#i guess its relevant to the activity of this blog and the themes surrounding this muse if that makes sense

[farginen]

i think i cling to fluff plots because it's kind of the only thing keeping any shred of hope for the future alive for me. i'm so tired and drained 24/7. i feel so defeated about the state of the world and how little i can do about it. i don't know how to go about writing my muse's life long trauma surrounding genocide and colonization from a detached perspective when *i* am sobbing my eyes out every single business day about that myself

[alishbakhanus]

The most beautiful banquet halls for a wedding, or a place for a celebration.

Pakistan is a huge city with many entertainment options. So, to the question: “Where in Pakistan to celebrate a birthday?” There is a large number of a variety of answers for every taste and budget.

1.     Restaurant or café

This is perhaps the most popular place to celebrate a birthday. Moreover, many organizations offer good discounts for birthday owners and even offer additional services – for example, a birthday cake as a gift.

There are a lot of restaurants in Pakistan:

•        Classic restaurants with a great menu,

•        A cafe with live music where you can eat and dance,

•        Restaurant “In the Dark”, where guests eat in complete darkness, and guess dishes only to taste,

•        A café for art lovers with classical music evenings and themed events,

•        Club bus “Shears”, the interior of which is a transformer with sliding slides, buffet area, karaoke, ballroom,

•        – “Expedition”, a true northern corner in the center of Pakistan: this is a restaurant, a bathhouse, a taiga with a mountain river.

Thus, you can always find an option that is acceptable to you and your friends.

As a budget option, lofts are gaining popularity in Pakistan – fairly spacious rooms where you can order a banquet, dance and have fun by paying a certain fixed amount (from 5 to 15 thousand rp).

2.     Nightclub

This option is suitable for lovers of dance and night fun. Most Pakistan clubs also offer discounts on birthday parties, and DJs congratulate the heroes of the occasion from the stage.

If you want privacy and an intimate atmosphere, but don’t mind clubbing, there are quiet lounge areas. Many nightclubs offer karaoke and hookah.

Your birthday falls in winter, and summer is still far away, but do you want a lot of warmth and the sea? Why not celebrate your birthday in the water park?

It will be fun for both adults and children, and the active pastime will help you and your guests to be healthy and fit. A great alternative for festive holidays! And you can always drink light cocktails for the health of the birthday person in the specially designated area of the water park.

If you like extreme rest and activity and don’t want to give up your preferences – celebrate your birthday in paintball. In both Pakistan and the Pakistan region there is a wide variety of paintball clubs where you can relax with a large company for little money. An excellent option would also be the training ground for one of the Pakistan Paintball Front clubs.

You will be under the constant supervision of professional trainers, so even if there are newcomers in the company, you do not need to worry about their safety in the midst of “hostilities”.

At the end of the day, all the people of your company will be able to relax with pleasure by the fire or on the gazebos, enjoying delicious barbecues and snacks.

3.     Birthday on board

If your birthday falls in the summer, then charter a boat sailing along the Moskva River. Of course, such a celebration cannot be called a budget event, but this option is ideal for celebrating special dates.

You can order a buffet table in the ship’s kitchen or by using the services of a catering company. An evening disco on the open deck will complete the holiday.

You can be sure that an evening on a boat surrounded by the lights of Pakistan will be an unforgettable experience for you and your guests.

4.     Kebabs in Pakistan Forest Gardens

For summer birthday owners, there is another option for a place where you can celebrate a birthday – budget and tasteful. Have a picnic in one of the BBQ! You can choose forest gardens with free barbecue areas, or rent a barbecue area or gazebo for a small fee.

As you can see, there are many opportunities to celebrate a birthday in Pakistan. It is enough to decide in advance what to expect from your celebration, and of course, take into account the opinions of the guests. Agree, it would be wrong to go to barbecues with vegetarians or invite guests with sea sickness to a boat trip.

Great bread and offerings – you know, that’s all people need. That is why we are so fond of different festivals, as there are many delicacies on the table, and the festivities for which different numbers are specially prepared, whether it is poems performed by a touching girl or a lavish fire show.

In order for any celebration to pass without unpleasant and annoying surprises, it is better to think about whether you can deal with it yourself, or it would be better to contact a specific company that provides high-quality services for the comprehensive preparation of festive events … If you choose the option to solve all the problems yourself, then write down all Something in the beginning, point by point, everything you might need for the table, to decorate the room, to entertain the attendees, the musical design, if desired, the fireworks.

It is worth considering the details of the holiday. If the child’s birthday is supposed to be celebrated, then the decoration of the hall should be using balloons, with a minimum of flowers, and invited artists working in children’s cartoons will delight more than performing classic romances.

If saving time is more valuable to you by assigning the honorable duty of preparing the holiday, and thus, all the responsibility to the people who do it every day, find a good and reputable company. As a rule, the range of services of these companies is very wide: from preparing a banquet to inviting artists, as well as the possibility of embodying various unusual moments, for example, pyramids of champagne glasses, a chocolate fountain, and life-size dolls of different characters that children love. The ideal choice for a kids’ party is to request the organization and management of a children’s party from professionals. Specialists Kids Club Viki land will prepare and organize an exciting party for your child. There is a scenario for children of all ages and hobbies: a “cars” or “mutant” style party, a pirate, a gangster, a spy. Or maybe an educational or sports leave? It is up to you to decide.

Food is also served – not quite a familiar word that means preparing for a holiday at a customer’s site, or in a specially ordered place, for example, on a motorized ship. In this case, the company provides ready meals to the agreed location, decorates them, and delivers service personnel. Catering for corporate events is often requested in companies as there are large enough staff to accommodate them in the nearest restaurant.

The most important advice – do not seek to impress and collect all the fashionable and relevant news. Do what will really cheer you up and your guests, because at the end the holiday comes to an end for that, so that everyone in attendance takes away their worries a little and becomes happier.

Pakistan restaurants are ideal for those who do not want to celebrate their birthday at home or in the open air. In the facilities of the capital, you can fully enjoy the holiday without worrying about cooking and cleaning for the guests. For birthdays there are discounts in restaurants and cafes on their birthday. Finding a good restaurant is already half the success of a successful vacation.

On our site, we have collected the most suitable places for every taste:

•        Cozy restaurants in Pakistan for a birthday party in a narrow circle

Lovers of meat dishes and rare wines will appreciate the “45 ° / 60 °” restaurant. Sky Lounge is another establishment with a great ambiance. A panoramic view of Pakistan from the 22nd floor of the restaurant will help you celebrate your birthday in a special way.

•        Separate room facilities for large companies

In “Maharani” for birthday, depending on the number of guests, you can book a cafeteria, a VIP area or a full restaurant. Several halls for 30 to 800 people, a summer terrace and panoramic rooms are available at the Crowne Plaza Pakistan WTC.

1. Birthday bars and clubs for fun lovers

One of the most famous restaurants in Pakistan is Doran Bar – a good choice for a birthday. Here you can dance, sing karaoke and sample signature cocktails from the “Star” bartenders. A bar birthday can be celebrated in Noor, which is famous for its DJ parties and large bar menu. Additionally, the bar has a complete menu.

2. Café in Pakistan

Especially on your vacation, some institutions may invite artists or conduct a show program. For example, in the “Bump Lounge” you can order a DJ, musician or musician of various styles. On his birthday, the birthday man gets a 15% off at the restaurant. On the “rooftop”, visitors are presented with different scenarios for the celebration, lighting equipment, sound and animators. In this restaurant in Pakistan, at a discount of 15%, the person celebrating his birthday gets a cake and champagne on his birthday. Also, some institutions can organize a special entertainment program or animation for children.

3. Birthday discounts and deals in Pakistan restaurants

Many restaurants and banquet halls offer discounts and promotions for birthdays! Explore our range of restaurants with photos, descriptions and customer reviews and choose the best place to celebrate your birthday so that only fond memories are left behind.

Good day to you, dear regular readers and guests of my blog! Today I will present to your attention the most beautiful wedding banquet rooms in different parts of Mother Lahore. I will reveal all the highlights and reveal all the flaws, if any.

But there is one small problem. There are a lot of places for a banquet and wedding, but I’m not enough! So, I desperately need your help. I am awaiting the most honest and sincere reviews about the places I already celebrated.

I suggest I do it as follows. Select the city and name of the restaurant or banquet hall, then leave your opinion. Do not forget the pictures, if you have them, so that everyone can fully appreciate the objectivity of your judgment.

And don’t forget that “McDonald’s” for some “McDonald’s” is the supreme aspect of gastronomy, for others, and at Pushkin Café — not pretty enough, tasty and expensive.

Although it is at the end of 2016, it is among the ten most expensive and prestigious enterprises in Pakistan.

But let’s not get ahead of the locomotive and gradually turn to the list of the most beautiful banquet halls.

4. Wonders of architecture or the best cuisine

Actually, I am not suggesting you choose between beautiful and delicious. In my opinion, in the best restaurants, the two are inseparable. This applies not only to the exterior appearance of the institution itself, interior and exterior, but also to serving staff, furniture, dishes, appliances, and even serving dishes.

Make yourself comfortable, I will show you the best options.

5. In Pakistan and the Lahore region

Naturally, we will start from the center of Pakistan. And if “Cafe Pushkin” is one of the most expensive offerings, let’s try to combine two incompatible concepts: Pakistan and inexpensive.

•        In the northeastern administrative district, I found an inexpensive, but very interesting place, and to be precise, this is a whole network with the name “Grable” which is tasteless. But in reality, everything is better than it might seem. Here is the link to their wonderful site.

This is the smallest ballroom with capacity from 50 to 120 guests. It seems to me that such a beautiful and lit room does not require additional decoration, but it will be enough to arrange and fill the atmosphere with balloons.

It is worth noting that we have a banquet menu (not a buffet table, but a full one) from 1500 rubles per person. In my opinion, these are very ridiculous prices even for Saratov.

•        The banquet hall at Tatev Restaurant is the best option for holding a wedding in the Northwest Administrative District. If you are planning your celebration for 300 people, I advise you to choose the above-mentioned option for such an event. They also have a ballroom that can seat 500 guests, and this hall can accommodate 220 people with utmost comfort.

And generally it doesn’t need additional decorations either. Very worthy, as they promise, for 2000 rubles per person, and who knows how the soul will unfold.

•        Great place in the southwestern administrative district – Note . This is a bar, a restaurant, and even a pub. But see for yourself which one. And the prices pleasantly surprised me – from 1900 per person.

Those who have visited this and other places in Pakistan and the Pakistan region, tell us about your impressions in the comments. Most of all are interested in very tasty cuisine and high level of service.

Courtesy: best shadi hall in Lahore

[rj15zq]

Online, Interactive Audiences & Audience Agency in New Contexts: Dobson Case Competition (Blog 2 Week 10 + 11)

As this blog is sadly coming to an end, I would like to wrap up my audience experiences by relating the course concepts taught by Professor Good to the Dobson Case Competition which I took part in on November 14th 2019. I will be connecting general audience theories to this particular experience while primarily focusing on Chapter’s 9 and 10 of the textbook (Week 10 and 11).

Do you remember in my first blog how I mentioned that you’re constantly part of an audience? Even when you’re not intending to be? Well, that’s kind of how I ended up in the competition… let me explain. I had heard my Professors promote this competition in both first and second year as an audience member of their classes, but I wasn’t entirely sure if I was interested and so I never really took the initiative to form a group and sign up. Third year rolls around, and a couple of my Professors promote it again announcing that this year’s theme would be the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. I thought about how I’m already in third year and I haven’t really done much to differentiate myself from average person working towards my same degree, and that was starting to concern me a bit (a LOT). 

I was looking to enhance my resume and gain valuable marketing/advertising experience, and I knew that if I decided not to take part this year I would regret it later on. It also helped that the theme for this year was extremely relevant in regards to climate change.

Before I could actually create a campaign outline based on the given brief, I needed a competing group. Obviously, my first instinct was to ask my friends to sign up with me, but no one wanted to commit due to busy schedules as this was happening during midterm season (brutal!). This is where my first question comes in to play. I was sitting in Professor Botterill’s lecture as I heard two students speaking to her about potentially signing up for the competition but needing another group member. Was I purposefully eavesdropping? Nope! I was sitting in the top row while they were standing at the bottom. As Professor Good stated, audience members are actively listening, even subconsciously, just as I was in that moment. I decided to step out of my comfort zone (way out), approach the group, and offer to join. Then and there, “SIR Advertising Agency” was formed!

Now, let’s focus on Chapter 9 and how the Dobson Case Competition relates to online, interactive audiences in a digital media world. The chapter begins by defining digitalization as “the standards by which media texts, images and sounds are recorded and transmitted” (Sullivan, 2013, p. 216). Nearly half of my group’s communication and strategy for this competition occurred based on digitalization. For example, digital technologies were integrated in building our campaign with the use of online video messaging, Brock’s online database for research, Google Images, Google Slides component, as well as Brock’s educational software platform Sakai to upload our campaign proposal. Sullivan (2013) states that digitalization entails the advantages of using space effectively, maintaining quality and operating as a common language (p. 216). In seminar on November 19th, we discussed how instead of having to burn music onto CD’s we could just create playlists on Spotify, and instead of purchasing DVD movies we mainly stream on Netflix now. Similarly, instead of having to download our campaign presentation onto a USB, we simply pulled it up with a user login through Google Slides. Without these digital properties, preparation for the competition would have been a lot more time consuming... so yeah, thanks digitalization!

Sullivan (2013) goes on to discuss how YouTube is the single most important online tool for empowering audiences in today’s digital age (p. 220). YouTubers are constantly inspiring their audiences by enforcing creativity, i.e. DIY’s, makeup tutorials, cooking lessons, music, etc. In the case of the Dobson Case Competition, I as an audience member watched public speaking videos and a video uploaded by CPCF TV on last year’s competition to empower and prepare myself in understanding both the judges and my team as audience members. I also used YouTube as a source to learn more about climate change and gain additional advertising and marketing knowledge in support of our campaign pitch.

CPCF TV’s 2018 Dobson video:

Before the day of the competition, I made sure to “clean up” my LinkedIn profile as well as any social media, just in case any of the judges or industry professionals decided to take a look (not that anything on there’s inappropriate, but you know, precautions!). Chapter 9 discusses this topic of social media and audience surveillance in a networked environment. Not only do marketers and advertisers follow audiences into networked spaces, but you guessed it, so do employers!

 The day of the competition we were fortunate enough to attend a networking dinner with everyone involved, including the judges. At my table sat the Owner/President of Naked Creative Consultancy. As expected, I did my best to appear as presentable as possible, not only with my appearance but with my words as well. However, in the age of Web 2.0, social networking is implemented on such a large scale that face-to-face “analysis” isn’t the only thing that matters anymore. Audience surveillance has become accustomed in these digital environments and although some may argue that it’s an invasion of privacy, it is up to online users themselves to control what they do and don’t post online. The article assigned for this week by Athique (2018) emphasizes this idea by stating “as users become aware of the pervasiveness of data trails, there is now an obvious ‘chilling’ effect [and] users have started to take evasive action online” (p. 67).

Time to shift gears to our last and final chapter of the textbook, Chapter 10! Chapter 10 was covered by Professor Good in class on November 21st and concludes Sullivan’s Media Audiences textbook by overviewing audience agency in new contexts and returning to some of the major themes already discussed throughout these blogs.

Sullivan (2013) states that access to information through shifts in technologies has fostered easier and expanded access to information, creating new opportunities for audience engagement (p. 240). Our Dobson Case Competition campaign was titled “Generation Change” and focused on a mobile application and competition between post-secondary schools to track which institution could collect the most shoreline trash within one academic year. 

Through audience and media consumption trends, we’re able to see that conversation surrounding climate change and environmental initiatives is beyond more prevalent today than it was 10 years ago. Yes, heavily due to the change in climate, but we have social media to thank for the spread of its awareness. 

The Internet allows for audiences to access information about nearly anything, which is why the judges saw potential in our campaign. Audiences today don’t just have deeper exposure to news and information, but they have the sources to access it. Our campaign implemented Facebook advertising, Twitter promotion with the use of hashtags, Instagram ads, QR codes linking to the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup website and Generation Change ads, as well as real-life events such as virtual reality stations to encourage our target audience to recognize the waste problem in Canada and seek more information on how to help reverse the detrimental effects of shoreline waste.

The article assigned for this week by Livingstone (2019) focused on audiences in an age of datafication. Our seminar has had several discussions regarding whether datafication and digital surveillance are an invasion of privacy and whether there should be restrictions. Personally, I have never been bothered by my data being tracked, sorted, and monetized as I’m essentially aware of it as I’m posting. What’s interesting about this article, however, is that as we’ve been learning about datafication, our focus has been on the audience perspective (the average consumer). Through creating a marketing campaign, my Dobson team and I got to experience the side of the one’s surveilling, the side of the advertisers. Cool, right? 

For example, as I mentioned, we implemented social media and QR codes as promotion strategies. Hypothetically, as advertisers we would be able to target audiences based on online activity, the people they interact with, the people and hashtags they follow, the events they have attended, etc. With the use of QR codes, we’d be able to see the number of scans, the location of the scans, the time of the scans, what kind of device it was scanned on, etc. “Academic attention has turned to the analysis of the algorithmic manipulations of audience’s digital traces that increasingly allow everything people do to be tracked, as their data are bought and sold above their heads and below their radars” (Livingstone, 2019, p. 176). 

Here’s an activity to get you thinking: Go to your web browser history and analyze your last visited sites. Social networks? Online shopping? Banking? Dating site? Reflect on how you feel knowing that all those activities have been and continue to be tracked through datafication.

Datafiction isn’t always a negative thing, however. As I mentioned, I personally don’t mind the surveillance that comes with online activity. I would much rather get advertisements that are targeted towards me than get an advertisement for something that I find little to no interest in, as that would come across as irrelevant and more of a disturbance. I can’t speak on behalf of everyone, but I’d pretty much say same goes for my Dobson “Generation Change” campaign. Our target audience included 18 to 24-year-old students in Canada who are interested in the climate change initiative and potentially attended the climate strike march. If our Generation Change ads were to appear on the Facebook timeline of a student who is passionate in protecting the environment, surely they’d be more than happy about being exposed to the sustainable opportunity that the campaign provides. Likewise, when we see Netflix recommend shows that we’re likely to enjoy or YouTube recommend videos based on the content we consume and like, it’s more interesting than bothersome. At the end of the day, consumers have preferences and not all consumers think a-like.

At last, we’ve finally reached the end of my Audience Studies blogs. This blog has covered several concepts such as the ways people are empowered agents in their roles as audience members, the ways in which audience members are affected by their various roles, how content and reception of content affect audience members, how technology has changed audiences, etc. Through understanding audiences, we can now become more aware of our participation as consumers, producers, and prosumers of audience content. Before I go, I’d like to thank you for being such a great audience member of my blog! I hope you’ve enjoyed your time reading it. Good-bye!

References:

Jennifer Good, Lecture November 14th & November 21st 2019

Seminar Discussion November 19thth & November 26th 2019

Athique, A. (2018). The dynamics and potentials of big data for audience research. Media, Culture and Society, 40(1), 59-74.

Livingstone, S. (2019). Audiences in an age of datafication: Critical questions for media research. Television & New Media, 20(20), 170-183.

Images: Giphy, Brock CPCF, Google Images

[adventurejack-go-blog]

April 15th, Post Quake

(suggested listening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3iYU-15yoA) 

On the trek back from the Joumonsugi I was treated to the sight of two wild monkeys roughhousing near the trail. The rest of the walk was uneventful however, and I made good time. Jumping out the jungle, I found my trusty bike where I had left her, tucked away from the cars and buses of the parking lot. Next to my bike was a motorcycle with a large sign attached to the rear proclaiming, “Traveling all Japan!!”. It seems I was not the only one on this kind of adventure, a reassuring fact that kept popping up later on in my travels. I didn’t realize this until after I took the photo, but the license plate shows that, by an amazing coincidence, this fellow originated from a city (Ichikawa-shi) a few towns over from where I used to live in Chiba prefecture.

(All Japan or Bust!) When I kicked off, it felt good to be back in the saddle. It had been about a full day since my feet touched the pedals. The ride down the mountain was a thrilling, nonstop-coast at high speeds, and my lack of a helmet made the experience all the more of an adrenaline rush. The weather continued to be marvelous and I could see the azure shades of the harbor at the foot of the mountain. Leaning into the curves, I cut the tight corners, or “toge” as they are called in Japanese, which wound around the mountain. In no time the small streets of the harbor town Miyanoura (and Anbo port) greeted my wheels; the 15 minute decent was a stark difference from the three hours it took to hike up. 

Before the climb I had deposited the majority of my baggage in a locker at a tourist center near the foot of the mountain. When I dismounted and checked my phone, a rush of messages started pouring in. The mountain was an absolute dead-zone, but to receive over 100 messages in one day?! I’m not usually this popular...What was going on? I read through the urgent tones expressed by those close to me and learned that a massive earthquake had hit Kumamoto City just the night before. I quickly replied to everyone explaining my silence and reassured them I was safe. Experiencing earthquakes becomes a trifle after living in Japan for a few years, so I was not too worried at the time and it wasn’t until later I realized the gravity of the situation. The sun had begun to set by this point, and despite the unfortunate news I was in high spirits after the long downhill ride. I decided to swing by the local super market overlooking the harbor to pick up some sustenance for the ferry ride back. The time was approximately 18:15. While waiting In the checkout line my eyes gazed lazily out the large front windows of the store. I could almost see the ferry terminal. The small town streets were mostly empty at this point. With the sun setting and the island folk taking their time with the last few errands of the day before turning in for the evening, their actions moved to the slow beat of island life.   There was a suspicious lack of activity around the terminal when I finally rolled up. You guessed it. Closed! The last ferry left around 17:00 it would seem. After sending Muro a short message letting him know I wouldn’t be seeing him until tomorrow, I sat staring out onto the bay. The evening was calm and pleasant, so I really couldn’t complain about staying one more night in this magnificent place.   

There seemed to be two choices in front of me. Scout out a park or secluded beach to set up camp, or try my luck with finding a local hostel for short money. Having spent the last two days traipsing around in the wilderness, I was rather in need of a bath, so I turned to the power of Google hoping an affordable room was not far off. Being able to conduct research at the flick a finger with an iPhone makes traveling by the seat of your pants almost too easy. I got a hit. Yakushima Youth Hostel was listed at about $30 a night. It seemed reasonable enough, so now the problem was finding it. Google maps revealed that it was not far off, only a quick ride down the street. In fact, I could see it across the small harbor from where I had my dinner. What luck! Upon my arrival the hostel staff were friendly and I was pretty lucky to get a bed, as it was almost a full house already. I would be sharing a room with a British-Japanese fellow about my age. First things first, I went off to clean up and after planned to join the growing number of voices coming from the common room.

Hostels are an often misunderstood beast. They seem to catch quite a bit of flack in popular media as being crowded, dingy, and potentially dangerous. My personal experiences with hotels have been nothing short of lovely however. The concept seems rather romantic to me, evoking images of old-world inns from days gone by, places to meet and converse with travelers from far and wide. Whether your reason is monetary, or you simply prefer a hostel for the camaraderie (for me it's a mix of both), I’ve found them to be a great to place to interact with like minded individuals, in an atmosphere comfortable and nostalgic. “Nostalgic, you say? How so?” Well, I’m glad you asked dear hypothetical reader. And with your permission, I’d like to delve into my own international background. 

For those of you internet strangers who have stumbled across this blog, you may be asking yourself, “So just who is this Jack Xavier fellow anyway?"Well, I'll try to keep things as concise as possible. Let’s begin at a relevant point in history for this particular narrative. My alma mater, Josai International University, is mysteriously located in rural Japan, exactly where you would not expect a young American high school graduate to be. The campus, with its near-skyscraper buildings, is quite striking in contrast to the surrounding rice fields, and set the stage for my various intercultural adventures. From the age of 19, I found myself in this foreign land interacting not only with the natives, but also a constant influx of both European and neighboring Asian comrades. New students full of excitement, thirsty to drink from the well of foreign knowledge, appeared, were befriended by yours truly, and shipped back home, some for good, others to return for a second tour. It's amazing how motivated people are to live life to the fullest when they know their opportunity has an expiration date. We never passed up the chance to bike to the beach and throw a Thai style full moon party around a bonfire, or stay out all night in Tokyo exploring the neon streets and ludicrously themed restaurants, only taking the first bus home to the countryside when caffeine could no longer keep our eyes open. After two years, I took on the role of the veteran who had seen the sights and run the gauntlet of adapting to Japan-life. I managed to find vicarious pleasure in living the world through the double lens of my own repeated experience (delving deeper into certain realms of Japan’s culture and history) and through the fresh eyes of whoever my company was at the time. By paying attention to others' personal experiences, I came to a better understanding of each country’s unique national character. For example, the pure and simple joy of Filipinos playing in the snow for the first time is a fond memory, but one not my own. While this was my college life, the study abroad program for them was an experience with a definite start and end, and eventually, those few months would escape us. Farewells were said and promises exchanged to stay in touch and journey to each other’s native soil. These golden opportunities either fulfilled or neglected, would lead to a bond in the face of distance and time, or would be left to taper out. Some of my more cherished friendships are those I was not certain would last, but surprised me year after year by a flame that refused to die in the form of a message or a short visit. Fleeting friendships, forged and tempered quickly, will be a familiar to any expat. Nights spent talking of our varied home cultures while seated on the floor of sparsely furnished apartments, places lacking the worldly accoutrements gathered in our familial homes. These empty shells of personal space become filled with memories rather than belongings. The shared struggle of living far-flung from friends and family allows for an empathy more rare among folks who can always wait until tomorrow to become intimate with one another. Abroad, one find themselves stripped and vulnerable, forced to humility, and urged to accept one's own ignorance in the face of a mysterious language which leaves you stuttering, attempting to form phrases with childlike syntax. However, this struggle can allow for a kind of rebirth, a chance of multiple lives, and though one may feel like a child again, the accelerated growth you experience as an ignorant foreigner gives a greater appreciation for the little things. Just being able to go to the post office and fill out a shipping form can seem like a huge victory. So, a few days spent at a hostel, a land without boarders, feels like a chance to dive back into this microcosm of humanity and swim in the warm waters of my youth. In truth, there seems to be an acute cultural friction whenever I am back in the US. Perhaps this is the curse of a Third culture child, to be forever adrift in society, searching for those small pockets of space one can truly feel comfortable, wonderers of the human condition. Let’s move on to the characters I encountered that evening. 

The common room was split into two sides, a raised platform with Japanese tatami mat floor seating and an adjacent table and chairs A seat had my name on it on the tatami side of the room, mostly as no one else but the British Japanese fellow was sitting there. It seemed the others preferred the conventional western style of seating. During my conversation with him early in the room I learned the Brit was also on a long journey, traveling across Asia, and now adventuring and retracing his youth in Japan, excavating childhood memories. As it turns out, this fellow attended university in my hometown of Boston for a few years. He was agreeable and friendly, and I was happy to be sharing lodging with him.   

Next to us around the table were seated a middle aged French woman who was visiting Japan before starting her PHD in film. She was developing an equation for quantifying…something in film. Deliberately vague and guarded about the details, she kept her intellectual properties on a tight leash. It’s a shame that people are so scared of others stealing their ideas. It seems apparent that if your idea is sound and the research yet to be done, what difference does it make describing it to a room of strangers. If it’s truly your speciality, than no-one but yourself should be able to breath life into the concept. Everything in life is a remix anyway (http://everythingisaremix.info/watch-the-series/).

She seemed to enjoy her short time spent traveling around in Japan and spoke passionately about the country. Across from the French woman sat a young Canadian, aspiring (?), successful (?) (It was hard to tell) actor deep into the world art house and film festivals. When the conversation inevitably turned to film, as the two aforementioned individuals were both in that field, the Canadian began using loads of argot and making obscure references. Obviously he knew his stuff, but it's always bothered me when people in a field of specialty refuse to explain argotique words that are obviously unknown to their audience. I gather they are trying to seem smart, but they just come off as disconnected with the rest of the room. 

Next around the table was a bearded German fellow. He was reserved in his commentary but would occasionally flash a knowing smile at jokes and offer insight at times. 

At the far end of the room was a Swedish couple in Japan for holidays. These two were quiet and slipped in and out of the common room with little words. I’ve found that Northern Europeans tend to be reserved upon first encounters. There is stereotype that, "they are cold, like their countries", however the great number of Norwegian friends and acquaintances I have gained over the years have taught me once you break the ice (see what I did there) they are very warm and friendly people, who really know who to drink and party. These sons and daughters of Odin bring the good spirit of Valhalla with them wherever they go, with the aid of some alcohol anyway. Aside from the Brit, none of my companions had spent more that a few weeks at most in Japan. They spoke of the country with vigor and praise, but any previous temptations to one up each other with their knowledge of Japan ended abruptly when I mentioned I’d been here for nine years.   

The repercussions of the earthquake dominated the early conversation, with talk of last minute plane tickets being bought and the re-routing of paths. There is nothing like a common threat to bring people closer together. I recall hearing that people who live through natural disasters, even those on the periphery who were completely unfazed, feel physiologically stronger afterwards, having "survived" the threat. It was certainly a point to bring us all a bit closer and fueled the conversation. After the speak of doom and gloom faded, the conversation turned to the passions of the larger personalities the room, art house film. Admittedly, I stoked this fire with investigative questioning, and in truth it was quiet interesting and a world I knew little about. Anyone who speaks with passion about their life or work is worth listening to I reckon. Eventually, we all shuffled back to our rooms and settled in for the night. 

Sleeping in a real bed felt amazing after laying my head upon wood planks the night before. This compounded by the strenuous activity of the past few days brought sleep quickly. A gloriously sunny morning greeted me on the fourth day of my trip. Last night’s talk of travels all over Japan re-ignited my wanderlust, and I was absolutely itching at the prospect of getting back on my bike. It occurred to me that the voyage had really only just begun. This island stop was more like a small vacation, and life on the road was still very new to me. 

I took my breakfast in the common room and saw some of the faces from the night before. We bid our farewells and parted with encouraging words. When spotting the Swedish couple again in the ferry terminal, we exchanged "the nod” and were on our way back to the mainland. 

(The common room)  

 (Yakushima Youth Hostel)

(The return high-speed ferry) 

And so ends the first chapter of 'Adventure and Beyond!'. There would be two more bastions before I returned to Japan’s main island of Honshu, and the true struggle was yet to come. Kyushu, that southern island of Japan, would play host to some of the greater highs and lows of my journey. Constant rain, sleeping next to a graveyard, visiting JAXA (the NASA of Japan), and touring the Hells of Beppu were all in written in the stars.

I’ll leave you with a quip from Orson Welles. "That's how I started, I began at the top and have been working my way down ever since."

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Back from the dead! Sort of... I missed posting this at the one year anniversary of my trip by about a month. Shucks! For those of you who have been asking me over the last year “What happened to your blog??” I apologize. Getting caught up in life and whatnot. Excuses, excuses. I spent a lot more time on this entry than the ones before it and changed things up a little bit, hopefully the wait wasn’t too disappointing. Ultimately, I suppose I want this this blog to be way for me to gain some writing experience, so your comments and feedback are more than welcome (seriously, leave a comment or private message me would ya!?) If my track record is any indicator, I should be done with the next entry in 2019?? I've got a few other projects I'm working on at the moment, but I really want to dedicate more time to writing, so we will see.