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ksyescribe · 5 years ago

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The Boys™ Speaking A Foreign Language (HQ Edition)

Featuring: Oikawa, Osamu, & Ushijima

Warnings: Some slight manga spoilers!

A/N: This headcanon is centered around these bbs speaking Spanish but I think they can really be applied to any language! I hope you guys enjoy! Also thank you @cttnclouds for the Osamu fusion idea you’re literally an angel and i love you.

Oikawa Tōru

Why he learned:

He moved to Argentina. It’s either learn or get really got at using hand signals.

Learning Process:

Honestly? Probably tried the whole DuoLingo thing the first few weeks after he got the okay to move to Argentina. But after a while he burnt out.

He probably got up to like the introductory phrases and then fell off. Probably because he had to deal with all the logistical stuff that comes with moving.

(Someone help him cause he literally thought moving would be an easy one two three job :’) Iwa-chan help!)

The next time he remembers that he’s literally going to a new country with a new language is like a month before he moves.

He’s shopping with Iwaizumi for some new clothes and stuff when Iwaizumi just goes “So how’s your Spanish coming along?

freeze frame, his face looks like this: (∩╹□╹∩)

Anyways he really like stress buys like three different Japanese books that he then FORGETS ABOUT for the rest of the month.

He reads them on the flight to Argentina. The only things he learned were how to ask for the time and directions.

Oh boy, Argentina’s going to be fun :’)

When he uses Spanish in front of you for the first time:

Right so, the first time you see him use his sorry excuse for Spanish is at the little corner coffee shop down the street

Of course everyone’s like eyeing him cause, why is a foreigner here in the hidden gem of the city? But also he’s kinda cute what?

Anyways, you’re minding your own business until you hear the heavily accented Spanish.

And pues, we’re all little chismosos so of course you pay attention to what he’s trying to do (order a coffee but he literally cant remember what the word for sugar is dear god someone help this man)

After cringing you step up with the translator app on your phone open and obviously help him out.

He’s a little impressed because: 1. Your Spanish is so smooth and flowy it sounds like you’re reciting poetry and 2. Why didn’t he think of the translator app tf??

So you get his order shoot it back to Sandra over the counter in fast Spanish and then order your own stuff before moving off to the side to wait for your coffee.

Oikawa might be an idiot right but he’s not going to pass up the opportunity to ask you to teach him Spanish??

I mean you’re cute, you’re obviously a local from the way you were greeting everyone inside the shop, and well, you’re the only person who’s tried to help him out so far and that means a lot to him.

For some odd reason you actually agree? You still don’t know what caused you to say yes. Probably the pitiful look he had when he told you he had to move cause of work and he knew nobody else here.

How you help him with learning/bettering his Spanish:

Honestly, he bitched a lot at the beginning but forcing him to only communicate in Spanish really helped him out.

So taking him on town trips and having him tell you about what he’s seen or what he wants to do in Spanish really helped him. Also having your friends come with is really fun cause he tries to teach them some Japanese words while they translate that into Spanish.

Also being immersed in the language is a big plus.

But I think the #1 thing that really helped him was watching novelas with you.

Like he wants to understand what Gabriela is yelling to Sofia about in real time not through the subtitles. (But damn Gabriela really slept with Sofia’s fiance? Wack, that man is not worth it hun)

You know his Spanish’s getting better when you walk into a completely new bread shop that the two of you are visiting and he just goes ahead and orders in fluent Spanish.

Leaves both you and the attendant in shock. But he just comes back and asks you in Spanish too, “Lo hice bien? No me trave verdad?”

The woman literally swoons from the whole encounter. He is now a danger to any woman within five miles of the vicinity. Gets all cocky about it.

Favorite Spanish Word: Alborotar - Disturb? That’s what google says but it’s more like mess up.

Miya Osamu

Why he learned:

Honestly? This Mexican-Japanese fusion place opened up and he just wants to talk to the chef about where he gets his ingredients from because this shit tastes amazing!!

Learning Process:

Went home the first night after eating at that restaurant and bought a year subscription for Rosetta Stone.

He’s kind of regretting it because like, maybe he should’ve gone with the monthly plan? Fuck he shouldn’t have gotten ahead of himself.

He tries to do an hour of the program a day minimum. There’s some days where the hour like drags on and other days where he’s so pumped that he does more than one hour.

His max was one day where it snowed so hard that nobody could go out so he spent like 10 hours doing Rosetta Stone.

He tried going to like one of the Brazilian stores around his house to try out his Spanish with them but was sorely disappointed to learn that Brazilians do not speak Spanish.

Still got some bomb ass brigadeiros though so who’s the real winner here huh?

Actually put up a craigslist ad for a Spanish partner.

It’s up for a whopping 5 minutes before he promptly deleted the ad.

Instead!! This man signs up for one of those international pen pal services and gets matched with someone fluent in Spanish (it’s you hello).

And it turns out said person is coming to Japan soon for a year abroad?? And they have a basic Japanese foundation?

Yeah dude he lucked out.

Out of all three boys, his alone learning goes pretty well. Gets a good foundation of Spanish.

When he uses Spanish in front of you for the first time:

This one’s so cute!! He actually does it sort of by accident?

He’s made friends with everyone at the fusion restaurant including the chef because he actually managed to hold a decent conversation in Spanish.

His brain just automatically switches to Spanish when he enters the restaurant.

So when you hear him bust out into a full fluent Spanish conversation with the waiter you kind of sit there like: (・о・)

This man even orders and asks you if you want to split a bottle of wine in Spanish.

You could only nod because holy shit.

Like yes you’ve heard him speak it over the discord calls before but in person?? That’s a whole nother story.

Specially because his pronunciation is so good?? And he has the right accent? It’s so smooth like it just flows naturally from him.

And he can actually roll the r’s god damn sir

How you help him with learning/bettering his Spanish:

So he has a pretty good grasp on the language which means he doesn’t need much help with learning.

But you can help expand his knowledge. Like teaching him about how in some countries/dialects things might be said differently. (Like how there’s 17 ways to say straw. Hondurans say pajilla and that’s all I knew for a bunch of years)

He’ll also need help with learning about a lot of food names. He only knows the basic names, not any special fruits or like combination dishes so that’ll be fun.

You actually start cooking new latin recipes every Saturday so he can familiarize himself with the cuisine.

Some ingredients are hard to come by but the adventure in finding them is so worth it.

His favorite recipe so far? Making Pollo con Tajadas from Honduras. The Bandeja Paisa from Colombia is a close second.

Favorite Spanish Word: Popote: Straw (in Mexico)

Ushijima Wakatoshi

Why he learned:

His last current concern is literally “he would like to work harder at studying languages”.

Fair, makes sense.

But instead of going with a familiar language he just says fuck it time to learn the latin alphabet with Spanish.

yeah okay why not

Learning Process:

Ushijima is more of a visual learner.

Which in it’s own makes sense. He’ll probably get a book that has like those floating numbers over items and it tells him what it’s called in Spanish right?

Wrong.

You know what he does?

This man. This 24 year old man. Goes home, opens up Netflix, and puts on... wait for it... DORA.

I kid you not!! Ushijima Wakatoshi will always begin learning a new language by watching children’s shows.

You know why?

Because he read an article a while back where it said that the best way to start learning languages is by watching children’s shows due to the fact that the shows are literally tailored to teach kids the language.

See what he did there? Y’all thought he was a big dumb dumb but in reality he’s a big smart smart.

Uh, anyways.

He will sit down to watch the children’s shows with a notebook. He takes very good notes, has a Japanese translation for everything.

His show watch list: Dora la Exploradora, Plaza Sesamo, Maya Y Miguel, Go Diego Go, and Handy Manny.

The crazy thing? It actually works. He literally gets his Spanish base from these shows.

Crazier thing? HE LITERALLY PICKS UP THE CORRECT ACCENTS.

I kid you not bro, he literally somehow managed to sound like a FLUENT speaker. I-

But from there he picks up some more books and audio files to try and increase the complexity of his knowledge.

He’s the best speaker out of the three.

When he uses Spanish in front of you for the first time:

Honestly? He’s been looking for a Spanish partner for a while and he genuinely doesn’t know how to go about it.

One day though, he overhears you on the phone with your mom.

He’s seen you before. You’re one of the girls working under the main manager and you’re actually really helpful. If he remembers correctly, you’re the only co-manager that can wrap the compression sleeves just how he likes them.

Anyways, not uh, important.

He’s not one to eavesdrop but, well you’re in the equipment room and he needs to grab one thing. Just a quick in and out. He’ll even turn off his ears.

But then you start speaking like fluent Spanish? And suddenly his ears are very active.

He doesn’t harass you while you’re on your call. Instead he waits until after practice.

Then he just comes up to you and goes, “Perdóname por molestarte pero, estabas platicándo en Español anterior?”

Kind just sat there like: ◉‿◉ - (￣ー￣) - ⚈ ̫ ⚈

You can’t even speak, you’re still processing that he just spoke Spanish like a natural??? So you just nod.

He launches into a whole talk about how he’s been learning but he needs a speaking partner so that he can get better.

At some point during his whole speech you sit down because your brain IS NOT CATCHING UP.

In the end you agree to become his partner. He’s paying you in food how the hell can you say no?

How you help him with learning/bettering his Spanish:

Like I said before, he’s already good.

You mostly help broaden his knowledge about the culture from Spanish countries and their cultures. A lot of it is through food and the small glimpses of hispanic life from Japan.

Can’t really teach the customs and traditional stuff unless it’s in person.

You’re actually getting ready to go back home for your once a year family reunion when suddenly this man invites himself to your trip?????

I mean, it’s not a bad idea in the first place but then he offered to pay for your trip and well...

You’re kind of broke and he’s rich so it works alright?

God but going back home? Ultra boosts his spanish.

Not sure if it’s the atmosphere, your family, or just the fact that the country is now in a whole nother language, but this man just adapts.

It’s really uncanny.

While he’s here, your family teaches him a lot of Spanish idioms and phrases that don’t translate over well and he starts incorporating them into his every day usage.

Someone on the team got hurt and he literally walked over and rubbed their wrist and went “ Sana, sana, colita de rana. Si no sanas hoy, sanarás mañana.”

When you leave his apartment? “Te veo Mateo”

But he also gets to see how unique and beautiful the culture in your country is.

His favorite part of the trip? Probably your family’s land that’s just surrounded by nature.

He also really liked the traditional shops that the old ladies from the village ran. (They also liked him and pinched his cheeks and called him a big strong boy so maybe that has something to do with it.)

His favorite Spanish word: Topogigio (to-po-i-yo): In Honduras, frozen ice cream (? not really but don’t know how else to describe) that is typically sold in a small bag. Flavors: Fruit juice or traditional ice cream flavors.

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originofjaehyun · 5 years ago

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Prelude: After Story | Part 1 | Punch

Prelude: After Story Masterlist

Word count: 2,929

Warnings: None

Part 1 | Punch

“‘Cause I’m a clean fighter.”

Read Interlude: No More Drama

Tag list: @justineasian @elauniesdream

“Make sure you tell him how you felt.”

The remark only received a giggle from the other party. “I’m not promising anything, Yuta. It will take time.”

Yuta took a final glance. There’s a hint of despair in the way he looked at her. “You packed everything?”

She nods. “I think so. Let me know if I left something. Well, that if you don’t mind. Else, you can throw them away.”

“Alright, I’ll let you know.” He smirked. There’s a pregnant pause before he continues. “I’ll see you when I see you, [Y/N]. Until then, please be well.”

Yuta could see she welled up, holding up her tears. He wished he could hug her and tell her that it will be fine, but that only contradicted the brave front he showed to her.

She finally waves her final goodbye, closing the door. It is a signal for Yuta to finally embrace his sadness. Legs gave in, he immediately crouched down, sighing.

“Damn, who would’ve thought I could fall for someone this much?” Brushing the hair that covers his forehead, he asked himself, with no one to answer.

Yuta walked to his bathroom, thinking that he would cool his head by taking a brisk shower. He took off his shirt, pausing in front of the sink before he entered the shower booth. He stared at his own reflection, blankly. No thoughts, head is empty. He just needs his time to process and to cope with his own heartbreak.

There are few objects that don't belong to him, and by then he noticed that she forgot to visit the bathroom when she cleared her stuff, leaving her toothbrush behind. He curled one side of his lips up, sighing regretfully before throwing the toothbrush to the trash bin nearby.

This is so I can forget about her faster.

Yuta taught to himself, before spotting another foreign item.

A pair of rose gold stud earrings. Yuta knows his pieces of jewelry because he never took off his. The simple design of the earrings is also a bit too plain for his liking, and the owner of them is no other than the person who just left this place.

He grabs it, about to throw them away. But hesitates, gripping the earrings inside his palm.

Yuta looks at the earring once more.

Maybe, just maybe, this is the only part of you that I could keep?

–

Days pass per normal for Yuta. Except that the people around him notice that he’s anything but it.

“You alright, bro?” Doyoung tapped his shoulder, waking Yuta from his daze.

“What do you mean?” Yuta leans to the wall, inhaling his IQOS.

“I don’t know man, you’re off these days.” Doyoung took a sip of his grapefruit drink. “It seems like you have something on your mind. Have you talked to [Y/N] about it?”

Ah, so she hasn’t told him.

Yuta thought to himself, not responding to Doyoung as he drew out a translucent smoke.

“She might not be the best at giving advice, cause even she had a hard time figuring out herself. But I promise she’s a good listener, I’m sure she'll be able to give you some sort of comfort.”

Yuta just nodded to his statement.

He nodded because he himself knew how comfortable it was to be around her.

–

Yuta holds grudges. It was hard for him to admit it at first, but eventually, he accepts the annoying part of his personality. Fast forward five months after she left, Yuta still refused to go out. This clearly weirded everyone out since Yuta is the social butterfly. For him to reject their offer to visit the bar after office makes the lines on their foreheads more apparent than ever.

Yuta just needs some time, alone. He doesn’t know for how long, but what he knows is that he’s just not in the mood to put on a fake happy smile when his own heart is like a shipwreck.

So he spent another night in at his apartment, opening a bottle of rye whiskey. Truthfully, Yuta prefers sweeter booze –something that is more fruity like his usual Cassis Orange. However these days, those cocktails couldn’t shred his woe. He needs something stronger. He needs to be able to feel the burning sensation on his chest, replacing the pain of his heartache.

He went off to flump into the leather couch, putting down the glass of whiskey. He grabs the remote, browsing through the Netflix catalog. He stops, at one move named Kimi no Na wa.

He probably already watched this for million times. He loves this movie. Not only because of the well-executed animation and storyline, but it also reminds him of home.

And it painfully reminds him of her too. How she loved anime, and how her eyes glimmered every time Yuta told her a fun fact about Japanese culture.

“Did you know there’s a trivia behind her name?”

“Who? Mitsuha?”

Yuta nods, “Her name means three leaves. Funnily enough, it started from her grandmother, Hitoha which means one leaf. And you guessed it, her mother’s name, Futaba, means two leaves and her little sister, Yotsuha, is four leaves.”

“Whoa!” She shrieked excitedly. “That’s cute!”

Yuta laughed at the sight of her getting excited over something simple like this. It’s nothing much for a Japanese man like him, but for her it’s something new and Yuta finds it very adorable.

If she was still here, he would cross his arm over her shoulder. Cuddling her.

But right now, all he could do is to rest his arm on the backrest of his couch. The only warmth that he could feel is from the whiskey.

Unable to focus on the movie, so he diverted his attention to see his phone.

Oh, how he regrets it.

He saw her social. She was with a group of people that Yuta knew from that party. But his finger reactively clicked on one of the tagged name’s profiles.

Just to see him posted a photo of her. It was a candid photo, the person captured in the picture seemingly asked the photographer to stop. Her hands were blurred because she attempted to cover her mouth.

But she wasn’t quick enough to stop the photographer from capturing her smile. A smile so bright Yuta knew he wasn’t able to create. A smile that Yuta definitely misses.

The agony he felt amplified once he read the capture below the photo.

“I was yours, before I knew; and you have always been mine too.”

Yuta rolled his tongue over his front teeth. He knew he shouldn’t feel this way, not when he is the one who let her go. But he is pissed, throwing his phone away.

He moves his palms to cover his eyes, resting his head. He lets out another sigh, but no matter how much he exhaled, no matter how much alcohol he drank, the rain cloud seems to follow him around.

“Fuck this shit.” He hummed to himself.

He took his phone again, this time opening a different app. It took him a bit longer this time, but at least whatever he was doing, managed to put a smile on Yuta’s face.

He then proceeds to dial a number.

“Hello, Doy? I’ll take a week off. I’m flying to Osaka tomorrow.”

–

“How could you come back home without noticing us?”

Yuta puts down his bag, worn out from the flight, “I can’t even visit my own home now, Nee-san?”

“What I meant was,” His sister crossed his arm. “Last time you visited Osaka, you’d stay at the hotel because you wouldn’t stay long. Mostly due to your business trip. What makes you suddenly miss home?”

“I just feel like taking some days off, Nee-san.” He replied without looking at this sister, busy unpacking his stuff. “Also, Imouto has been texting me, telling me to bring her some signed goods from TVXQ.”

“Well if you said so,” Her sister knows how stubborn Yuta is, so she decides that she won’t press him further. “Come down when you’re ready. If only you told us you were coming earlier, mom would’ve cooked us Nabe. But we don’t have the ingredients, so you have to settle with curry tonight.”

Yuta finally looked back to smile at his sister, “Curry sounds great, Nee-san.”

–

It’s great to be home, Yuta thought to himself.

The familiar road. People talking in his mother language. Food that is catered to fit his taste buds. He loves Korea, and everything it has to offer, but nothing could replace home.

“My, Yuta is that you?!” An elderly woman called for him, snapping him from his day daze.

“Oh, Baa-chan!” Yuta subconsciously lets out his signature radiant smile. “How are you? I hope your back is fine now.”

“Oh, you’re as sweet as I could remember, Yuta!” She giggled. “You never visit your home, this Baa-chan misses you a lot, you know? I don’t know how to use… what do they call those these days? Line?”

Yuta laughed. “Yes, Line, Baa-chan.”

“Right, I can’t contact you! You should come home more often. I could write you a letter but I don’t know your address in Korea.”

“I miss you too, Baa-chan. Sorry, I promise to visit again.”

Baa-chan sells taiyaki in his neighborhood. Yuta is her regular customer, and she has witnessed how much Yuta grew from a small boy who aspires to be an Ultraman to a successful businessman he is right now. Yuta settled on the bench in front of Baa-chan’s store, filling her with the missing information pieces where Yuta finally left home for his career.

“Now take this,” She offered him a bag of taiyakis.

“Oh, no Baa-chan. Let me pay,” He rustles his pant pocket, trying to find his wallet.

“My dear Yuta!” She pushes the paper bag to him, “This is a gift from me, as a thank you for visiting this old lady. Next time, bring your friend here so they can pay instead. Baa-chan wants to see your friends, I want to make sure they are good people.”

He lets out a soft chuckle. Baa-chan is always kind, and it touches his heart. Yuta treats her like she’s her own grandmother. “I’ll note that, Baa-chan.”

He waves goodbye to her and marches his way to a nearby park. The park used to be so big for the small Yuta. He used to think it would take forever to catch a ball that flies after his friend kicked it too high. But now that he’s a full-grown man, he even wonders how the hell he was able to play soccer with his friend in this field.

He sits down at the bench, taking a bite of the fresh taiyaki. Baa-chan’s taiyaki is the best. It might be a biased opinion, but every bite is like a memory lane for Yuta. The irreplaceable taste of childhood.

The dusk is near, and there is no child laughter at these hours since all of them have their curfews. With nothing to keep him entertained, he unlocked his phone, casually browsing through his social before pausing his munching at one post.

“Can’t believe this man asked me to spend the rest of my life with him while I’m about to throw the trash away. I hope your future daughter will experience a much more romantic proposal, you weirdo.”

Involuntarily the red bean paste from his bread squirted out, due to the fact Yuta unconsciously squeezed them. Was it out of anger? Out of disappointment? Or out of regret?

His blood is boiling, and with nobody around, nothing stops him. Yuta is usually calm, but right now he just wants to transfer the excessive anger somewhere. Heck, the tree next to him can be his punching bag.

My mom always told me to finish my meal so you’re not leaving until you eat everything.

But right now, Yuta is unable to take another bite. He even forced whatever he had left on his mouth down to his throat.

Why did I let you go?

He scoffed, mocking his own thought, “Damn, what a pathetic person you are, Yuta.”

Your first impression on Yuta is probably how strong his aura is. His gaze is sharp, complemented with a well-chiseled jawline. So you would never think that the same person has a sensitive soul. Ever since his trip to Japan, the Nakamato residence in Seoul is always decorated with fresh flowers, handpicked by Yuta himself. This is his way of finding peace. He always wanted to have a pet, but his busy schedule makes him unable to own one. Instead, he’s been paying more attention to greeneries in his home. He said it was a therapy for him, and having a living plant makes the place alive, so he claims.

The bell on the door jingles after Yuta pushes the door open, cueing the staff who were busy arranging a bouquet to greet him.

“Welcome to Paradise!”

Yuta nods at the staff, telling her to continue with her arrangement and let him browse the flower catalog by himself.

Soon after, the bell jingles once more —only to reveal a young man with a sparkly eyes.

“Sorry, __! Taeyong left his apron behind so I have to make a visit to Kitchen Beat first.”

The person at the counter chuckled, “Don’t sweat it, Mark. We’re not that busy today anyway.”

“Let me put my bag first, then I’ll help to cut the stems of the carnations—“ Mark’s eyes grow bigger once he sees the familiar figure. “Yuta-hyung? Ah, I mean, Sir!”

Yuta turned at the sound of his name. “Oh, if it isn’t Mark!”

“Didn’t expect you to come here, Sir.”

“You can talk to me comfortably, Mark. We’re no strangers.” Yuta smiles. “Fancy seeing you here, too. Are you part-timing here?”

Mark nods. “Other than my job as an English tutor, working here actually calms me down. Maybe the flower gives the peaceful atmosphere?”

Yuta hummed, agreeing with his statement.

“Also, I can rest a bit because working here is not as busy as working at a cafe.” Mark continues, “Though we’re going to be busy pretty soon since Jaehyun-hyung ordered so many orchids for his wedding. Man, not just any orchid! If only he knows how difficult it is to obtain—“

Mark stopped at the sight of Yuta’s awkward face.

“Shit, Mark, how could you forget that he was your Noona’s ex-lover.”

He whispered to himself, but the store was fairly quiet with only faint instrumental song in the background —enabling Yuta to listen to each of his words clearly.

Your noona.

“Mark, go change to your uniform.” A female voice breaks the tension, flinching Mark who reactively gives Yuta a deep bow afterward.

Yuta definitely needs time to process what just happened. Pressing his lips together while occasionally biting the skin.

“A cheerful young boy, isn’t he?”

Yuta woke up from his daydream following her calm voice. “Mark is energetic, and I love how positive his energy is. Though sometimes, that can cause him to be slightly dense, too.”

Yuta couldn’t help but to let a single soft chuckle.

“So please forgive him, yeah? I’m sorry I couldn’t help but to overheard your conversation. Don’t take it to the heart, Mark was probably too excited. He didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“I know. No offense is taken. I just need some time to digest it.”

“Take your time,” she continued with her bouquet, tying up the ribbon as the final touch. “Though, if I could suggest, I think our daffodils are very pretty today.”

“Daffodils?”

“Yes, the yellow ones on that corner,” she pointed at a bunch of yellow flowers. “I’ll help you with a bunch. It’s on a house, as an apology from making you uncomfortable just now. Are you going to put it on a vase like the usual or are you going to give it to someone?”

Yuta widened his eyes, quickly shook his head, “Oh please no need, I’m not offended by all means.”

“As the owner of this shop, I insist, Sir.”

Yuta hesitates, but eventually gives in. “The usual. Actually, a single bloom is fine. I would feel bad, you know, if you're going to give me a bunch. Business is still business after all.”

His remarks only caused the other party to scoff, “Our business is doing well, Sir. So please don’t fret on it. Anyway, it would mean a different thing if I don’t give you in a bunch.”

“Different thing?”

“Ah,” She closes her mouth with her hand. “Don’t mind too much on it.”

After spending the whole day outside, all Yuta needs is a refreshing shower to wash down his sweat. He placed his new floral arrangement on his dining table, before taking his shirt off when he walked towards the bathroom. He threw his shirt to the laundry bag, and unlocked his phone, ready to play his shower playlist.

Bunch of daffodils?

He suddenly remembered how the florist mentioned the different meaning of daffodils. He quickly changed the tab, typing the question on Google.

Smirk appeared on his face, after so many days shied away from the surface.

“Rebirth and new beginnings, huh?” He said to himself. “How cheeky.”

He puts down his phone on the countertop, resting his arms at the sink before looking at himself in the mirror.

Yuta is determined.

He picks up his phone once more, dialing a number.

“Doyoung, do you know the best hair salon here?”

A/N: We’re back with this!! I’m so so excited to continue this hehe~ To be honest... continuing this series gives me a lot of anxiety. What if the audience don’t like it? What if the one who loves Interlude won’t like my approach on continuing the story in Yuta’s POV? At some point it was difficult for me to write this, but as I persistently write this, it became more and more enjoyable and eventually those thoughts don’t appear as much!

Another thing to note, to prevent any confusion, the reader for Prelude will be ___ instead of the usual [Y/N]. [Y/N] belongs to Interlude! So think of her as another character for Prelude!

Also again, I’d like to remind you guys again since there’s only three additional songs, this would be a mini-series instead of a full series like Interlude. But hopefully, you would still give Prelude tons of love too!

#yuta scenarios #yutaxreader #yuta fic #yuta angst #neowritingsnet #yuta fluff #commoner!au #commoner!yuta #yutafluff #yuta #yuta scenario #fic yuta #angst yuta #prelude after story #nct scenarios #prelude #punch

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accuhunt · 5 years ago

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How to Indulge Your Wanderlust During the Coronavirus Pandemic.

The past few days have been rather scary. Mask-covered faces. Queues to wash hands in public toilets. Sanitizers constantly out of stock. Accusatory looks towards anyone coughing or sneezing. Eerily empty hotels, flights and streets following the lockdown travel advice for Coronavirus. Places that were once plagued by overtourism are now deserted. The spread of the COVID-19 Coronavirus has suddenly brought all usual life – and travel – to a halt.

Until a week or two ago, the panic felt rooted in social media, whatsapp forwards and even racial profiling. At that time, I posted on Instagram that I would continue my travels. But in light of recent developments, I’ve archived that post, cancelled some rather exciting travel plans until April and urged everyone to do the same.

I was scheduled to conduct a workshop on responsible tourism marketing in Madhya Pradesh and speak at the prestigious Economic Times Women’s Forum this month – but both events have been cancelled.

In fact, India has cancelled all visas for foreigners till mid April. Sri Lanka has suspended its e-visa facility. Italy is under lock down. Public events have been cancelled in most parts of the world. Schools and colleges have been shut in most Indian states. India’s travel advice for coronavirus is to cancel all non-essential travel abroad. Indians returning from China, Italy, Iran, Korea, France, Spain, Germany, Malaysia, Nepal and even the US can potentially be sent to 14 days of quarantine!

Chances are, you already know that. You, like me, have cancelled your immediate travel plans. And probably you, like me, are wondering what you can do now to indulge your wander-lusting soul!

Here are some creative ideas to satiate your travel cravings – safely and responsibly – during this uncertain coronavirus period:

Read non-fiction books by local authors to virtually explore a new region or country

I’ve dreamt of setting foot in Tibet for a long time, knowing fully well that the Tibet of my dreams is off limits (or no longer exists). So a while ago, I did the next best thing to travelling in Tibet – reading a book that movingly explores its lost beauty, culture and way of life. Tibet With My Eyes Closed is a collection of short stories by Madhu Gurung, based on the lives of Tibetan refugees in India. Some stories moved me to tears, while others left me with an insatiable longing. I can’t recommend it enough!

My point is, as per official travel advice for coronavirus, the entire world is off limits right now. But we can do the next best thing – travel to our dream places through the words and insights of people who know them deeply.

If you dream of Iran, for instance, read Reading Lolita In Tehran. If you dream of Myanmar, read From The Land Of Green Ghosts. If you dream of the Caucasus (Georgia / Azerbaijan), read Ali And Nino.

For more book recommendations, see my favorite (unusual) travel books by local authors around the world. If you’re keen to explore the world from my lens, you can also get a copy of my travel memoir, The Shooting Star

Also read: What No One Tells You About Writing and Publishing a Book in India

Learn a new language that will make a future trip more meaningful

Everywhere I travel, I try to pick up a few words in the local language. But in the weeks before I travelled to Japan, I tried to listen to one episode of a Japanese language podcast every day. By the time I landed in Tokyo, I was able to say many basic phrases in Japanese – which sure made it easier to make friends, find local vegan food and even get some unusual recommendations.

The process of learning a language can certainly make us feel like we’re almost on our way somewhere. The Survival Phrases podcast is good for conversational skills and the Babbel / Duolingo apps can help with basics. But if you really want to commit, consider signing up with an online teacher for one-to-one Skype lessons on a site like italki (I haven’t used it yet but heard good things).

I took Urdu writing lessons last year, but have been terrible at keeping up with what I learnt. I’ve pledged to practice a bit everyday now!

Also read: Unusual Solo Travel Destinations to Feed Your Adventurous Spirit

Document your past adventures

I still have tons of untold stories from my travels over the years. If you’re a travel writer, blogger, photographer, Instagrammer or any kind of storyteller, you’re probably full of stories too – and always wishing for more time to be able to tell them. Or perhaps you have a special interest in architecture, vegan food, wildlife, languages or something else – and you could combine that with your past travels to create unique stories.

All travel advice for Coronovirus suggests not going on a physical journey. But we can still journey into the recesses of our minds, relive some of our adventures and share them with the world. After all, we could all use a little break from the negative news out there!

Also read: How I’m Funding my Adventures Around the World Through Travel Blogging

Binge watch the wonders of our planet

Many of us travel to witness the breathtaking beauty of nature and the cultural wonders of the world. Unfortunately both are fast disappearing.

Video streaming sites online are full of films and documentaries about our incredible planet, wildlife, remote cultures and more. Now is a good time to plug into them, both to feed our wanderlust and to remind ourselves what we stand to lose. Maybe the travel advice for coronavirus and this time away from the road, work, school, college and social gatherings can be a time to reflect on how we need to make better life and travel choices to collectively help the planet.

I’ve been meaning to finish watching One Strange Rock on Netflix, which explains the wonders of earth from the fascinating perspectives of astronauts. And start Our Planet, which documents the impact of climate change on the world’s most remote and vulnerable regions.

Also read: Tajikistan: A Country That’s Not on Your Travel Radar, But Should Be.

Support small responsible travel businesses virtually

As you can probably imagine, this is one of the worst times for the travel industry. March, otherwise peak travel season for many places around the world, has been a month of cancellations. April might go the same way, though I really hope not. Small business owners, family-run homestays, social enterprises and responsible tourism businesses will be some of the worst hit this year.

All travel advice for coronavirus suggests we can’t physically travel this month to support them or the work they do for local communities and environment conservation. But small gestures can go a long way. Leave them a heartfelt review on Google Reviews / TripAdvisor. Mention them on Instagram / Twitter. Recommend them to family and friends for future trips. When the coronavirus pandemic is behind us, they’ll need our tourism money the most. Let’s make sure they’re found, remembered and supported then!

Also read: Offbeat, Incredible and Sustainable – These Travel Companies are Changing the Way You Experience India

Work on your storytelling

Perhaps experimenting with writing, blogging, photography or videos has been on your mind for a long time. Or you still need to perfect some skills. I know I need to get better at editing videos. I could use some professional photography help, but my heart is only half in it. I still have a ton of SEO work to do on this blog. And there’s no end to becoming a better writer.

Here’s a silver lining for the travel advice for coronavirus: Use the time you would’ve spent travelling or socializing, to work on something that might enable you to travel or work on the go in the future!

Also read: Advice for the Young and Penniless Who Want to Travel

International travel is out. But should you travel domestically now?

Many of you have reached out to ask for my travel advice for coronavirus with respect to domestic travel in India (and elsewhere). I think it’s a bad idea. For several reasons:

It’s just not fun. I felt an inexplicable anxiety during the last two days of my recent Chhattisgarh trip. Hearing someone cough sent a shiver down my spine. The last thing I wanted was to have to put myself in self-isolation in someone’s homestay or in a soulless hotel. Or worse, be quarantined in a government facility.

The fear of carrying the virus to a remote part of India. The idea of travelling from urban India – where the majority of coronavirus cases are (in Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Kochi etc) – to rural India is a scary one. Imagine if we have the virus but the symptoms haven’t yet shown up. We could be carrying it to small villages where medical facilities are rare and self-isolation is difficult because entire families live in a single room. It’ll be mayhem.

The fear of infecting people more vulnerable to the virus. People over 60 and those with respiratory issues seem to be the most vulnerable to the coronavirus. We can’t risk being the vectors infecting them.

Flights, buses and trains can be coronavirus hotbeds. Given how infectious the coronavirus seems to be, being stuck among scores of people in a closed environment is a big no-no.

It’s best to postpone all international and domestic travel atleast until April (maybe longer, depending on how things turn out). We need to avoid busy places, public transport and any physical contact. We must constantly wash and sanitise our hands. And if we have even the mildest symptoms of fever, cough, cold or flu, we absolutely must stay at home and follow official protocols!

How has coronavirus affected your travel plans? If you run a travel business, what’s it been like for you?

Also read:

11 Tips to Ease Your Transition Into a Vegan Lifestyle

Incredible Experiences That’ll Make You Fall in Love With Uzbekistan

Should Travel Bloggers and Influencers Voice Their Political Opinions?

The post How to Indulge Your Wanderlust During the Coronavirus Pandemic. appeared first on The Shooting Star.

How to Indulge Your Wanderlust During the Coronavirus Pandemic. published first on https://airriflelab.tumblr.com

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personally-content-blog · 8 years ago

Text

03.09.17

So I decided to start a blog today so I can see in reflection how much I’ve grown over the years. I think it’s very important to self-reflect because if you don’t realize what you’re doing wrong you’ll obviously always do wrong. Doing what is right for yourself is different for everyone and we all have to take the journey. Some take 25 years, others 40, and sadly enough some will never get there. This life is what you make of it and this is what I’m making of mine. I don’t know exactly what this blog will amount to. If I’ll post every day or once a week or once a month who knows but what the hell here we go.

I turned 19 this year and am a sophomore at Davidson College so I have a lot of life to live in the next few years and I’m overly excited for it. As a precursor this blog may be a bit depressing at times but that’s all on the “Road to Greatness” right? I’m at a time right now where I have to decide what to do with the rest of my life and I don’t think that’s a decision a 19-year-old should have to make but here we are. I have two roads to go down. One, which is my original plan, is going to med school and becoming the greatest neurosurgeon to grace this earth with my cure for Alzheimer’s disease. I just want to be able to fix the most intricate and complex machine in the world, the brain, but I really don’t see myself in school that long, or taking out that many student loans, or going to the military for them to pay for med school so my chances of achieving those uncontainable 9-year-old dreams seems ever so dwindling. Plus, the fact that doctors are getting paid less and less each year when it’s harder and harder to become one. On the other hand, I love everything dealing with math and money so economics always enticed me as a major. I’m in ‘Intro to Economics’ and it has proven to be very interesting to me. Seeing how economies are affected by different markets, both domestic and international, makes me have a greater understanding how the world around me works and being aware of your environment is of great importance. So I was thinking maybe I could combine the two and go into hospital management – be the unprecedented, just hospital owner who actually gives a shit about patient care and his employees over having $600K stashed into his bank account every year. I’m on spring break right now so I’m trying to get ahead on my work so I have nothing to do when I get back and also have started a book called “After Dark” by a Japanese author named Haruki Murakami. Julia recommended it to me so I called the library and had it in my hands within 20 minutes. It is quite descriptive and it’s all about one night in Tokyo or so I hear so I am very intrigued.

Hmm other things to include… I guess I should recap things that have happened in the past year or so. I did shitty my freshman year of college. Like really shitty. 1.3 GPA to be exact on the level of shitty I’m talking about when I say I did shitty my freshman year of college. Super shitty. Everything just seemed to go wrong. For one I was just overly immature. I didn’t think I had to work for what I achieved and I really didn’t want to either. I felt privileged to just get A’s and B’s. I fell in ‘love’ with my best friend back home (it was just emotional dependency) and she didn’t feel the same way but I stayed friends with her because “it wasn’t fair for her to lose her best friend because she didn’t have the same feelings for me” which I understand but when does it become fair for me? That lasted until Christmas and I didn’t talk to her from then until July of the following year so just emotional roller coaster on that front from September to the end of the spring semester. Then there was the pressure from my parents. My father said he wouldn’t pay for my college unless I have a 3.5 or above, volunteer at least 20 hours a semester, have a job, and be active in clubs on campus (to be blunt he is not paying for my college) while Mom just kept telling me “You have to become a doctor YOU HAVE TO become a doctor YOU HAVE TO BECOME A DOCTOR” and she always wanted me to be more than I was at that particular moment so I stopped caring what she thought of me as a whole and even what I thought of myself. I mean, if anything you do just doesn’t amount to good enough your whole life then you just think you’re worthless. To further this, I really didn’t think I had anyone on campus who really cared about me. I felt like I was so alone and just stranded, that no one on earth could ever help me so I locked myself in my room, smoked more weed than one ever should, and played computer games – just doing enough work to not fail my courses. There was never a time last year that I could feel good about myself and I still have so many self-destructive habits I almost feel bad for anyone that’s close with me because they have to deal with it too. Near the end of the school year (starting on April 25th and exactly 19 days before I left campus last year but who was counting?), I met a wonderful girl named Athena Maria Kalamaras who just blew my world out of proportion. I honestly think she saved me from failing my courses now that I think about it. We would do everything and anything possible together and I wanted to because it meant being around her, beside her, with her. The last two weeks there was not an hour that went by that we didn’t see each other. I would study by her while she was working, study by her when she was studying, eat across from her when she was eating, and even sleep beside her when she was sleeping (just friendly don’t worry Mom). I remember we stayed up all night before she had her flight back to Greece because we thought sleeping was even a waste of time. We had realized how much time we had wasted just watching Netflix when we should have spent real time with one another and we just wanted to lay there staring into the abyss that was one another. It was a beautiful thing. We went to see the sun rise and I took her to the airport for her 9 am flight. I cried like a baby. Soon I fell for her and would stay up until 6 am to talk to her while she was working in Switzerland because I never wanted her to be alone. Would wake up at 8 am to talk to her again and then nap in the afternoon while she was asleep. This girl took over my life in ways I never imagined and my friends hated her because I would hang out with them once a week and ditch them all the time for a “computer screen”. George even started calling my phone and my computer Athena. She came at the end of June and everything was fine but everything after was downhill. When she was with friends and family in Greece she seemed annoyed with me and when she was in Japan she just didn’t make time for me. I went to visit her in Greece over Christmas and New Years and she had already fallen in love with an Australian boy so I’m heartbroken and mad at myself now. I spent countless hours trying to make her happy and upwards of $5,000 in the last few months and it has amounted to good memories, lessons learned, and a few great Greek friends. In the end I think we both gave it our all and it was not meant to be but I will always remember her and hope to always care for both her and her family. For now, I’m just angry with her and I think that’s okay. I took last semester off from school to mature and realize how to be responsible. I think I mastered my goal to an extent because the transition has been noticed by almost everyone on how I handle myself and what life brings at me. I made about $6,000 and spent half of that going to Greece and spent the other half by mid-February so I can’t wait to start working this summer. Right now I would say best friends are (this is not in order so don’t get offended people) Kei Kurosu, Stefanos Kalamaras, Julia Vining, Luki Elizalde, Jack Kennedy, James Gerdy, Keith Cox, George Georgiev, Ryan Giggey, and Sydney Westmoreland.

Just a note so I say it at least once. Life is absolutely wonderful. It’s the most beautiful thing this world has to offer you. Please please please live with a purpose. Live for yourself and make the people around you happy. Give everything you have to the people that deserve it. Happiness is the best gift you can give someone. A real genuine smile that you made will bring you so much more fulfillment than clothes, cars, sex, you name it. And if you’re ever feeling like you don’t have a single soul that will understand you, people say I’m very understanding and quite easy to talk to. I love hearing stories and helping so bold move coming up: 910.777.1728. Cheers!

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recentnews18-blog · 6 years ago

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New Post has been published on https://shovelnews.com/mo-amer-arab-american-stand-up-on-doing-comedy-in-donald-trumps-america/

Mo Amer: Arab-American stand-up on doing comedy in Donald Trump's America

For a Muslim American stand-up, than can be few better comedic breaks than being upgraded on an international flight and finding yourself sitting next to Donald Trump’s second son. Especially, if it happens while the president-elect is rumoured to be planning to introduce a so-called Muslim travel ban.

Mohammed “Mo” Amer immediately recognised both the unlikeliness, and comic potential of the moment. After asking Eric Trump to pose with him for a selfie, Amer quickly posted the image on social media, with the words: “Good news guys Muslims will not have to check in and get IDs. That’s what I was told. I will be asking him a lot of questions on this trip to Glasgow, Scotland. Sometimes God just sends you the material.” The post very quickly went viral.

Two years on, and with a travel ban against several Muslim-majority nations in place after a bitter legal fight over Executive Order 13780, Amer still scratches his head over his encounter with Trump on that flight from Newark to Glasgow, and the upgrade he jokes must have been arranged by a “Hillary Clinton supporter”.

It was “a surreal experience”, he tells The Independent, saying that Trump’s son told him not too believe “everything you read”, but who did not flinch as he was quizzed about the threats his father had made on the White House campaign trail to ban Muslims from entering the US.

In many respects, the description of the encounter en route to Scotland to begin a UK tour – painfully awkward, honest and brutally funny – sums up a large part of much of Amer’s approach to comedy, as he reveals the travails and challenges of migrants to America, especially Muslims.

As a stand-up who has spent several years opening for Dave Chappelle, he says he tries not to derive too much of his material from Donald Trump – “he does not deserve that much attention” – who is a constant and rich source for many comedians. Yet, he cannot ignore the greater insecurity felt by by friends and relatives, and the poor international perception of the US, since the president’s election win. “We’re supposed to be the global example.”

The 37-year-old recently recorded a live show at Austin’s Paramount Theatre for a Netflix special, The Vagabond. In it, hopping around the stage and constantly dabbing at his brow, Amer recalls the years spent travelling the world as a comedian with only a “travel document” rather than a passport, entertaining US and coalition troops in Iraq and Kuwait, and trying to explain to Japanese immigration officials his profession. (The only US comedian they had heard of was the disgraced Bill Cosby.)

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After his family of Palestinian origin fled Kuwait after the first Gulf War, and moved to Houston, it took him almost 20 years to get citizenship. That struggle, provides a rich vein of material that is both funny and sad.

One of Amer’s talents is a gift for mimicry and accents – a British customs official, a US soldier from Alabama, the Chinese-American woman who is thrilled when he finally wins citizenship, the Latino Houston gang member who cannot decide whether he is one of them or not. All are voices and personas he deploys, apparently without offending anyone, and which people of different ethnic backgrounds are able to laugh out loud at.

Speaking Arabic and Spanish, as well as English, helps. So does his conversational, almost confessional style. Somehow, an entire theatre can laugh, as he mimics himself threatening to blow up a plane as he recalls heaving with frustration being forced to go through the same ritual of his travel document not being recognised every time he flew.

“It was just something I did. It was not something I ever practiced,” Amer says of ability to switch from (mock) British, to (mock) German to real Houstonian. “I just did it. And I started doing different ones, and they worked.”

leftCreated with Sketch. rightCreated with Sketch.

1/50 19 November 2018

A view of the Fuego volcano eruption at sunrise, seen from El Rodeo, Escuintla, Guatemala. More than 2,000 people were evacuated from several villages due to the strong eruption, located 50 kilometers west of the Guatemalan capital

EPA

2/50 18 November 2018

French President Emmanuel Macron is applauded after speaking before the Bundestag (lower house of parliament) as the German parliament commemorates victims of wars and dictatorships in Berlin. The leaders of France and Germany jointly remember the victims of European wars, presenting also a united front in countering global turmoil stoked by US President Donald Trump

AFP/Getty

3/50 17 November 2018

People wearing yellow vests, a symbol of a French drivers’ nationwide protest against higher fuel prices, block the Paris-Brussels motorway in Haulchin, France

Reuters

4/50 16 November 2018

People hold banners of Jamal Khashoggi during a symbolic funeral prayer for the Saudi journalist, killed and dismembered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October, at the courtyard of Fatih mosque in Istanbul. Turkey has more evidence contradicting the Saudi version of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi including a second audio recording, revealing that the murder had been premeditated, a Turkish newspaper reported on November 16, a contradiction to the statement of the Saudi prosecutor who said that five Saudi officials faced the death penalty on charges of killing Khashoggi but exonerated the country’s powerful Crown Prince of involvement in the murder

AFP/Getty

5/50 15 November 2018

Alexei Navalny leaves the European Court of Human Rights today. The court has ruled that Russia’s repeated arrests of Navalny were politically motivated

6/50 14 November 2018

A crew member escorts a migrant child out of a plane transporting a group of 51 migrants from Niger, entitled to international protection, after its landing at the Mario De Bernardi military airport in Pratica di Mare, south of Rome

AFP/Getty

7/50 13 November 2018

Palestinians gather in front of damaged buildings in Gaza City following Israeli air strikes targeting the area overnight. Israel’s aircraft struck Gaza on November 12, killing three Palestinians and wounding nine after a barrage of rocket fire into its territory from the enclave. The flare-up came after a deadly Israeli special forces operation in the Gaza Strip, at the weekend, that left Hamas vowing revenge

AFP/Getty

8/50 12 November 2018

Floral tributes outside Melbourne’s Pellegrini’s Cafe for Sisto Malaspina, after he was stabbed to death last Friday in an attack police have called an act of terrorism, in Australia

Reuters

9/50 11 November 2018

Heads of states and world leaders attend ceremonies at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Over 60 heads of state and government were taking part in a solemn ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the mute and powerful symbol of sacrifice to the millions who died from 1914-18

10/50 10 November 2018

Firefighters push down a wall while battling against a burning apartment complex in Paradise, north of Sacramento, California. A rapidly spreading, late-season wildfire in northern California has burned 20,000 acres of land and prompted authorities to issue evacuation orders for thousands of people. As many as 1000 homes, a hospital, a Safeway store and scores of other structures have burned in the area as the Camp fire tore through the region

AFP/Getty

11/50 9 November 2018

A Fly Jamaica plane en route to Toronto crash lands at an airport in Guyana following a technical problem. At least six passengers were injured

Cheddi Jagan International Airport

12/50 8 November 2018

An FBI agent talks to a potential witness as they stand near the scene Thursday in Thousand Oaks, California. where a gunman opened fire Wednesday inside a country dance bar crowded with hundreds of people on “college night,” wounding 11 people including a deputy who rushed to the scene. Ventura County sheriff’s spokesman says gunman is dead inside the bar.

13/50 7 November 2018

Democratic congressional candidate Ilhan Omar is celebrates with her husband’s mother after she won a congress place during the US midterm elections. In doing do she became the first-joint Muslim woman to be elected into congress alongside Rashida Tlaib

Reuters

14/50 6 November 2018

Voters cast their ballots at the Tuttle Park Recreation Center polling location in Columbus, Ohio. Across the US, voters headed to the polls in one of the most high-profile midterm elections in years

15/50 5 November 2018

Members of the group Your Vote Matters encourage people to vote before an event hosted by US Senator Claire McCaskill as she campaigns for the US Senate in Saint Louis, Missour. McCaskill, a Democrat, faces a challenge from Republican Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley in the November general election

EPA

16/50 4 November 2018

Police officers and rescuers work at the site of where a truck ploughed into cars at a toll booth in Lanzhou in China’s northwestern Gansu province. The out-of-control truck crashed into a 31-car lineup and killed 15 people, with 44 injured

AFP/Getty

17/50 3 November 2018

Simone Biles on the podium with her gold medal from the floor exercise at the gymnastics world championships. She became the most decorated female gymnast in world’s history, as well as, becoming the first American to win a medal in every event at the competition

AFP/Getty

18/50 2 November 2018

A Salvadorean migrant with a girl walks next to Guatemalan policemen as they approach the Guatemala-Mexico international border bridge in Ciudad Tecun Uman. Accoring to the Salvadorean General Migration Directorate, over 1,700 Salvadoreans left the country in two caravans and entered Guatemala Wednesday, in an attempt to reach the US

AFP/Getty

19/50 1 November 2018

Google employees hold signs outside 14th street park after walking out as part of a global protest over claims of sexual harassment, gender inequality and systemic racism at the tech giant

Reuters

20/50 31 October 2018

The “Statue of Unity” portraying Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, one of the founding fathers of India, during its inauguration in Kevadia, in the western state of Gujarat, India

Reuters

21/50 30 October 2018

A scavenger collects recyclable materials along the breakwater amid strong waves as weather patterns from Typhoon Yutu affect Manila Bay. Fierce winds sheared off roofs and snapped trees in half, after thousands were evacuated ahead of the powerful storm’s arrival

AFP/Getty

22/50 29 October 2018

Rescue team members collecting the remains of the crashed plane at Tanjung Priok Harbour, Indonesia. A Lion Air flight JT-610 lost contact with air traffic controllers soon after takeoff then crashed into the sea. The flight was en route to Pangkal Pinang, and reportedly had 189 people onboard

EPA

23/50 28 October 2018

A supporter of Workers’ Party presidential candidate Fernando Haddad embraces a fellow weeping supporter, after learning that rival Jair Bolsonaro was declared the winner in the Brazil presidential runoff election. Addressing supporters in Sao Paulo, Haddad did not concede or even mention Bolsonaro by name. Instead, his speech was a promise to resist

24/50 27 October 2018

First responders surround the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, where a shooter opened fire, wounding three police officers and killing eleven

25/50 26 October 2018

Broward County Sheriff’s office have released a photo of Cesar Sayoc, the suspect who was arrested in connection with the pipe bombs that have been sent to several high profile Democrats and critics of President Trump over the course of this week

26/50 25 October 2018

East Island in Hawaii has been swallowed by the sea following Hurricane Walaka

US Fish and Wildlife Service

27/50 24 October 2018

Police officers stand outside the home of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after a “functional explosive device” was attemptedly delivered to the couple

28/50 23 October 2018

Turkey’s President Erdogan today accused Saudi Arabia of plotting the ‘savage’ murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi

29/50 22 October 2018

Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison (C) delivers a national apology to child sex abuse victims in the House of Representatives in Parliament House in Canberra on October 22, 2018. – Morrison on October 22 issued an emotive apology to children who suffered sexual abuse, saying the state had failed to protect them from “evil dark” crimes committed over decades

AFP/Getty

30/50 21 October 2018

A derailed train in Yian, eastern Taiwan. At least 17 people died after the derailment

CNA/AFP/Getty

31/50 20 October 2018

US President Donald Trump waves as he boards Marine One after a “Make America Great” rally in Mesa, Arizona on October 19, 2018. – US President Donald Trump said Friday, October 19, 2018, that he found credible Saudi Arabia’s assertion that dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi died as a result of a fight

AFP/Getty

32/50 19 October 2018

A Palestinian youth runs past a rolling burning tire during clashes with Israeli forces following a demonstration after the weekly Friday prayers, in the centre of the occupied West Bank city of Hebron

AFP/Getty

33/50 18 October 2018

Honduran migrants heading in a caravan to the United States, leave Guatemala City. US President Donald Trump threatened to send the military to close its southern border if Mexico fails to stem the “onslaught” of migrants from Central America, in a series of tweets that blamed Democrats ahead of the midterm elections

AFP/Getty

34/50 17 October 2018

Smoke billows following an Israeli air strike around the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah. Israel launched raids against targets in the Gaza strip in response to rocket fire from the Palestinian territory that caused damage in a southern city, the Israeli army said

AFP/Getty

35/50 16 October 2018

Ecuador has issued a list of rules to Julian Assange, the famous resident of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. The list included cleaning the bathroom, not commenting on foreign political affairs online and taking better care of his cat (pictured). The document states that failure to comply with these rules “could lead to the termination of the diplomatic asylum granted by the Ecuadorian state”

Reuters

36/50 15 October 2018

Israeli soldiers hurl tear gas grenades during clashes following Israeli order to shut down the al-Lubban/al-Sawiyeh school near the west bank city of Nablus, 15 October 2018. According to local sources, 20 Palestinians were wounded during clashes as dozens try to defiance the Israeli order to shut down the school

EPA

37/50 14 October 2018

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic kisses the trophy after winning his men’s final singles match against Croatia’s Borna Coric at the Shanghai Masters. Djokovic, who has now won four titles this season, will move up one ranking spot to No. 2, pushing Roger Federer back to No. 3

AFP/Getty

38/50 13 October 2018

Demonstrators raising red painted hands and a placard reading “we must change the system not the climate” referring to the need to stop climate change during a march in Bordeaux, southwestern France

AFP/Getty

39/50 12 October 2018

Spanish Unionist demonstrators carry Spanish flags during a demonstration on Spain’s National Day in Barcelona

Reuters

40/50 11 October 2018

Russia has halted all crewed space flights following the failed launch of the Soyuz MS-10 rocket (pictured). Investigations in to the rocket’s malfunction are ongoing

Reuters

41/50

People look on at a damaged store after Hurricane Michael passed through Panama City, Florida. A Category 4 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph, was the most powerful storm ever to hit the Florida Panhandle

Getty

42/50 9 October 2018

The Darul Muttaqien Mosque was the heart of the community for many in Palu. A lot of the victims were inside their homes or at the mosque when the quake struck. Magareb prayer for many, was their last. Paddy Dowling travelled with UK based charity Muslim Aid to the disaster areas of North Sulawesi to witness the scale of Indonesia’s earthquake & tsunami. They are the only British NGO delivering aid out in Palu through local partners

Paddy Dowling

43/50 8 October 2018

People take part in a candle-light vigil in memory of Bulgarian TV journalist Viktoria Marinova in Ruse

Reuters

44/50 7 October 2018

Supporters of Jair Bolsonaro, presidential candidate with the Social Liberal Party, celebrate in front of his house during the general elections in Rio. The far-right congressman, who waxes nostalgically about the dictatorship, won the vote but not an outright victory. The second-round-run-off will be between Bolsoanro and the leftist Workers’ party Fernando Haddad

45/50 6 October 2018

Demonstrators hold a banner that reads “freedom of the press, not allowed to be trampled” and “shame on the governments vindictive move” past a symbolic ‘political red line’ during a protest after Hong Kong immigration authorities declined a visa renewal for senior Financial Times journalist Victor Mallet, outside the immigration department building in Hong Kong. Hong Kong’s decision to effectively blacklist a senior Financial Times journalist required an “urgent explanation”, the UK said

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Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege and Yazidi campaigner Nadia Murad announced as the winners of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize. The pair were awarded the honour “for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict.”

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Dutch security services expel Russian spies over plot targeting chemical weapons watchdog. This picture shows the four GRU officers who entered the Netherlands at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport on April 10, travelling on official Russian passports. On April 13 they parked a car carrying specialist hacking equipment outside the headquarters of the OPCW in The Hague. At that point the Dutch counter-terrorism officers intervened to disrupt the operation and the four GRU officers were ordered to leave the country

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Quake survivors make their way past a washed out passenger ferry in Wani, Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi, after an earthquake and tsunami hit the area on September 28. Nearly 1,400 people are now known to have died as UN officials warned the “needs remain vast” for both desperate survivors and rescue teams still searching for victims

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US first lady Melania Trump holds a baby during a visit to a hospital in Accra, Ghana. The first lady is visiting Africa on her first big solo international trip, aiming to make child well-being the focus of a five-day, four-country tour

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Indian school children dressed like Mahatma Gandhi perform yoga during a event at a school in Chennai ahead of his birth anniversary. Indians all over the country celebrate Gandhi’s birthday on October 2

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People wearing yellow vests, a symbol of a French drivers’ nationwide protest against higher fuel prices, block the Paris-Brussels motorway in Haulchin, France

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Alexei Navalny leaves the European Court of Human Rights today. The court has ruled that Russia’s repeated arrests of Navalny were politically motivated

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Floral tributes outside Melbourne’s Pellegrini’s Cafe for Sisto Malaspina, after he was stabbed to death last Friday in an attack police have called an act of terrorism, in Australia

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A Fly Jamaica plane en route to Toronto crash lands at an airport in Guyana following a technical problem. At least six passengers were injured

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Voters cast their ballots at the Tuttle Park Recreation Center polling location in Columbus, Ohio. Across the US, voters headed to the polls in one of the most high-profile midterm elections in years

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Google employees hold signs outside 14th street park after walking out as part of a global protest over claims of sexual harassment, gender inequality and systemic racism at the tech giant

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The “Statue of Unity” portraying Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, one of the founding fathers of India, during its inauguration in Kevadia, in the western state of Gujarat, India

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First responders surround the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, where a shooter opened fire, wounding three police officers and killing eleven

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East Island in Hawaii has been swallowed by the sea following Hurricane Walaka

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Police officers stand outside the home of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after a “functional explosive device” was attemptedly delivered to the couple

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Turkey’s President Erdogan today accused Saudi Arabia of plotting the ‘savage’ murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi

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A derailed train in Yian, eastern Taiwan. At least 17 people died after the derailment

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Spanish Unionist demonstrators carry Spanish flags during a demonstration on Spain’s National Day in Barcelona

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Russia has halted all crewed space flights following the failed launch of the Soyuz MS-10 rocket (pictured). Investigations in to the rocket’s malfunction are ongoing

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People take part in a candle-light vigil in memory of Bulgarian TV journalist Viktoria Marinova in Ruse

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Amer says the shows require rigorous preparation, something he learned from his friend, Chappelle. This was especially true for the hour-long, curse-filled live show, filmed in Houston, with his mother seated in the front row and for which The Roots provided original music.

“It’s hard work. But as long as you have them engaged….I know I’m funny,” he says. The worst fear for a comedian, the one thing every one dreads, he says, is a silent audience.

For all the cultural differences between the many audiences he has performed for around the world, Amer says he believes comedians can be – or even should be – global even in their appeal.

“I’ve never had any issues with this,” he says. “My mentor in Houston said to me to be universal. At that point, it was in the US. And you had to be a funny in west Texas as you are in New York City.

“That rang true globally for me. The only thing is that in some [places] Jo-Burg was one, they don’t get the set-up.”

Amer, who is set to begin work with comedian Ramy Youssef on a series that explores the life of a first-generation American Muslim in New Jersey, believes stand-up comedy is enjoying “a golden age”.

He likens improv comedy to jazz, or even hip hop, an art form that has only been around 25 years so. And like self-starting musicians, he says comedians are also seizing the opportunities presented to them by the surging interest in platform such as YouTube.

“YouTube has helped people become very funny,” he says. “And there are no commercials.”

Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/comedy/news/mo-mohammed-amer-netflix-the-vagabond-netfix-muslim-comedian-stand-up-trump-eric-trump-upgrade-a8642031.html

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nini-bear · 8 years ago

Text

I DIED LAST NIGHT

i saw my man kai last night, which was great, but it was a horrible night

i am NEVER, EVER, going to stand in the mosh pit again in my entire life. Before I go on my rant session, keep in mind that I’m 5′4 (which is average-tall height for girls in Hong Kong) and I weigh 103 pounds.

The concert starts at 7pm, but I got to the venue at around 2:00 as the queueing for the standing area starts at 3pm and the doors open at approximately 5pm.

Once I got there, I was in a great mood. My period just ended, I just had amazing bibimbap, and I was ready to buy some merch. I came with 3 other girls and we went to other concerts before (got7, seventeen) and we had a great time. I walked around to buy merch, but the security guards were kind of strict, so they kept shoo-ing off the people who were selling things outside of the venue (maybe it’s illegal because it was practically right next to the bus stop and it was very crowded) So when we got there, there weren’t many things open, and if there was, it was for fanmade cards that were free (but had ridiculously long lines for). So after an hour of looking around, we had to line up to get in.

Thankfully we were like the first 20 people in line for the DOOR to the queueing area (we were #463-466 out of like 1000 from our block, but the lines go by 100s, so 400-500). Because we were so early, we were the first one in our area. Two of us sat down to keep our spots, while another girl and i went out to look for things to buy again. The two girls that stayed behind because they already had light sticks (and they were going tomorrow as well) , but I didn’t get one yet.

It took an unbelievably long amount of time to even find a person that was selling a real lightstick. I had to download this app to verify that it was real, but my bluetooth wasn’t working properly, so we had to find a girl who previously purchased it from the same woman to test it out on her phone. (TLDR; buying for stuff was a mess, but I ended up buying quite a few things (I spent approximately $600 HKD). There were several selling areas for merch (two in indoor arenas that were as big as our concert hall, and one outdoors) so it took a while to navigate around all three areas and buy things.

It didn’t feel like 1.5 hours, but 1.5 hours passed already, and by the time we went back to our line to meet up with the other girls it was already 4:30. (At that point we didnt know that the doors would open at 5:00) so I was panicking as I still had quite a lot of things to do before I went in. Having an anxiety attack during this time didn’t help either. I had to gulp down my kimbap (dinner at 4:30 is not very easy to digest either), run to the bathroom, and run up 4 flights of stairs and quite a long distance to buy a locker to store all the merch we bought. Thankfully, I’m not that unathletic, so the running was easy to do. I ended up not going to the bathroom because I didn’t have time. We were finally released from our area and could line up to go into the arena.

I sprinted inside and me and my friends split in in pairs (me and 1 friend stayed in the middle, and the other two went off to the right, as our biases were mostly in those regions for the show). There was still 2 hours until the concert could start, but we all had to stand during that time period, and people were already pushing and screaming at each other. Many girls were wearing down jackets and thick-ass sweaters, and because our bodies were practically stuck to each other, heat generated quickly. I wore a T-Shirt (one of the best decisions I made) and I wasn’t that hot, but I’m VERY sensitive to heat so I was already a little sweaty.

We were all so close to each other, that when one person moved, the entire crowd of 1000 people would move, and therefore many waves were formed. I tried to move my backpack from the back to the front to get my kimbap, phone charger, and lip balm out, and a few girls behind me seemed irritated at that. I’m claustrophobic, and it was hard to breathe, so before the concert even started I already was not in the best condition.

After standing for two hours, attempting to eat my oily af kimbap, and unsuccessfully watching Netflix inside the arena, the concert was about to start. I was so close to this girl, I felt like I was grinding her (I didn’t want to do that, but the people behind me was pushing a lot). I’m not sure exactly how many rows there ended up being, but I was on the 4th or 5th row at the beginning of the concert.

These two Chinese girls behind us were trying to communicate with this girl from Japan and trying to tell her not to push and to step back. The japanese girl replied in Korean, and spoke minimal english as well, while the Chinese girls spoke Korean, and EXTREMELY minimal english. They expressed that they didn’t know how to say “DONT PUSH” in english, which is ridiculous, because english is taught in ALL schools in Hong Kong (BOTH public & private). So I had to mediate between them and speak in a mixture of all four languages just to help them talk.

[Okay, before I start ranting about the concert I need to clarify that I’m usually a really positive person- but crowds are just not my thing. Also, why the HECK do people freak out and try to take PICTUREs of VCRs???? All of the VCRs are online, and it’s literally a video of them. We can all rewatch VCRs as many times as we want and it would be the same at home or in the arena...]

The concert started and people were screaming. I screamed too, but I wanted to save my voice, and I was too excited and happy to even make a sound. I couldnt raise both my arms up, unlike what I wanted to do (one hand- phone, other hand- lightstick) because there was not enough space, so I had to switch in between each hand.

If you haven’t seen the floorplan of the exo’rdium in hong kong, feel free to look at it now to get a better grasp of what i’m trying to say later. As I said, I was in block C, so it was the absolutely FARTHEst away section from where EXO comes and begins their songs, and it’s not until the 4th song (White Noise) in which they even move remotely closer to us.

If I counted a number of minutes I actually saw them with my own eyes, it would probably be less than 5 minutes. As I previously stated, I’m a little above the average height, but EVERYONE probably wore heels that day because I felt short AF and I could barely see anything. Hands were in my way, and other people’s hair was all over my face. People were yanking on my hair so many times, my feet were being trampled on, and some girl even tried to crawl on TOP of me to get closer to them. I moved around so many times- there was a point where I was on the 8th row, and another where I was on the 2nd. I felt like I was being punched several times in the gut when Chanyeol was near (he’s the most popular in HK).

Whenever Kai came over, I tried to scream his name and get his attention, but he just so happened to always merely glance over my area and I was always being pushed down RIGHT at the moment that Kai would look at me. I got a LOT of footage, so I’ll upload it sometime later and link it back onto this post. During the concert, I reached a sudden moment of realization, and I felt so depressed. I realized that out there, there are so many other girls in the world, who feel the same way about these boys, whom I have idolized and prioritized over so many things in life that are more important. I suddenly felt like I lost all hope and that I should give up on my dreams of ever trying to even get physically closer to them. But then I suddenly saw Kai dancing impromptu to Drop That. All of the boys looked like they were having the time of their lives, and I could sense that they felt energized by us, regardless of the fact that they were probably extremely tired from jumping around and dancing during the performance. After seeing that, I was so happy, and I remembered all of the time I spent devoted to these boys and how just one movement of them made me so happy. It also really helped that during the ment, they tried to dab and whip and do all these ridiculous moves. It made my heart feel so much lighter.

The friend that I was with was super nice. She was taller than me, so she stood behind me for a portion of the concert to block people that was pushing me. She’s like an older sister of mine (even though we’re only 2 months apart), and she kept asking if I was okay, because she knew I was claustrophobic. She helped me take things in and out of my bag, held my hand, and always smiled at me. If she wasn’t there to sing along to the songs with and FREAK out whenever one of them came close, I think I would have left the arena.

THIS GIRL behind me KEPT saying unnecessary things and was complaining about everything (losing her backup camera battery, when people behind her pushed her, and even when someone from another section would be fighting) it annoyed me so much, and I swore many times in my head (I don't swear often).

I’m not sure if it's the post-concert/ during-concert depression, but after feeling so abused by the mob of fellow teenage fangirls, I’ve only had negative feelings towards my experience. I only felt happy when I was watching back the footage that I took last night, which I didn’t even get to see with my own eyes (I held up my arms really high just to take it, and my arms are still so sore). My entire body aches in places that I didn’t even know could ache. I came back home with bloody toes as people were stepping on them. EXO is ALREADY leaving tonight, and I don’t know when the next time I will see them will be. I’m going to college to September, so I’m praying that they will come to LA.

I went to exo’luXion on august 2015 and I sat in row Y. Even though it was far, and I went with my sister, who barely knows exo, I could easily say that I had a better time back then (even though they didn’t perform my favorite song that time, and performed it this time- thunder).

LESSON LEARNED: I am NEVER buying a standing ticket for a K-pop concert again.

#Exordium #exo'rdium #exordium in hong kong #mine #exo #exo hong kong #kai #nin bear

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