#mixture of cultures

[danielleurbansblog]

Review: Shahrazad's Gift

Synopsis: Shahrazad’s Gift is a collection of linked short stories set in contemporary Cairo—magical, absurd and humorous. The author focuses on the off-beat, little-known stories, far from CNN a Swedish belly dancer who taps into the Oriental fantasies of her clientele; a Japanese woman studying Arabic, driven mad by the noise and chaos of the city; a frustrated Egyptian housewife who becomes…

[chr0n1c-ag0ny]

Fyodor/Nikolai/Sigma, domestic au, but they are painfully slavic and living their best lives, is something that can be so personal.

(this post took forever cause I essentially had to make it twice. I didn't look at what blog I originally posted this to the first time round. shoot me)

[tmntkiseki]

Me when people show a genuine interest in Iseult (the OC)

[proudfreakmetarusonikku]

thinking about closeted trans girl zuko again. like she doesn’t even realise that it’s A Thing. then like katara like casually offhandedly mentions her own transition like a month after the end of the series and she’s like “you can DO that???” and katara's like ??? bc the water tribe operates under trans inclusive misogyny so she’s like “yeah??? of course???” sorry i've been in a lot of pain lately and this literally came to me in a dream and I can’t stop thinking about it it’s so funny. like does it make sense? probably not but the fake trans episode that played in my infinitely weird napping from pain dreams is stuck in my head 24/7 now.

[hordemama]

two rabbits enjoying a romantic cuddle in the "private room". Since so many space rabbit cultures and dwellings are based on the family and social interactions, it's important to have at least one private room for one or two individuals at most to escape to when things get loud and chaotic.

they're enjoying a nice snack as well! its a nasty mixture of hot melted fats and other such innards with melting stirring sticks made of blended plant matter and sweet sap.

Also, i think a lot of their language sounds like silly nonsense word and squeaks so hence the "gwah". Gwahwahwa waaaaa hoooooo like that i think

[fairesky]

𝐀𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝟏 / ∞

aztec     ruins     within     gongaga.     abandoned    for     centuries,     the     temples     in    the    jungle     now    serve     as     a    sanctuary     for     a     myriad     of     wild     creatures,     completely     overtaken    by    the    surrounding     wildlife.     they    are    explorable    yet    declared     dangerous.

[twobrokenwyngs]

me talking to @menocchio-final-final about supernatural 🤝 me talking to @trillgutterbug about the bible

[salamandersofftheclock]

Does my transgender identity conflict with Buddhism’s teachings on no-self?

by Sallie Jiko Tisdale, Narayan Helen Liebenson, and Andrew Holecek

Q: I was born male, but after many years of confusion, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m actually a transgender woman and I’m now seeking sex-reassignment surgery. As a Buddhist, I feel conflicted by the teachings on no-self and this unshakable feeling that there is a deep, hidden truth about me that I need to express. Am I wrong to embrace this sense of true self?

SALLIE JIKO TISDALE: The emptiness of the self is part of what we face in practice. It is this very emptiness that allows us to work with our karma, clarify our lives, and awaken to the truth. But becoming your most authentic self is part of it too. The Buddha advised his followers to be indifferent to their bodies, but he also taught people to use their bodies as the tools of awakening. The Buddha’s own story teaches us that extremes are not conducive to real understanding. It does us no good to be miserable, unhealthy, or at war with ourselves.

As human beings, we are always broken in some way; our existence is marked by ignorance and confusion. Over time, we come to accept the karma of our birth, the gifts and challenges we have inherited. We strive to become whole, to find those parts of the self that need attention and support. We become willing not only to accept our karma but also to dance with it—to risk vulnerability, to examine our tender places, to be uncomfortable, and finally to stand up for ourselves and say, “This is who I am.”

As you say, you sense a “deep, hidden truth” about yourself and you need to express it. Everyone feels this way, I think. To one extent or another, we are longing to be seen and recognized as we secretly know ourselves to be. We struggle to find congruence between our inner experience and our outer relationships. So we work to bring the physical body and our appearance into congruence with the felt self—through our clothing, how we wear our hair, how we speak and stand, whom we choose as friends and peers.

Each of us has genitals, but they do not determine gender. Our gender—male, female, or intersexual—includes such disparate forces as genetics, family, and culture. The source of transgender identity is mysterious because we don’t understand how all these forces work together. But the incongruence you feel is not that uncommon. I would advise only that this felt identity is not your “true self.” The Buddhist true self is much more than our phenomenal existence. That self is not dependent on the physical body, intellect, spiritual practice, or relationship; it cannot be obstructed by anything phenomenal.

What you describe is what I think of as the “authentic self,” the urge to live in this world in the most whole way possible. For some of us, it might mean braces or a different haircut; for others, it may mean monastic robes and a shaved head. For a certain number of people, it will require gender-reassignment surgery. So yes, embrace your authentic self completely. If that means you need to make some practical adjustments, you will have plenty of company.

NARAYAN HELEN LIEBENSON: The teaching of anatta does not say there is no self; it states that nothing conditional can be pointed to as being who or what you are. Given that no aspect of being can be identified with in any kind of continuous, independent sense, to me, teachings of compassion and loving-kindness can be your north star.

You don’t mention pain, but it’s hard to imagine that you’ve made this decision lightly and without any degree of angst. This pull you feel to live as you know yourself to be is a matching of your inner reality with the outer situation in which you live. What could be wrong with that? Accepting yourself as you are and being a true friend to yourself is an essential aspect of this path of inner liberation.

I see the problem as the conflict between what you know and what you have heard in the teachings. The question is, by manifesting differently in this world, can you live the teachings more fully? I would assume so, because after surgery, you will not live in ongoing conflict or feel a sense of separation between the gender you know yourself to be and the way others relate to you. Free from the idea of a fixed, continuous, independent “I,” there’s tremendous freedom possible in the flowering and flexibility of all things.

ANDREW HOLECEK: My heart goes out to you. Matters of identity at any level are wrenching. But fortunately, the challenges are also in direct proportion to the potential for transformation—the greater the obstacle, the greater the opportunity. Your question is a marvelous opportunity to explore the relationship between absolute and relative truth, both of which need to be honored to fully address the issues you express. We find our way to the absolute through the relative, not by dismissing it—your courage in facing yourself so honestly at this relative level can take you far along the path.

To become a buddha (the absolute), we first have to become fully human (the relative). We then might discover that to be fully human is to be a buddha (the inseparability of relative and absolute). One thread that connects these two stations along the path is maitri, or loving-kindness toward oneself. So first and foremost, be kind to yourself, which in itself is transformative.

If the Buddha were here, he would want you to be happy. If becoming a woman truly makes you happy, he would encourage that. But he might also suggest that your longing for change points to something even deeper, as your question itself implies. So while it’s important to honor the relative, the strength of Buddhism lies in its teachings on the absolute. That’s the perspective I want to emphasize.

Your question suggests to me that you’re homesick for the absolute, and that homesickness is expressing itself in this relative way. This is not to dismiss your desire to find a true form but to help you put it in perspective. Sex reassignment could be just one step toward the recovery of the “true self” you’re looking for.

In many ways, this is the central inquiry of the spiritual journey. Ramana Maharshi developed an entire path based on the question “Who am I?” Not knowing the answer is the source of all our suffering; discovering it is the basis of our liberation.

Until we wake up to who we really are, we’re all victims of a primordial identity theft. You originally thought you were a man, only to find you’re actually a woman. Good for you. You’re looking within and trying to recover a truer identity. But the finite cannot contain the infinite; if we identify with that form, it will always feel like something is missing.

How can you work with the absolute level? Even as you move forward with your surgery, when the thought comes up that you’re a woman—or a man—try to identify with the space between those thoughts. Let those thoughts come and go like clouds floating through the open sky. You’re the sky. Take refuge in that. From that open perspective, you will relate to whatever arises in your heart and mind properly and no longer lose yourself in any form. So abandon even the concept that “My thoughts are me.”

Take your unshakeable feeling that there is a deeper truth and use it to propel you toward that truth. That feeling is beautiful. Let your choice and your questions serve as catalysts for deeper investigation. Once you properly identify yourself as no-self, you will naturally express that selflessness as compassion and fulfill your longing—in any form. That’s when you’ll really shine.

[writerfae]

Since you talked a lot about Talon's family I got curious. What is the relation between kings/ queens, high lords and guards. I know guards are really respected, but I also heard you mention that Talon's his father's heir, but he is a guard and his dad's a high lord?

I hope this question makes sense

This question makes lots of sense! Let me (try to) explain.

In every court, there is one royal family. This royal family has been there since the beginning and always provides the king/queen/regent of a court.

But each court also has noble families. The leaders of those noble families are called high lords/ladies. So a high lord is simply the head of a noble family.

It’s a position you inherit, which is why one of the high lord/lady’s children gets raised as an heir. Once the current high lord/lady retires/dies, their heir takes over the family business.

Now you might wonder what a high lord/lady is there for. Except for keeping their own family running.

For that you should know that since fae courts are pretty big, they are divided into districts (usually six) and each of those districts have a noble family as their “patron”.

So basically, what a high lord/lady does is manage “their” district. Mediating neighborhood quarrels, deal with people’s requests and pass them on to the king if they see it necessary. Stuff like that.

And lastly there is the royal guard. The guard is a group of people under the regents command, whose job it is to serve the crown and the people at court.

There’s different departments but in general their task is to keep the order, help with emergencies and protect the people if necessary, among other things.

A guard is something you can train to be. Unlike the position of a high lord/lady it’s nothing you get born as or can inherit. Nowadays everyone could become guard if they make it through the start test and the training.

High lords and ladies, together with the generals of the royal guard, are part of the “inner circle” of a regent, while guards (though they are highly reputable) are a whole different instance in a court’s system.

I hope I didn’t confuse you so far. Now to apply this all to Talon’s family:

Talon was born into a noble family. (Which kinda makes him a lord, just like Halea, as the daughter of a noble family, is a lady)

His father, Cyrus, is a high lord, so the head of the family (the patriarch of you will). His “job” is to care for the family and the people of the district he patrons.

Talon actively chose the guard career, so this is his “job” now, you could say. But he’s not just a guard, he is also his father’s heir.

That means that one day he’ll most likely have to retire as a guard and take his father’s place as the head of the family and become the new high lord.

But for now he’s just a guard. Well, technically still a guard in training, but let’s not be too nitpicky xD

I hope this answers your question! ^^

[tinta--branca--art]

I took my sweet time playing through @diasporatheblog these past few months and finally brought myself to finish it yesterday (so sad it's over sobs)

[monty-glasses-roxy]

Hey wait a second. Sign languages originate from Deaf communities all around the world. Like, there's pockets of unique sign languages everywhere that aren't spoken outside of that little village or town or corner of the city and bigger ones for regions and countries, but they all originated from the Deaf community.

So like. If one of the guys in Sewerhell go deaf, doesn't that mean they'd have their own language?

EDIT WHILE THIS IS STILL IN MY QUEUE: I forgot they're preprogrammed to know two or three of the major sign languages.

But ya know what? It would still evolved and develop with them, wouldn't it? Maybe the different sign languages merge a bit, maybe they come up with their own signs for things they don't have words for and maybe sign names become more common the more animatronics lose their hearing for whatever reason. And of course for anyone with voice box damage or anyone that might be selectively mute or struggle communicating vocally for any reason.

Which now that I think about it, Bella (the first Roxy) could probably benefit from that a lot given she does have issues with her speech. Nothing that would make it impossible to communicate, (I can't decide on what, but currently she speaks rather slow, has a stammer and her word order is sometimes a bit off but that's subject to change) but she could use sign language as well to navigate some conversations easier?

I dunno I'll have to look into that one some more. This is probably the one thing I've looked into the least so far (can't seem to find a lot in it but I'm working on it) so uhh sorry if any of that is worded poorly

But anyway, yeah fuck uhhh Sewerhell has its own developing sign language I guess! These guys just get cooler and cooler I swear lmao

[where-dreamers-go]

I'm sixteen pages into The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm and I've already given my sister @ivorydragoness44 so much commentary. 😅

[fandom-space-princess]

spent the morning tentatively constructing an essay in my head about the differences between Golden Age and New Wave science fiction and their conflicting approaches to the concepts of utopia and cultural perfection. and then realized that it's yet another thing I'm happier daydreaming about than actually writing. alas.

[groovytimes]

I am different. I don’t even need to say it out loud.

[privateolives]

When media only represented lgbt people as sassy and promiscuous, everyone cried for more wholesome stories. Now that the norm is wholesome falling in love stories, people are demanding kinks again.

Girl, your enemy isn't one or the other. Your enemy is The Single Narrative and pretending that either representation is Bad is a fool's game.

Just because something is more prevalent at the moment doesn't make it inherently bad. It's perfectly good to represent that parts of the experience. We just need to recognise that we need to start diversifying our stories when one particular narrative starts becoming too prevalent, instead of declaring one thing Bad Representation and going into the exact opposite camp to show how Not That we are. If that's the only attitude we have, then we risk making this new Opposite the only new narrative.

Prevalent depictions tend to come in waves of reactions to things happening in society but also very much in relation to previous depictions. You see this not just inside LGBT narratives but also in media representation of racial stereotypes, focus on masculine and feminen tendencies in fashion history, etc.

Lately though, I've been seeing posts getting more and more hostile towards the Previous Representation as if it's that experience's fault for existing - such as lgbt people who "pass straight" vs "incredibly queercoded", narratives of people who want to heal troubled family relations and a general tendency for creative work (especially in writing prompts) to just take one trope and inverting it, then calling that the peak of creativity, even when there's not necesarrily any bottomline thought to what this new story is trying to say beyond "being the opposite".

That's not to say any one person who wants to try turning tropes on their heads are inherently Problematic or anything of the sort, but it's worth examining if one representation makes that representation inherently problematic, or just in need of more diversity.

More diversity than just pointing at the opposite camp and making that the new norm until we're all sick to death of that one. Lest we just repeat the same cycle without creating actual diverse representation; Or even worse, start creating the idea that the beautiful, multi-faceted experience that is the LGBT community as a whole just falls into new binaries of experiences than just sex and preference.

[madtomedgar]

Paul Hollywood turn on your location I just wanna talk