#last Thursday i had a whole day trip from 8 am to 11 pm and i went on a 30 min hike followed by 2 hours of standing and a 4 hour bus ride

[sprinklethetangerine]

I'm gonna make..

Doughnuts

And I...

Kinda don't fucking want to

(Pretend there are sparkles there)

[hazygrains]

November 23 – 26, 2022 - Pt. I

At long last, Asis and I finally visited El Nido, Palawan from November 23 to 26, 2022. The whole family was initially supposed to go there in 2018. We already had our tickets, but due to budget constraints and other unknown reasons, we, siblings, and our partners decided not to go. My parents were the only ones who got to travel at that time. Another time was in 2020, when the pandemic upended everything. And finally, after two years, we were in El Nido, all thanks to my sister, who booked and gifted us these promo round-trip tickets ( ´ ▽ ` ).｡ｏ♡

Technically, we stayed in El Nido for only two days. The other two days were meant for travel time, to and fro. It was honestly exhausting to have to spend a day just to get to your destination. So time-consuming, but what can mere peasants do? We’re not wealthy enough to fly directly to El Nido.

Nov 23, Wednesday – We left home around 9 am, and arrived in Puerto Princesa around 3 pm. Thank heavens, the flight was smooth, no delays. But damn, we were overwhelmed when we got to NAIA Terminal 4 airport. It was extremely crowded, with tons of delayed flights, making it one of the worst airports in the world. Buuuut yea, it was really nice to ride an airplane again. We don’t always get to air travel, so being up in the sky is somewhat special to me. I'm truly amazed at how vast and beautiful the world is from a bird's-eye view. Being up in the sky always makes me feel tiny, like a speck of dust. Such a strange and amazing feeling.

Anyhoo, we rode a shared van when we arrived in Puerto that would transfer us to El Nido. The ride usually took 5 – 6 hours, but since we had to wait for other passengers, it took us 8 hours more or less. There was also a stopover where we had our dinner. We were also surprised at how nice the roads were in Palawan—much better than the roads and highways here in the metro. Must be nice to actually see proper outcomes to where our taxes go (」°ロ°)」 So yup, we arrived at our Airbnb at almost 11 pm.

The Airbnb I found was nice and cozy, just a room with a co-shared kitchenette and bathroom. It was close to everything, but at the same time, it was far from the noise and crowd. Our host, Jhustine, was accommodating and responsive as well.

Nov 24, Thursday – We booked a shared island tour A with APE Tours, as it was the most popular one and recommended by Jhustine. Although it was a bit more expensive compared to other agencies, it was worth it. We arrived just in time at the meeting place with 17 people in our group. The boat was nice and pretty big, with an upper deck. The tour inclusions were light breakfast, lunch, light snacks, beverages, free photos captured during our island-hopping experience, use of life vests, masks, and snorkel, environmental and entrance fees to the sites, and fun and professional crews. The weather was nice that day with only a few brief showers and drizzles. We even saw a rainbow near the rock formations, which was magical. I also learned how to properly use a snorkel, although I was panicking at times due to the presence of many fish. I just made sure Asis was near me or other tourists while snorkeling. They also played beach volleyball on our last island stopover. The tour ended around 5 pm, and it was a wonderful experience being basked in the beauty of El Nido. Grateful to be there. ♡

After our tour, we returned to our Airbnb, freshened up, and got hungry again. We checked out Jhustine’s clear book of rules and recommendations and chose Gibu’s Bulalo Plaza because we were both craving broth and seafood. Their food was cheap and delicious! We also explored the area and found streets full of busy restaurants, pubs, and shops, almost feeling like we were in a foreign country. There were foreigners everywhere, with only a few local tourists. We came across a Ukrainian brewery that served craft beers—IPA and stout. We stayed there for a while, and Asis finished his beers. We also got to watch a FIFA game between Uruguay and South Korea, which was fun as there were Uruguayans in the pub cheering loudly for their team. Afterward, we went back to our temporary home and called it a day. ♡

[madelinemsnyder]

Gute Fahrt!

This German phrase I saw in the Vienna International Airport and in the metro stations means good ride/trip/travels. And that is what I experienced this past weekend in Vienna, Austria. 

Mia and I arrived on Thursday night, and we unconfidently managed our way to our hostel. We were very hungry by the time we got there at 11 pm, but most places were closed. We caught a local pizza place selling the last of their day’s slices three minutes past close, and I was thankful. 

The next morning I was up at 8 am, solely to take advantage of the hostel’s free breakfast. Upon first glance, I was not sure that they had much to offer. But I took my time with breakfast, and I ended up enjoying thick bread rolls with lots of Nutella (I do love Europe for hazelnut’s prevalence), fruit yogurt with granola and cereal, and coffee from a fancy machine. I am somewhat high maintenance with coffee, but I have learned to love a simple latte (hot coffee with milk), so I had two.

To clarify, we never really planned on any of the places we ended up visiting. We knew very little about Austria upon entering the country, which was an exciting and daunting fact. It was nice not to have anywhere to be; we had the whole day to wander and discover. 

When I first saw Vienna, I was struck by how clean it was. The metro on the first night was unusually clean. In the daytime, the streets seemed immaculate- I did not see street cleaners or even a surplus of trash cans- it appeared a picture-perfect landscape. The sidewalks were wide and flat; all the streets, structures, and parks were politely asking us to walk down them and enjoy their beauty. Even the buildings-which is a common theme is Europe- all appear to be large and beautiful, even if a McDonalds or Starbucks sits on the bottom of it.

We initially headed to Volksgarten, a beautiful green open area, then to nearby Hofburg Palace, a beautiful gray white building with gold detailing. At first I did not realize how expansive it was, but I later learned there were many museums inside. I think it was also connected to the Austrian National Library- another beautiful building with a more amazing interior (according to pictures I saw). Next, we headed to MuseumsQuartier, another area quite close to where we were with grandiose buildings. I am not quite sure what drew us, but we wandered farther off in that direction. Again, I am not sure what stood out this time, but maybe there was a vague familiarity about the Leopold Museum standing out from the names of the other museums. We spontaneously bought tickets because the art advertised was gorgeous. And I was not disappointed. 

After our eyes were tired from reading about and soaking in the art, and our bellies hungry, we decided to leave to the museum to wander around to whatever our next destination would be. We had snuck some sandwiches from the hostel breakfast, so that we would not have to buy lunch. Maybe it was the hunger or maybe, just maybe, that gouda and turkey sandwich was the best one I have ever had. 

Next, we wandered to another side of Hofburg Palace, near the Albertina museum. It hurt us to not go inside the Albertina, as they advertised Van Gogh, Matisse, Monet, and Picasso pieces that I know we would have loved. We stopped by Beethovenplatz, a little square with a sculpture dedicated to his namesake. From there, we probably saw a million more beautiful views before arriving at the Belvedere Palace. A place which we chose to wander to because I think we had heard about it from a friend of a friend, and it seemed close to us when we looked on a map. I did Google our way there, and it seemed like we had arrived, when the map still said it was an eight minute walk. Really, that is just how wide-ranging the area was. From one side to the other was a 10 minute walk. It was beautiful, and I almost felt like a queen walking through the grounds of the palace. Even though I was wearing sweats and carrying a volleyball backpack.

After enjoying the views, we were quite far from our hostel, and it was getting dark. We started to head back (about an hour’s walk) to catch views of St. Stephen’s Cathedral and hopefully some authentic Austrian food. It was very cold, and I was getting hungry, so we stopped at Short Break, a little coffee shop on the corner of a tall yellow building. I ordered an iced coffee because I was curious if it would be any good (sorry Greece, but I have not been a fan of your coffee). It was great, and I felt like a child for indulging myself because there was literal ice-cream in the coffee. Mia and I also split a traditional apple strudel for the experience.

After warming up, we made our way to St. Stephen’s Cathedral, which appeared gothic in the night light. Its stark beauty stood in the center surrounded by tall buildings- the modernity made evident by souvenir shops, a metro station, restaurants, and high fashion stores. We walked around the nearby squares and ended up eating at a quaint little Austrian restaurant. I thoroughly enjoyed schnitzel with chips (fries) dipped in ketchup and mayo mixed together. I also had a martini, and Mia had a beer. My only objections to the experience were that water, ketchup, and mayo cost money even though we were not told ahead of time. Also, we were the last ones in the restaurant at 8:45 pm on a Friday night! It deserves a quick mention that I made it to Sigmund Freud Park and smoked a cigarette in honor of the psychologist famous for smoking cigars, psychoanalysis, and creating theories about sexuality based purely on observations of middle to upper class Viennese women.

We noticed that Vienna seemed populated by older people as opposed to young people (with the exception of Austrian teenagers at Freud’s park on Friday night). And we learned from experience that places, even restaurants, closed pretty early at night. Vienna seemed to be one of those destinations that maybe only more experienced travelers would visit. Many people were quite nice, and I was less worried about being pick pocketed here. I felt as though fewer people spoke English, fewer people tried to sell us things, and we stood out less as tourists (as opposed to more heavily-populated tourist cities). I think my family would love it here. If we came back, we would have no shortage of art (new and old to me) to enjoy.

Another brief thought about returning to Vienna on Monday. I was excited to be back, but it was not quite the same. This is where I felt humbled in my travels and experiences as a 19-year-old ambitious juvenile (I love you, Billy Joel). We had limited time in Vienna before our flight, but our hearts were set on seeing Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss” when we realized it was hanging at the Belvedere Palace. It was a great few hours wandering the beautiful museum. However, we were quite tired from all our days of walking (50 miles in 4 days) and attempting to manage public transportation in the German language back to the airport on empty stomachs only exhausted us more. I wondered what it would be like to travel like supermodels or rich people, with chauffeurs, being put up in fancy hotels like the Ritz-Carlton, receiving welcome gifts and complimentary room service. But, it was empowering and rewarding to travel around on our own the way we did. I am eternally grateful for the experiences I have had, including all the hiccups along the way. Although Mia and I were evidently frustrated, we did not snap at each other once(!), so yes our podcast on marriage counseling will be coming soon :).

The country of Austria was never top of my list to visit (most definitely because I was ignorant of its beauty and history), but I am so thankful I made it. I learned so much about wonderful Vienna, and all hopes I could have had were exceeded by the art and ambiance of the city. Like Billy Joel said, I felt that Vienna was waiting for me.

[mtsilvermute]

Red's Journal - Entry 9/5

To-do (this week):

Monday (9/5): -weekly Indigo Meeting (virtual) 10 AM -call mom 4 PM -heat up mom's freezer meal 5 PM -watch show 6 PM

Tuesday (9/6): -flight prep Charizard 10 AM/11 AM (weather pending) -challenger evaluation 1 PM (DO NOT FORGET COMMENTS SECTION) -October conference prep meeting 3 PM Wednesday (9/7): -CHALLENGER CHALLENGER CHALLENGER DO NOT FORGET DO NOT FORGET DO NOT FORGET -flight prep Charizard 10 AM/11 AM (weather pending) -PACK FOR WEEKEND: laundry (all days), pokégear, gift for mom, all cables, headphones (just in case) Thursday (9/8): -pallet town flyback (weather pending, check forecast + prep sunny day?) -DO NOT CHECK EMAIL (until home on 9/12)

A challenger approaches. It's the first time in three weeks, maybe four - who's counting anymore? Talent pools have dried up and I've grown so complacent I can't bring myself to care. Lance's assistant contacted me to say that they were still finishing up his paperwork and that he'd be up on Wednesday (so we'll do the evaluation tomorrow). What gets me the most about the eval is that they've added comments sections as of this month. So the page that I get with the challenger's team - that he beat the Elite Four with, I mean: obviously it's still closed-note on both of our parts and that will never change - has this space where they want me to reply with my thoughts and concerns and such regarding his party composition/whether he's fit for the climb and all that. I don't really know what they expect: A thumbs-up emoji? A seal of approval? Why ask for thoughts from the man that clearly has nothing to say?

I woke up today and I had a headache again. Texted mom, she told me to drink water. Realized I've completely skimped on drinking water daily for the last however-long. She called me later and asked to talk to Pikachu, and before I knew it she'd instructed him to force me into the kitchen every few hours and not let me leave until I drank a whole glass. I should feel cared for and loved and I do but I can't - cause I shouldn't have let it get this bad in the first place, right? How does she love a liability like me? Am I not just forcing her hand?

That's rhetorical, I promise. She loves me and I love her too. I just wanted to jot it down. I also just got up for 20 minutes because I stepped outside to let Espeon out and we both just kind of stood there, out on the porch, letting the snow fall on our faces. I want the record to show that life is a gift and this mountain is magical: I wake up blessed every single day. I've just grown frustrated with my plateauing, if you'll pardon the pun. I need to have a goal again -- to want something again. I love my existence, but I've just been existing, and I grow ever more anxious as the days pass by without any meaningful change.

In any case, I'm going back home this weekend - Thursday through Sunday - and for four whole days I'll know how it feels to not be frostbitten. (I've never loved the sun but it does give good hugs.) I don't know if my mom has anything planned but it'll just be nice to eat a fresh fruit or sit out on the front lawn or something. I'm not really picky; I'm just happy to soon be home. By noon on Thursday it'll be storming like crazy so I'll have to leave earlier than anticipated, but Espeon's prepped Sunny Day and maybe that'll be enough.

And maybe this little trip will be enough -- to remind me that everything's going to be alright.

I'll update this journal tomorrow after the flight prep + eval thing + conference prep meeting (which I guess I could have talked about in this entry but I'll leave it for tomorrow anyway). until then, good night, journal. I will bring you better thoughts soon.

[seoulfulcity]

July 12, 2018: We’re Halfway There

안녕하세요,

I am finally halfway through the summer program, and the words my friend Valentino once said during the first week is starting to become reality: "Once we reach halfway through, it's going to go by fast". Now, I'm dreading the last half of the program knowing that I will be on a plane ride back to Los Angeles in a blink of an eye.

Happy three weeks here in Seoul! It's been an eventful week so this is how it went down. This blog recaps the events from Monday to Thursday only. A lot happened on Friday which necessitated a post on its own. Happy reading!

Even though I'm already halfway through, I still have not taken the time to explore the city and visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites or even done any touristy things like visit Gyeongbokgung Palace (경복궁) or even the Namsan Tower (N서울타워). I hope that it doesn't become one of my biggest regrets during this trip, but my mindset is that the bond I have with my friends right now is not something I could experience ever again but I can always go back to Seoul as a tourist in the future.

Monday, July 9, 2018: Florence messaged me on Kakao back in July 3 if I wanted to go to Super Junior's Ryeowook's fan meet since he was being discharged from the military on July 10. Being broke as we both were, we decided to just visit the cafés that were supported by Ryeowook fans: Café Ego, Café 333, and Andy's Coffee.

We decided to visit Café 333 and Andy's Coffee since they were both located in Hongdae.

Café 333 was our first stop and the place was decked out in Ryeowook's pictures. The counter had a welcome sign for his discharge, and tables were decorated with pictures of the idol. We ordered mocha and chocolate lattes and received a Ryeowook banner and two photo cards on top of the Ryeowook sleeve that came with our lattes.

Then we headed to Andy's Coffee just down the street from Café 333 where we ordered coffee and strawberryade. The coffee place gave us Ryeowook transparent fans and another cup sleeve with our orders.

After our trip, we walked around Hongdae and found the place where they filmed a scene in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo (Yeokdo-yojeong Kim Bokjoo/역도요정 김복주) where Joohyung (Nam Joohyuk) was feeding Kim Bok Joo (Lee Sungkyung) with barbeque from the money he "found" on the floor.

We returned to Anam-dong a few hours after we started our day and I realized I have not eaten either breakfast or lunch yet, so I treated myself to one of my favorite places, once again. Remember that bossam (보쌈) place called Ssago (싸고)? I came back there for the third time since I arrived in Seoul, and even then, I was still learning new things such as Koreans actually referring Sprite here as cider (사이다). Odd.

It rained again that day, but it was not as humid as it usually is - the rain was freezing and I was out in Hongdae in a t-shirt and shorts. So, Florence and I went to Spao and bought myself a nice breathable summer sweater that's appropariate for Seoul's humid weather.

I also found out that Singaporeans call umbrella "brolly" thanks to Joyce. I am learning so many new things from Singaporeans, especially coming from being clueless about the culture just three weeks ago - I did not even know what a Singaporean accent was!

In Korean class, I told my professor that I was going to an event hosted by ISC to watch SBS's "The Show" rehearse and perform, so I will be missing class together with two other students, Andrea and Aubrey. The South Korean series is hosted by CLC's Yeeun, NCT's Jeno, and JBJ's Longguo. I got the line up on Monday which consisted of Apink, fromis_9, UNB, Golden Child, ONF, Kim Dong Han, MYTEEN, Jessi, Yoon Mirae, among others. KCON LA recently announced the lineup for this year's event which includes both fromis_9 and Golden Child, so I'm basically saving myself from spending an extra $100 to go both concert days to see the same groups I'm seeing here in Seoul for free.

Tuesday, July 10, 2018: SBS's "The Show" begins at 6:30 PM KST, so I had the whole day for myself - as expected, I did nothing. We were supposed to meet at the SBS Prism Tower lobby at 5 PM, and it takes about 40 minutes to get from Anam Station (안압역) to Digital Media City (디지털 비디아 시티); so I left at 3:30 to gave myself some extra time just in case I get lost.

There was a long queue outside SBS Prism Tower for ONF and MYTEEN fans. I was told that these fans don't have tickets and are hoping to go in to see their favorite groups perform, while I was in the lobby researching about the groups performing because the only thing I know about everybody was that they were Korean.

Heck, I thought fromis_9 was a boy group.

I was honestly only looking forward to see Jeno and Longguo with my own eyes.

My friends start slowly arriving and one of them went to a coffeeshop nearby that had Longguo on the cup sleeve, which made me more excited for the show to start. Salli and Carolina arrived and I didn't know they were even accepted to go to the show, so I spent the rest of the time until 6:30 with Andrea (Guatemalan), Aubrey (Chinese), Salli (Puerto Rican) and Carolina (Brazilian) teaching each other different Spanish dialects, Brazilian Portuguese, and Chinese words.

We were seated at 6:17 PM and the show started on time until 8 PM. BABA performed first, then TARGET, fromis_9, elris, Kyungri, Golden Child, MYTEEN, Kim Dong Han, Migyu, Jessi, ONF, The East Light, UNB, Gugudan SEMINA, Yoon Mirae, and Apink. Apink ended up winning that night - no surprises there.

Salli, Carolina and I took the subway back to Anam-dong together where Carolina told me about the Hanyang University Cruise Party - a booze cruise with unlimited drinks for an hour and ending the night at one of Gangnam's most revered clubs - Octagon - famous for being very selective with its guests. Octagon rejects most foreigners and men who are not up to standards with its rich beautiful image. Koreans usually get in for free and foreigners pay ₩30,000. The booze cruise was only ₩30,000 if we buy it before July 11 at 10 PM as a group of more than six people. One individual ticket is ₩45,000, and the tickets get cheaper the more people in the group.

Well, we managed to get more than six people within ten minutes and we bought the tickets together thanks to Wendelyn's credit card.

The three of us were starving when we reached Anam-dong, so I introduced both Salli and Carolina to, you've guessed it, bossam (보쌈) in the same place called Ssago (싸고). As you might have known by now, I am becoming obsessed with it.

After dinner, we went ahead to the Baskin Robbins place where I told both of them about the cute worker I saw last week. We checked the place out and no luck - though we ended up getting Pus in Boots cups and milkshakes to end our night.

I could not sleep later that night and I was still awake until 3 AM just in time for Thai, Davy, and Hyunjic-oppa (현직오빠) to get ready and meet up at Chicken Bus to watch the World Cup semi-finals with France competing against Belgium. I was awake already anyway so why not, right? I met with them downstairs. Matt and Sophie joined with us in front of Frontier House before going down the stairs to Chicken Bus. Later in the night, Wendelyn and Florence met with us at the restaurant itself while the game was playing.

Thai, Davy, and Hyunjic-oppa (현직오빠) were betting for Belgium to go into the finals, while Matt and I placed our money on France. Matt and Hyunjic-oppa (현직오빠) made a bet to pay for the winner's entire alcohol consumption for that night. We watched the game Korean-style with chicken and maekju (백주), or chimaek (치백), until the game ended at 5 AM, just in time for daylight to break.

If you've watched the 2018 World Cup finals, then you know that Matt and I won the bet.

Wednesday, July 11, 2018: I slept in until 2 PM that day and had no other plans besides updating my Blackpink blog. I went to the nearby PC bang (PC방) to play around and edit my Tumblr page and my past blogs in the late afternoon. I type my blogs on my phone and the Tumblr app has very limited options on setting up my page and my posts. I did not know the culture around PC방 prior to arriving, so I had to do some research.

1. PC방 are ubiquitous in Seoul - meaning that there is a PC방 in every corner of the street, almost as many as noraebang (노래방) places. Some PC방 are membership only, so you need to sign up and make an account to use the computers. Some, such as the one I go to, would hand you a card with a number on it and you log in using that card number.

2. They're insanely cheap! The PC방 I've seen can go from ₩500-₩1,500 per hour, so sometimes whenever I have nothing to do during the day and all of my friends are in class, I hang out in a PC방 and scroll down Tumblr or watch Are You Human Too? (Neodo Inganini?/너도 인간이니?) in DramaCool since both Viki and DramaFever are not working here in South Korea.

I logged out and caught up with Matt, Florence, Sophie, and Minki-hyung (민기형) at Sulbing Korean Dessert Cafe (설빙) just next to Chicken Bus and Seorae Korean Barbeque. They ordered Green Tea Snowflakes and Mango Snowflakes, while I got the Chocolate Brownie snowflakes.

Sophie asked me what I ordered and after telling them, everybody started laughing.  Minki-hyung (민기형) made a guess earlier what I would be getting and he guessed right - I was becoming too predictable.

And when I got my order, I did not realize how humongous the portion was.

I keep forgetting that I am in South Korea and not America - the portion sizes here are way bigger since most of the cafés and restaurants are catered for couples (again - couple culture dominates Seoul).

Going back to our dorms, we bumped into Valentino and Cara where we stood in front of the cheap street food restaurant everybody constantly buzzes about (Goreun Aetsal/고른 앳살) for a good hour.

Thursday, July 12, 2018: It was exam day for me, and it was my first one too. So as the good student that I am, I decided to dedicate my whole morning studying - in Donghae's Haru & One Day Café.

I planned to spend a few hours studying for my Korean exam on basic conversational sentences while sipping on Donghae's drink then head to the nearby Kondae (건대) shopping and food district to eat out.

I ordered a glass of lemon juice, took advantage of Donghae's Wi-Fi, and studied.

For ten minutes.

Then I sat there for the next hour looking at fans come and take pictures with the giant Audrey Hepburn portrait hanging on the wall. I was very distracted that day and decided to just walk around Kondae (건대) and look for something to eat.

I scoured through the whole place under the 96-degree weather and found nothing - I was craving pork or beef that I did not have to cook and was within my ₩10,000 budget, but to no avail. Most of the restaurants I've found served pretty much all chicken or meat you have to cook yourself and other menu items I was not craving.

Kondae (건대), the area surrounding Konkuk University, has plenty of Japanese restaurants, which is very lacking around Anam-dong, the area surrounding Korea University. Sometimes, I just want to take a break from Korean food and stuff myself with something different - Japanese, Mexican, Vietnamese, you name it.

I went back to Anam-dong to try out the cheap street food restaurant by the campus to see what was the hype about. The menu was all in Korean, but luckily I know enough for me to differentiate ramen (라면) from tteokbokki (떡볶이).

The prices were very cheap - regular kimbap (원조김밥) was ₩1,500, tteok-ramyeon (떡라면) was ₩3,000, and Busan fish cakes (Busan eomuk/부산어묵) was ₩2,000. Having spent some time around Myeongdong and Hongdae, I knew these prices were within range. One stick of fish cake in Myeongdong was about the same price, so I expected to be eating a plate of kimbap, a bowl of tteok-ramyeon, and a stick of eomuk.

Bad idea - I really keep forgetting that I'm not in America anymore.

The portion sizes were humongous and the three plates took up the entire space of my whole table.

It looked like I was about to film a mukbang video.

I messaged my friends who were nearby to crash at the place and help me finish my food - Florence, Matt, Lina, and Wendelyn came to rescue.

Florence and I ran out of the restaurant to catch our 4:50 Korean language classes right after the rest arrived.

We took a different route and entered the Media Hall where they had a TV situated at the hallway leading to Woodang Hall - and they were playing the K-Pop flash mob dance we filmed a week prior.

The class was starting in a few seconds and my professor wanted us to be on time for the exam since she was not extending the exam time for us if we come late.

Well, the exam was easy - it was actually a quiz. I was mentally preparing for a midterm-type exam since everybody else was studying for midterms.

I finished it in six minutes and lecture continued per usual.

After class, I invited my friends to go to Dongdaemun with me to walk around and maybe buy some clothes and souvenirs - Joyce, Valentino, Matt, Sophie, Wendelyn, and Cara joined with us and took the subway together to Dongdaemun History and Culture Park Station (동대문 역사문화공원). We walked up and past the LED Rose Garden and met up with Thai and Davy, who just came from eating live octopus at Gwangjang Market, then we headed to eat street foods by the Migliori Mall.

We took the bus from Dongdaemun back to Anam and met up with Minki-hyung (민기형) for some makgeolli, rice alcohol famous for its hangover headache, at Tosokjumak Makgeolli House (토속주막 막걸리) just under Monaco Bar. I have never had makgeolli before, but I had an understanding that makgeolli is sipped from a bowl with both hands, but I did not know that it was actually served in kettle pots! The ahjumma (아줌마) serving us placed two kettles next to me and I did not know what it was for - I asked the group if they ordered tea and Minki-hyung (민기형) laughed and told me that it was the makgeolli.

We played drinking games for the rest of the night - such as taking a sip if we say the word "you", rotating our names and responding to the name of the second person to our left, placing everything on the table with two taps, and removing the little man from everything we picked up and called him Hyunjic-oppa (현직오빠).

We left the makgeolli place at almost 2 AM and I bumped into my drunk friends from my Korean class - Darren, Peter, Angela, Cindy, and Sharon. Peter, Cindy, and Angela had too much soju for the night and we walked them back to Frontier House and Anam Global House. We spent a whole hour outside the CU Convenience Store just under the hill from CJ International and Frontier House trying to get Peter off of the streets and back to his dorm.

Darren and I managed to get him to his room and back to our dorms by 4 AM and Darren messaged me that he was treating me with a drink sometime for my help - earlier in the night, he was lightheadedly telling me how high his alcohol tolerance was and I wanted to challenge him since my tolerance is also in the higher side.

So, I'm looking forward to the night when we actually find out whose tolerance is actually higher - hopefully we find out this week.

My week 3 blog ends here, and I will be starting on my Friday blog hopefully today.

It's Monday of week 4 and I am looking forward for this weekend since this Friday is the booze cruise - I invited other people for the event, those I haven't had the time to hang out with or the people I met for a few minutes but want to get to know better.

I am dreading the end of this summer program. I have noticed that I've been taking my time absorbing every moment, looking at the faces of the friends I've made here and the buildings that have been part of my daily walks to school and realizing that I only have two more weeks to go to make the best out of this amazing chapter of my life. I really hope that one day, I will find the time to reunite with each and every one of them and relive these moments together.

It would be very easy to reunite with the Singaporeans since their country is so small and more than half of my friends are Singaporean.

This gives me the biggest incentive to visit Singapore very soon since I expect it to be one big reunion. Until then!

고마워요,

Chris 「크리스」

P.S. I will not miss the 112 steps going up the Frontier stairs and the neverending hills around this campus. Oh, my God! I will not miss it at all.

P.P.S. The couple and PDA culture here is still insane.

[coolpolarbear123]

Band Camp Day 2

it's 1:38am on the 17th, I just got back from the bar, and it's time to type

August 16th (I'm turning 21 today!)

<< 2 >>

Stayed up until 2 am last night:

The good thing about Monday is that we don't start at 8:30am yet. The dorm people move in today, so us off-campus people get to vibe.

Or in my case, get my birthday starbucks

among other birthday beverages

aka there's another coffee shop that also does free birthday drinks

librarians had to be in at 10am doing music, so that's when my day personally started (band camp wise, anyway)

I should mention that this is the official first day of band camp

music went fine. We checked every folder individually for mistakes and stuff. There was a little upset with who didn't go on my birthday coffee run and who did, which I understand, but it's such a small thing in the grand scheme of things

I do feel bad, though

check in started at 12:30 and went until 1:30, so we managed to get there around 1:15. However, the drumline instructor decided that that was the time to tell us he needed the entire score, which is the Worst time to tell us

and it's my band director's fault, to put it simply. Not even his

but we had to check in, so that became an issue for later

we checked in, which was simple and easy, and I got to see the piccs I haven't seen in forever, they managed to find our one freshman, which was super cool bc that was my first official time meeting her

I also got to see all of my other-section friends, which was awesome

then the Meeting began

before the meeting, all of band council and staff had to wait outside the room so we could run in like we're special or somethin

we are. Our shirts didn't come in on time, but we have bright yellow bandanas to wear all week so that people know who to ask for help

the whole "wearing it all week" thing was revealed to us WHILE our band director was saying it to the entire band

oh, and to set the scene, we're all standing behind him, facing the band

it's just all the normal introductory stuff. That was the most I've ever faked being happy bc I have to

he introduced us. Mispronounced my name. I thought it was really funny and so did the entire band, so at least we're all in on it

he explained how we get free meals until Wednesday, but then he talked about how the meal cards charge by meal? So then he was like "don't go to the dining hall for a minor meal, just eat in your dorm" which like

cool, now there's gonna be a starving freshman who was guilt tripped into eating a poptart in their dorm

like wtf. Charge the school as much as you want, kids, you're paying to be here.

halfway through, the drumline section leader left, and that's when ML2 realized we needed copies of that score now so it was really awkward watching her dart across the stage and do all that and get keys and stuff

she goes on a bit of a power trip so she prolly had a blast being center of attention in an indirect way

Once the meeting was over, we started auditions. I don't have to do that bc I'm a drill instructor, so theoretically I should have been doing librarian stuff, right?

right?

no, wrong, ML2 was doing it, even though she needed to audition. And now, we learned that the entire drumline doesn't have music at all, so we need to get them music

like that would have been nice to know

she did eventually audition, and speaking of auditions, my section leader from freshman year was the person helping our new section leader out, and it was so fun seeing her again

that's my mom

she goes "you're all so grown up" and then half an hour later "you guys are exactly the same"

ofc that was after we discussed doing some chicken slapping 7-mile spanking style for section bonding on thursday

so, this is sorta when ML2 comes back, done with doing librarian stuff, and just,,, leads us back to the building where we're doing full band rehearsal

this sounds fine, but she did it in a "duh, follow me" kinda way where she didn't slow down and was Fully Leading the section as if we didn't have a section leader who was supposed to be doing that

and no one was ready to move. None of us had all our things together

and we had a lot of time before we had to get there, so why the rush

she wanted to be in charge, that's why

now we're in the building where we're gonna have full band rehearsal, and we have time to kill, so we make our group chats, get to know our one first year, and just have normal convo

now fast forward to that rehearsal, where we're really gonna test how well we did our librarian jobs. All 130 folders we prepared, 20 songs each, handed out.

honestly? not too bad. We needed to make an extra cymbals folder and an extra tenor folder, and that was it.

well, we also had to recopy a clarinet 1 part, which was weird, bc I said that, and then ML2 talked to that clarinet, and she came back and said "she needs clarinet 1"

yeah

i said that

it was a little more complicated than that but that's the gist

oh! and this is also when we learned chair placements. I didn't audition (co-DI rights), and I asked for 2nd, which my section leader said "yeah who else would get it"

so i went from 5th my freshman year, 3rd two years in a row, to second!

[it's 2am, i'm continuing this tomorrow when I get home from day 3]

[hi hello it's 11:38 pm on day 3, let's continue, shall we? I have a lot to type tonight]

so anyway, ML2 and I do librarian things and miss most of that band rehearsal. I got back just in time to play Al, which is practically our second fight song

after that we had dinner, where our band director?? decided to sit with us??? for some godforsaken reason???

we don't like him, he doesn't care for piccs, it was really weird

we didn't?? tone down our personality for him, either, which is,,,, bad

we are a v inappropriate section, and we all love it, but maybe not in front of him

he also goes?? "hey where do I get pasta? should I ask for it [DI]-style? with extra meat"

SIR WHAT THE FUCK

we've been,,, losing our minds about that one

After dinner, we were back down at the field to learn more fundamentals

honestly I don't think anything terribly crazy happened? I've now had to stand in front of the band to demonstrate things?? with the other DI's, which is sorta wild

the band sang happy birthday to me!! which technically I asked for bc I wanted the attention but!!! it was really nice!!!!! and then the seniors got together to plan our first prank

and we did the singing and stuff where we had two years of people not quite know what was going on (thanks, covid)

ML2 is,,, very judgy about me being DI and it's been getting worse as we go on, but more on that tomorrow. We had some Facial Expressions today

we didn't do the after-band activity bc we were tired and planning on going to the bar for ML2's 21st bday

my dm do be texting me about how salty ML2 is tho. It's making me very anxious

sorry this is a day late! I got 4 hours of sleep last night

[frommainetospain2020]

Orientational Adventures

Now that I’m in my apartment, I guess I’ll write a blog post about my orientation time.

We stayed at the Princesa Plaza Hotel, which was a pretty nice hotel. My biggest complaint was on days that I didn’t have orientation, having to leave so housekeeping could clean the room, but that’s mostly just me being lazy.

It started when I dragged my stuff from my AirBNB near Sol Station down to the metro, and to the Arguëlles station. This proved difficult since I haven’t quite figured out the whole thing with finding the metro elevators yet. So after having the drag my suitcase up multiple flights of stairs, I noticed that I had exited the metro station from the furthest exit from my hotel, so I walked down the street and to the hotel.

I was ultimately worried because they had advised us to check in from 3-6 if we were already in Madrid, and this was like....noon. It worked out fine though. There were a few orientation leaders in the lobby directing people where they needed to go. Basically we needed to collect our orientation folder for CIEE, which contained the orientation itinerary, and our orientation meal stipend of 60€. After we got our folder, we checked in with the hotel itself. I was in room 465. Once I got settled into the room, I did what I always do. I took a nap.

Just a tip of the trade, and I’m thankful that I figured this out in Italy so that I didn’t have to ignorantly ask someone how to turn the lights on. There is a slot by the room’s door where you’re supposed to put your room key. This enables you to use the lights. I guess it cuts down on the electricity usage or something. But in my case, it would probably just result in me forgetting my key and being locked out. Because of this, I’m going to tell you (and I honestly probably shouldn’t) that any card works. I had a spare “Tarjeta Transporte” (transport card) that my landlord had given me that didn’t have anything loaded onto it. So yeah, if you’re like me, and are extremely forgetful, that’s something to ultimately keep in mind.

I was the first one to my room, and my hotel roommate wasn’t there yet. I wasn’t told who it was going to be, so I was ultimately curious. I sort of figured it out though, because there’s a guy in my program that had friended me on Facebook prior to coming to Spain, who had a flight arriving later that day. It turns out that he was my roommate. He eventually got to the hotel at 6 PM, with a LOT of luggage. If ya’ll are reading this and eventually plan to travel, pack light. It helps ;) No shade on you, Elie :P

Part of my intentions with this trip abroad was to actually develop the basics of a social life, which I have thus far been unable to accomplish. However, this Monday was not the day to do it. A lot of the participants in this orientation had just arrived in Madrid and were as jet lagged as I had been over a week prior, so I assume they all probably slept away some jet lag.

When it came time to fall asleep, I’m very finicky about how I sleep. I meant to ask my roommate if he minded if I used white noise, but he was fast asleep and snoring by the time I thought of it, so I just turned it on and it went fine.

So the next day began day 1 of orientation. When I took my shower that morning, I had to let the water run for a minute, because it was brown. No idea why, but it cleared up after like 10-15 seconds and was fine for the rest of the week. Went to breakfast, which was much more food than I could eat in my current condition. I got bacon and eggs, but I didn’t know that we were supposed to be served by employees, so I began to scoop it myself before I was promptly told otherwise. I managed to only eat like one piece of bacon and a few bites of egg. The egg had cream or something mixed in, so it was overly rich and I didn’t really care for it that much.

Our orientation activity scheduled for that Tuesday was a walking tour of the city. I’ll include the little bit of pictures that I took when I get to that part of the story. So first, I’ll say (and this is mostly for my own sake) that I was in orientation group #14. There were about 30 groups because they had to stay small because of COVID.

My orientation leader is a dead ringer for Clara Oswald from Doctor Who. Like, it astounds me how similar they look to each other.

I don’t know a lot of specifics about where we actually went, but I’m gonna try to piece pictures together chronologically.

We walked down the street from the hotel, and went to a park. We saw this statue of Queen Isabel 

We stopped at a place where we had a really cool view, and we did a quick “getting to know you” thing. I’m not a big fan of these kind of things. My go to fact before this summer was that I don’t know how to swim or ride a bike. Now, my fun fact is that I’ve had a gastric bypass, but I honestly feel like I talk about it too much. I might be overthinking things, but hey, it is what it is. 

We saw this hotel along the way to finding the Palazzo. VVVVVV

And this governmental building that I honestly don’t remember what it’s for:

And then we found the Royal Palace of Madrid:

After seeing this, we went towards the Teatro Real, which is right across from it. I later realized that we were super close to my AirBNB and that I had seen the Teatro Real earlier in my Madrid days. 

We went to the 100 Montaditos next to the Teatro Real, where I had a sugar-free iced tea. We went through Sol, and saw parts of the different neighborhoods throughout central Madrid. My hotel roommate almost got scammed by someone who handed him a sprig of rosemary and demanded money. We saw this thing...

And then we proceeded to explore the different neighborhoods. Overall, we were out and about for like 4 hours. I was surprised that I lasted as long as I did without issue, but I managed it.

After that, I don’t really remember doing much else that day. I’m pretty sure I took a nap. That was honestly about it. I think I might’ve used a delivery app for the first time to get a Subway. But other than that, nothing of note.

The next day was a doozy. Breakfast was the same, and would continue to be the same for the whole week.

We went on another walking tour, except this time we took the metro to Sol and went from there. We went to Plaza Mayor.

And got coffee in a cafe shown in the left of that picture.

Then we explored more neighborhoods of note, saw the cathedral next to the Palazzo:

We also got a cool view of the Palazzo.

We ended up in the neighborhood of La Latina, where we sat at a cafe and got food and drinks. I didn’t get food because it all seemed like either too much food, or stuff that I should have. I got a bottle of mineral water and nurse it the entire time we were there.

My orientation group decided that they would meet up with the afternoon group (we were in the morning) that my orientation leader had. I went too. When we left the initial cafe, we went back to the hotel. My orientation group went bar hopping between our orientation and the next, but I did, again, what I always do. I took a nap. Can I just say that siestas are amazing. Like, a designated time of day useful for a nap. That’s my kind of thing. I can dig it.

So, around 6ish, my orientation leader messaged our WhatsApp group and my orientation group said they were by the La Latina metro station, so I proceeded to go there, where I met up with them. We met the afternoon orientation group and went to a different cafe. The waiter at the new cafe was very outgoing and friendly. I tried to order a drink without carbonation and without sugar. At first he only heard the no sugar part, so he was going to offer me a Coke Zero, but I repeated myself and what he brought me was called Aquaade, which isn’t carbonated, but most definitely had some sugar in it. It’s kind of a mix of lemonade with Gatorade. I also had a slice of pizza from the pizza place next door, which was honestly my first pizza since before my liquid diet, which was at least like 4 months.

Through the course of the night, I stayed sober, which I would often do anyway, but even more so with the surgery. But I gotta say, watching drunk people while sober is almost as entertaining to be honest.

So I proceeded to socialize, which is honestly the most foreign thing to me so far. I just have never gotten the hang of that aspect of being a human. My natural state of being is to do what I’m currently doing: being a cave gremlin, sitting in a dark room looking at a computer screen.

Throughout the night, I was saying that I could act as a “designated pedestrian” which only one person took me up on, mainly since we were both going back to the hotel and I knew how to get there.

So that was quite an interesting day.

The next day was the last “orientation” day, despite us having the rest of the week with the hotel. For this, we just talked about the paperwork and bureaucracy that we had to deal with to get our Spanish residency. I then went to do part of the process, where you go into a bank to pay the fee and they stamp the document to bring to your appointment. I went to one bank, where they told me they couldn’t do it, so I went to next closest bank, who said they would do it, but that the timeframe was Monday to Thursday from 8:30-10:30. It was around 11 AM when I went.

Then I napped. Again.

I wanted to continue to try to socialize, but nobody was really answering me on the group chats. I got a little peeved. But I later found out that there was a group chat on the app GroupMe that I wasn’t on where people made plans, so it’s all good.

That night, I went and got a 1€ tapas from the 100 Montaditos down the street. I gotta say, the portion sizes for the 1€ tapas are perfect for me. This bag is legit smaller than my hand.

I got a garlic pork with mayo sandwich thing that was the size of a finger food sub, with like 4 potato chips.

Friday I don’t think I did much of note to be honest.

Saturday I met up with a person in my program that was in a later orientation than me, who took me to an organized picnic for people that were in her orientation, so I met a few more people with CIEE, as well as a couple from other programs. We went to Retiro Park, which is a huge beautiful park. After the picnic, we walked a bit, and ended up going into a taco place near Plaza Mayor. I didn’t eat any tacos, but I had a sugar free iced tea. I conversed, which is part of that whole socializing thing that I’m attempting to expand upon and learn more about.

After the taco place, most of the group disbanded, but I went with two of them to a rooftop cafe, where I had an orange juice. Once we were done there, it was a girl in my orientation and a guy from a later one, so he went back to his AirBNB and the girl and I went back to the hotel.

The most I accomplished on Sunday was bringing my suitcase to my apartment so I didn’t have to lug it around on Monday, and boy am I glad I did. I brought it to my apartment and I chatted with my two roommates for a bit. It was also the first time that I had ever taken an Uber, because I was NOT about to drag that suitcase back down to the metro.

Oh Monday. What a friggin’ day Monday was. We were told in orientation that we had to get a COVID test on Monday at the earliest. And my biggest regret of that day was not going earlier. That day was when we checked out of the hotel, so I had my backpack of stuff on me. I had a polo and shorts on, and it was a bit brisk, but nothing horrible. I went to Unilabs, which we were told gave a discount to auxiliares so that it was only 85€ which we could get reimbursed for. If it cost more than that, we could only get reimbursed 85.

Anyway, I got there and saw a few friends from my program at the front of the line, and I saw the line was relatively long, so I went to the back of it. It curved around the corner, and moved really slowly. My initial place in line was by a hedge thing. I used that as a progress marker. After an hour and a half, I had made it about 20 feet. A few people of note were a guy in front of me from CIEE, who had not yet checked out of the hotel, so he had to leave to do that, and a older Spanish couple, who I could barely understand, but seemed just as irked as I was.

FIVE HOURS. I stood in line...... for FIVE GODDAMN HOURS to get this COVID test. The “bit brisk” weather I had previously mentioned, gets pretty damn cold after 5 hours in it. And this is a bit of a rant, but if you’re in that slow of a moving line, DON’T HOLD UP THE LINE BY SITTING DOWN AND NOT MOVING WHEN THE LINE MOVES!!!!! It happened numerous times and it infuriated me every single time.

I almost thought they were gonna close for an hour like their open hours say. I got there at 9 AM, and I got into the lab at 2 PM. After I got tested (the first test I’ve had where they swabbed both nostrils), I then went to my apartment. I took the metro from Moncloa to Embajadores, where I had to take a Cercanias (train) to the Orcasitas station. I got on the train going the opposite direction, which I realized and changed sides. When I got to Orcasitas, I met with my landlords’ son, who gave me my keys and I paid my first month’s rent to. Then I got settled in, which is where I am now, one day later.

I’m gonna wrap this up, because I feel like I’ve been writing forever, but that about sums up my time at orientation.

kthnxbai

[airbnbfestivals]

Advice regarding unsatisfactory experience

So my gf, her 4 year old son, her mother, and I shared an apartment for a few days in Disneyland last week. The listing made it seem like we were getting this really nice, somewhat luxurious apartment. We paid almost $300 a night for it too. However, as soon as we arrived, we were disappointed to find the apartment was not in a modern building or a nice neighborhood, but in an older complex located in a less-than-desirable area. But it’s heavily gated so, fine. No problem. It’s kind of a hassle to get in and get settled cus of the parking and layout, but again, fine. We manage and that’s that.

We get into the apartment around 7 pm on Thursday, set our things down, take a second to use the bathroom and such, then head out for dinner. Keep in mind we’ve been driving since 10:00 am that morning so exhaustion is definitely in play here. We get dinner, stop for some basic groceries, and get back to the apartment around 10 pm. We start putting groceries away and find that the fridge is filthy inside. Like someone spilled fruit punch down the inside of the door and never cleaned it. Her mom goes to microwave something for the kid and we find giant chunks of food stuck to the microwave plate. My gf and I go to take showers and find that there’s mold in both shower drains. We go out on the balcony and there’s literally a dead pigeon lying there, which her kid almost picked up barehanded. The floors hadn’t been mopped because our socks turned black fairly quickly. On top of that, the balcony was covered in massive spiderwebs and several spiders too.

By this point it’s pushing 11 pm. We have to get up early in the morning to be at Disneyland by 8. So we just cleaned it up ourselves and went to bed. They advertised these amazing beds but honestly I’ve never slept worse in my life. They were awful. But I understand that’s personal preference. The other things, however, are not. These are things that should have been dealt with and the place should’ve been inspected before new guests arrive.

When the hosts messaged me the next day to see how things were going, I informed them of all the issues. They offered to have someone come clean it but I told them A) we’d already done it ourselves because it was late at night and we needed use of the dirty fixtures, so there was nothing left to clean. And B) we didn’t want strangers in the apartment with our valuables while we were miles away in Disneyland. Which doesn’t seem unreasonable to me. Most people wouldn’t want strangers in their home unattended.

The host said he wanted to make it right so I suggested a partial refund would go a long way in fixing things on our end since it was too late for them to come clean. He offered $50 which to me felt like a slap in the face for all the problems we had to deal with. We spent $900 for 3 nights so $50 is like 5%. For $300 a night, we should have had a pristine apartment from floor to ceiling. I told him I felt this was inadequate and he made no other offers after that, so I proceeded to initiate a partial refund request through Airbnb. It’s been almost a week and so far I’ve gotten no resolution. They keep saying they’re working on it, the host refuses to pay, blah blah blah. I don’t expect a full refund. I know that’s absolutely unreasonable. However, I think something more than $50 is in order here, and I’m just wondering if there’s anything else I can do here in terms of recourse and trying to recoup some of our money? It really put a damper on the whole trip and the lack of help is making me want to avoid using Airbnb in the future. We have annual passes to Disney and visit the area frequently. I’ve told Airbnb we will not use them for lodging any further if this issue is not resolved satisfactorily. Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.

Original post here =+-+= Get $20 off your first AirBnB stay.

[jokehockey44-blog]

the essential paris travel guide & map

the essential Paris travel guide & map

Finally the essential Paris travel guide & map are here! Two years ago Matt & I came to Paris. Fast forward to now, and we’ve fallen in love with the city, rented an apartment, and call Paris home 6 months out of the year. Eula took her first bite of food here, her first steps here, and celebrated her first birthday here. It’s become our second home. And I’ve gotten to know it so well, though it’s forever full of surprises. Below I’ve given you my Paris travel tips for the first timer along with my favorite stays, coffee, eats, drinks, and shops. And I’ve included a free map of the most Instagrammable photography spots in Paris….cause I miiiiight know a thing or two about that! The map also has my favorite eats & shops on it, and you can use it on your phone! It’s the perfect companion to a trip to Paris or planning one!

When people ask me “Why Paris?”, all I can really say is because when I look up, it makes me happy. Because my daily errands are more beautiful. Because I can buy a real époisses. Because when I’m surrounded by iron street lamps and Haussmannian rooftops and toy chimneys, I am, it seems, a little lighter. And I am not, by nature, light. I’m, if left to my own devices, an anxious person. And while I subscribe to the old adage, “It’s not where you are, it’s who you are”, I do find where I am can be the icing on the cake provided I’m doing well.

Given the wrong mind set, I can be miserable in Paris or paradise. We all could. But given that I am, on the whole these days, content & ever striving towards a reasonable assessment of the fear & sense of urgency that plague me regardless of circumstance, I find myself generally happy here in our fourth floor walk up come heat wave or snow, both of which we’ve been here for. I prefer the snow.

Paris, I think, is a mirror. If you’re young and wild, she’ll be young and wild. If you’re old and stodgy, she can meet you there as well. If you’re like me and decidedly (one hopes) neither, there’s that too. I spend most of my time in the admittedly bourgie neighborhood of the Marais where we live or working at a co-working space nearby. I rarely adventure to the left bank, though I’ve nothing against it. In the spring I look forward to taking Eula to Luxembourg Gardens to rent a toy sailboat to float on the Grand Bassin duck pond.

My favorite moments thus far have been spent tucked in some cozy café/bar/bistro with my husband or a dear friend, walking along or over the Seine, finding myself near the Louvre and glimpsing it without stopping while buying a power cord one day, magic hour when the streets glow, my morning walk to coffee, and buying flowers & vegetables at the market for supper.

For those wondering, we don’t have a visa, and because we travel so much, we don’t need one. If we ever walk down that road, I’ll be sure to share all about it! As it stands, we spend 3 months here every 6 months, which is how much we are allowed to be in Schengen as Americans. For us & our weird life we crafted, it works perfectly!

Paris Travel Tips

Learn the basics. Most Parisians do speak a little English, but you’re going to get a much warmer welcome if you make an attempt with French. Just being able to say “hello”, “goodbye”, “please”, “excuse me”, “do you speak, English?”, and “thank you” is better than nothing! English has become the international language, especially in capital cities like Paris. You can use it, but don’t be a jerk about it or assume everyone speaks it.

Wear comfortable walking shoes. You’re going to do a LOT of walking if you’re doing it right. Be sensible and chic a la the Parisians and opt for a leather ankle boot…or some good looking trainers! Americans aren’t the only ones sporting sneakers these days.

Carry cash. A few places are cash only, so don’t get caught empty handed!

Keep your wits about you in the metro. There are pick pockets, so stay aware of your surroundings especially late at night. I’ve never had a problem, but I know people who’ve had run ins.

Don’t bust out your laptop at a café, especially on the weekend, instead look for “co-working” spaces if you plan to sit and work. You pay buy the hour but the drinks are free.

Tipping isn’t much of a thing but there’s nothing wrong with a small tip or throwing your change in a tip jar at a coffee shop.

Not all restaurants are child friendly though most are. Call or email ahead if you’re unsure.

Just because they aren’t smiling and hugging doesn’t mean they hate you. Okay, they might hate you, but even friendly Parisians aren’t usually effusive (unless they’re from elsewhere…which many of them are!) And they can be very direct. Don’t take it personally. We’ve found it to be, generally, a very friendly city!

French schedules are weird. Always double check hours online. And even if it says they’re open, don’t be shocked if they’re closed.

The entire city shuts down in August for les vacances. It’s not the best time to visit unless you want quiet and don’t care if a lot of places are closed.

Places to Stay in Paris

Apartments Actually

Hotel Paradis

Hotel Henriette

Hotel Emile

AirBnB – We love le Marais!

Le Citizen

Hotel Particulier 

The Best Specialty Coffee in Paris

Fragments Cafe – beautiful craft coffee and avo toast that’s the stuff of legends. Also, their chocolate cookie. If you’re looking to run into people you know (or know of!), Fragments is the place. Angle for the “Instagram” table by the window! Open 7 days a week, Monday-Friday 8 AM – 6 PM & Saturday and Sunday 10 AM – 6 PM.

Boot Cafe – with their iconic blue storefront, Boot is an Instagram favorite, and they also serve Elephant(no Illy here!) A great place to grab a quick cup (and snap a photo!) a emporter as you explore the Marais.

Loustic – our neighborhood favorite for craft coffee. I’ve been here at least three times this week—the food is as good as the coffee. AND if you’re lucky, catch them on Saturday’s for a breakfast burrito. Monday-Friday 8:30 am – 6 PM, Saturday 9:30 AM – 6 pm, Sunday 10 AM – 6PM.

Neighbours – a small little café with pretty terazzo tiles on the bustling Boulevard Beaumarchais. They serve delicious espresso drinks and small bites. I’m obsessed with the granola bowl. Open seven days a week, Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM – 6PM & Saturday-Sunday, 9:30 AM – 6 PM.

Radio Days – a quiet, calm little café with beautiful craft coffee. Open Monday, Wednesday-Friday 8:30 AM – 5 PM, Saturday-Sunday 10 AM – 6 PM. Closed on Tuesdays!

Telescope – another specialty coffee purveyor in Paris. If you take your brews seriously, this is another stop for you. Monday-Friday 8:30 AM – 5 PM, Saturday 9:30 AM – 6:30 PM. Closed on Sundays!

Best Eats in Paris – Breakfast / Brunch  / Juice Bar / Lunch

Holybelly – wildly popular brunch spot with a decidedly Aussie bent with French flair (which means good coffee and food!)—arrive early or at off hours if you aren’t prepared to wait in a line!  Open 7 days a week, 9 AM – 5 PM with the last orders taken at 4 PM. No reservations.

Candelaria – Candelaria is many things, but they also happen to have a killer Sunday brunch. Grab some huevos rancheros and a slushy margarita for a departure from the classic croissant & café. Open daily. Taqueria is open 12 PM – 10:30 PM Sunday-Wednesday, 12 PM-11:30 PM Thursday-Saturday, bar open 6 PM – 2 AM. Reservations recommended for a table in the bar and for a table for Sunday brunch.

Le Petit Marcel – a classic little brasserie with a lovely skillet of eggs & bacon, delicious pastries, and very traditional coffees (i.e. not specialty), also open for lunch and dinner. Open 8:30 AM – 12:15 AM daily. No reservations.

Buvette – the sister location of Buvette NYC and Tokyo, this is one of the most beautiful brunches in Paris—piles of fluffy scrambled eggs & thinly shaved ham, a croque madame to die for, and all manner of other deliciousness. Open 8 AM – 12 AM Monday – Friday and 10 AM – 12 AM Saturday & Sunday. No reservations.

Ellsworth – A classy little Sunday brunch spot that also does lunch and dinner (see below) Sunday Brunch 11:30 AM to 3 PM

Frenchie to Go– satisfying brunch classics like Eggs Benedict and killer takes on American treats like pulled pork sandwich, ruebens, and a lobster roll.  Breakfast/brunch until 11:30 AM only. Open daily: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Ob-la-di – a photogenic little tea shop in the heart of the Marais. Opens 8 AM – 5 PM Monday – Friday and 9 AM – 5 PM Saturday & Sunday

Season  – a juice serving, moringa pancake slinging healthyish diner style café. Open Monday-Saturday: 8:30 AM – 1 AM, Sunday 8:30 AM – 7 PM. The kitchen closes at 4 PM on Sundays.

Wild & The Moon-  One of our favorite cold press juice & vegan food joints. A healthyish favorite for sure. I’m obsessed with their mylks! The Blue Star & the Hollyweed one are my faves. Hours vary by location. Check the website!

Otium – a gorgeous cold press juice bar in the 9th. Tuesday – Saturday 9:30am – 6pm

Miznon – the best pita of your life—a MUST eat, don’t miss the famous whole roasted cauliflower! Sunday –  Thursday 12 PM – 11 PM, Friday 12 PM – 3:30 Pm, Closed Saturdays

Best Restaurants In Paris – Dinner

Au Passage – Rock & roll vibes, small plates, modern food, creative & delicious flavor pairings. Order the things you might normally be afraid of (like duck heart or tripe) because you’ll love it here. Also a great spot for natural wine. Reservation recommended. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 7 PM – 1:30 AM. Closed Monday and Sunday.

Septime – one of our all time favorite meals (in the world). A reservation is a must & should be made far in advance. If you have a local friend willing to stop by in person and can be flexible with dates, that’s best. We often go for lunch as it’s cheaper, awesome, and a little easier to get in. Wine pairing is a must if you’re a wine lover. Open Monday 7:30 Pm – 10 PM, Tuesday-Friday 12:15 PM – 2 PM & 7:30 PM – 10 PM, and closed Saturday and Sunday!

Clamato – seafood lovers heaven, owned by the same group that does Septime. Love this spot for dinner or pre-dinner oysters and something refreshing to drink. Wednesday-Friday 7 PM – 11 PM, Saturday and Sunday 12 PM – 11 PM, Closed Monday and Tuesday!

Verjus – a modern bistro with fresh, creative tasting menus. Say hi to Rob in the kitchen for us! Reservations required.  Monday-Friday 7 PM – 11 PM, Closed Saturday and Sunday!

Frenchie – Another beautiful, modern bistro. One of our favorites. In fact, it’s been too long since we’ve been here. Gotta get back soon! Reservations required. Open Monday-Friday 6:30 PM – 10 PM, and 12 PM – 2 PM also on Thursday and Friday!

Frenchie Wine Bar – the more laid back, walk-in friendly sister to Frenchie serving up addictive, high brow comfort food like pastas. Open 7 days a week 6:30 PM until 11 PM! No reservations needed.

Shu – A taste of Japan in Paris. Like being transported to Kyoto. I dream of the ochazuke. Open Monday-Saturday 6:30 PM – 11:30 PM. Closed on Sundays. Reservations recommended!

Ellsworth – Modern bistro fare in a cozy setting. I recently had some of the best fried chicken of my life there, and that’s coming from a Southerner. Open Monday 7 PM – 10:30 PM, Tuesday-Saturday 12:30 PM- 2:30 PM & 7 PM – 10:30 PM, and Sundays 11:30 AM – 3 PM! Reservations recommended!

Le Grand Bain – Hip, small plates bistro in the 19th from a former chef of Au Passage. From sea snails to lamb shoulder to things like gourgeres covered in melting lardo, this place is the best for a fun night out with friends. Don’t miss the panisse & a bottle of natural wine. One of our favorite date night spots—tell Ed and his impossibly cool wife, Zoe, hi! Open 7 days a week from 7 PM – 11:30 PM!

Le Mary Celeste – A laid back oyster bar with a great cocktail program & small plates from the homies that brought us Candelaria—best enjoyed by ordering sundries and sharing them with friends. Open 7 days a week from 6 PM – 2 AM! Reservations recommended!

Le Petit Celestin – The place to go for classic dishes like boeuf bourguignon and tartare and a super energetic, fun vibe. Closed Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday-Friday 8 AM- 12 AM, Saturday & Sunday 10 AM – 2 AM

Chez L’Ami Jean – Another classic spot serving up traditional French fare. Open Tuesday-Saturday 12 PM – 2 PM, 7 PM – 11 PM. Closed Monday and Sunday.

Les Philosophes – my favorite French Onion soup in the city. Open 7 days a week 9 AM – 2 AM

Robert et Louise – meat and potatoes, Paris style. Come here for the blazing hearth (where the meat is cooked), and don’t miss the escargot! It’s my favorite. Closed Mondays, Tuesday and Wednesday 7 PM – 11 PM, Thursday and Friday 12 PM – 3 Pm & 7 PM – 11 PM, Saturday 12 PM – 3 PM & 6 PM – 11 PM, and Sunday 12 PM – 11 PM.

Dersou – Japanese French food in the heart of Paris with a sophisticated cocktail pairing. A personal favorite! Open Tuesday-Friday 7:30 PM – 10:30 PM, Saturday 12 PM – 3 PM & 7:30 PM – 10:30 PM, and Sunday 12 PM – 3 PM.

Buvette – Beautiful food in a cozy atmosphere be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Open Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM – 12 AM & Saturday and Sunday, 10 AM – 12 AM

Candelaria – TACOS in the front, party in the back. No Reservations needed! Open 7 days a week 12 PM – 11 PM & Friday and Saturday 12 PM – 12 AM.

Restaurant A.T. – modern plates, natural wine, and an awesome chef. Reservations are best.

Best Places to Get a Drink in Paris

Candelaria – Push through the kitchen door of the taco joint to find one of the best mezcal bars in the world. Reservations sometimes needed for a table in the bar. Order the Guapo. It’s not on the menu & involves hot sauce. The bar is open 7 days a week 6 AM – 2 AM.

Sherry Butts – Chic craft cocktail bar near the Place des Vosges. Open 7 days a week! Tuesday-Saturday 6 PM – 2 AM & Sunday and Monday 8 PM -2 AM.

Septime La Cave – Best wine bar in the city…it can get pretty packed! I like to go early for small plates (and to nab a coveted place to sit!) Open 7 days a week 4 PM – 11 PM.

La Fine Mousse – For the beer lovers. Get your lambic & gueze on. Open 7 days a week 5 PM – 2 AM!

Where to Shop in Paris

Merci  – a lovely cafe & dreamy concept store, great for brunch and a shop. I buy ALL the linens here.

Frederick Gautier Ceramics – small studio, Kyoto inspired ceramic artist

Marché aux Enfants Rouge – Saturday Morning farmer’s market

Marche d’Aligre – Flea Market meets Farmers Market. Heaven. Tuesday-Saturday 8am-5pm; Sunday 8am-1pm

ZOE LEE – quirky, boutique shoe shop in the Marais

Paul Bert Serpette – my favorite section of the weekend flea markets. Check their website for hours.

La Trésorerie – beautiful, minimalist home goods store

E.DEHILLERIN – reputedly Julia Child’s favorite kitchenware store, a classic not to be missed

Terroirs d’Avenir – A collection of market shops on Rue du Nil—the most gorgeous produce stand, butcher, fish monger, and little bakery

Centre Commercial Kids – A super cute children’s clothing & toy store near Du Pain et Des Idees. They carry Bobo Choses & a few of my other favorite brands.

BONTON – Children’s clothing mecca. Half of Eula’s clothes come from here. Maybe more.

Epices Roellinger Paris – A beautiful spice shop that’s excellent for stocking your pantry or gifts.

Boutique Noë – Japan inspired fashion made in France. Beautiful woven leather bags & comfortable, free form clothing.

Smallable – One more kid’s store! A concept store featuring children’s clothing, toys, home goods, and more!

Le Marais – Okay, this isn’t a shop, but rather a neighborhood filled with shops. Great for a wander if you’re looking to do some shopping.

La Galerie de L’instant – A vintage photography gallery and shop featuring iconic musicians. One day I’m going to get a photograph of Serge Gainsbourg here.

Best Pastries, Bread, Chocolate, and Sweets in Paris

Du Pain et Des Idees – my all time favorite bakery in Paris. The escargot fruit rouges & orange flower butter brioche is to die for. Open Monday-Friday 6:30 am – 8 PM. Closed Saturday and Sunday!

Poilane – an iconic bread bakery. Ina Garten has been known to stop in here. Monday – Saturday 8:00 AM – 7:30 PM & Sunday 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM

Jacques Genin – delicious caramels & pate de fruit! Open Tuesday-Sunday 11 AM – 7 PM. Closes at 7:30 PM on Saturdays and closed on Mondays

Le Chocolate Alain Ducasse – Ducasse does chocolate…enough said? Open Tuesday – Saturday, 10:30 AM – 7:00 PM.

Paris Ladurée Royale – A classic. There are locations all over the city…so if you happen to be near one, grab a box of treats!

And that friends is IT! It was a labor of love for both you guys & the city to put this guide together, and it truly has ALL of my favorites on it. If you’re traveling to the city make sure you don’t miss the map! You can use it via google maps on your phone so it’s super handy to have on the go! It has some of my favorite walking routes, eats, shops, and allllll the good Instagram & photography spots!

And if you want to see A BUNCH of photos of Paris (hopefully to get you inspired to GO!), keep scrolling. There were so many, and I just couldn’t choose.

Source: https://localmilkblog.com/2018/02/wander-guide-a-weekend-in-paris.html

[lifeofcmil]

26 days of joy.

The night before the LA Marathon, I had dinner with two of my friends who suggested for the 26 days after my race, I do one thing - big or small - every day that brings joy or adds value to my life.  As I’ve posted before, I’ve become brutally aware of how little I actually care for myself and it’s a struggle. When it’s my turn to enter the gates of heaven, I want to have lived a life of selflessness; to have loved authentically with my whole heart. But I’m learning: I must learn to love myself, too.

It was a challenge some mornings to figure out what it would be to bring me joy that day (especially because I made it a point to try not to repeat anything), but I found that most days, it was really simple.

DAY 1: Brett Young Concert

Brett Young is one of my favorite country artists right now.  I had his three show dates on my calendar for awhile, I just didn’t know if I could afford it and who I would go with. The week before, we received an employee discount for his final show in LA, and a group of about 15 of us from work purchased tickets and all went together. He did not disappoint!

DAY 2: Massage

After my first marathon, I stayed in Chicago with my roommate to show her around the city. Because we were out and about walking and riding bikes, my recovery was quick. This marathon, not so much. I rested for a day, and then went back to work to sit behind a desk all day. This massage was life changing, and much needed!

DAY 3: Therapy

Not much to say here, other than I highly recommend therapy for everyone and anyone! It gives me an outside point of view, in a private setting, and has taught me so much about myself and my life.

DAY 4: Home early to watch Grey’s Anatomy

I feel like at the end of the Kings season we had a game every Thursday night, so I’ve been catching up on Grey’s Anatomy on the weekends. Between that and working long hours for renewals, I made a point to (still work late and) be home by 8 PM for a live episode on the couch.

DAY 5: Dodger Game

Reunited with Dodger Stadium for the Opening Weekend of the MLB season with good company!

DAY 6: Went out downtown

People have been asking me for 2 years now where I like to go out in LA, and I really have never had a good answer, or answer at all. I have officially found my favorite spot, and had a fun, impromptu night out with my roomie!

DAY 7: Church & lunch with friends

I look forward to going to mass every Sunday, and to be able to worship God with two wonderful friends is such a blessing. We even got our lunch for free that day!

DAY 8: Phone calls with my Grandmas

Life is incredibly short, so I want to make sure I take the time to call my grandmas while I still have the chance. I miss both my grandpas so much.

DAY 9: Bought Catholic Planner

I have to thank my cousin, Mandy, for this one - she shared her Blessed Is She Liturgical Planner on Facebook, so I decided to buy one for myself and let me tell you, I am OBSESSED. It’s dedicated toward Catholic women, which is amazing, but it also gives me the month, weekly and daily pages. My most favorite part is that every day it has a part for me to check the box of: “I loved my: body, mind or soul” and then also asks me to answer what I was grateful for that day. The planner is currently on sale at blessedisshe.net!

DAY 10: Rest

I’ve unfortunately been sleeping horribly for weeks now. I made an attempt to turn my phone off by a certain time, take some melatonin and go to bed early. It was worth a shot.

DAY 11: Happy Hour

A friend and I got together to catch up at a spot we had never been to in Santa Monica for drinks and dinner. It was nice to talk to a friend who gives you the advice and understanding of your heart and what you’re going through. I know it’s easy for you to tell a broken-hearted friend that they deserve better and to move on, but I highly recommend taking a different path of advice with your friend. It makes all the difference and means the world.

DAY 12: Clippers Game

Spent the Friday night taking in the Clippers vs Lakers game with one of my best friends. And again, someone who just gets it.

DAY 13: Kings Game

I wasn’t going to count this since it’s work and mandatory, but it was our last game of the season and I decided to take it in a little more than I normally would on a game day. How fortunate am I to have worked at one of the best venues in all of sports for the last 2 years, and not only that, but to have finally found a home working back in hockey.

DAY 14: Diamondbacks Game

I am the queen of impulsive decisions and this one was a great one. A couple weeks ago I became close with my coworker, Kelsey. Of course, now she is taking a job with the MLB in New York and leaving me, so we decided to make the trip to Arizona for the Diamondbacks vs Red Sox game. We both have it on our bucket list to attend a game at every MLB ballpark. We drove to Phoenix on 3 hours of sleep, Starbucks and good ole female country music powerhouses - it was the perfect girls trip!

DAY 15: Thai Girls Night

Monday night. I had just driven 5 1/2 hours back to LA. My emotions coming in full-swinging. You know those nights where you just really don’t want to, but you do and it becomes one of the best nights? Yeah, this one. It was honestly the first time in my 2 years in LA where I got together with a new group of people (girls) and everyone was genuine, welcoming and awesome. This was also the day I started enjoying red wine.. no more “only moscato”, SAY WHAT?

DAY 16: Read & bed early

I’m honestly in the middle of 4 books right now, so I have no idea what I’m doing with my life.

DAY 17: The right mindset

This is a weird one for me to type and put into words. It was a repeat of one of my other days, and could’ve turned into a really bad night if I hadn’t made a decision that day to allow myself to have a night of happiness - to not allow anything to distract me or break me - and I did it - with a little help from my friends, red wine and honestly, techniques my therapist taught me.

DAY 18: Blog

The day before was what would have been my friend Ray’s 30th birthday. It was weighing heavy on my heart to write on my blog (you can read it below). Journaling and blogging can be very therapeutic.

DAY 19: Set no alarm

When you work a 12-8 PM shift, you get to sleep in without an alarm and it was HEAVEN.

DAY 20: Dodgers Game

Technically this is a repeat, but you can never go wrong with Dodger baseball and catching up with a friend. Although we did spend majority of the game in the Baseline Club watching the Clippers game - oops.

DAY 21: GOT Watch Party

This was another day where I just wasn’t feeling it, but I allowed myself some alone time at home that afternoon after church and lunch, and then went to a friends to watch the Game of Thrones premiere. Good food, good company, good night.

DAY 22: Girls Night

Two of my girl friends came over to drink wine, watch the Clippers playoff game and spend the night. Let me just add that I called the game - that the Clippers would win a game in the series and it would be Game 2 at Golden State. SAY IT AIN’T SO!

DAY 23: Treated myself for lunch

For people who are scared to go out to eat by yourself - I used to be you, but get over it. It’s the best, especially when you treat yourself to a birthday cake shake.

DAY 24: Home

I booked a flight home to be with my family - talk about pure joy and happiness!

Day 25: Hurricanes Game

It has been 10 years since the Hurricanes were last in the playoffs. I was a Senior in high school, never had my eyebrows waxed and Rod Brind’Amour was on the team. Being back in the building was everything I know as home. I was reunited with my family, family friends, best friend of 17 years, past season ticket members and old coworkers - people who I love so much. Not only that, but the Hurricanes won to tie the series in true redneck hockey fashion.

Day 26: Complete lazy day

It’s 5:30 PM and I’m still in my pajamas. Don’t judge me, or do. I don’t care.

After 26 days, I’ve realized a couple things:

Surround yourself with good, genuine people who support your heart

Allow yourself the time you need to slow down and rest

Planning your week out ahead of time makes all the difference in staying busy and keeping yourself accountable

I owe it to myself to keep bringing joy and value into my life

[mitchbeck]

CRAWFORD: (SAT) PACK END 0-7-1-1 STREAK WITH 2-1 WIN OVER LEHIGH VALLEY

BY: Bob Crawford, Hartford Wolf Pack Allentown, PA, February 9, 2019 – The Hartford Wolf Pack snapped a 0-7-1-1 drought Saturday night at the PPL Center, with a 2-1 win over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the first of back-to-back games between the two teams in Allentown. Brandon Halverson made 25 saves in the Hartford net for his first AHL win of the season, and Ryan Gropp’s early third-period goal was the game-winner.  Jori Lehtera scored the only Lehigh Valley goal, and Alex Lyon made 31 stops in the Phantom net. “I thought the group as a whole did a lot of the little details that give you a chance to win hockey games,” said Head Coach Keith McCambridge of the Wolf Pack, whose last win had also been against Lehigh Valley, a 6-5 overtime victory at the XL Center January 18. The Wolf Pack controlled much of the action in the first period, outshooting Lehigh Valley 13-5, and came out of the frame with a 1-0 lead. Peter Holland put the Wolf Pack in front at the 8:13 mark, as the Wolf Pack broke a 0-for-24 power-play drought.  With Connor Bunnaman off for holding, Chris Bigras passed from the middle of the blue line to Holland just above the right faceoff dot, and his one-timer beat the catching glove of Lyon and flew into the top corner of the net. McCambridge said of the power play, “We made some adjustments there, to what our setup was in-zone.  And I thought that unit did a good job with the breakout, the entries, and finally were rewarded for their shots going to the net.” After a scoreless second period, the two teams combined for a pair of goals in a span of only 1:19 early in the third session. Gropp doubled the Wolf Pack lead at 3:52, with his second goal in three games.  After Lehigh Valley defenseman Reece Willcox had a pass deflected near his own blue line, Hartford’s Steven Fogarty moved down the right side in the Phantom end.  He got almost to the corner before sending a feed to Gropp in the slot, and he snapped a shot past Lyon on the stick side. That goal loomed large because Lehtera cut the margin back to one at 5:11.  Lehtera, who was making his Phantom debut after having been assigned by the parent Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, broke up an attempted Wolf Pack breakout feed near the blue line and sent a quick bid towards the net.  With Colin McDonald attacking the net, Lehtera’s shot eluded Halverson, ending his shutout bid. The Phantoms could get nothing else behind Halverson, who was making only his second Wolf Pack appearance of the year, though, despite getting Lyon to the bench for an extra attacker with more than a minute-and-a-half left, and exerting some strong pressure. “I thought , when there were breakdowns, he was in good position,” McCambridge said.  “And, obviously, having a goaltender that plays the puck as well as he does, was a big benefit to help our breakouts.” The Wolf Pack and Phantoms play a rematch Sunday afternoon at the PPL Center, with faceoff at 3:05 PM.  All of the action can be heard live on News Radio 1410 AM, and 100.9 FM, WPOP, and online at newsradio1410.com and iHeartRadio.  Video streaming is available at theahl.com/AHLTV. The next Wolf Pack home game is this Wednesday, February 13, a 7:00 PM contest vs. the Toronto Marlies.  That is another chance to take advantage of the Wolf Pack’s “Click It or Ticket Family Value Pack”, which includes two tickets, two hot dogs and two sodas, all for just $40. Tickets for all 2018-19 Wolf Pack home games are on sale now at the Agera Energy Ticket Office at the XL Center, online at hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Tickets purchased in advance for kids 12 or younger start at just $13 each, and all tickets will have a $3 day-of-game increase. Season ticket information for the Wolf Pack’s 2018-19 AHL season can be found online at hartfordwolfpack.com.  To speak with a representative about all of the Wolf Pack’s many attractive ticketing options, call (855) 762-6451, or click here to request more info. Hartford Wolf Pack 2 at Lehigh Valley Phantoms 1 Saturday, February 9, 2019 - PPL Center Hartford         1 0 1 - 2 Lehigh Valley 0 0 1 - 1 1st Period-1, Hartford, Holland 18 (Bigras, Andersson), 8:13 (PP). Penalties-O'Donnell Hfd (tripping), 2:41; Bunnaman Lv (holding), 6:44; Goulbourne Lv (tripping), 13:05. 2nd Period- No Scoring. Penalties-Meskanen Hfd (tripping), 18:14. 3rd Period-2, Hartford, Gropp 5 (Fogarty, Gettinger), 3:52. 3, Lehigh Valley, Lehtera 1   5:11. Penalties-No Penalties Shots on Goal-Hartford 13-8-12-33. Lehigh Valley 5-11-10-26. Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 1 / 2; Lehigh Valley 0 / 2. Goalies-Hartford, Halverson 1-1-0 (26 shots-25 saves). Lehigh Valley, Lyon 11-10-1 (33 shots-31 saves). A-8,837 Referees-Beaudry Halkidis (48), Tim Mayer (19). Linesmen-Jud Ritter (34), Patrick Hanrahan (19). Read the full article

[yvonnezoe]

Hello Thursday! This was the day we were a full day on the sea, cruising back to Singapore along Malacca Straits. The clock has been adjusted 1 hour forward too.

8:00 am Breakfast at Sapphire Dining Hall

We decided to try the breakfast at the Sapphire Dining Hall today as we got a bit sick of the food at Windjammer. It started later at 8am and there were two types – Ala Carte (Deck 4) and Buffet style (Deck 3). We chose the buffet option but we had to queue and got ushered to our seats where we shared with many other people on a long table. The food option is more Asian fusion, like those you can find in a Singapore hotel breakfast.

Here’s a recap of our sea-sick Day 3 and not-up-to-expectation Phuket experience: Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas Full Review with Tips! Part 4/5: Day 3

9:00 am Sunbathing in Jacuzzi

After breakfast, we went back to our room to change to swimsuit and headed to the Jacuzzi at Deck 11. We chose a big one outdoor as it is warmer but not as hot as the pools. There were some people in the jacuzzi when we arrived so we had to share with them. Do remember to put on sunblock before going into the water. Don’t stay in the water for too long! 

After about 30 mins, we get out from the jacuzzi to go for a quick shower in the bathroom. We had a culture shock literally when we opened the door. Now I understand why there were double doors. We found some Korean or Japan ajummas naked and chatting happily with each other while waiting for others to vacant the shower cubicle. :O Woah. *cover eyes* I guess that’s pretty normal for them to go to the hot spring or onsen. We quickly get changed and left the bathroom.

11:00 am Boogie Boarding

We went to the FlowRider again as I wanted to give it a try. No, not posting my unglam videos here. Hahaha. But do watch out because I got my finger injured as it got bruised by the drainage when I lost control. You will need to register at the side counter and sign an indemnity form to get a hand badge before you can be allowed to enter the FlowRider. You can reenter multiple times as long as you don’t tear it off.

Afterwards, we just strolled around and played some golf. There was a rock-climbing wall too! Do check the Cruise Compass for the Open Climbing timing. It is only available at specific timing when a safety instructor is available. 

12 noon Lunch at Windjammer with a huge cake

We had lunch at Windjammer Cafe again. It’s special today as there was a huge Thank You cake on display and it was being cut and distributed to everyone. We got a slice to share. We probably got bored with the food and we ate very lightly. There’s food at any time at the Cafe Promenade if you get hungry. 

After lunch, we had some soft serve, watched the waves, and enjoyed the sea breeze.

1:30 pm Ice Odyssey and Movie

My mom enjoyed the Ice Odyssey performance on Day 1 so we thought we would catch it again. But upon reaching, all the seats have been filled and we could only stand at far behind to catch a glimpse. But it was still worth it!

We proceeded to La Scala Theatre at 2pm to catch a 3D movie, Baby Boss. Thought my mom would enjoy it but she fell asleep! Haha!

        3:45 pm Tea Time, Performance and Passport Collection

The movie lasted for 1 hour 45 minutes. By the time we reached Windjammer Cafe, they were almost clearing the food. We only had a bowl of mushroom soup.

I realized that by this day, I have taken photos of most of the spots so I didn’t take many photos today. Probably we wanted to enjoy the experience and companionship more too.

This was the day the Casino got more popular too because people got bored of other activities but never with spending money with a little hope to earning more. Because it was a full day in the open water, the casino operated the whole day.

You may also go to the service counter at Deck 5 to look at Royal Caribbean other cruise lines too.

In the Cruise Compass, there was a leaflet about the passport distribution information. The collection timing was between 3:30pm to 5pm. Depending on our room Deck, the distribution area was different. Remember to bring your SeaPass card to collect your passport. You may collect the passports for all the family members provided that you have all the SeaPass cards.

5:15 pm International Flow Show

We went up to Deck 13 FlowRider area to catch the Flow Show. It was a nice performance by the crews, with lots of splashing, laughter and clappings. Bring along a towel or don’t stand too close at the side if you do not wish to get wet. Put your phone in the waterproof phone bag if you would like to take some videos. 

          5:50 pm Photo time with Gloria

As it was the last day on the ship, we wanted to make sure we treasure any good chance to take more photos. There was a Dreamworks Appearance with Gloria from Madagascar at Royal Promenade, Deck 5. Kids were so excited and parents accompanied them to queue up for photos, so did we. The crews were very nice to help us take some shots on my phone as well. There was an option to purchase the photos taken by the professional photographer as well.

If you are keen on shopping, there will be a lot of branded item “clearance sales” ongoing throughout the day.

6:15 pm Dinner at Sapphire Dining Hall, Pack your bags

We had a wonderful dinner again served by the friendly waiter and waitress. We even took a photo with them at the end. 🙂 There was a special performance by all of them after the main courses were served.

Later in the day, luggage tags were distributed to our stateroom. We had to pack our bags and place them outside of our stateroom by 10:00pm so that the crew can help us to transport them to the port when we arrived. Do prepare a piece of hand luggage to keep items that you need for the night and the next morning. Make sure your passport is with you.

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8:30 pm Showtime “Singers Showcase”

Tonight show started earlier, at either 6:30pm or 8:30pm, starring the Royal Caribbean singers Aurianna and Shaun. It started off with the cruise director, Jamie Fentiman, and his jokes. When he noticed me (and probably some others) taking photos of him, he paused and posed for us to take some good shots of him. He then also sang a song before passing the stage to Aurianna and Shaun.

Breathtaking voices and the one hour passes very quickly. To make the best of your time, refrain from taking too many photos/videos. Just enjoy the performance! 🙂

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9:30 pm Photo time with Alex the Lion

Alex the Lion from Madagascar made an appearance at Studio B lobby, Deck 3 after the show. We were at the last of the queue for photos.

Then we walked around to enjoy some paintings on the wall.

10:00 pm 70’s Disco Inferno Street Party with the cruise director, Jamie

We went to Cafe Promenade for supper and also attended the disco party. As you can see from the video, everyone enjoyed themselves very much. 😀

    There was some lucky draw and Lotto draws afterwards until midnight which we didn’t bother to participate.

That’s all for the night!

Day 5: Back to Singapore!

We woke up to enjoy the beautiful sunrise in the sea. The ship had almost arrived in Singapore.

Breakfast started earlier at 6am for Windjammer and Sapphire Dining Room Deck 3. I can’t remember well whether it was this morning or the afternoon before that a waitress asked us for feedback. I told her about the cleanliness issue but to my surprise, she said this is nothing and very normal. She shrugged off my feedback and walked away. I was astonished by her response. Nevertheless, there was another survey sent to our emails afterwards and I have feedback the same. I hope the cleanliness of the utensils has been improved since then because I would love to go back again.

The casino had been closed in the morning as we have arrived in Singapore.

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This is the pull-down bed which I had slept on for the past few nights. Quite comfy!

Then it’s time to depart from the ship. There was an instruction sheet for departure. The debark time and waiting lounges were according to the luggage tag number and it would be called.

Once our number was called, we proceeded to the gangway located at Deck 4, the same as when we board the ship. We had to show our SeaPass cards and got them punched so that they couldn’t be reused.

Then upon arrival, we had to go through immigration check and security check as usual.

It’s time to bid goodbye to this beautiful cruise ship and the memories of these 5 days 4 nights will stay on. 🙂

This concluded my full review of this cruise trip. I hope you enjoyed reading them as much as I enjoyed writing. It took me almost 2 years to complete this! Sorry for the wait. Do share with me your experience in the comments below so that we can keep the review updated. If you are still thinking whether to go for a cruise experience or not, I hope this review gives you a better idea. There are more surprises await on board! Enjoy! 🙂

Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas Full Review with Tips! Part 5/5: Day 4 & 5 Hello Thursday! This was the day we were a full day on the sea, cruising back to Singapore along Malacca Straits.

[lifeoffthehill]

Busy is an understatement. ...and a state of mind.

7:00AM. I’m up like clockwork every morning. If it’s a teaching day, I head straight for the shower. If it’s not a teaching day, I head into the kitchen and make my tea and breakfast. Breakfast is my favorite meal, but even so I usually keep it simple during the week: egg and toast; egg and oatmeal; egg and roasted potatoes; egg and garlic fried rice. I make the oatmeal or potatoes or rice in large batches ahead of time and portion them out over a week. On the weekends, that’s when I’ll do pancakes from scratch, eggs banh mi; omelettes or quiche. I love to linger over breakfast and casually sip the tea--I prefer black, but occasionally dabble in green. 

8:00AM. If it’s a teaching day, I’m out the door at 8:30; I like to walk or take the bus to campus which helps with hitting the 10K goal on my Fitbit. If the weather is bad or if I have a lot of books/the computer to carry for the day, I’ll drive. If it’s Tues/Thurs/Fri, this is when I like to hit the gym - where I run on the elliptical or use the water rower. I’m in and out of there in less than an hour. If it’s Sunday, this is when I head to grocery store, while they still have decent stock and before all the after-church shoppers and the undergrads stocking up on bottled water show up. 

9:00AM. If it’s a teaching day, I’m in the office checking my email, making any final adjustments to my lesson plan, printing things if I need to. On a gym day, this is the time slot for my shower and afterward, I typically make a green smoothie.

On Monday and Wednesday: 10:00-11:30 AM. Teach Advanced Composition 11:30 AM-12:50 PM. Office hours and eat lunch 1:00-2:30 PM. Teach American Lit Survey (Post-1945) (Monday Only) 2:30-4:00 PM. Staff meeting at the Humanities Center 4:15 PM. Snack time / Nap time. 

On Tuesday and Thursday, most Fridays: I work from home. 10:00AM-12:00PM. Work tasks. I like to knock out the least desirable work tasks first. Depending on the week and my mood, this can mean grading, or a difficult theory reading, or the reading assignment I gave my students. Some days it’s my lesson plans.  12:00-1:00PM. Lunch break. I like full lunch breaks. If it doesn’t take so long to eat, I fill them out with listening to a podcast or going for a short walk (if the weather is nice).  1:00-5:00PM. Continue with work tasks until to-do list is completed to satisfaction. Check email last. This is a trick I’ve learned, especially since I started working from home more often, because if you check email first thing, it has the potential to de-rail your whole day. Though that’s rare. Most of the time, the emails I get each day are pretty fruitless. In either case, if anything urgent is happening, the right people should have my phone number(s) and so email increasingly falls to the very bottom of my priority list. 

Evenings go something like this: 5 or 5:30 PM. Start dinner prep, if cooking. I usually cook on Sunday nights and again on Wednesdays, eating leftovers in between. If I’m not doing dinner prep, I might use this time for a nap, some light reading, a walk, social media catch up, or house chores.  6:00PM. tune into the local news followed my the 6:30 national. I like NBC’s broadcast with Lester Holt. I usually multitask, listening to rather than watching the broadcasts, so I may be continuing any of the activities listed above.  7:00PM. Dinner time.  7:30-8:30PM. TV time. I used to binge watch on Netflix and Amazon Prime, letting episodes autoplay while I was multitasking (as described above). In early February, though, I made a TV schedule. I assigned each day a different TV show and set out to stick to it for two weeks, filling the quiet hours when I can multitask with music or podcasts instead. I was surprised at how quickly it stuck. I found that I liked looking forward to the hour of TV time and whatever show I had put in the slot, taking in a show slowly rather than all at once.  8:30PM. Wash dishes/clean kitchen. A dirty kitchen is my biggest pet peeve and I have a hard time sleeping if I don’t clean it. I hate nothing more than waking up to a fresh day, but seeing a sink full of dirty dishes. Whenever I have plans to go out, I try so hard to wash dishes before I leave; and if I don’t, I’ve been known to stay up and wash them, no matter how tired or how drunk I might be.  9:00PM. Start winding down for bed - except on days I video call with these guys. I’m still working on this bedtime routine part. I want to set a ritual of washing face, brushing teeth, putting on pajamas, unplugging from technology, and a de-stressing activity, like reading a cookbook or coloring in an adult coloring book, or listening to soothing music. Some days I do these things; most days, I am still actively attached to my phone - texting, swiping left on Tinder, Twittering or Tumblring. There are also some days when I am still doing a work task this late, because I’ve forgotten it or because a scheduled meeting had me shift my day around or because it was particularly time consuming that day. This is definitely not ideal for me. 

11:00 PM. Ideally in bed and fast asleep, but this can be in flux when it comes to the weekend or on weeknights, seizing those moments that are #worthit.   

Graduate school and academia are hectic and grueling. Paradoxically, academia--at least for the humanities--is incredibly flexible and it is a huge privilege to spend only a small percentage of my time confined to a space at a very specific time (class/meetings). Yet, we feel busy all the time precisely because there are no clear boundaries between work and not work, both in terms of the time schedule and work space. In the past, when friends or colleagues tell me they would like to be more involved in student organizations or study groups or attend any of the many interesting events on campus from week-to-week, they often follow it up with “but I just don’t have time.” If I feel particularly frustrated and unsympathetic, I will condescendingly say “We don’t have time, we make time,” and probably leave the room. I would have this attitude because the implication often feels like “you don’t understand because you’re clearly not as busy as me” which is also an implication that “you aren’t using your time right if you have time to...” ...be involved in the grad students of color organization... attend the Thursday afternoon lecture... go to the monthly grad association meeting... make a two-hour round trip to Costco on Friday afternoon... make elaborate dinners on Sunday... 

I may never stop reminding people and getting into a huff over my have time/make time philosophy, but what I’ve learned in the past year, especially, is that busy is a state of mind more than a lived reality. Being busy all the time had me feeling run down and depressed last fall. Even before the onslaught of my breakup and the election, I would close my books in the late afternoon and wonder why on earth I had signed up for a career that involved reading books for 6-8 hours a day which would have to be followed by making lesson plans and, if I could squeeze it in after feeding myself, saying hello to my then partner while still getting to sleep by my self-prescribed bedtime. Pushing pause on my academic work during Thanksgiving week in Denver, during the 10 days I spent at home over Christmas really threw into perspective how much I needed to make time to connect with my people. Engaging with them--instead of watching the clock and wondering “if I leave now, I can squeeze in one more chapter of [insert soul crushing theory reading here] before bed”--has helped me manage my time more wisely, motivating me on a Wednesday to “get this to-do list done by 5″ so that I can video chat long into the night, laughing and crying with my favorite girls and boy. 

[asmirandaseesit]

Vamos a la Playa

Hello again,

It’s been a while since we’ve last seen each other. As an update on my life, I’m a senior now, and after returning from Turkey I’ve spent the past calendar year basically doing nothing. I’ve been to a few new cities in the U.S., most notably Chicago, which I’ve been considering posting about solely to talk about the food. I’ll keep you posted as to what I decide to do.

Anyways, this time I decided to brush the dust off this blog to talk about my recent spring break trip to Puerto Rico. I apologize in advance for the low-quality photos, in a lapse of judgement I forgot to pack my camera... :(

So- to the fun stuff. Puerto Rico. Otherwise known as one of the random islands in the Caribbean that the U.S. for some unclear reason still has ownership over (we got Puerto Rico, Guam, the Philippines, and temporarily Cuba as part of the end of the Spanish-American War). If I were to summarize Puerto Rico in a few words, it would probably be: fun, and lawless. I can’t really think of anything else that would capture it as well as those two words. Popular would work too, since there were a lot of other tourists while we were there. It was like any Caribbean island I would have expected: an endless bounty of rum, fresh fruits, and sunshine, all topped with a Latin flair and failing economy (thanks for the tip, Disney). The people were all so kind and so interesting too! Basically all of our Uber drivers engaged us in a fully-fledged conversation and usually gave us recommendations on places to go/eat. The food was exactly what I would have wanted-- dishes emphasized seafood, plantains (served in any method possible), Spanish spices, and I never found myself in a shortage of avocados. What more could a girl ask for?

Needless to say, I’d give Puerto Rico a 9/10. I’m deducting a point off because this week cost me an arm and a leg. Restaurants were priced the same as places in Manhattan or LA, (understanding that I ate seafood practically every day) which was a rude awakening considering people had told me that Puerto Rico was relatively cheap. However, I don’t regret a single dollar I spent, I had a blast and that’s what matters... right?

To walk you through my experiences, I’ll go through the pictures first. We left Syracuse Thursday night for NYC, crashed at friends’ for the night to catch our 11 am flight Friday morning to San Juan. Shoutout to Kai for letting me sleep on his futon, again (you’re the best, and you always will be).

Funny enough, the day we left the entire Northeast was getting slammed with a snow storm-- I think there were a couple of inches in NYC. Man, never had I ever been more glad to be waiting in an airport, jetting off somewhere (literally anywhere) else. Cackling to ourselves at the blizzard outside, the squad and I boarded and took off on time for San Juan. Unscathed by the winter storm, we landed in San Juan around 4 pm that day-- I love when you fly somewhere and the second you walk out of the airport, your body is shocked by the temperature difference. Ahh, the sweet sensation of perspiration.

We quickly went back to our Airbnb, changed, and went out to dinner. Now maybe it was the travel- or the sangria- but this was one of the more euphoric meals I’ve ever had. We went to Casita Miramar, and all ordered the aguacates rellenos (stuffed avocados).

Yes, it was just as good as it looks. Better, actually. *drools* The shrimp was charred perfectly, served with a creamy red pepper sauce that was sweet, garlicky, buttery and just classically good. On the side were tostones (smashed fried plantains). UggGGHHHhh. We then split a guava panetela (divine buttery almost amaretto-y cake layered with guava jam) and were served complimentary shots at the end- called “chichaitos,” they’re traditional Puerto Rican rum shots with anise liquer and a few coffee beans added (usually three for money, love, and health). After slamming those down and being painfully reminded of my relationship with rakı, we went home to catch some z’s for the rest of our trip.

The next day, we rented a car to go to a beach about an hour out of San Juan. My roommate has a friend from San Juan, so we shaped a lot of our itinerary around his suggestions (turns out, the locals know what they’re talking about). So, we ventured out to Manatí, and visited the playa la Poza de las Mujeres.

The water was crystal blue, warm, and the beach wasn’t crowded at all. I had to stop for two iguanas to cross the road though, which was weird.

We then went out to dinner at a little place called Mere Pescao (where I got mahi mahi and plantain skewers) and then went out to drinks at La Coctelera on Calle Loiza. There, I got a rosemary and beet Tom Collins, which was OK but not my favorite. We also went to a Basque bakery and I got a guava pastelito (divine).

The next day, we went to probably the worst brunch we’ve ever had (DON’T go to Caficultura) in Old San Juan. The food was subpar and the service was horrendous. I would say the one saving grace was being able to try a Cortadito, a local favorite similar to a macchiato (the real kind, not the over-dressed crap you get at Starbucks). However, if you do want the real deal-artisanal Puerto Rican coffee, DO go to Cuatro Sombras. They roast all their beans in house (which are locally harvested from Yauco) and even offer special cupping demonstrations and tastings. We then walked around Old San Juan, which is absolutely adorable and reminiscent of Macau (or any other old Portuguese/Spanish town with cobblestone streets, brightly colored buildings and ornate white reliefs).

This is one of the castles in Old San Juan- nicknamed “El Morro” it served as a fort dating back to the 16th century and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The next day, we were on the road by 7 am to go horseback riding on the beach in Isabela (2.5 hours west of San Juan). We went with a small company called Tropical Trail Rides, which was a 2 hour trail ride on 3 different beaches/through coastal brush. Coincidentally, our horses all embodied us in their own ways; Taína was the dark, ethnically ambiguous one (me), Cristal was the crotchety standoffish one (Audrey), Canela didn’t give a flying f*** about the trail ride or her job (Bella), and Whiskey was fully erect the entire time (Lily). Classic.

The four horsemen of the apocalypse

It was a really nice ride, and honestly I could’ve done it all day. We even got to walk over old U.S. missile launchpads in the forest dating back to the Cuban Missile Crisis! Love me some history.

After getting back from horses, we got smoothies and lunch/dinner at La Casita Blanca, a small local place in Santurce. I got the pastelón, which is essentially a take on lasagna but instead of pasta its sweet plantains. I didn’t snag a picture because frankly it wasn’t pretty enough, but trust me- it was DELICIOUS. Like a Puerto Rican moussaka- all the things good in this world, really.

The next day, we left our house at 5:30 am to catch the 9 am ferry to the island of Culebra. (Yes, you did the math right, Fajardo ferry terminal is an hour away from San Juan, and the ferry was scheduled for 9) - It’s an island about equidistant from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, approximately an hour east of PR. I was nervous about this ferry since I had read online it could be rough seas, and with my seasickness, I knew it could get ugly. Luckily, I could recline my head back so I felt fine- but man, the seas were unkind to us that morning. At least 10 people in my immediate proximity were stumbling over to the trash can/bathroom. People were dropping like flies! Bags were being passed left and right, people were toppling over pale and drenched with sweat... it was atrocious. Like a cafeteria food fight, but not fun. After an hour or so of that torture, we landed on the island and decided to rent a golf cart to navigate to/from the beaches around the coastline.

Drinking a piña colada on the 2nd most beautiful beach in the world. My white privilege is checking in right about now.

Flamenco Beach was gorgeous. The sand was fine and white, the water was bright turquoise, and the coastline was curved perfectly like a horseshoe. It was well worth waking up at 5 am to see.

After our time at the beach, we decided to go snorkeling for a bit at Melones Point and try to find some turtles. No turtles unfortunately, but we saw some cool fish and got a lot of hilarious snorkel photos in the water.

After a full day without food, I decided to get some sustenance at Zaco’s Tacos while waiting for our 5 pm ferry back to the main island- would recommend if you’re on Culebra, it’s reasonably priced and the tortillas are definitely made in house (as a Southern Californian, you can tell).

The next day, we had our zip lining adventure in El Yunque National Rainforest. Fun fact, PR is home to the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Parks system. So, when in Rome.

The rainforest was beautiful. The park was a combination of 8 zip lines, mostly short, but the longest was about 2000 feet long over unobstructed tree tops with a view to the ocean. Simply incredible.

Jacked mushrooms go zip lining

After our boost of adrenaline, we ventured into the rainforest to check out a suggested trail to a swimming hole in the river. The “hike” was about 10-15 minutes, really a casual stroll, but the swimming hole was beautiful, and well worth the confusing drive/30 potholes I ruined our rental car with.

Like basically any other body of water in/near Puerto Rico, the river was clear and there were these cute fish swimming around us the whole time. They kept bumping into me though, which I didn’t know to find endearing or creepy.

After another long day, we got food at this restaurant on the beach called El Alambique, where we got buzzed off more piña coladas (an ongoing trend over spring break) and I ate a seafood salad the size of my torso. The Syracuse game was also on at the bar the whole time, funny enough.

The next few days were slightly uneventful, as we had to return our rental car (the crappy Hyundai Accent we became so attached to, listening to Puerto Rican radio and counting iguana roadkill on the highways... final number of 26 FYI) and we had already hit everything on our itinerary. We ended up spending a day the the Renaissance Hotel on the beach in Condado, which was great because we got all the perks of staying there without actually dishing out the $400 a night!

Sipping on prosecco like I’m actually worth something

For lunch, we walked to a nearby food truck called Kabanas for the best fish tacos I’ve had in my life.

You really can’t go wrong with fresh red snapper though, can you?

Afterwards, we went home to get ready for dinner and happy hour. We went to a rooftop restaurant called El Punto de Vista in Old San Juan, where they have 2 for 1 mojitos EVERY DAY until 5 pm. Need I say more?

This place is known for their mofongo, which is another Puerto Rican specialty. Take plantains, fry them, mash them, then top them with meat/seafood and a sauce. This is mofongo with shrimp and garlic sauce. Come on, forget about it.

The next day, I went on a run around Condado to get some exercise. After realizing I hadn’t been that warm in about 5-6 months, it made sense why about 2 miles in I was dripping sweat. I ran around the lagoon and back and managed to snap this photo:

Ah, what it would be like to run this every morning

The next day or so we pretty much screwed around San Juan and ate a lot more. Our last night, we went out to La Placita de Santurce and it would have been like 150% more fun if any of us were in the mood to binge drink. If you’ve been to Hong Kong, I would compare this to a Puerto Rican LKF: a concentrated network of bars and clubs and drunk pedestrians crowding the streets looking for the next place to go. Good vibes, readily available alcohol, and a crowd with people young and old... it was the place to be on a Friday night.

Unfortunately, the next day I woke up with a sore throat, and what viral infection I thought I fended off right before break finally caught up with me. I took it easy my last day there, and we finished off with dinner at one of the most renowned restaurants in San Juan- Jose Enrique. To preface, it’s got 680 reviews on yelp and 4.5 stars, and at opening at 6:30 pm there was a line to get in about 30 people long. Was it worth all that hype? Maybe- the food was incredible, I got the snapper which was fried and served with a sweet potato puree and a papaya avocado pico de gallo. It was, in all worlds, a very good meal. If you can swing the wait, I recommend going here.

I’m not going to talk about the 15.5 hour horror story that was our trip back to Syracuse, but to give you an idea, it lasted from 12 am to 3:30 pm the next day. So, I’ll leave you with my favorite song right now, that we heard about 3 times a day in PR. It’s a bop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJQP7kiw5Fk

Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next time!

Hasta luego~

Miranda

[111the--unknown--one111-blog]

This entire week has been a struggle. The work days are long and my anxiety is building up when I get home, stressing about the work day that follows in the morning. Work doesn’t usually stress me out except for this week because I have just started my period on Wednesday night that truly manifested itself on Thursday morning. It’s been (as you can imagine) the greatest. 

           On top of the wonderful benefits for being a woman this time of month, you can’t forget your free mood swings and lack of emotional consciousness. Oh yes. If you’re like my sister in law you just had a baby and you are in for a long painful recovery down in the lower zone. Yes, she had her baby yesterday (Thursday 02/28/2019 @1:30 pm and I were late to the delivery and didn’t get to see our nephew born. At least we made it though. Owen (our new nephew) is such a darling baby.

Flash back to what happened before we went to the hospital to see the baby. I had left work at 11:20 am to meet back at the house to go down to the hospital together. I got home and he wasn’t there. My entire body was aching and I had to take Midol. I sat on the couch and watched Hannah Montana waiting n to come home. Three episodes later I mustered the strength to get up and make Taquitos came home five minutes after I put them into the oven. We waited for them to be done and then ate them. We both received a text from his mom that the baby was born. Disappointed I missed the birth of my first nephew, we got in the car and started our drive down to Santaquin. 

I fell asleep because I was exhausted. We made it to the hospital and we checked in. We were greeted by smiles and an awkward standing routine next to hospital bed since all the sitting was occupied. s younger sister a senior in High School) excitedly stated that she was the first to hold the baby out of the family. “Wonderful.” I thought to myself. “gets to be the favorite aunt yet again to another child of Background history. This is  second baby. The first one is. She was born before and I got married and has been fawned over ever since. has definitely become her favorite aunt. That’s fine it’s just I feel left out. 

Latley I’ve felt like an outsider in his family no matter how hard I try to be apart of it. S went on a date with my cousin to her Sweethearts dance last weekend ( and I have taken them out on a few dates together since last summer). She was so excited to go with him last time I had spoken with her. They met at our house for the dance and we took pictures for  mom. Then they were off for the dance. When I asked how the date went when we were at the hospital, she threw  under the bus hard. She said that he was swearing and that he was on his phone a lot. She said she doesn’t want to go on another date with him or be associated with people like him. I was dumbstruck I didn’t even know how to respond. All I could think about was how much I hated judgmental people and how she thinks she’s better than. I shut down after that and didn’t talk to anyone very much. asked if anyone wanted to hold her baby. I said I wanted to and walked over to the sink to wash my hands. 

After washing my hands I walked towards and subconsciously tucked my hair behind my ear. was right there and I quickly pulled my hair back over my ear hoping she wouldn’t see my cartilage piercing. I’m not sure if she did or not but after the judgment segment she had about, I wasn’t going to let her notify the family about my “transgression”. I think she saw because she looked at me differently since. The only good that came out of the whole situation was holding little Owen. It reminded me of when was born (my littlest brother) 8 years ago. Owen was small and quiet. He didn’t cry. It was such a tender moment for me. 

Now let me go into detail about what else was uncomfortable. was talking to his family about housing. You can imagine where this was going. They don’t want us to move out of state we HAVE to stay in Utah. Blah blah blah BS. His mom doesn’t want us to move further North. How do I know this? Because she was recommending cities south by Santaquin. They are all saying how we don’t want to be far from family when we have a baby. I beg to differ. I don’t want to be far from my family but I don’t mind being a few hundred miles from. My kid is not their property or theirs to manipulate the mind of. I would rather be barren than give birth to a kid who grows up to be like them. Self-righteous and invasive. They are always talking to about how they can make me feel welcome. How about instead of telling me where to live, ask me where I would like to live and be supportive, instead of judging me for what I look like, compliment me on what you think looks good, instead of inviting us over for family dinner every Sunday lay off and wait for us to ask if we can come, instead of shutting down my opinions or speaking over me, listen. Instead of pointing out how great your family is and the talents of each family member, ask me about my family. I have stories I would love to share if given the chance to not have my family in the shadow of theirs. Instead of telling me I’m sweet for offering my help, let me help instead of having someone else in the family do it. 

I still have bitter feelings towards his mom deep down. I try to push it out of my head but it’s really become an obstacle. Before we were married, got in a fight with his family and his mom said to him over the phone, “When walks out that door, I will be the only woman that loves you”. She doesn’t know that I know this but she should. I told he will not keep secrets from me. I won’t do the whole he has a relationship of secrets with his mom behind my back thing.

I’m a very reserved person. I feel like anytime I make progress with his family I hit a Factory Reset button or something. I’m an introvert. And his family is just too different from mine. I try to say something and somehow someway, they make me sound stupid. I don’t know if they do that on purpose or what. It really frustrates me. Around my family I can be myself without question. Nobody makes me feel stupid in a conversation. I hate family dinners parent’s house. They last forever and my Sunday evening is gone. I don’t want to do them every week anymore. Maybe once a month or so. It’s just too much for me to keep putting myself out there only to be shoved back into the ground. I don’t want to move near them. I like where we are right now. Until gets a job that doesn’t require him to be a specific office and I can quit my job, we are staying in Orem/Provo. And when we do have all the requirements met to move, no way in hell will I let us move closer to his parents. I want to be far enough away that a trip down there would be too much to ask for once a week. Maybe once a month. I want to move out of state. 

The funny thing is, I don’t like people talking to me  non-stop especially when I am not responding. It’s so annoying. Like for instance, I’m really bothered right now with the fact that I am here at work and one of my co-workers will not stop talking for the life of her. She’s like 55 years old I mean come one lady! Shut the fuck up! If I wanted to talk to you and engage in conversation, I would be talking to you. The fact that my back is turned and all you can do is yap yap yap really puts my teeth on edge. How do you not realize that you have become such a pest in the workplace. Shut up, do your work, don’t distract me. It’s that simple. Conversation here and there is fine. But please do not talk my ear off for 6 hours. I literally find relief and my headaches go away when you leave. At first I thought I was getting headaches from the soda but really, it’s you! That’s so stupid that I am only getting paid thirteen dollars an hour to sit here and listen to you. If I wanted to get paid to listen to you talk all day, I would have applied at an old folks home for fifteen an hour. Really I should look into applying to a place that pays more if I’m going to continue with this. Today has been absolute non-stop. I really don’t want to pick up Jordan’s slack because she wants to go on a field trip with her mediocre boyfriend for the weekend. She is always taking weekends off and it’s really annoying. “Can I have all the Fridays off?” Damn Jordan did you ever think maybe I want  to kick off my weekend with no work?  Freaking stupid as I’ll get out. I’m also super bitter because I have to find a new job that will work with my new school schedule. It’s frustrating. Tara said I could leave at 4:30 everyday until October but that’s not going to work come October because I can’t just change my school schedule. I’ve already packed my day to the max and no other school schedule works with this stupid MyCanvas job.I refuse to work here this October and forward. I will find a new and better job. I need to get out of here ASAP. I know this may be dumb, but this job gives me serious anxiety. It’s so stupid I know but it’s not worth another December to be here. The money isn't worth shit. I need to prioritize school and my hubby. I also need to help make money for our hopefully new house in a few weeks. 

So I just checked the Red Tags spreadsheet and a customer placed an order two days before I left for my trip to Arizona on Thursday. Apparently this is a special customer and her orders have to be done a certain way. Well Jordan told me to keep up with her order and make sure it gets properly cut and that it’s perfect. She knew I had a trip and couldn’t do that and yet she still told me this. I did what I could and left for my trip. Sure enough, when I got back the job was not done properly and Jordan had to put in a red tag for her order. Then on our Red Tag spreadsheet, Jordan had to explain what happened and why we were putting in a reprint and she said it was because she “forgot to train me”. BULLSHIT! Damn even when I’m gone and not there she still blames me for her mistakes!I’m so annoyed that she can’t even take responsibility for this. She didn’t even check to make sure the QA’s were done even though it was her responsibility. Stupid freaking chick. 

[ecotone99]

[SF] Dolls

*** Not sure if this is the right sub, but this is a section from a story I've been writing. I've started rewriting it, and the rewrite doesn't really integrate this. But I liked these parts, and I'm not sure how I can fit them in with the main story. The formatting is a bit off due to copying and pasting.

​

Tech Support: Series 2 – The Prequels

Module I: Dolls

It was her favorite one and she’d lost it. It was the first one she’d ever gotten all by herself, but it fell out of her bag and now she didn’t know where it was. It was probably gone forever and there was nothing she could do.

Why wasn’t I more careful? I shouldn’t have taken it with me. Maybe if I didn’t always try to walk so fast, this never would have happened.

She did look for it. She looked for it for two whole days. And every minute, she just knew she would suddenly see it waiting for her in a patch of grass next to the playground, or maybe it was on the curb and just covered up by a dead leaf, or something. She knew she would find it, and then everything would be okay again.

Stop crying. Just get another one. How can I be crying about something so stupid? I must be defective. I’m not supposed to cry over such silly things. I’m not a baby. I shouldn’t be acting like this. This isn’t the way I’m supposed to be.

She’d known that there was something wrong with her for a long time. It was probably a lot of things. Sometimes she felt like she was intentionally made defective. That seemed like the only explanation for all of the things that always seemed to go wrong.

I know what I have to do. Why can’t I ever do it? It will only be uncomfortable for a minute. Then, everything will be the way it’s supposed to be. I don’t even know what I’m doing here in the first place. All of this is stupid. Everyone probably hates me, anyway. At least, they would if they knew what I really am.

How could she always be so clumsy? Why was she always embarrassing herself by laughing at the wrong times or tripping over simple words? And why was she always losing her things? That one was her favorite. She’d worked so hard for it, but she couldn’t even take care of it and now it was gone forever because of her.

It will only be uncomfortable for a minute. I shouldn’t even be here.

…

The young girl’s hazel eyes stared out vacantly from behind the neatly arranged rows of shoes and small boxes. Nothing remained now but the irregular clumping of eyelashes, glued together by recent tears, to indicate that the small figure now resting against the closet wall had ever belonged anywhere else but among these other lifeless things.

​

INCIDENT REPORT

CASE: A657329 RE: Serial No. MR23-84 Model CR-C2 F-Type [C2 Series]

Unit experienced devastating system-wide malfunctions of class 7 and above at 8:27 AM and proceeded to follow automated self-deactivation protocols. Unit initiated psychological self-deactivation preparation sequences at 9:32 AM, and the final deactivation sequence was completed at 12:43 PM.

Unit’s self-diagnostic logs indicate that it had been experiencing malfunctions intermittently but with increasing frequency and severity for at least seven months. These malfunctions have been confirmed by our diagnostics team.

Though the original cause of the unit’s malfunctions has yet to be conclusively determined, preliminary analysis indicates they were almost certainly a result of defects caused by design flaws in the third subprocessing matrix of the unit’s Central NERVUS System. Synaptic relay nodes J3-J18 seem to have been particularly compromised.

Affected systems include emotional generation and regulation, motor coordination and control, memory integration and recall, interpersonal interaction, speech processing, as well as multiple secondary and tertiary systems that cannot be conclusively identified right now due to corruption in the unit’s diagnostic logs.

The unit was also found to be in possession of nineteen human fingers and six extracted cybernetic implants, including the REM induction implant of Senator Lexa Khan, who disappeared six months ago and whose severed index finger was found at Zenra Park last Thursday.

As with the other malfunctions noted previously, the original cause of the unit’s aberrant social behavior has still yet to be determinedd, but we do not have any evidence to believe that it was the result of the various malfunctions we discovered in the unit’s aggression systems. Analysis of the unit’s logs would appear to indicate that it was not even aware that the more violent acts it had been committing were socially unacceptable or considered undesirable by human beings.

However, due to the extremely violnet, public, and severe nature of these malfunctions, we have ordered an emergency recall of all remaining C2 units and have already broadcast the deactivation instruction on the global C2 remote command channel.

END REPORT – TECHNICIAN KM

​

Axxesss™ Internal Messaging System

Timestamp: 2/27/2036 9:33

From: Jonathan Kren

To: Kyle Murphy

Cc: Jaxia Wanner

Subject: Your report on case A657329

Kyle,

I am at such a loss right now trying to explain what could possibly make you think it’s acceptable to attach something like that to one of your incident reports that I don’t even know where to begin. I’m not sure whether you thought this would be funny, whether you were trying to impress your new boss with a mediocre dramatization, or whether you were just high or drunk, but I am very angry. This was extremely unprofessional, inappropriate, offensive, and honestly, more than a little bit disturbing.

I know you’ve only been here for a few days, so I’m going to try to give you the benefit of the doubt and send you to our psychiatrist, Dr. Jaxia Wanner, instead of simply firing you immediately. Please be aware that your continued employment is entirely dependent upon Dr. Wanner’s evaluation and recommended course of action.

If you want to pursue creative writing, do it on your own time. While you’re at work, stick to doing your job.

You also need to correct several formatting, capitalization, and spelling errors in your report. Please run a diagnostic on your spell checker’s personality subroutines. I expect you to review our formatting guidelines on your own.

This is your only warning. The next time, you’re fired.

​

Timestamp: 2/27/2036 9:44

From: Jaxia Wanner

To: Jonathan Kren

Cc: Kyle Murphy

Re: Your report on case A657329

Jonathan: Please stop harassing the new hires. You’re not a supervisor. You don’t even work in tech support. You can’t fire anyone. And stop telling people that I’m the psychiatrist or our resident sex therapy robot. This isn’t funny. You’re on probation, and the next time you do this, YOU’RE fired.

Kyle: You need to revise your introductory summary without embellishments to the unit’s internal logs. This type of writing is not appropriate for an incident report.

Please delete your final paragraph, rewrite the summary of the unit’s pre-incident cognitive logs without stylistic flourishes (changes from third person to first person, italics, etc.), move any non-technical information (such as descriptions of the unit’s criminal activities) from the main document to the final section of your summary, remove speculation about the unit’s motives, and generally try to refrain from attempting to anthropomorphize the unit’s malfunctions for dramatic effect, no matter how tempted you might be.

Also, please use only official system names in the main document instead of referring to systems by their functions, and remember to use trademark symbols.

​

Finally, please do review our formatting guidelines as well as correcting the capitalization and spelling errors in your report before resubmitting it. And remember to include the date as well as the time. I don’t have time to list everything here. This is sloppy work, and you need to do better.

Jaxia

​

Timestamp: 2/27/2036 9:49

From: Jonathan Kren

To: Jaxia Wanner

Cc: Kyle Murphy

Re: Re: Your report on case A657329

Jaxia, please reboot yourself. I’m sending a technician to take a look at you.

​

Timestamp: 2/27/2036 9:51

From: Jaxia Wanner

To: Jonathan Kren

Cc: Kyle Murphy

Re: Re: Re: Your report on case A657329

Wow. Clean out your desk by the end of the day. You’re fired.

​

Timestamp: 2/27/2036 9:52

From: Kyle Murphy

To: Jaxia Wanner

Cc: Jonathan Kren

Re: Re: Re: Re: Your report on case A657329

lol

​

Timestamp: 2/27/2036 9:54

From: Jaxia Wanner

To: Kyle Murphy

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Your report on case A657329

…Excuse me?

​

Timestamp: 2/27/2036 9:57

From: Kyle Murphy

To: Jaxia Wanner

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Your report on case A657329

Oh god. I am so sorry. I meant to send that to Jonathan.

Um, and I didn’t write that introduction. I have no idea where that came from. I didn’t even know I was supposed to attach a narrative description of the unit’s logs to the incident report.

​

Timestamp: 2/27/2036 10:23

From: Jaxia Wanner

To: Kyle Murphy

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Your report on case A657329

You are on really thin ice, Kyle. Please just reread the guidelines, revise your report, and resubmit it.

Jaxia

​

Timestamp: 2/27/2036 10:31

From: Kyle Murphy

To: Jaxia Wanner

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Your report on case A657329

I really am so sorry. I didn’t mean to send that to you or screw up the report. I get very nervous at new jobs. I just have one more thing. Where do I find the formatting guidelines for the main document?

​

Timestamp: 2/27/2036 10:35

From: Jaxia Wanner

To: Kyle Murphy

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Your report on case A657329

They’re in the data packet you were provided when you were hired.

Jaxia

​

Timestamp: 2/27/2036 10:37

From: Kyle Murphy

To: Jaxia Wanner

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Your report on case A657329

Okay. I’m sorry. But do you know where it will tell me how to correctly format the serial number and the model identification code in the header?

​

Timestamp: 2/27/2036 11:49

From: Jaxia Wanner

To: Kyle Murphy

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Your report on case A657329

Section 5.

Jaxia

​

Timestamp: 2/27/2036 11:51

From: Kyle Murphy

To: Jaxia Wanner

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Your report on case A657329

Is there a new version? Section 5 in my data packet describes the calibration procedure for the auxiliary Penissary Interface Drive controllers of the Khan Series combat cyborgs.

​

Timestamp: 2/27/2036 11:59

From: Jaxia Wanner

To: Kyle Murphy

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Your report on case A657329

I have sent a new copy of the data packet to your terminal. Please delete any files you may have received from Mr. Kren.

For future reference, PID can stand for several different things, none of which will ever be ‘penissary interface drive’. And we have never manufactured combat cyborgs.

The new packet will contain the correct information.

Jaxia

​

Timestamp: 2/27/2036 12:01

From: Kyle Murphy

To: Jaxia Wanner

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Your report on case A657329

Oh. Okay. Sorry. Thanks again.

​

Timestamp: 2/27/2036 13:32

From: Jaxia Wanner

To: Kyle Murphy

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Your report on case A657329

You’re welcome.

Jaxia

​

Timestamp: 2/27/2036 13:45

From: Kyle Murphy

To: Jaxia Wanner

Subject: Report on case A657329

Hi Jaxia,

Sorry, just one more thing. Do I need to capitalize the word class in the main document? Is it class 7 malfunction or Class 7 malfunction? Sorry. I’m just a bit overwhelmed today, and I don’t want to put you through any more work.

Sorry again. Thanks for your time, Jaxia. I really appreciate it.

​

Timestamp: 2/27/2036 13:51

From: Jaxia Wanner

To: Kyle Murphy

Re: Report on case A657329

Okay.

Kyle, you really need to go through the entire data packet. That contains all of the information you’re asking me for. I can send this to you once more if you somehow still don’t have it, but I don’t want to hear from you again until you’ve read all the way through it. You should also think about going down to psych support on the first floor. Someone there can write you a prescription for anxiety medication.

Jaxia

​

Timestamp: 2/27/2036 13:53

From: Kyle Murphy

To: Jaxia Wanner

Re: Re: Report on case A657329

Okay. Sorry.

​

Timestamp: 2/27/2036 13:55

From: Jaxia Wanner

To: Kyle Murphy

Subject: You’re a moron

Please try to fall down an elevator shaft or a flight of stairs on your way down there. Maybe then you’ll be able to remember the fucking trademark symbols.

​

Timestamp: 2/27/2036 14:01

From: Kyle Murphy

To: Jaxia Wanner

Re: You’re a moron

What?

​

Timestamp: 2/27/2036 14:13

From: Jaxia Wanner

To: Kyle Murphy

Re: Re: You’re a moron

Oh no. Kyle, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to send that. I apologize. I am very embarrassed. I was just blowing off steam after a hard afternoon and must have somehow accidentally hit send. It has nothing to do with you. Please forgive me and try to forget about this.

​

Timestamp: 2/27/2036 14:17

From: Kyle Murphy

To: Jaxia Wanner

Re: Re: Re: You’re a moron

Okay. Sorry again.

Have you had a chance to coordinate with CR to finalize the list of cybernetic employees I’ll be assigned to, by the way?

​

Timestamp: 2/27/2036 14:18

From: Jaxia Wanner

To: Kyle Murphy

Re: Re: Re: Re: You’re a moron

Kyle, just rewrite your damn report.

​

Timestamp: 2/27/2036 14:32

From: Jonathan Kren

To: Technical Support

Cc: Jaxia Wanner, Kyle Murphy

Bcc: Laya Khan

Subject: Jaxia Wanner and Kyle Murphy

Attachment: log10241.axs

Please review the attached communication logs. These two units are behaving strangely and need to be repaired.

I believe Jaxia’s penissary interface drive may also be malfunctioning. I have been receiving many reports that she is no longer an effective sex therapy robot.

​

Timestamp: 2/27/2036 14:36

From: Jaxia Wanner

To: Gwyneth Stalin, Gabriel Satie, Kanoko Villa-Lobos

Subject: Please block Jonathan Kren’s Axxesss™ login

I have fired Jonathan. I need one of you guys to block his Axxesss™ login. He keeps sending messages to taunt me, and it’s driving me nuts. I can’t handle any more of this crap today.

Also, can you please set up the system to automatically attach department names to all user tags again so I don’t have to put up with this kind of nonsense anymore?

Thanks, guys. I appreciate it.

Jaxia

​

Timestamp: 2/27/2036 14:59

From: Kanoko Villa-Lobos [Axxesss™ Support]

To: Jaxia Wanner [Human Resources]

Subject: Jonathan Kren and Axxesss™ bugs

Hey Jax,

I just got in for the day. Gwen and Gabriel are out sick. Some weird problem with medication mix-ups, apparently.

I can’t block Jonathan until his termination is officially confirmed in the system by CR. Also, it seems like all of your messages are visible to the entire network today for some reason. It might have something to do with the bug that’s causing Axxesss™ message drafts to auto-send when they’re closed. I’m looking into it.

​

Timestamp: 2/27/2036 15:05

From: Jonathan Kren [Legal Services]

To: Jaxia Wanner [Human Resources]

Cc: Filemon Poledouris [Cybernetic Resources]

Bcc: Laya Khan [Psychological Support]

Subject: Jonathan Kren’s Wrongful Termination

Attachment: Lots_Of_Stuff_To_Read_Bitch.jxs

Dear Overlord Wanner,

This is official notice of a wrongful termination claim filed on behalf of my client, Mr. Jonathan Kren. Please thoroughly review the nine hundred pages of attached documentation prepared by Mr. Kren’s legal counsel and submit a detailed response along with a full termination report to Cybernetic Resources and Legal Services. You have until the end of the day to comply, or the request for Mr. Kren’s employment to be terminated will be dismissed.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Kren, Esq., Serial No. RK97-42

Model LC-B5 Lawyer Cyborg [B5 Series] Rev. 3 – Copyright © 2034 LunaTekk

LunaTekk Legal Services

​

Axxesss™ Internal Messaging System

INCOMING PRIVATE MESSAGE VIA AXXESSS™: This is Jaxia. I’m sending our new technician down for an evaluation. I think he might be a little bit unstable. You should probably write him a prescription for lunazepam or something. Thanks, Laya. You’re doing a great job so far. You’re the only one at this company who doesn’t seem hell-bent on driving me insane this week. Let's get together for a game of ping pong later. =) - Jaxia –END OF MESSAGE

​

PHARMACYLOGUE

It was his favorite brand and he’d spilled it. It was the first time he’d gotten all to himself, but now there was Scotch all over his desk and he didn’t know where he was. He would probably be confused forever and there was nothing he could do.

yu fkubg rczy bthci I trtsed yuo waht te halldod yo d—

He did read the label. He read it the whole way through. And every minute, he just knew that the fog would suddenly clear up and the effects of the drugs would wear off, or maybe he’d just read the dosage wrong and taken too many or something. There was no way that the nice doctor in psych support would have intentionally given him maximum strength antipsychotics instead of anxiolytics like the bottle said just because she thought making others confused and watching them pass out on their keyboards was funny.

hkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkjx1kkkk—

Hm. Good point, but I think you might have missed a couple of commas. By the way, you should probably change the default password on your terminal so other people can’t attach things to your reports. And try to be more skeptical about what you read on your medication labels instead of always taking everything at face value. I’m trying to help you. Have a nice nap, Mr. Murphy Wurphy.

SYSTEM MESSAGE: Technician Kyle Murphy has been disconnected

​

Laya wondered if she should clear his screen. Kyle probably wouldn’t remember anything with that much Somaquel™ in his system, and she’d already had her bit of fun. Getting fired again would most likely spoil the fantastic mood she was in.

Maybe she should start giving him the lunazepam she had actually prescribed, too. Maybe even at the right dosage. It would probably be in her best interest if her new technician wasn’t delirious.

Maybe next week.

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