#love you in a different way: kyle and isa;

[arcisfoodblog]

The next stop of our road trip through British Columbia was up into the mountains: Whistler.

The drive from and to Vancouver is absolutely stunning. The Sea to Sky Highway is aptly named as the first part to Squamish is right along the coast of the Howe Sound with panoramic views of the various islands with rugged mountain ranges as a backdrop and then steadily climbing through the mountains, provincial parks, along meandering rivers and vast lakes. There are not too many viewpoints on the northbound part, so I also included some pictures of stops near Cheakamus and Lions Bay that we took when heading back.

With the car full of all of our luggage, we didn’t feel all that comfortable to go hiking near Shannon Falls or to take the Sea to Sky Gondola and taking in the 360-degree vistas at 885m / 2900ft over the Stawamus Chief Provincial Park. The Sea To Sky Gondola was sabotaged just a couple of weeks later as its cables were cut in the middle of the night, causing the gondolas to crash to the ground. It is expected to reopen in Spring 2020.

Therefore, we initially decided to a quick stop in Squamish and have a stroll over the Farmers Market. As the market was super crowded that day, it almost was impossible to get a nearby parking spot. Therefore we opted to have a late lunch at Howe Sound Brewing (37801 Cleveland Ave).

I had the Brewpub burger which besides the regular toppings had caramelized onions and smoked cheddar on it, and the kids had the Garibaldi Burger with bacon and Swiss cheese. Chantal had the massive tuna poke bowl filled with quinoa, greens, carrots, cucumber, macadamia nuts & chips. Of course, we also took some samples of their beers. The Sky Pilot Northwest Pale Ale and the Hazy Daze Northeast IPA were our favorites but were also blown away by the intense flavors of their fruit-infused beers, like their You’re My Boy Blue Blueberry Wheat Ale and Super Jupiter Mango ISA. A characteristic we found out that many BC brewers have mastered.

To us, Whistler and neighboring Blackcomb are renowned ski resorts, but we were not entirely sure what to expect during summer. It proved to be as vibrant as it must be in winter, but skiers and snowboarders in the gondolas having been replaced by mountain bikers and hikers.

That evening, after walking through the village center, we had dinner at Il Caminetto (4242 Village Stroll). It is an upscale Italian restaurant headed by James Walt, one of Canada’s leading chefs and a “farm-to-table” pioneer who was inducted into the British Columbia Restaurant Hall of Fame in 2011. The Toptable group, of which Il Caminetto is part, has 5 restaurants and patisseries in Vancouver and is well represented in Whistler as well, with Walt also overseeing the kitchens of Araxi, The Cellar by Araxi, and Bar Oso.

Having been the Executive Chef to the Canadian Embassy in Rome, it should not come as a surprise that the pasta and the risotto we had were absolutely stellar, as were their signature cocktails. Clockwise:

Barrel-aged Red Hook  (Rittenhouse straight Rye, Punt e Mes, Maraschino liqueur, aged for 1 month in oak)

Il Caminetto G&T (their house-produced gin with Fevertree Tonic, seasonal botanicals, and garnishes)

Local beet Tortolloni, Taleggio & Goat Cheese filled roasted beets and toasted walnuts

Wild mushroom Risotto, Acquerello rice with white wine, Parmigiano Reggiano and truffle essence

Fusili al Pomodoro, fresh Tomatoes, olive oil, and basil

Some sweet nibbles that came with the bill.

The next day we did some more exploring of the village after having brunch at Crêpe Montagne (4368 Main St #116). This is an ideal breakfast and brunch place (although open through dinner) with proper savory and sweet French buckwheat style crêpes. Salads and more standard breakfast options like bennies, omelets, french toast, and American pancakes are available. We had the Montagne (2 eggs, Canadian Bacon, Cheese) and the Nordique (1 egg, cheese, tomatoes and a side of spinach) and kids went for the sweet Strawberry and Nutella crêpes. Freshly pressed apple juice with ginger: the best way to kickstart your day.

Late afternoon workout at Forged Axe Throwing (1208 Alpha Lake Rd Unit 1). After receiving our instructions, we started throwing ourselves. First with both hands, then with one hand, some competitions (the kids beat “Team Old” big time…), finishing with trick shots with the hand axe and having a final go with a much larger lumber axe. It took some time to get the hang of it, but it was an entertaining 1-hour family event. You will remember it for the next couple of days as you are using some different muscles than you usually do. Afterward, we had some Mexican-style snacks and refreshing beers at Whistler Brewing Company (1045 Millar Creek Rd) pretty much across the road from Forged.

The reason for the late afternoon snacking was that we had booked a 2½ hour bear tour with Whistler Photo Safari and would be picked up from our hotel at 5.30pm. In the winter the Whistler Olympic Park offers over 180km of cross country skiing tracks, but in the summer about 80 black bears count the park as part of their territory.  We had booked the evening session (sunrise and 2 daytime tours are also available) as a private tour in a Jeep 4×4. With regular price CAD 149 per person (CAD 99 for 12 and under), the CAD 596 for the private tour was only slightly more expensive for us. However, as they are the only company that has Whistler Olympic park after hours and off-season access, it was well worth it as we had the Jeep to ourselves and 2 other WPS vehicles in the Park. 

After the first stop at nearby Alexander Falls, we entered the park and started to search for bears but first spotted a deer. Kyle Smith proved to be an excellent guide that evening. As a lead guide with the Commercial Bear Viewing Association, he is basically following the bears throughout British Columbia, Yukon, and Alaska with the seasons. Kyle is also a professional photographer specializing in wildlife photography and action sports (check his site and Instagram here). We apologized for that fact that we only had our iPhones with us as camera 😉

In his bio on the WPS site, it is mentioned that Kyle is a very passionate naturalist and forager who loves to share his knowledge on wild edibles. This proved to be spot on as we got amazing insights regarding bears as well as the (alarming) impact of climate change on the whole ecosystem in this area and besides the bears, we also did some wild mushroom spotting.

In recent years, salmons have not been coming so far upstream to spawn (smaller population, drought) so these “Olympic” black bears have turned about 95% vegetarian, which also shows that they are relatively small. In the evenings, the bears start foraging for their meals and we mainly found them grazing clover fields around the Olympic venues, like the biathlon shooting range and at the landing area of the ski jump. Pretty surreal. 

We also spotted a mother bear and her cub scurrying over a pile of mulch, descending from the tree line and then crossing the road just in front of us. I would never have thought to be able to observe 6 different bears in the wild from such a short distance. The “Nice!” comment at the end of the clip was therefore rather understated!

Our last full day in Whistler was spent outdoors with the Peak 2 Peak 360 degree Experience.

First up we took the Whistler Village Gondola up to the Roundhouse Lodge followed by a 10-minute walk down the mountain (in the winter likely less than a minute on skis). There the Peak Express Chairlift brought us to the Top of the World, being the Whistler Mountain Peak at 2182m / 7160ft. After crossing the exhilarating Cloudraker Skybridge, a 130-meter suspension bridge that spans from Whistler Peak to the West Ridge over Whistler Bowl where you will find the Raven’s Eye Cliff Walk, a cantilever platform with 360-degree views from Whistler Peak.

After taking in the amazing views, you can take the chair lift back down after which you will inevitably have to walk back up to the Roundhouse Lodge. Doable, but with the thin air a bit more strenuous than we expected.

Therefore, we took the time to catch our breath on the Peak 2 Peak gondola that connects with Blackcomb Mountain’s Rendezvous Lodge. It was the first lift to join the two side-by-side mountains and held the world record for the longest free span between ropeway towers with a whopping 3 kilometers / 1.9 miles. A glass-bottomed gondola to experience on the fact that you are dangling up to 436m / 1430ft above the valley for 11 minutes? No thanks, that’s not for us!

After going back down to Upper Village, we had lunch and some beers at Merlins Bar & Grill, which is located at the gondola (4553 Blackcomb Way). As we missed out on them when we were in Vancouver, we chose the Stanley Park Brewing‘s Daytrip West Coast Lager and Windstorm Pale Ale and they did not disappoint.

Besides Caesar’s salad, we ordered Merlin’s Burgers (Aged white cheddar, crispy cured bacon & jalapeño aioli sauce) and the Vladimir Poutine with a pork barbacoa topping couldn’t even be finished despite joint efforts. 

We walked off the late lunch with a visit to the very impressive Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (4584 Blackcomb Way) that was built in Whistler as it historically was considered a joint city of the Squamish (Sk̲wx̲wú7mesh Úxumixw) and Lil’wat (L̓il̓wat7úl) First Nations. The center gives tremendous insights into their respective art, history, and culture. The building has great acoustics too as you will experience during the traditional welcoming song that comes with the guided tours.

Both nations have separate languages, but they share many common words as a result of the extensive trading between the Nations throughout the centuries. Both cultures were grounded in an oral tradition and the Squamish and Lil’wat created written languages in the 1970s to help prevent their languages from becoming extinct. As you may have seen, both languages share a “7” in their language. It acts as a glottal stop and therefore are indicators to pause in pronouncing the word.

  We concluded our stay in Whistler with Vallea Lumina, an immersive multimedia night forest walk, a 10-minute drive from Whistler with the complementary (and mandatory) shuttle busses.

The Lumina concept is a showcase creation of Moment Factory, an award-winning Canadian multimedia studio that does public space multimedia installations and light shows, marketing events and content, but also live stage design for artists such as Ed Sheeran, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Arcade Fire, Nine Inch Nails, and Madonna. I have seen a couple of their creations at different Muse concerts, so I know this would be pretty awesome. Here is a link to their demo reel, to get a sense of what they are capable of (that light show in the Cathedral is jawdropping!)

There are now 10 different themes Lumina Sites in the world, of which 6 in Canada, 3 in Japan and 1 in Singapore. The Vallea Lumina storyline is that in the shadow of Whistler mountains, legends say there’s a hidden valley where stardust falls from the sky, filling all living things with its pure light. You, as a deputy ranger, are tasked to search 2 missing hikers and get sucked into the wondrous adventure through the enchanted forest which takes you over 1.5 km / 1 mile of well-kept trails and stairs.

There are 15-minute time-slots when booking, but that is mainly meant to space out the different groups. As the various segments are on a loop, you can just take your time and fully immerse yourself in the experience. It took us just over an hour to finish and it is truly unforgettable, for kids and adults alike!

Around the World – British Columbia road trip​ (2019) – Whistler The next stop of our road trip through British Columbia was up into the mountains: Whistler.

[mizmahlia]

Do you have any fic suggestions?

Woo hoo! I certainly do!

I’m sorry this took a little while;I wanted to put together a solid list. I’ve gone back to both AO3 and FF.net toperuse my bookmarks and favs, and I’ll link to some writers I know here onTumblr, too. These are listed by fandom so it’ll be easier to get tosomething that interests you. And the summaries are taken from the ficsthemselves; anything I added is in parenthesis.

Tumblr writers I read: an-all-write-life, inanotherlifetimeiknowyou,crazyfreckledginger, pythiaaa, oh-mother-of-darkness, alittlewing, zombiesbecrazy, unavenged-robin, redhoodshood. (I know there aremore, but I can’t find them all at the moment!)

DC

The Enigmatic Death of Jason Todd - Origamidragons                

“This week on Buzzfeed Unsolved we’re discussing one of the most publicized mysteries of the last decade, and that is the death of Jason Todd.”

A Robin’sGotta Eat – RomanianDollar

When Jason gets injured in a gang fight he heads to the one person who willreceive him: Tim Drake. While there he finds his kid brother doesn’t have thebest diet habits, and decides to take matters in his own hands. (I love ficswith these two bonding.)

If He Had Come– bronwe-iris

Jason Todd has been a prisoner of the Joker for nine months. Then, against allodds and all hope, Batman rescues Jason and brings him back to Wayne Manor torecover. But has Batman come too late to save what is left of Jason? AU of theArkham Knight video game (There’s a sequel, too.)

feels like the world isresting on your shoulders - VioletSauce

Jason gives a startled laugh, then quietens immediately because hehasn’t laughed since before Bruce died, since before he took up the mantle. AsRobin, it was Jason’s personal mission to make Batman laugh, and as Red Hood,it was to make him angry. Now he’s Batman and he’s not laughing and he’s notfull of rage either. (So much angst, but it’s beautiful and an unexpectedtwist.)

The End of the Line - LemonadeGarden

Selina Kyle is asurvivor. It’s what she’s good at, and she knows that sometimes to survive,other people have to get left behind. And then one day, Bruce Wayne comes alongand proves her wrong. (Written from Selina’s POV and it’s one of the only ficsI’ve read where that’s the case.)

a trick of the mind, atraitorous heart - KatastrophicTodd

It was the result of a prompt from Tumblr: “Jason Todd trying to hidefrom his siblings in the days leading up to his birthday because he doesn’twant to celebrate. Angsty or fluff, write whatever you want!“ (I laughedand cried on this one. :)

The Thimble Ninja– Tiger Queen

Wally bets he can out-ninja Artemis. We shall see… (If you likeSpitfire, you’ll love this.)

Stargazer– LemonadeGarden

Jason Todd is seriously injured during patrol one night, and is forcedto stay at the manor to recuperate until his injuries are healed. To pass thetime, he makes a list of things he never got to do before he died.

Except there’s one small problem: most of them involve Bruce, and Jason doesn’treally think Bruce cares all that much about him anymore. (I’ve read thismultiple times and love it more every time.)

theyve broken me - Princex_N

Retraumatization isa conscious or unconscious reminder of past trauma that results in are-experiencing of the initial trauma event. It can be triggered by asituation, an attitude or expression, or by certain environments that replicatethe dynamics (loss of power/control/safety) of the original trauma. Beingforced to talk about your trauma before you’re mentally ready to do so can alsobe a trigger.

Jason agrees to talkto Bruce about the circumstances of his death and resurrection in Batman andRed Hood #20, at serious detriment to himself. (I needed tissues for this one..)

He is Risen - BloodFromTheThorn

Tim wakes up in a cell with an annoyingly cheerful Nightwing and really everythingjust goes downhill from there. Post Arkham Knight. (Angst like whoa. Tim &Dick are dealt a brutal beating, so take care.)

Thanksgiving at the Kents - cylobaby27

Clark convinces Diana to come to the farm for Thanksgiving, and Diana finallygets the chance to meet Bruce’s kids. There are far more of them than she hadexpected. (It’s told from Diana’s POV and is beautiful.)

Marvel

A Morbid Taste for Ice – sitehound

Darcy Lewis never imagined she’d be living in a house trailer in the New Mexicodesert with the God of Thunder and his sociopath brother, but she’s making thebest of the situation. Until a frozen corpse shows up on the front porch.Casting herself as amateur sleuth, she embarks on a journey that will challengeher definitions of good, evil, love and what it is to be human. (I’m a suckerfor Darcy/Loki.)

Wounded - PurpleArrowzandLeather

You and Loki are prisoners of war. You despise him. (There’s a sequel tothis, too.)

so collect your scars and wear ‘em well - fragileanimals

In which Loki stumbles upon a grieving Peter, and reluctantly offers tohelp the only way he knows how: with magic.

Un/Hurt - PoorYorick

5+1 - In which Loki got injured in the battle against Hela and tries tohide his moment of weakness from different people for different reasons. Andthe one person he tells the truth.

Supernatural

Thank You – clair beaubien

Ch1: The Apocalypse is almost upon them and Sam leaves his journal where pryingeyes can see. Ch 2 - what Dean wrote in his journal after Sam was gone. (Someangsty fluff and a wonderful plot idea.)

Three Words on an Index Card – staceycj

Christmas story set in S5 (This makes me cry every time.)

Pearl Harbor 1941 – Cheryl W

Total AU. The brothers are soldiers at Pearl Harbor during the sneak attack inWWII.

The Bizarre Winchester Murder Spree  - Origamidragons                

“This week on Buzzfeed Unsolved we are discussing two of the most prolific and strangest serial killers in recent history: Sam and Dean Winchester.”

[ctrljny]

06202021: Quick Life Update

Hi! Idk if this will be quick lol but i just woke up from my slumber. Time check: 2:27am. Actually kanina pakong 1am nagising hahaha. GY feels. Tulog sa umaga, gising sa gabi. It’s sunday btw. So basically, tinulugan ko lang buong saturday. Walang ganap lola mo eh. Cancelled lahat. Sad. Anyway, so ano na bang balita saakin? Well, ang daming nangyari lmao. I have my work na. And core nako. I work at Staffboom btw. First BPO ko to. Hopefully, magtagal ako here. Cause i see growth in this company. I met a lot of friends & a lot of different people. Mabilis lang naman akong nakapag adjust. Which is good. Totoo nga na God has better plans. Di ko alam anong mangyayari sakin if nakapasok ako topdata. Kung happy ba ako kagaya ng ngayon? Anyway, ang mahalaga, we must believe that everything works out eventually. Trust in Him lang talaga.

Enough with the appetizer lol lets go straight to the main course 🙊 hahahaha. So ayon na nga, ever since na i started sa work na to. Dumami na naghit up na possible suitors/potential boyfriends. Like legit sis. Isa lang pinagdasal ko, ang daming dumating? There’s this guy from my wave. I’ll name him ‘bestie’ nalang. Mej confidential kasi pagkatao niya chz. So yon na nga. First day palang ng training alam ko na. Alam ko na, he’s interested in me. I felt it. And obvious naman kasi ultimo trainers and wavemates namin aware na bet niya nga ako. So ayon, i dont want to make it a big deal. And just went go with the flow. Ang balak ko din kasi talaga pag nagwork nako, lowkey lang ako. Ayoko ng jowa sa workplace. I dont want anything complicated. Trabaho lang talaga pakay ko. But you know the universe has ways on making your life a little different from the usual. Lagi talagang messy buhay ko but FUN! Hahaha. My life has never been dull. Which is good? And kinda bad at the same time. We eventually became friends. Iba yung bond and connection namin ni bestie. As in we understand each other. May mga bagay na di magets ng mga kasama namen tas kame lang nagkakaintindihan. He makes me laugh. Kaya niya kong patawanin to the point na iiyak nako sa kakatawa. Ang interesting niya and funny and annoying but i love it. Nung una, i don’t find him attractive kasi mukha siyang bata. But as days goes by na lagi ko siyang kasama, he’s been looking like a mature man to me. Little by little, ayoko man i admit sa sarili ko, nafafall nako sakanya. Pero i don’t wanna. May girlfriend kasi siya. Which sucks. Lol i know plot twist. Pero he told me na he’s sad kasi bat nakilala niya ko at a wrong time. I felt it naman, i know that he felt what i felt kahit na sinasabi namin na wala lang. We may say na wala lang but our actions... I know mali, kaya ako na din mismo lumayo. Tama lang din siguro na nalipat ako ng site to work at. Asa site 1 kasi siya tas nalipat account ko sa site 2. It’s the universe’s way na din siguro. Nag-away pa kami sa last day ko sa site 1. Pinagselosan kasi ako ng gf niya. Sinuyo niya ako tho. Pero i decided to cut ties with him. Kahit na namimiss ko siya. Kahit na mej masakit. Ito yung tama eh. But i can’t believe it. Nafall ako in a span of like a month? And di ko pa expect na sakanya.

2nd main course: Eto talaga pinaka hindi ko expect. Ready na ba kayo? May space pa ba jan? Kaya pa? 😆 eto pinakamabigat e HAHAHAAHA. Angelo & I talked again. Can you believe it?! A year ago, i cut him off sa lahat. Nung lumabas yung song ng ben&ben na “Lifetime” i decided to cut him off. Grabe iyak ko sa lifetime. If you know the song, feel ko ginawa siya for me and him. Ang hopeless na kasi hahahaha i like him. Kaya lang may gf siya. Idk if same feels kame or what. Pero if same man nga, sobrang wrong timing ng samin? Bakit ba kasi si dale pinili ko that time? Tas nung nagbreak kami, nagka gf siya. Hindi ba talaga mtb? Kung hindi man, bakit kami pinagtagpo ulit? Sa japan na siya after his graduation. Tas ayon, umuwi siya now sa pinas for a vacation. Ang crayyy yung asa work ako tas nakavideo call ko siya. Nakasama ko na din siya like 2 weeks ago? Before ako pumasok work, sinundo ako ng mutual friend namin tas ayon nagkita us. We talked as friends though. And ang happy ko kasi di na din naman ganon kalalim feelings ko for him. Happy lang ako na we’re good friends. Lagi niya sinasabi pag nag-uusap or nagkikita kami yung time na pinili ko si dale lol. Dapat liligawan na daw niya ko kaya lang iba pinili ko. The reason lang naman na pinili ko si dale non kasi nasaktan ako kay gelo nung ginhost niya ko and i wanted to have revenge. (Yep, i know and kids) but we were still kids when that happened. Which happened nga. Di niya daw expect hahahaha. Akala niya anjan lang ako kasi nakampante siya na gusto ko siya eh? Di niya expect na pipili ako ng ibang guy. Oh cmon! But still siya padin talaga gusto ko. Since 2017 it’s been him. Universe anonahhh? Kami ba talaga ni Gelo? Hahahaha.

3rd main course: kaya pa? HAHAHAHAHA nung time na nagkita kame ni gelo, that’s June 9. Oh, btw! Singit ko lang, ang cray cray nung nangyari nung gabing yon. Ditak nakumu! HAHAHA. Hinatid kasi ako sa work nina gelo non. Kasama yung friend namin si kyle. So nung hinatid niya ko work, nakita ni bestie! Hahahahaahha and iba yung mukha niya. Mukha siyang nahurt sa nangyari kasi he’s been texting me kung asan ako tas makikita nalang niya na may maghahatid na guy sakin. Tho di lang ako nagsabi na nasaktan siya tho. Ang obvious kasi niya! He can’t hide his emotions. So ayon nga grabe yung kaba ko sa moment na yon. Jusq ano ba pinasok ko lmao. So ayon nga, that’s June 9 ng gabi. 11pm start ng shift ko, so nung nag 12 na, June 10, birthday ni AJ. Siya yung pinost ko here last april. Yung kinut off ko because I was attached na talaga. The guy whom I was in a “no label relationship” for almost 3 years. I decided to greet him. I knew once na ginreet ko siya babalik yung samin. LMAO. So ayon na nga. We’re back. No label rel nanaman. Pero miss na miss ko na kasi siya. :( hay Scorpio x Gemini relationship be like clowns talaga 🤡 para kaming tanga hahaahah. Ang funny lang. kasi way back 2019 nung last kami nagkita ni Angelo, after ako hatid ni angelo sa house, sinundo ako ni AJ. It sorta happened, AGAIN! Hahahahaha jusko universe ano plano mo sakin? Yung totoo. Kailan ko ba mahahanap yung the one for me? When will I find my soulmate? The one God made just for me?

Dessert: Mabilis nalang to. There’s this guy na idk if he’s courting me. Pero nag effort na siya sakin. Si jaw. Nung una gusto ko din siya eh. Kaya lang ngayon nawawalan ako ng gana sakanya cause he’s too clingy. And feel ko pag naging kami, masasakal ako. My friends thought so too though kasi nameet niya na friends ko. Mas bet daw nila si aj for me. Eh kaya lang aj has commitment issues so anonah talaga?? Madami pa akong guys na hindi namemention though, di pa naman kasi sila ganon ka relevant. Narealize ko, apakaharot ko no? Scorpio tingz? Jk

Papa G & universe, kayo na bahala. LMAO. Here’s to more plot twists! Pero sana, mahanap ko na yung someone who is good for my soul.

[andrescgrasty]

Why Is Compassion a Crime?

June , 2020--On a hot summer day in 2015, Anita Krajnc performed an act of compassion for which she was arrested and faced up to ten years in prison: she gave a bit of water to thirsty, overheated pigs that were being transported in a dirty, crowded truck to be slaughtered. This is the story of her trial, of why what she did matters, and of what we all can do.

The Anita Krajnc case is about a Toronto resident who was charged with criminal mischief for providing water to pigs confined in a slaughter truck on its way to Fearman's Pork Inc. slaughterhouse which is located in Burlington, Greater Toronto Area. The case sparked a great interest from the public especially among animal rights advocates that helped in creating many online petitions in defense of Krajnc. On her part, Krajncasserted that treating live animals like pigs as property is – "no different than a toaster" – and this has become the focal issue of the matter. ForKrajnc, beingcompassionate to living animals should not be considered criminal.

Compassion Is Not a Crime: The Anita Krajnc Trial is Kyle Ferguson’s second book. Kyle Ferguson isa public speaker and a human and animal rights activist who is also the co-founder of The Light Movement. Kyle is dedicated to making the world a better place with love and light and she is also the bestselling author of "The Christian Bubble".

“In ‘Compassion Is Not a Crime’ you will immediately discover about the shocking truth about the greed, horrific violence, and corruption hidden inside of the animal agriculture industry,” Ferguson said.

“Readers will also understand why it is healthier and necessary for the planet to consume a vegan diet,” she added.

Expand your knowledge and compassion, become part of the family, and order your copy of “Compassion Is Not a Crime today: The Anita Krajnc Trial” today.

Don’t miss out, take action and order your copy now.

If you are American please follow the link below to pre order

https://tinyurl.com/yaglpo4s

If you are Canadian please follow the link below to pre order.

https://tinyurl.com/yboqx7gc

  For more information, you may visit http://www.kyleferguson.net

  MEDIA CONTACT

Kyle Ferguson

Author

438-377-2137

Http://www.kyleferguson.net

veganisdefinitelytheway@gmail.com

[simplerperfectionist]

ive noticed finally, although i sort of knew about it on a sub or semi conscious level before, that i have a pattern of selecting someone (often a boy) to latch onto and become very close to and to secretly harbor feelings for. i did this- oh my god!- i did this with logan in pre-k, with mason, with graeme, i think briefly with kyle?, definitely with joe, then with asa, with sam, jesus i tried to start it with james, i absolutely did want to start that with austin in detroit, and now i can feel myself being tugged or urged to do it with austin in my class. maybe there are others but those are pretty significant. yeah i think i do it with girls in a different way, and i think the sidekick thing that i do with girls is actually truly mine, a result of the ruth breakup and my perception of my own self worth and my perception of them and what our relationship should be/what they want from me. and its fixed with a perception shift. but the boys thing is truly nonsensical, like i cannot explain it, i dont understand where it originates from, it doesnt feel rooted in me, like it feels like an external force and its SUCH a loop cycle, its the same thing every single time! anyway just now it occurred to me that its likely an akashic imprint, because it feels too personal and vivid and loopy to be ancestral. anyway it definitely plays with my feelings of self worth and also triggers competition. i saw that reflected in rose two days ago when she was showing off about how well she knew austins body, its this prideful thing of i know you i know you i know you better than the others. which makes me special, makes me chosen. im not special alone but im special because you are special and you have chosen me. damn that is the basis for a nasty codependent relationship. motherfucker isa did that to me!!!! less with being special and more with being good or redeemable. its projecting your self worth outside of you onto someone you deem worth determining yours. its honestly, oh my god, its like being the peasant or servant girl beloved by the prince. thats the dynamic. or the longed for dynamic. but they never return the love, they always see me as a sister, and then i become a confidant and a wingman and nothing more. and then i feel used, but im not really being used i just feel that way because i placed expectation on the bond we created, and i wasnt honest about the nature of my feelings from the start. its not even that i wasnt verbally honest, that i didnt tell them, its more that there was always a layer of manipulation to our relationship where i was ingratiating myself and like collecting closeness points so that i could turn around and cash them in as romantic love rather than being in the dynamic and being honest in my presence and feeling my way through it. if i was truly present i probably wouldnt even build those feelings anyway because i would sense that they arent there with me, that theres no match to it. its cowardly but i fooled myself into believing its noble and looked down on people who were more forward. you do not have to manipulate your relationships. anyone or anything who is meant for you will be there with you and it will flow naturally into what it should be, manipulation is resistance and lack of faith and lack of self love. i am worthy! i love myself. i am love, i am light, i am a whole and complete and perfect expression of god, a fractal of light, and i attract toward me other whole and perfect and complete souls who wish to create an experience or experiences together. i welcome them all in with openness and curiosity and joy and love and i place no expectations on permanence or depth, i meet each experience as a single whole and complete one which offers me an opportunity for expansion. amen. 

[meghanhalpin]

Foundations, Goals and Brands.

Announcements; 6 completed icons by next Friday for crit! Put on blog. They should be consistent and obviously within the same family.

Today’s lecture is based around The Creative Entrepreneur by Isa Maria Seminega. Turning your passion into a product.

Icon inspo; Lois on dribbble. Spectrum of moustaches. Masks by Adrian Paddock (Witch king of Angmar)

Building a foundation; planning for your business. The stronger your foundation is, the more stable and sustainable it will be. Building your business foundation

Focus on the long term

Set financial goals - how much capital do you need etc

Assess your market conditions - is there a niche etc

Consider your skillset - look at what people do, do they need your skills? UX!!

Being aware of what is happening in your industry

Implementation - do what you’re gonna do and do it well

Have a money backup plan - work three months in advance

Build up your network, make connections that you can use and turn to in certain projects etc

Create a business model that works for you! You don’t need to make millions to be successful.

What do you want to achieve?

What is success to you?

There’s no one-size-fits-all for business growth. There’s a lot of moving parts to a business.

What does your ideal day-to-day look like?

Who would you spend it with?

What would you do? Design/accounts/marketing/some/email

Where would you go? Home/studio/online store/doesn’t matter where you are; Kyle Gawley in Thailand for example

Would you spend a workday differently than a non work day? Do you want lots of downtime or do you want to work hard for a few years and leave the day to day running to someone else?

Defining your business structure

Check out Forde Campbell LLC; specialise in digital commercial law. How to select the right company structure for you;

Sole Trader - now distinction between you personally and your business

Partnership - two or more people, all partners liable for debts

Limited Liability Company (LLC) separate legal entity, easily to sell on, not held liable to debt.

Choosing the right name for your business. Domain vs. Social media handles. Painlessly choose a business name

Building a personal brand - using your name gives that personal approach

Look to the future

Dream Big

Don’t rush it - be flexible especially regarding domain names and so/me handles

v

Do your research

Use a phrase or statement

Get inspiration - dictionary or thesaurus

Don’t make it hard for customers

One page business plan 

Doing it your way 

Business plan checklist

Business overview - has it been done before, SWOT analysis

Target Market

Competitors

Your team

Marketing plan

Business systems

Money

Case study; LU & ED Who; Cody Bauchmen What; Stuffed plush monsters Where; lu&eddotcom

What I wish I knew; how difficult it is to run your own business, the importance of a support network, ignore people being nasty about your work, best tip for new creative business owners; doesn’t happen overnight, takes hard work and perseverance.

“It’s hard work making movies. It’s like being a doctor, you work long hours, very hard hours, it’s emotional, if you don’t love it you ain’t for it.” George Lucas (paraphrased)

"Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare." - Japanese proverb

Create actionable goals and intentions Smart goal setting

Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Realistic

Timely

Creating your goals

What are you goals? Where is your business going?

Turn these into goal statements “I will…”

Break each goal down into achievable steps by brainstorming an action list for each

Put your action points in order of how you will do them. I find it easier from where you want to be and work backwards.

Digital Prints

Brainstorm image ideas

Research what is out there

Find inspiration for the collection

Make the prints

Write a product listing and add to website

Devise promo strategy

Taking action on your goals; the best strategy won’t work unless executed! Realistic strategies! Create an action plan!

What are my 3 most important goals

What are the barriers that prevent me?

Do I have any fears and/or emotional blocks which could prevent me from achieving my goals?

Do I have an effective productivity model in place?

What are the 2 or 3 action goals to get me closer to completing my goals?

What support system do I have? Coach/mentor?

Action plan specifics

Break down goals into themes or similar subjects

Prioritise your goals

Brainstorm

Prioritise tasks

Create a timeline

Stay accountable

Celebrate when you achieve goals!

Branding for your promotional website! Name your project! Zodiacons? Astroicons? Astromego?

Seth Godin Brand quote. Trust the brand; eg apple

Getting started

Brand message - what do you want to say? Friendly, quirky, luxurious etc

Brand values - innovative

Brand promise

Be authentic

Consistency is key

Image is E V E R Y T H I N G. Visual branding is so important to be taken seriously.

Promo mat

Branded email with your domain name

Always have a domain name

Branded social media accounts

Brand personality - professional, confident, trustworthy, funny etc Smartcar are made by Mercedes but the tones used by each are completely different Create and establish that tone of voice! Check out mail chimp content style guide. Use your brand personality to guide your design; consistency.

Brand experience is important, particularly when you’re starting out. Be different and quirky! Warby Parker and their “By a Pair, Give a Pair” project

Tasks

Should have started to illustrate your icons

6 for next week

Think about other styles (line, colour, black and white)

Research blogs - do loads more research

[3one3]

The Sequel - 792

Borussia Dormant

André Schürrle, Juan Mata, other Chelsea/BVB players, and random awesome OC’s

(okay they’re less random now but they’re still pretty awesome)

original epic tale

all chapters of The Sequel

“I’m actually just hanging out with Socks. Isa didn’t put him back out with the others when I was finished with him because he was wet. Well, I should say, he didn’t put him back out when he was done giving him a full bath, which he needed because I did so much with him that he was really, really sweaty. Anyway, we’re hanging out. He gives good kisses.”

“I saw your video earlier. Was that a new horse?”

“It was Cornflakes! He’s totally wasted on Yannis.”

André slumped with relief in his car seat while Christina laughed on the other end of the phone. She posted a clip on Instagram of a chestnut jumping through a 6-jump gymnastic from about 2’6” up to 4’6”, and it was quite a feisty looking animal under her. It never occurred to the player that Yannis’ pony could jump that high or behave just like his bigger, hotter stablemates. He was worried that she was looking at another new horse. The problem with having a new barn to move into with 18 stalls was the threat that Christina would find a way to fill them all. More horses meant less time for him and less time for herself, by André’s logic. He was about to call Peter to verify that his crew was finished removing all the surface footing from the ring, or that they’d be finished with it the next day, Friday. OTTO Sport was sending someone over Friday to survey and order everything needed to get started installing their product on Monday.

“How come you were jumping Cornflakes?” he inquired of his wife, who ignored his silence in favor of talking to Socks. The Dutch stallion was trying to figure out where the molasses cookie was hiding. He knew she had one. He could smell it. It kept moving from different hands to different pockets. Christina was in his stall with him. Her 11-stall barn was relatively quiet but for the music on the stereo. It was drizzly out, but not enough to keep the horses in. She was already done riding for the day, Stefanie rode her pair earlier too, the Hazards weren’t coming, and Kyle was off. Isandro was loading up the ATV bed with bales of hay to bring over from storage to start readying the horses’ stalls for the night. They would have hay and full water buckets waiting for them in their freshly bedded stalls, but wouldn’t get their dinner until later, after grooming and feet picking. Christina was dragging her feet about leaving the barn for the day because she didn’t feel like showering and getting pretty to go to the auction exhibition with Juan. She still really wanted to go, but wished she could skip the part about getting clean and presentable first. Also Socks kept making faces at her through her office window while she was finishing up emails at her desk. To her they were “come pay attention to me” faces.

“Because it’s fun to play with ponies, and it’s something different to do, and the kids can’t ride today, and the gymnastic was already set up for Jelly Bean, Nick, and Socks. How was training?”

“It was good.” Man am I glad to hear her say she’s trying to have fun at the barn, André quickly added to himself. The rest of his wife’s visit in Dortmund was more tame than that argument they got into Tuesday morning, but it wasn’t as restorative as he’d hoped, and it was far from encouraging. Christina never shrugged off her weekend and footing induced stress. “I’m about to leave to go home and get Mama and Mausi. We’re going to the bookstore for another one of those story time things with lots of kids. I don’t know if he understands enough German to understand the story, but he likes to play with the kids after. They have a lot of toys for them, and crayons and stuff.”

“I am quite positive he doesn’t understand enough German to understand the story,” Lukas’ mom laughed. “That sounds fun though. I’m glad you find ways to get him to do stuff with other kids, because I constantly worry that he’s not getting socialized enough. I keep feeling like a bad mom because I don’t have a big network of other moms with kids for him to play with.”

“You will here, pretty girl. All my teammates have young kids. That’s one of the perks of moving from a squad with a lot of veterans to one with a lot of young players, I guess,” André suggested. “You’re going to the auction thing tonight?”

“Yeah, I’m about to go get ready. We’re going early so we can get dinner after. Want me to send you pictures of awkward erotic art?”

“I definitely want the other parents at children’s story hour to see me looking at erotic art on my phone.”

“Oh good point,” Christina laughed. She shook the molasses treat out of the sleeve of her fleece jacket and held it out for Socks, who had just about given up trying to find it. He really thought it was in her left hand, but she kept showing him that it was empty. He didn’t know it could be hidden inside her sleeve. His cute black head nodded up and down while he chewed the Oreo-sized cookie.

“Are you going home after dinner?” The footballer’s question was colored with just the whisper of unease.

“I plan to. Tomorrow is my day off from life. I pre-made my own pizza this morning so that I can spend the least amount of time possible out of bed. Don’t call me first thing in the morning with Lukas because I will not be a happy camper. Don’t even try to talk to me until after noon, at least,” his girl warned with stern seriousness. Her voice then changed completely. “Byyyye, pony. See you Saturday. Enjoy your day off outside,” she lovingly told Socks after giving him a kiss in the middle of his long face stripe. That shift in her tone made André smile to himself while he steered out of Brackel. That was the trademark sound, sort of, of the girl he fell so hard for. Her passion and her love for her equine friends and partners caught him off guard that day in Florida, just like her concern for his problem and her genuine hope to help him solve it. Those things were similar to her love for Lukas that he admired so much, but also very different in some ways. Christina didn’t have a passion for motherhood. She had a deep sense of obligation to do it as best she could, whether that was making her baby food from whole organic foods and making sure Lukas got all the recommended toys for developmental learning, or foregoing her own needs to outdo herself on his, and she did enjoy doing things for her son, but it wasn’t like the passion she had for and inspiration she drew from cultivating amazing relationships with her horses. Her face didn’t light up like the sun when she talked about being a mom. The excited energy that overflowed from her when she discussed those animals or got ready to do something with them wasn’t easy for just anyone to spot, but it was plain as day to André and he thought it adorable and precious alike, and unique to her. He never saw that quality- that consummation, almost- in any other girl.

“Have I ever told you how much I love how much you love your horses?”

“Yes, but I’ll never complain about having to hear things you love about me, if for no other reason than it would be hypocritical. I did write down 365 things I love about you and demand that you read every one.”

“Want to hear a joke?”

“No. You know what’s really sexy?”

“What?”

“The way English people say Sebastian. I just heard it on the radio. It has to be like a pretty-sounding English person though, not like Martin Brundle or any of the other people in F1. It’s no special thing when they say it.”

“Okay. Phone sex later?”

“Maybe. Call me. Spence! Lucky! Time to go!”

“Thanks for shouting in my ear,” the player said after recoiling at the cracking of Christina’s voice over the car speakers. Using the Bluetooth system meant she didn’t actually shout into his ear directly, but it was still an unpleasant noise.

“I always feel bad when I call for Spence and Lucky and Pepe comes running too and then I take them away and leave Pepe here.”

“I’m sure he doesn’t care. He wants to stay around Isa.”

“I know, but still.”

André kept his wife and his dogs company on their walk to the house. She asked some questions about what he did in training, and what the team was working on, and who was injured, and what he had for lunch. They continued to talk until her shower was running and her dirty clothes were in the laundry basket. He promised to send her pictures of Lukas playing at the bookstore and she promised not to send any pictures of artistically portrayed genitalia. Christina’s phone stayed busy while she showered. Juan texted her to say he was about to leave Cobham and intended to come over to get her, which implied he intended for her to sleep over at his place or that he would bring her home after dinner and stay the night, someone from adidas called to tell her they wanted an “emergency” meeting to show her samples of the second collection of tops and jackets bearing her name, and Natasha wanted to know how to cook skirt steak for tacos. All three got calls back regardless of the medium in which they made their inquiries, since it was easier to talk on the phone while picking clothes for the evening than typing messages.

Juan was warned that she was nowhere near being ready to leave. Adidas was informed they’d have to wait until Saturday, or Monday if they didn’t want to meet on a weekend. The rider was not giving up any part of her day off from life. Natasha was disappointed to learn that Christina’s skirt steak recipe required overnight marinating as she planned to cook it in a couple of hours. Her friend told her how to make it anyway. Choosing an outfit was much harder than answering everybody. Christina didn’t feel like wearing a dress, or sky-high heels for that matter. She didn’t feel like wearing a blazer, which was a go-to for nice-ish occasions when she didn’t wear a dress or skirt, because she hated wearing a blazer under a winter coat and there was a good chance Juan would want to walk from the exhibition to dinner so she couldn’t skip the coat. A sweater with skinny pants and boots seemed the best route to go down, but opened up countless possibilities and near infinite pairing choice. The rider decided to wait until she had no time left to choose- that the pressure of a hard deadline would make her decision easier. She went downstairs to have a snack and wait for Juan instead.

“Why is your mouth all pink and red?” he asked skeptically when she opened the door for him, before even saying hello.

“I made a pomegranate and berry smoothie,” Christina replied.

“It looks like you’ve been eating out a girl on her period.”

“Well that’s disgusting. Thanks for that visual,” she grumbled over her shoulder, having turned to head back to the kitchen and back to her all-fruit smoothie. “You couldn’t have gone with like, “sexy vampire feasting on hot guys”?”

“No. Hi Lucky, hi Spencer.” The Spaniard bent down to greet the excited terriers and then followed her. “Did you get a new tattoo?” he questioned just before she disappeared from the hallway around the corner.

“No I got kicked in the calf by my husband because he thought a straight red tackle was appropriate for playing an informal game of football with our 20-month-old son. That beautiful artwork on the back of my leg is a bruise.” The girl in the baggy tank top and boyshorts paused to show off the baseball-sized mark a little below the back of her knee. “Do you wanna read about how “revolutionary” my totally non-revolutionary horse management is?” Next to her blood red and very staining smoothie on the island counter was a magazine with an editorial about her and how she mixed old school fitness and nutrition principles with diversified training for mental health, and brand new technology. Christina adopted a policy of not reading about herself very often, but since the editorial wasn’t based on any interview she gave or even a conversation she could remember having, it piqued her interest. Suppositions about her always amused her in a disdainful sort of way. Juan looked over her shoulder at the magazine, but his interest might only have been an excuse to wrap his arms around her upper body and help himself to a tight hug. The proper greeting was fine with her, except that a snap on the sleeve of his leather jacket was embedded into her side.

“Do you really bring your own hypoallergenic bedding for the horses to every show?” His inquiry demonstrated that he was at least skimming the piece.

“No. I don’t even know if there is such a thing. I use really expensive bagged shavings though, instead of straw or the bulk loose shavings. I really hate straw and so does Tom, so if we go to a show that only provides straw, we bring our own bagged shavings. Most of the shows provide bagged shavings though,” Christina explained between sips from her extra-big straw. “I can’t decide what to wear tonight. Come upstairs and help me pick something.” She abruptly closed the periodical and chucked it near the mail pile, and then tried to walk away while still stuck in the hug. My hair is probably leaving a big wet spot on his chest, she thought. Juan wasn’t letting go of her, but he allowed her to walk.

“Wear a sexy dress and make the men at Sotheby’s even more uncomfortable.”

“I don’t feel like being considerate enough to wear a dress. A dress is work, you know. You have to remember not to sit with your legs open, or bend over too much, and it’s cold, and if it’s a tight dress then you can’t sit slumped over or there’s visible tummy bulge and stuff. Plus you have to wear heels, and that means looking out for sidewalk grates, and being mindful of shallow stairs, and-“

“Is this going to be one of those nights when you find something to complain about about everything?” the Spaniard asked dubiously once he released her from his grip. His ex-girlfriend held onto the inside of his left wrist though to tug him along toward the foyer, lest he hesitate. Her thumb and forefinger fit just between his watch and his hand. And she gave a whiny “no” in response to his question. He slowed her ability to pull him so that he could leave his shoes by the front door, so she let go and went upstairs without him to get a head start on the closet. The lead didn’t last very long. The player was on her heels again by the time she was walking by her bed, and it was his turn to grab her by the wrist. The only place he wanted to lead her was bed.

“Juaaaaniiiiiiin,” she complained as she found herself dragged to his lap. He sat at the foot of the bed and corralled her between his legs with his left arm around her body, this time from the front. “Whatever you have in mind, we don’t have time for,” Christina pouted. “And you’re gonna make me spill my drink and stain my carpet.”

“Well what were you doing all that time between when I said I was coming and now? It doesn’t take that long to blend fruit.”

“I was reading the next in the near-daily articles in the German news about why Schü and Mario don’t play,” she admitted disappointedly. André never acknowledged them, and never brought them to her attention, but stories from the likes of Bild, Die Welt, and WAZ still made their way to her eyes. Google, Twitter, and Instagram were all programmed to bring her news related to her interests, and her own last name was counted as an interest by their algorithms. They knew she posted content from Signal Iduna Park. They tracked her search history, which was riddled with her attempts to find photos of her horses and thus photos of herself. She was constantly bombarded with news she didn’t want to know about.

“How many games has it been?” Juan questioned curiously. He could always be relied upon not to bristle too much when Christina felt the need to discuss problems to do with the other player in her life.

“Just one. He sat the whole 90 minutes last weekend, but he played the whole game before that and made an assist for Marco, and he started the game before that too and scored a goal, so...I don’t know. They lost that game he scored in but it wasn’t his fault. He was, objectively, the best player in the game. I don’t know why he’s not playing. They didn’t even play well without him last weekend. They barely hung on to a 1-0. I guess the papers just like the “World Cup goal duo can’t get in the team” line.”

“In my experience, unless it’s a direct interview with a player or manager, the papers don’t say anything accurate or meaningful, cariña,” he reminded while she pulled on her straw, her lips still in a frown around it. “They have space to fill so they have to make news if there isn’t any.”

“I know, but it turns the fans’ opinion too. It makes the people who already hate that the club signed Schü and Mario feel vindicated in their vocal opposition, and it makes the undecided people start to question it. I hate it. I hate it for him. At least when he didn’t play at Chelsea he was so far under the radar that nobody really cared. How do you stand it when everyone is writing about you, and hypothesizing, and concluding? I know you know what it’s like.” Christina moved out of his arm to sit next to him on the bed, and leaned over on his shoulder with a figurative thud. I don’t even know why I’m talking about this, she realized while she waited for an answer. I read that editorial about me to forget all the stuff written about boyfriend, and now I’m back to that again.

“I just ignore. He does too. He knows better. I doubt the fans are on his back in the stadium.” The Spaniard had to shrug the suddenly downtrodden rider off his shoulder so that he could take his jacket off, and he patted her knees after folding it atop the black satin comforter that was in place specifically for her “day off from life” plans. “Come on. Show me the clothes options.”  

Christina arranged hangers around her dressing room with all the tops and sweaters she was willing to consider, and lined up the footwear choices, which included “dressy” wedge sneakers, low-heeled boots of varying heights, and two pairs of “manly” flats. Juan picked a white collared shirt, black pants, and knee-high brown boots, and she told him there was no way she was dressing as a pirate. Next he suggested a finely ribbed black turtleneck sweater with high-waisted skinny pants and booties with a stacked wooden heel. That was rejected on the basis that it would make it look like there was no torso between her waist and her chest, and that she had no sense of proportion. Three more ensembles were debated and discarded, and eventually the girl with too many clothes put on a short, shiny black blouson-top dress with a dropped waist and lots of shirring to make it easy and comfortable. The V-neck wasn’t low enough to require any special undergarment considerations, and the billowy sleeves made it feel like her thin cotton dressing gown. The footballer said it was cute, and she spiffed up the cheap dress with expensive bling and comfortable booties. He teased her and irritated her and got in the way the entire time she did her hair and makeup, and then they were off to his place so he could change too.

[alecruzmilano]

Christmas and New Year's wishes 2016-2017

Merry Christmas Happy New Year! Ale’s Travel Annual Wish. From Laos 2016. Feliz Navidad ! Merry Christmas! As I sit in a coffee shop in Luang Prabang with the immense Mekong river flowing and staring at me, I reflect on my life in the last years and want to express my gratitude, for the care, love, and support from all of you my family, no matter where you are you belong to my “Jia and Pengyou.” Today is December 25th Christmas Day, a day a normal Venezuelan would be at home probably in Caracas. With his/her family and friends eating “hallacas”, “pan de Jamon”, “ensalada de gallina”, listening to “gaitas” , “aguinaldos” and talking, laughing, giggling, sharing non stop with family. However, I am not the typical Venezuelan, so no I am not in Caracas, with family or friends eating all these yummy comfort Christmas foods that are making my mouth water and my heart melt for. Instead, I am in Luang Prabang, Laos (a country in Southeast Asia between Thailand, Vietnam, China, Cambodia and Myanmar with the immense Mekong river in front of me. I am here for 15 days (5 of those have passed in Vientiane and Vang Vieng the rest are unplanned and unexpected like me!) to explore this beautiful and peaceful country full of kind and happy people and lots of nature. These past 6 years being abroad away from home, has made me realized how much I have to be grateful and thankful for. First of all, now I not only have a biological family, my family is composed of multicultural people: people that have come into my life and stayed and some that have left, but still made a huge impact in me and they will still be part of me forever. From my grandparents Papino, Mamina, Papapa and Mamama who built the roots and foundations of my family and are my inspiration; to my dad, Pacho who is my angel and guide in heaven who always inspired me to travel and teach and my mom Yaya who everyday with her optimism and joyfulness shows me that life is hard but we can hit a homerun even when the pitch is a fast inside curveball (I am a baseball nuts and I love my baseball life metaphor plus I live in Korea where baseball is big!!!!!!.) My sister and brother in law Yayi and Vic, who have raised three amazing kids. Alex for being brave and independent and taking the lead to go study abroad, Ele for being unique and have a strong personality (like her godmother me) and using it to build relationships and help people in missions she goes and of course Guille who only at 5 years old is already a global citizen with an environmentalist mindset and awareness for plants and animals, but also for being a child imaginative creative. Inventive and silly and a sweetie. To my sister Dani for having an attitude of “echo pa’ lante” and always working hard to succeed in life.’ To all my aunts and uncles, cousins and cousin-nieces-nephews you all inspire me in some way or the other. I would love to talk more about how you all inspire me, but let's be honest it will take me an encyclopedia to do so! A few shout outs to my extended and overseas family members, Tim and Agnes for being my “dad and mom” overseas (I know my dad and mom both appreciate it!), Annie Veazey or “Ana Clara” for being my friend my sister and my buddy, I miss you so much every day! Sid for being my completely #1 fan and teacher supporter! The Herding's (Pat and Cas and Mac and Sedona) for just being awesome meeting with me at random hours of day or or night in Seoul, or Kota Kinabalu and hosting me in Dalian for simply being friends and I know I can count on you! Paulita and Adam for being my South American roots in China I am so glad you are happy and enjoying my city and country now. We need to make a trip in Venezuela ASAP! Alice my Italian friend and buddy you are awesome and I know our friendship will continue no matter where we are” Thanks for being fun,trendy, girly and also being straightforward with “guy advice” when needed. Hayley you have shown me a friendship can be built later in life and be as deep and insightful as older friendships. Road tripping with you was awesome cannot wait to see you in a Seoul on January and possibly schedule a Shanghai trip soon!!!! Andrea and Ed you both are one of the newest additions to my family overseas thanks for being fun, caring, supportive and awesome people that you are. Looking. Forward to night outs, camping trips and doing stuff together in a Seoul, my last 6 months there. Kallina, Mark and Bitna to more Latin-Korean nights of cooking eating and dancing (more please of the last one!) Irene thank you for being my facebook confidential conversation person love all your advice and thoughts Thank you for also being just you goofy and funny! Tonya for being an extremely great and awesome teacher to work with and giving me all support and advice I will definitely miss working with you next year! Paula I have come to know you more this first six months of school a day it amazes me of what a professional, friend, coworker and also mom you are! To my China family and friends Sarah, April, Brandi and Family, The Jacobson’s, The Sei’’s, The Ko’s, Megan and Jess (and kiddies) Eli and Jon, The Fisher-Terbrueggeun crew, Paula, Shannon and Jannick, Kimberly, Kara, Veronica, Ana, Dave, Ashton, Nick, Cristian, Ryan and Sherry, Janey, Isa, Stacy, Helen, Kyle, etc. thank you for being in Dalian at the same time as I was and being part of the great experience you are and will be always in my heart. My Indian family Adrienne, Val, Matt and Gail, Tyler, Carmen, and of course Zachy, Fred and Cate thank you for always being there for the advice and the Venezuelan arepas, the trips to yoga house and beers at the pub. My South Korean family. I have known you all the shortest but you all are awesome people to work and live with. I promise to you all family and friends to try and stay more connected with you and reconnect more often in spite of the time differences and distances my Christma New Year’s promise! Second, I am thankful for my health. I have been healthy with no major problems and I hope it stays the same. After my dad past away from brain cancer and seeing him suffer and decline in his health as well as seeing many close friends deal with diseases and health issues. I am thankful I have my health. and promise that I will workout and be active in spite of the cold or busy schedule every day as the new year begins. Third, I am thankful for my job. I am a teacher which is one of the hardest and most stressful professions. (by research yes it is!) and I love what I do I get to impact and influence young children and help them become global citizens. I also am pretty lucky to be an international teacher and be able to teach while I travel. Not many teachers can say they can travel as much as I do, so, I Am pretty lucky and blessed and thankful for this opportunity. I promise to you all to keep the travel bug and wanderlust for as long as I can. To keep you up to date on best destinations, cheapest / expensive countries. Easy / harder travel destinations, best beaches, jungles, cities,international cuisine, etc. By the way, did you Know that next school year 2017-2018 I will be living to Dongguang, Guangdong province south China to teach PreK4 in International School of Dongguan?! Yes! I am pumped and stoked to be back in China where it all began! For all that these 6 years have made me and brought to me I am expressing my gratitude today. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year 2017 and Happy Holidays! May the holiday spirit and New Year bring you lots of joy, love, health, wealth, travel, peace, light, and all the good things that you and I wish for. Feliz Navidad Merry Christmas Feliz Año Nuevo Happy New Year! Love, smiles, oh, laughter, health, peace, hopes and dreams may they always be in our lives! Ale ❤️⭐️☀️