#ice cream van Sydney

[paradiseicecream]

Satisfying Cravings on Wheels: The Irresistible Allure of Ice Cream Vans in Sydney

From the following I met different tourists in the lifted brown and yellow fields where sun continuously shines during the hot summer, and there is no place like Sydney ice cream van where you will hear the sound of ding dong when playing the song. Ice cream van: This colourful treat wagon with its happy music and delicious ice cream is the darling of Sydney, full of excitement and happiness for children and adults. Here in this article we shall see how ice cream vans quell the kinds’ ice cream cravings and indeed turn moments into special memories in Sydney. ice cream van Sydney

A tempting symphony on wheels German automobile manufacturer Volkswagen AG wants to make cars as attractive as possible to millions of people around the world.

Something about the ice cream van which is not just in the ice cream but in the role it plays in the community and to the children. To create this atmosphere the ray of melody of the ice cream van adding blended into the environment starts rising in the neighbourhood street. Be it candies, chocolates or a cookie jar, children abandon whatever game they are playing or whatever they are doing at the moment and they run towards the window, their faces full of anticipation of getting a sweet feast. Larger grown-up selves also get a rush of fondly recalling their childhood and trying to catch a hold of the ice cream van.

This ‘fascial bouquet’, as Grinde and Montgomery described it, represents ‘a diverse array of delights’.

There are also those that are refrigerated, and one of the most common attractions that an ice cream van offers is a great number of frozen items. If one wants a simple ice cream cone, a delightfully crunchy popsicle to beat the heat or a frozen gelato that melts slowly and releases its creaminess, then the ice cream van is the place to visit. Whether you have a taste for the classics such as chocolate and vanilla or new and unique flavours like mango sorbet and salted caramel, good news is you will never run out of options. To the seats of pram-tablets to choose meatless or dairy, gluten-free, and lactose-free ice cream for conscious eaters and vegans.

Enriching Those Moments of Joy Across the City

Another positive of the ice cream van is the way it brings excitement to the ordinarily dull days and moments of people. It could be a sunny Sunday walk in a park, a day on the sand at the seashore or a simple old fashioned barbecue in the neighbourhood and the presence of the ice cream van turns the occasion joyous, jovial and happy. It is easy to see the pride the owners have in their business and the tight-knit relationships the people have with their food truck. Children quickly discuss as it is their turn to pick, their eyes complemented with sparkling from delicious bright sprinkles and swirls of the gustative opportunity. Pre-occupation: None As they take the first bite, their shape instantly transforms and they feel a burst of happiness like no other.

This is a synoptic presentation of tradition and the earthly pleasures of old times.

It constitutes a nostalgic, and almost archaic element, in a changing and fast-paced society, where even ice creams are served in vehicles. To the number of residents of Sydney, the ice cream van symbolises childhood and freedom associated with the warm summer days and the sweets’ truck behind which you wanted to catch up, if only to get ice cream. It is the simplest kind of picture that depicts the happy moments in our life and that we should enjoy every moment at its best.

Ice cream vans are vehicles that are really popular in Great Britain, especially during the hot summer days, when people enjoy the delicious ice cream.

With ice cream vans so popular and Sydney being such a large metropolis, one will never have to go too far to find one serving their favourite tasty treat. Whichever part of Sydney you are in – whether you are walking through the CBD, sunbathing on Bondi Beach, or wandering through the bohemian districts of Newtown or the fashion-conscious Surry Hills areas – it is unlikely that you will have to wait long for an ice-cream van to pass by. In this concrete world listen for that comforting sound of bells and then search for the sound and what one will find is a world of lovely confections.

As a defining icon of Sydney – a city indexed by people for its culture, natural beauty, and nonchalant attitude – the ice cream van enjoys equal measure of adoration. The ice cream van offers more than simply sweet goodies – it delivers hope, hope to get back to the good old time when life seemed easier and people were happier, hope to be united with someone and share smiles over a vanilla cone. Which is why, the next time that you catch the melodic hum of the ice cream van, you should follow the music – because, captivated or not, it is always interesting what lies behind the next bend.

For more info visit here:- ice cream trucks near me

[healerqueen]

50 Favorite Children’s Books

Inspired by Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki’s list of his earliest literary influences. This list is limited to books I read in childhood or youth. 50 Childhood Favorites

Caddie Woodlawn and sequel by Carol Ryrie Brink

Winter Cottage by Carol Ryrie Brink

The Saturdays, The Four-Story Mistake, and sequels by Elizabeth Enright

Enemy Brothers by Constance Savery

The Reb and the Redcoats by Constance Savery

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham

Derwood, Inc. by Jeri Massi

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Heidi by Joanna Spyri

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher

The Wheel on the School by Meindert De Jong

All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor

Family Grandstand by Carol Ryrie Brink

Baby Island by Carol Ryrie Brink

Cheaper By the Dozen and sequel by Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

Rebecca’s War by Ann Finlayson

The Lost Baron by Allen French

Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

The Winged Watchman by Hilda Van Stockum

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

By the Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischman

Captive Treasure by Milly Howard

Toliver’s Secret by Esther Wood Brady

Silver for General Washington by Enid LaMonte Meadowcroft

Emil’s Pranks by Astrid Lindgren

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien

Hitty: Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field

Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois

Freddy the Detective and Freddy the Pig series by Walter R. Brooks

The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden

Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Robert Lawson

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

The Borrowers by Mary Norton

The Wombles by Elisabeth Beresford

Homer Price by Robert McCloskey

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne

Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi by Cindy Neuschwander and Wayne Geehan

Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George

The Bridge and Crown and Jewel by Jeri Massi

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

The Gammage Cup by Carol Kendall

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

Young Adult:

The Eagle of the Ninth and other books by Rosemary Sutcliff

The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

Ranger’s Apprentice by John Flanagan

Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George

Buffalo Brenda by Jill Pinkwater

The Arrival by Shaun Tan

Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio by Peg Kehret (a nonfiction memoir)

Picture Books:

Make Way for Ducklings and other books by Robert McCloskey

Go, Dog, Go by P.D. Eastman

Sam and the Firefly by P.D. Eastman

Robert the Rose Horse by Joan Heilbroner

Ice-Cream Larry by Daniel Pinkwater

Mr. Putter and Tabby by Cynthia Rylant

Discovered as an Adult: Seesaw Girl by Linda Sue Park

The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye

The Armourer’s House by Rosemary Sutcliff

Urchin of the Riding Stars and the Mistmantle Chronicles by M.I. McAllister

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes

Escape to West Berlin by Maurine F. Dahlberg

Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan

The Angel on the Square by Gloria Whelan

Courage in Her Hands by Iris Noble

Knight’s Fee by Rosemary Sutcliff

Victory at Valmy (Thunder of Valmy) by Geoffrey Trease

Word to Caesar (Message to Hadrian) by Geoffrey Trease

The Letter for the King by Tonke Dragt

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

The Reluctant Godfather by Allison Tebo

Seventh City by Emily Hayse

Escape to Vindor by Emily Golus

Valiant by Sarah McGuire

The Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Stewart

[visualnovelzombie]

Furry Visual Novel Book Club: Echo Week 15

Hi everyone, here is the SPOILER FREE discussion post for “Echo - TJ’s Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday”

Links: Previous - Next - Original - Spoiler Version

Feel free to respond in reblogs/replies/or asks :D

We begin from the route split by following after Tj, who ran off after Flynn’s tirade. The music cuts and we’re left with the sound of the river. We’re met with three options.

The first two will set Chase’s mood for the next bit of dialogue while the third will lock us out of Tj’s route, which is something we haven’t seen before. 

>Leave him be…

Chase narrates that he’s “not exactly graceful with this sort of thing, especially with TJ.”, and then decides to go with the others, giving us the options for the other route choices but not TJ’s.

>Say Something…”

Chase tries to comfort the lynx, but Tj doesn’t respond.

Until Finally…

>Say Nothing…

Chase sits next to Tj and starts breaking twigs in half, eventually annoying Tj. 

Chase asks TJ if he wants to go eat, and he responds with a firm ‘No.’ Until Finally…

>Reconvergence

Tj is upset Flynn was so mean in front of everyone. Chase comments that Tj is clearly frazzled because the lynx has allowed his fur to stay unkempt even after sitting by himself for a while. Chase comments that Tj’s inability to express himself fully is part of what’s dragging the Lynx down so much. The two continue to discuss Flynn’s tirade

Chase speculates that Flynn is after ‘more than the truth’, and we learn Tj saw Sydney drown. Tj becomes angry at Flynn, because the gila hadn’t realized how much the event affected Tj himself. Tj wishes he could go back to the day, and that he isn’t mad he didn’t save Sydney, he knows he couldn’t have… hinting at wanting something else. Chase glosses over that he could have probably saved Sydney from drowning if he was there.

Chase wants to help Tj with what happened, but says he needs to come to terms with it himself first. We’re treated to a brief flashback of the scene… Flynn drags Chase into the water, and forces the otter to get Sydney while Jenna and Leo try to help where they can.

Tj expresses being upset again, which makes Chase angry at Flynn for hurting Tj so much. Come Over begins to play, as Chase reminds Tj about their planned hike. The two plan their hike and talk about what their plans for school, promising to meet up one more time before graduating. The two return to the group who have packed everything in the van already. Leo asks if Tj is fine and after a satisfactory answer, is done with the conversation and heads off to work after dropping everyone else off at the motel.

The remaining four spend a lazy afternoon together before coming back to discussing Flynn. Carl tries to defend the lizard but Tj hard pivots the conversation to ice cream. When asked what his favorite flavor is, Chase’s head buzzes and he’s unable to think of an answer, blurting out Vanilla after a few moments. Chase’s headache gets worse and he’s unable to continue the conversation, and closes his eyes.. Very particular things happen over the next few lines:

Chase wakes on the couch, after some time has passed, indicated by the fade in, to the room being dark, Tj and Jenna in bed, with Carl on the floor asleep.

The scene fades to black, indicating some more time has passed. Chase is in bed next to Tj and is staring at the door.

We’re then met with a dream sequence… Before going into it I would like to point out the two previous scenes both took places at different times, indicated by the fadeouts, and that they were (most likely) NOT dreams. They don’t have the track associated with dreams playing in them, and Chase doesn’t ‘wake up’ from them into this one, like we’ve seen on Carl’s and Leo’s routes. Just bits of time are hard cut by the writing.

 Tj is drinking alcohol by the lake. He starts to run away after hearing something, but is eventually pulled back into the lake by a chain. Chase tries to help… but is also chained to the lake.

Chase and Tj are on their hike, with Tj trying to comfort the boiling otter.

After a terrible and awkward attempt at playful flirting, the two continue on their hike. Chase calls into question his understanding of Tj’s sexuality, realizing the two have never discussed it, and how it might intersect with the lynx’s vague faith. We then this is INSANE lore tidbit.

Two hours pass by as the scene cuts, while Old Winds begins to play. Chase, struggling with the intensity of the hike, trips and falls. Tj soaks Chase with another water bottle, much to the otters continued annoyance. Tj is concerned for Chase because HE asked the otter out on the trip. After a bit of rest and… determination on where they should eat, the two continue to the peak of the trail. Tj soaks his shirt with water, showing off his fit form. Chase is … attracted to the sight.

The two make it the peak, resting on a stone bench at the top. Chase enjoys being alone with Tj like this… until a tarantula jumps in his lap.

Tj had pranked Chase with a plastic spider after Jenna insisted upon it. One microaggression later, the two enjoy a nice lunch and we’re treated with a CG

Chase takes off his shirt and the two accidentally touch paws while reaching for a bag of chips, sending Tj squirming off embarrassed. The two make awkward small talk while Tj fixes his fur. The two reminiscent on how they met, with Chase being a bit of bully in the story.

Chase heads off on his own for a second to get shots for his project. Drone begins to play, as some THING narrates FOR Chase inside his head… distinct from the entity at the beginning of the game, based off of its font. 

Chase either ignores or pays no attention to the entity and takes the shots he needs. Tj finds Chase taking the shots and comments on the otter’s body, making Chase question Tj more. Tj peers over the edge and we’re met with a Choice…

>Shove him.

The voice narrates Tj’s corpse lying at the bottom of the Canyon… and we’re given the other two options to choose from.

We’re given the option to only Grab him and do nothing…

>Grab him.

Chase scares Tj and the two end up flailing around away from the cliff, locked in each other’s arms for a few moments.

>Do nothing

Chase doesn’t want to actually scare him off they cliff so the two stand there for a few moments.

>Reconvergence:

The two try to yell inot the canyon, trying to get it to ‘echo’ back to them. The sad and nostalgic track, Canyon, begins to play.

The two comment on the quality of Echoes in Echo. Chase laments the town, while Tj wishes everyone could have come today. The two share an intimate moment for a second, until Tj gets a text message. It sours the Lynx’s mood, but he lies to Chase about it, the music cutting once the lie starts. The two head back home.

The two plan the rest of the trip, and tell Jenna to meet them at the diner for dinner. Upon arriving, Jenna remarks on Chase’s… ottery smell. Janice comes to take the groups order, happy to see the trio after they graduated. She also remarks on the mudslide musk in the area, blaming it on another patron. The coyote talks about needing to do some housework in a relatively polite conversation, resulting in Tj volunteering him and Chase for the job. After Jenna and Chase chide Tj for agreeing to the work, Jenna makes another musk comment towards Chase. The otter storms off to the bathroom to clean up in a fit of rage.

Chase tries to alleviate his headache by washing his face in the mirror… but it suddenly continues to worsen.

Chase sees a twisted reflection of himself in the mirror and becomes extremely disoriented. The non-diegetic music and sound effects is described IN text from Chase’s narration, quickly becoming diegetic. Chase writes the episode off as a migraine. Chase cleans up the musk under his armpits, then drops his pants to clean under his tail….

Chase returns to the table embarrassed, passing TJ on the way. Chase makes conversation with Jenna, and learns about Carl’s party tomorrow. Jenna lets slip the Tj wanted to see Chase the most during their trip back home. Jenna shows Chase a stick figure recreation of the prank that TJ had drawn , before heading out back to the motel to grab her purse. Tj returns to the booth.

Chase tries to explain the situation and Tj says its fine… even saying it was kind of cute.Come Over starts to play. Chase ribs Tj, playing gay chicken with the lynx… thrilled to be doing it with a guy again, let alone Tj. Their eyes meet again, and Tj smiles.

Another dream sequence…

Leo is driving Chase’s car on top of the lake, ‘shooting’ Chase with a finger gun from across the water. Tj swims after the car…

The dream sequence CUTS, with NO fade or dissolve, something very peculiar for the novel. Something intentional (IMO). A new track, ‘Unease’ plays, distinct from other Dream Sequence tracks or events. The background is Echo Canyon, now black and white, labeled ‘canyoneg’. Tj is lying at the floor of the canyon, maggots eating him. A paw reaches towards the lynx… 

The dream fades back to the lake, unease still plays. Six bodies float in the water.

Chase knows something isn’t right. A tool-shed sits on the edge of the lake, one that doesn’t exist. It opens, and the scene cuts…

Wednesday

Jenna and Chase discuss going to Carl’s as Tj showers. Tj finishes, and rushes to grab his shirt that he had forgotten, before running back into the bathroom embarrassed to finish dressing. En route to Carl’s house, the scene with Janice plays out the same…

We cut to Carl’s house, the ram unable to be found. Flynn is cursing as usual… but Chase asks him to stop. Leo boosts Jenna into the window again, and she unlocks the door for them. While Flynn searches for Carl, Chase and Tj discuss going to Janice’s later. Tj decides he wants to make sure she’s okay, and Chase agrees to go along. Chase recalls ditching Tj at Duke’s place while him and Carl got junk to build the ram’s tree-house. Chase comments on the bullying stemming from being two years older than Tj. Chase is sent to search outside while Tj is sent to search in the basement.

Chase walks back inside after some reminiscing and…

Followed by Jenna walking by, indicating it wasn’t her orange tail walking down the stairs.

In the basement, Chase walks into Flynn talking to Tj. Flynn apologies for sending something, presumably a text, to Tj yesterday. Flynn holds Tj by his shoulder, dropping his paw once he notices Chase step into the room. Flynn walks out of the room without a word, and Tj frantically grooms himself in front of a mirror. Chase tries to comfort Tj, but the lynx is to frazzled to talk about it. Chase offers to go out and walk with Tj around town to look for Carl, and the two head out.

The two talk about school, Tj going in depth about his schooling as an athletic trainer, and how he’s enjoying it and sports in general. Chase receives a text from Leo, stating they found Carl and that the party is cancelled because Carl isn’t feeling well. The two debate on going to Janice’s. Chase is worried she’s tripping on something while Tj argues she doesn't use drugs… Tj guilt trips Chase to going, with cuteness and the two head over to Janice’s.

The two make it to Janice’s house. The coyote is completely nonchalant, as if not remembering the incident at all. She tasks the boys with removing a mass of weeds and moving firewood, promising refreshments and cookies for the two. Chase contemplates leaving, before Tj soaks himself with hose water and offers it to Chase. Chase soaks himself and the two get to work. Come Over starts to play.

Leo texts Chase asking where he’s at, and once Chase tells him, Leo doesn’t respond anymore. Chase takes off his shirt due to the heat and teases Tj with the ‘show’. The two make plans to go to the diner in the evening, but are interrupted by Tj spotting a tarantula in the weeds.

Janice comes outside due to the two boys screaming. She admires their twink bodies, causing Tj to become flustered. The two get back to work but are unable to find the tarantula again. After finishing, Tj offers some sports medicine advice to Chase, rubbing one of the otter’s tense muscles… after a promise for a full massage later, the two start on the pile of wood.

Chase comments on Tj faking the tarantula, saying how it’s stressed him out. As Tj returns from Janice’s house with a plate of cookies, Chase sprays him with a water hose. A new track, “Tj Theme’, starts to play. Chase is callous and carefree, eating the cookies and openly flirting with TJ… who is reserved and anxious as the upbeat tempo track continues to play in the background. The two continue working, Tj feeling worse and worse as the day continues. The track continues to play... The two continue their spider-infested laborin the gayest-twinkiest way ever, but make short work of the pile. Chase offers to go hiking tomorrow, trying to invite everyone. The pair are about to plan it out, when on the last plank of wood, only for Chase to see a tarantula on the backside of it. The music finally cuts. Chase passes out and we’re met with a dream/flashback…

Sydney, a blue eyed otter, is talking to Chase. Both of them are young children. Sydney starts rough-house playing with Tj, the lynx losing on purpose to get out of it. Sydney starts to strangle Tj with the lynx;s shirt. Chase yells out ‘STOP’, before his view shifts to the present.

Chase wakes up from him passing out, puking up the snacks. Tj pulls Chase inside to cool off, where the Lynx agrees to more manual labor.

The two walk back towards the diner, arguing on the way. Upon arriving at the diner, an old friend takes their order. Julian, a white deer, catches up with the two. Chase stays out of the conversation, glad when Julian eventually leaves. Tj is upset that Chase called him Toby after waking up from the dream sequence, but doesn’t press the issue. Bittersweet starts to play as Chase realizes how he’s made TJ uncomfortable.

Chase asks Tj if he wants to try and find closure about Sydney. He wants to go to the lake with everyone except Flynn and talk about it. Chase confirms that Tj didn’t see the tarantula that caused him to pass out…

We’re met with another dream/flashback where Chase bullies Sydney for bullying Tj…

-------------------------

That concludes Tj up until Wednesday. Thank you everyone for taking the time to read and interacting <3 Some very... interesting stuff is being done here. Howly, the author, is really getting into using the medium to its fullest potential, and we’ll see more of that as we continue on.

Next Weeks Reading Assignment is just TJ’s Thursday! End on this line:

"He runs up the road and back toward town, disappearing into the bright sunset."

Or this Day Card:

[whack-patty]

What if both options… for your Spooky kids (idk their names) and AO post. Both? See which one you think is more fun. But also giving AO a silly little mask or Halloween costume would be fun.

Ok i would LOVE TO but for once I don't have inspiration for a friggin oc for this fandom. Normally my oc inspiration comes from "you know what would be a neat way to make the canon characters lives even MORE torture? (Ex: Sydney picking on the animatronics, Sneep Snorp with. Well. Yknow) but this show. It does it for me. Its so satisfying tbh but also that means I don't do it for em. They've already got a fun villain pileup that's just getting even more fun as they keep on piling, they already torment one of my favs (sorry lila) a good amount....

((Actually Billie (ice cream gal) was originally a draft for a spooky month oc specifically to brawl with Frank (the dude in the white van) bc they'd both have a van gimmick, and Ethan was going to work with the cops, but I thought they both fit far better in Earth Day rather than Spooky Month... I MEAN THEY FIT IN SPOOKY MONTH TOO and i TEND to eventually put my fandom ocs into personal projects eventually, but i just skipped the fandom step entirely with those two for some reason))

I'll keep considering a spooky kid though 🤔 it seems fun

Anyway if Ao forgets halloween exists until he sees all the little monsters and has a mini heart attack. But he actually WOULD willingly wear a costume it just wouldn't be a good one, a crappy cloak that doesn't fit him properly and maybe a ghostface or skeleton type mask thing....THOUGH TO BE HONEST HE GENUINELY DOES NOT NEED IT BECAUSE HE'S SCARY ENOUGH AS IS

After i drew this i realized his mask looks like. Well. You know who. Which is comedy g o l d actually

[anonsally]

Days 3-5 of Australia vacation: Hobart

On Day 3, we got up early and discovered (to my utter amazement) that showing up at the airport just over an hour before departure for a domestic flight in Australia left ample time for shopping in the terminal even after we had some difficulty with self-checking our luggage.

I enjoyed having free wifi and snacks on the short flight, too, and I loved the view out the window during the descent. Tasmania is gorgeous from above!

We landed in Hobart mid-morning. The airport was a bit of a zoo, but we eventually set out in a giant rental car (to fit the four of us and all our luggage).

The vacation rental was a fairly spacious apartment with inadequate towels and pillows as well as bathrooms that were in desperate need of being redone.

We left our luggage and then drove into town, where we ate lunch sitting outside at a cafe. Despite the urban surroundings, I spotted a bird on a wire and, after looking at it in my binoculars, ascertained that it was a Green Rosella. Not only was this a new bird for me, but it's endemic to Tasmania--it can't be seen anywhere else! So that was an auspicious start to my Tasmanian birdwatching.

Brother-In-Law gave me a ride partway up the mountain on the edge of town (kunanyi/Mt. Wellington) to the trailhead for Fern Glade Track; then he went back to town to hang out with Wife and Sister-In-Law. I had a really nice little hike. I was on the trail for nearly 3 hours, but only went a little over 2 miles. My stated goal was to find a pink robin, but I despaired of that fairly soon as I wasn't familiar with any of the local birds yet and didn't even really know where to look, just that this was the right sort of habitat. I had studied their song and at one point thought perhaps I heard one, but I couldn't locate it. Still, it was a nice hike, and I spotted wallabies a couple of times. I also did see a few birds: a yellow wattlebird, several Tasmanian scrubwrens, a black currawong (which makes a hilarious and distinctive sound), a (probable) scrubtit, and a (probable) Tasmanian thornbill--all of which are endemic! And I heard forest ravens but didn't spot them. Actually, I heard a lot of birdsong but couldn't find the birds, and was extremely disappointed to discover that Merlin's sound ID function doesn't work in Australia.

I rushed back to the road in time to catch the once-per-hour bus back to town. I did not have the correct change for the fare, but the driver just let me ride anyway. Phew.

I met the others at a restaurant on the water and we had drinks and dinner there.

On Day 4, Wife and I had slept really poorly and were too tired to go through with the original plan, so my in-laws went wine tasting and then visited Port Arthur without us. Wife and I took a little walk along the water and saw some sea anemones. And later, I did manage to do a very productive 2-mile, 2.5-hour bird walk around the beach and park near the flat. I spotted lots of new birds: some masked lapwings with their adorable fledglings, a little wattlebird, musk lorikeets, eastern rosellas, sulphur-crested cockatoos (some of which were playing acrobatically in the wind, including flipping upside down), a long-billed corella, galahs, a black-faced cormorant, kelp gulls (Tasmania only has 3 kinds of gull and they're sufficiently different that I was able to identify all of them), and --less excitingly-- some Eurasian blackbirds.

Eventually we all went for a delicious dinner together at an Asian fusion restaurant, and then went to an ice cream boat (Van Diemens Land Creamery) for dessert. We stood under an awning to eat our ice creams in the rain.

On Day 5, we visited the Salamanca Markets in the morning. It was very crowded (Hobart was busy because it was high tourist season in general (holidays, summer) and because the Sydney-Hobart yacht race was going on or possibly ending), but there were some interesting things for sale and also some fun food. I enjoyed a fried potato helix on a stick, which Brother-In-Law informed me was very standard outdoor festival food!

Then we drove to MONA, the Museum of Old and New Art. This is... a very weird museum. The very eccentric owner David Walsh (a mathematician who used his skills to win a lot of money at casinos?) had it built to show his private art collection. We were there for several hours and didn't see all of it, but there was a lot of interesting stuff and the architecture was also good. It's mostly underground. There was a huge exhibition of works by Tomás Saraceno, an artist whose work I've seen some of before. These included a few about air pollution, of which I liked "We Do Not All Breathe The Same Air" best, and an installation called "A Thermodynamic Imaginary" which was astronomy-inspired. In the permanent collection, my favorite was perhaps "Kryptos" by Brigita Ozolins.

There was also a piece called "4PM" by Dean Stevenson, which was a performance; he's a composer and every day he has to compose something because a quartet is going to perform at 4pm whatever he wrote that day. It might be short, but it has to be something!

We were pretty exhausted after that. We had seen Tasmanian nativehens (another endemic!) in the adjacent vineyards when we arrived, and saw them again when we left. We went back home to have some downtime (and a cocktail) before returning to MONA for an outdoor music festival for New Year's Eve. That was pretty fun. We were lucky that it was unusually warm that day and evening. The music was mixed--my favorite band was actually the punk band (Liquid Nails?) that played around midnight--but the setting was nice. It was not too crowded yet also felt like we were out doing something for New Year's Eve, which I don't often do. We ate, had a few drinks, admired the stars, lounged about, explored a little. There was a playground, and I found that swinging on a swing while tipsy was very fun. But there's no denying that it felt really weird to be out so late!

[xyliane]

the many lies of kanzaki hitomi to her long-suffering best friend uchida yukari

summary: when hitomi is on time to their weekend coffee time, yukari knows something is up.

notes: because I utterly adore escaflowne in ways that I don’t know if I can truly describe, and the wonderful @wuzzyletoastermac​ recently finished the show, I couldn’t not attempt a post-series write-up about...the best friend who’s only in four episodes. (I just love van and hitomi so much). G, hitomi and yukari friendship, van/hitomi mention. 1450 words.

---

Yukari knows it’s something big when Hitomi makes time to meet for coffee on a Saturday. Normally, Hitomi—best friend since forever, national track star at the age of 18, certified social worker, truly wonderful person, etc. etc.—is off with her long-distance boyfriend, or coaching track, or coaching track with her long-distance boyfriend looking pleasantly befuddled at the whole proceedings. On a rare occasion, she’ll ask Yukari for help getting Van into what can politely be termed “normal people clothes,” and Yukari can spend most of the afternoon puzzling over Van’s absolutely bizarre accent and failing to get either of them to tell her where exactly in Greece she can find someone as hot as Van Fanel.

Hitomi swears up and down that they started dating while she was doing a study abroad in Australia her second year of uni, but that doesn’t explain why the poor man 1: doesn’t speak English at least on par with an average high schooler’s cram school classes, and 2: doesn’t own a single pair of jeans not currently in residence in Hitomi’s closet. The Greeks aren’t that weird. Besides, half of Yukari’s architecture clients are based in America. She knows weird. And even by those standards, Van is weird.

Not to mention there’s some nagging part of Yukari’s brain that seems to recognize Van. It’s bothered her since they first met, and the last three years have done nothing to assuage that feeling. How silly to believe that they met in a dream or a vision. That is certainly more Hitomi’s realm.

But he loves Hitomi. It’s impossible to unsee that deep unending well of affection in his dark eyes, the soft smile that makes him look ages younger whenever she’s around, how patient he is even when she’s determined to find the perfect sweater for a job interview or the exact right cafe she claims was there the last time she was in this part of Asakusa. Occasionally, he’ll even catch her before she wanders too far afield, hand tight on her wrist in a way that speaks both to his own nerves wandering around in a crowded city (again, Hitomi went to uni in Sydney, why is Tokyo that much different) and to the way Hitomi turns back to him like a flower blooming in sunshine, all blushing cheeks and bright smile and alive in ways Yukari only wishes she could feel.

So Yukari’s a little jealous. It’s hard not to be. If it weren’t for the occasional argument blowing Hitomi’s temper sky high and Van’s own anger coming out in blistering tension, or the way that Hitomi will sometimes spend more time complaining about the weekend she’d had with him than bothering to answer any of Yukari’s questions about where exactly they’d met up, she’d worry that Van actually was perfect.

Okay well, no one she has to force into jeans against their will is perfect. Especially someone who looks like that.

So Yukari has kindly deigned to meet with her best friend at their favorite cafe on a beautiful Saturday morning, despite everything (Hitomi’s boyfriend and Yukari’s desire to sleep until 3pm respectively). Something’s off.

And when she rounds the corner at 10am on the dot, Kanzaki Hitomi is already there sipping a latte with Yukari’s favorite sitting there, still steaming. Hitomi is never on time. For anything. Ever. If she is, it’s because of her long legs and bizarre luck.

Something is definitely off.

“Yukari! I got you coffee,” she says, bright guileless grin on her face.

Yukari sits and sips. Sweet, caffeinated bliss. She almost forgives Hitomi the hour.

Not enough to loosen her suspicions, though. “Hitomi, what are you up to?” she says once her brain is active.

“Ah, well.” Hitomi casually brushes non-existent lint off her jacket sleeves. “I wanted to tell you something.”

“Is it about Van?” When her best friend’s face turns a bright pink, Yukari’s eyebrows rise. “Is he moving here?”

Head shake no. Hm.

“Did he finally take his jeans home?”

Deeper flush.

“Are you pregnant?”

“Yukari!” Hitomi screeches, face luminescent and voice far too loud for the little cafe. A few of the other patrons, including some who clearly have had as much sleep as Yukari, turn and glare at them, and Hitomi clasps hands over her own face. Yukari tries to not laugh, really. “I’m—no. And if you’re gonna be a jerk, I won’t invite you to my wedding.”

Any and all feelings of malicious annoyance vanish in an instant. “You’re—Hitomi! Congrats! That’s amazing, when are you getting married? Where are you getting married? If Van’s not moving here, does that mean you’re—where is he these days, is it going to be big or small? What should my dress look like? Do you have the colors picked out?”

Hitomi giggles through her fingers, a little on edge and clearly overwhelmed. “That’s too many questions!”

“I can write them out in a list and email them if you’d rather.”

A high-pitched whine more like a tea kettle than a woman in her mid-20s erupts out of Hitomi, and she drops her face to the table in her best impression of a puddle of melted ice cream. “I wanted to tell you properly, you know,” she mutters.

“You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t let it slip on accident,” Yukari says. As much fun as it is to mercilessly toy with her best friend who completely deserves it, there are more pressing matters, particularly Yukari’s own calendar that she is going to completely shuffle around. “But before I spend the next three hours getting you to spill every detail, at least tell me when and where.”

Without moving her face off the table, Hitomi rustles in her purse, pushing a pair of envelopes at Yukari. The first is a classic wedding invitation, cream colored envelope brushed with elegant black kanji. It’s exactly what Yukari would have expected from Hitomi’s mom, who has handled the years after her husband’s death with astonishing grace. But the second…

The parchment—it’s too thick to be paper, fibrous and off-white and flecked with gold—is about as wide as Yukari’s hands spread apart, and covered in a mix of runes and curling symbols that spread across the top of the invitation like wings. In the center of the whole thing is burnt a diamond-shaped emblem with a winged dragon. It doesn’t look like any Greek Yukari has ever seen.

“Would you be the host for my reception? It’s in a month and a half,” Hitomi is asking, which under any other circumstance would send Yukari into delighted peals of laughter. She’s a planner by nature, and organizing something as momentous as Hitomi’s small wedding will be worth every moment of her best friend and her boyfriend making sappy eyes at each other.

“Of course I will,” Yukari says, distracted. Social work doesn’t pay enough for an invitation this fancy, and Van can’t even afford his own clothes. And it’s not in Japanese, or English, and is that real gold? “What is this?”

Hitomi rubs nervous circles around her latte mug. “Since Van’s not from here, and the only person who can travel is his sister, we thought, you know. One wedding here for me, one there for him.”

“Sounds great,” Yukari says, turning the parchment upside down and over onto its back, hoping that the meaning will magically appear. “Hitomi, I can’t read this.”

“Oh, right. Sorry, Yukari.” Hitomi passes a hand over the parchment, the ring on her hand glimmering bright pink in the sun, and the runes curl and shift before Yukari’s eyes like…like magic. Yukari resists the urge to rub her eyes. Magic isn’t real. Just like dragons aren’t, or friends vanishing into pillars of light.

Your presence is requested at The marriage of Van of Fanelia and Hitomi Kanzaki White, 12th Moon Present invitation upon arrival

“It’s almost like a destination wedding!” Hitomi says. “Will you come? Please? Only Mom and my brother can come, and you know Sota hates this sort of thing.”

The things Yukari does for Hitomi. “Of course I will,” she says. But before Hitomi can relax too much, she reaches across the table and grabs her best friend’s hands, digging in just a little too hard. “But Hitomi, for once, don’t lie to me about this: where on earth is Van even from?”

Hitomi gives a little hiccup of a laugh and refuses to meet Yukari’s eyes. “So, funny story…”

——

“You owe me so much cake, Kanzaki Hitomi.”

“I promise, at least one at the wedding!”

“Each wedding.”

[mxstshamelesswoman]

49 questions I’ve never been asked tagmeme

Thanks @oediebees​ for tagging me to answer some random questions :D tbh feel like I don’t know that many peoples on here so I’ll tag @enemy0gene​ @halcyonnhood​ @kitsnicketts​ and also any of my followers who want to do this, answer some questions. Let’s get this thing going :D:D

1. What is the color of your hairbrush?

I have really long thick hair, so I have about 4 different brushes and combs. I have a shower comb that’s light blue, a purple hairbrush, a yellow and pink hairbrush, and I think I might have a green one too somewhere. 

2. A food you never eat?

I cannot stand mayonnaise, ketchup or other condiments. 

3. Are you typically too warm or too cold?

I feel like it alternates, but usually I’m too cold. 

4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago?

Driving my mom’s car

5. What is your favorite candy bar?

I really love York bars, with mint in them. 

6. Have you ever been to a professional sporting event?

I’ve been to a Rockies game. I really want to see a professional MMA match, but we’ll see. 

7. What was the last thing you said out loud?

Told my brother where to find his shoes. 

8. What is your favorite ice cream?

Mint chocolate chip or butter pecan

9. What was the last thing you had to drink?

Milk, probably. I’m a cold glass of milk in the morning. 

10. Do you like your wallet?

Yeah, I guess. It’s a rip off of Yves Saint Laurent that I got from some street cart in Turkey.

11. What was the last thing you ate?

I had a waffle with some strawberries for breakfast. 

12. Did you buy any new clothes last weekend?

Nope. I haven’t gotten new clothes since last winter, I haven’t really needed any. I think I might buy some cute bras soon, I moved up a cup size :/

13. The last sporting event you watched?

I have no idea...I watched like 5 minutes of some tennis match rerun on TV the other day, does that count. 

14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn?

I love caramel kettle corn. 

15. Who was the last person you sent a text message to?

My dad

16. Ever go camping?

Yes! I love camping, I actually went backpacking last with some classmates as part of our school’s orientation program. We went to Shenandoah Valley in Virginia and it was really awesome. Before I’ve been with my family and on some group trips. I really want to go on a big camping trip with just friends and no family. 

17. Do you take vitamins?

I take one of those gummy multivitamins everyday, don’t really know if it does anything but my dad’s kind of a nut about that stuff so I just do it. I also take those vitamin c packets you put in water, more as like yummy juice than anything else. 

18. Do you go to church every Sunday?

I’m Muslim, so that’s a big nope. I also don’t go to Masjid on Fridays (I did while I was at school, but not since coronavirus and never before going to college) I’ve been to church a couple of times for friend’s holy communions and family friend’s baptisms. 

19. Do you have a tan?

Kinda. My skin is pretty tan, but I’d love to just sunbathe and get a good tan going. 

20. Do you prefer Chinese food or pizza?

Probably Chinese food, but good Chinese food, not like Panda Express or something. 

21. Do you drink your soda with a straw?

Don’t drink soda so I guess that answer is no. 

22. What color socks do you usually wear?

Usually grey or black, depending on what I’m wearing. I wear neon socks when I go running, because they’re fun. 

23. Ever drive above the speed limit?

Omg, yes. It’s really bad, but there’s a lot of roads in my town that have like a “unofficial speed limit” that’s usually 5-10 mph higher than the actual limit. 

24. What terrifies you?

Everything. Real question is what doesn’t. I’m so scared for the future, especially the immediate future with coronavirus, and the state of our world and the election. 

25. Look to your left what do you see?

The couch back up to the wall in the office. My dad’s weird giant globe. My dog’s leash, abandoned on the couch where my brother left it after walking the dog. A pretty painting of some white flowers. 

26. What chore do you hate?

I hate filling the dishwasher with dirty dishes. I just don’t like touching dirty dishes in general. 

27. What do you think of when you hear an Australian accent?

The Hemsworth brothers, tbh. Or my friend Sydney, who got her name because she was born on the first day of the Sydney olympics. 

28. What is your favorite soda?

I haven’t really had soda in a few years, but I really like Izzy’s which I guess might be soda. I like La Croix too. 

29. Do you go into a fast food place or just hit the drive through?

Always drive through. I hate going them, always smell like grease and bleach. 

30. Who was the last person you talked to?

My brothers,

31. Favorite cut of beef?

I love a good steak, so probably some cut of steak. 

32. Last song you listened to?

Right this minute, I’m listening to Lego House by Ed Sheeran. Before this, it was Bright by Echosmith. 

33. Last book you read?

Right now, I’m reading How to do Nothing by Jenny Odell, but the last book I finished before this was We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will be Killed with our Families by Phillip Gourevitch, which details the Rwandan genocide and its progression. It’s really graphic and depressing, but a good read. 

34. Favorite day of the week? 

I really love Tuesdays and Fridays.  I feel like they both have really good vibes. Nowadays though, all days feel the same. 

35. Can you say the alphabet backwards?

Probably yeah. I tried just now and my dog started staring at me like I had three heads. 

36. How do you like your coffee?

Little cream, a lot of sugar. 

37. Favorite pair of shoes?

I have ratty pair of black vans I like. And a pair of faux leather half cut cowboy boots. 

38. At what time do you usually go to bed?

I get in bed by around 10 but I don’t fall asleep until like midnight. 

39. At what time do you normally get up?

6:30 or 7, I like to go for runs in the morning before work. 

40. What do you prefer - sunrises or sunsets?

Sunsets, they’re so calming. 

41. How many blankets are on your bed?

I have 4 blankets on my bed right now, along with a plain old sheet. By the time I wake up, usually all but one have been karate kicked off the bed by yours truly. 

42. Describe your kitchen plates?

Um, at school I have just one blue plastic one, cause that’s all I need. At home, we have these white square ones with green flowers on them. 

43. Do you have a favorite alcoholic beverage?

I don’t drink alcohol, but my friends make these mocktails out of grapefruit juice and Sprite that I like. I also like mojito gummy bears, so maybe I'd like mojitos. 

44. Do you play cards?

Yeah, I like poker, usually play 5 card draw. I also like Speed, Spoons, and BS, which I feel are more childish games but very fun. 

45. Can you change a tire?

Do I know how to? Yes. Would I be able to physically use the jack and lift a tire if I needed to? Guess we’ll see if I ever end up with a flat. 

46. What is your favorite province?

In Canada? British Columbia, I really love Victoria Island. 

47. Favorite job you ever had?

Right now, I’m an intern at a nonprofit and it’s a really great job. 

48. How did you get your biggest scar?

I have a lot of stretch marks, which I guess are scars? I was really small as a kid, because I was born premature, with a lot of growth issues. When those all got fixed, I shot up and out, and so I ended up with a crap ton of stretch marks, especially on my back, legs, ass and boobs. 

49. What did you do today that made someone happy?

I haven’t done much of anything today, but I went to see this car and that made my dad happy, even though I didn’t want to. So I guess that. 

If anyone read this to the end, thanks for playing along. If you decide to do it, tag me, I wanna see other people’s responses!

[katherinesbucket]

Saturday in Melbourne: The day started with the clearest blue skies and warmest temperatures we’d experienced for a while. @cowiel and I headed north-ish, and ended up brunching at Code Black Coffee. - I had their prawn xo scramble which was texturally wonderful: a little subtle in flavour for something with XO sauce in it, though the succulents used for garnish added delightful hints of saltiness. - @cowiel got marscapone blintzes with pineapple. Afterwards I meandered down Sydney Road where I managed to - stumble into an ice-creamery called Billy van creamy. I left with a block of chocolate and a scoop of their lamington ice-cream (would have it again); - shortly there after I ended up at Ratio Cacao Roasters, one of Melbourne’s eight bean-to-bar chocolate makers. I walked out with more stuff and a keenness to attend their factory tour sometime. - eventually I ended up on the balcony of @one_orange_sock , drinking bubbles, eating takeaway, indulging in our love of musicals and taking in a full blood moon. It was a good day. #melbourne #chocolate https://www.instagram.com/p/CbVDHzGPuHVv5EOeMQbvo4o4iXEWsky2z-qziA0/?utm_medium=tumblr

[paradiseicecream]

Why Aussies love to have ice cream after dinner at Liverpool

In the city of Liverpool, nestled in the heart of New South Wales, one culinary tradition stands out among locals and visitors alike: having an ice cream as a dessert after dinner. Listen to the given audio and copy down the text from the speaker's words in the table form. Whether it is a leisurely walk alongside the harbour or a fine time spent with friends and loved ones, one can savour this delicacy and they will soon become a much loved ritual for the Aussies in Liverpool. However, what is the secret of ice cream that makes it the ideal solution after dinner? What shall be pursued here is the justification of the fact that Aussies always yearn for an ice cream treat at the end of the day in Liverpool. ice cream van Sydney

A Moment of Sweet Satisfaction:A Moment of Sweet Satisfaction:

Once the satisfying degustation is done and over with, it is the crowning of the night with something sweet. Besides such things as the use of adjectives of taste, employing metaphors is also one of the effective techniques that has proven to work quite well for many Aussies in Liverpool. It often helps when they want to enjoy their dessert while extinguishing their sweet tooth. Whether observing a simple yet creamy cone of vanilla ice cream or gazing on decadent sundaes that are covered with all the fixings in the world, ice cream innocently provides us with that delightful and fleeting satisfaction, which elevated our spirits.

Refreshing and Cooling:

Similarly to the wider Australia, Liverpool gets warm sunshine for a major part of the year. Following a hot terrific day, Australians usually turn on a light and chilling beverage such as ice cream or an ice cream sandwich to calm down. Ice cream offers thus the ideal solution, bringing to mind the tasty consistency of this delicious food that is pleasantly chilled and creamy, helping to quickly cool off the day's heat. It could be while you were indoors cooling after dinner or sunny outside, ice cream in Liverpool, Aussie still brings you the coolness and freshness the whole year.

Variety of Flavors and Options:Variety of Flavors and Options:

Apart from having ice cream first thing in the morning, the Aussies who live in Liverpool also have it as a dessert after their dinner. This is only one of the factors that they love ice cream because of the wide variety of flavours and options available. Chocolate and strawberry were what people used to choose more but with the invention of salted caramel and other exotic flavours, the quota of serving desire has increased tremendously to satisfy everyone's demands. As well as some ice cream parlours around town, dessert shops provide a variety of toppings, sauces and ingredients for customization to make diners enjoy their dessert while creating a memorable experience.

Social and Leisurely Atmosphere:

The chance to have ice cream after dinner is not only about the desert itself, it includes the whole process which is just as important. Ice cream parlours and dessert shops in Liverpool are characterised predominantly by a sociable aura, offering a get-together and some fun following a meal. Either way, nostalgia strikes as the unsaid message of “see you round,” passes between family and friends, with the simple act of securing a bouncy ball on the family ice-cream sundae at the traditional cafe on Liverpool Hospital.

Childhood Memories:

While for many people who are Aussies, accidentally eating ice cream after dinner reminds these people of their favourite and good times of their childhood. Ice cream could be the one you always chased after for the melting truck or going to the local dairy for the cone, people and children love the chill of popular ice cream flavours in Australia. In Liverpool, after dinner, having a traditional treat is like re-experiencing the happy moments that were there in the past instead of thinking about the complicated tasks that have to be performed in the future.

different to ice after dinner is carried on by Aussies as it holds an ultimate significance in the life of Aussies in Liverpool. Even as dining out is of vibrancy, ice-creams either for the happiness due to the sweetness, the relief of the lactose after the hot weather, the selection of flavours, social conditions, or nostalgia have made the taste to be very special. And after your dinner, pave your way to the dessert counter and taste the ice cream, which is sure to bring the buzz of joy in all your senses. It may not be the most delightful destination of Australia, but it is sure to remain in your memories for years.

For more info visit here:- ice cream van

[sareesinthewind]

Photo 1 - Krishna’s amma and niece outside their home in Manipai, 1967. Photo 2 - Krishna, Manipai, 1974. Photo 3 -  Krishna (middle) and her family at one of their sister’s wedding, Manipai, 1969.

KRISHNA Sydney, Australia

Our eldest acca got married and moved to the south of the island when I was seven. She was 19 years old. We were lucky that our athan (her husband) was a loving and kind soul. He was a station-master and was given a new posting in the south every two years. He would send my ammah 10 rupees before each of my school holidays so that she and I could visit them.  Amma and I would travel on the YalDevy, a train which runs from Jaffna to Colombo.  We would board at 6am and arrive at 2pm. My first trip alone to visit acca was when I was 12 years old. In preparation for this journey, amma bought இராசவள்ளிக்கிழங்கு (purple yam) and பனங்கிழங்கு (palm sprouts)  and made பலகாரம் (snacks) for acca.  Everything was packed neatly in a cardboard box.  The day before my trip, amma asked me to go to the shops and buy a quarter pound of butter, bread and bananas.  The following morning she made me banana sandwiches. I was so thrilled to be setting off on a journey all on my own.We travelled by bus to the Jaffna railway station, four miles from our home. Ammah had given me money to buy soda or snacks from the sellers who would come onto the carriage when we stopped at stations. I never left the ladies compartment. I wasn’t even hungry when the train pulled out of Jaffna station that morning, but the smell of my banana sandwich was so enticing that I devoured it.  Athan  picked me up at Colombo Fort station and from there we took a coastal train to Wellawatte where the family lived.  Living in Jaffna meant that we were used to the ocean, but it was still exciting to see it in the south. My niece Ajentha was three years old and was so excited to see me.  She took me to her neighbours’ homes to show me off to everyone. The whole street knew that I had arrived.  As I am the youngest in the family, everyone calls me ‘thangachi’. But Ajentha called me ‘kanguchi’.  We still laugh about it. She now lives in Paris.  Ajantha wouldn’t leave my side for the whole month.  On Sunday we would go to the to Galle Face, a popular spot for locals to gather. It would be packed with people. We would buy ice cream and watch the children fly their kites. Acca would often buy us ice cream from the Picadilly ice cream van, which went down her street after lunch.  This was a real novelty for me as there were no ice creams vans in Jaffna.  We would also buy sliced sandwich bread from Alerics, a popular shop in Wellawatte. Ajentha and I cried so much when the time came for me to say bye to them. I was born in Rasagala Tea Estate in Balangoda, which is in the south of the island. Appa was an accountant for a tea plantation office. When I was four years old, he died from a heart attack and with that we moved back to our family home in Bamapathy, Suthumalai Road, Manipai. As the youngest child, I was spoilt by my six siblings. We had a big gang with all our cousins and friends and we spent our childhood playing outside. We built cubby houses and played hide and seek. Most of the people in Manippai were our relatives. We only locked our front door at night. Our garden was big and had a lot of fruits and vegetables which we could sell for extra cash. I had a pet goat for four/five years which my acca paid for.  I named it ‘aadu’ [goat]. When I would come home from school I would call out ‘aadu’ and it would make a noise in reply. We used my pet goat’s milk for our tea. When we sold aadu, acca gave me 5 rupees as my share. Life was never rushed back then. We were happy. We were all together. 

[bigyack-com]

Thai Airways Opens New Lounge at Phuket Airport

Thai Airways has opened a Royal Orchid Lounge at Phuket International Airport. The new lounge, located on the second floor of the Domestic Passenger Terminal, is open daily from 05:00 - 22:00 for passengers traveling in Thai Airways' Royal Silk Class, Royal Orchid Plus (ROP) Gold cardholders, Thai Smile’s Smile Plus passengers, and Star Alliance Gold cardholders. The lounge covers an area of 185 square meters and has 74 seats including dining chairs, private seats, and two VIP rooms.

Free Wi-Fi, high speed internet, USB chargers at every seat, and universal adapters are available. In the lounge, passengers can enjoy the choice of buffet and à la carte meals such as a salad bar, vegetarian food, as well as popular Phuket dishes and desserts such as Khanom Jin Namya Pla, Mee Pad Hokkian, Khao Pad Numprik Koong Seab, Tao Soh, and Nah Taek. Seasonal fruits, ice cream, Illy Coffee, as well as various types of teas and juices are also available. See latest Travel News, Interviews, Podcasts and other news regarding: Thai Airways, Phuket. 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[eventscompany-blog-au-blog]

Hot Tips for a Summer Event

In Australia, we’re fortunate enough to have our festive season during the warmer months. This means plenty of parties, events, functions, festivals and carnivals are planned to be celebrated outside.

As a nation, we adore being outdoors and being in the sun, so naturally, we spend as much time as possible enjoying some vitamin D. Our festive season is dotted with nation-wide outdoor events and celebrations. Often these outdoor, relaxed and sometimes beach-vibe event has actually taken months to plan and come together. If you’re planning on celebrating an event outside, read on for our top tips on executing the perfect summer event.

 ·      Cold Beverages

If you’re going to spend the entire event outside, you and your guests need to stay hydrated. Not only should you have complimentary cold water at each event, but you should consider stepping up your function by supplying refreshing cocktails, mocktails or juices and consider hiring promo staff to serve them. This will keep your guests cool, refreshed and impressed with the fancy beverages.

 ·      Ice Cream

Whether you’re hosting a product launch, work party, private party or celebration, the addition of ice cream is always going to be a hit. Especially if your event is outdoors and on a warm day – no one will say no to a delicious ice cream to help them cool off. Maybe hire an ice cream van or look into an artisan option that might be made locally. Either way, adding such a treat to your event will make it a memorable day!

 ·      Make it a pool party

Make a splash with your guests by having your next event at a pool. Whether it be at a pool bar in Sydney, the local public pool or a private venue, having the option to go for a dip will certainly set the mood for your guests. Having a pool venue for your next function adds an element of luxury and creates a great setting for a party.

[iwastoldthisisgoodforme]

30.8.19

Headed to their hotel for the Diamond Head Hike. The lot at the park was full so we had to go down and climb up. There were some cute Japanese girls I saw entering the park when we tried to find parking but only saw them briefly before we actually entered the park. There was another group of girls with one wearing lingerie. At the entrance, they sold some pineapples which we wanted to get after the hike.

The hike was fairly strenuous so I started saying that meme “I need a goddam pizza”. 

When we stopped at an outlook, I noticed one girl looked a lot like Minh Tam. I heard her friend even say her name so I confirmed it was her and texted Michael about it.

Minh Tam and her friend actually asked me to take a picture for her. After we took some pictures of ourselves, I loudly clapped and my hands and said, “Let’s get them pineapples bitches” which my group found funny but a lady nearby laughed and found it cute. We ended up getting some pineapples although I wanted to try other thing besides the dole whip but ended up with the pineapple one since it was free.

For lunch, we went to Rainbow Drive In. On the way there, we saw some altercation between two black guys. One of them was yelling at the other and the other guy had a tire iron in his hand. They were about to fight and the guy who was unarmed held down the guy who had the tire iron. The cops showed up soon after and it was quite entertaining to watch that I remarked it would probably be more interesting than the wedding. We stopped by the hostel because I forgot my clothes and then headed to Desmond’s/Kristine’s hotel so we could all change. It was a bit of a drive to the ceremony so I fell asleep in the van.

When we got to the wedding, the wedding planner was waiting at the top with a go cart and Danielle’s grandma was sitting shotgun. The planner said she could give a ride but only for two of us. Being the only single one, I loudly said, “Well fuck you guys” and jumped in the kart which made them laugh but Kristine got in with me and told me how Danielle’s grandma was sitting in front.

When we drove down, the wedding area was quite beautiful but we all applied mosquito spray. I noticed a lot of people I had seen in PCE before but some I had never seen and most of them didn’t notice me. There were quite a lot of good looking ladies like Kelly Kawai (I stalked her on fb) and a girl with purple hair who I later found out was Danielle’s cousin. There was also one girl who had a long dress but was showing off her legs when she applied the mosquito spray. When the ceremony started, I noticed a girl in a pink dress sitting a few rows up who looked pretty hot from her profile behind her sunnies. She looked better from that angle though cause when she was up and about she looked less so.

After the ceremony when people were up and talking, I noticed that Tyler was also at the wedding but he didn’t recognize me. But we went around introducing ourselves (including Jon Fish) and when Tyler spoke up, that’s when I piped up and he said he hadn’t recognized me but he had noticed me looking at him. I said in an Aussie accent yeah I was like, “I think I know this cunt” and that made everyone laugh. 

Tyler also introduced me to his gf Amanda and we caught up as to what we were up to and he told me that he would be moving to Japan soon. I enjoyed catching up with him and I was genuinely surprised but pleased that he was there. I texted Amy about it right away.

At the venue, I noticed another girl in some green jump suit who was friends with the girl in pink. She was the most attractive in my opinion, at least in terms of having that balance between cute and sexy. I realized later on though that she was dating one of the musicians.

Generally got quite drunk before the food. At the bar there were two specials, Danielle’s drink of choice and Aaron’s surprise which wasn’t anything special.

Aaron’s dad was a typical Filipino and gave quite a funny speech along with the mom. Danielle’s father and daughter dance was a hip hop dance as would be expected and we were all surprised how well her dad could dance. 

When they opened up the dance floor, some ghetto ass music started playing and we were like oh it’s gonna be that kind of wedding. Because a lot of PCE modern people were there, there were a lot of talented dancers and we saw Aaron and Danielle get some lap dances.

Didn’t get to speak with Tyler as much during the wedding but I took a picture with him and Amanda to send to Amy. Also took a pic with Marvin to send to Michael and Marielle recognized me. Danielle told me weeks later that Mar told her all the PCE people were staring at me trying to figure out who I was.

After the wedding, Kristine was quite drunk and kept repeating herself. There was an after party but none of my crew wanted to go. We stopped by a Magnolia ice cream store elsewhere. I tried the halo-halo but would’ve liked it without the pinipig. Marvin got some avocado ice cream which I made fun of him for.

As I was cleaning up, I noticed the Indians in the hostel were out so I thought it would just be me for the night. An Aussie guy, Roan, came in and we chatted for a while, followed by a guy from Canada, Max. We ended up going to Cheesecake factory and getting a late meal and chatting. Turns out Roan grew up in Sydney and was vegan actually so we talked about Lentils for a little bit.

[wsdo]

Day 54

9/17/17

The last day we were working with the red cross, the 17th, we woke up to a note under our doors.  the note said that “tonight” would be the last night for all red cross rooms and that we would have to check out the morning of the 17th...

it was the morning of the 17th.  I had gone to sleep after midnight and this note had not been under our door.  So we had to completely pack up in about half an hour and take all of our belongings to work with us in the van.  

It was a pretty normal day at the warehouse.  We loaded trucks and stuff.  

At the end of the day, we got ice cream. it was tasty. I checked the ingredients and stuff and made sure they used a different scoop then the peanut butter swirl ice cream.  however, about ten minutes after I had my cookie dough ice cream, someone came out and asked which one i’d had, there were apparently two different cookie doughs, and one had peanuts in them? so i took a benadryl and didn’t do any more work.  After an hour and a half I still felt fine.  

We did PT outside, we played ninja and skip tag.  it was fun.  

We were trying to figure out where our new hotel was, and waiting for sydney to get back from a truck run with two river 7 corps members.  They apparently got to stop at the Houston Space Center gift shop for ten minutes,  a place that we all really wanted to go to.  So we were a bit bitter.  They returned at 630.  

We took about an hour to get to the hotel.  Right when we got there, David called me and got the hotel address.  Oh! by the way david left for the weekend to go to his cousins wedding in Minnesota (He’s from Iowa)

He got to the hotel not long after from the airport (He took an Uber) and a bunch of us went out to eat.  David and I got Jack in the Box, Abby and Izzy got Panda Express, and Ian got Five Guys.  We all walked back with our food and ate in the hotel lobby.  Jack in the Box is pretty good.  I took special care to not eat any of Ian’s fries. 

Our Hotel was the Holiday Inn right next to the Houston NRG Stadium where the Texans play.  David and I went back to our room and watched national treasure to round out the night.  

[lynccycling]

Humpday got you feeling down? In an uninspired funk and can’t get out? Not feeling motivated to chase your goals? We feel you, it happens. Which is why each LYNC instructor has tools to stay focused & on their game. Take a scroll down motivation lane and maybe pick up a tip or two to get you back on track.

Becca

I loooovvvvveeee taking Teddy on a walk or run (whatever Ted is feeling that day) and leaving my phone at home to be in my own headspace and one with nature if we go through Arbor Hills! I also love to listen to one of my new fav podcast “The Last Podcast on the Left” which is about anything from conspiracy theories to true crime or historical facts (history has ALWAYS been my fav subject) while cooking or cleaning around the house! Maybe its the Mexi in me but cleaning is a huge reliever for me! Clean house = happy lil becky!

Our favorite cleaning products? Mrs. Meyers infused with essential oils.

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Grace

I LOVE getting in my kitchen and cooking a yummy meal. I always start with a trip to the grocery store (probs Trader Joes) to pick up the ingredients.. I'm one of those weird humans that find grocery shopping SO therapeutic. I am currently OBSESSED with Alex from the Defined Dish, who just so happens to be a Dallas gal!  One of my favorites right now is her Shrimp Remoulade Lettuce Cups recipe! Of course, finishing it off with some healthy sweet treats, like this Banana Bread! 

This all happens while I'm listening to one of my favorite light hearted podcasts,  The Lady Gang.  When things get off track, a good belly laugh and a great healthy meal is always a great reset!

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Avery

I start my day with quiet time every morning accompanied by my devotional (@jesuscalling) and podcasts The Porch.

After quiet time, I take about 5-10 minutes every hour at work to listen to a few songs that make me happy (no shocker that Jess Glynne and Betty Who are at the top for me rn)

After work, I love walks on the Katy Trail or White Rock Lake, wine bars (leelas always) and cooking meals with my friends (favorite food blogger is definitely skinny taste). At night I try my hardest to unplug and focus on friends/family as much as possible.

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Andrew

This music definitely isn’t everyone’s thing, but the band August Burns Red has picked me up when I’m down, pushed my butt through tough workouts, gotten me focused at work, you name it, more times than I can count. Their lyrics are really powerful, and they wrote one of my all time favorites:

“Don’t excuse yourself from life today on the pretense of your past.” Let that sink in.

Alt response: I pet my dog or take him for a walk if he’s nearby, or just look at pictures of him on my phone because he’s stinking cute and it’s a good reminder that I need to keep it together for the people who love me and doggos that depend on me.

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Ashleigh

One of my favorite things to do (other than a good sweat sesh on the bike) is surfing. I used to go out to California and surf at San Clemente beach all the time when I was younger. It was a great way to slow down my mind and be focused on the present moment. HOWEVER there aren’t many beaches in d-town so I usually hop into a pool and swim it out or roll out my yoga mat at Hot Body Yoga. It’s a great way to control my breathing and something about being under water is relaxing to me.

When I need to get sh!t done, one of My favorite coffee shops is Global Peace. You can usually find me there writing or emailing with a cappuccino in hand. Also I LOVE coffee. Oh did I say love, I meant I’m addicted. Same thing right?

I’m also a BIG fan of live music and on the weekend if anyone is in town playing I try to make an effort to go out and support. It helps me get out of my head and is a good excuse to just sit back and enjoy some of my favorite tunes. My must see bands are: night riots, jet black alley cat, band Camino, State champs, Greta Van Fleet and Marianas Trench.

Look up concerts near you. One of our favorite venues? Granada theater!

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Liz

I love, and wish I did it more, putting my phone away when I’m home and being in the moment with my family (but of course grabbing it to document Noah dance parties and special memories). Five minutes with my son (if he is napped and fed 🙈) can cure five bad days. 

Between teaching/training clients/and all the hustle I also really enjoy silence. I rarely listen to music while driving nowadays because I’ve found that my mind tries to start programming and/or choreographing whenever a song is playing- so having quiet time to disconnect is important. I also love to jump in a class and go into student mode.

Check out 10 apps to help you put down your phone and get back to the moment.

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Jaz

When the weather is nice, I love doing outdoor activities and being near water! Paddle boarding, swimming, and BBQing are my go-to day-off favs. I also enjoy a homemade coffee in the morning to kick start my day and going out back to wake up and check on my pepper plants and succulents. Planting is very peaceful to me. I love watching things grow.

Check out this 101 on starting your own herb garden.

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Sydney

Outside of teaching, I love group fitness and enjoy taking classes at LYNC and around Dallas to let out nervous energy. I like to decompress by reading, listening to podcasts, and listening to LANY and John Mayer.

I listen to The Morning Toast and The Lady Gang - totally light hearted, but makes me bust out laughing in the car and puts me in a good mood before teaching.

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Kayla

To stay motivated, I read... a lot. I read everything from nonfiction true crime stories and self development books to fiction novels to self-published articles on Medium. You can catch me searching my inbox at the Barnes & Noble check-out line for a coupon for a new book or sitting at Mudleaf Coffee shop (a super cool space in Plano) with headphones in listening to Audible.

My go-to read is anything by Brené Brown (Daring Greatly is my fave). She is a vulnerability researcher, specializing in shame. (wow, couldn’t we all dive a little deeper into that?) 

I also love to listen to Gary Vee’s Podcast to keep me focused in the business world. He touches on marketing tactics, struggles in business and life, leadership development and more–and TBH he’s just brutally honest and sometimes I just need a good kick in the ass and for someone to tell it to me straight.

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Shannon

I like to take 10-15 minutes out of my morning to meditate to help level set me at the beginning of my day. My favorite app is “10% Happier” because it has courses, guided and unguided meditations and you can customize the time to whatever fits your schedule!

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Kelsey

I love a good story. I’m old school and really enjoy going to the bookstore and getting a physical copy. Lately my favorites have been ‘This Is How It Always Is’ and ‘Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine’. Put it with quiet time outside in the sun or snuggled with coffee and my puppy in the morning - foolproof feel good.

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Olivia

I love going to Title Boxing to punch out all of my feelings. Whether I need a release or am excited and want to celebrate an hour of hard work–gallons of sweat at Title is always the move for me. 

I also love to take long walks on the weekends with my fave gal pals, Allison, Leina, Izzy, and Madeline to La La Land Kind Cafe or Bird Bakery. We almost always indulge in a sweet treat which for me is the perfect way to celebrate a week well done.

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Izzy

The main thing I do at the moment to recharge is get a good nights sleep. Being in bed by 9pm really excites me, haha!

Also, getting some vitamin D and tanning by the pool on the weekends always puts me in a good mood. I usually end up falling asleep there too lol.

Catch this guided sleep meditation for a little shut eye to keep your mind right and our favorite SPF to lay out in the sun.

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Lindsey

I’d say personal time is the best way to recharge for me! I love walking the Katy Trail while getting out for some sunshine or hot yoga. Hot yoga is such a release for me because It not only calms the mind but gives me a good stretch! My favorite hot Yoga is at Core Power.

I’ve recently been loving EVERY recipe from The Defined Dish who makes clean/easy/whole30 approved meals. Her meals are so tasty and simple to make! Feel good guilty treat that is guaranteed to make any day better is ice cream!

Calling my family always lifts me up and keeps me rooted!  I also really try to put my phone down while at home for 30 minutes at the end of the day and engage in something other than scrolling mindlessly on social media which helps me reconnect with myself and surroundings.\

[evachrisinaus]

Our Esperance adventure

pt 1 🐳

The rural sea town of Esperance was set to be our first stop on our big west coast trip (ironically we thought that we would arrive here 1 week after leaving Sydney, but there is just too much to see🤷🏻‍♂️). It is famous for its beautiful beaches, its “pink lake” and for its close proximity to various national parks. In recent years, it has become a popular holiday destination for Europeans (we were indeed able to spot some Dutch people in Esperance). Furthermore, it’s a beautiful location to spot migrating whales in winter, hence the 🐋 When we first arrived in the place, we were surprised by the nice promenade along the sea with heaps of nice facilities (perfect for backpackers). and the amazingly clear and turquoise water. Not surprisingly, we had a great time skating along the water and cooking food at a spot with direct view on the ocean.

Besides that, we also took the time to drive along the great ocean drive (not to confuse with the famous great ocean road near Melbourne), which is a long and winding road along the rugged coastline just outside of Esperance. It offers panoramic ocean views, multiple opportunities to explore the picturesque granite rocks framing the landscape and great beaches that invite you to swim and surf. When we took that drive we were amazed by the awesome views and the fact that there were not that many tourists (speaking of the perks of traveling in the off season).

We spent quite some time walking along the shoreline and soaking in the sunshine (it wasn’t that warm in Esperance so we were happy that it was quite sunny most of the time) and the breathtaking views. On top of that, we took a swim at Twilight beach which is hands down one of the most beautiful beaches we have ever seen 🏝 Sheltered from the rough sea by massive, naturally shaped granite rocks lies a little lagoon with crystal clear turquoise water that is connected to a Snow White sand beach (most beaches in and around Esperance feature sand consisting of small quartz particles that make the sand really white and give it a consistency comparable to flour or powdered sugar, even though we still believe that the sand at Whitehaven beach, QLD is the whitest and more pristine).

Despite it being quite chilly, we had a great time swimming and enjoying the waves and we can really recommend this beach to anyone planning to go to Esperance. Occasionally, there is even a van selling ice cream right at the beach (coincidentally we would meet the family that owns this van soon again, but more on that later).

The great ocean drive ends by passing by the pink lake, a pinkish salt lake close to the city. At least, this is what it used to look like. We were disappointed to find out that due to salt mining and other anthropological changes, the lake lost its characteristic pink color years ago.

All in all, we had a great first few days in Esperance 😘 What we didn’t know was that we would end up staying here for 3 more weeks.. We were actually already planning to leave soon after going to the Cape LeGrand national park, but we would soon find out that this plan wouldn’t work out. If you want to find out what happened to us or if you want to see Chris following his true destiny to become a farmer, go to Pt 2 of this series.

C