#might be bc its my native language so it feels more natural

[anaeeve]

I like speaking spanish on like, a physical level. Feels like the words are kinda floating; like theyre bouncing on the walls of my mouth and never really touch the ground

[urmomsstuntdouble]

Can you do one for america

Since I received this about an hour or two after posting my lithuania analysis, I assume you’re asking for an america character analysis. I was debating whether or not to go through with writing this or not for a while, but i’ve decided that I’ll try. I hope you enjoy it!

Idealism

The first thing that sticks out to me when thinking about america is that he’s super idealistic, and I think this has its roots in his birth. Everything in his life has been about hope and being better than others, even down to the decision to colonise north america. England needs to be the most powerful country in europe. Better set up a colony in america so that it can save us. It’s that sort of logic that i think gives america the idea that he needs to be perfect, or that he can be the ideal person. And though a lot of what we consider to be the “american” identity (intense patriotism, nativism, idealism, etc) took recognizable shape in the 19th century, i think this way of thinking was nothing new to alfred. He’d been raised on it, with the desire to please arthur sort of in his blood? Anyway i feel like the idea that the colonies would be so so prosperous really put the idea into america’s head early on that he was perfect and that he was destined to be such a great person, even if that wasn't true. I often see his daddy issues presented as solely abandonment issues, but my interpretation of america is more of a combination of abandonment issues and the pressure, some of it self inflicted, to be a perfect country. Basically, his idealism is deeply rooted in unhealthy places. 

Also, a religion headcanon i have is that while he was more raised to be a puritan, freddie prefers quakerism. Though he’s not the most compatible with quakerism, as it rejects violence and quakers often refer to themselves as the society of friends, and are very welcoming, i think it gives him some hope. One of freddie’s biggest problems is that he wants people to be better than they are, and quakerism helps a little with that, because it’s a way that he can help himself become better than he currently is. I feel like he’s been a quaker for a very long time, so he’s not a very good quaker, but this is still something that’s very important to him. 

Hero complex and other mental bullshit

America having a hero complex and also being physically 19 is something i think really highly of. First of all, it very much fits with the mythology of america being a sort of world savior. Secondly, a lot of american media focuses on heroism, whether its on the behalf of average people, like the hunger games, or on the behalf of superheroes, like the mcu- especially over the past 20 years. Though i think it’s a good thing to promote heroism, the hero-martyr complex that gen z has is. Oof. And i think alfred fits very well into that toxic sort of “heroism” that most gen z kids have. He thinks he’s somehow able to fix everything wrong with the world, just because he really wants to. Though that desire is genuine, it’s not always something that’s his place to fix or something that even needed fixing. There’s also a selfish component to that- He needs to prove himself, and heroism is the only way he thinks he can do that. It’s why he works out constantly and cares so much, on a personal rather than country-avatar-thing level, about being #1 at everything. He has to be better than everyone else because he has to be the perfect hero. 

I also think it’s interesting how america seems to have more pronounced daddy issues than canada, and i think this is something that harkens back to the 13 colonies (side note i hate the term ‘colonial times’ when referring to the time before the revolutionary war or canadian independence. These are settler states, its always colonial times.) and american independence. Canada sort of only exists because of british loyalists, as they made up the majority of the population around the turn of the 19th century. They saw themselves as being The Better Colonists. Real daddy’s boy types, and I think this is something that contributes to the hero complex. Because matthew refused to rebel so openly, that made arthur favor him as a son, so alfred felt the need to be even better than matthew- even though, of course, alfred was a bit more favored. 

Fighting Style

Freddie is very good at violence, but not in the same way that a lot of other nations are. Where they tend to be more well trained in specific styles of fighting, freddie just sort of has all of them? His mind is very crowded, i think. Also, the way that he would have learned to fight is different from the other super powerful countries by virtue of his youth, and by virtue of the different regional fighting styles in america. One that’s haunted me is a trend in the ability to rip off ears and noses- Particularly by white gangs in the antebellum south, this was seen as being like. A real badass. I think alfred was something of a feral child. If you know the saying “it takes a village to raise a child,” i think it really did with him. He had so many parents, just like a lot of the western hemisphere countries. But anyway because of all his many many parents, there was never any strong parental force in his life, so it’s more like he didn’t have any at all, and because of that, alfred was a very strange child. And because violence is so ingrained in american society, alfred is very good at fighting, both in order to be fun and flashy and for his own self defense. Though he doesn't really like to fight unless he feels like he has to (and other people are very good at convincing him that he does have to)

Sports

Though america is definitely super athletic and could probably naturally be good at most sports, i think there’s a few that he’d more gravitate towards. Those are basketball, track and field, and olympic lifting. I would include american football but it’s a stupid sport that doesn’t make any sense, so it will not be included for spite reasons. In basketball I think he’s sort of an every-man. I think he’s around six feet tall, so he really could play any position on offense, and as for defense, I think he’d play his best defense against the point guard, bc i feel like Alfred is really fast and good at getting up in your face. He’d have a ton of steals whenever defending against the point guard. I think he’d be a good center on offense, because he’s a bit aggressive and that would be useful for getting rebounds and put-backs, though i wouldn’t discount point-guard freddie, because he does like to be very inspiring. He’s pretty energetic as well, and a point guard can really carry the entire team in terms of energy and spirit. As for track and field, he’d also be an every man- I feel like he’d gravitate more towards sprinting events by personality, but his coach would stick him in wherever. Where olympic lifts are concerned, he’s absolutely a snatch specialist. 

Empire and contradictions

America is an empire. No way of getting around that. I think imperialism in hetalia is an interesting subject, especially where america is concerned. @mysticalmusicwhispers did a good job running that down here, but basically my thoughts on the matter are that alfred doesn't really like being an empire. There’s many angles to that. It’s lonely at the top, for one. There’s no one who relates to being a 21st century empire in quite the same way as him. Then you have the fact that a lot of people living in america have suffered under imperialism as well. Because of that, there’s a lot of self hatred and anxiety and a not knowing if he can fully trust himself. Theres also the obsession that many americans have with people from other cultures being able to assimilate to american wasp culture. Because of all the people who live in the states who are very much not wasps and who can never be, it’s really hard on alfred, though he refuses to admit that things are anything but fine. 

Extras/Fun stuff

A book that reminds me of him is The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien. It’s a collection of short stories about O’Brien’s time serving in the military during the Vietnam War. It’s a very haunting book and I think about it at least once a week, but it is very violent and there’s a lot of fucked up stuff in it.

giveme chubby alfred or give me death

i feel like this shouldn’t have to be said, but sometimes there’s people who depict him as being pro-trump or pro-right wing bullshit, which. absolutely not. just because of all the political turmoil that exists within alfred, and because of all the pain he goes through because of all the hate that exists within his borders- hate that the entire world is forced to pay attention to. even though he might not have all the best sympathies or motivations, he’s just so tired of all the pain he personally goes through because of domestic political unrest, and would like it to end in the way that’s the least painful for him as a person. 

Bi king of my heart 

not a natural blond

I hc him as being mixed, though i’m not sure what exactly he’d look like? But i do enjoy alfred but not white, as poc are the driving force behind a lot of american life, right down to the languages we speak. Like. something like half the states names are the words of their indigenous peoples, and even more toponyms are indigenous across the country. Then of course i feel he’s very protective of aave and will always pronounce words in Not English correctly. (if u want to hear more about my language thoughts they’re linked below. Not gonna rehash it here cause those posts are Long™) 

My playlist for him!

Other analyses (age, linguistics) 

writing requests

[palmett-hoes]

Do you have any fan casts or strong takes/feelings on the foxes’ appearances? Fandom tends to use the same Pinterest models, which feels wrong to me.

i do in fact! i've actually been meaning to make a post about how i choose to write all of the foxes' ethnicities anyway

but yes i absolutely agree that the typical pinterest model types u generally see on edits is not how i see any of them. nor is reece king or froy gutierrez or lucky blue smith one of my FCs for anyone

for a lot of them i don't necessarily have a single specific FC so much as i have like,, a general impression of features that i will see on various different people, who all may look wildly different from each other or who may not even look how i see the character as a whole but do have a specific feature i associate with them. mostly it boils down to the Energy i get tbh and that's just a Feeling i cant even explain

fun fact im a tiny bit face blind so that might account for some of why i'm so all-over about this

may as well go chronologically. some of them i definitely have more thoughts on than others

1. Dan

ethnicity: Afro Native (Sioux)

features: medium dark skin. buzzcut, killer fade. she often styles it in waves. she's very butch, wears a lot of basketball and cargo shorts, tank tops and flannels and jerseys, hiking boots. skinny but muscular, with a very rectangular body shape. defined jaw. probably like 5'4 or 5'5

FC/Energy: sometimes i get some dan energy out of janelle monae but more butch. lotta dan energy out of samira wiley. lashana lynch

2. Kevin

ethnicity: a lot of things tbd, but he's pretty multi-ethnic. i like the idea of kayleigh being half- or a quarter-japanese in addition to irish because it gives her more of a reason to go to japan for her undergrad. wymack is from d.c. which is a majority black city for its actual residents, but i also like the idea of him being Pasifika/Hawaiian. HOWEVER - and this is pretty important to my read of kevin's character - he's white passing, and has been mostly treated as a white guy who tans his whole life, like occasionally asked if he's italian maybe. learning that his father was a Distinctly Not White Man was a big shock to him.

kristin kreuk, lindsay price, phoebe cates, and marie digby are all half-asian actresses i base kayleigh on

i suppose i base his story partially on broadway actress carol channing, who revealed publically that she was a quarter black when she was like 80 years old. though maybe wentworth miller, a biracial actor who knows his father is black but also doesn't know him, is more accurate to kevin's story. then keanu reeves is a white passing actor with asian ancestry

also none of these people look anything like how i picture kevin lol. kevin is just like,, a guy. handsome ig. but kind of in a CW character kind of way

actually

kevin looks exactly like young jason momoa

3. Andrew

ethnicity: kayin/karen from myanmar

features: fat and muscular, very wide and heavy. this blog is basically all andrew body type refs. medium-olive skin, has a bit of a greyish tinge that makes him look a bit eerie or unhealthy. deep set, droopy eyes; looks so tired. flat face with a low-bridged nose. crooked teeth, especially his canines. natural hair black-ish but he bleaches it light blond. has the beginnings of martial artist punching callouses in his knuckles

FC/Energy: holy shit the characters i feel have Andrew Energy are all over the place. pedro pascal. babe ruth (yes fr). oddjob (harold sakata) from goldfinger. the jinn (mousa kraish) from american gods. gaear grimsrud (peter stormare) from fargo. takeshi kovacs (joel kinnaman) from altered carbon. and i wanna be clear, it's these characters specifically, and generally NOT the actors outside of that specific role. except pedro ❤️

4. Matt

ethnicity: cuban

appearance: matt has more of an Energy than specific features to me rn. that energy is Warm. he has that Warm bro jock dude energy. kind of a marvel hero build, hunky and muscular. very rectangular face. has this haircut:

5. Aaron

i get to cut myself some slack and not go AS in depth about aaron because he and andrew are identical twins

ethnicity: kayin/karen from myanmar

appearance: similar build to andrew, less confident and casual posture and body language. less apathetically murderous and more emotive expressions. better teeth bc his mom took him to the dentist. yes also bleaches his hair

celebrities: probably a lot like the difference between the characters and the actors. andrew is the characters and aaron is how the actors actually look. idk ive never looked at someone and thought 'hey! looks like aaron!'

6. Seth

ethnicity: have been going with half-vietnamese. considering looking into various south asian possibilities like pakistani

appearance: string bean build. that's all i have to offer

7. Allison

ethnicity: allison's very up in the air for me. she and seth are the two foxes i feel fine with being white, but im committing to having no white foxes sooo. i would say i generally see her as either half-middle eastern or chinese

appearance: plus sized and hourglass shaped. heart shaped face. taller, like 5'8 or 5'9. she has a pretty fraught history with her appearance and her parents payed for/pressured her into getting a nose job to have a 'prettier' nose. she also bleaches her hair blonde. she gets it done at a salon tho the twinyards do it in their bathroom

FC/Energy: elle king and nadia aboulhosn are my main inspos for her, esp body type but nadia esp in Vibes

8. Nicky

ethnicity: multi-ethnic. his mother is southern mexican Indigenous, possibly oaxacan. his father is mixed white/kayin

appearance: definitely takes after his mother while his father is white passing. dark brown skin, warm undertones. slightly stocky build. tall ovular head and thin aquiline nose. he's kind of just,, the opposite of the twins ig, so like their facial features look very different, which is a big part of why people don't make the connection between him and the twins alongside the difference in their skin tones, heights, and builds. nicky's build and features are very vertically-oriented, with a tall head, narrow-set eyes, thin nose with a high bridge, etc. the twins are horizontally-orienged, with broad, flat faces, wide-set eyes, wide noses with a low bridge, etc.

FC/Energy: yalitza aparicio, not a guy but one of the few Mexican Indigenous stars in the film industry and i really like her features for nicky. she's oaxacan

9. Renee

ethnicity: Black. african american

appearance: plus sized, circular/apple body shape. round face. dark skin. microlocs to a bit past her chin, bleached white and dyed at the ends. she and allison go to the salon together. femme but plain style, a lot of blouses and long skirts, practical shoes. knuckle callouses. about 5'6

FC/Energy: dominique fishback. tracie thoms, esp in RENT. gabourey sidibe. nicole byer, but not in Energy. brandy, for some reason, probably bc i think she has very serene Energy and is a little bit otherworldly. like if brandy played arwen or galadriel from lotr it would make perfect sense to me, and that's the Renee Energy™️

10. Neil

ethnicity: mixed. Black/Jewish on both sides. his father is polish ashkenazi and afro-brazilian. his mother is Black British and algerian jewish

appearance: very... sharp. like sharp all over. does that make sense? sharp features, sharp face shape, sharp angles to his body. he's got what i vaguely think of as a 'basketball build' not meaning tall but meaning very rangy and angular and lean. all limbs. seth has a similar build. lighter brown skin. he has waardenburg syndrome which is actually where he gets he gets his eye color, and his eyes are very large and widely spaced as well. freckles freckles freckles. freckles everywhere. 4a hair but at least during canon it's not very healthy and thus the curls aren't well-defined. he grows it out long enough to tie back and starts taking better care of it in post-canon. wonky, slightly crooked teeth, with a gap between the fronts

FC/Energy: now neil i actually have a ton for. mostly models which im a lil ashamed of bc i do try to draw more from athletes. alton mason is a main body type ref. mugsy bogues is good to see what i mean about the basketball build without the height. here're the boys: cykeem white, luka sabbat, désiré mia, Leo Hoyte-Egan, dylan hasselbaink, this beautiful stock photo model i've never been able to track down

i think about him every. goddamn. day.

in terms of like,, real ppl and not models: corbin bleu, especially during Jump In. figure skater elladj balde. rayan "ray ray" lopez from mindless behavior. A$AP Rocky a lil bit, maybe i just like his hairstyle idk

two more models i think are important: carissa pinkston and ralph souffrant

[filliteapot]

regarding your toughs of the evenin, what is your taste in things?

Tough question, maybe check my blog and series I post about or reblog? I guess I can’t describe it with just one genre or type of the story. I might say it’s “heartfelt slice of life joseis that never get translated” but it would not cover eveything I like.

quick summaries of what i've been mad about lately without calling names:

story of a girl who becomes friends with a boy who is fan of her father’s music and is not really interested in her as a person but only her father’s daughter and struggles their relationship then suffers + parents’ story gets told too

culinary josei about a couple (a widow and a student 15 years younger than her) in an arranged marriage pursuing their own reasons for this union but mostly for the goal of making the heroine’s family restaurant great again while slowly falling for each other for real

story of a woman working in an ad company making her way through life and romance + her colleagues‘ lives also get screentime

daily life of some teens being teens in a small village sometime in the 90s, with their small problems and surprise their parents get storylines and screentime too

story of a boy who sees ghosts and is not living his best life bc of this, meeting different people and ghosts, helping them, falling in love with the aura of the heroine and missing opportunity to meet with her and talk with her irl every single damn time (much a+ pining included) 

daily life of two school girls with different personalities who live in a small town (at this point you see a recurrent theme i like, i bet) and get interested in some weirdos much older than them with much rumours and shady stuff about them going around - the premise sounds shady as sht but i’d give much to read it fully

a really free adaptation of hyakunin isshu poems and their authors’ lives that pretends to be a lighthearted comedy but can kill your soul with all its sadness melancholy and broken hearts (and also has special edition made in collaboration with a professor who knows much about the poems and the matter in general) 

a compilation of essays on life, nature, and especially birds

daily life of a literature teacher who is being weird 99% of the time with other weird people around (yeah this author’s works actually get translated and two even got/will get edition in my native language but it’s a rare case)

story set in post war Japan about a girl who goes to Tokyo to find her sister’s lover while the only thing she remembers of him is that he played cello (?), then apparently finds him, break the cello and they start a band (??? i need to check on it more but it certainly got my attention) 

two introverts in love going places eating tasty food having a good time together ready to work on their relationship and resolve their miscommunications pretty quickly (ok this one gets translated too, but it’s for illustrating what i like)

To put it simply, I’m someone who is quite frustrated that popular things or things that get licensed that fit ‘shoujo/josei romance’ category are either school romances about characters whose personalities I cannot feel and totally cannot care about, or stories trying to explore heavy topics which is kinda neat but certainly not my cup of tea at all. I want stories focusing on characters and their journeys, everyday problems and struggles, rather than something created with a sole purpose of giving a social commentary or giving us some romance we saw many times set in  some sugar vacuum very far from real life. Such stories are needed too and they certainly find their audience too, but I can’t help being bitter about how much similar stuff is published while so many interesting things never get attention.

It got a bit depressed in the end, but thanks for this ask, I had fun talking about it. Hope you got an idea about my taste in stories from this post.

[yaboylevi]

Hello there,sorry for bothering you,just a little question! If I remember correctly you said somewhere that you aren't native english speaker,I've always thought you were,is it your 2nd language?If not,could I ask please how did you improve it that much?I think it's safe to say my english level is intermediate since most of the times I understand what I read and I know a lot more than beginner english! 1/2

I understand what I read but I can't really write myself because my grammar is suck and my teacher isn't helping at all,I need my english grammar to be perfect for a reason,so would you mind me if I asked for a few advice? if you wouldn't thanks in advance ! again sorry for bothering you don't have to answer if you don't want to 2/2

Hi!

Okay, first of all, your English is super fine!

English is my second language, and I struggled with it a lot, still do. 

I started studying it when I was in elementary school so it's almost been 20 years. Granted, the teachers were heavily underqualified at the time, and I never had good English teachers for most of my school years. I remember some defining moments in my learning of English: in middle school I was a big fan of Avril Lavigne and I wanted to understand her lyrics (we didn't use the internet that much at the time and there were hardly good translations online) so I armed myself with a dictionary and her lyrics booklet. Towards the end of high school I started watching anime in earnest, and most of the time I watched them with English subs because finding subs in my native language was a hassle. Then a bit later I fell hard for No.6, found its English novels online and started reading those and I realized I understood English enough to read books. So I started reading books in English. Then I decided to translate a couple of novels from English into my native language. 

Even then, I realized that my written English, and my listening and speaking skills were very subpar, compared to my reading abilities. We rarely had to write common real-life sentences in school, and we spoke and listened to real-life conversations, like...never.

So (for different reasons) I opened a twitter account where I tweeted only in English and interacted only with other English speaking people (i realized often they weren't natives but that was good bc at least I wouldn't feel conscious about my skills). At the beginning I struggled a lot with coming up with even the simplest sentences, especially if I was in a fast-paced chat, sometimes I couldn't find the words, now it's become second nature. I still make mistakes. My only consolation is that English natives make mistakes as well ("should of", "per say" "your" instead of "you're", they sometimes don't know the meaning of certain, less common words). 

Then, in order to improve my listening skills, I started watching movies in English with English subs. It was really hard of course, but I just read the subs until I could feel myself looking at them less and less, and now I can watch most movies without subs. I think doing this could also help your grammar. When I am unsure about a grammar structure I find myself thinking back on if I ever heard someone say a sentence like that, if it even sounds good if I were to read it out loud, and what would be the most natural way to say it. Being used to spoken English can improve your writing a lot. Of course, I also google grammar structures I'm not sure of.

And finally, for written English, you can also download Grammarly, a browser add-on that corrects your grammar mistakes. For example:

The free version I own doesn't catch ALL of the mistakes, but it helps, especially with typos or when I'm too lazy to add proper commas and capital letters or if I forget a damn 's' for a plural!

Also, based on your native language, you can study (more like, try and become actively aware of) the differences between that and English. I think it helps a lot, because, for example, sometimes I can tell if a person speaks my same native language by the mistakes they make or the weird sentence structures they use. So being aware of these differences is important. 

Then, of course, I studied some clauses structure books (though tbh I hardly learned practical things from them lol) and used grammar builders.

Also, I just found this image and I feel it's true. The more proficient you become, the slower it is to improve.

You're already at an intermediate level and I think it's great. You just need to use English a lot, the things you need to learn aren't many now so it might feel frustrating if you're not making super visible progress every week. Just know that you're still, always learning.

[roominthecastle]

A ‘bullet point text reaction’ post thing to the season premiere would be forking good. If you can spare the time in between all the rewatching and RL, which again might be messin with the rewatching. Ps. sexy librarian ftw.

Apologies for the late reply, anon, and thank you for the interest. I gave it a try but apparently I had a lot more rambling in me than expected, so I’m not sure how much the bullet point format will help. Still, I rolled w/ it behind the cut:

obv spoilers ahead for those who haven’t seen + it’s mostly Michael focused but who is surprised at this point? ok, here we go:

Yes. All hail the Sexy Librarian Guy! 👍

and his ~~flawless~~ Australian accent lmao. I am no native speaker but even I could hear it was just… delightfully off. I love this disaster zone demon so much.

and how pleased he was that Eleanor was pleased w/ that particular “intervention”. It’s a small but nice reminder of how making her happy makes him happy now. #oppositeTorturesRule

it’s a v small thing but I also loved the “fast food link”: Michael being ecstatic about the Pizza Hut/Taco Bell combo & Eleanor fantasizing about Chipotle during Chidi’s lecture on Aristotle. It reminded me of that s1 moment when she tells Michael about those Arizona churro dogs and they both just go ahhhhhhhh at the image + Judge Gen ofc (they love fast food in the afterlife)

also also the sweet ache of Michael being entangled in her ticker tape while insisting on nudgy-nudge-nudge her & Chidi together bc that’s how it should be is still pressing hard on my heart thank you v much

but

I think that being deprived of close contact w/ his humans is causing Michael to slide back into puppet master mode again. His motivation is different or “reformed” now (secretly helping instead of secretly torturing) but his methods, his itch to control everything (and failing), and the rigid focus on his goals are… not so much, imo, and I love it bc this is Michael: he is a nerd but also an idiot w/ Wile E. Coyote vibes. Janet tries to reel him in but she can’t. Eleanor was the only one who could control him and she was the only one whose advice he actively sought and listened to, but she cannot be there for him now, so yes, I am getting a lot of S1 vibes from this double ep complete w/ her unintentionally messing w/ his formula by not falling for Chidi & the arrival of Trevor. *rubs hands*

COCOONS

so many

so… squishy

and TODD! I never thought I would see him so soon but I was right: he is the best lava monster and fork you, Shawn, for being a jerk to him when he was nothing but supportive and even brought you guys Dunkin’ Spiders to snack on.

I love Shawn, he is the perfect baddie, and I love that we got another glimpse into how TBP operates w/ all their excruciatingly low-tech gadgets. It’s in sharp contrast to (even Michael’s fake) TGP where everything is so neat, efficient, and high-tech. It’s another nice reminder of how the torturers are also being made miserable in TBP in various ways. I can’t blame Michael for wanting to keep his failing experiment running as long as possible.

Judge Gen (who continues to be a delight and way too relatable w/ her binge-watching of media content) is so up to something, people. I cannot shake this feeling that this whole “Operation Resurrection” is not what it looks like on the surface at all. Maybe it’s an experiment within an experiment sort of deal. I mean, why does she trust Michael of all creatures w/ the monitoring duty at all?? She might be quirky but she is def not stupid. She must know he’s a natural rule breaker who’s incapable of sitting still for longer than 2 seconds and he’s not at all impartial here. The way she set this all up reminds me of the test she gave Jason, and Michael is already failing just like Jason did bc he couldn’t opt out of “playing” due to lack of impulse control and a massive personal bias regarding his favorite team, the Cockroaches. idk what this will mean long-term but I think he’s gonna be in a lot of trouble soon.

speaking of Jason and Michael: theirs is my favorite (sort of bonding) scene, hands down. Again, it reminded me of an early S2 moment when Jason stumbles on a brooding, lost Michael and tells him a dope story about his 60-person dance crew that unexpectedly inspires Michael to seek out Eleanor & Co. The situations are reversed here but it’s an excellent parallel, esp when you compare the two scenes and see the development in both characters and their relationship. Jason is a bit   more grounded and Michael is less dismissive and much kinder to him now. I also love Jason’s continued immunity to Michael’s b.s. It’s different from Eleanor’s (his is stupid-based and hers is about being smartbrained) but it works and pushes Michael to just level w/ him and the second he does, Jason becomes instantly receptive. It’s just a really really great character moment that also moves the plot, so it’s basically perfect. Also I think this is the moment when Michael is temporarily pulled from his puppet master mode due to being near one of his human friends again, and his other side peeks out as he lets himself rest a bit - it’s in his body language, too, as he leans back against the bridge railing and has a semi-honest chat w/ Jason.

Michael’s disguises are an eternal source of happiness to me. All of them (and based on promo pics, more is coming). I also love the way he approaches each human bc it is reminiscent of how he steered them during the reboots: to Eleanor he gave a small clue and just let her chew on it and work w/ it. W/ Chidi, he was more direct, posing as a wise helper/guide. W/ Tahani, he targeted her sense of self-worth. W/ Jason, he gave up after 5 seconds and just told him what he wanted him to do.

I doubt his aliases raised many eyebrows, tho, not in a universe where Simone has colleagues called Mrelk and Catapulp :D but Eleanor seemed to have a bit of a “hmm” reaction to the name of Dr. Charles Brainman, so… we’ll see.

Dr. Simone Garnett had probably the smoothest entry into an established character group, imo. I’m usually sensitive to changes like this but it’s like she’s always been here - another excellent casting choice right there. I am not gonna touch shipping issues, thank you, but I love how Simone’s presence, which is a lot of fun in itself, instantly enriched the landscape of relationship dynamics regarding the present, the future and also the past. I feel that every character combination exists somewhere in canon whether it’s explicitly on screen or not, and that’s just an incredibly freeing, resourceful attitude to have on a show w/ this sort of “multiverse” setup, imo. They have the premise, so why not milk its full potential? The writers use relationships as tools to aid character development, they have admitted as much already, and I am looking forward to seeing what other combos they have in mind and how they play out.

despite his limited screen time and despite him spending most of it being flat and emotionless, frog guy aka The Doorman managed to deliver the biggest punch in my heart w/ that reaction to Michael’s gift. I.crumbled. the way his flatness did when he saw the frog on the mug. Thank you, Mike O'Malley.

It’s probably a good thing that they are becoming buddies now bc w/ evil Trevor in the mix, Michael’s gonna turn that Earth entrance into a revolving door. Unless Judge Gen is onto him and steps in at some point. And I still don’t know how he will interact w/ the team now since they’ve all met him already and he was posing as a different person each time. And given his track record, whatever solution he comes up with, Eleanor will see right through him eventually anyway.

ok this is way too long already, so I’m just gonna say that I am very excited for this season, I love the new setup, I miss the fake Good Place but the university environment is growing on me fast, too, and just bring it, show, ok?

my body is ready

[moonbittern]

im exhausted and have been dealing with sensory overload all day so it seems like a great time to make an unnecessarily long-winded post about gallifreyans + language

(before we start i want to clarify that i largely operate on my own sense of canon so this is going to be part actual canon, part ignoring canon, and part making shit up) (but largely the latter)

doctor who likes to do the “one language per species/planet” thing, which is a very common scifi pitfall but it’s wrong and im against it. if you’re going to pull out any sort of “one culture/language/etc per species/planet” thing and there’s more than 10 people in your species/on your planet - well, first of all, you’re wrong, but second of all there is going to be a story behind why things are so lacking in diversity, and it’s not going to be a good one.

now, honestly, gallifrey is a better fit for the above than most scifi planets, if only because rassilon is The Worst and gallifreyan society is pretty strictly controlled. it’s easy to imagine that there is, at the very least, one Proper Gallifreyan Language with some other Less Acceptable Gallifreyan Languages that the prescriptivists all turn their noses up at, and that the end result is very little in the way of linguistic diversity.

HOWEVER.

i would like to suggest the exact opposite - that gallifrey is extremely linguistically diverse. like, ridiculously. like, how in the world can you even sustain that language:people ratio.

(honestly, i only really thought of this bc it gives me the opportunity to come up with a lot of fun language headcanons and to make a lot of conlangs, but i think my explanation makes sense, and everything’s more enjoyable for me this way and do i need an excuse?)

i’ve seen people interpret the 1-2 comments the doctor makes about language as them not being fluent in very many and largely relying on the tardis translation circuits to get around, but given that we’ve heard them speaking languages that are just as alien to them as they are to us, i prefer to think that the doctor is legitimately fluent in a ton of languages and that they have some amount of control over what languages onlookers hear them speak via the translation circuits. nine made a comment about knowing billions of languages, which is almost certainly an exaggeration but still evens out to “a fuckton”, and im willing to take them at their word.

my point being is that even if you gave a human being centuries with which to do nothing but study languages, they wouldn’t be able to achieve fluency in that many (even if we’re assuming said human being was cognitively wired in a way that was compatible with those languages, which isn’t a guarantee but, you know, scifi) and obviously the doctor does a lot more with their time than learn languages. i tend to think the doctor is naturally good at languages, but being good with languages doesn’t bridge that sort of gap, and imo the logical conclusion is that gallifreyans are extremely quick to take up new languages and on top of that likely never lose their language-learning sweet spot (humans lose this...well, it’s complicated, but it’s around the age of 7, which is why it can be so hard to learn new languages as an adult).

so, then, how might that affect linguistic diversity? imo it’s likely to sort of trickle down into rapid linguistic evolution (well, maybe just relatively rapid, but still), and while there are theoretically ways they could force standardization, i ask: would they want to?

the destruction of minority/marginalized languages - intentionally or otherwise - is a distressingly common occurrence here on earth. but we’re a species that loses its ability to acquire native fluency in new languages after our first decade of being alive and struggle to acquire any sort of fluency in the less than a century we have to live after that. if we take everything i’ve said until now to be true, gallifreyans - with an average lifespan up to at least several centuries if not several thousands of years, depending on your feelings about who can regenerate etc - can easily acquire fluency (possibly even native fluency, if their brains don’t distinguish between the first language they learn and the ones that follow) throughout their entire lifespan. which, again, may make their languages evolve and differentiate quickly, as presumably it makes basic things like picking up new words and phrases easier as well. it also means that high linguistic diversity doesn’t create many communication barriers, bc you probably speak every language you need anyway, no matter how many that is.

(not as many as the doctor, bc the doctor’s a deviant who willingly associates with aliens; but still)

so we’ve got a situation where the chapters are almost certainly divided by language. socioeconomic classes are likely divided by language, at least to a point. individual houses may cluster into language groups, and likely have their own dialects. you probably have a distinct idiolect that you only use around close friends/housemates/family - bc said idiolect would have developed around them, so they’ve had the chance to learn it. there’s a lingua franca (or two, or three, or ten) used for inter-chapter and inter-class (and possibly inter-house) communication. you speak A Lot of languages and all of them are gallifreyan and they exert a lot of influence on each other, but you’re also very aware of what languages are appropriate to use with what people.

which brings me to my next point: gallifrey is kind of awful and very much a dystopia, and not trying to actively stamp out certain languages doesn’t mean certain languages aren’t looked down upon or that language isn’t used as a tool of oppression.

the first point is familiar to us and probably speaks for itself. aristocratic prydonians probably think the languages that are associated with cerulean shobogans are awful and ugly and inferior, and so on.

the second point i think deserves a bit more discussion. gallifreyans are big on education, but there are limits to who gets what sort of education, and even if you acquire languages easily, you can still be denied access to learning those languages.

i imagine the higher up you are on the socioeconomic ladder, the more languages you have the opportunity to learn. depending on who you are and what sort of job you’re planning on getting there may be some languages lower down on the ladder that you need to learn, but honestly a lot of people probably don’t bother; classism runs deep, and you always have the cross-class lingua francas. you do probably learn languages at your level that are spoken in other chapters, just in case, but obviously your chapter’s languages are the best (plus those handy lingua francas!) so again, why bother speaking the others much?

what you are not allowed to do is learn languages that fall above you on the social ladder. im sure some people get past that restriction, but for the most part it doesn’t happen, and there is oh so much that can be done with that. people can have snide conversations in your presence that you can’t prove have anything to do with you; certain educational materials/scientific journals/etc are written in languages you’re unfamiliar with, therefore effectively blocking you from learning about subjects considered above your station; you may not be able to read signage in certain areas; the possibilities are endless and if you’re thinking that any of that sounds suspiciously similar to real-life things that happen on earth, well, you’re not wrong.

(a lot of the above probably also applies to writing systems and there’s also probably unique things to say about that but honestly im not super knowledgeable about scripts and im tired so i will leave it at that)

(could also probably make a whole ‘nother post about how gallifreyan society handles aphasia (i.e. not well) but again, tired and not my area of expertise)

language, guys. language.

[tbhstudying]

[pt 1] hi seo! so i'm an asian non-korean 16 y/o & my best friend is a korean immigrant, so her family are naturally more comfortable using korean than english & don't usually speak eng. i've been best friends w her since we were babies & her family have never spoken to me in english. since i'm around them so much i gained fluency in korean from them, but i don't use it when i'm not w her/her family. recently a new 1st-gen korean-american student at our school found out that i speak korean &

[pt 2] wants me to teach him the language, as his parents intentionally cut him off from korean. i'm a little wary about it bc i feel like its definitely not my place to teach him his native language but i also don't wanna come off as being reluctant to help, so i was wondering what your opinion is on this & if you have an idea of what i should do. thank you so much seo, have a great day! :)

ngl i’d be wary of it too ?? bc idk, it just seems not as comprehensive + you might make mistakes in teaching him bc you’re not a native speaker (which would be super bad esp when learning a language, ya know??). like, even i’d be wary of teaching him and korean was my first language. i’d just tell him to try asking his parents since they would be native speakers + i can promise u that any korean parent loves speaking in korean ahaha

[thekillerqueen1945-blog]

I AM YOUR FUTURE

CHAPTER 3 

  Olmec, Mayans, Inks and Aztecs

Upon finishing my story about Akkadian princess, Life spoke:

 “I honestly liked the story. You really are the great storyteller."

“Oh, rejoice, everybody, celebrate. Life finally liked something and did not guide it to its end. Rejoice, rejoice. Ha ha ha ha" shout Infinity on this strange event that happened

"Maybe I could narrate extra story since you liked my latest one so much" I proposed

"Do not shift your fortune, since Life can shift easily from contented and happy to its natural offensive and demanding self" warned me Death with its slow, calculated voice

 "Hey! I am not the bad one, remember. You are the greatest loss someone can survive; you are the merciless murderer that leaves the scars on hearth and soul that shall never be mend. You are a big player in this endless game, but I am greater than you. " Life quarrelled on Death

Death looked at Life emotionlessly for few moments and spoke with the voice that shakes the soul and freezes you straight to the core of your being.

 "Life. Do you really believe that all this is a game? Maybe at one point, you are right. But if you think that you can play it better than me, think again. You are small as a drop in the ocean, fast as rage and you never think twice. You rush to me, like a river to the sea. Every creature large or small believes it will gain a success since they have you on their team. They are wrong, so wrong. I delivered you to them, as an advantage in the game, for I am so sure of my victory. Don't bother yourself. just relax, and I'll take all that life can offer with no exception."

 Death was so close to Life that they were almost touching. Life was shaking in the nervousness of seeing a mere fraction of Deaths might. I flinched in fear. Even Time and Infinity had flashes of panic in their eyes. Although quiet and hidden in the shadows, Death remains compelling and we became the witness of that timeless truth.

 Death talk to me without exerting its eyes of the Life

" If you don't mind, can you start the story about Mayans, Inks, Aztecs and Olmec’s Culture."

“ O-OK. Ahem, ahem. The O-Olmec, Mayan, Incan, and Aztec c-civilisations are some of the most significant ancient cultures in h-history, and yet…I-I can- “

"CONTINUE!" shout Death at me, this time with more energy.

 I grimaced and continued

“The Olmec are generally overlooked e-entirely." I paused needed a deep breath and started over

“To make long story brief, Maya’s arrived first and established the culture in modern-day Mexico. Later the Olmec reached the region, who likewise settled in Mexico. They didn't create any larger cities, but they were widespread and flourishing culture. People both culture were followed by the Inca in modern-day Peru, and eventually the Aztecs, also in modern-day Mexico on the planet Erath."

       "Now allow me, to proceed. About 2,800 years ago, people identified as Maya civilisation lived in agriculture settlements on the Yucatan Peninsula and the mountains of something presently recognised as the Americas. From around A.D. 250 to A.D. 900, people organised city-states in Central America that involved majestic pyramid temples and public areas emphasising heavy marble pillars that described their vibrant past. I am right about this, or not" spoke Death still staring at Life

 “You are," I answered, with no intention to discuss.  

" Continue" Death blasted me a gaze appreciation

“No one remembers the specific origins of Olmec people. This is because the Olmec culture is one of Mexico's earliest cultures. It existed from 1400 BC to 400 BC. The Olmec controlled an empire that runs parallel with the Gulf of Mexico. The area as mentioned above is presently described as Veracruz. The Olmec survived by providing harvests and hunting wild animals for a portion of food. However, because of their closeness to the ocean, people also ate an abundance of the seafood. They planted the corn and cacao, as basic and sacred plants. Cacao was a highly utilised trade article. Olmec soils were incredibly fertile and rich, and people produced an abundance of native fruits and vegetables.”

 “They never described or named themselves, but the Aztecs called this region where the Olmec lived "Olman," said Life arrogantly, gradually gaining the courage.

" So who decided to name them Olman people?" questioned Death

“In the Aztec language of Nahunta, the word Olmec means "land of glue." That was because gum tree was overflowing the area. The intruders that arrived in the 15th century ingested everything they could to wipe-out all data of the existence of the Olmec culture. Some scientists consider that the Olmec didn't even exist as the separate civilisation, but I can guarantee that they are all wrong. Olmec civilisation was a remarkable early culture that did not see the purpose in creating the large empire that will ultimately fall into the scraps, because of death, because of you.” Life talked confidently scowling back at Death

 “They were one and single civilisation in human history that understood the mortality of man-maid systems and instruments as well as the mortality of the human reality itself. Those people understand that everything delivered to existence is condemned to depart, to perish. “said Death quietly without diverting dazzle from Life.

 The Inca established settling in the Valley of Cuzco in the Andes Mountains of central Peru nearby year 1200. Between 1440 and 1500, they extended their empire until it reached nearly 2,500 – “I was obstructed repeatedly

"Just imagine us one of the tales from the chronicle of the time. Use Olmec civilisation; they are attractive." Said Death and walked away from the Life

"But I did not finish explaining you about Inks and Aztecs." I proclaim

"We are the cause all even existed, we remember facts concerning them, but unlike you, we do not understand who they were actually “Death spoke deliberately and seriously slow

"All right" I choose not to fight with this powerful being

 To understand the greatness of an ancient civilisation, I will narrate a story of how did Olmec culture developed their math or better to say where they discovered math.

 Olmec people never desired to record the day for another generation to perceive it. It was the day when the kingdom was built. That was a day when they discovered mathematics.

   That day people noticed seeds of their fall. The day when one of the thrusts of the universe revealed itself.

It started as a sunny, clear day.  Despite beautiful day and peace, everybody felt something in the ambience. Something harmful. It was as their own bones talked and sang, sang a sad

melody, that could not be decoded. Yet! It was a hunch, premonition, feeling of the storm in the air before it actually comes.

Hours past, people worked within their daily routines, everyone shrugged the feeling and proceeded with the liveliness. Then it happened! Something came, at the midday, from the sky. It seemed as it slumped from nowhere.

   People gathered around, trying to conclude out what was that strange object. They could not found out much since they were scared to move it or go closer to it. At least not closer than about 3 miles.

 An hour or two after tensions came down a bit, a novelty of the town and assembly of the elder passed to the sight. They all were covered in traditional Olmec clothing, entirely in colours and ornaments.

 The prefect of the city was, as all people there, confused and mesmerised at the same time by the strobe reason that came to the town from nowhere.

The device was designed as a book and had the appearance of a broken tablet. It was filled by mysterious figures engrave on it. The material of the object was a solid rock, but not like unity found on the Earth. The space object radiated by purplish colour.

 The town chief had a glimpse of shock in eyes, and worry exposed on his face. He spoke observing the image in front of him:

“I know what it can be! I have heard the story once! It was not identical but close to this one! The foreign object came from the sky, from the stars! Not from father founders, but from the Star people. They have been touring the Earth for hundreds of years, as my ancestors told me the story about it. I do not know the specific focus in this, but I know one thing.  That object contains something important; it will teach us a valuable lesson or give us our first destruction."

After the discussion, everybody soothed in own thoughts, and the designed silence was pleasant and unpleasant at the same time. Suddenly the leader spoke in politically correct fashion since it was expected from him:

"We should first decode the meaning of symbols, and then we shall grieve about the future. Let us all work together on it, if all of you agree, of course!"

Everybody ended up managing together on the “sky-gift”. Within the 2-3 weeks, the symbols were decoded or at least the Olmec people thought that. They have transcribed it into a math symbol. Maybe it is convenient to state, incompetent to understand cryptography the Olmec chose to adopt them as the math symbols or letters, hieroglyphs.

                          They remained living they live, blooming and recording the story. The population formed the calendar and drainage system. The community was the first know culture to phantom existence of zero and first to establish hieroglyphics and numbering mathematical system. Although area prospered people know, all felt it in their bones that the end will come, they will be gone, it was as the "sky-stone" spoke to them and said, “Everything brought to existence must perish and so will you.”

Before they dispersed, they made large images of their gods which community considered had given that space-stone to people. But deep inside they all agreed that they were wrong since they realised that real authenticity had not been revealed.  

   When conquistadors arrived, men found no people, just great kingdom, the capital city and mysterious figures used as a language in the system of words and numbers. They found no space-stone. They found no people. But a bizarre feeling was riding about, and doubt of the unknown arose. Consequently, they buried and destroyed almost everything connected to the Olmec culture. Only statues endure on the several cities, remains of the drainage system and symbols, symbols in the sub-conciseness.

The "sky-stone" was undoubtedly from the extra-terrestrial species, as many of you apparently thought of. Yet, the stone did not purposely drop on the planet Earth. The spaceship was gently floating overhead the planet when one meagre piece of it slumped off. What a bizarre coincidence, just a probability, right? The universe does not give you what you ask but what you need to understand your mission, your purpose in the magnificent game.  

Regarding the Olmecs, it is shallower than you thought it would be. I will keep that as a secret and make all others considering other possible options, and imagination will run wild. After all, what joy would it be at all, to show you all the mysteries of recorded history?

 You are the starts deadened in the skin;

The universe is in your bones

And in the fracture of the soul

And it will never come to an end!

“Trust me,” said joyfully the Universe “I know what I am performing here."

[carmela77n493-blog]

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[emmagreen1220-blog]

New Post has been published on Literary Techniques

New Post has been published on https://literarytechniques.org/hyperbole-in-literature/

Hyperbole in Literature

Hyperbole was one of the literary devices most favored by the Elizabethan and Romantic authors; most of them dealt with exaggerated feelings and larger-than-life characters, so it’s only natural that both their similes and their metaphors were hyperbolic. Modern writers, however, would probably sound melodramatic if they used the same bloated language; so, unless they are satirical or Gothic horror writers – they usually do not. In an exciting development, however, modern magical realists tend to use even more exaggerated hyperboles than Renaissance playwrights or 19th-century novelists; but they give them an interesting spin. See of which type below.

10 Examples of Hyperbole in Literature

#1: Homer, Iliad IX.379-392 (~ 700 BC)

I loathe his presents, and for himself care not one straw. He may offer me ten or even twenty times what he has now done, nay—not though it be all that he has in the world, both now or ever shall have; he may promise me the wealth of Orchomenus or of Egyptian Thebes, which is the richest city in the whole world, for it has a hundred gates through each of which two hundred men may drive at once with their chariots and horses; he may offer me gifts as the sands of the sea or the dust of the plain in multitude, but even so he shall not move me till I have been revenged in full for the bitter wrong he has done me. I will not marry his daughter; she may be fair as Venus, and skillful as Minerva, but I will have none of her: let another take her, who may be a good match for her and who rules a larger kingdom. (tr. Samuel Butler)

In the first book of the Iliad, Agamemnon, the commander of the Greek forces at Troy, offends Achilles, his greatest warrior, by unrightfully seizing the latter’s war prize, Briseis. As a result, Achilles withdraws from the battle altogether, and the Greeks start suffering loss after loss. Desperate, Agamemnon admits his error nine books later and sends Odysseus, Ajax and Phoenix to Achilles with an apology and a bunch of presents. Achilles’ anger, however, is so overwhelming that he rejects the offer in a remarkably hyperbolic language which gradually intensifies to culminate with the claim that even if Agamemnon could offer him “gifts as the sands of the sea or the dust of the plain in multitude,” he would still be unmoved. Aristotle uses this quote in his Rhetoric (reference) not only as an example for hyperbole but also as proof in favor of his opinion that “those who are in a passion most frequently make use” of this literary device.

#2: Gospel of John 25:21 (~ 100 BC)

Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

The Bible – especially The Old Testament – is rich with hyperbolical expressions. For example, the land of Canaan is described in Exodus 3:8 as “a land flowing with milk and honey” and Solomon is said to have made “silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills” (1 Kings 10:27). The verse above, however, comes from the New Testament:  it is the last of the last canonical gospel, that of John. The idea behind it is pretty straightforward: only a small part of Jesus’ actions has been documented: no book could ever describe all of them, because, simply put, there have been so many. In the opinion of noted Bible commentator, Joseph Benson, the strangely personal “I suppose,” softens the hyperbole; “if this be one,” he adds, reminding us that even a glaring hyperbole can seem truthful to emotionally invested people.

#3: William Shakespeare, Hamlet V.1.254-256 (1603)

I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers Could not with all their quantity of love Make up my sum.

After the priest declares that Ophelia’s death “was doubtful” and that she may not be granted a proper Christian burial, Ophelia’s brother Laertes jumps into her grave. A second later, Hamlet, whom Laertes suspects to be the reason for Ophelia’s suicide, does the same. To justify his decision, he utters these three verses, whose meaning goes along the lines of “if Laertes has the right to do it, then I have twice the right.” Or, to use his numerical hyperbole: forty thousand times the right, since that’s precisely how many times Hamlet claims his love for Ophelia is greater than the one of her—or, for that matter, any other—brother.

#4: Jonathan Swift, Gulliver’s Travels (1726)

Golbasto Momarem Evlame Gurdilo Shefin Mully Ully Gue, most mighty Emperor of Lilliput, delight and terror of the universe, whose dominions extend five thousand blustrugs (about twelve miles in circumference) to the extremities of the globe; monarch of all monarchs, taller than the sons of men; whose feet press down to the centre, and whose head strikes against the sun; at whose nod the princes of the earth shake their knees; pleasant as the spring, comfortable as the summer, fruitful as autumn, dreadful as winter: his most sublime majesty proposes to the man-mountain, lately arrived at our celestial dominions, the following articles, which, by a solemn oath, he shall be obliged to perform.

Monarchs have adorned themselves with hyperbolical titles ever since Ancient Mesopotamia. This is what—among other things—Jonathan Swift tries to mock in this exceptionally long introduction to the law which should allow Gulliver some freedom in Lilliput. Even though Lilliputians are merely one-twelfth the height of Gulliver, they don’t seem that unwilling to exaggerate how their “most mighty Emperor” is “taller than the sons of men” and how the dominions of his country span to “the extremities of the globe” even though barely “twelve miles in circumference.” Of course, neither they nor Swift stops there; by the end of the sentence, one gets the feeling that what the great Irish satirist is ridiculing here is the very nature of hyperbole, the notorious hallmark of deceptive flattery.

#5: Mary Shelley, Frankenstein (1818)

The murderer discovered! Good God! how can that be? who could attempt to pursue him? It is impossible; one might as well try to overtake the winds, or confine a mountain-stream with a straw.

The sentence above is uttered—there’s no way of knowing whether in shock or relief—by Victor Frankenstein, after his brother Ernest informs him that the murderer of their youngest sibling, William, has been discovered. However, Victor knows that the murderer is none other than his gruesome creature, which is why he has a hard time believing it. It would be easier—he says in the conventionally excessive language of Gothic novels—for one to run faster than the winds or keep a mountain stream in check with a straw than to catch the murderer of William. It turns out that the murderer Ernest has in mind is someone else—William’s nanny, Justine—which leads to another emphatic exclamation by Victor, speckled with two common hyperboles: “Justine Moritz! Poor, poor girl, is she the accused? But it is wrongfully; everyone knows that; no one believes it, surely, Ernest?”

#6: Herman Melville, Moby-Dick (1851)

Nantucket! Take out your map and look at it. See what a real corner of the world it occupies; how it stands there, away off shore, more lonely than the Eddystone lighthouse. Look at it—a mere hillock, and elbow of sand; all beach, without a background. There is more sand there than you would use in twenty years as a substitute for blotting paper. Some gamesome wights will tell you that they have to plant weeds there, they don’t grow naturally; that they import Canada thistles; that they have to send beyond seas for a spile to stop a leak in an oil cask; that pieces of wood in Nantucket are carried about like bits of the true cross in Rome; that people there plant toadstools before their houses, to get under the shade in summer time; that one blade of grass makes an oasis, three blades in a day’s walk a prairie; that they wear quicksand shoes, something like Laplander snow-shoes; that they are so shut up, belted about, every way inclosed, surrounded, and made an utter island of by the ocean, that to the very chairs and tables small clams will sometimes be found adhering as to the backs of sea turtles. But these extravaganzas only show that Nantucket is no Illinois.

The tall tale is a fundamental element of American folk literature. In its essence, it is a tale related as if factual, even though obviously exaggerated. In his first description of Nantucket in the fourteenth chapter of Moby-Dick, Herman Melville borrows and reworks some of these tall tales told by the natives (and their “gamesome wights”) to describe how extraordinarily barren is the island of Nantucket (in fact, Encyclopedia Britannica informs us, even its name can be translated as “sandy, sterile soil tempting no one”). Hyperboles abound: since they are living on a sun-scorched “elbow of sand,” Nantucketers have to import even thistles and consider every blade of grass the equivalent of an oasis!

#7: Mark Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889)

There did not seem to be brains enough in the entire nursery, so to speak, to bait a fish-hook with; but you didn’t seem to mind that, after a little, because you soon saw that brains were not needed in a society like that, and, indeed, would have marred it, hindered it, spoiled its symmetry—perhaps rendered its existence impossible.

Want to see a literary device used to its best comedic effect? Then, leave it to the master of masters: Mr. Mark Twain. In his AH/SF-satire of the notion of romantic chivalry, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, an American engineer named Hank Morgan suffers a blow to the head and is somehow transported back to Medieval England. Naturally, he knows much more than everyone else there—yes, including Merlin—which is why he is able to ridicule the not-so-very-smart inhabitants of Camelot in the manner presented in the sentence above. Apparently, as far as Twain I concerned, a Medieval society such as the one idealized by the Romantics is possible only in the absence of any shred of common sense intelligence.

#8: Flannery O’Connor, “Parker’s Back” (1965)

The skin on her face was as thin and drawn as tight as the skin of an onion and her eyes were gray and sharp like the points of two icepicks.

“Parker’s Back” is one of the eleven stories which make up Everything That Rises Must Converge, Flannery O’Connor’s posthumously published short story collection. The sentence above is part of the description O’Connor gives of the wife of the title character, a skinny woman named Sarah Ruth. So as to direct the attention of the reader to this feature of Sarah, she exaggerates it, just like a caricaturist would do in a visual representation. No wonder that caricatures are sometimes called visual hyperboles.

#9: Gabriel García Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967)

It rained for four years, eleven months, and two days.

This is the powerful opening sentence of the sixteenth chapter of Gabriel García Márquez’s celebrated masterpiece, One Hundred Years of Solitude. It is written in the style of magical realism which makes prominent use of hyperboles such as the one quoted here. The sentence sounds almost biblical in its exaggeration (Genesis 7:12: “And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights”), but Márquez goes a step forward—not merely in terms of the length, but also through the use of precise numbers. We tend to accept as true precise numbers more than we believe rounded ones, and this makes Márquez’s hyperbole even more powerful and fantastical.

#10: Salman Rushdie, Haroun and the Sea of Stories (1990)

There was once, in the country of Alifbay, a sad city, the saddest of cities, a city so ruinously sad that it had forgotten its name. It stood by a mournful sea full of glumfish, which were so miserable to eat that they made people belch with melancholy even though the skies were blue. In the north of the sad city stood mighty factories in which (so I’m told) sadness was actually manufactured, packaged and sent all over the world, which seemed never to get enough of it.

Salman Rushdie’s Haroun and the Sea of Stories is a children’s book—but, just like Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude, it is also a work of magical realism, both authors’ trademark technique. In fact, Rushdie’s opening description of this saddest of all cities may be a hat tip to a hyperbolic account by none other than Márquez, specifically this sentence from One Hundred Years of Solitude: “the world was so recent that many things lacked names, and in order to indicate them it was necessary to point.” Be that as it may, it’s important to note that works of magical realism make use of absurd exaggerations and hyperboles quite often; the trick is that they don’t treat these hyperboles as hyperboles, but as factual claims, thus making them even more powerful and conspicuous.

[annoyingcherryblossomnight-blog1]

China Journey Warnings

The Folks's Republic of China (PRC), known simply as "China," is positioned in East Asia and prides itself in its historic civilization. All of Suzhou's gardens project an environment of concord and tranquillity and this is particularly so with the Master of Nets Garden. Although it is small, you want at the least 2 to four hours to slowly savour and absolutely recognize it. Guilin and Yangshuo can be used as a base to go to the ethnic peoples right here with Zhuang, Yao, Miao and Dong minority villages to the northwest in the towns of Longshen and Sanjiang. The general picture of the Chinese journey industry is one of strong progress driven by rising income ranges, the comfort of travel restrictions and extra vacation intervals being made obtainable. Only a certain number of licensed journey companies are eligible to function worldwide outbound travel providers and, in 1997, there have been solely 67 outbound travel businesses in China; by 2004, that quantity had risen to 528. Latest years have seen privatization and restructuring of the former state owned agencies. Yangshuo is positioned in south China, about 600 km north west of Guangzhou and Hong Kong. With a world airport in Guilin, Yangshuo, at sixty six km from Guilin is now easily accessible to the rest of the world. The Guilin airport has direct connections to Hong Kong and Bangkok amongst other worldwide airports. The easiest strategy to get to town of Dongguan is by flight. The nearest worldwide airport is the Guangzhou airport. It is just over an hour drive away from the town. If you do not want to land at Guangzhou airport, then chances are you'll land at Shenzhen airport as an alternative. It's about the identical distance from the city in comparison with Guangzhou airport, but it's nearer to some other cities. Shanghai is one of the most cosmopolitan cities of China. Additionally it is common with its nightlife. Nanjing Street, The Old Town, Yuyuan Garden, Jade Buddha Temple, The Bund, Grand View Backyard, Shanghai Wildlife Zoo are the popular points of interest of the city. When you travel to China you will have Chinese currency, the Renminbi (RMB), which is also called the Yuan or the Kwai. Different well-known water towns which might be a terrific to go to are Tongli and Mudu. Both of these cities are extremely outdated, have water and garden landscapes and are extremely pleasant. After I first visited China in the mid 90's, tourism was quickly increasing. There were nonetheless loads of officially closed areas but there were additionally loads of options to travel unbiased by way of the country. Reserving a prepare ticket or get hold of a bus ticket could possibly be a real challenge. I remember Hezhou, not removed from Xiahe in north China the place I might solely obtain a bus ticket if I had a Chinese Insurance, however to acquire such an insurance you wanted to hand over a bus ticket, proving you have been traveling in that space. Situated in north west Suzhou, Tiger hill is a 36 meter in peak and comprises historic sites that date back 2,500 years to the founding of Suzhou. Tiger Hill is pretty small as far as hills go however it is a native spot of great magnificence and wealthy in history. A famous Song Dynasty poet said something along the strains that should you visit Suzhou and do not visit Tiger hill it's a life lengthy pity. Poets are likely to dramatise and exaggerate but for those who do go to Suzhou, take no probabilities and see Tiger Hill. The region around Beijing has historical roots relationship way back to 500,000 years. The city is likely one of the seven ancient capital cities of China and is located on the northwest fringe of the North China Plain, adjoining Tianjin City to its east and Hebei Province to its north, west and south. Beijing has sixteen districts and two counties underneath its jurisdiction, masking an area of 16,800 square kilometers. Within the Warring States period (403 - 221 BC), the state of Yan established its capital here, as such, Beijing can also be commonly called Yanjing to at the present time. The street from Guilin to Yangshuo does not provide such spectacular sights, thus many people resolve to return through the river and leave by way of the street. • Suzhou - 'Venice of East', with its many gardens and canals, quite close to Shanghai. You probably have been to China and wish to share your China Travel Tips, please feel free to contact me anytime. Guilin positioned on the Li River, is a small town; nevertheless, a well-liked place resulting from its stunning surroundings. Its geographic formations and breathtaking magnificence entice travellers. Li River, Elephant Trunk Hill, Longji Terraced Subject, Inexperienced Lotus Peak and Yangshuo are widespread sightseeings. Kknmíng is also one of the cosmopolitan Chinese language cities. Town owns lovely attractions resembling Stone Forest, Xishan, Jiuxiang and Yunnan Nationalities Village. China is present process a huge business and creative upheaval. Among the world's most up-to-the-minute cities propel the land on with ahead-pondering dynamism. Animated by a way of pleasure, the Chinese are revelling in their country's ascendency. Whatever the reasons you're interested in China, the sheer tempo of change, visible in every a part of Chinese life, will be sure that your trip is a unique one. Every single time I went to Hong Kong I visited Ocean Park. Every single time I took a tour bus to the Park. Every single time the tour bus stopped off at this jewelry shop as a ploy to make the tourists purchase some jewelry. It is a type of situations had been you're compelled to get off and go into the shop and the entire environment forces you to look at jewellery while you'd moderately be looking at fish. The tacit pressure is on so that you can make a purchase. This is without doubt one of the best recommendation I am ever going to offer: go to a spot in that store ask a few piece of knickknack, nod properly, then leave. Take no more than five minutes, ignore the stares and go away. In case you keep to long you will maintain up the tour or cough up some money whenever you'd relatively not. Just walk out of there and go on to Ocean Park. Oh yeah, additionally they "invite" you to watch a brief video about their jewelry before "welcoming" you into the shop.. Nevertheless, the company market remains fragmented and there are few nationwide gamers. It remains dominated by state-owned companies, many with outdated attitudes to service. Each non-public and overseas capital flows to the business are being encouraged by the Chinese language authorities however most of the tours offered by the prevailing companies are unimaginative in content material and magnificence, and the fact is that the trade has a long technique to go earlier than it genuinely providers the wants of its clients. What are the things I needed I knew about Hong Kong Disneyland? It's a small place so it is easy to whereas away the day and miss out on some of the rides. The Toy Story rides close earlier than the others and its way over the other finish of the park. Yup, we missed these (to the great disappointment of my son), because we thought half a day was enough for Disneyland. Next, keep in mind two key occasions you would possibly need to see. First is the four:00 pm parade that runs by means of the park, I enjoyed this loads, and subsequent is the eight:30 fireworks show right before the shut. Disneyland is clean, convenient and very gratifying plus it has its very own custom-made train that hyperlinks up with the MTR. The backyard is made up of three sections, the residential section, main garden section and inner garden section. The main target point of the big garden is a giant pond that takes up a serious part of the backyard. The pond contains a pagoda that's only accessible by a bridge that's lower than a foot vast on the narrowest point. The Bai individuals's homes are unique. The everyday type is "sanfangyizhaobi" and "sihewutianjing." "Sanfangyizhaobi" refers to three homes on three sides and an ornamental display wall to replicate daylight to the house. " Sihewutianjing" is a house with a significant courtyard and tour small ones at the 4 corners of the main oneThe Bai people's homes are typically embellished with wooden carvings, stone carvings and marble, which add luster to the standard characteristics of the houses. While holding onto something for support with each hands, decrease your physique down right into a low squat place, in order that the cheeks of your backside is sort of touching your heels or the back of your calf. Now, let go together with your palms. See in case you keep in this position for at least 1 minute. When you fall backwards or you can not rise up, then a squat bathroom may very well be an issue for you! Practice, you will be completely happy you did. Tour of China will not be full without seeing the huge and superb panorama that the nation has to supply. China is blessed with the sights of nature thus, it has change into one of the should visit locations in Asia or rather on the planet. That's not all! The climatic conditions of China coupled with its properly-developed transportation services make it top-of-the-line locations within the checklist of Vacation spot World. -Chinese language individuals have an incredible sense of humor. Like most people, they love to snort. In this demanding time of Chinese language adoption, and adapting to a brand new culture, the artwork of laughter could serve you well. Preserve it mild though, and do not forget that sexual and political subjects are strictly avoided. Chinese language International adoption may be difficult in many ways, but in all points of life, laughter all the time makes issues a bit simpler. Be ready to snigger at yourself. Most areas take pleasure in a subtropical monsoon local weather with enough rainfall, long summers and warm winters. Annual precipitation averages 1,336 mm whereas annual evaporation averages 1,100 mm so Guangdong is moist. Its common annual temperature is 22 deg C and it averages 1,828 hours of sunshine a year. Guangdong is a green place where vegetation develop vigorously all of the 12 months round There are forty forest parks and 30 nature reserves designated at provincial level. When you nonetheless will not be certain about your upcoming vacations, China certainly qualifies to your list. Those of you who are more into the adventurous climbing, the water towns round Shanghai could also be an thrilling choice. Not solely this, however the Yangtze River may also add a lot to your hiking expertise together with the attractive surroundings that it provides. I advised you I might battle to fit every part into seven prime picks, this checklist is only a tip of a large iceberg - as its not but complete - the three Gorges Dam is added as a bonus here. What will turn into the most important power plant/dam on this planet will certainly be value a go to. As effectively I might love to look at the large tidal bore that occurs on the yellow river as well. So you determined to go to China as a vacationer and now you're wondering in regards to the food in China. Don't be concerned as a result of there is no have to panic. The truth is that there's some really good meals in China. Many American's will tell you that the meals in China is better than the food in America. We cannot stress to you simply how good the food in China actually is. If in case you have by no means tried meals in China then it's best to do it as quickly as you get over there. One other China journey warning is to make sure you have plenty of toilet paper with you. It is arduous to get, even in the resorts there. So carry tissues with you wherever you go. And you will have to pay attention to the bathroom situation. Most Chinese use the squat type bathrooms. You simply squat over them and use the bathroom. You do not flush the bathroom paper at all. This makes for a very smelly toilet as the bathroom paper is just tossed into a garbage can. If there is a traditional American type sit down rest room it is normally marked handicapped. You may additionally need to carry hand sanitizer with you as properly. The Chinese language aren't huge on sanitation and the issues Individuals are used to having available are scarce. China journey data is vital to recollect. Zhouzhuang is the most well-liked of the water cities near Suzhou and is a must see for anybody with a day to spare in Suzhou. Zhouzhuang is both divided by and surrounded by lakes and rivers and has 14 traditional stone bridges crossing its rivers. Buses regularly leave Suzhou for Zhuozhuang and the trip is an hour on the most. We do meet some fascinating people along the way in which, however they're largely bureaucrats, drivers or officials related to the creator's journey preparations. Given Vikram Seth's experience in the nation, there seems to be a missed alternative here, in that more folks would have embroidered the text with more fascinating and enduring detail than the repeated journey problems. Your cruise will inevitably take to you some of the famous pure landscapes - the Three Gorges, that are rich in natural magnificence in addition to religious, cultural and historical significance. Extra just lately, the Three Gorges Dam can be a centerpiece in this beautiful landscape, making a memorable sight. Yes there are rumors that in Chinese language restaurants you are consuming canine or cat and so they say it is hen. Don't let these rumors get to you it is only rumors. If the Chinese restaurants inform you it is hen then it truly is rooster. If you are a tourist consuming in China for the primary time then it's best to think about making an attempt a few of the Chinese language soup. Have you ever ever heard of Gained-ton soup or egg drop soup? These are both really good soups which can be in china. There is just one utility form that can be used for every sort of visa. It is only two pages lengthy and is divided into seven sections. The primary section requests personal information reminiscent of full name, date of start, passport number and occupation. You will complete Part 2 with details about your go to to China. It's right here that you just select the kind of visa you need, the intended number of entries and validity. Drive to Luoping in the morning. Go to the Nine-dragon Waterfall, the grandest waterfall in Yunnan and as a consequence of completely different ranges, the Waterfalls type a ten-layered waterfall. For those who get stuck what to order as many of the menu's are in Chinese language simply look at the table subsequent to you and level to the dish you fancy and ask how much it is, this system works rather well and know seems to thoughts. The vacation spot question was resolved by a wonderfully clear map they had displayed nearly in all places, with one of many destination "dots" very clearly labelled "Disneyland". The space from the station I was in to Disneyland could very simply be discerned with train changes clearly marked by way of color. Getting a ticket was a bit more difficult. I used a ticket machine and inconvenienced the passengers behind me by causing a small delay which was rectified once I figured out that the machine had a contact display. All in all, this was all completely easy. A visit to Europe is commonly the primary time for Chinese language to journey overseas and their spending patterns can be irrational. Some simply buy something they cannot purchase in China. The spending of Chinese language vacationers usually does not reflect income levels nonetheless so looking at household earnings and even disposable revenue ranges of China's inhabitants will be deceptive. Many spend far more than we may have predicted. Often traveler's cheques are a good suggestion, but in China, the transaction fee is high, and the procedure can take hours to finish while you sit there in the financial institution with nothing to do. For some individuals, the wait may be worth the peace of mind for carrying traveler's cheques, however count on a protracted wait. ATM playing cards are extensively accepted in most ATMs, at least in the major cities, and they also offer a lot better trade rates than what you're going to get by altering money at the bank. One caveat: most ATMs limit every transaction to 2500 Chinese language Yuan (CNY) with a restrict of 5000 CNY per day. You also needs to examine along with your financial institution before you go to search out out what the transaction price could be per withdrawal in China, however for most individuals, ATMs could be an inexpensive solution to complement your cash while in China. Well being. China is certainly a modern nation in lots of respects, however in others it is nonetheless creating. There are relatively few facilities for disabled folks and you'll seemingly end up walking, climbing stairs and battling local weather and air pollution issues while you're there. Consult your doctor before you make plans and be sure you carry an extra provide of your prescription medications with you (together with the scripts exhibiting your identify). Additionally you'll want to maintain a superb provide of tissues with you at all times. These can be bought in any small comfort store or store round China. It is unusual for lavatory paper to be supplied in Chinese language loos, so you will need to carry your personal. This gate is one in every of Suzhou's well-known historical landmarks and is situated on the south west nook canal circling Suzhou. In-built 514 BC, Pan Gate was one of many eight gates of the ancient metropolis wall that protected Suzhou during the warring states interval. The gate has been rebuilt twice, once in the course of the Yuan Dynasty and once more in 1986. • Lodge safety: Once in your hotel room, make certain that the door and windows of your room are locked at all times. Reply the door only after verifying who it's. It is at all times better to carry bottled water, as the tap water accessible in lodge rooms isn't drinkable. Luxurious Travel in China has not been extra exciting and adventurous especially while you choose the appropriate China tour operator. For a country like China with an historic history and tradition, your travel within China can be a deluxe or top quality tour by visiting the key cities in top notch air travel, luxury and character hotels, utilizing VIP providers and escorts making you feel like a famous person. For instance, having a plate of native Chinese dumplings in your 4/5 star lodge while watching a piece of Beijing Opera translated in English may very well be one of many greatest journey expertise you’ve ever had. Maybe, you might want to climb the Nice Wall in type by having a French picnic privately or with other visiting tourists from world wide. There are specific sections world wide where many renowned public figures have visited and you can also be part of visiting these sections. Up till now we've largely talked about the natural magnificence that the nation possesses. Naturally with the form of economic system that China has, lots goes into the event work and mission. Consequently, the metropolitan cities of the country have witnessed speedy improvement and have taken new tolls by way of vacationer points of interest. There are eight completely different Chinese visas every represented by a letter of the alphabet. For example, travelers who travel to China for tourism will apply for an L visa. Those that go to interact in business will apply for an F visa. Crew visas are represented by the letter C, work visas by the letter Z, scholar visas by the letter X and resident visas by the letter D. In case you are not conscious of the tropical aspect of China, then, chances are you'll wish to bask within the sun this summer season on China’s most beautiful beaches in Hainan and Hong Kong after which you are treated to an awesome spa experience in among the unique resorts round. China is stuffed with vacationer points of interest and an enthralling experience is on playing cards when you go to the country. Whether or not you talk about Shanghai - town by the sea or you look to go to the cultural center of the country - Beijing, the country guarantees loads to its tourists. Not only will your day be stuffed with stunning sites to go to, but cities like Shanghai offer entertaining night points of interest. • Photography: Taking photos is allowed in most places. Nonetheless, in some it's both prohibited (as in certain museums and archeological sites) or a charge is charged. It's all the time recommended you get permission before capturing photos of the locals. Taiwan is particular in having this inhabitants combine. What keeps them united then? Taiwan is a place within the making. Its a shaky place, but its an island with a future. Taiwan is an island positioned off the southeastern coast of China. Also called Ilha Formosa, or lovely island, Taiwan has been inhabited for over 10,000 years. Taiwan is vital to us. We do not want to wait endlessly. cheap hotels melbourne cbd Taiwan is a steadily growing, medium-sized market for UK schooling. Taiwan is also hit by typhoons, often from July to October. Travelers planning a visit to Taiwan can receive general details about pure disaster preparedness on the Web from the U.S. The food is nice and the range is overwhelming. Most of the time you get to choose what you eat, or you possibly can recognize what you're consuming, however sometimes you don't get a selection. Carry a chocolate bar or one thing; it will preserve you going till some food that you can acknowledge turns up. Drink bottled or boiled water, as the faucet water is NOT secure to drink, that is for the whole of China. Even boiled water, whereas sterilised can include a whole lot of minerals and iron deposits that you just probably do not want in your system. The safest bet is to drink bottle water. Tap water in most big cities is OKAY for brushing enamel. Xinjiang: Xinjiang takes romance and writes it giant upon huge expanses of deserts and horizons. Expertise the exoticism of a nomadic way of life with camel rides across the dunes and nights below the celebs upon China's final frontier. Or trek as much as the legendary Tianshan Mountains overlooking the "Heavenly Pool." Friendly Uighur musicians can be pleased to play at Uighur-type marriage ceremony celebrations, filled with tasty meals, fresh grapes and melons, and loads of singing and dancing. A visit to Tibet is a memorable experience. It presents beautiful views. There are countless sights in Tibet which makes it a extremely popular tourist vacation spot. Lhasa, Gyantse, Shigatse, Mount Kailash, Lake Manasarova, Mount Everest, Yarlong Tsangpo River, Sera Monastery and Lake Namco are places to visit in Tibet. Forex: The official Chinese language currency is named the renminbi ('peoples money'), RMB for brief. The monetary unit is the Yuan. Hong Kong has its personal currency - the Hong Kong Dollar. The Hong Kong Dollar is pegged to the American Dollar. It is accepted in Guangzhou (Canton) and Shenzhen. One other international travel warning is to beware of buying coffee in China. It prices a ridiculous amount of cash. It appears there is additionally a scarcity of sugar and plastic spoons. So if you like coffee or tea in your lodge room you could want to bring your individual sugar and spoons. Lipton tea seems to be scarce too.