#locate cheaper hotels

[goldennika]

lowkey i wish i had a personal assistant who could arrange trip stuff for me rn bc my brain is Not Having It rn

[esperderek]

I have to have a chuckle at the Screenrant article posted recently about the Galactic Starcruiser, which totally wasn't about Jenny Nicholson's video honest.

In part, because early in Nicholson's video, she talks about how unnatural it is to have your influencers speak in adcopy and copyright rather than the more colloquial nicknames, and how it makes the people speaking about the product seem very insincere and, well, paid off. Because normal humans don't speak that way, but advertising does.

What's the first two lines in this article?

"As a life-long fan of Star Wars, there was nothing quite as exciting as finding out that I would be working on the immersive Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser experience. Located at the Walt Disney World Resort, the Galactic Starcruiser opened on March 1, 2022, and welcomed passengers to board a two-day, two-night cruise through the stars, during which they could live out their own Star Wars adventure."

No one talks like this naturally. No one writes like this naturally.

This is supposed to be your passioned defense of the place you worked at, the people you worked with, and the memories you made along the way. C'mon! Why don't you open with a story, perhaps an anecdote about the best moment you had working there, or the devastation of the day you lost your dream job. We need to feel your humanity! But there's nothing of that here, to the point where you can just hear the TM behind Galactic Starcruiser.

The first half of this article continues in this vein, reading like a press release Disney marketing put out, just with past tense rather than present or future tense:

"Essentially, the Starcruiser experience was a 48-hour movie that passengers were actually a part of. It was all facilitated through the "datapad," which was accessed through the Play Disney Parks app."

"To facilitate the overarching immersive experience and storytelling, the Starcruiser built a jam-packed itinerary for each and every guest that would consist of a variety of important activities: the captain's toast at muster, a bridge training exercise, lightsaber training, and more. These types of events were essential to understanding what was happening, as they would give passengers the chance to interact with characters and build their story. This is why the Starcruiser could never be just a hotel; every part of it was designed for enthusiastic interaction."

Like, c'mon. I used to work in television. I've seen and used adcopy in my former job, and this is some serious adcopy. It honestly wouldn't shock me if the author dredged up some old adcopy they had lying around about the topic and just transferred it over, changing the tense. You're not here to sell us this product, because there is no product to sell. It's gone, it's been gone for a year, you don't have to sell us on IT. Speak about your experiences.

The next part is yet another topic that Jenny Nicholson pointed out, the bad faith excuses that influencers and advertisers made for the extreme price point:

"What many people don't know, however, is that the price included much more than just a room. The passengers' food, park tickets, recreation activities on board, non-alcoholic drinks, and more were all included - with merchandise being one of the few additional costs on board."

Which is absolute bad faith reasoning, especially when there are plenty of other vacation options that are ALSO all-inclusive, but are MUCH cheaper and offer MORE amenities than the Galactic Starcruiser did! Including Disney Cruises, owned by the same company! Seriously, you can go on a halfway decent sounding cruise or all-inclusive resort somewhere warm for, like, a week or two and spend far less than GSC cost.

Then the last part is essentially: "All the workers liked working there and the bad reviews afterwards make the workers who worked on it feel sad. :("

Which, like, companies have been hiding behind that reasoning for ages. Curiously, the author never offers....any reasons or stories. WHY did working on it impact you so much? What set it apart, what were the people like, what did you like about working there, why are you so passionate about it even a year later? There's nothing, just a generic sort of "We worked hard." and "We're sad it's gone." Why? How? What happened? The video you're obviously writing this in response to is filled with personal anecdotes and stories, it's the backbone of the video! Again, you need to give us something to show your humanity!

Especially when you consider that Nicholson repeatedly points out that the only highlight about her experience, the only thing that kept the damn thing going was the workers.

She had nothing but praise for them, and nothing but contempt for the higher ups who wasted and abused that enthusiasm, to the point where one of her last points was "Hey, Disney is basically exploiting labor."

Much like Jenny, I'm also not condemning anyone who had a good time working there. Good! If you were having a good time at work, that's great. If you have good memories about the people, awesome. But I'll note two things:

a) That doesn't meant you weren't being exploited, and

b) That doesn't mean you have to be a useful idiot for the corporation you worked for afterwards.

I'm not conspiracy brained enough to go "Oh, Disney TOTALLY forced this article into being.", because a cursory examination of the author's prior works and such suggests a lifelong passion for Star Wars, she did work at the hotel, and she's a Star Wars Editor (whatever THAT means in this day and age) for Screen Rant. Apparently one of the heads of Screen Rant says that Disney had no hand in it either.

Though, I can see why people would think that way. It READS like a press release, not something a normal human being would write about an experience they feel passionate about.

[miniar]

(Nov. 10. 2023) The blue lagoon in Iceland is currently closed (for a week) due to a high risk of a volcanic eruption within a kilometer (0.8 miles) of the popular tourist location.

When the gathering magma breaks the earth's crust, anyone visiting the blue lagoon will have (best case scenario) approximately 20 minutes to make it to safety.

If there are people sleeping in the adjacent hotel or gods forbid in the lagoon itself, the worst case scenario is the magma breaking surface beneath the lagoon.

The only truly realistic way to avoid serious casualties here is for the resort, hotel, and lagoon yo remain completely closed until the danger passes.

There are currently icelandic people calling for a 2/1 deal (or cheaper) on blue lagoon tickets for Icelandic people on twitter.

Do Not Go To The Blue Lagoon Until The Danger Has Passed!!

It's a lovely experience but it's absolutely not worth boiling alive or burning to death.

[unreesonable]

The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse feature from Film 2005 with Jonathan Ross, 7th March 2005

JR: ...comedy performers steeped in British film history, they took their name from a classic crime caper in the first place, Film 2005 headed to the set in Ireland to find out what might be in store in June when the League of Gentleman's Apocalypse reaches your local cinema for local people.

RS: It's showing the glamour of it

JD: The mud? MG: Excuse me there's something up my nose

JR: The three actors in the League of Gentlemen each play several characters in their television series. While many of these creations didn't interact on the small screen, the film's wider scale and continuous plot makes it necessary for characters to meet for the first time.

MG (as Briss): Welcome to Royston Vasey.

JR: The only solution to this potential costume and logistical nightmare has been to cut down on the number of characters they play. So just how many have they each ended up with?

MG: I don't know. About five I think we're doing each.

RS: I play seven.

MG: He's lying.

RS: Steve and Mark play five each. I play seven. So somehow I win.

RS: Well we're used to the makeup changes. It's, you know, long and arduous, but it's not being a trawler fisherman like my brother. I sometimes think, you know, "Oh, I've got to be in makeup for two hours!" All you're doing is you're sat there like that.

JR: Expanding a half hour television show to over 90 minutes in the cinema is a problem. Many TV-to-movie films have contended with offset. Steve Pemberton filled us in on the plot lines they mulled over.

SP: You know, all the League of Gentlemen characters get on a plane and fly to Spain and, and stay at the Costa Plonker. You know,

SP: (as Pauline) And when you get there the hotel's not finished, no one speaks the lingo...

SP: That is the kind of film we didn't want to make. And, and we couldn't find a way, we couldn't think of a way of incorporating the characters in as story that felt filmic.

JR: Eventually the team came up with their perfect combination of ideas.

JD: Royston Vasey meets the Matrix.

SP: We've got a 20 foot monster. We've got the end of the world.

MG: It's really a historical horror film.

(George of Asda clip)

JR: Tiger Aspect, the company behind Billy Elliot and Kevin and Perry Go Large, produced the film with support from Film Four, Universal and the Irish company Hell's Kitchen. And the cost of this ambitious, cameo-laden, special effects driven project certainly added up. To a cool 4 million pounds, in fact

SP: In terms of the budget, well, we had a bigger budget, but it all goes on other stuff, you know. It goes on lawyers' fees and it goes on getting the prints out to the cinemas. You say 4 million pounds. Well, how much of that is going onto the screen?

JR: And it was one of the reasons why the location of Royston Vasey was moved from the television series' Derbyshire base to the outskirts of Dublin.

JD: It's cheaper to come here. If you're allowed to say that...?

SP: There's a tax incentive over there, you get 10% of your budget. If you film 90% of your film and have an Irish crew.

-- clip cuts out here--

[alicescaling]

Brothers Conflict DENGEKI Girl’s Style Premium Short Story

Masterlist.

This was originally published as a Dengeki Girls Style Premium Story, but was later included in the Brothers Conflict Decade & Love light novel (which is where I read/translated it). Please enjoy!

It won’t end with a summer romance.

It’s a cloudless, blue sky. The midsummer sun shines brilliantly. Before my eyes, the ocean glimmers brightly.

Tsubaki: “This suuuuuucks…”

No matter where I look, there are lovey-dovey couples everywhere. And yet, even when I look away…

Wataru: “Let’s goooo, Yuu-kun!”

Yuusuke: “Jeez! Wataru, you’re getting too worked up…”

They’re like kindergarteners in a sandbox. To make matters worse, that sand flies out towards the parasol that I’m sitting under and hits me.

Tsubaki: “Hey, Yuusuke. You mind taking that over to the ocean or something—?”

Yuusuke: “Whaa, no way. Playing in the water with a little brat’ll make me seem like some sorta desolate guy or something.”

What kind of pride does Yuusuke think he has..?

Tsubaki: “Got it, whaaatever.”

If these guys aren’t gonna move, then I’ll just have to move instead.

(I wish Azusa were here… or even just Natsume.)

I find an empty seat at the edge of a less crowded part of the beachside, at the clubhouse, and sit down.

(It wasn’t supposed to be like this at first, though…)

★☆★

Masaomi: “Hey, everyone. This weekend, would you like to go stay overnight at the ocean?”

After dinner, Masa-nii had said that the day before yesterday.

Ukyo: “This is terribly sudden. What brought this on, Masaomi-niisan?”

Masaomi: “Mmhm– the truth is, Mom’s the one who asked me. Here.”

Masa-nii takes out a tablet. Reflected on it is the home page for a resort hotel.

It’s a small, compact establishment that only has five rooms. On the other hand, though, all the rooms are concept rooms that were made by famous designers.

Tsubaki: “It’s in… Shonan, huh. Hmmm, not bad. We could also head to the beach. Right, Azusa?”

Azusa: “That’s true. It’s a little secluded, too, which means it’ll be quiet at night.”

Masaomi: “It seems that the owner is a friend of Mom’s…”

Originally, the day after, a party of tourists had reserved the entire place for themselves. Then, they suddenly cancelled. The owner, in a difficult position, said that they would book the place for a cheaper price if that worked.

Tsubaki: “Sounds good to me~ It’s pretty close by.”

Azusa: “It’d also be helping someone else out. I won’t be able to join until the second day, though. I have work the first day we’d be there.”

Kaname: “By the way, Masa-nii, what about Imouto-chan?”

Masaomi: “Ahh, a little while ago, she said she’d come.”

At that moment, the atmosphere in the room changed.

Kaname: “I see. In that case, I’ll come too. All the rooms are for two people, right? Haha, I’m looking forward to it.”

Wataru: “Kana-kana, there’s no waaaay I’ll–”

Ukyo: “..... Wataru. Don’t make such an unbecoming face. Kaname, our sister will be getting a room for herself. Naturally, of course.”

Yuusuke: “I-I wanna go too! Even if you say I can’t, I’m goin’ anyways.”

Wataru: “Me too! I can, right, Maa-kun?”

Suddenly, the room went loud and boisterous as everyone erupted into noise.

Azusa: “But if the hotel only has five two person rooms, then the max capacity is ten people. Is it alright if we all go?”

Masaomi: “Ah, that’s…”

Masa-nii explained that some of our brothers had already said they wouldn’t be going.

Louis: “Mmm, I can’t. I’m booked.”

Subaru: “I’ve got training camp starting the day after tomorrow.”

Iori: “You want me to go out with Kaname-niisan? … laughable.”

Masaomi: “And I also called the brothers outside the mansion, but…”

Fuuto: “Don’t ask me stupid questions. I already told you that I’m on location through next week.”

Natsume: “The sea? Hmmmm…. I’d like to go, but I have a business trip this weekend.”

Hikaru: “Yeaaaaah, sorry. I can’t go outside right now due to various circumstances. Please don’t come looking for me… ciao.”

Masaomi: “In which case, the ones who’ll be joining are…. Kaname, Tsubaki, Yuusuke, Wataru, and on the second day, Azusa, too. Ukyo, can you go? The truth is, I have a patient I’m worried about, so I’d like to stay.”

Ukyo: “Understood. I’ll go in your stead.”

Kaname: “So with Imouto-chan, that makes seven people going. Mhm, in which case, we should be fine. …. guess it’s decided, then.”

At that moment, a single aspiration– no, a single dream– was born in my heart.

The truth is, the results of an audition I’d had were due to come out the day after the next.

It’s for an anime adaptation of a really popular video game. Of course, I like it too, but above that, it’s for a game that she loves.

I’d gone for the lead role. I’d gotten a really good response, so I was super confident that I’d get it.

(A nice hotel, the summer seaside… that’s when I’ll reveal it to her. “I got the lead role for the anime based off that game”.)

It’d be a total win for me, wouldn’t it? Seems like the tides are turning my way, right?

The night before we headed out, my heart beat so fast in my chest I could barely sleep.

★☆★

— Then, the appointed day. That is to say, today.

The day that would be jam-packed with meaningful memories and milestones… at least, it was supposed to be.

The first incident of the day happened right as we were getting ready to leave.

Ukyo: “What’s wrong, why does your face seem red?”

She’d suddenly fallen ill with a fever. Like, seriously?!

Luckily, though, it seemed like her fever was already going down with a little bit of rest. That, at least, was a relief.

Ukyo: “We’ll wait and see how she’s feeling in a day. Kaname, you take everyone else and head on before us. We’ll join you tomorrow with Azusa.”

Kaname: “Got it. Sounds good. I’ll keep up appearances for Mom, since we already said we’ll be going. I’m trusting Imouto-chan with you, Kyo-nii.”

Ukyo: “Of course, please leave her to me.”

Kaname: “That being said, don’t let yourself get swayed by any wicked desires while you’re attending her, okay?”

Ukyo: “......... please don’t lump me in with the likes of you.”

I wonder how she’s doing? I’ll have to ask Azusa to keep a close eye on her later.

(Even so, she won’t be coming…..)

To be honest, I was a little disappointed. Still, her health takes priority.

I encouraged myself, getting into the car. We left Tokyo, my spirits lifting a bit once I started to smell the scent of the ocean.

Which leads us into the next incident.

“About that popular anime you auditioned for the other day…”

Once we got to the hotel, I’d received a call from my manager.

“You see, unfortunately, the lead role went to someone else.”

Eh—!!!!

“But that being said, the original author of the work was really impressed by your audition. So impressed that he’s offering you a different role.”

The role of the protagonist’s best friend. Of course, that isn’t bad at all. Any other day, and I’d have no objections. But…. but today of all days!

(Haah….)

She isn’t here. I didn’t get the lead role.

(What was even the point of coming all the way to Shonan, then!? If I know things’d be like this, I would’ve just stayed home and watched a bunch of anime in my room!)

I set my luggage down in my room, and by the time I got to the beach, my mental state was completely wrecked.

★☆★

Kaname: “Why’re you in a place like this?”

Suddenly, I hear a familiar voice call out from nearby.

Tsubaki: “Ah, Kana– huh?!”

Just as I thought, it was Kana-nii who’d called out to me. But he isn’t alone. There’s a woman hanging off of each of his shoulders.

Both of them are showing off their bodies, wearing tight, incredibly revealing swimsuits.

“Hey, who’s this kid?”

Kaname: “Ahhh, he’s my friend.”

“Ehhh~ He’s cute~ The two of you are really good looking~”

Kaname: “Thank you! Let’s all get along, okay?”

“‘Kaaaay~”

I’m pretty sure Kana-nii went off to go buy drinks about ten minutes ago.

And somehow, in only that amount of time, he’s managed to get us into this situation.

Tsubaki: “Kana-niiiii, you’re totally moving too fast.”

Kaname: “Hm? No I’m not. They’re the ones who asked “how about we play together”. Right?”

“Yuuuuuuup.”

“Right~”

Even though he says that, I’m pretty sure that he’s got an atmosphere about him that makes people wanna talk to him. Like some sorta pheromone.

“What’s he mean by “Kana-nii”? Do you two happen to be brothers~?”

Kaname: “Hm? Ahh, no, we aren’t. But he is like a little brother to me, though.”

Woooooah woah woah, we’re totally fully blood related.

Kaname: “My name’s Takanari. So he combines the second and third kana of my name to make “Kana-nii”.”

He says this all as naturally as breathing. And what’s with the fake name?

Kaname: “And over here is…. Tarou.”

What’s up with that random name?

Maybe my irritation is starting to show on my face. Kana-nii slips his hand away from where it was holding one of the girls’, and he whispers to me.

Kaname: “Please put up with it. Who knows what kind of articles the press would come out with if they found out a famous voice actor was flirting around.”

Tsubaki: “I’ve got nothing to do with this. I don’t even wanna flirt with these girls anyways.”

Kaname: “....... huh.”

A slightly mischievous smile rises to Kana-nii’s face.

Kaname: “Sorry, do you mind waiting here for a moment? I need to talk to Tarou about something real quick.”

We move a little bit away from the women, somewhere out of view.

Kaname: “Hey, could this attitude be spurred on by your feelings for Imouto-chan?”

Tsubaki: “Whaddya mean by “spurred on”? I dunno what you mean, I just don’t feel like playing around with girls I don’t know.”

Kaname: “You’re devoted, huh. Of course, I’m not going to force you if you don’t want to. But I do want you to hear me out. …. life is short and fleeting.”

Hah?

Kaname: “That’s why it’s so important to bring color to your life. And the thing that brings you color is called “fate”.”

Tsubaki: “The hell’re you on about?”

Kaname: ““Fate” is what brings about the ties that connect people to each other. It brings people who previously did not know each other together. And from that, new possibilities are born.”

I have no idea what he’s talking about…. But for some reason, I find myself lost in his words.

Kaname: “Life is full of wonderful connections. You could even say that they’re what enrich our lives. However, they’re hard to come by. That’s why we need to take an active role in seeking them out.”

Kana-nii’s voice is slow, the certainty in his voice seeping into my chest.

Kaname: “Maybe the best time to make those connections is now, the opportunity right before your eyes. And if you miss it, you might not get a second chance. Who knows– maybe one of those girls could be one of those connections. Are you willing to let this chance go?”

Kana-nii smiles kindly.

Kaname: “I think that your devotion is wonderful. But I also think that that devotion can wait until you’re dating.”

At first, I thought he was going on about something crazy. But the more I listen to him, the more my head’s completely absorbed in his speech…

(I guess that maybe…. you could say that…)

I find myself maybe agreeing with Kana-nii’s words. Or maybe I’m just being brainwashed.

Kaname: “C’mon, let’s head back.”

Kana-nii suddenly begins moving. I see the women’s forms. Unconsciously, I take a step forward.

Tsubaki: “Tarou here~ Nice to meetcha!”

★☆★

I don’t really remember what happened after that. We ate a lot of different things, and talked about a lot of different things. I think we even had some alcohol, too.

I realize that there are now six women here.

(Huh…. it’s been a while. Since I’ve felt like this.)

Once upon a time, I used to sometimes pass the time like this. I remember it being fun.

(I haven’t done it since she came along, though….)

…. She?

I suddenly find the face of my little stepsister floating to my mind.

(Is it alright for me to be doing this?)

“Hey~ Tarou. Let’s head to the water.”

Someone tugs on my hand. It’s one of the first girls I’d talked to. I recognize her by her hair, which is styled half-up.

“C’mon, let’s go~”

My chest feels hazy, alcohol still flowing through my body. I go to stand up.

“Kyahh!”

At that moment, the woman’s body suddenly tilts. I see her foot get stuck in a cavity in the sand.

Without thinking, I reach my hand out. I wrap it around her waist, propping her up.

Tsubaki: “Are you alright?”

“Ah, yeah.”

Tsubaki: “Can you stand? Your foot isn’t sprained, is it? …. you’re fine, thank god.”

“Thank you…..”

She lets out a large breath. Her face looks like it’s flushed.

“Tarou, you have a great voice.”

Tsubaki: “...... really?”

“Mmhmm. I think you’d make a really good voice actor~”

…. I already am, though.

Still, it makes me happy to hear my voice be praised. A laugh slips out of me despite myself.

Tsubaki: “Sorry, I’m a bit drunk. I shouldn’t head to the water.”

“That so? ‘Kay….. I won’t either, then.”

I drop down to sit on the sand. When I do, she follows suit, sitting down beside me.

Kana-nii looks out at us from over by the water’s edge.

★☆★

As the sun moves through the sky, the sea begins to stain a deep crimson.

The women from earlier are also gone. Yuusuke and the others went back to the hotel a little while ago, leaving just me and Kana-nii left on the shore.

Kaname: “Hey, Tsuba-chan, about that woman with her hair half-up.”

Tsubaki: “Yeah?”

Kaname: “She seemed to have a nice atmosphere about her. Did you two manage to connect?”

Tsubaki: “I’m not sure. But you’re amazing, Kana-nii. You really got me in the mood. As expected from the number two at Club Buddha.”

Kaname: “You’re giving me too much credit. I’m not number one, I’m number two.”

Kana-nii gives me a bitter smile.

Kaname: “But to be honest, I think that this was good for you, Tsuba-chan.”

Tsubaki: “Huh?”

Kaname: “You were in a pretty bad mood today, Tsuba-chan. You seemed irritated.”

Tsubaki: “Kana-nii….��

Kaname: “It might sound strange for me to say this, since I’m still young and inexperienced, but I think that people shine best when they carry themselves with confidence.”

Kana-nii stares heavily at the horizon, the sun submerging behind it.

Kaname: “Hey, Tsuba-chan.”

Somehow, the feeling in his tone changes.

Kaname: “We’ve changed since Imouto-chan’s come into our lives. Of course, many of those changes have been good ones. But I think that we’ve also changed in negative ways, too.”

Negative ways? What’s that supposed to mean?

Kaname: “To tell the truth, we’ve been blessed in many ways. And thanks to that, well…. we’re rather popular. And for a man, popularity is one of the things that gives us confidence, above all else.”

Tsubaki: “..... I mean, I can’t really deny that.”

Kaname: “But that’s where Imouto-chan differs. No matter what any of us do, not one of us has managed to make her look our way. …. which, naturally, is a shock.”

Tsubaki: “..... yeah.”

Kaname: “But that’s because our little sister is a wonderful person. The type of person who doesn’t judge others by their wealth, or pedigree. Much less their appearance.”

Kana-nii turns his gaze to me.

Kaname: “Imouto-chan truly cares about us from the bottom of her heart. …. As family.”

I don’t know why, but Kana-nii’s eyes are tinged with melancholy.

Kaname: “That’s why we shouldn’t lose our confidence. You learned that today, didn’t you?”

Eh?

(Kana-nii could it be, you know about my audition…?)

No, I didn’t realize up until this point. But he must have noticed that something was wrong with me. And he must have surmised the general gist of why. He’s really got incredible powers of observation.

Kaname: “Your voice, too.”

Kana-nii smiles.

Kaname: “That girl praised it, didn’t she? No matter what role you play, I’m sure you’ll always be able to shine the brightest, Tsuba-chan. I’m sure Imouto-chan would tell you the same thing.”

(.... that’s right.)

It never had to be the main role.

Tsubaki: “Hey, Kana-nii–”

Kaname: “Hm?”

Tsubaki: “I was super happy getting my voice praised. But that’s kinda obvious for a voice actor. All of us give our best to try and have everyone hear our best voices possible.”

Ahh, right now, I can feel that I’m smiling.

Tsubaki: “She sees and understands that effort. On top of that, she commends me for it. That’s what’s so amazing about her.”

Kaname: “...... that’s right.”

Kana-nii closes his eyes.

Kaname: “Our little sister really is amazing.”

I wanna hear her voice so much.

(Maybe I should call her. I also want to know if she’s feeling better. …. No, I shouldn’t. I don’t want to trouble her.)

At that moment.

“Ah, they’re here~”

“Takanari~ Tarou~”

Two of the women from earlier rush towards us.

Tsubaki: “Huh, what is it?”

“We saw that you guys were still out by the shore.”

“Hey~ Let’s chat some more.”

Tsubaki: “Ahh… but we were just talking about heading back soon.”

“Then how about we join you?”

“Where are you two staying? I wanna see your room~”

The girl with her hair half-up looks intently at me. …. At which,

Kaname: “Sorry.”

Kana-nii wraps his arm around my shoulder, squeezing me against him.

Kaname: “Our room’s only got one double bed.”

Hah….? What’s this guy on about right now?

…… A few minutes later.

Tsubaki: “Don’t mess with me like that! They totally misunderstood! They thought that we’re a couple!”

Kaname: “It couldn’t be helped. There’s no way we were bringing them back with us.”

Tsubaki: “Like I said! Those girls got totally pissed. I’ve never even heard some of the words they used in any of my scripts before!”

Kaname: “It really was some rather cutthroat, abusive language.”

Tsubaki: “Don’t say it so calmly!! What kinda “connection” was that. It was the worst thing ever, for me and those girls.”

That night, for the first time in a while, I drink like crazy. I drink as much as I can, if only so I can forget everything that’s happened.

★☆★

When I open my eyes, it’s already nearly eleven.

(No way… I slept in waaaay too much. I wonder what everyone else’s doing.)

Trying to ignore the way my head’s throbbing, I head to the lobby. When I get there, I see the back of someone’s figure sitting at one of the sofas.

Tsubaki: “Ah! You came!”

They turn around to look at me. Of course, it’s our little sister.

Tsubaki: “You must be feeling better, then. Thank god.”

“I’m sorry for making you worry.”

She bows her head. I don’t need her to do that at all!

“I’m glad for you, too, Tsubaki-san.”

Tsubaki: “Eh?”

“About yesterday. I heard you were really popular.”

Tsubaki: “Ehhhhh……”

H-how does she…. how does she know?!

Azusa: “You seem surprised, Tsubaki.”

From out of nowhere, I suddenly realize that Azusa’s standing right next to her.

Tsubaki: “A-Azusa….”

Azusa: “Wataru informed us. Yuusuke had some things to add, as well.”

Tsubaki: “No, that’s….”

Azusa: “I thought that they might be lying.”

Azusa’s gaze hurts. It stings. His eyes look dead.

Azusa: “........... how deplorable.”

Azusa turns his back to me, and walks away. That prompts our sister to stand up.

“Um, please excuse me. I’m going to go for a walk with Azusa-san.”

Tsubaki: “Ah, no, uhm…..”

“Will you be heading to the beach, Tsubaki-san?”

She smiles.

“It looks like there are some wonderful people there today, too. …. I’ll be heading off, then.”

At that, she disappears, too.

(Wait a minute……..)

That smiling face. There wasn’t a speck of anger in it– it was a perfectly genuine smile. It’s as if….

“I have nothing to do with who you decide to date, Tsubaki-san. It doesn’t matter to me.”

It’s as if she said that.

(You’ve gotta be kidding me!!)

I look for Kana-nii. If I think back to the root of everything, that man’s the main culprit.

But no matter where I look, I can’t find him anywhere. I knock on his room’s door countless times, but there’s no reply.

Yuusuke: “Shut uuuup, the hell’s the problem?”

The adjacent room’s door opens, and Yuusuke comes out.

Tsubaki: “Yuusuke! D’ya know where Kana-nii is?”

Yuusuke: “What’s this alluva sudden? … Kana-nii left back home earlier.”

Tsubaki: “Hah?!”

Yuusuke: “Think he said he had some sorta urgent business, or something…. Guhh! Tsuba-nii, my neck– stop squeezin’ my neck!!”

— And so, the weekend ended on a terrible note.

Even though she’d finally, finally arrived, I found myself unable to so much as look her in the eyes, let alone talk to her.

No matter how much I tried to consult with Azusa, it’s like he wouldn’t speak to me. Things continued this way for the next few days, even after we returned home.

(No way I’m ever wavering again.)

I make a heartfelt pledge to myself.

(From now on, she’s my one and only. After all, loyalty is always best!)

[paintingwhiteceilings]

❃S/O going on a trip with Seventeen❃

In honour of their new comeback that I am definitely processing as a not-delusional and completely functional human being, a very quickly written prompt inspired by the MV on what it would be like to travel with Seventeen. Also, I just came back from a short hiking vacation in Bavaria so it felt fitting to have a travel themed prompt.

Scoups/Seungcheol

❀The only way for you to convince Coups to go on a trip with you is to go on a purely spa-treatment/relaxation vacation where he will not have to lift a single finger. He wants the princess treatment, and only highly luxurious all-inclusive resorts will do.

❀The location doesn't even matter to him, as long as there is sun, because the two of you will not be leaving the hotel to go sightseeing. Coups will absolutely refuse to move for two weeks straight, unfortunately for you, that is, if you want to explore the town. For Scoups, walking around to see some historic buildings falls under movement.

❀ Instead, he wants to lounge at the pool, sipping on a fancy cocktail, enjoying the fact that, for once, he has no responsibilities. He is ready to catch up on a lifetime of sleep and, you know, alone time with his partner, undisturbed.

❀ You can't even convince him to go to the beach because dragging your stuff from the hotel is too much effort for him. Plus, he finds the sand incredibly bothersome.

❀ Unfortunately, his plans to relax are disturbed as he forgot to put his phone on silent the first day that you two arrived. Instead of peace and quiet, his phone is continuously ringing. He made the mistake of picking up once, stuck to listening to Seungkwan's rant about whatever questionable thing his BSS members did this time around.

Jeonghan

❀ He is definitely another supporter of the zero-movement trip, but where Coups pulls the leader card, he will drag his feet and go sightseeing with you. Jeonghan, similarly to Coups, refuses to go anywhere but a luxurious resort. The bed better be incredibly soft because he is exhausted and wants to spend most of his time either on a lounge chair near the pool or in bed underneath the soft covers, fast asleep (get your mind out of the gutter).

❀ Whenever you guys do end up going outside to see the world, he makes sure to have everything in his backpack. Whatever you need, he has made sure to pack it beforehand. From baby wipes to your favourite snacks to pads, he made sure to stuff it in his overflowing backpack.

❀ His patience is heavily tested when you drag him to touristy spots. He is only there because he loves you, not because he enjoys people or busy places. One time, he kept eyeing an annoying bratty child for a bit too long, and you are convinced that if you hadn't distracted him, he would've pushed it down the cliff. 

❀ Jeonghan is a god at haggling and can't get enough of it. You always end up with a bunch of souvenirs that he managed to get for cheaper. He keeps telling you that he needs to get this many souvenirs to cover all of the members, but you know better. He is addicted to the rush of winning.

Joshua

❀ Where his fellow 95-liners are content with sitting at the pool for two weeks straight, Joshua is the polar opposite, wanting to explore everything and anything that there is to see. Then again, I imagine him to be someone who prefers city trips over camping trips, enjoying the different cultures he gets to experience.

❀ Joshua is one of those people who does research before he visits a place. He always makes a vast list of places that he wants to take you to. Joshua's list consists of a healthy mix of places he finds fascinating and places he knows you would like. The added bonus to travelling with Joshua is that he will do all the talking if you end up getting lost.

❀ No matter what you guys are doing, Joshua's outfits are on point. He wants the both of you to look like you just came off a runway. There is no slacking; there will be no leisure wear, not even during the flight. He will make sure you guys are always matching, taking it way too seriously.

❀ The outfits are purely because Joshua wants thousands of photos of you two together at every location you visit. You better be prepared to pose as if your life depends on it, as whenever a scenery looks remotely picturesque, he will ask a local or a tourist to take at least twenty pictures. After the trip, he will combine all the pictures into a scrapbook, making you forgive him for the slightly obsessive and annoyingly persistent insistence on taking a picture every five minutes.

Jun

❀ He is incredibly excited to be going on a trip with you, but don't expect him to help you plan it in any shape, way or form. Jun is okay with pretty much anything; however, he is absolutely the type to turn up without knowing where you guys are even going. Generally, he has the mentality of a very well-behaved child, so you won't have to constantly entertain him. That being said, you better keep him occupied when you visit a lot of museums, or else you will be plagued by a constant whining of "Can we go yet?"

❀ During one of your trips, he came up with an exciting game for museums. You guys use a random object generator and then try to find that object in a painting or display; whoever finds it first, wins. It allows for you to enjoy the art and for him to endure the "boring old stuff".

❀ His favourite part of trips is sitting outside at a café with some tasty food or drinks, watching people go about their day-to-day. He enjoys soaking in the atmosphere without running around to visit museums that require thinking and likes to make up stories about those passing by.

❀ If there are stray cats/dogs in the place that you are visiting, half of his camera roll will be pictures of just them. Don't expect him to take pictures of you; he already took a hundred pictures of an earless black-and-white cat that take up the remainder of his storage. I hope you bring hand sanitiser because he will be petting every single one of them regardless of the potential fleas.

Hoshi/Soonyoung

❀ Welcome to the most unhinged vacation of a lifetime. With Hoshi, there will be no opportunities for you to sit down and relax because he will be dragging you around the entire city/country, trying to experience and see as much as is humanly possible. His energy has no limits, and he wants you to get the most out of the holiday.

❀ In other words, Hoshi will be speed-running your vacation with zero planning. Sure, he asked Joshua and Wonwoo for their travel itinerary, but other than that, he is doing this purely based on vibes.

❀ Be prepared to end up at some obscure and rather dodgy restaurants that will definitely give you food poisoning because Hoshi felt it call out to him. Sure, it might have been the tiger on the storefront, but he maintains that you find the best food in the least touristy places. After this trip, you will never trust Kwon Soonyoung to plan anything ever again.

❀ He is no different when you guys decide to have a nice relaxing day at the pool. In his never-ending energy, he will almost accidentally drown you during a water fight. The other members are genuinely scared that Hoshi will kill you someday on accident.

❀ He tries so hard to be serious during museum visits. However, his genuinely trying to be insightful comments are so unhinged that they have you cracking up continuously. You can't take him seriously when he examines a Greek statue, noting that the statue is "very well made. Look at how well-crafted that ass is, perfect proportions.”

Wonwoo

❀ The moment you guys decide to go on a trip, Wonwoo will send you a plethora of surveys asking you what type of trip you want to go on and what kind of sights you want to see. It is so in-depth that you wonder what Wonwoo is even going to do with all this data; you are not sure what the point is of you ranking different pool shapes.

❀ That is until he presents you with The Schedule. Jeon Wonwoo has created the world's most detailed schedule, planning everything down to the mili-second. Even relaxation time is accounted for, describing what kind of relaxation activity it should be.

❀ If it is not on the schedule, he is not doing it. The schedule is holy, and if anything needs changing, you can let him know in the feedback form he created to be completed at the end of the trip. Wonwoo is deadly serious. At the very least, you will have seen most of the country's/city's highlights at the most optimal times.

❀ Sadly for him, he accidentally breaks his glasses halfway through the trip when he leans forward too much when peering down a cliff, requiring an impromptu visit to the local optician. Rather than freaking out about the lack of sight, Wonwoo will be fretting about the unravelling of his precious schedule. He will attempt to reschedule the rest of the trip that night, but you kindly encourage him to be a bit more flexible.

Woozi/Jihoon

❀ Good luck trying to get this man to take a break and leave his house. He doesn't understand why you guys have to go on a trip; why change the scenery when his house has food that you know will be good and a bed that is always comfortable? If you want to go to a pool, the gym he frequents has one. It is absolutely unnecessary, in his opinion, to leave his house, let alone Korea, unless it is for a world tour.

❀ When you finally manage to convince him to go on a trip with you, he will try to smuggle his 'portable' studio into his luggage. Yes, you have told him that this will be a no-working trip. Yes, a part of him was still planning to spend a couple of afternoons locked in the hotel room, producing a song. You sternly remind him that being a workaholic is a problem and breaks can help with writer's block.

❀ Still, he will walk around the city/country with his phone tightly held in his hand to record anything that inspires him. He especially pauses at local musicians playing traditional folk music, fascinated by the different melodies and rhythms. He, moreover, notes down any lyrics that pop into his head. Woozi won't say it out loud, but spending time with you makes him think of the sappiest, most romantic love songs.

❀ He magically vanishes the moment he sees a gathering of tourists. No matter how much he loves you, he will not willingly expose himself to crowds. 

DK/Seokmin

❀ In all fairness, DK might be the best person to go on a trip with. DK gets easily and genuinely excited about everything, making even the most boring museum visit feel like an awe-inspiring experience. Moreover, he is always happy whenever you are happy, meaning that even if he doesn't particularly like a place or museum you are visiting, he will still have a good time as long as you are smiling.

❀ He is such a golden retriever puppy and loves just about everything. As long as you are there next to him, he is having a great time, making it the best trip he ever went on. He will repeatedly tell you that, too, never ceasing to take the opportunity to let you know that he loves spending time with you.

❀ He is down to do anything you want, whether it consists of relaxing at the pool or visiting some obscure art performance he doesn't quite understand. Just plan it for him, and he will show up with the biggest smile as if it had always been on his bucket list. Honestly, we all need a boyfriend like DK.

❀ Where Jeonghan comes home with souvenirs due to his obsession with haggling, DK does so because he genuinely wants to have presents for all the members. Half of your trip consists of finding souvenirs for his friends, and DK is bent on finding something nice for all of them. He won't leave before his suitcase is filled to the brim with small statues, food and postcards.

Mingyu

❀ Mingyu is a bit of a disaster when it comes to travelling. You constantly have to keep an eye on his possessions for him; before you know it, he has misplaced his passport or accidentally forgot to bring his phone. Unsurprisingly, he will be the unlucky soul whose luggage gets unceremoniously left behind at the departure airport. You spend the entire first day buying him a whole new wardrobe because neither of you has much faith in his luggage arriving in time before the trip ends.

❀ He says he is down to go on a road trip together, but you better turn down that idea real quick. With his clumsiness, he will end up somehow breaking the rental car. He does convince you to go on a fancy yacht together, where you discover that boats and Kim Mingyu do not mix. You had to fish him out of the water at least five times due to him losing his balance. The poor guy wanted it to be a romantic boat ride, too. He had prepared an entire picnic basket and candles, the whole Pinterest picture, which he may have taken into the water with him as he fell.

❀ Mingyu has one obsession during the entire vacation, namely trying all the food that is available. Sure, museums can be fun, but rather than wasting his precious time looking at pretty paintings, he wants to spend his time stuffing his face with the local cousine. He has compiled a list solely consisting of good restaurants, and his entire goal this trip is to try as much food as is humanly possible.

❀ I hope you have strong bowels because he will need you to eat every five minutes in order to try all the dishes available.

The8/Minghao

❀ Instead of you having to drag him to museums, he is the one who wants to visit every museum at least once. Not the history ones, though, just the art museums; history, in his opinion, is boring. Who cares that some famous historical figure died in this spot?

❀ He loves to go on street art tours given by locals. For him, it is hitting two birds with one stone. On the one hand, he gets to see cool street art that isn't restricted by whatever the art institutions deem acceptable. On the other hand, he gets to soak in the vibes of the city as he is led through it. He is another member who strikes me as loving to sit down at a café to observe the day-to-day life of the city's inhabitants.

❀ He would definitely be down to visit a wine country so that the two of you can go on wine tours. Minghao would especially be excited if those wine tours consisted of quality wine that he rarely is able to drink in Korea. Honestly, if you were to take him to either Italy or France, he would be happy. Art and wine? That is all he wants in life.

❀ Going on vacation with Minghao reeks of luxury. He will not hold back and splurge on the finer things, making sure that the two of you are pampered. To be fair, he needs it after dealing with twelve hyperactive men on a daily basis; he is pretty sure that they are making him age twice as fast.

Seungkwan

❀ He is so incredibly excited to be going on a trip with you that he overpacked. His luggage is twice as big as yours, mostly because he wanted to pack some of your dresses that he thinks you look especially pretty in and enough supplements to last both of you a lifetime. You don't even have to worry about accidentally forgetting to pack something because Seungkwan got you. He has been closely watching you pack your suitcase, lovingly (albeit naggingly) pointing out whenever you missed something.

❀ Seungkwan loves going on hiking vacations combined with a hotel. We have all seen him and Vernon trying to catch a bug; this boy is not going camping unless it is glamping with enormous amounts of bug repellent. Still, he lives for those easy-to-do hikes, using it as an opportunity to walk and talk about life. He takes comfort in knowing that despite his hectic schedule, he can use these trips to catch up and share whatever emotions and thoughts you are having.

❀ He is such a social butterfly; it doesn't matter where you are, but Seungkwan will strike up a conversation with the nearest person. Upon visiting a local restaurant, he becomes best friends with a group of local grandmas dining next to you two. He has exchanged addresses and has already promised to send them a Christmas card. You are not sure how he managed to communicate with them, as neither spoke the other's language.

❀ Seungkwan, moreover, is the best person to go to touristy spots with. He has such assertiveness that he will get his way no matter what. No annoying unattended child or whining entitled Karen is getting in his way of enjoying this historical site with the love of his life. 

Vernon

❀ Vernon is a bit hopeless when it comes to holidays. He is another member who will show up and do whatever you tell him to, not really caring what kind of vacation they go on. Take him anywhere, and Vernon will have a great time, content with any activity you want to do or sight you wish to see. Vernon enjoys the occasional museum visit and is always down for a hike as long as it doesn't require any intense physical activity.

❀ Still, you will have to help him pack because he will forget detrimental things if you don't. Underwear? He completely forgot about it until you mentioned it. How could he forget about that? His passport? It completely slipped his mind to put it in his hand luggage. He did make sure to download all the episodes of a show on Netflix so you can watch it during the plane ride. Priorities, I guess. 

❀ One time, he forgot to bring his swimsuit to a pool vacation. Luckily, there were enough stores where he could buy a new one, but, to this day, you are not sure how he managed to forget the one thing central to a vacation based around swimming. He was down to swim in his underwear, as well, until you mentioned getting a new one in the store next door.

❀ Honestly, out of all the members, he would be the best road trip buddy for the playlists but the worst for preparation.

Dino/Chan

❀ Dino can go two ways when it comes to a trip. He either will not want to go outside the hotel and will be content with relaxing at the pool for the entire trip. Or, he will want to visit every highlight and tourist attraction without taking a single break. There is no in-between, and it fully depends on how much the members exhausted him with their endless teasing.

❀ He is excited to finally be able to have some quality one-on-one time with you without being continuously teased by his members. A part of him is incredibly nervous to go on a trip for the first time with someone other than his members; he hasn't stopped thinking about all the things that could go wrong. However, the excitement of getting to spend uninterrupted one-on-one time with you overshadows most of it.

❀ He unironically loves museums and historical sites because of the history and stories they tell. Dino acts like his love for history is a running gag, using it to crack his members up. However, he genuinely enjoys learning about history and finds something inspiring about the ever-lastingness of historical figures. Nothing is more fascinating to him than how their stories have continued to exist long beyond their passing. Thus, he wants to visit as many historical sites as he is able to.

❀ I feel like Dino would be the type to 'accidentally' forget his razor and convince everyone he grew a beard because of it. In reality, all that had grown over the weeks you have been away were five whisps of hair, barely visible. When you told him he could borrow yours for the time being or he could get a new one in the pharmacy down the road, he dramatically exclaimed it was a sign to grow out a beard. It is safe to say that the members didn't let him live it down. 

masterlist

[jujumin-translates]

[A3!] Event | With love to you All | Episode 3

Tenma: (I should go over the scene we’re filming tomorrow one more time before I go to bed. This scene takes place while he’s watching the river at the riverbank…)

Tenma: “Ugh, it’s almost Valentine’s Day already. Just thinking about all the gifts I’m gonna have to give back in return is making me depressed…”

Tenma: “I never even asked to be this popular in the first place… Not to mention that people are always trying to sneak pictures of me. And it’s all because of this face…”

Tenma: “Just thinking about having to give gifts back sucks. It’s such a pain in the ass. Not to mention that giving back isn’t even something that’s in my nature in the first place!”

Tenma: …Yeah. Saying that last part more forcefully rather than just lamenting it is definitely way better.

*Tenma writes something down and the door opens*

Sakuya: You’re still up, Tenma-kun?

Tenma: ! I should be asking you that, Sakuya.

Sakuya: Ahaha. I was doing a lot of thinking, and suddenly it was this late. I just came to get a drink of water.

Tenma: Gotcha.

Sakuya: Was that a line from your movie just now?

Tenma: Yeah.

Sakuya: I knew it! I was wondering what kinda movie it was! So it’s about Valentine’s Day, then?

Tenma: Sorta. It’s just the next scene that’s a Valentine’s Day scene.

Tenma: The movie is a winter story about three college-age guys. So, Christmas and White Day are also in there.

Sakuya: I see. So you get to see a bunch of winter events all in one movie.

Sakuya: But still, even just that line you just said seemed interesting! I’m getting even more excited to see it!

Tenma: Yeah, look forward to it.

Sakuya: I will!

Sakuya: …Ah, right. Speaking of White Day, there’s something I wanna talk about related to the event, but… Are you busy right now?

Tenma: Nah, I just wanted to double-check my lines, so I’ve got time.

Sakuya: Really? Thanks! So about the event…

Sakuya: You know how we talked about only going to a few different regions for the event?

Tenma: Yeah.

Sakuya: But I was thinking, wouldn’t it be difficult, both financially and schedule-wise, for all of us to go?

Tenma: Yeah, everyone’s got their own guest performances or jobs to worry about, so I was thinking that’d be kinda difficult, too.

Sakuya: So what if we split up into teams of a few people each and do the event like that?

Tenma: That’s not a bad idea. And if we pick a few potential dates, I bet we’d all be able to go somewhere.

Tenma: And as for the cost, we’d still have to negotiate things with Sakyo-san, but…

Tenma: Maybe we can suggest that idea on the condition that we’ll find hotels somewhere a little cheaper.

Sakuya: Ah, that’s a good point. Let’s bring up what we just talked about at the next leaders’ meeting!

Tenma: Yeah, let’s do that.

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Sakuya: …So that’s what we were thinking. What do you guys think

Izumi: You are right about it being difficult to coordinate things so that it works out for everyone, so I think breaking up into teams and holding the event like that is a great idea!

Tenma: By the way, I already talked the budget over with Sakyo-san a bit, and he said it wouldn’t be an issue as long as we pick out hotels that are a little bit cheaper.

Banri: So you already talked to Sakyo-san.

Tsumugi: Thank you for doing that.

Izumi: With the matter of cost out of the way, the next thing to do is to decide on how we’re going to divide up the teams and pick the locations. We could do the teams but troupe, but…

Tsumugi: That could work, but what if we decide the teams and the locations by lottery?

Tenma: If we do that, we could hold the event on the days when the whole team can participate.

Sakuya: Yeah, so I think doing things by lottery is a good idea! Not to mention that doing things by lottery seems like fun.

Izumi: There are TV shows that use darts to decide things like where to go and what gifts to give, so doing something like that could be interesting.

Banri: Aight, then why don’t we do the whole thing on stream? I bet choosin’ the teams and event locations would generate a lotta hype.

Tenma: I get it. That way, our fans can have fun starting from the preparation stage.

Tsumugi: If we’re doing a stream, should we announce the White Day event there, too?

Sakuya: Yeah! I feel like our fans would be happy with that.

Banri: Aight, I’ll see if Kazunari and Itaru-san can lend us a hand with the stream.

Tenma: So, can we leave the stream-related stuff to you, Banri-san

Banri: Yeah, I’ll take care of it.

Izumi: (More and more of the event is being decided on based on everyone’s ideas. I can’t wait to see what kind of event it ends up being!)

[ ⇠ Previous Part ] [ 🩵 ] [ Next Part ⇢ ]

[someone-elsa]

Q&A with Chanthira ♥

Bachelorette Challenge: Something about Chanthira ♥

Questions sent by candidate of @jaigny (Raj), @koeqmm (Leonardo), and @musicalplumbob (Mitchell)

Raj: Would you ever do any outdoor activities? If so what would you be interested to do.

Does sunbathing count? Sailing could be nice, something not too sporty.

Raj: Have you ever done anything very out of the ordinary that you have had regrets later on? If so what were the positive things that came of your choice too.

I usually book premium room for myself when I travel. Once, I decided to try a cheaper room and ugh, I have never slept so badly. At least I know that the extra cost matters!

Leonardo: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

If I have to choose one place, it would be Tomarang. Ideal situation would be several homes in different locations, though.

Leonardo: What is a fun fact about you nobody knows?

I like learning random phrases in different languages. Because of my work, I stay in hotels all over the world, so I can say "do not drink tap water" in at least dozen languages.

Mitchell: Will a busy work schedule on my end be a dealbreaker for you?

Not necessarily. I don't want to spend every moment together, but on the other hand, what's the point of being together if we're rarely together?

Mitchell: How passionate do you get during arguments? You see, that’s kinda my thing.

If I know I'm right, I'm not going to back down. So arguments can get heated but not violent. I don't like arguing, though.

[lovesimzbabe]

pacifico wrld map__ ( wip )

something i miss BAD from old sims games is creating worlds , i'm too noob for the create a wrld mod so i'm NOT even gonna attempt . however , the most i can do is rename the worlds and organise them in a way i imagine they could be laid out and how they connect , even if the worlds connected are based on VASTLY different places .. it's my sims game and my imagination so back off ToT scroll for world names and descriptions !

urban sector__ san my shuno

urban sector is the heart of pacifico , known for the nightlife , the daytime travels and it's eco initiative despite being the epitome of pollution . all new builds throughout pacifico are built with high-tech eco appliances made by H&B and are covered in greenery . most of the sims living in urban sector are either living there to be closer to the bustling opportunities work the city has to offer .. or the wilder sims who are looking for an exciting nocturnal lifestyle . many up-coming celebrities live in the penthouses or luxury apartments in the city , it's the perfect place to network and establish a name for yourself .

terra nova__ san sequoia

the north of terra nova is more of a semi-suburban haven . just like urban sector , it's a completely modern & green city and also uses the same high-tech eco appliances provided by H&B . it's an easy 20 minute drive to the city which makes it very accessible for bigger households who need to be close to the city for work or purely for the sims that can be taken out of the city but can't take the city out of them . living on the outskirts of the city can also be peaceful for the sims that can't cope with the noisy nightlife . to the south of terra nova is an even quieter suburban neighbourhood with blissful surroundings , it's also cheaper than living in the city / on the city outskirts so sims who aren't able to make it in yet still have a chance to try and achieve the lifestyle / residence of their dreams by living just about 40 - 60 minutes away from urban sector .

nexoria__ widenburg

nexoria is a city for upper-class sims n celebrities who are looking to settle down and live a more suburban lifestyle , especially since the city has a private school . the flight from nexoria > urban sector is around an hour n the drive is roughly 3-4 . the neighbourhoods of nexoria are fairly quiet , however the town can get quite intense at night given most of the inhabitants are the children of upper-class sims and celebrities who are teens - young adults .

full moon bay__ copper dale

nexoria is for the upper-class rich sims , however full moon bay is the town for the middle class sims . nexoria has an expensive private high school , full moon bay has it's public one . even though full moon bay is home to the middle-class sims , it's a very homey city and still loved by it's citizens .

pacific heights__ del sol valley

pacific heights is the home to two types of sims , the retired celebrities who live in the hills and are looking to finally relax and take a break from the amazing lives they've lived , and the sims who live on the coast who are aspiring to eventually become the sims who live in the hills . the south west of pacific heights is the main celebrity hot spot , all of the locations are expensive and catered to the celebrities who live in the city , and those locations are absolutely perfect for the newcomers as the chances of them meeting agents , scouts , managers and global superstars are all increased .

lucky palms__ oasis springs

the sin city of pacifico , lucky palms . lucky palms is mainly a vacation city , and for the sims who do live there they're living it up in high-end apartments and luxury suites . lucky palms is full of casinos , hotels , bars , restaurants strip malls and hotels . it's also home to many bachelors and bachelorettes but it also has it's dark side . despite some of the lucky palms that resides in lucky palms , it's the perfect city for a weekend away .

[wormworker]

An important internet safety tip for my fellow marginalized folks in this season of U.S. Hell:

It is much easier to find your location from your photos/videos than you might think, just from visual clues.

Back when Onision was having the height of his meltdown, I was able to find the exact hotel he was staying in from one of his videos. I found it by looking at the room decor and furniture. He'd also made the very stupid mistake of showing a split second of the view outside the window, so I could make out the names and logos of nearby businesses. The view didn't even need to show a sign with the hotel's name. He'd already revealed what city or county he was in, so I just had to look up the business outside the window after the name of the city in Google Maps to find the hotel. I also found what type of room he was in (i.e. economy, deluxe, etc), and which floor he was on by the view from the window.

I was also very close to finding his home address just from two things: photo/video available online showing the front of his house, and the name of his city which was also public information.

This is very easy to do, it doesn't take being a tech genius or whatever.

-Do not show the outside of a nearby building in your online content. Even if it's not the outside of your own home, these images can still be used to find your location.

-If filming inside a hotel room, find a blank background with no visible decor or furniture. Even the wallpaper can be a clue.

-Make sure any windows visible in your images don't show anything distinctive: no business signs, no landmarks, no artwork/murals on the sides of buildings, no houses, no apartment balconies with anything on them (any decor or furniture on an apartment balcony can be a clue).

-Your car can be a clue. Even the color. If you film inside your car and it must be parked outside your residence, avoid any special seat covers, plushies in the windows, anything distinctive hanging from the mirror, etc.

-This one's pretty basic, but sharing your city, state, and even general area can be very risky. If any of this is combined with other things listed above, your location could be found with a quick internet search. Sharing what sports teams you support (including wearing merch in images or having it on your walls in them) is the same as revealing your city or state, unless it's different from where you live.

-Private your "likes" and what pages you follow, if any of them might be distinctive to your area. For example, on Twitter, you might follow the local news, police, and DOT.

-Internet footprint: Using the same username and/or profile picture on all platforms and/or copying your bios and posts across multiple platforms can make your online footprint more traceable. This can make it harder for you to truly start clean if you have to delete an account and start fresh.

-One more great internet thing: Use a VPN to hide your IP address. Doxxers can use your IP address to find your info. I use Surfshark for a VPN, it's one of the cheaper ones I've found (around $15 per month I think). I budget this by not having any streaming subscriptions and instead using an illicit website to watch stuff for free (while having my VPN on, and doing a security scan on my PC now and then).

[j2spntranscripts]

☆ 2007 Asylum (Saturday)

Official name: Asylum- A Supernatural and Smallville Convention Location: Leofric Hotel, Coventry, UK Time: Saturday May 12, 2007, (around 10:45am) (GMT-0) Panelists: Jensen Ackles Last episode: 2x21 "All Hell Breaks Loose Part 1" May 10, 2007 Next episode: 2x22 "All Hell Breaks Loose Part 2" May 17, 2007

Question Index: *(questions maybe be out of order, not fully transcribed, and/or labeled correctly due to lack of available footage) a1- First Impressions on Jared a2- Filming in California vs Vancouver, Kim Manners b- Kripke’s vision c- Work Hours d- What Character would you like to play? e- Pranks; Jared vs Jensen f- Impala 67 g- Singing (Jensen)

(video links and transcripts below the cut)

(*if you notice any mistakes in the video transcripts or found more video coverage of the con please point them out thanks*👍) (*tumblr doesn't like dailymotion vids so I can only hyperlink them*)

[click here]

Jensen_saturday_1 by sin attract on Dailymotion • (0:00)- Asylum07A;Qa1 - First Impressions of Jared

Jensen: -“I hope (laughs) I hope you’re good, man.” (audience laughs)

And, uh, And we hit it off right away. You know, we-we, umb-uh, He’s, uh, he’s a- he’s a good- good kid from Texas. And I grew up in Texas as well. So, we had a lot of- a lot in common, uh, there. And-and we- we just hit off right away. And we got into the room and-and there was just kind of.. instant brother chemistry. And, uh, (audience aw’s) he’s got an older brother-

Hey, easy. (audience laughs) If you repeat any of this to him I’ll kill you. (audience laughs)

Audience member: No chick flicks! (Jensen and audience laugh)

Jensen: So, uh, so there was that instant, uh-uh, connection in- in the acting. And, uh, iiit-it just worked. You know, he’s got an older brother. So, he was able to- you know he was very familiar with that. And, I got a brother too, so- so I was familiar. And it just- It worked. And, um.. uh. The executives all stood up in the room and gave us a standing ovation and said, “Congratulations.” (audience laughs) And I was like, “Well, thanks. I mean, great.” (audience laughs, claps, and cheers)

I did- I did do much better than he did in the room. (audience laughs)

Moderator: That’s what he says as well. (audience laughs)

Jensen: He’s lying. (audience laughs)

• (1:18)- Asylum07A;Qa2 – filming in California vs Vancouver, Kim Manners

Moderator: (? Sometimes you noticed that the pilot and say?), “Do you think that was shot in California, wasn’t it?”

Jensen: Yes, the pilot was shot, uh, in and around, uh, Los Angeles. Uhm, and, uh, And- uww- We actually thought the show would be- You know, that the series if-if it got picked up would be shooting in Los Angeles. I know I was excited about that because I’m working at Vancouver on Smallville. (audience laughs) And I actually called up Tom Welling, and I was like, “Hahhahhah.” (audience laughs) “I’m going to LA bud.”

And, um.. he got the final laugh on that because (audience laughs), uhhh, when they did pick it up at th-at the eleventh hour they were like, “Eeeeh, listen we’ve done the math and we-we’ve run the numbers and it’s just going to be cheaper for us to film it in Vancouver. So…” (audience laughs) (tilts head) “Pack it up kid.” (audience laughs) Uuuh, so that was- th-but it- but it’s been good. Vancouver is great. And, uh, amazing crew up there. I’m very familiar with it, and so there’s nothing new. So, it’s-it’s-uh, I’m very excited. That’s a good question.

Moderator: Yeah. (? Peace is undeserved?) A veritable industry, TV (? at their hours for every shows that’s been made.?) And-

Jensen: It is.

Moderator: Hollywood North as they put it.

Jensen: Yes, Hollywood North. That’s- that’s what they call it dow- And, you know, it’s- it’s just really flourished in the past, uh, you know, 15-20 years. I think, uh, “21 Jump Street” really kind of (audience cheers) kicked off the industry.

Uh, and actually, uh, a story there.. the- the director of the pilot.. of “21 Jump Street”.. is.. “Supernatural” ’s very own Kim Manners. (audience cheers and claps) Sooo. Yeah. (nods) So, we’re very fortunate to have him. He’s- He’s been, uh- He’s been quite a- quite an asset to the show.

Moderator: Yeah. You can also (? go to?) “X-Files” (?which is the other breach??)

Jensen: Absolutely. Yeah.

Moderator: (?Which is the?) promenade side of the Vancouver flim industry. How long was it, and what sort of times (?gackles between each other?) being in “the Pilot” being done (?And your shenanigans being gone for a series?)

Jensen: Uuum. There’s usually, um, (rubs forehead) So, we finished the- shooting the pilot around the end of March. And then I think, probably about a month went by before they were, uh- Before they gave us the official word. And, uh- and yeah. So, it was, uh, it was a very long-

[click here]

Jensen_saturday_2 by sin attract • (0:00)- Asylum07A;Qb – Kripke’s vision

Jensen: -Uh, with Eric Kripke for, you know, for a length of time of just about- for the arc of the characters and where they were going and we knew he had a (gestures to his head) map in his head. And we knew that he- he had done tons of research. And this was actually a project that he had been, uh, kind of working on and building for at least seven years. So, he- he really- he really done a lot of (?talk?) and put a lot of thought into it.

So, we knew we were in good hands, and-and- and I kind of like the- the ideas that he had. And-and I knew it was going to be, uh, you know, it- We’re on to something cool. Yeah.

Moderator: Ah, um- I kind of (unintellible)

[click here]

Jensen_saturday_3 by sin attract • (0:00)- Asylum07A;Qc – Work Hours

Jensen: -Constantly, uh, you know, pleading with the- with Eric to- to write in more series regulars. (laughs) (audience chuckles) We’re like, “We need some help here, man. You know?” (audience giggles)

Uhh, we do, because we- we work, uh, you know everyday. And, uh, you know, twelve to fifteen hours Monday through Friday. And it’s- it’s, uh- It’s a very, very taxing schedule. Um, but, you know, that’s, uh- that’s what you get when the show’s about, you know, two characters.

Uumm, even with “X-Files” you had- you had the reoccurring regulars, you know. And-and the Fbi agents, and the-the informants and then the (?smokey manaid?) and things like that, who were always around. And, you know, could kind of handle the a little bit of the work load. Um, but with the, you know, “Supernatural,” it’s, uh- We come and go through so many towns. And, you know, the guest stars come in and then they’re gone. And that’s it. That’s back to the boys, and here we go, off in the car. (audience chuckles)

Moderator: (?How are you actually filming that?)

Jensen: Um, we arrre, uh-

[click here]

Asylum 07 - Jensen's panel - Indiana Jones by dullemarulle • (0:00)- Asylum07A;Qd – What Character would you like to play?

Jensen: Um. Ummm. (audience laughs) …(laughs) Well (rubs eye) uh, as a- as a kid, uuuhh, my-my-ish- Indiana Jones (audience cheers and claps) (nods) Um, and to this day I-I still think of that as such a cool character. (audience laughs) And, uh, you know, other than that- I mean, come on you got your- you got your James Bonds-

Audience member: Yeah. (audience m2: woo!)

Jensen: You got, uh- there’s- there’s so many amazing characters out there. I could- I could make it a list. (audience laughs) (Jensen chuckles)

[click here]

Jensen – pranks by dullemarulle • (0:00)- Asylum07A;Qe – Pranks

Fan: -You discredit yourself for a personal matter.

The audience laughs. Jensen looks away and smiles. Some of the audience claps. Jensen leans forward a little and then rocks back. The audience giggles. Jensen rubs his eyes with the back of his hands and makes a scrunched face. The audience starts talking to themselves.

Jensen: (?It seems I do that?) all the time. (audience laughs) Uhhh, I’ve never been asked that question. (audience laughs) That’s a good question.

Fan: (?I know.?)

Jensen: Um, (holds a finger to the audience) the first part of the question you were asking if we played any practical jokes? Is that it?

Audience: yes.

Jensen: Uh, Jared and I.. have-have found that it’s better to- to stick together as a team. (audience laughs) Um, as opposed to going at each other. (smiles) (audience laughs) Um, but I mean we have gotten a few in.

Um, we, uhh..h.. about the middle of season.. season 2, um, (waves) our trailers, uh, kind of broke down, actually both of them at the same time. (audience giggles) (chuckles) It was- (gestures) It was a big move. It was a big rainstorm, (gestures) thunderstorm. And then, for whatever reason, in the move they-they were kind of busted the nut working and it was leaking. (grimaces) And so, uh- um, before we got there were like, you know, (briefly raises hand up) “Come on guys. Let’s-let’s-let’s go home.” (laughs) “The trailer is just, like, a foot of water in here.”

[click here]

Asylum 07 - Jensen's panel - Impalas by dullemarulle **• (0:00)- Asylum07A;Qf – Impala 67

Jensen: -No, absolutely. (rubs forehead) We actually got about, uhhh, like four or five of them now. Uuum, and they- they serve different purposes. We got- we kind of got the hero one, we call it. That’s the one that- that I drive most of the time. (audience laughs) (shrugs)

And, uh, and then we got the stunt car, which is, uh, which is really kind of just tricked out with, uh, you know, uh-uh, power break- uh, big, uh, big heavy sliding breaks. And uuum, you know, a-a beefier engine and-and (wiggles hand) a certain, um, (gestures) certain stuff that makes it, you know, (briefly leans forward) (?skid it place on bode?), and things like that.

And then we got a mincer car that’s just used for, uum, when Jared and I are sitting and things (mimics scenery passing) are going by behind us but we’re actually just sitting on stage. (audience laughs) (nods)

The magic of film making, uhhm.

Jensen Ackles talking about his music by dullemarulle • (0:00)- Asylum07A;Qg – Singing

Jensen: Um, (adjusts his position) you know that’s, um, probably- (laughs) probably never-never something I’m gonna pursue. And I, you know, I-I got friends that are musicians and in fact, uh, you’ll be seeing one of them tonight. (audience cheers and claps) (nods) A very, very, very close friend of mine Jason Manns (gestures to his left) who’s sitting right over here.

Um, and the reason I-I’d-I’m- have sang back up and probably never, like, really sing is because of friends like my friend Jason Manns over here. (audience chuckles) Ahh, because they’re really- I mean is s-so good. And, when you- when you, you know, you see that kind of talent and-and you realize that, “Man, that’s just, uh-” (gestures) Well, I know when to take a backseat. (audience chuckles)

Um, but I-I- I enjoy playing the guitar. I enjoy just kind of jamming out with my buddies. And, uh- So, that’s-that’s pretty- (gestures) that’s what I get out of it. You know, it’s very therapeutic to just sit and.. sit and jam out for a little bit.

Manns: You want to Jam out tonight?

Jensen laughs. Audience screams and claps. Jensen rubs his face with his hand and then stokes his beard repeatedly.

Jensen: (looks down) Ohhh, you’ll pay for that (?in a moment?). (audience laughs) (looks up) We’ll see. I- (audience screams)

Saturday night:

[click here]- Jensen_jason_crazy by _sin_attract

audience cheer and woos while Jensen talks to Jason off mic.

Jensen: (to audience) We're having a negotiating process that's about to happen.

The audience cheers. Jason and Jensen talks some more off mic.

Jason: (in the mic) I- I'll sing it in this half. No. But I will say this though. I- I, uh- No, pictures with like little innuendos at the bottom. We're sharing a microphone. (audience laughs and claps) Completely platonic. Just be (?) (starts playing guitar then stops) If, um, just singing on-

Jensen: (steps back from the mic) I'll be here.

Jason: (smiles) yeah. (audience laughs)

Jensen makes a ready rocking motion towards the mic and the audience laughs again. Jason starts playing his guitar again. The audience cheers. Jason starts singing Crazy Love. Jensen goes to the other side of the mic and Jason and starts harmonizing with Jason.

The song ends and the audience screams and claps. Jensen gives Jason a hand grab side hug and then pats him on the back and shoulder while he walks off leaving Jason on stage.

[click here]- Jason and Jensen by _sin_attract

Jensen: (to audience) Just real quick, uh, I- I get the pleasure of listening to this guy play quite often. He's one of my closest friends. So, it's, uh, that's something I'm very proud of. (audience aw's)

Um, if you guys liked what you've heard here tonight and- and you want to listen to 'em and want to hear more of his stuff, he does have some CD's out in the back. (audience yells, screams, and then claps)

Jensen and Jason look at each other and then fist bump.

Jensen: Um, I think they're- they're- they're- I think they're running about, uh, ten pounds a piece and there's a very limited supply. There will be some here, uh, more tomorrow. And, I think if, uh, we run out tomorrow, (gestures to Jason) you-you got, uh- What are some other ways they can get ahold of some?

Jason: (steps back up to the mic) If

[ultimateaclrecovery]

Live blogging hotel decision making because that’s just who I am.

Apartment 1 has a much better view, slightly better reviews and location is a cute little room, but is much more expensive.

Apartment 2 is cheaper, different location but still good and worse reviews (some mention broken faucets not being fixed and bathroom doors not closing), but it does have a balcony and a cute common area (plus communal kitchen and sink.

I made a table to compare but of course I keep messing with the values 😂 I like the first apartment better but I don’t know if it’s worth the extra cost and if I’m just falling for pretty pictures

[whoisthis234]

guide to jjk events when visiting japan!

a hopefully helpful post for when you are vacationing at japan and want to experience anything jjk-related!

all jjk events and pop-ups can be found on collabo cafe, here

For events like the jjk exhibition (the next one is from 4/19/2025 to 6/8/2025 in osaka i think), reserve your ticket as soon as possible as the days and time slots usually sell out quick! The exhibition uses the website “eplus,” which makes it hard for foreigners to reserve a ticket because you need a japanese name and address. Those might be easier to bypass as you can use a translation of your name and your hotel address, but the hardest part is needing a japanese phone number to verify your account via sms.

If you need a japanese phone number, I suggest calling the inquiry number on jujutsuten.com, the exhibition website. The help line might only take japanese inquiries, so if your call doesn’t work or you cannot call via an international number, try asking your hotel to make that call for you!

For pop-ups (i.e. collaborations with malls like loft), there usually isn’t a reservation required and it is first-come-first-served. However, the later you go to a pop-up from its start date, the more likely it is that specific goods are sold out. For example, sanrio x jjk merch was out of stock when compared to other goods in the last week of a pop-up. The location and time-span of a pop-up can be found on collabo! The benefit to going to a pop-up is getting limited edition goods, and if you spend a certain amount, there are freebies with your order.

For the weekly shonen jump (relevant for jjk until the end of september), weekly copies are typically sold in any konbini — 7-11, Lawson, or FamilyMart — starting Mondays at 5am local time. Leaks happen around the Thursday before at 12pm local time (i’m not even sure where leakers get their early copy 😭) and the new chapter is mass-released on Monday. WSJ is a thick book with several chapters from several mangas! it costs around 300 yen ($2.10 usd) for a copy. The WSJ also contains new exciting news, such as how jjk is ending soon. If you want to have a keepsake for the last few chapters before official volumes are released, the WSJ is a cheap option. Copies from the week before or older might not be sold in konbinis, so going to a bookstore like “animate” might help you get an archived copy.

Best places to shop for jjk merch, based on personal opinion. Your best choice is to go to Akihabara in Tokyo, which is basically anime-central.

Akihabara Radiokaikan- huge multiple-story building with floors for figurines, collectibles, and goods. I suggest K-Books on the 4th (?) floor for limited edition merch, as they re-sell goods from events like the jjk exhibition and jujufest. Just as a note, the characters do carry different price tags 😭. Gojo costs almost 3 times the amount of any other character.

Animate (any location in any city)- multiple-story building that sells mangas and goods. Lots of jjk blind-box merch. Animate separates its store by anime, so there should be a jjk section specifically. Manga is cheap and accessible; each volume costs around 480 yen and can be found in local bookstores as well. For reference, a translated copy of jjk costs around $10 usd and the raw japanese copy is $3.36 usd. Downside: if you can’t read japanese, the book is still pretty to just look at!

Other notable stores- Suruga-ya and amiami in akihabara. Figurines are cheaper in Japan!

Save your 100 yen coins for gacha machines!

All your jjk merch can be tax-free in certain stores, if you spend above 5000 yen! Tax-free will deduct that extra 10% from your price and make it cheaper! Only thing is, you’ll have to wait until after you leave Japan to open and use the goods. Bring your passport to stores 🫡

Hope this helps if you plan on going to Japan, and feel free to ask any questions! ❤️

[the-lean-traveler]

Staying Around the World!

After planning on how to get to your destination, the next step is figuring out where you can drop off your bags, kick your legs up, and begin your vacation! Finding the perfect place while traveling can elevate your trip from one that's ordinary to one that's extraordinary! This blog aims to give you some considerations for planning that next step in your journey!

Determine Your Travel Priorities: An important first step is to figure out what you intend to do, such as spending every day at the beach, or what you would like to see, such as navigating the major cities. This could give you a general location of where it would be best that you stay and help to narrow your choices quickly.

Consider Your Accommodations: If you're like me, I travel to immerse myself in the culture as much as possible. This normally equates to me staying at hostels which are the cheapest places to "leave my bags" while I go explore! However, if you are looking for a place to have your space, privacy, and comfort, consider looking into resorts or high-end hotels.

Local Atmosphere: Research the area to see if the vibe matches your own! If you're planning on reading a good book in the sun, maybe staying in the heart of the "Cancun Seven" isn't in your best interest. However, instead you could stay near Playa Tortugas to have a more family friendly relaxed atmosphere.

Safety: Read reviews, search local tour recommendations, and look into areas that are typically unsafe for travelers. While there are areas that can be unsafe, the vast majority of popular travel destinations are safe. As always be mindful of your surroundings and trust your instincts.

Check Transportation Methods: Depending on where you stay, things may not be within walking distance. Make sure you look into reliable transportations from where you are planning on staying to the places that you would like to go. Uber or taxis are normally a good and effective resource abroad but taking a metro or renting a bike may be a faster and cheaper option!

Wrapping up this adventure, choosing where to stay when traveling involves balancing multiple factors. You have to consider budget, location, atmosphere, safety, and personal preferences. Taking the time to research and plan your accommodation can lead to a more enjoyable, comfortable, and memorable trip. If you learned something new or have other considerations for saving, please leave a comment below! If you'd like to learn more about planning on where to eat while traveling, make sure you check out my other blogs!

Stay curious, stay inspired, and safe travels! 🌍✈️💸

[pixel-stranger]

Champs Les Sims, part 1

Catherine: Hello, friends! Today we are taking you on a journey to France.

Alice: We climbed onto the roof of our hotel to greet you with the backdrop of Champs Les Sims, the town where we will spend the next three days.

Catherine: We are looking forward to cozy French streets and cafés, museum rarities, exquisite drinks from the local nectary, and much more.

Alice: And we can't wait to explore this town! Well, let's get going!

Alice: The pastoral place where we found ourselves is located in the suburbs of Paris. We can't reach the capital of France in our world, but we can admire the Eiffel Tower, which is visible from almost any point in Champs Les Sims.

Catherine: Like Al Simhara, this town is divided by a river into two parts. On one bank is a quiet rural area with fields and private homes. The director didn't find anything interesting for us here, so we won't disturb this place with our visit.

Alice: But on the other bank is where all the cultural life of Champs Les Sims and its main attractions are concentrated. These are what we will be exploring in the coming days.

Catherine: First, let's go down from the roof and show you the base camp where we settled upon arrival. It is located right in the town center, just one block from the main square. Unlike the camp in Al Simhara, this is a spacious, well-equipped building with everything you need for a comfortable stay.

Alice: Like most of the houses here, the base camp is decorated in the Provence style — simple, but cozy and tasteful. Upon entering the building, we find ourselves in a spacious living room with a fireplace and comfortable armchairs.

Catherine: In the living room, visitors can not only relax and socialize but also read a book and even play chess.

Alice: To the left of the living room is a large kitchen-dining room, with enough space for a whole group of tourists.

Alice: There is also a large relaxation area in the backyard of the camp, where you can have a barbecue or simply sunbathe on the grass. Dense vegetation successfully hides tourists from prying eyes from the street.

Catherine: In addition, on the first floor of the hotel, there is a multi-bed room. It’s designed for 6 people. Staying overnight here is cheaper than in a separate room, but you have to sacrifice personal space.

Catherine: Fortunately, we are not staying here, but on the second floor of the hotel. There are spacious single rooms. They have better furnishings, wide beds, and a good view from the window.

Catherine: Also on the second floor are several luxurious bathrooms, with everything you need to freshen up.

Alice: However, we are not sure that we will be spending the night in this building in the coming days. It's possible that the night will catch us on the road, as it did during our trip to Al Simhara. But the director decided that it wouldn't hurt to book a room just in case.

Alice: Well, now let's finally leave our hotel, hop on the mopeds provided to us, and go explore the town!

Catherine: First, we made it to the central square of Champs Les Sims. There is a small park with a fountain here, around which all the main shops of the town are located. The park is very beautiful — the town authorities clearly did not spend money on it in vain.

Catherine: We didn't think long about which way to turn from the town square. First and foremost, I wanted to visit the local café.

Alice: The main such place in Champs Les Sims is the Catania Café. It is a point of attraction for both tourists and locals.

Catherine: At the café, you can try various dishes of French cuisine. The interior here is simple but pleasant. However, I can't say the same about the waitress who served us — she seemed rather arrogant and irritable to us.

Alice: Catherine, is that all? Just bread?

Catherine: This is not just bread; it's a real French baguette! By the way, what do you have?

Alice: A plate of cheeses!

Catherine: Hmm, and what is this green and purple stuff — is that cheese too? I wonder what's up with it.

Alice: Haha, I don't know — probably mold! But it tastes pretty good.

Catherine: After snacking at Catania, we headed to the local museum. La Gallerie d'Art is a magnificent building on the outskirts of the town, showcasing many rarities from different parts of the world.

Alice: Upon reaching the gallery, we set off to explore the exhibits here. In the first hall, a collection of furniture, mostly in the Chinese style, awaited us.

Catherine: The Chinese collection continued in the next hall. There we saw colorful dragons and other similar sculptures.

Alice: Next, we encountered an entire installation of jewelry and items of Asian everyday life.

Catherine: I wonder if this cart also has great artistic value?

Alice: Who knows! Maybe it's hundreds of years old!

Catherine: Then, perhaps, there is some special wood here, since it is so well preserved.

Alice: Could be!

Catherine: In the next wing, we found a gallery of European art. First, we looked at an exquisite living room. It’s pleasant that you are allowed to sit on the sofas here.

Catherine: And here, finally, are the paintings. After all, what kind of museum would it be without pictorial art?

Alice: Absolutely! Which painting do you like the most? I like this still life.

Catherine: And I like the landscape with the fisherman.

Alice: After passing through the painting gallery, we finished exploring the first floor and went up to the second. There, a replica of the Chinese terracotta army awaited us.

Catherine: This sculptural composition is so grand that it took up an entire hall and barely fit under the roof of the building.

Alice: In the next hall, there was also a sculpture exhibition, but not as large. In addition, there were several valuable ancient vases.

Catherine: Next, we entered a hall with antique toys that look rather creepy to our modern eyes. For some reason, samples of martial arts equipment are also displayed here.

Alice: The next hall is filled with exhibits more familiar to the European eye — sculptures in the Greek and Roman styles.

Catherine: And here is my favorite — the art of Ancient Egypt! Oh, the collection here is no worse than in the mausoleum of Al Simara!

Alice: Well, I don't know. This sarcophagus looks kind of creepy to me. Especially the eyes.

Catherine: Ha, that's the point! It's supposed to be scary and beautiful at the same time!

Alice: Oh, and what is this dog with a crocodile's face?

Catherine: This is not just a dog; it's the goddess Ammit! According to Egyptian mythology, this is one of the monsters of the underworld. In the court of the realm of the dead, she devoured the hearts of people who had sinned too much in life.

Alice: Eeeee, very interesting... Okay, let's keep going.

Alice: We went through the second floor and came back down.

Catherine: Well, it seems we've seen everything here. The exit is over there.

Alice: Wait — it looks like there's another exhibition in the basement.

Catherine: Hmm, no... look — there's a sign. Access to the exhibition is closed. Shall we leave?

Alice: Okay, but just wait a second... I want to check out this hole in the wall. Oh, I think I found a secret switch!

Catherine: Alice, are you sure it's a good idea to touch switches in a museum without permission?

Alice: Of course — it's interesting! Oh, listen — something is making noise in the next room. Probably, a secret door opened.

Alice: See, what did I tell you!

Catherine: And of course, you want us to go through this door?

Alice: Naturally, we can't miss such an opportunity!

Catherine: Alright, have it your way.

Catherine: And so, we finally made it through this long corridor behind the door and ended up here. In a cramped room leading somewhere into the basement. It seems I have a guess about what awaits us next.

Alice: Of course, there must be some tomb with adventures and treasures down there! I can't wait to go down!

Catherine: Well, it looks like we'll have to do it. I can't say I'm eager, but since we're here — let's go.

Alice: Our adventures in the museum's underground were so eventful that the director decided to move them to the next part of the episode.

Catherine: In the second part, you will find out what awaited us in the basements of the art gallery — as well as where we headed after that. Stay with us, friends — see you soon!

[pastedpast]

The Slits - Typical Girls.

I love this video, as well as the song. Note Budgie from Siouxsie & The Banshees* is on drums. He replaced original Spanish drummer, Palmolive (Paloma Romero), after she left and joined post-punk band, The Raincoats. He played with The Slits on a temporary basis while they recorded their amazing album, 'Cut'. My favourite track on that album is 'Newtown'. I love Ari's vocal, Viv's cheeky, jangly guitar riff, and the percussive element invented by producer Dennis Bovell which were simply the sounds of tapping then dropping a spoon into a glass and shaking a box of matches then lighting the match. The lyrics** are Palmolive's aside from the rap in the middle which was Viv Albertine's idea.

I love the whole album but 'Newtown' (link here) transports me every time I hear it to an exact pinpoint in my life when I was living in a flat overlooking Blackpool North railway station. The flats have since been demolished, but I lived there for, oh, I dunno, a couple of years, in a nice, safe place, which cost around £35 a week cheaper than it should have because I knew the landlord and was given caretaker duties. I was working several jobs in tandem in those days; cleaning in a hotel, plus the landlord's bed & breakfast, my caretaker duties and shifts at a mini supermarket located up past the Gynn, which included working until 10PM and required catching the bus back in the dark. I was existing on a diet of Carr's Table Water Crackers and Longley Farm Cottage Cheese and not much else (not like me!). I'd painted my bedroom 'Candy Cane' pink, my living room 'African Violet', the bathroom a shade of apricot and I forget how I did the kitchen. Possibly pale blue? The paint was from Woolworths and Wilkos. It would have been circa 2003- 2005. Yeh, I enjoyed living in that flat.

*Click link here to see recommended biography of Siouxsie & The Banshees written with no narrative, just in their own words. I've already read it twice and would deffo read it again!

**Notes from a song lyrics website:

The song was written by the band’s drummer, Palmolive (Paloma Romero), and is basically about various kinds of addiction. It was originally called 'Drug Town'. But the revised title adds a whole new layer to the song. New Towns are cities or towns that are designed from scratch and built in a short period of time. They are designed by professionals according to a Master Plan, instead of gradually developing ‘regular’ towns. In the UK, these new towns were built on a huge scale after World War II until the 1970s, so that could have been an inspiration to Palmolive, as she criticizes the boredom of the city that can lead to drug abuse. [Side note: It was Viv Albertine who thought up the new title.]

In the 2009 book, 'Typical Girls', [by Zoë Howe; yay, I borrowed it from Blackpool Central Library!] the band’s bass player, Tessa Pollitt, says about Newtown: “Dennis (Bovell, the album producer) adds his own flavour by dropping the spoon and shaking this big box of matches, like the tools you would use to cook up your fix”.