factor of calmness. Is there any scientific explanation about it or it is just me being appreciative and naive about the place? But what matters? This place is perfect to begin your mood.

Mines View Park is also fun. The overview of city below and their fuzzy haze gives it a little charm of enchantment. Some local residence there use the opportunity of goers having a shot to take some photographs to promote their local and traditional brands such as clothing and snacks. Do I get exaggerated when I see it like I get gaga and insane when I saw the place? Honestly, no but it's good and her beauty is understatement. Perfect place to begin your over the top view selfies.

(I will edit this soon and include the photo once its sent to me)

Baguio Botanical Garden the place is instagram friendly and if you are nature lover, maybe you will get in love. But I don't see any astonishing there except with the cave close for public.

The second thing you have to look after is the Church Bell. I had much fun there. I saw some kids doing some basic traditional Chinese martial arts. Though they still considered as novice in the practice, I see their dedication to learn the discipline of that kind of exhibition. Now I’m prepping myself to stretch some muscle so I could go along with them, kidding!

And oh! The Mansion which is known as summer residence of Philippine President wayback. So far, the gate is more accessible for the public viewing and good place to shot some angle with their wide mountain like landscape. 

Baguio is also know for mysteries infrastructure involve in America War. The infamous Laperal House which is ‘allegedly’ haunted by their former residence which many known Local TV shows already featured it and some of their claims that the place has a level of paranormal activity which is not totally validated despite of some clear and unexplained footage. 

The Diplomat Hotel is also one of those 'haunted' place for Paranormal geeks. This place allegedly haunted where this 'ghost nun' caught on camera by one of the goers doing a montage of her travels.

There's a lot of places to go in Baguio and lot of them is very promising. If I had a perfect chance to go back, I'll definitely redocument that on this blog and here's are some things I'd missed and maybe you should try when you stop by there:

The good sheppered goodies and their infamous ube jams! Which unfortunately I haven't chance to avail due to Yam supply scarcity and the effect of climate change. Sad.

The strawberry picking in La Trinidad which is fun according to some hearsays.

The Night Market with great deals and perfect time to buy our ultimate OOTD with affordable prices.

...and the list goes on, if you have anything to add just comment below.

And that's it. Hope you enjoy reading, see you guys on next entry.

[hunterinabrowncoat]

Hi! I'm sorry to bother you, but I saw you reblogged a post about the general election and I was wondering why you thought May funding more grammar schools was a bad thing? I've heard a lot from both sides of the argument, but i don't have much experience with the state sector (I've spent my life at private schools) and I just wanted to ask your opinion. Thanks!

Hi anon! You’re no bother at all, don’t be afraid to ask questions.

I mean really it’s quite a complex topic, cos you gotta look at every aspect of British secondary education and class divides, but here goes...

So I didn’t go to public school for most of my life either. I was educated until I was 16 and finished my GCSEs at a small, independent faith school. The fees weren’t expensive, they were based on income, and I didn’t get a fantastic education, nor was anything about that school to be described as “posh” or “rich”. But it was a private school nonetheless.

There were lots of things that were terrible about this school, but on the whole I’m incredibly grateful for my education. I was educated in a very relaxed environment, in classes no larger than 15 at most (usually around 5-10 students), by teachers who knew me personally and honestly, actually cared about my well being.

I know for a fact I would not be able to say the same thing had gone to a comp school. Not least because, no matter how lucky I got with regards to having caring teachers, or stellar teaching, the law simply wouldn’t allow for most of the things I loved about my education. State school class sizes regularly push 30, sometimes even 35. Because of large numbers, state school classes are split up into sets, with the brightest, highest achieving kids in set 1, and the lowest achieving in set 3 (some schools have set 4 I think? depending on how many kids they have, but I’m not 100% sure. It doesn’t really matter either way...). It can get pretty demoralizing for kids who don’t respond well to the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach the system provides.

A brief history of grammar schools goes something like this:

They’ve existed since the 1600s, but they really became what they are today during the 1940s when education beyond the age of 14 became free. There were two types of schools for secondary education (age 11-16/High School) which consisted of grammar schools and secondary modern schools.

Grammar schools focused on academic subjects, with the intention that pupils would go on to University, whereas secondary modern schools focused on getting children prepared for the workforce in trade. Here, the 11+ was introduced. The 11+ is an exam sat by pupils when they’re 11 years old, which determines if they’re intelligent enough to be educated at a grammar school.

In the 60s, the Labour Party was adamant that this system just furthered class divisions, so began phasing out grammar schools, and introducing Comprehensive Schools, which educate everyone at secondary school age. Aaand voila! That’s pretty much the education system we have for secondary school now. Everybody has a local comp. ...but they’re usually pretty undesirable places.

So... grammar schools, class, and the 11+

As well as being privately educated, I also happen to have grown up one street away from one of only a handful remaining grammar schools in the UK, where my brother went to sixth-form (16-18yrs education, which at the time wasn’t compulsory), so I was blissfully unaware until a few years ago that they’re almost extinct in the UK.

And I mean I joked about it a lot as a teen, but the class difference has always been painstakingly obvious. Between the hours of 8-9am and 3-4pm our street would always fill up with really nice, expensive cars, because parents would park in our street to go pick up their kids from school. You could always tell which cars belonged to residents, and which belonged to parents, because nobody who lives on our street could afford a BMW. More to the point, nobody who could afford a BMW would live on our street!

And you only have to look next-door to see how class plays a part in making it into a grammar school. Right next to the grammar school is a prep school. A primary school literally designed to prepare children for entry into the grammar school. Who do you think gets accepted into that primary school? I can tell you it ain’t working class kids!

So the children who end up going to grammar schools are by no means more intelligent than those who go to comp. They’re just privileged enough to have had a very good (often private) education that helps them to pass the 11+. What usually happens is that parents pay private tutors to come prepare their kid for the exam from an early age, so that they’re far more likely to pass than a kid who’s come from comp education without tutoring, despite not necessarily being any more intelligent.

So in conclusion...?

Essentially, grammar schools are a remnant of an old education system that in theory separated the higher and lower achieving students, but in practice all it really does is allow children from more privileged background access to even more privilege through a better education.

I mean essentially what it boils down to with education, is that same thing that everything comes down to under capitalism:

Whatever the state provides - hell, whatever anyone provides - if you pay lots of money, you can get a better version.

Bought an event ticket? If you pay lots more money, you can skip all of the queues, get front row seats, and spend quality time with the celebs. Need a medical procedure? If you pay lots more money, you can skip all the waiting lists and go to private hospital to get it done immediately, by people who have the time to actually deliver quality patient care. Want an education? If you pay lots more money, you can get one-on-one quality tutoring or teaching from the most highly educated people around, and guarantee that you’ll get into University.

Rich people always get better things, and everybody else is always left with the “standard” which in the case of state-funded things are underfunded, understaffed, underqualified or sub-par. Rich people get better; not because they’re more deserving, or more intelligent, or more qualified. They’ve just been able to pay for more access to better resources that enable them to climb higher.

Political party stances

So currently there is a ban on grammar schools, meaning that no more grammar schools can be opened or set up. What Theresa May wants to do is repeal that ban, and fund 70,000 new places in 140 new schools with £320million, and she’s stipulated that those schools will be free to be selective. ie. they’ll be publicly funding the opening of new grammar schools.

Personally, I don’t care for grammar schools, for all of the reasons listed above. However, I’m not going to be campaigning for their imminent closure anytime soon. They’re a symptom of a system of elitism under capitalism that I don’t support, and honestly I’ve got bigger concerns about education, and about capitalism and elitism on my mind, to be honest.

However, I am adamantly opposed to May’s proposal, which would use public money to fund the set up of yet more grammar schools.

We know the system doesn’t work. All of the evidence points to the fact that they don’t do much for working class kids. They continue to serve an elitist system whereby people with more money get better education.

More money > better education > top university > better paying jobs > more money.

The government should be funding comprehensive schools better, so that the education which everyone has access to is a better quality education. That’s not going to happen unless teachers are paid better, the education and training of teachers is funded better, the class sizes are smaller, and the system shifts to make room for children who don’t fit this ridiculous ‘one size fits all’ approach we currently have.

Furthermore, I can’t say that I trust the education system to the Tory party’s hands at all (although admittedly there isn’t really anything I can think of to be honest that I would trust them with!). Their track record with education is honestly appalling - just look at the absolute joke that was Michael Gove as Education Secretary, and then Nicky Morgan. Neither of them have ever had any experience in education aside from being a child in school, and neither of them have ever listened to what teachers have had to say about the effects of legislation. They’re slashing funding for the arts, placing priority on STEM subjects over everything else, increasing the stress on teachers through horrendous amounts of paperwork required, increasing the class sizes, and increasing the number of tests that children take, even at primary age and foundation phase.

Schools in impoverished areas always receive less funding, thus are unable to provide a better quality education due simply to a lack of resources. And thanks to our ridiculous league table system, all of the emphasis in schools is put on churning out as many GCSEs grade C and above as is humanly possible, rather than actually providing a holistic and quality education. So schools are often forced into demoralizing cycles where they don’t produce enough A*-C GCSE results, receive less funding, have less means to provide a good education, get less A*-C redults etc. etc.

Funding more grammar schools isn’t going to change that. It’s only going to widen the gap between working class kids and middle and upper class kids, who have parents with enough money to afford better opportunities for them.

TLDR;

Grammar schools in theory help kids from low-income backgrounds get better educations, but in practice they really don’t. Public funding should focus on making state education better, through more funding and better legislation, rather than pumping money into an elitist system that only serves to continue the trend of rich kids being high achievers, and poor kids being low achievers, because they’re not given the same opportunities. The Tories also have terrible policy on education generally, but this is a new low.

[seafarrwide]

Laneway to Victor Emmanuel 11, Venezia Square

It has been months since I returned home from three glorious weeks in Italy last August/September. Due to traumatic family events and health issues, I have only been able to add small bits to this post infrequently.  Finally, I have finished on my first day in Italy. I hope some of you enjoy it and might gain some tips for your own trip to Rome.  (Once all this horrible Coronavirus is over)

Rome is as exciting as you would expect from a city that is the capital of Italy.  It is bustling with life, creaking with age, passionate, at times crowded and some people either love it or hate it.  I for one realized quite quickly after arriving, that I loved it.  I also should have allowed at least a week to discover the astounding beauty and historical layers of the ancient city.

Venezia Square, Rome

We only had two days to explore and were determined to make the most of every moment.  We booked Colonna Suite Del Corso with the Bookings.com app. A small boutique style hotel centrally located in the old part of Rome, walking distance to all the iconic landmarks.

The entrance door to Colonna Suite Del Corso hotel in Rome. Image credit: Colonna Suite Del Corso

The room was small, but modern with excellent air conditioning and the lovely staff let us have access to our room early 9:30am when our booking details said check-in was not available before 4:00pm. There was a small cage-style lift but easy enough to walk the stairs.

Our hotel room at Colonna Suite Del Corso in Rome, Italy – image credit: Colonna Suite Del Corso Facebook

                    Within moments of entering Italy, you realise the importance of arriving with a good level of walking fitness. If not, you will soon achieve this from walking thousands of steps a day seeing the sights.  Considering the amount of delicious food you will also eat, it is just as well you get to walk off those calories daily.  Some people buy the Roma Pass, which can be ideal if you have a few days and want to see a lot of museums and includes free use of public transport, reserved entrance to the Colosseum and other discounted entries (you can also purchase this on the Tiqets app.  At the hotel, it’s important to get a city map and I had brought with me the Rick Steves Italy book which has some great walking maps and details on what to see. One my first day in Rome, I just wanted to explore in my own time with a map and use skip the line entry tickets for my second day.

Beautiful cobblestone laneways, metres from our Hotel

Our hotel was a perfect location, enabling us to just walk straight out onto a cobblestone street where we meandered past lovely old Churches and cafes right to the Pantheon and close to other historical and popular sights.

The moment we stood in front of the Pantheon we were spellbound and began snapping photos.  Luckily we had both bought  Anker portable iPhone battery chargers. A travel essential item that proved to be money well spent.

The Pantheon in Rome, Italy

The pretty cobblestone streets and cafes surrounding the Pantheon in Rome

We were so excited to be in Rome and determined to see as much as possible.  A quick peek inside the Pantheon, luckily there wasn’t a line and no fee to enter. Once you recover from seeing the amazing exterior, the inside is even more interesting. The round interior is a marvel of design with natural light streaming in from the oculus in the ceiling.

Time was limited so we set off walking to see the nearby Victor Emmanuel II monument in Venezia Square.  As it was the first week of August and near midday, the sun’s rays were becoming unbearably hot. My partner ran up the steps of the monument while I rested in its shadow.  He texted it was worth the steps to the top to see the view.  I almost refused as I felt so hot, a little ill even, but said to myself “suck it up princess you don’t get to see Rome every day”. Once on the roof, I had to agree it was worth pushing myself. The view reached over Capitoline Hill, Roman Forum, the Colosseum and beyond.  I was thankful I had packed a light hat and a full water bottle. Most importantly I was wearing comfy leather Planet Earth Zenga sandals.  I walked thousands of steps through Italy over the following three weeks and my leather sandals offered not only proper foot support but allowed my feet to stay cool and breathe instead of sweating.

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We were fortunate our hotel was in the centre of old Rome, this allowed us a couple of visits back to our room to cool off in the air conditioning and gather strength to keep seeing the sights. Of course, we had to stop here and there for a slice of Pizza, Aperol Spritz and Gelato.  So many lovely cafes to stop at, it was always a hard choice.

I was kicking myself for only booking two nights when I should have booked at least four. There is plenty to see in Rome and even just wandering the laneways near our Hotel, little shops and bars to browse in.

One thing I wished I had booked months ahead was Walks of Italy VIP Colosseum at Night tour.  I heard this was a fabulous way to see the Colosseum without the crowds.  Unfortunately, it was booked out months prior.  It was maybe just as well as we were hungry on our first day and starting to feel a bit tired from the jet lag.  So for our first night, we wandered only ten minutes walk from our hotel to Piazza Navona.  This is such a lovely square with many Trattorias offering alfresco dining.  The early evening atmosphere is lively, filled with tourists, food aromas, music and the sound of water spilling from the three famous Baroque fountains.

  The Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Four Rivers Fountain) which has a large obelisk at its centre. This fountain centre is also surrounded by four muscular river Gods representing the four quarters of the earth and was designed in 1651 by Gian Lorenzo Bernini for Pope Innocent X. The Sant’Agnese in Agone Church in the Piazza was thought to have dated back to around AD 300 when the young St Agnes was martyred here.  After dinner the area is even more magical, I looked up from the piazza and could see fabulous murals on the walls inside the buildings.

  At the northern end is the Fontana di Nettuno, (Neptune slaying a giant Octopus) built in 1576 by Giacomo della Porta. The statues of Neptune surrounded by sea nymphs were added in the 19th century.

The Fontana del Moro is another fountain at the southern end of the Piazza Navona, so pretty in the evenings.

  Fontana del Moro  

The restaurants lining the square are a great location for people watching, they offer a cooling mist spray for the outside diners. Keeping in mind you will pay a little more for the proximity of the table for viewing the fountains and passing tourist trail. The laneways leading off the square towards Campo di Fiori offer some fabulous small cafes where you can enjoy casual alfresco dining and are somewhat more affordable than the main square.

Do explore the laneways leading off the square towards Campo di Fiori.  There is great food, cheaper dining, bars, shops and delicious gelato. You will also come across fortune tellers, rose peddlers, artists and live music.

  Laneways behind Piazza Navona- Rome

We had a delicious dinner, strolled for some gelato and browsed at some unusual shops. Suddenly, tiredness overcame us and we stumbled to our comfy hotel bed to dream about our first glorious day in Rome.

Day One in Rome Tips and what to take in your day pack:

Ensure you booked a Hotel in the old city centre close to the sights like the Pantheon – easy walk to see everything

Buy a Roma Pass at the train station or online app. Ideal if you want to see lots of museums (includes reserved priority entrance to Colosseum and use of public transport for free

Ask your Hotel for a city map and work out where you want to go

Download the free Rick Steves Audio Tour app “Heart of Rome walking audio tour”  Rick Steves Audio Europe App

Carry a Travelon security handbag cross over body at all times and don’t wear expensive jewelry

Pack one of those tiny fold up nylon shopping bags in the event you buy anything (easier to carry items)

Pack your “Anker” portable phone battery charger so your smartphone doesn’t go dead from snapping photos

Water bottle, Hat and a light scarf for covering bare shoulders when entering Churches

Use Tiqets app for skip the line tickets to specific sights

Buy a travel sim card at the Airport or prior to leaving home so you never run out of data and can phone eachother if separating. I bought mine from Sims Direct

What to See – Day one:

The Pantheon

Churches near the Pantheon – some are free to enter – Check out the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi (The Chapel is painted by Caravaggio)

Piazza Navona

Campo De Fiori (lively fruit and veggie market during the day) restaurants and bars at night

Trevi Fountain

Victor Emmanuel II monument in Venezia Square – walk up to the roof balcony (excellent views)

Walks of Italy Vip Colosseum at night tour (if you have the energy or save this for your second night – book months ahead when planning)

My next post will be Rome – Day 2

      Rome – Day One It has been months since I returned home from three glorious weeks in Italy last August/September. Due to traumatic family events and health issues, I have only been able to add small bits to this post infrequently. 

[sentrava]

Escaping to Chicago for a Hamilton Weekend with My Mom

Let’s talk about how my mom is impossible to surprise. I’m sure you know the type: always thinking of others, selfless to a fault, doesn’t worry about her own self-care, but needs a break—particularly after eight months of full-time childcare of my niece. So back in May, I posed an idea to my sister: Let’s take my mom on a surprise Hamilton weekend in Chicago.

You see, around that time, my Nashville friends were flocking to Chicago in droves. Not only is it cheap and easy to get there (thanks, Southwest!), but the opening of Hamilton at Chicago’s CBIC Theatre meant that suddenly tickets were available to the masses. And not at the $1000 price tag you see in New York, but at the much more reasonable price of $200 a seat, which may not sound like a bargain but is what you typically pay to see a Broadway show.

So I started doing my research and realized I could get tickets for pretty much any show in September or October that I wanted. Only, my sister wouldn’t be joining us (see: she’d have no childcare with my mom away), so I did my due diligence and booked our flights for when airfare was lowest and hotels were astronomically expensive (doh). All that was left to do was wait and surprise her on her birthday in October.

Only, as previously stated, my mom is impossible to surprise. We’ve had season tickets to Nashville’s traveling Broadway tour series for more than 20 years and were at the very disappointing follow-up to The Phantom of the Opera back in June when the friends seated next to us told Mom all about their recent trip to Chicago to see Hamilton.

“Oh, I can’t wait!” Mom, who already knew every word of the soundtrack by heart, said. “I’m going in just a few weeks!”

To which point I did a double-take, jerked around and screamed “WHAT!” (Luckily, it was during intermission.)

“Oh yeah,” she said. “I bought tickets for July.”

To which I said, “a) with whom? and b) WHEN WERE YOU GOING TO TELL ME?”

Nonchalantly, “oh, I thought I’d take you,” she responded. So then I had to spoil the plan.

Moms, man. IMPOSSIBLE TO SURPRISE.

Nevertheless, it all worked out, just not in the way I hoped. She canceled her July trip and we went together in October as I had originally planned. And she’s going again next week with friends, so really she didn’t miss out. I mean, Hamilton three times in six months would be a bit much, but two is totally manageable (I kid, I kid … and am super jealous!)



Where to Stay in Chicago

On this particular trip, I cashed in some coveted hotel rewards points to stay at the Langham Chicago. One thing I learned very quickly when searching hotels in Chicago is that they aren’t cheap—not by a long shot. A three-star hotel was $300 a night, and the rooms were tiny. So when I saw I could use points for a room at the five-star Langham for not a lot more per night (around $100 with taxes and fees)—and get a room that was 600 square feet in size—I bit the bullet and did just that.

Our stay at the Langham surpassed expectations. We had phenomenal service from the bellhop who welcomed us at the front entrance, then called up to check-in so they knew we were coming and greeted us by name, to the server who delivered the room service we took full advantage of. (Somehow, the hotel “package” I booked came with $40 F&B credit a day, so obviously we weren’t going to let that go unused.)

The Langham is also centrally situated among the other high-rises in River North. Staying along the riverfront made sense for Mom and me. We were only there for a little over 48 hours and had planned on going full-out tourist, which we are not ashamed to admit. I’d really love to go back with SVV and spend more time there visiting some of the neighborhoods outside of the Loop, as well as diving into Chicago’s robust mural scene. When we do that, I imagine we’ll rent an Airbnb in Logan Square or maybe Lincoln Park, where there are plenty of options for less than $200 a night.

Doing the Tourist Thing

Even though, it was on the cusp of winter, we set out by foot to see some of River North before veering over to Michigan Avenue where Mom wanted to get a little early Christmas shopping in. On my list was the famed flamingo mural that takes up residence on the front of Flamingo Rum Club, which conveniently was only a few blocks from us.

The Chicago tourism office gave us a CityPASS that allowed us admission to certain attractions, and while the iconic Skydeck in the former Sears Tower (now the Willis Tower) was on there, I knew there was no way I’d get my mom to go to the top of that with her severe acrophobia. So I tricked her and took her to 360 CHICAGO at the top of the John Hancock building instead, which was only slightly less terrifying (to her; I’m fine with heights).

I’d read a bit about the Skydeck vs. 360 Chicago debate on my friend Amanda’s blog while trying to decide the best option for Mom and me and was prepared for a bit of a wait; she said it can take up to an hour in busy summer months. But we were in luck, being there on a chilly weekday in October, as not only was there no wait at all, but we had the elevator entirely to ourselves! The ride up is about 40 seconds, and for as scared as Mom is of heights, I’ve got a crippling fear of elevators and getting trapped in one (see: extremely claustrophobic), so the fact that we had it all to ourselves was pretty miraculous.

Even if there had been a wait, however, the CityPASS offers you Express Entry, meaning you get to jump to the front of the line. That said, go in the shoulder season so you’re not bumping into tourists at the top. We never had to wait to take a photo as the crowds were nonexistent, and there was just a small sprinkling of people here and there.

It was an overcast day by the time we got to the top, but that didn’t prohibit us from seeing far. I was proud of Mom for getting past her fears—even if she did spend most of the time not taking in the view, ha! Our Lyft driver had recommended we get a cocktail at the Signature Room on the 95th Floor, but we were seeing Hamilton that night and sadly didn’t have time. I think if you’re not planning on doing 360 CHICAGO, going to the Signature Room is probably a great way to get a similar view.

Because we had exactly 48 hours in Chicago, we didn’t make it to the other attractions the pass offers, which includes Shedd Aquarium (priority entry), Skydeck Chicago (fast pass), Field Museum (VIP entry), and the Adler Planetarium (VIP entry) or Art Institute of Chicago (fast pass), but I’m planning a return in spring and intend to use those tickets then. For $106 an adult, this pass is a total steal, particularly when you factor in the priority access you get with it.

And, of course, you can’t go to Chicago without stopping by Millennium Park. Not only is it a gorgeous display of greenery and seasonal foliage right in the heart of the city, but it also boasts one of Chicago’s most recognizable monuments, the Bean, as well as an art museum right in the heart of the park.

The Bean’s real name is The Cloud Gate sculpture, and it was commissioned at the time of the park’s opening in 2004, designed by London-based artist Anish Kapoor. The way it bends and reflects instantly made it one of Chicago’s most photographed spots and a must-see for any tourist.

The park also has a striking amphitheater that mimics its overall artsy feel. There’s a free jazz series, Millennium Park Summer Music Series, held here in summer months, which I imagine is a pretty fun time to chill in this awesome urban sanctuary.

And, for all of you street art lovers, just a few blocks from the Bean is an original Kobra, my favorite street artist out of Brazil, who painted Muddy Waters two years ago at 17 N. State St. as part of the Wabash Arts Corridor project.

Exploring Chicago’s Architecture Scene

On my last trip to Chicago five years ago, I did an architecture tour by foot with the Travel Mindset team. But one thing every last friend I’ve ever known who’s gone to Chicago—architects included—has told me to do is an architecture tour by boat aboard the First Lady. And I’m nothing if not an attentive pupil.

Chicago’s First Lady Cruises partners with the Chicago Architecture Center for this guided trip up the river and back in time. All tours leave from the Chicago Riverwalk at Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive, and purchasing tickets online in advance is advisable as they often sell out in peak tourist months.

You don’t have to be knowledgable about architecture to enjoy this tour; it’s informative and laced with history about Chicago’s past, though I particularly enjoyed the Art Deco-period and wacky MCM buildings we saw lining parts of the riverfront.

The tour lasts roughly 90 minutes, and as it was chilly at best the day we were out on the water, by the end of it, Mom and I had cozied up in the enclosed interior on the bottom level to sip hot chocolate and warm our numb hands as we ended our loop of the river.

Note: Tours are only given from late-March through late-October due to Chicago’s weather conditions, so you’ll have to wait until spring for the next season to open.

Getting Out of the Loop

On our final day in town, our flight out wasn’t until 9:30pm so we had the entire morning and afternoon ahead of us and high-tailed it out to Logan Square. The purpose was two-fold: to see some cool murals and catch up with my friend John.

We took a Lyft out there, then the L back later in the afternoon. Let’s just say taking the L (aka Chicago’s metro) was a much more enjoyable experience—and far quicker at that—so if you’re near a station, don’t be afraid to hop on the train. The traffic is just too dense and the cabs too jerky for my sensitive stomach’s liking.

Logan Square is along the train line, and as such, there was plenty of public art to be had; graffiti artists were the original muralists and love painting trains and beneath tracks. I always try and see the Greetings Tour postcard murals anytime I’m passing through a participating city, but after waiting 20 minutes—then looping back later with the same corporate group still hogging the space—Mom and I had to pass on our selfie.

Luckily, on our walk from there to Revolution Brewing Co., there was plenty of art—some graffiti, other murals—to be found.

At Revolution Brewing, we met up with John, who was not only my former coworker but also my co-columnist when we wrote a he-said, she-said style dating column. That’s right folks: Yours truly dished out dating advice to UT’s campus-at-large. It’s funny because many (read: 14 years later), I still sometimes get recognized from those days by fellow Vols who were in Knoxville at the same time as me!

Back to the point, though. I saw on social media a few months ago that John had switched jobs from working as a writer for a dermatology association to manning communications for Revolution Brewing. I’d say, he’s in a gig much better-suited for him being the beard-sporting, beer-loving dude that he is. We met up with him at Revolution’s original taproom, the brewpub on Logan Square, where I sampled several sours and Mom ordered—wait for it—a vodka sunrise. At the perplexed look of the bartender, she said, “you know, a tequila sunrise … but with vodka instead.” He did as she said, and I laughed but John pointed out that they have a full bar for people like her who aren’t beer drinkers (*shrugs*).

Before we left, John gave us a tour of the behind-the-scenes of the original location. Revolution is one of the 50 biggest craft breweries in the nation, and so the bulk of their production has moved a mile-and-a-half away to North Kedzie Avenue, where there’s also a taproom, but we wanted the full lunch experience, so I also ordered a grilled cheese with short rib, and it did not suck. I’d go back for Revolution’s food and its beer any ol’ day.

After a couple pints for John and me—Mom stuck to her single vodka sunrise, it being 11am on a Thursday and all—John took us on a tour of the neighborhood. There was even more street art than we originally saw, smaller installations side-by-side all throughout the arteries that deviated from North Milwaukee Avenue.

Eating Deep-Dish Pizza

I know, I know, this is something locals would never think of doing as it’s a tourist thing. But guess what? We’re tourists! We had no shame gluttonously digging into a deep-dish pie, then putting on our fat pants and having a night in at the hotel. We initially attempted dinner at the River North location of Gino’s, but they were closed for a private event, so we wound up at Lou Manalti’s instead, and it was great. We ordered a pitcher of sangria, which just meant we were in bed by 8:30pm, ha. Had we wanted to brave rush-hour traffic, we would have gone to Pequod’s Pizza, which industry friends tell me has the actual best deep-dish pizza in Chicago. Ah well, next time!

Sipping Cocktails at the Chicago Athletic Association

My trendy Nashville friends directed me to Cindy’s Rooftop at Chicago Athletic Association Hotel, where we went pre-Hamilton—it’s the perfect place to go before the show given it’s just a five-minute walk, but heed my advice and make a reservation—then wouldn’t you know, we ran into my dear college friend Glenn, who nabbed the seat next to us on the rooftop having no idea it was me. What are the odds? I knew we were in the right place if a local took his colleague there. I also did manage to (finally!) surprise Mom when one of her dear friends Michelle, who moved to Pennsylvania a couple years ago, messaged me that she was now working in Chicago and wanted to meet us for a drink.

On your way back down from Cindy’s, definitely stop and take in the beauty of the lower floors of Chicago Athletic Association Hotel and all its nooks and crannies.

We also went to Three Dots and a Dash the following night with Glenn and sipped on some fun tiki-style cocktails, each of which was served in appropriate barware. I loved this subterranean bar with a speakeasy feel to it; you access it from a alley between blocks that’s lit by tiki torches. I’d also recommend making a reservation, as we were kicked out of our table after an hour and banished to the bar because every table was spoken for (on a Thursday night in late fall, too … go figure!).

And the Main Attraction: Hamilton!

There’s nothing I can possibly add to the commentary of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s game-changing, hip-hop-driven musical that hasn’t already been said, so I’ll just leave it at this: Even if you think you don’t like musicals (AHEM, SVV), you will like Hamilton. It’s fast-paced, it’s fun, it’s emotional, it’s entertaining, it’s educational—I could go on. My only criticism of the cast was that none of the female roles (i.e. the Schuyler sisters) were particularly compelling. The men, however—shoutout, Thomas Jefferson and King George—were phenomenal; some of the funniest performances I’ve seen in my 25 years of Broadway-going.

When I purchased tickets, we could have gotten up as close as the fourth row, but while a musical enthusiast I am, I’m also the daughter of a CPA and I just couldn’t stomach spending $500+ a ticket. Luckily, starting around row Q on the orchestra level, the price dropped significantly to $182 a ticket before fees. We sat in Orchestra C, Row U, at the very end by the aisle. And sure, it would be been nice to be a few more rows closer to the stage, but all in all, I was perfectly happy with our seats. It’s not a huge theater after all. And for those of you thinking $200 a ticket is still highway robbery, there are plenty of seats with obstructed views that cost $72 if you’re willing to make that sacrifice.

I will echo what other people have said and that’s: Go see Hamilton and just sit back and enjoy your inaugural experience, knowing you’re going to miss half of it as the lyrics just move so fast. Then plan a second viewing if you can swing it to actually pick up on all the nuances. That second time will fall this month for my mom and for me in 2020 when the national tour comes to Nashville!

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On the eating front, we had a long list of restaurants to get to—we did get to Beatrix and the Albert, both of which I highly recommend—but my mom eats like a bird and plus we were in a rush much of the trip, so didn’t adopt my normal five-meals-a-day schedule while traveling. Still, I compiled this Chicago restaurants list from foodie friends and social media followers, which is where SVV and I will start whenever we finally make it to the Windy City together:

Girl & the Goat

Stan’s Donuts

Pizano’s

Old Fashioned Donuts

Au Cheval

Dove’s Luncheonette

Bavette’s

Spacca Napoli

Aba

Giant

The Aviary

Fat Rice

Roister

Bad Hunter

Alinea

What would you add to my Chicago to-do list for next time?

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Escaping to Chicago for a Hamilton Weekend with My Mom published first on https://medium.com/@OCEANDREAMCHARTERS

[jordblorg]

two months ago, i wrote something i intended to write four months ago

in early march, i did my belated 2017 recap post, mostly (no, let’s be honest: entirely) for my own edification, but then i kept forgetting to post it on here because i live in a house without wifi and when i do have wifi i don’t have my laptop, but i spent the weekend housesitting and so i’ve been aimlessly on my laptop for an hour and i just remembered, oh, hey, that thing! i should do that thing. 

so. anyway. 2017:

from 2013 to 2016, i ended each year (or started the new one) with a recap post in some form. there were years where i didn’t feel much like doing it, but i always felt like the act of forcing myself to sit down and reflect, or at the very least remember and record, would be a useful one, if not in the present moment then certainly later. and it’s already proven true: every so often, bored and scrolling my own tumblr to try and see what it tells me about myself, i stumble upon these yearly recaps and remember something about the year that i had forgotten. sometimes it’s a specific event. other times it’s a feeling or something as specific as a food. and on a few occasions it’s been particularly delightful to see a self who has no idea what’s to come -- in 2013, for example, i visited d.c. with a friend. we spent hours walking around the supreme court building, hoping to spot a justice, to no avail -- until the moment we left, at which point we saw clarence thomas from a distance, and mainly just the back of his head. and it was thrilling.

(a year and a half later, i would spend an entire semester working at the supreme court. it was one of the happiest semesters i’ve ever had. on the first snow day of that winter, i talked about the weather with the justice standing in front of me in the cafeteria line.)

so for all these reasons, i wanted, or felt that i should want, to write a brief post recapping my 2017, in words or in photos or in memes, watercolors, you name it. and i never did. and since the new year began, every week or so, i’ve thought to myself, well, hey, this one in particular is kind of an arbitrary deadline, you should still do a lil recap. and i’ve also spent a few evenings reading the super-old entries of bloggers i’ve followed for a few years - not even people i know well personally! - because watching people learn and grow online, if that’s how they should choose to do it, can be fun.

perhaps at the end of 2018 i’ll write a post about this being the year i simultaneously wanted to bloviate endlessly about all of my opinions, and also wanted to take myself off the radar screen completely, where every day i want to quietly delete all of my social media apps from my phone but haven’t as of this writing because of some vague fear that something will happen? that i will want to know about right away? or that if i take my ear away from the ongoing conversation of smart and angry people on my twitter feed, i’ll lose learning opportunities, and then say something i should know better than to say, but not know better, because i deleted my twitter account? i tried to download two apps yesterday that severely curb one’s ability to access other apps, the Bad Apps, on one’s phone, but neither had the functionality i desired unless i paid for premium, which, at that point, can i justify paying to outsource my self-control when reality i feel like i should be able to do that myself? (is this a healthy framing? i don’t think i’m wrong, but i could probably stand to be more generous to myself, except that i don’t want to be generous, i want to have the willpower of teddy roosevelt, he who cured his own asthma basically through sheer force of will, absent all of the historic toxicity and baggage with which he must also be inextricably associated? except i also know better than to frame recovery/health narratives as a matter of willpower?) i’ve lost the thread completely at this point, assuming i was ever holding a thread in the first place?

one time, years ago, an older male relative asked me if i exhaust myself. and oh my god. i do.

anyway. here’s some free association about 2017, the year i keep accidentally thinking it is, after reminding myself that it is not 2016, which is the year in my heart that i believe it to be.

i. the beginning of 2017 feels like it was a hundred thousand years ago, and at this point last year i had no idea that i’d be in alaska and out of my old field completely, and at this point this year everything that happened to me in the first half of the last one feels like a dream.

when i think about the months of january through may, i remember the weeks on end where each day i woke up and felt a void in the center of my stomach where normally the feelings that motivate me go. i had a hard time with basic self-care. on more days than i am comfortable admitting, i would go home at the end of a workday where i’d achieved nothing, sit on the couch in my living room, surf the internet until i fell asleep, and then wake up, only to do it all again. i felt empty and blank, and underneath those thick layers of emptiness and blankness i felt the licking flames of self-hatred and terror, and so there i would sit, watching the hours go by, on my couch.

sometimes i saw my friend nathalia, and we would laugh, and that would take some of the edge off of the tension that was winding its way around my stomach and my throat.

(eventually, i saw a psychiatrist, and started treatment - and medication, which, by the way, please talk to me if you’re reading this and feel some weird internal resistance to taking medication for mental health issues, because i get it and i’ve been there, and your feelings are valid, but oh my god it was absolutely the right decision to start taking medication and i will gladly tell anyone why - but the point is that eventually, i broke down, and my dad got me into an appointment. i have never felt more exhausted than when i was trying to navigate health insurance and the mental healthcare system in this country while mired in a particularly vicious period of anxiety and depression. and yet: i could afford it. and yet: i had a parent to call, who had the time and energy and means to help, who had a friend in D.C. who made a recommendation, who was able to get me an appointment two weeks after i finally broke down to another person on the phone. i cannot imagine how i would’ve gotten through the past year without the many, immense privileges and outside support systems that i so often take for granted. i’m fighting with my own brain every day, still, and yet i am still luckier than i will ever know.)

i can still picture my short walk from the metro stop nearest my office to the building where i worked. my stomach sunk every day.

but there were some good days, too, where i didn’t have to go to the office, or even worse, the capitol, and instead got to go to my favorite building in the city, and do something i knew i was good at. they don’t let you keep the tickets you get when you’re admitted to the supreme court as a member of the press corps, because you have to turn them back in to the security guard once you’re seated, but after my first visit i tried to remember to take pictures. i knew what i was doing, and i felt like it mattered. i got some work linked by a website i admire. on at least one occasion, i wrote a story that included the voice of a source none of the national reporters on the case had chosen to include, and it was an important voice, and i felt pride in the story and in myself. in february, rupsha came and visited me and the rest of her friends on her birthday, and mollie flew into town for the celebration. we got day drunk at a local bar, and successfully begged off a slice of birthday cake from the strangers who were celebrating their own camaraderie at a different table. i found a framing co-op near my neighborhood, and it felt very adult to know how to get to the place where i could get nice things framed. nathalia and i fell in love with an exhibit at the hirschorn about ragnar kjartansson, so we went twice and stayed for hours, and both times it mattered less that i’d spent so many nights and weekends unable to muster the willpower or even desire to leave my apartment, to explore the city where i lived. sometimes, often, i felt afraid. i never went to the monuments at night. the first five months of 2017 proceeded apace.

another shiny moment in the muck: i spent new year’s eve and new year’s day in brooklyn, first at a neighborhood bar and later on a rooftop and eventually in my best friend’s apartment. i made nathalia laugh so hard with a joke about potatoes that she snorted champaign out of her nose. i slept in a tent set up on the kitchen floor, and did almost nothing, but very happily. we had a spontaneous bachelorette lunch at the MoMA.  i spent the night of january 2nd curled up on a tiny loveseat in a tiny apartment, with my college roommate and her boyfriend, and the next day i borrowed a blue dress, and the three of us took the bus to city hall and bought flowers on the way, and then we helped another of our old roommates get married. i could write about my memories of this day for a very long time. it was easily one of my happiest memories of the year. after the vows, we went and ate italian food in a near-empty restaurant. after we parted ways, i went to books of wonder, made my way to the bus that would take me back to dupont circle, and read a book bobby gave me for graduation, and cried and cried and cried.

later in january i covered the protest beat at the inauguration, and watched about 50 reporters swarm a single burning trash can, and later one single burning car. i wondered how many other cars were burning in the city for reasons less obviously political. speaking of, i read this poem about four billion times. the things that bothered me at the end of 2016, including but not limited to the privilege of perceived neutrality, continued to bother me well into the new year. they bother me still. on the day in the present that i am writing this, it is international [working] women’s day, according to whoever decides these things.

also in january: after five reporters covered every conceivable angle of the inauguration, i was sent alone to cover the women’s march. i made the front page and i thought the print headline was weird and off-putting. i don’t think back on any part of january with fondness, except for the part where i saw a drunken astronaut give an amazingly concise speech. the president tried, and mostly succeeded, to ban refugees from entering the country. my brother slept over in DFW airport, passing out water bottles and screaming at the top of his lungs. my parents got home, weren’t sure where he’d gone, and then spotted him in the background of the coverage on the TV news. my cousin got her first period at the women’s march.

in february, zach was deciding where to go to college, and we gathered in austin on the flimsy pretense of data-gathering. it rained the whole time. most nights, on my walk home, i’d pass by protests. i went on a handful of unmemorable dates. rupsha’s aforementioned birthday, the best weekend of the month by far. more work.

in march and april: coverage of a new supreme court justice. some watercoloring and some beautiful weather with nathalia, and some time, but nowhere close to enough, with others. three different passover seders, many hours spent listening to aimee mann. the white house press secretary referred to concentration camps as “holocaust centers” and said, out loud, to other educated adults, that hitler “didn’t even sink to the level of using chemical weapons.”

just kidding: four different seders, including the best one, with rupsha, in new jersey. boo wore pink and miles found the afikomen. the anchor stayed in my stomach until the very end, but i saw more live music: overcoats with liz, the wild reeds with nathalia, where we stood right in the front, holding a plate of nachos and singing along.

in may i could see the light at the end of a tunnel and i flew to san francisco and i wanted to stay forever. at brunch, the young couple to our immediate left let us hold their sweet baby while they ate chicken biscuits. we went into a pirate-themed store and the department of imagination and we found a man in a storefront at the alleyway, embroidering at the end of the world. my stomach was hurting but it felt inevitable and fine.

i left my job two weeks early and drove home and didn’t feel better, and my brothers graduated high school. josh spent the week wearing dresses that suited him and walked the stage at graduation in well-fitting black heels.

the summer was a mixed bag. i sat and felt anxious in a workplace in which i felt i was not thriving, and sometimes i went home and had panic attacks. but my roommate was a comical nightmare, and i felt loved and embraced by a community that spread its arms in all directions. i crashed on couches and in beds every night of the last three weeks. i went to museums with my college roommates. we went to clubs and stayed out all night. K, still happily married, prodded me onto a surfboard. we went to lake placid and it was wonderful; we were in brooklyn and it was wonderful; i studied for the LSAT i still thought i would eventually take and stayed out late and it was wonderful. S visited and it was sometimes wonderful, and we had a conversation we had needed to have for a long, long time. by the time he reached the point he’d been avoiding, two days later, we were separated on the phone, and i stood on the street outside of rupsha’s apartment. i took notes and cried.

and then...what? i spent a week in malala, oregon, sleeping outside and flinging myself as far away from everything as i possibly could. i cried again in the airport and i wasn’t sure why. i moved to anchorage, alaska, and gradually fell in love, and maybe a post about this city is coming another day. i wrote a tiny bit about my job. i take two buses to work every day, and two buses home. i decided to run a 5k, and i half-walked half-ran with some regularity, and felt good about my body and also weird about my body. i ran the 5k. i went on more dates. i felt happy and unhappy. i went on a handful of hikes before the snow came down. i slept in a freezing cold and wind-battered tent. i made toddlers laugh and then i learned their names. we threw a birthday party for avril lavigne and watched old meg ryan movies on VHS. i listened to more great music. i made latkes and sufganiyot for hanukkah. one day erin and i came home from the gym one frosty morning only to find everyone standing on the back porch, watching two moose, a mama and a baby, taking a nap in our back yard.

on the last week of the year, i house-sat for a family with two high-energy dogs and one low-energy cat. i took allergy medicine and made good use of the borrowed car. i walked the dogs past streets named after the solar system and i drove the car down the highway and to frozen patches of beach along the coast. i spent new year’s eve in sweatpants at the blue fox. none of us wore any makeup and erin sang three karaoke songs with gusto. the countdown to 2018 took us all by surprise. i started reading more often. that was also very good.

[brofisting]

As you might know, I’ve recently gotten into hockey! It’s objectively bad, but so is basically everything, and fanfiction is objectively good, so I think in the end it works out okay. You might enjoy it if you like:

tricking yourself into loving sweat-soaked weird-looking sports jerks

serious codependency

“no homo bro but i’m desperately in love with you”

the concept of grown men sending other grown men to The Sin Bin

sex tears (hockey fandom is really into sex tears)

Instead of organizing these by team or pairing, since there are a lot of those and I’m not out here to rep for anyone in particular (b/c apparently the point of sports is to make those decisions yourself and then suffer for them for the rest of your life), I’ve decided to rec you the fics I personally have enjoyed the most, which should be a fairly, uh, interesting cross-section of what’s on offer, but should not be taken as a comprehensive one. Now, without further ado, allow me to present...

(A HOCKEY RPF FANFIC REC LIST)

In approximate order from shortest to longest.

GENERAL WARNING: These are all RPF, and feature fictionalized depictions of real people. If that makes you uncomfortable, don’t read them. Many of these stories also include depictions of homophobia. Some include graphic descriptions of injuries. Please check each fic’s tags/intro for any more specific warnings, or with me if you have a concern about a specific story. 

Without Access, Favor, or Discretion, 7iris P. K. Subban/Carey Price, PG-13, ~2k ‘Is this Habs goaltender Carey Price’s dick?’ the Deadspin headline screams, and PK snorts coffee out his nose.

the real hockey widows of new jersey, meretricula Claude Giroux/Danny Briere, PG-13, ~3k “Since when does Sylvie like you?” Danny demanded. / “Why wouldn’t Sylvie like me? I’m not divorced from her.” Claude paused, then added thoughtfully, "Also, I cook, and I’m never late picking the boys up from school.”

drop everything now, blamefincham & thistidalwave Alex Galchenyuk/Brendan Gallagher, PG-13, ~5k “It’s a stupid bucket list thing! It was really easy to get these tickets!” Alex says loudly, sitting up and glaring at her. / “Yeah,” Anna says in between bouts of laughter, “but you bought them. Does Brendan know you want to take him on a romantic date to fulfill one of his lifelong dreams?”

Closed Fracture, lightgetsin Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin, PG-13, ~6k “You’re on Puck Daddy,” Taylor said, instead of a greeting. “The headline is ‘Best Hockey Player in the World Sidney Crosby Taken Out by Eight Year Old, Breaks Arm in Mite Hockey Game.’” 

Something Old, Something New, Rave Michael Latta/Tom Wilson, NC-17, ~6k “I’m into guys,” Mike had told him before they moved in together. “If we’re gonna be roommates, that’s gotta be cool with you. I don’t want it to turn out to be a thing later.” 

Long in the Tooth, Ferritin4 Roberto Luongo/Carey Price, NC-17, ~6k “I’m not telling you not to train,” Bobby said. “I’m just telling you not to be completely insane about everything for the rest of your life.”

(MORE RECS UNDER THE CUT, THIS GOT... A LITTLE OUT OF HAND, LENGTH-WISE.)

yes is a pleasant country, arabesque05 Sidney Crosby/Pittsburgh Penguins Team,  Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin, NC-17, ~6k “Sid,” Geno says. “Team lonely.”

As Tall As Cliffs, oflights Tyson Barrie/Gabriel Landeskog, NC-17, ~9k Tyson and Gabe both made 2015 resolutions to give each other more compliments. It turns into a whole thing, and ends about how you'd expect. 

Wildest Dreams, oflights Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin, NC-17, ~10k Of all the new things going on this season, Sidney Crosby wearing panties before and after a game is not something Geno could’ve anticipated. And being interested in Sidney Crosby wearing panties before and after a game is not something he could’ve prepared himself for.

jump on a moving train, oops_ohdear Alexander Ovechkin/Nicklas Backstrom, NC-17, ~10k “Best baby need best jersey,” Alex says blithely, which doesn’t actually answer the question. It does, however, tell Nicklas whose jersey it is, and sure enough when Alex lifts it up to put it back in the bag Nicklas can see the 8 and the ‘OVECHKIN’ emblazoned on the back.

off-ice situation (& sequel), (orphaned account) Tyler Seguin/Jamie Benn, NC-17, ~11k “What’s your off-ice situation like, guys?” / Time stops completely. Tyler wants to say, ‘pretty fucking gay, to be honest with you.’

run, we’ll get there, joyfulseeker Mike Richards/Jeff Carter, NC-17, ~12k “There’s some stuff I’d like to see between here and there. So if you’re driving,” Jeff says.

King Me, Ferritin4 Alexander Ovechkin/Nicklas Backstrom, NC-17, ~12k Hockey is hockey, and politics is politics. There are kings of the game, and there are kings in their crowns and robes, and there isn't usually much in the way of overlap. (Secret royalty AU.)

like a sledgehammer, wafflehood Michael Latta/Tom Wilson, NC-17, ~13k It was probably inevitable that the thing where they stand up for each other so indiscriminately would eventually become a problem for them.

Something Old, uraneia Claude Giroux/Danny Briere, NC-17, ~13k Caelan lets out a choked laugh. “I need you to be Dad’s date to my wedding.” Claude and Danny broke up ten years ago, so that’s going to be awkward.

Romantic Motherfucking Best, lightgetsin Tyler Seguin/Jamie Benn, NC-17, ~14k Jamie’s supposed to boyfriend this shit right up, and Tyler wants to see that. 

Dream the Right Dream, Ferritin4 Alexander Ovechkin/Nicklas Backstrom, NC-17, ~14k It takes him two months, one more heat, and the NHL omega entry course before he realizes that he was meant to let one of them take him through it.They don’t do it like that in Sweden.

Friday Night Arrives Without a Suitcase, marycontraire Claude Giroux/Danny Briere, R, ~15k Danny and Claude move to Berlin. Nothing really changes, until everything does.

(break something old) to build something new, Lake Claude Giroux/Danny Briere, R, ~16k In which Danny retires after being bought out by the Flyers in the summer of 2013 and stays in New Jersey, only to end up babysitting Claude's kid all the time.  

The Kindness of Strangers, angularmomentum Alexander Ovechkin/Nicklas Backstrom, NC-17, ~17k Nicke has created a life of careful boundaries. (AU)

the year I got you alone, Lake Mike Richards/Jeff Carter, NC-17, ~19k “Let’s admit, without apology, what we do to each other.” - Richard Siken 

Worse Than A Boy Who Hates You, omelet Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin, NC-17, ~21k The first time Sidney Crosby meets Evgeni Malkin, the crowd is on their feet and roaring and he’s flat on his ass on the ice, staring up at Malkin’s face haloed by the glaring stadium lights. (Rival teams AU.)

Just What Was Rumpelstiltskin Expecting to Do with a Baby, Anyway?, withershins Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin, PG-13, ~25k Turning to a witch to save a loved one’s life is one of the riskier gambles a person can take, but it’s one that’s arguably noble and brave. Falling in love with the witch, though—now that’s just foolish.  (AU)

the washington royals, screamlet Alexander Ovechkin/Nicklas Backstrom, NC-17, ~45k An arranged marriage—or, an arrangement and a marriage. (Royalty AU.)

Fastening One Heart to Every Falling Thing, thefourthvine Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin, NC-17, ~52k Geno can’t. Sidney won’t. (Soul-bond AU.)

The Woman In Blue, Ferritin4 Alexander Ovechkin/Nicklas Backstrom, NC-17, ~54k Nicklas had been going to visit demons ever since he had taken his vows at nineteen. He could talk to God as well as the next man, and if he brought up the right topics, God had a way of listening. Sasha had been going to visit demons ever since Nicklas had found him with claws and in chains so long ago, and if God did not listen to him, it was not for lack of encouragement to the Lord on Nicklas’s part. (Fairytale AU.)

King and Lionheart, thehoyden Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin, NC-17, ~56k Sidney’s wedding day doesn’t go quite as he’d planned. He hadn’t imagined this hurried affair on the tarmac on a rainy and unseasonably cool day in early September, a month after his twenty-fifth birthday. (Arranged marriage AU.)

All The Way Through, sevenfists Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin, NC-17, ~83k “I hope you’re going to tell me that you’re in a loving, committed, long-term relationship,” Jen said. / “Well. No,” Sidney said. “We’re—it’s a casual thing.” / “Not anymore,” Jen said. “Congratulations, you’re in love.”  

...BACK TO YOU. (rapidly flipping lights on and off again)

[mrrolandtfranco]

October 26, 2017

Community Bulletin

School News

» Save the Date! Concordia Golf Classic! November 4th, Shanghai Binhai Golf Club.

Just a few details about Saturday, November 4th 2017 Concordia Golf Classic @ Binhai Golf Club. This is a fun, best ball scramble to create community and raise awareness about wellness.

• Cost for the golf is 1200 RMB (cost from course), plus 100 RMB tip for the caddie per person • 12 PM Shotgun Start - Flight Information will be given the week of the outing. • We will be scheduling the buses for an 10:45am arrival at the course that will leave from Concordia, let us know if you need a ride. • Sack Lunch will be provided to eat on the course • Banquet dinner at the end for those who don't have to run off to another event – need to know if you are staying for dinner • Locker and Shower facilities are nice, so bring a change of clothes for after your round • Awards for Longest Drive, Shortest Used Drive, Straightest Drive, Closest to the Pin, Longest Putt, Lowest Team Score, Highest Team Score • Raffle at Banquet • Drink Tickets will be sold at registration 10 for a 100 RMB • Drink carts (2) on the course during the round ▪ Beer, soda, juice and water are one ticket each • "Mulligan Charity Pack" - 200 RMB • One extra tee shot, chip, putt, and approach shot • 18 inches of string & scissors – receive during check in – one per foursome, use the string to make a putt that you missed • Men use BLUE tees Women use RED tees - Minimum of 2 tee shots per person must be used.

We are looking for event sponsors. If you are interested please contact Suki Chen at Suki.chen@concordiashanghai.org

A few spaces still left. Sign up with Chris.bishop@concordiashanghai.org

» The Concordia High School Theatre Program Proudly Announces the 2017 High School Fall Play

All of the wit and romance of Jane Austen's classic 1813 novel come to life in this refreshingly fast-paced and engaging new adaptation by Jon Jory.

Pride & Prejudice is staged in the Rittmann Theatre on the Concordia Campus.

November 2, 3 & 4 @ 7pm with a matinee performance on November 4th @ 1:30pm.

This is a family friendly production appropriate for all ages.

---

Tickets on Sale:

-PC-Commons Oct. 23rd, 25th, 27th, 28th, 29th & 31st | 11:30am-1pm and 3:20-4:15pm.

-E.S. Cafeteria Oct 24th, 26th & 30th | 3 - 4pm Student-75 RMB |Adult-100 RMB

About the Play: Finding a husband is hardly Elizabeth Bennet's most urgent priority. But with four sisters, an overzealous match-making mother, and a string of unsuitable suitors, it's difficult to escape the subject. When the independent-minded Elizabeth meets the handsome but enigmatic Mr. Darcy, she is determined not to let her feelings triumph over her own good sense -- but the truth turns out to be slipperier than it seems. In a society where subtle snubs and deceit proliferate, is it possible for Elizabeth and Darcy to look beyond his pride and her prejudice, and to make the best match of all?

About the Show: With eighteen actors, ten crew members, choreographed dance, costumes designed by Concordia's Visual Arts faculty member, Ms. Greer Collins, expect an amazing theatrical production that you do not want to miss.

» Change of Bank Account Name

Per government request, the school has changed its Chinese name. Hence, please kindly note that Chinese bank information is updated as below:

Account Name(户名): 上海协和国际外籍人员子女学校

Account No. (帐号):310066111018170251820

Bank (银行): 交通银行上海新区支行

» School Uniforms

The Uniform shop is located in the High School basement off of the PE Commons and is opens from noon to 4:00 PM, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. For your reference, the uniform policy appears on the Uniforms website. Questions regarding uniforms should be directed to: uniforms@concordiashanghai.org.

Our Community

» Breakthrough Junior Challenge for Yoochan Shin

Yoochan Shin, Grade 11, entered a competition called Breakthrough Junior Challenge. His entry has made it into the top 30 videos in the world out of 6, 000, and is now in the popular vote competition. The winner of the popular vote automatically makes it to the finals. Yoochan is asking for help from our community so that he can get as many votes as possible. This could be hugely beneficial to Yoochan, his mentor, Mr. Klammer and our school in the way of financial prizes-a college scholarship, science lab and cash prizes. The popular vote began on Oct 23, ends Nov. 2nd. Here's a message from Yoochan:

My name is Yoochan Shin, a junior in Concordia. Ever since I was little, I have loved science. Bill Nye the Science Guy or the countless Korean science comic books my parents (just like any other Korean parents did in the early 2000s) bought for me may have ignited my passion in science, but to this day I am motivated by the greater appreciation of the world learning science provides. My latest video, inspired by my engineering teacher, Mr. Klammer, is the culmination of my knowledge, passion, and philosophy. The production process took a hundred and fifty hours to make. The video with the most amount of likes AND shares on Facebook will go straight to the finals. Each like and share are considered as individual votes. Below is the link to make your vote.http://ift.tt/2gCcnow

» Please Join our Third Entrepreneur Fair!

On Thursday, November 2nd the eighth grade will be hosting their third annual Entrepreneur Fair. This is an opportunity for eighth graders to collaborate and execute their business, design thinking and marketing skills. It will take place in the PC Lounge.

Below is the schedule we will be following:

Thursday, November 2nd

A block: Attend from 8:15-9:10am

C block: Attend from 12:15-1:10pm

Have your students bring small bills (5's, 10's, 20's – RMB 100-200 for total spending) to make purchases during this time.

If you would like to attend, please confirm with Holly Raatz: holly.raatz@concordiashanghai.org

» 14th Family Day

Please see more information in the flyers below.

Pudong

Art Competition

» 2017 Shanghai Amateur Games-China Shanghai International Popular Sports Festival And The First International Friends Games

Date: November 11, 2017

Venue: Jinfeng Road, 258 (Shanghai American school)

Host: Shanghai Sports Bureau, Shanghai Sports Federation

Organizer: Min Hang District Sports Bureau, Min Hang District Hua Cao Town People's Government, Hanpeak Media Ltd., Co

The Competitions

Mini Triathlon (personal group) at 2-3:30 PM Personal group: 25 people of participants age 13~15

Mini Triathlon (family group) at 2-3:30 PM family group: 25 groups of participants age 8~12

Dynamic five rings at 2-3:30 PM

How to sign up

Sing up: Only Sing up on the official account of Wechat "第九届中国上海国际大众体育节". Fill in the form, and then we will send the invitation by email.

Please print the invitation, and bring it to the event.

Event Schedule

8:30 AM-12:30 PM: International Floorball confrontation 2017 Shanghai Youth Floorball Club League

1-1:30 PM: Guest Sign-in

1:30-2 PM: Opening Ceremony

2:30-3:30 PM: The Mini Triathlon, Dynamic five rings

2-4 PM: International Floorball confrontation 2017 Shanghai Youth Floorball Club League, Hurricane Bowl American football

4-4:20 PM: Awards Ceremony

» Lunch Menu Access

Did you know that you can access our school lunch menus on our website? Click here to visit our School Services page and view the ES and MS/HS (PC Lunch Menu) lunch menus this week.

http://ift.tt/2y0bnNX

Athletics & Arts

» HS Basketball Tryouts going on this week!

PSO

» PSO Bake Sale on Friday, October 27

Tomorrow is our first bake sale of the year! This month the PSO will donate 20% of our treat sale profits to the High School's Global Development class, which is working on fundraising projects to support LCMS. LCMS is an organization which is actively engaged in providing aid to recent Hurricane victims in the United States and the Caribbean islands. Please help us raise money by providing 24 nut free baked treats. Any baked treats we have left will be sold in the ES Commons from 3-4 PM. A perfect opportunity to buy your Halloween weekend treats for the family and support a good cause! Please send 10rmb with your student so they can purchase a treat!

» Used Book Sale, Thursday, November 9 and Friday, November 10

The PSO Used Books Sale will be held during the ES and MS conferences, Thursday, November 9 and Friday, November 10. It is a fabulous way to pick up great books at a great price! Interested in helping with the sale? Follow this link to register for a time slot to help! http://ift.tt/2z82Qx2

» Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, November 18

Save the Date! It's that time of year! Concordia's Christmas Bazaar will be held on Saturday, November 18! Raffle We will begin selling Christmas Bazaar Raffle tickets. 6 raffles per 100 if you buy prior to Christmas Bazaar. 5 raffles for 100 if you buy on the day of the bazaar. ES and MS students will be receiving a form next Monday, October 30. Please fill in and return to ES and MS office. We have over 120 raffle items worth over 150 RMB. Poinsettia Orders Ready for gift-giving or decorating your home? Poinsettia pre-order starts November 1. Order forms will be in the ES, MS, and HS offices. We will also be selling them in the ES Commons at 3PM on Tuesday, November 7 and Thursday, November 9. So mark those dates!

» PSO Used Uniform Sales

Gently used Concordia uniform pieces are also for sale at all monthly PSO meetings. The uniform pieces cost 20 RMB each. If you have gently used uniforms you no longer need, please consider donating them to the PSO. Visit PSO website for more information on our upcoming events, and learn how you can get involved.

Job Openings

» Each fall we begin to identify positions likely to be open the following year and generally complete recruiting by late January. However, we accept applications at any time and will keep them on file for future vacancies. Due to age restrictions in China, we are not able to consider applicants who will be older than 57 on August 1 of the year of their initial contract.

Faculty

Classroom Teacher--Gr. 1-6

Early Childhood Classroom Teacher--PS3, PS4, or K

Early Childhood Music & Movement

English Language Learner (ELL) Coach-ES or MS

ES Counselor-social, emotional

ES Instructional Coach-Literacy

HS Counselor

HS Physical Education Teacher

HS Physics/Math Teacher

HS Social Studies

MS Counselor-social, emotional

MS Humanities Classroom Teacher

MS Math/Science Teacher

Support

Athletic Trainer & Wellness Coordinator

Potential-ES Teaching Assistant or Grade Level Assistant (PRC only)

To learn more go to: http://ift.tt/2h5eAnw

Opportunities

» Last call: Annual Fundraising Gala Nov 4

Don't miss the last call to buy tickets for the Community Center Shanghai Annual Fundraising Gala, taking place November 4! If you're a fan of mystery, intrigue, and lighthearted espionage you'll want to join us for this "Casino Royale" themed event. The dress code will be formal attire; for the gentlemen in attendance, put on your snazziest tuxedo or suit, and for the ladies, don your best gown, the one you break out once a year to look and feel your best. Take plenty of photos with your crew at our "007 photo booth," and at the end of the night hearken back to old Homecoming nights with your significant other for your chance to win "best dressed couple."If that doesn't excite you, the gala will offer plenty more for a wide range of people, whether you're coming with business partners, fellow community members, teachers, or your spouse. One of the main attractions, the raffle items, will feature a sleek scooter, a membership for hair & beauty salon, Disney one-day pass, restaurant vouchers and more!

» Morning Fitness Classes are Open to Parents of Concordia!

Are you interested in spinning, boot camp, or yoga in the mornings? Certified staff are conducting classes every morning of the week. For a detailed schedule and pricing information, contact Tina Harbold. Classes have begun so don't wait... sign up now! If you are interested or have questions, please email Tina at tina.harbold@concordiashanghai.org.

Club Sports and Community Sports Organizations

Below you'll find a list of clubs and organizations that offer a variety of sports activities to the community. If you would like for Concordia to consider adding a listing, please email the Marketing Department.» Phoenix Swim Club » Shanghai American Football League » Shanghai Sluggers Youth Baseball-registration has started! » Shanghai Thunderbirds Ice Hockey » Sport For Life » Active Kidz Shanghai » Century Park Football Club - Soccer Training » Tuesday Night Co-ed Volleyball (starts after Chinese New Year) » Shanghai Gymnastics » Shanghai Chess Club Offers Classes at CCS » Multisport » Dulwich Earthquakes (Excellent Soccer Source) » Danceworks Shanghai

Worship

» Please click here for information about Worship Services in Shanghai.

Classifieds

» Check back next time!

Drivers & Ayis

When hiring ayis or drivers, please remember to check references and ask around the community for first-hand recommendations. Even in situations where ads are posted by Concordia families, please recognize that these ads are not vetted in any way by the school before posting. Although names and contact information of ayis and drivers are posted in the Community Bulletin, we do not affirm and/or affiliate ourselves with them.

» Check back next time!

Reminders

» Carrying Copies of Passport and Visa

We have been informed by Public Security Bureau that policemen are being sent to different locations like supermarkets or streets to check people's passport and visa. We would like to remind our community that carrying a copy of your passport and visa in your wallet is recommended so you are fine if you are checked. Please note that the policemen will show you their working ID when they stop you. If they don't, please ask. If you forget to carry the two copies, they could take you back to their office. In this case, we suggest you contact your employer who can confirm your passport and visa information. They may also stop unaccompanied students so I would recommend that you review this procedure with them as well.

» New Residence Permits, Work Permits or Passports?

Whenever you or your family members receive new residence permits, work permits and/or passports, please be sure to send copies of your new documents to the Admissions office, in the Welcome Center (1st floor High School). Or, email soft copies to Admissions. Keeping your children's files up to date helps us keep in compliance with Chinese governmental regulations.

» No Bicycles for Children Under Age 12 on Public Streets - Shanghai International Schools Association (SISA)

The following information regarding bicycle riding in Shanghai is shared in an attempt to be helpful to all its member schools. For safety purposes, the regulations in Shanghai allow for bicycles to be ridden on public streets only by children age 12 and above. This regulation is strictly enforced in Puxi, but is unevenly applied in Pudong. The immediate danger is that families may assume that local protections for bicycle riders may be the same as in their own country, but they are not. It is important to be aware that if a child under 12 is involved in any kind of accident on a public street or crossing, the parent may be held responsible. Sidewalks and bicycle paths along public roads are considered part of the public roads. In addition, as accident insurance is relatively new to China and there are not many precedents with these situations, your own accident or medical insurance company has the right to refuse cover in the event of violation of the local law. We hope that better understanding will result in better safety for younger children.

» Community Bulletin Objectives

The Community Bulletin conveys school and student-related information and supports community, volunteer and charitable organizations. The classified section and driver/ayi notices are meant as a service to parents. With the exception of sharing information and offers from Concordia's official corporate partners, we do not support commercial ventures or for-profit organizations. The Community Bulletin editors reserve the right to omit submitted content deemed to fall outside the scope of the Community Bulletin.

» Parent Directory Privacy Policy

At Concordia, we are very protective of family information and data. The school emails only information that is important and directly related to the school and student issues. Internally, we carefully monitor what is emailed to parents and ensure it is appropriate. The use of email addresses from the parent directory for non-school related or commercial reasons is a severe misuse of the directory.

» Submitting Community Bulletin Items

The Community Bulletin is a bi-weekly newsletter. Please submit text in final format by Wednesday at noon in Arial font (maximum 100 words or 5 sentences in paragraph form with a headline) to marketing@concordiashanghai.org. Based on the schedule of the next bulletin, submissions may be included the week they are received or the following week. Any submission received after this time on the week scheduled for publication will be included in the next bulletin in two weeks. Submitted items may run for a maximum of two consecutive publications. <p><p> <p>

from Concordia International School News http://ift.tt/2z7xDtO