#inspired by my yearly summer lake trips

[saturndove]

Picnic at the lake 🧺🍎 self portrait by me

[wychive]

tagged by : @neo-shitty​ (toffee! ilysm hehe)

tagging: @noya-sannnn , @vitriosan , @hwanami , @luthenia and anyone else who wants to participate

slight warning : mentions of food

this is kind of long so it can help you relax if you want to do this!

[ one ] tell me the first song that made you stan your current fave group and why did your faves attract you so much?

wave // ateez

when jane showed me and fely (she already stanned ateez) the mv i was like :00 this song is really good and it goes with my type of music; pumped up and really fun. i decided that i wanted to stan them because of this introduction video that they did during pirate king where san broke the toy hammer trying to smack yunho’s ass SHHSSIJS,, i found them really funny and comforting! they made me so happy and that’s why they attracted me so much. + their amazing music ofc 

forever // exo

alright so i originally just casually listened to exo from wolf era up till 2017 when the kokobop teasers came out. they looked really pretty and so i watched them up till kkb was released. it’s what baekhyun’s voice in the forever teaser that captured me into stanning them. everything about the exo’s attracted me, their vocals, their dancing and ofc their visuals. bonus: their time on the ‘360 show(??)’! im not sure of the actual name for the programme but it was where yixing kept pronouncing jurassic park wrong pls that was so cute and funny how could you NOT stan them!

[ two ] answer the ten questions given by the previous person and write 10 of your own for the next person!

what’s your favorite season and why?

we only have two types of seasons here but if this includes western seasons, i would pick spring! flowers give me a sense of calmness whenever they start to bloom so being in a season where it’s just different coloured plants all around you? sign me up pls

are you a cat person or a dog person?

im a cat person! i currently have two cats as pets

what’s your current favorite song and why can’t you stop listening to it?

it would probably be fever by ateez! this is because it gives off freedom vibes and i’ve been stressed lately so the song is a little oasis for me

if you had the ability to do either of the following, would you rather change something in the past or see into the future?

i would choose to see into the future so that i could change what i do now, whether its related to me being lazy or me being selfish,, i would like to keep the past the way it is even if i had some scarring moments. it’s nice to look back on those and see how far you’ve come as a person.

what’s your favorite movie?

my favorite movie would either be spirited away or paper towns,, i actually don’t have a favorite movie because all of them have affected my life in different ways so yea :D

what did miss rona ruin for you this 2020?

probably the food fair this year,, my group of best friends were supposed to go there to celebrate jane and another friend’s birthday. the food fair happens yearly so it wasn’t anything big to anyone else, but to us it was something special. there are a lot more things but this was one of the major things she ruined :/

what’s your favorite album? (you can name one for each genre you like or you can just name one, it’s up to you.)

toffee why my top three would be day6’s sunrise, bts’ you never walk alone and lauv’s ~how i’m feeling~

if you could talk to your past self (person who lived your past life), what would you tell them?

“hey, dude, i hope you’re doing okay. stop being so selfish all the time alright? and stop comparing yourself to others, it wouldn’t do you any justice. make sure to spread A LOT of positivity even if no one acknowledges it. its okay to cry sometimes too. is my soulmate doing okay? i hope they are. i’ll make sure to find them in this timeline, and the next. whatever it takes. learn to love yourself.”

do you have a go-to person? who is it?

uh i dont have a go-to person,, i can’t vent or rant without feeling like burdening the other person or spreading negativity to them. instead i just kind of rant to myself on discord.

if you could tell your younger self something, what would you say?

“hey, kiddo. don’t fall in love too much nor fool around. it’ll affect you badly. appreciate the things your parents do for you, okay? don’t take anything for granted. ignore the people who call you names, they don’t matter here in the future. just be you.”

how do you spend your free time?

who or what is your biggest inspiration?

if you were a character in a horror movie, which stereotype do you closely resemble? and why?

your top 3 fanfiction tropes! (can be nsfw)

do you believe in soulmates and why?

painting or sketching and why?

what is on the top of your to-do list right now?

list down the top 3 things that make you happy.

who are you simping for right now?

what is your first core memory?

[ three ]  bold the statements that apply to you, italicize your aspirations.

AIR ༉⋆͙̈

i have small hands / i love the night sky / i watch animals and birds when i pass them by / i drink herbal tea / i wake to see the dawn / the smell of dust is comforting / i’m valued for being wise / i prefer books to music / i meditate / i find joy in learning new truths from the world around me

FIRE ༉⋆

i don’t have straight hair / i like to wear ripped jeans and overalls / i play an organized sport / i love dogs / i am not afraid of adventure / i love to talk to strangers / i always try new foods / i enjoy road trips / summer is my favorite season / my radio is always playing

WATER ༉⋆͙̈

i wear bracelets on my wrists / i love the bustle of the city / i have more than one set of piercings / i read poetry / i love the sound of a thunderstorm / i want to travel the world / i sleep past midday most days / i love simply lit dinners and fluorescent signs / i rewatch kids shows out of nostalgia / i see emotions in colors not words

EARTH ༉⋆͙̈

i wear glasses or contacts / i enjoy doing the laundry / i am a vegetarian or vegan / i have an excellent sense of time / my humor is very cheerful / i am a valued advisor to my friends / i believe in true love / i love this chill of mountain air / i’m always listening to music / i am highly trusted by the people in my life

AETHER ༉⋆͙̈

i go without makeup in my daily life / i make my own artwork / i keep on track of my tasks and time / i always know true north / i see beauty in everything / i can always smell flowers / i smile at everyone i pass by / i always fear history repeating itself / i have recovered from a mental disorder / i can love unconditionally

[ four ] the ultimate tag: answer whichever ones you want to because there are a lot.

personal 

name: [REDACTED], alachi nickname: teja, kai birthday: april 11 zodiac: aries nationality: malaysian languages: english, malay,  learning korean gender: female sexuality: biromantic height: 160 cm / 5"2’ or 5"3’

blog stuff

inspiration for muse: music, other people’s work meaning behind my url: fever (current fav song) + core (aesthetic??) blog established: around 2018 but i started becoming active in late 2019/early 2020 followers: 146  ( i love you all )

favorites

favorite animal/s: anything connected to the cat species  favorite book/s: the authentics (abdi nazemian), satellite (nick lake) favorite color/s: lighter shades/mid-tones of cool colours, a dash of yellow

random

average hours of sleep: 6 cats or dogs: cats coffee, tea or hot chocolate: tea current time: 11:34 pm dream trip: south korea, japan, europe dream job: song producer, lyric writer hobbies: listening to music, browsing the internet hogwarts house: ravenclaw last movie watched: harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban last song listened to:  no. of blankets you sleep with: 1 random fact(s): my favourite subjects are biology and english!

[ five ] 10 songs i can’t stop listening to:

eternally - txt

fever - ateez

blue - keshi

lights out - exo

00:00  - bts

strawberries and cigarettes - troye sivan

maze in the mirror - txt

i loved you - day6

 illusion - ateez

 stolen moments - the vamps

[unattractiveproductivity]

Inspired by @lapetitevampire​‘s post about this challenge!

I really like this concept--basically, the idea is to create a list of 101 things you want to do in the next 1001 days (2.75 years).

Bucket lists have always put me off. I look at them and am instantly thrown into dread about how many things I won’t do before I literally die. That shit’s too scary for me to reckon with.

This is way more approachable, and I think it encourages you not to put things off forever. I really enjoyed just the exercise of making a list and thinking about all the things I’d like to have done in the next couple of years.

My list is under the cut. It ended up being a lot of non productivity-related items, which honestly feels great. I’m glad to be focusing on what I want to do.

101 goals in 1001 days: a bucket list for right now

Start date: Friday, 1/17/2020

End date: Friday, 10/14/2022

Creativity

Finish and publish a novel on Amazon

Write and publish a spellbook

Get a tattoo

Successfully propagate a plant

Fill a journal

Fill a sketchbook

Knit something

Cross-stitch something

Learn a new song on guitar

Complete a large (1' x 1') painting

Use sewing machine

Make a candle

Cook edible gumbo

Turn J's t-shirts into a quilt

Write and publish an informative article for fun

Write a poem

Start a podcast

Work and money

Get a new job

Save an emergency fund

Pay off debt

Save for a new car

Invest in something

Get a credit card

Going places - local

The LGBT campground

Waterpark

Museum

Drive-in movie theater

Medieval-themed restaurant

Roller rink

Aquarium

Somewhere supposedly haunted

Ride a roller coaster

Do another event with the lesbian group

Attend a non-local band’s show

Attend a local band's show

Attend a sports game

Picnic

See a musical live

Do karaoke outside the apartment

See a standup or improv show

Perform at an open mic night

Find another geocache

Quality time with J while camping

Make a campfire (1/18/20)

Going places - further

See the milky way

National park - day trip

National park - overnight

State park - day trip

State park - overnight

Backpacking trip - day trip

Backpacking trip - overnight

West coast

Statewide renaissance festival

Beach

Women's land

Sleep in a cabin

Dark sky reserve

Cousins’ place up north

Swim in a natural body of water - freshwater (lake, river)

Swim in a natural body of water - salt water (ocean, gulf)

Media

Play Nancy Drew #34

Complete a Goodreads yearly reading challenge

See In The Heights in theaters

At home

Decorate for spring

Decorate for summer

Decorate for fall

Decorate for winter

Throw a party

Experiences - anywhere

Smoke (on the original list this is #69 but Tumblr won’t let me number multi-part lists like that)

Get a massage

Volunteer

Hold a baby animal

Vote in a non-presidential election

Climb a tree

Skinnydip

Do a jello shot

Watch the sunrise

Celebrate Halloween outside our apartment OR throw a Halloween party

Walk barefoot in snow

Do a line dance

Buy 5 lottery tickets

Have a birthday celebration (not necessarily a party)

Make a new friend

Successfully skateboard for 30 seconds straight

Play a ghost-themed party game

Other

Cut hair

Dye hair

Work up to 50 pushups

Work up to 100 situps

Read 1 book entirely in Spanish

Read 2 books entirely in Spanish

Read 3 books entirely in Spanish

Watch a season of a TV show in Spanish with subtitles in Spanish

Know 10 words/phrases in Tagalog

Try wearing contacts

Be honest with J's mom

Reserved - to add on later

[Reserved for 2021]

[Reserved for 2021]

[Reserved for 2021]

[Reserved for 2022]

[Reserved for 2022]

I’m also reserving the right to re-evaluate and change goals if I know I no longer have any interest in them. I’m sure things will change as time goes on, but I’m excited!

[ericvanwesenbeeck]

2019 on Two Wheels to Nowhere ~

As we approach the day when the calendar turns the final page on 2019, I have plenty of spare holiday time to mull over both the mundane commutes and epic adventures of the past twelve months of riding my two-wheelers. Fortunately, even the mundane commuting to and from work and around town stirs a little excitement in me each time before I depart. I’m not sure exactly what it is but for me there is a distinct element of exhilaration each time I hop on a bike. Funny how such a simple thing (think “it’s as easy as riding a bike!”) can repeatedly provide such a positive visceral feeling. I’m sure you all get what I am talking about here; we all have the same condition, to varying degrees. Somehow, it makes me feel like a kid again even though the DOB on my driver’s license and my aching joints tell me otherwise. For the first three months of the year, in between bushwhacking on my cross-country skis, I managed to get on a bike a few dozen times. These rides were a combination of occasional commuting https://www.strava.com/activities/2027332120, a few spirited RadRoom time trials on Thursday nights, a few stationary bike workouts at home and a few opportunistic spins https://www.strava.com/activities/2058240437 out on the open road when the stars aligned to provide clear tarmac in spite of the snow banks and sub-zero temps. Just enough cycling, combined with some classic XC skiing, to maintain basic fitness during the dead of Winter. Early April brought Chris and me to Grand Cayman for a week visiting family, soaking in the Caribbean Sea, reading on the beach and of course, riding! Thanks to Keith R who lent me a bike bag, allowing me to transport the Batmobile safely to the island. It was so awesome to have my own wheels in Cayman compared to renting in previous years. Grand Cayman is a small, flat island with generally good roads that lends itself beautifully to fast and furious solo riding https://www.strava.com/activities/2272462632. You can imagine how good it felt to put on a simple summer kit and ride through the balmy air followed by a dip in the warm sea after riding the previous 4-5 months wearing full winter gear! April also brought the unofficial start of the BCC Thursday Morning Sunrise rides https://www.strava.com/activities/2299047313. Led by Craig S, these rides became a weekly staple for me in 2019 as I learned to drag my sorry ass out of bed at 4:55a to join a solid group of riders for a pre-work spin. As Summer progressed, ridership grew and we even got in some Friday morning rides, as well! These early mornings also provided me with numerous opportunities to capture some stunning Sunrises and Moonsets! Icing on the cake. https://ericvanwesenbeeck.tumblr.com/post/185114832427/recently-getting-into-the-routine-of-early April closed out with an awesome BCC volunteer group cleaning up the roadsides around Shanty Bay on a snow Sunday; part of our club’s yearly civic duty! The fifth month of the year usually brings a trip to Asheville, North Carolina with a cadre of the usual suspects from around town but this year it was not happening for me, having just returned from a week in the Carribean. Although May started kind of cold and dreary, some awesome riding began as BCC started regular Tuesday night rides and weekends offered opportunities for some long rides onto the Niagara Escarpment https://www.strava.com/activities/2381124819 with good friends and strong riders. Regular evening cruises along the Barrie Waterfront always brings me to randomly meet people or to see interesting scenes of life on the lake. https://www.strava.com/activities/2394518921 The next month started with a bang with our annual Tour de Lake Simcoe https://www.strava.com/activities/2415506469 on June first. Not for lack of effort, I only managed to get one other person out on the road with me. Well, when that person is Joe F, you end up with a rocket ride around the lake that left me sucking Joe’s wheel for an hour before he pulled away seemingly effortlessly for the last 20 kilometres! It turned out to be the smallest Tour group ever but the fastest Lake Simcoe circumnavigation I have ever ridden, with a blistering pace finishing the 200 kilometer rip in well under six hours. As the daylight got longer and the weather finally started to warm up in June, my rides got longer and faster. We had some great BCC rides as younger riders returned from school and the Tuesday night A-rides began to feel like a Runaway Train https://www.strava.com/activities/2443067914. All these fast, longer rides led us perfectly to the Summer Solstice on which the Toronto-Niagara Falls-Toronto Hairshirt Ride https://www.strava.com/activities/2475551164 is always scheduled. This was my third T-N-T Hairshirt Ride and it was hands-down the fastest! For the first half of the ride, I got caught up in the lead group which was more like a pro peleton, or so I imagine, because we completed the first 160 km in four hours!! While I stopped to fill my empty bottles, this group rode on to clock the fastest Hairshirt elapsed time in its 41 year history, smashing the record by riding 320 kilometers in 8h32m! Rolling with these guys for half the ride helped me to finish with a solid PB: elapsed time of 10h34m in spite of a broken rear derailleur with 120 km to go! June ended with my first of many “Rip ‘n’ Dips” https://www.strava.com/activities/2492727403 in 2019, enjoying the refreshing Kempenfelt Bay waters after an excellent escape on my bike. https://ericvanwesenbeeck.tumblr.com/post/186829227637/beautiful-sunset-today-as-i-cooled-off-in-the-bay July was full of fabulous riding, often with the Barrie Cycling Club during the week and then out for adventures on the weekends with some really inspiring, like minded people. One of these weekends was the first annual Hairshirt North double century ride around Simcoe County https://www.strava.com/activities/2532969425, showcasing the beautiful waterfronts we enjoy all around us! Eleven people started out and six people finished the full 320 km route on a pretty much perfect Summer’s day. I was rather stoked to ride with such a strong group on this inaugural ride, which I hope to make an annual event. Mark your calendars for July 12, 2020! Looking back on August immediately brings to mind one very special ride: the Terrific Tarmac Team Time Trial! https://www.strava.com/activities/2610234053 This ride is arguably, the highlight of the season for me. Exhausting but exhilarating. Four very determined and capable riders - Jason M, Steve E, Joe F and I - met up early on Sunday morning with one goal in mind: completing a 100 kilometre route in two and a half hours. This goal would require some serious suffering and some tactical teamwork. Sunny skies and very little wind definitely helped! We didn’t quite reach our goal but we came damn close at 2h33m, leaving us all the more determined to go for it again in 2020. This last month of Summer also provided some wonderful rides with family. Brothers Benjamin and Peter were in town and we got in some nice tours; I also managed some terrific tandem rides with my Mom. At eighty-four, she has trouble riding solo now as her strength and balance diminish however, her desire to be active outdoors is so strong and riding on the back with me she is able to pedal for quite a while! We enjoyed some memorable tours together around Barrie and the Bay on my now classic Motobecane bicycle built for two. https://www.strava.com/activities/2651817254 September and October made for some solid solo riding as several of my fellow riders headed to the south of France to ride in the mountains. I like solo riding a lot, so this was a chance to do my thing and keep fit for the Tour de T1D https://www.strava.com/activities/2750522352 organized by BCC’s very own Richard G and his wife, Darlene. This was a beautiful and challenging 100k route through the hills of Oro-Medonte raising over $47k for the Youth Diabetic Clinic at RVH, a worthy local cause! https://www.facebook.com/tourdet1d/ It was a really fun event with many friends from BCC participating. I plan to be there again on September 27, 2020! November and early December saw some spectacular Saturday morning group runs with a small gang of BCC friends looking to stay active as the cycling season wound down. We enjoyed early morning meet ups at the Spirit Catcher followed by easy runs around Barrie’s Waterfront paths https://www.strava.com/activities/2885344747. Unfortunately, as I headed into December my knees started chirpin’ at me as old injuries were aggravated by the pounding of the longer runs I was doing. So, I backed off and enjoyed the daily walking as I commuted back and forth to my work and let my knees settle down a little. In early December, I prepped and waxed my classic cross country skis but with a very hectic pace at work and at home, I haven’t yet used them! In the meantime, a mild Christmas holiday week has allowed me one last run of Winter riding before the year is out. https://www.strava.com/activities/2963626488 As usual, cycling was a big part of my daily work and leisure again in 2019. These activities inevitably bring me to meet new people on the road - Max R, Tyler D, Craig L, Todd R, Les - and several new BCC members. The cycling community I find myself in also has some very inspiring individuals! Max R and Larry O, whom I have ridden with in the TNT Hairshirt rides, were both inspiring in their completion of the world renowned Paris-Brest-Paris 1200 kilometer epic tour! Avery G inspires me as a young man building a career in cycling that I only dreamed of at his age - as a bicycle mechanic for touring teams and as an incredible rider in his own right, on the trails as well as on the road. Joe F and Todd R who completed their first Hairshirt rides in stellar form. Jenn J who seems to effortlessly pick up a new sport and within a season is competing at a top national level in it! Trevor O who races with the best in North America, especially inspiring in his crit performances. Eric J and Tyler M who inspired me to reconsider my days-of-old penchant for bike-packing with their three day epic road tour https://lostconglomerate.com/pages/joe-ride through Ontario cottage country. Mark L who “vEverested” https://www.strava.com/activities/2074501841 on a 12h43m epic virtual adventure that had him climb over 8900 metres in a single ride! I am also inspired by the new riders this season who stepped out of their comfort zone and into the world of cycling, which can be intimidating at first but opens up so many new experiences and relationships. With retirement now on my radar, I am inspired by recently retired Carol and Tony who are seizing life by the ball bearings and living their cycling dreams. And so, as we breakaway from 2019, I want to thank you all for your shared passion for cycling. Whether it’s commuting, recreation, racing, endurance, adventure, gravel, trails, roads or cruising, we all have this one simple thing in common. I am grateful for covering so many miles uninjured and in good health in 2019. I am grateful for the fun and fitness, competition and companionship that cycling with you all has brought me over these past twelve months. I hope to see each of you at some point in 2020 on two wheels to nowhere. https://ericvanwesenbeeck.tumblr.com/

[mileheitcity-blog]

Field Trips in Amsterdam

The first week in Amsterdam was filled with field trips around the city.  We made our first stop on June 25 to a Food Forest on the other side of town.  I found the very concept of a Food Forest intriguing.  P Patches and other urban gardens are quite common around many major American cities. Many years ago, during my days with the Boys and Girls Club back in Denver, we did numerous summer activities at one of the local organic gardens in town.  It was quite valuable for the kids, all of whom lived in the heart of one of Denver’s Food Deserts.  The only grocery store in the neighborhood was the Dollar Tree, which had no fresh produce or really any other truly nutritious foods, so these urban gardens were somewhat of a lifeline for these kids.  This Food Forest, though, was an entirely different animal.  Built into an old schoolhouse, the Forest makes use of plants that grow naturally in the Netherlands, instead of intentionally planted like at garden. It’s naturally, and strictly maintained.  A greenhouse takes care of plants that need more heat or sunlight.  All of the pathways at the Forest are natural as well, adding to the natural feel of the entire idea. Everyone who comes to the Food Forest puts in some work as well, which reminded me of Israel’s kibbutzim, or commune farms.  Everyone partakes in the labor there, and all wealth generated at a kibbutz is shared.  After we all spent time learning and working, we got to share some of the mint tea and lemon couscous made with ingredients freshly picked by classmates, a nice cap to an extremely hot and sticky day by Dutch standards.  It was, in a sense, like organized foraging.  This particular concept could work in some American cities to alleviate stresses caused in food deserts, but does require some natural foliage to exist.  Cities like Seattle, Portland, or Minneapolis might be able to make use of mild summers, while cities like Atlanta or Charlotte could make use of a lengthy growing season and abundant flowering plants.  Cities like Phoenix, Denver, or Salt Lake City might struggle without a natural tree canopy, but could still perhaps find other ways to grow food-producing plants that naturally thrive in a more arid environment. While they are not producing for commercial purposes, a concept such as this could do wonders where fresh food is otherwise scarce.

On June 26, we visited the Tropenmuseum, or the Museum of the Tropics.  In the museum’s great hall a curator explained that museum was once a celebration of Dutch colonial riches from Indonesia and Suriname, formerly the Dutch East Indies and Dutch Guyana respectively, but now the museum makes great effort to acknowledge the true colonial legacy of brutality and slavery. The bottom floor of the museum is a temporary exhibition dedicated to the diversity of all peoples entitled “What Makes Us Special”. The exhibit does a great job of displaying differing religions, music, styles of clothing, and the ripple effects of cultural appropriation. The second floor is the beating heart of the museum: permanent exhibitions on Indonesia and Suriname. The exhibit is, compared to other exhibits in the United States, unflinching and uncompromising.  Slavery and exploitation are openly discussed, and the people affected are deeply humanized. For example: they are referred to as “slaves”, but as “enslaved people”, as their condition of servitude does not define them or strip them of their humanity, but instead was forced upon them by others.  The writers and curators do not shy away from clearly stating how an item was received and go to great lengths to acknowledge the people these items came from. I knew very little about the country of Suriname before going to this museum, so that whole section was also quite educational for me.  The Surinamese people went through great struggle to gain and maintain both their freedom from slavery and their independence, and the exhibit does a wonderful job of showing their struggle. The Indonesian exhibit is equally as impressive and respectful towards the Indonesian people.  Their treasures are tactfully displayed with honesty and acknowledgment. The differences in the Asian and American colonial legacies are also highlighted.  This exhibit alone makes the museum worth the entry fee.  I cannot picture a similar museum in the United States, or any other colonial power, being so frank and honest about its own role. It was really quite refreshing. Upstairs from the Surinamese and Indonesian exhibits were two more temporary exhibitions: a highlight of the hajj (the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca as required by their religion) and of modern Japan.  I found the exhibit on the hajj very powerful and inspiring.  While I’m not Muslim myself, the relationship of pilgrimage, of place, and of spirituality crosses numerous religious boundaries.  For me, I felt the same about my trip to the Western Wall in Jerusalem back in high school.  For others, it might be the Church of the Holy Sepulchre or Varanasi.  The exhibit truly humanizes those who much of the Western World has decided to dehumanize and set aside as an enemy. I learned more about the hajj than I ever knew before, and am definitely inspired to learn more about this tradition.  The exhibit on Modern Japan was fun, but more of an emotional fulfillment than truly educational.  I got to geek out on some of my favorite franchises and movies: Sonic the Hedgehog, Akira, Street Fighter, and many others.  Overall, the museum was a really neat experience: honest, frank, self-aware.  It’s an experience I hope to have in the United States one day.

Our next stop after the Tropenmuseum was the OBA, or the Amsterdam Central Library.  The first thing I noticed when I walked in was how clean, well-used, and integrated into the city the library is.  When we got inside, we were shown some of the details of the place and how the Dutch have made their library so warm and inviting for everyone. The children’s section is set apart from the rest of the library on a sunken floor, allowing extra space for young ones to make a little bit of noise and ruckus.  The kids even have age-appropriate interior decorations, including a large doll house filled with knitted mice, and their own maker space where an art teacher might help them release a little creative energy. Upstairs is even better for the adults: a café on the second floor and a cafeteria with a view on the seventh floor humanizes the patrons somewhat and encourages users to stick around in the library a little while longer, the shelves are easy to navigate and well organized with good signage, books and media are separated onto different floors to avoid confusion, and they have a dedicated spaces for job training for anyone who needs it, Dutch language immersion for ex-pats and refugees, a wide array of periodicals, comfortable seating to both lounge and study, and of course, fast and reliable free WiFi delivered on a one-month free pass for guests. For locals, the WiFi is included with their membership fees.  Unlike libraries in the United States the OBA does charge a yearly membership fee for their services.  At first, as a class we were somewhat taken aback. But seeing the OBA in action it started to make sense. Because each patron has a financial stake, they seem to take better care of the space they occupy. The membership fees also allow them a much larger budget than most American libraries, and they can truly cater to those who pay.  The fees are not cheap at 40 Euro per year, but are still low enough to be affordable for most Amsterdammers.  The membership fee also allows them the flexibility not to charge late fees, which is essentially unheard of in the United States.  In the States, it’s assumed that you won’t bring your materials back on time without the threat of some kind of financial penalty. But at the OBA, the patrons are already buying in, literally, so they feel a stronger responsibility to return their materials on time and in good working order.  They don’t seem to have too much trouble with people keeping materials.  Overall, the effects of true user buy-in are easy to spot in such a place.  The very idea of listening to people who use the library and innovating it in such a way in the States seems far-fetched, but here in Amsterdam they’re miles ahead.  

The next day, on June 27, we visited the Van Gogh Museum.  While I found the exhibition halls themselves somewhat crowded and a little bit underwhelming, their adaptations to accommodate blind and disabled visitors are truly revolutionary. The museum curators do a great job of highlighting the textural elements of Vincent Van Gogh’s work to build tactile three-dimensional models that provide a multi-sensory experience.  A scale model of Van Gogh’s “Bedroom” even comes complete with all of Van Gogh’s favorite accessories like tobacco and absinthe.  The model is identical to his painting, right down to the decorations on the “wall” and the placement of Van Gogh’s clothing.  Blind folks and people with other forms of sensory problems can often find a museum a deeply unwelcome space.  Traditional art museums, in particular, are often the least accessible: everything is completely consumed visually.  Touching the works is usually not only frowned upon but in many cases outright prohibited. Viewers are expected to be quiet and move through galleries with extreme care.  Interactive exhibits are almost completely non-existent.  Access to the space itself is often limited to abled people, or least people who walk without the assistance of a White Cane or a wheelchair.  But this is completely the opposite: they’re bringing an immersive art museum to people who otherwise wouldn’t find the space accessible. Even as a sighted person (with my contacts in of course), I found the entire experience illuminating. If I were indeed blind, I would be ecstatic that there were an art museum I could attend and feel welcome, feel that I could actually interact with the paintings as everyone else can.  They also had a completed tactile experience of Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” that allowed the user to smell the eponymous flowers Van Gogh so eloquently paints. I do wonder how this might work in North America, as our painters generally use different techniques than Van Gogh, but immersion still might be possible: audio clips and narrations of Roy Liechtenstein’s pop art works for example, or tactile scale models of “American Gothic”. All told, while I found the rest of the museum itself less impressive than the Tropenmuseum, the tactile experience of Van Gogh’s paintings might have been my favorite field trip element so far. 

Our final stop for the week was a walking tour of the Amsterdam Street Art Museum.  This museum makes very inventive use of existing structures and spaces to enhance the displayed artwork. Much to our chagrin as librarians, archivists, and preservationists, we were all stunned that each piece of artwork was going to disappear within five years of its installation. The artists commissioned for this museum put together some truly unique and beautiful work, and they have to do it quite quickly and efficiently.  Their studio is literally the street. The museum coordinators do a great job of integrating their vision directly into the community much of the art serves, as well as digitizing the collection for posterity.  I was definitely struck by the fleeting, mobile, and almost overlooked style of this museum.  If we were not on a tour of each work, I would have merely assumed it was just a popular place for some amazingly detailed graffiti and a few large murals on brick.  The art itself is very well-integrated into the neighborhood: it looks like it belongs there.  Commissioned artists do a really great job of utilizing existing surfaces and locations as part of their art installation: towering brick walls, small concrete cornerstones, unused doorways, utility boxes, even a bike storage bin.  This is easily a concept that could do well in the United States where street art is quite common and local communities are often looking to find ways to prevent people from tagging blank spaces and turning them into eyesores.  I also found the idea of a tour itself to be rather immersive: in order to see the art you had to physically interact with the neighborhood as an organism, you had to walk through the well-worn paths and interact with the people who lived there.  It wasn’t just modern spray paint art in a giant hall, it was literally art on the street.  The museum was not perfect: perhaps a guide map or some signs pointing you in the right direction if you wanted to take a self-guided tour, but overall it was a really cool experience.  The artwork was fantastic.  Also I think our friendly host may have admitted to knowing who Banksy is, or at least he insinuated it when he dropped the name in reference to one of the more prominent artists along our walk.  But that’s a story for another time...

Our first week was a whirlwind of field trips, museums, art, food, and culture.  This is a vibrant city with a lot to offer, and the heritage sector in the States could learn more than a thing or two from the way the Dutch have innovated. Food Forests could feed communities without access to grocery stores or fresh produce.  The public library can do its part to generate more buy-in from users and create a more welcoming and inviting experience for everyone. History museums can finally start reckoning with and addressing the darker side of colonialism and capitalism. Art museums can adapt their space and their works to become a part of a neighborhood and accessible to all.  Truly revolutionary and innovative. 

Next week: eh, who knows, probably more field trips maybe? Maybe some of the smaller differences between the Netherlands and the States? Or day-to-day life in the Netherlands? Maybe a museum tour of the ones I visited on my own? Like I said, who knows, next week’s topic TBA

[touristguidebuzz]

Baguio City: Panagbenga Festival 2017 Official Schedule of Activities

Out of Town Blog Baguio City: Panagbenga Festival 2017 Official Schedule of Activities

Panagbenga Festival 2017

Are you planning to visit Baguio City for Panagbenga Festival 2017? The official Panagbenga 2017 Calendar of Activities was already released by Baguio Flower Festival Foundation and we have listed it in this post to guide you on your travel plans. Now on its 22nd year, this years theme is “Inspired By Beauty, Nurtured By Nature”.

Panagbenga Festival 2017 Photo by NormArt Signs

Panagbenga Festival is considered as one of the most attended festival in the Philippines and one with the largest media coverage. The highlights of the yearly flower festival are the Street Dance Parade and Float Parade that showcases multicoloured floats made entirely from flowers of every kind. The word Panagbenga is a Kankanaey term which means “Seasons of blooming ” or “a time for flowering”.

Panagbenga 2017 Grand Float Parade photos – Photo credit: lenmartz / CC BY-NC-SA

Panagbenga Festival 2017 Official Schedule of Activities

Date Panagbenga 2017 Activities Events Venue / Parade Route February 1 Panagbenga 2017 Opening Day Panagbenga Park, Session Road, Magsaysay Ave, Harrison Road, Melvin Jones Grandstand February 1 – March 5 Baguio Blooms Exposition and Exhibition Juan Luna and Lake Drive February 12 Handog ng Panagbenga sa Pamilya Baguio Melvin Jones Grandstand and Football Grounds February 15 School Based Competitions City-wide February 17-19 PMA Alumni Homecoming Weekend Philippine Military Academy February 17 Flower Tree Open Gold Tournament Baguio Country Club February 25-26 Exhibitors Day Ganza Parking Area (former Jadewell) February 25 Panagbenga Festival 2017 Grand Street Parade Panagbenga Park>Session Road>Magsaysay Ave>Maharlika>Harrison Road>Melvin Jones Football Grounds February 26 Panagbenga 2017 GRAND FLOAT PARADE DILG>Session Road>Maharlika>Harrison Road>Melvin Jones Grandstand February 26-March 5 Session Road In Bloom Session Road March 4 Pony Boys Day Wright Park March 5 Closing Ceremonies and Awarding Melvin Jones Grandstand and Football Grounds Grand Fireworks Display City-wide

Activities and Things to do in Baguio City during Panagbenga Festival

Baguio has so much to offer to tourists. Visitors can visit religious sites, heritage sites, military camps, Spooky Places, Do Ukay-Ukay Shopping all day and even midnight, go on a food trip, pasalubong shopping and so much more.

Here are some of the recommended things to do and see in the Philippines Summer Capital:

Baguio City View

Visit Camp John Hay – the former R&R facility for American military personnel during the American occupation. Now under the auspices of the Bases Conversion & Development Authority (BCDA), Camp John Hay is now a sort of country club complete with an 18-hole golf course, horseback riding, camping and many more.

Walk along Session Road – the best place to look for restaurants, specialty shops, coffee shops and bars.

Mines View Park – enjoy the view of the beautiful mountain scenery

Philippine Military Academy – Checkout the schedule for Cadet Parade

Burnham Park – go for a walk, eat street food, buy pasalubong or go rowing on the small lake.

La Trinidad Strawberry Fields – Go to Magsasay Avenue to find the Jeepney terminal to La Trinidad Benguet to experience Strawberry Picking.

Baguio Teachers Camp

Explore Tam-awan Village

Bell Church of Baguio City

Japanese Tunnel Walk at Baguio’s Botanical Garden

Laperal Ancestral Home: Famous Haunted House in Baguio City

Also check out Baguio City Itinerary

Places to Stay in Baguio City during Panagbenga Festival 2017

It is recommended to do an advance hotel booking to avoid much hassle. If you prefer budget accommodations, transient houses and lodging houses are also available city-wide. Checkout these links for recommended hotels in Baguio City:

Azalea Baguio City

Casa Vallejo

Hotel Review: Azalea Hotels and Residences Baguio City

Top 10 Affordable Places to Stay in Baguio City

Top 10 Places to Stay In Baguio City

A list of Baguio transient houses

Recommended Places to Eat in Baguio City

Baguio is one of my favorite Foodie Destination in the Philippines. From Turo-Turo (hawkers), Buffet to fine dining, Baguio has a lot of restaurants offering local and international cuisine. To enjoy food tripping in Baguio during the flower festival season, here are some of our recommended restaurants:

Strawberry Flavored Taho in Baguio City

Forest House Bistro & Cafe, Great food, great music, great service. Located at 16 Loakan Road, near Nevada Square. Must-Try: Bagnet.

Café by the Ruins, 23 Chuntug St., Baguio City, ? +63 74 4424010. Quaint ambience, hearty salads, pastas and juices and good coffee or tea to top it off. Also Read: Keeping the History Alive at Café By the Ruins, Baguio City

Choco-Late de Batirol in Baguio City: A Sweet Memory that Satisfies the Soul

List of Coffee Shops with free WiFi in Baguio City

Top 10 Affordable Places to Eat in Baguio City

Foodgasmic Baguio: 10 Restaurants You Should Not Miss While in The Summer Capital

5 Best Buffet Restaurants in Baguio City

Panagbenga Travel Tips

Panagbenga Festival 2017 Official Schedule of Activities

Book your Bus Tickets ahead

Try to make the trip at night as there will be less cars and pedestrians on the street that may cause traffic

Book your Hotels in Advance

Bring comfortable walking shoes

Always bring an umbrella and a rain coat / hoodie jacket.

Secure your important belongings when in crowded places

Arrive early in Session Road to secure your spot if you are planning to watch the Grand Street Parade (February 25) and Grand Float Parade (February 26)

Bring wide array of wardrobe as the temperature varies from extremely hot (noon-time) to extremely cold (night-time).

It is advised to walk when visiting tourist destinations in the town center because they are actually close to each other and it will save you money.

How to Get to Baguio City

By Bus from Manila: Air-conditioned bus trips to Baguio leave Manila, Pasay and Quezon City terminals daily in an hourly basis. Popular bus lines offering Baguio route are Victory Liner, Partas, and Genesis among others. One way bus ticket would cost you P450, and travel time will be approximately 6-7 hours (or longer) during Panagbenga Season.

Via private vehicle:

While it takes at average 4-6 hr to get to Baguio City by car, it takes much longer during holiday long weekends, Holy Week, Panagbenga Season etc.

Drive through NLEX.

Take Exit 85 right into SCTEX.

Transfer to the right lane and drive to Baguio via Tarlac.

Take the Tarlac exit and follow the road signs that will take you to MacArthur Highway.

Once you’re on MacArthur Highway, drive straight to Tarlac and Pangasinan until you reach Rosario, La Union.

From the Rosario junction, you can turn right into famous Kennon Road. This is the most popular and scenic route up Baguio City.

If you prefer the wider lanes of Marcos Highway, drive further into Rosario and turn right towards the new entrance.

[Note: TPLEX is now open; you can take it from SCTEX to avoid much of McArthur Highway]

Heres a complete guide on how to get to Baguio – > Travel Guide: How to Get to Baguio from Metro Manila

Important Telephone Numbers for Tourists:

Tourist Information and Assistance Center Baguio City Tourism Office (63-74) 442 6708 Baguio Tourism Council (63-74) 443-3434

Hospitals: Baguio General Hospital (63-74) 442-4216 SLU Sacred Heart Hospital (63-74) 442-2790

Baguio Police Department Tactical Operations Center (63-74) 442-1211 / 304-6997 / 442-4119 or hotline 166 Highway Patrol Group (63-74) 445-0434

Baguio City: Panagbenga Festival 2017 Official Schedule of Activities Melo Villareal