#my health and your in-restaurant meals are not of equal value | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

purplesurveys · 4 years ago

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1055

surveys by lets-make-surveys

1 - Surveys aside, do you use Tumblr for any other reason? Not anymore. I used to have a main blog, but it’s been years since I opened it; this is it (excuse the bad word in the URL lol, I thought it made me look like an edgy teen) but as I got older I used it less and less frequently until I no longer remember the password to log back in. These days I stay on Tumblr precisely because no one really uses it anymore, so it’s the perfect spot to hide this blog in.

2 - Do you have a lot of social media accounts? Do you update them all regularly? Depends on what you mean by a lot; I have all the basic ones - Twitter, IG, Facebook, YouTube, hell I still even have my Snapchat alive lol but I haven’t used it in like three years. I use YouTube the most but I don’t update it per se, like I just use it to watch videos. Facebook I’ve used a lot less often since the breakup, but I’ve shared a handful of posts since September. I’m probably on Twitter the most, but even then my usage hasn’t been the same.

3 - Does it bother you when your socks don’t match? What about your underwear? I don’t care for either situation, especially for underwear. Why would I care about something no one is ever going to see and even think about?

4 - How many times a year do you go on vacation? Do you tend to go to the same places each time? My family plans at least two trips, at least in non-Covid circumstances. We will sometimes repeat provinces but we never repeat hotels or sites, and we seldom repeat cities. The only places I remember visiting more than once are Baguio, Tagaytay, Albay, Subic, and Baler.

5 - How many times did it take you to pass your driving test? Just one. I could not afford to fuck it up; I was at the LTO for 8 hours and was not willing to go through that shitty long wait, so I absolutely had to pass that exam and do my best with the shitty car I had to work with.

6 - When you’re in trouble, do your parents ever “middle name” you? Nah they never used my whole name. My mom’s trademark is to add an -ah sound to my name when I’ve done something wrong though, as in Robina lol. That’s a sign I should know I shouldn’t have done what I did, whatever it is.

7 - Which family member do you look like the most? Which one do you resemble the most in terms of personality? People are always shocked to hear my mom is actually my mom and not my sister, because 1) we look very much alike, and 2) she looks young for her age. As for my personality, I’d say I’m a perfect split of my mom and dad. I exhibit an equal amount of traits they both have and I can’t tell which one I act like more.

8 - Have you ever been arrested? Never.

9 - Do you prefer Apple or Android? Apple. Would rather pay more than be stuck with an interface, camera, and emojis that I personally don’t like.

10 - Does getting sweaty or dirty bother you at all? If so, has it ever put you off doing exercise? I don’t sweat a lot, so I really do hate it when I feel beads of sweat on my temples or when the back of my shirt starts to feel damp. It doesn’t have anything to do with my feelings about exercising; I don’t like working out, period.

11 - Have you ever broken a bone? What were the circumstances that led to this happening? Never happened, hope it never happens.

12 - If you could change one thing about your appearance, what would it be? I wish I didn’t get the hairy gene so that I didn’t have to shave too much; my hair to be a little livelier and bouncier; and my front teeth to be straighter.

13 - When was the last time your computer crashed or froze? is this something that happens often? It must’ve been around a month ago. It just got too busy, so it froze for a few seconds. My laptop’s a trooper and doesn’t crash/freeze a lot.

14 - Do you ever have problems with your sleep? It’s mid-sleep I’ve been having issues with; I get nightmares almost every night. I don’t have a problem falling asleep as I’m able to do so pretty quickly.

15 - What was the last thing you ate for breakfast? Is this a normal breakfast meal for you? Angel sent over a small box of chocolate chip cookies as a Christmas gift so I’ve been enjoying that :) I’m currently having it with warm coffee. My normal breakfast is no breakfast, so this is a treat for me. Before this I also had to eat my leftover Chapaghetti that I couldn’t finish last night.

16 - Have you ever thought about how you want to spend your retirement? That has not come to mind a lot, actually. I think more about death than I do my retirement...but this question tells me I should probably take a few steps back. I’d simply love to live in comfort with the person I end up growing old with. For now, that’s all I see myself wanting.

17 - When was the last time you got a new tattoo or piercing? Do you have any plans to get either in the future? A little less than 22 years ago; my mom had my ears pierced when I was a few months old. Haven’t gotten any new ones, nor tattoos, since. I’d love to have a couple of tattoos. Some of my ideas are two pawprints for each of my dogs, a plate of nachos, and lyrics that are personally meaningful.

18 - How would you describe your personality? Oof, what a loaded question. Hmm, I guess I’d generally label myself as hardened until I get close with someone? I’ve always kept a wall up and as friendly and extroverted as I can be, I don’t enjoy letting just anyone in. I value my personal and private space, and it’s important that I don’t lose it.

From another angle, I also like to keep doing nice things for other people, even at the expense of my own happiness and comfort. I have to keep making people happy to keep me pleased with myself and the world. Maybe it’s rooted in the fact that I’m the eldest daughter in an Asian family? Idrk, but all I know is that I’ve never had a problem putting other people first.

19 - Have you ever heard of “hygge”? is this something you enjoy or participate in at all? I have no idea what this is and I’ve never come across this word before.

20 - What colour was the last vehicle you travelled in? Does this vehicle belong to you or someone else? White. It’s the car that was given to me for college, but when all is said and done it’s not mine.

21 - Would you describe yourself as healthy? Why or why not? In some senses yes, in other senses no. I don’t exercise or actively watch my diet, and I certainly eat too much junk; so proactively speaking, I’m not super healthy. But generally, my gene pool has been pretty fortunate with health. Other than heart conditions that run in certain branches of the family, we’re relatively a healthy bunch.

22 - Would you describe yourself as messy or organised? Is this something you would like to change? It’s a balance of both. I’m very organized at work so I allow myself to let go in my personal space, like my closet and car. I do clean up from time to time and I still like my space to be neat, but I’m not as neurotic as I normally would be with my workspace.

23 - Do you miss anything about being a teenager? If you are a teenager, what’s your favourite thing about it? The innocence. It was a period of being ideal, being a dreamer, being as romantic about life as I wanted to be. It was also a period where you were allowed to make mistakes, because fucking up when you’re younger lets you off the hook. These are the biggest things I miss, but I don’t really find myself pining for my teenage days. I still like where I am, even if things are realistically a little duller in adulthood.

24 - Are you patriotic at all? Why/why not? No. It’s hard to be when your country is shit.

25 - Have you ever had to wear a white lab coat before? Was this in school or for a job? Yeah we had lab coats in Lab class in high school, but they were green. We also needed safety goggles, and if I remember correctly if we had neither of these things we had to sit outside and skip out on the session.

26 - Would you ever want to do the same career(s) as your parents? I can see myself going down somewhere in the secretarial path like my mom as I’m good at organizing things and keeping internal affairs in order, but I don’t know if I would find it fulfilling. But in general, I wouldn’t want to be in the hotel and restaurant industry. I don’t have any attachments to it and I’ve always felt like I belonged in media and communications.

27 - Do you believe in aliens? Is there a reason why (or why not)? Yes. For the most part, it’s more comforting to think and believe that we’re not the only beings around.

28 - Which animated film would you most like to live in? Does it have to be a film? I’d love to be in the Fairly OddParents universe and have fairy godparents of my own.

29 - When was the last time you got into an argument? Have you made up with that person yet? Gab. I don’t know. She’s ignoring me.

30 - What are you going to do now this survey is over? Take another one.

1 - Have you ever had your computer or e-mail hacked? Did anything bad happen as a result? No but I had bad viruses on all of my Windows laptops before. The worst virus I got involved my laptop typing out some long-ass Vietnamese paragraphs for me at the most random times. It was like a horror movie lmao. Every time I Googled the text I never got any leads from it, so I never knew what it meant or what the virus was.

2 - Do you prefer the company of people or animals? I don’t really have a preference when it comes to these two because their companionships are individually different. I like that animals can be playful and sweet; but I also like cracking jokes and having meaningful conversations with people.

3 - Are you a religious person? Were you raised in that faith or did you discover it a later date in life? I was born and raised Catholic, and still legally am. I never saw the appeal of the idea of being saved or of reading the Bible or anything that has to do with Christianity; and the idea of praying was weird to me even from childhood. A lot of Christians/Catholics I know are hypocrites anyway, and to me that says a lot about their mindset when it comes to religion.

4 - When was the last time you went to the beach? What did you do there? August 2019. My friends and I had a day trip to Nasugbu so we could have some fun before the semester started; we mostly swam and caught up with one another. August is a low season so we literally had the beach, the pool, and the poolside bar to ourselves.

5 - With all the COVID restrictions in place, would you feel happy/comfortable travelling abroad right now? Why/why not? I’d be happy, but not comfortable because of the swab test I would have to take hahaha. The selfish part of me is itching to go to other places already. I know my parents would put a million roadblocks to keep me from getting on a plane though, so me traveling is purely theoretical.

6 - How would you describe your dress sense? I like wearing flattering pieces but nothing too flashy or bright. I get items that are currently in style and make sure they match with the rest of my wardrobe, but at the end of the day I still like to blend in with the crowd and avoid neon colors, flashy labels, or whatever it is that would make me stand out.

7 - Do you wait until the sales start before you buy non-essential items? I never really pay attention to sales. It’s led to some pleasant surprises, like the other day when I was looking for a gift for my aunt. There was an H&M purse that caught my eye and it was so pretty, but way above my budget. I decided to get it anyway because that aunt throws amazing Christmas parties over the years and gives us lots of money, so I thought it could would be my way of giving back (especially since her company got hit hard by Covid). Once I got to the cashier the register showed it was like 60% off, even though there were no stickers on it and there was zero promotion anywhere in the store.

8 - What kind of milk do you prefer to drink (if you drink it at all)? I don’t drink milk, but I’m able to consume it in other dishes. I haven’t tried any types other than whole milk.

9 - Do you prefer blonde hair or brunette hair on your preferred sex? I don’t have preferences when it comes to hair color. We’re not really conditioned to consider this factor, since Filipinos have black hair.

10 - Would you be embarrassed to own the same clothing as one of your parents? No. I borrow stuff from my mom all the time. My sister also borrows some of my dad’s t-shirts, at least the ones that can fit her.

11 - When was the last time you wore some kind of fancy dress? Like...a gown? I’m not too sure. It must’ve been Alena’s debut three years ago since that’s the last fancy party I went to.

12 - Do you enjoy dressing up (ie. in suits or smart clothing)? When was the last time you did so? I like dressing up and making myself look cute, but dressing up formally not so much.

13 - What’s worse - being overdressed or underdressed? Personally, underdressed. I’d rather look too prepared than looking as if I didn’t care to look decent for whatever event I’m headed to.

14 - What do you think would be the worst thing about being stuck in solitary confinement? Not having any options or activities to do.

15 - Have you ever owned an unusual or exotic pet? Would you want to? Nope. I would not want to have one. Unusual pet is just a euphemism for animals that shouldn’t be pets.

16 - How old were you when you learned to tie your shoelaces? I was 5 and had to learn it for a test in kindergarten.

17 - Do you enjoy decorating for the holidays? Sure, it makes me feel festive :)

18 - Would you rather go into a restaurant or just go via the drive-through? These days it’s more wise to use the drive-thru, but to be frank I’ve missed dining in. I would opt for the restaurant but make sure to follow safety protocols in the area.

19 - Do you like having your teeth cleaned at the dentist? I’ve actually always found trips to the dentist soothing, even as a kid. The only time I ever really freaked out was when I went last year to have a tooth removed and I was told that I needed an anaesthesia shot on my gums; even then, I didn’t even feel anything when it finally happened.

20 - Have you ever had a gun drawn on you before? Maybe? My cousins and friends and I doodled on each other a lot as kids.

21 - When was the last time you went to a petting zoo? I’ve never been to one and idk if I can go to one.

22 - Do you bite your nails? Could you physically bite your toenails if you stretched enough? Sometimes I’ll gnaw at my nails and then scrape them off. I’ve found it more satisfying than biting them all the way off. I could definitely bite my toenails, but I choose not to.

23 - How old were you when you first started using Tumblr? Have you had the same blog all that time? It wasssssss 2010, so I was 11 at the time. Nah, I deactivated that blog only after a year of using it and then I shifted to a wrestling blog.

24 - Are you a fan of practical jokes? If I’m watching celebrities pull it on another celebrities, yeah. Most of the time I get anxious that the recipient would react negatively, so I don’t watch a lot of pranks.

25 - How many years older and younger than you would you consider dating? Is this a concrete thing or would you make an exception for the right person? It will still depend on the latter condition, of course; but theoretically I would like to keep seeing people my exact age. No more and no less than the year 1998. Growing up with relatives in such close age to me makes me feel like I’d be dating an older cousin if it was someone a year older, and my sister if it was someone a year younger.

26 - Who did you vote for in the last US elections? If you’re not in the US, who would you have voted for? I don’t live in the US; I would have voted for Biden.

27 - Are you a fan of reddit? What are some of your favourite subreddits? Sure. I don’t visit it as much as I used to, but I still go on there when I’m bored and in need of entertaining or educational content. r/AskReddit is a classic fave of mine, but I also go on r/interestingasfuck, r/todayilearned, r/mildlyinteresting, r/dataisbeautiful, r/SquaredCircle, and r/goodmythicalmorning. Sometimes I’ll visit the r/AmItheAsshole sub as well to have some fun lol.

28 - Have you ever watched those YouTube videos of people popping their own spots or zits? Do you find them gross or fascinating? Not those, but I’ve looked up earwax extractions and blackhead removals before.

29 - What’s a food you hated as a kid but love now? How about vice versa? Chicken curry is probably my best example because I’m obsessed with all kinds of curry now, whether it’s Indian butter chicken, Thai green curry, or Japanese curry. I didn’t understand the complex flavors as a kid, but I’m got to appreciate more and more as I got older.

30 - Do you prefer socks, shoes or going bare foot? Idk, I feel like all these choices are useful and convenient in their own different situations? I’m barefoot when I’m at home but put on socks when it’s chilly, and I wear shoes when I’m outdoors.

#survey #surveys

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keelywolfe · 5 years ago

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FIC: The Elephant in the Room ch.4 (baon)

Summary: Jeff has started working at the Embassy. He’s got a new job, a new car, and a new place to live. Now if only the rest of his life could fall into order, that’d be great. Any time now…any time at all…

Tags: Spicyhoney, Kustard, Established Relationships, Prejudice Against Monsters, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Mentions of Past Suicidal Thoughts, Mental Health Issues, Friendship

Notes: Jeff is headed home after his chat with Red, and there is so much that he doesn’t understand. But he’s starting to see why no one goes looking for Red, (whose other name is chaos).

Part of the ‘by any other name’ series.

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Read it on AO3

Read it here!

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By the time Jeff left the Embassy, most of the rush hour traffic had rushed on home, so it was a fairly easy drive to New New Home. Even the traffic lights seemed to be on his side, winking to green before he even tapped the brake. Everything was going his way, so it was a damn shame that his inner turmoil was really starting to rev up in speed.

Somehow now that his professional and personal life were getting it together, his love life was the thing falling apart and it didn’t make any damn sense. It wasn’t anything he could put a finger on, even. After a year of trying to figure out his place in, well, everywhere, it felt like things were on a good track. Not that he’d enjoyed getting stabbed to get there, but hell with it, if the gift horse was a little rough with the delivery, Jeff wasn’t going to argue with the outcome.

And now, he and Antwan were seeing each other more than ever, though that might be because of proximity more than anything. Antwan came over nearly every day after work, much to Blue’s rapturous delight. He’d stay for dinner and they’d all chat about their day, what was happening at the Embassy, new policies they were working on, hell, even taking a side track into what movies they wanted to see. It was like…like a family dinner, only one Jeff enjoyed, not like when he was a kid where they all sat silently at the large, mahogany table that his parents got years ago as a wedding gift, trying to eat as quickly as possible so he could escape. In the evening, they all might watch some television, Antwan working on his laptop if there was a big case coming up, or sometimes, he’d put his arms around Jeff and simply hold him, big and warm and right there. On those nights, Jeff sometimes secretly closed his eyes, the better to feel him with, my dear. Netflix would always be there, he needed to get his snuggle fix when he could. Antwan would either stay the night, since Jeff finally had a bed that could fit two fully grown humans and not barely most of one, or they’d drive over to sleep at Antwan’s place. Where they slept seemed to depend mostly on whether they were having sex or not, and maybe they’d started this with dinner and blowjobs, but Antwan wasn’t fussing about not getting laid every night. On the nights they stayed in Jeff’s bed, they curled up together and slept, the blankets pulled up around them in a comfy, secret world that Jeff wanted to stay in as long as he could.

Or, well, at least for the night. Because waking up in Antwan’s arms, with the smell of coffee wafting up the stairs? Yeah, Jeff was good with that. The first few days or so after he’d gotten out of the hospital, Jeff had been really worried; Antwan hadn’t seemed himself, but considering how fucked up that whole situation had been from the gate to the front door, maybe he should be happy Antwan had only seemed as odd as he had. Whatever his problem was, he seemed to have gotten past it and the last few weeks seemed like a little patch of heaven So, what the hell just happened in his office?

Jeff always figured Antwan and Red were friends of some sort; every Wednesday the two of them went out to the bar together, but that was definitely not a friendly bar-mate vibe he got today.

Not with Red sitting behind his desk, dressed like he might be called in to play the lead in West Side story at any moment and Antwan glaring at him like he was on the rival gang’s side.

It’d hurt a little when Antwan sort of dismissed him out the door, but that was easy enough to let go. The way he’d refused to take his eyes off Red made Jeff think a little of Edge, the way he looked around them now when they were all out in public.

Gone were the easy days of leaving Chinese restaurants without a care; now when they went down sidewalks, Edge tended to act like he was in threat assessment mode, and that was exactly how Antwan looked at Red. Stretch might be confident enough to ignore it, snatching up Edge’s hand to hold or pestering him with puns, but Jeff wasn’t quite so certain. Especially since Red wasn’t some random Human with a knife; he was a guy who showed up Thanksgiving dinner and movie nights, who Antwan shared drinks with almost week..

Better to let the two of them deal with their problems on their own. He hoped.

Jeff pulled into the driveway next to Blue’s Volkswagen, and he’d barely turned off the car when his phone buzzed with a text alert. The number came up as unknown, but even if his phone didn’t recognize the sender, Jeff did. hey, handy andy. think you can meet with me tomorrow, talk a little bit more about your pal steve Interesting. As anxiety-inducing as Red was, Jeff got a little thrill to think he might be able to actually help. Remembering that day last year on the bus, Stretch’s fear as that guy screamed at him. Thinking of Edge’s wary gaze while they were in Ebott. If he could help keep any Monster from feeling the same, even one, Jeff was all for it. He walked up the sidewalk to the door, past the flowerbeds on either side. Blue’s decorations were for a more subtle autumn, a little like he imagined someone’s grandma might have. Not exactly the same as the Halloween displays Stretch put up, weird to think those two were brothers. Jeff sure didn’t mind walking into a house that smelled like apple pie and cinnamon rather than his old place that always smelled a little like wet feet.

With the open floor plan, Jeff could see the dining room from the doorway and Blue was already laying out plates and silverware. “There you are,” Blue scolded before he even took off his shoes. “I was just about to text you.” It made Jeff have to hold back a smile. Having someone worrying about him wasn’t exactly something he was familiar with, not for a long time. He thought maybe he wouldn’t mind getting used to it. Blue was setting the table for three because Antwan almost always came over for dinner. Sometimes straight from work even if he wasn’t quite finished, and he’d have to leave the table to answer his phone, which made Blue tut and shake his head. He kept it to disapproving glances for Antwan, but Jeff’s gotten a couple of earfuls from Blue about how Antwan and Edge both worked too long and too hard, and needed to spend more time with family. Not that Antwan had any family close by, but Jeff figured the sentiment was nice. “Sorry, I should’ve called,” Jeff said contritely. Blue flapped a hand at him, already moving on. One thing about Blue that he’d learned quickly was that he didn’t hold a grudge. “No need to apologize! Dinner’s almost ready.” Which was certain to be delicious, based on every other meal he’d had since moving in.

If asked, Jeff wouldn’t be able to tell which of the skeleton family was a better cook. Partly because he valued his life; there an odd sort of tension between Blue and Edge that Jeff couldn’t help noticing, and adding another rivalry would probably be bad for the world. But also because frankly, their food was equally delicious. It was only different. Blue made homier meals that made Jeff think of small ma and pa diners, while Edge made an eclectic variety that wouldn’t be out of place at some hipster hole in the wall. Nobody was asking for his opinion yet and Jeff wasn’t about to offer. He wanted to keep enjoying the spoils of their labors, thanks, even if he would have to start getting up for morning runs. A knock at the door made them look up and the door opened before either of them could answer it. To Jeff’s surprise, it wasn’t Antwan but Stretch, offering them a lopsided grin and a wave. “Papy!” Blue moved in a blur that matched his namesake and Stretch was already kneeling down, pulling his brother into a tight embrace. “hey, bro,” Stretch gave him a clacking kiss on top of his skull, and Jeff had to look away, faint tears prickling. He’d always gotten the feeling that Stretch and Blue butted heads a lot, with a laundry list of issues between them. None of that seemed to affect how much they cared about each other and big hugs were the norm. Less so was Stretch standing with his brother balanced on one arm, waddling over to rope Jeff into a three-way hug. “heya, andy, how’s tricks?” “I haven’t come up with any new ones since I saw you this morning,” Jeff said, with an attempt at dryness. He didn’t really succeed, not with Blue snuggling in on one side and Stretch on the other, but eh, he wasn’t about to manage Edge’s Sahara-levels anyway. The kitchen timer going off put a quick end to it and Blue squirmed down, dashing off to the kitchen. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, but what are you doing here?” Jeff asked curiously. Stretch had come over a couple times for dinner after Jeff moved in, but usually on Wednesday when Edge was gone for the evening. “not sure,” Stretch admitted. “red sent me a text, told me i should come down and watch the show, and i haven’t done anything phenomenally stupid lately, so i figured i was due.” “Listening to Red is phenomenally stupid?” Stretch shrugged, “it’s bad for life expectancy, for sure.” “Papy, don’t you dare use that in the house,” Blue said the moment the kitchen door opened. The bony hand that was stealthy creeping towards Stretch’s hoodie pocket froze and slid guiltily away, “sorry, bro. habit.” “I don’t see how Edge allows you to vape in the house, anyway, I—“ Blue visibly caught himself and cleared his throat, “but of course, it’s his house. Are you staying for dinner?” “wouldn’t have come over at dinnertime if i wasn’t,” Stretch said easily. He straddled one of the dining room chairs, ignoring his brother’s fussing about sitting properly, honestly, Papy! Jeff only watched, bemused. He wasn’t sure what show Red wanted Stretch to watch, but this one never failed to amuse. Any time Blue said anything remotely like a slight against Edge, Stretch’s version of a punishment was being a passive-aggressive annoyance. It made him wonder if Blue actually knew exactly what Stretch was doing and simply accepted it as his due. An unspoken language shared between brothers. His phone buzzing again made Jeff frown and he looked down. It was an unknown number again. can you meet me in the cafeteria at noon? He didn’t think that would be a problem and texted back a quick affirmative. Another brisk knock at the door and it was a wonder that he hadn’t known immediately that it wasn’t Antwan the first time. Stretch’s knock was lazily rhythmic and Antwan’s a firm rap that announced his presence better than a fanfare. Not that Jeff minded; he kinda liked the forewarning, the better to appreciate Antwan when he came in. He usually came in his business suit, and yeah, that was pretty mouthwatering in a Risky Business sort of way. Better to Jeff’s way of thinking was days like today, when he stopped to change into casual clothes before coming over. Jeans and a soft pullover, and Jeff wanted to cling to him the same way that denim did. He wanted to snuggled into that pullover, breathe in his cologne and the familiar scent of his laundry detergent. He settled for a smile, widening as Antwan immediately strode over to give him a kiss. Um, okay, more like a kiss, with more enthusiasm and a hell of a lot more tongue than he usually gave for a simple hello. Not that Jeff was about to turn it down, he clung like Antwan was a life raft and he was drowning, heedless of their audience. Blue only cleared his throat and Stretch finally called, “the food is getting cold, romeo!” That wasn’t enough to stop him and Jeff knew it was rude, but he wasn’t much inclined to pull away either. Not from Antwan’s mouth, not from Antwan at all, he could stay here all night and to hell with dinner. His phone buzzing did what all the impatient huffs behind them didn’t. Antwan finally pulled away with a last, soft kiss, whispering to Jeff, “Is that important?” “It’s probably just Red again,” he whispered back. And, okay, maybe he’d said it deliberately, a test of sorts, but he couldn’t tell if Antwan’s expression was passing or failing from the way he scowled irritably. “What the hell does he want?” “Security stuff,” Jeff shrugged. Some of Stretch’s pettiness might be rubbing off on him because he left it at that, glancing at the text. scratch that, why don’t we go out to lunch. less chance of being overheard Sure, Jeff texted back. He gave Antwan’s sulky mouth a last peck and went into the dining room. The table was laden with a large casserole dish with rich gravy still bubbling, a basket filled with fluffy biscuits and a variety of vegetable side dishes. Stretch was already filling his plate, moaning his delight at the biscuits while Blue sat squirming with obvious happiness. In Jeff’s experience, all the skeletons liked to feed people, the ones who cooked most of all, and Jeff was more than happy to do his part for them. Conversation was put on hold in exchange for eating and for long moments there was only forks scraping plates and hums of appreciation. It wasn’t until they were on seconds that Blue spoke up to ask, “So, Jeff, what was it you needed to see Red about today that was so important?” “Um,” Jeff kept his gaze on his plate, because if he looked at Stretch, there was no doubt his friend would guess immediately. He couldn’t be sure that Stretch wouldn’t appreciate him meddling, he could be really moody about anyone being overprotective. If he was going to tell him, Jeff preferred it to be the only two of them rather than having Blue and Antwan laser-gazing him down. His phone buzzing saved him from answering. He started to reach for it and hesitated; he didn’t really want to be quite as passive aggressive as Stretch. “Oh, go ahead,” Blue sighed. “Antwan lives on his phone whether or not we’re at the table, anyway.” Normally, that would get a smart remark, maybe a little pointed sarcasm that making sure people weren’t stuck in jail was more important than dessert, but Antwan only watched mutely as Jeff checked the message. italian? mexican? I like Thai better, Jeff sent back and set his phone aside. “well?” Stretch asked, lazily amused. “what did red want this time?” “What makes you think it was Red?” Jeff hedged. “oh, no, don’t even try, you do not want to play this game with me, i’m way better than you are,” Stretch leaned back in his chair, grinning. “Try what?” Jeff said, purely innocent. “what did the little gremlin waaaaant,” Stretch sang out. “what did he want, what did he want, what did he want—“ “Papy, Jeff doesn’t need to tell us his personal business,” Blue said primly. As if his starry eye lights weren’t blown wide with curiosity, the traitor. “maybe jeff doesn’t, but andy is dying to say. c’mon, spill.” “He wanted to know if I liked Mexican or Italian,” Jeff admitted. “pfft, whatever,” Stretch sniffed, a pretty remarkable feat without a nose, “a true friend would know you’re not keen on either. too much from the tomato branch of the nightshade family.” “I can’t really say I like eating from any other branch related to nightshade, either.”

“You love mashed potatoes,” Blue pointed out. “give eggplant a try,” Stretch added, “edge makes a great—“ “Why is Red inviting you out for lunch,” Antwan burst out. That irritation from earlier seemed like a minor glitch in the Matrix compared to now. Visibly flustered, nothing of the cool, competent lawyer showing. “Security reasons.” Jeff said again. He didn’t want to make Antwan mad, but, damn if something about this wasn’t a little thrilling. Dangerously so, Jeff wasn’t great at playing with fire, he might be getting burned if he kept it up. But for now, Antwan was glaring at him and Jeff only looked back serenely. He could go to lunch with anyone he wanted, thank you, even so-called gremlins. “lunch. in-ter-esting,” Stretch drawled. He slanted a sly glance at Antwan. “didn’t red invite you? you guys should be a package deal, right?” Okay, that made Jeff wince, a little too pointed. But Antwan stepped up to the plate and swung, saying, “Is that how it’s supposed to be? Because you haven’t attended many of the lunches Edge and I have.” Stretch’s grin sharpened; looked like Antwan hit a home run. “touché. you’re probably right, anyway. i mean, you never come hang out when me and andy grab some nosh.” “Yeah, because I trust you,” Antwan said shortly. “Do you trust me?” Quietly. Because this was funny, but. Yeah. Jeff really needed to know. Something hot twisting in his chest slowly unraveled as Antwan gave him a stricken look. “Of course I do, it’s—“ A knock at the door interrupted him and Jeff needed to fight the urge to shout, ‘go away!’. This was an answer he damn well needed and he didn’t care anymore that Blue and Stretch were watching avidly. Before he could stumble over into rude, the door opened and Edge stepped in. His gaze lit on Stretch and without preamble he announced. “We’re leaving.” A chorus of protests rose, loudly from Blue and Stretch, weakly from Jeff, and not a single word from Antwan, who was looking down at his plate, his fingers pressed so hard against the table that the nail beds were blanched. Edge was unmoved, only crossed his arms over his chest. “Now, please.” “excuse me? i just got here!” Stretch grumbled. Blue looked like he’d bitten into a lemon, surely plenty of words locked behind his teeth that Jeff would hear later about Edge being too controlling, while in another minute he’d complain that Edge let Papy get away with too much. “And you’re just going,” Edge said evenly. “Neither of us are going to be party to whatever my brother is doing.” “but-” whatever Edge silently communicated made Stretch trail off. He sighed out, “yeah, okay, i’m out. sorry, guys.” “For what?” Jeff asked, bewildered. This whole thing was confusing, but he wasn’t really sorry to lose half the audience. Stretch only shrugged. “beats me, but i bet we’ll figure it out soon.” Stretch snagged his coat and slid it on. Then he stood still, smiling crookedly while Edge fussed over him, making sure he had the hood up against the evening chill. A last wave and he was out the door, Edge at his heels and the last glance Edge gave Antwan was so incongruous on his angular face at first Jeff didn’t recognize it for what it was. Helpless apology and whether it was for Stretch, Red, or a combination of the two was anyone’s guess. “Honestly, what’s gotten into everyone!” Blue huffed out as he started gathering up plates. “Going to lunch with Red is perfectly fine, he and I go out sometimes! He’s a bit uncouth, certainly, but-“ The chime of a text sounded, but for once, it wasn’t Jeff’s. Blue broke off with surprise, hopping down to his feet and going to where his phone was set on an end table. “Maybe Papy forgot something—hm. That’s odd.” “What’s odd?” Blue frowned at the little screen. “Antwan, Red is asking me to tell you that his offer is still open?” Everything simultaneously made more and less sense. Obviously, Antwan and Red were having it out about something, and whatever offer Red had made didn’t seem to be for anything as simple as lunch.

Antwan stood abruptly with a rattle of plates and silverware. “Excuse me for a moment,” Antwan said stiffly, and he walked straight out the front door, shutting it firmly behind him. “Goodness,” Blue said. His round face was drawn up with worry. “Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.” “I’m sure it’s fine,” Jeff said slowly. He really wasn’t. “Let’s clear off the table.” By the time they were done and the leftovers neatly labeled and put away, Antwan still hadn’t come back in. Jeff wasn’t sure which way on the path to head, wait for him or not? But the tight knot of worry in his chest was giving him a lead. “I’m going to check on him.” “Yes, all right. Jeff?” Blue gave him a gentle smile. “I’m sure everything is all right.” He really wished he had Blue’s certainty. Antwan hadn’t gone far. It wasn’t quite dark yet, the sun at the crest of the horizon, but it was chilly. Antwan wasn’t wearing a coat, but he didn’t seem to notice the cold. He was sitting on the porch, smoking, the cigarette burned down almost to the butt. He flicked a glance Jeff’s way as he stepped out, but only took another wordless drag. Not inviting but not asking him to leave, so Jeff would choose his own adventure.

He stepped out, shutting the door behind him. “Stretch just quit so you’re taking it up?” Jeff teased, uncertainly. “He’s not quitting,” Antwan scoffed. “He didn’t quit the ten other times he tried. And I’m not taking it up. Quit a few years ago, but sometimes the need hits.” He took a last puff and then pinched it out. “Come here?” With one hand, he guided Jeff down to the lower step to sit between his feet, then draped his arms over Jeff’s shoulders, pulling him in before he could even start shivering. Antwan was big enough to practically wear like a blanket and Jeff snuggled in, basking in his warmth. Right here, he could be happy right here for just about forever. Except he didn’t think Antwan was quite as content, and Jeff hated to rock the boat. He’d been avoiding it from the beginning, clinging to the temporary.

But if Antwan wasn’t happy, maybe it was time to risk falling overboard. He had a home here now, friends, family. Jeff wouldn’t be alone. But, god, it was going to hurt to lose him. "What's wrong?" Jeff asked, softly. He felt Antwan inhale, long and deep, exhaled and Jeff could smell cigarettes and spicy, familiar cologne. "Edge told me once he almost lost out on everything by being an asshole,” Antwan whispered it to him, raw and low. "Please, don't let me make the mistake that he missed. Please stay with me." That…wasn’t like anything Jeff was braced to hear, and the pain in Antwan’s voice echoed in his own chest. He tried to pull away, to twist around and look at Antwan, but he refused to let go, holding tight until Jeff subsided. He could only sit on the cold step, Antwan warm behind him as Jeff blurted out, bewildered, “But I wasn't going anywhere.” “No?” Antwan settled his chin on Jeff’s shoulder, digging in a little, and he could feel as much as hear him speaking. “Baby, I don’t want you to stay because you’re afraid you don’t have anywhere else to go, either.” Jeff swallowed hard, okay, yeah, he could see how someone could think that; he was kind of needy, always wanting more, but, “I’m not. I’m really not, I swear.” “Shh,” Antwan’s arms tightened, lips brushing Jeff’s cheek. “It’s okay. Do you remember talking to me in the hospital, the day after your surgery. You might not, you were a little out of it.” “Maybe?” Antwan had been there a lot right after his surgery and Jeff’s memories of it were blurred through painkillers. Antwan nodded a little. “Do you remember telling me you love me?”

Oh. Jeff closed his eyes, squeezed them shut hard, “Antwan-“ “You don’t, do you. And you haven’t said it again, but that’s okay, because we both know I haven’t either.” Antwan sighed heavily, and his arms were strong and firm around Jeff, not letting him escape. Not pushing him away. “What kind of lover have I been that you were afraid to tell me?” “I wasn’t afraid of you!” Jeff blurted, because he couldn’t bear this, hadn’t even known Antwan was hurting and it was his fault. “But you were of how I’d react,” Antwan insisted. “Which means I’ve done a shitty job of letting you know how much I love you.” Hot tears were blurring Jeff’s vision. This…this was…“You don’t have to—“ “I do have to,” Antwan rubbed their cheeks together, stubble faintly scraping. “I do, because it’s true and I should have told you a long time ago, and now I’m losing you.” “You’re not.” A broad thumb stroked gently down the side of Jeff’s face, wiping away tears that were starting to escape from beneath his lashes. “But you don’t believe me when I say I love you and I don’t blame you. What do I have to do to make you believe?" The wet streaks on Jeff’s face were cooling in the chilly wind and he finally opened his eyes, ready to see what was in front of him. Tidy flowerbeds, the sidewalk, the road, other cookie cutter homes with their own flowers, filled with people he knew. All of New New Home, right there. Everything he’d ever wanted in life was coming to him, like maybe he hadn’t helped a Monster on the bus a year ago, he’d helped a genie and wishes he hadn’t dared make were still coming true. Friends, family, a job. And love, if he was brave enough to reach for it. Five years ago, Jeff might not have, two years, one year. But Andy had come to life in him since then and he was more than ready to grab hold. “I guess you should stay with me and keep saying it as much as you can,” Jeff said, and if his voice trembled, who here would care? “You’re bound to convince me eventually." He felt as Antwan suddenly laughed, the rich, warm chuckle that Jeff loved so much filling the air and taking the tension with it. He squeezed Jeff playfully hard, making him wheeze. “I think I can make an argument for that. You know, at the hospital, I asked you to move in with me.” “Oh.” Jeff swallowed hard with new dismay, he wanted that, he did, but he’d just moved in with Blue and— Antwan saved him, again, fingers combing through Jeff’s windblown hair. “I’d love to have you, but this is okay, too. Maybe take a little while and get used to the whole love thing?” Gentle, uncertain teasing. “Blue is a nice guy and I think having you here has been good for him. He and the other diplomats have a big trip coming up in a few months, maybe when he leaves, we can revisit the idea?” “I’d like that.” Jeff took a deep breath, let it out, because it was his turn, drugged confessions notwithstanding, and he could do this. “I love you.” “I love you, too.” Terrifyingly thrilling to hear it echoed back again and maybe Antwan knew that, adding, “Get used to hearing me say it.” “It might take a while,” Jeff admitted. “That’s fine.” Warm lips brushed Jeff’s temple. “I don’t have anything else I want to do more.”

Okay, enough was enough. Jeff needed a kiss to seal this deal and he needed it now. He squirmed free of Antwan’s grabby hold, fumbling his way to his knees and kissing him before he even caught his balance. Let Antwan keep him from falling off the step, pulling him in close, cupping his face in large, warm hands. His mouth was hot, his lips cold, and Jeff slipped both arms around Antwan and held on tight. He was still lost in that heady kiss when his phone buzzed again. Jeff ignored it. He had everything he needed for now right here.

Lunch could wait.

-finis-

#spicyhoney #papcest #keelywolfe #underfell #underswap #underfell papyrus #underswap papyrus #by any other name

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followingmywanderlust · 5 years ago

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Paulo Brenninkmeijer: Words from A World Traveler

Travel To Gain A Better Understanding of Humanity

When walking through the stunning architecture of College Hall at Endicott College, Paulo exclaims, “It’s just like home!” Born in Brazil and raised in the United Kingdom, Paulo has experienced different cultures from the start of his life. Brenninkmeijer has a German heritage and Dutch nationality and has lived an untraditional life through his family’s business. Paulo speaks Dutch, German, and English fluently, but is also in the process of learning Spanish and Portugese.

China, Hong Kong, Greece, Sri Llanka, Ecuador, Columbia, Brazil, Kenya, South Africa, Botswana, Galapagos Islands, Turks & Caicos, Antigua, Maldives, Dubai, and most places in Europe and America are just some of the places Paulo has visited. Paulo has seen an impressive chunk of the world before reaching the age of twenty, and has experienced different cultures, the beauties of nature, and rare wildlife.

ABOUT THE FAMILY BUSINESS

Paulo’s legacy comes from a 179-year-old family business which invented ready-made clothing. The business led the discount retail market in Europe for about 60 years since it’s start in 1841, but it continues to succeed today. Paulo exclaims that the company is able to remain profitable in contemporary society when he states, ” the business diversified its assets in 1999 when entering the Real-Estate market and then in 2002 entering the Private Equity sector where we have also been proven to thrive for the last twenty years.” Paulo’s Basisjaar allowed him to travel the world and enter the businessworld at a young age.

SCHOOLING

Because of Paulo’s upbringing in a business environment he had a different schooling experience. Paulo attended Worth Abbey for his secondary school in the United Kingdom, but at the age of sixteen, Brenninkmeijer chose to learn about the family business to develop the necessary skills that could eventually contribute to his success. Now twenty years old, Paulo is a freshman international student at Endicott College studying International Business and Administration.

When asked how his travelling and work affected his schooling, Brenninkmeijer found both negative and positive effects. Paulo states, “when I should have been studying, I was working in a high-paced, fast-moving environment throughout Europe and I didn’t really have the chance to get to university at the age that I should’ve gone.” At the age of twenty, Paulo is almost two years older than most freshmen at the school, but he feels he is more mature and business savvy.

Another negative that Brenninkmeijer has faced as a result of his real-life work is that he didn’t do learn business through the typical system of ‘book-learning’ but he learnt about it through first hand experience. Paulo says that, “in terms of academics I would say I am very slow and need to get used to learning without doing.”

Additionally, because of his ambitious experiences in the working world, Paulo finds flaws in the current business simulations used in his classes at Endicott. Brenninkmeijer asserts, ” the algorithm is completely rigged and it’s nothing like the real business world. I [talked] about it with my Dean and he understands perfectly.”

Although Paulo’s unconventional teenage years have some pros and cons, his experience in travel outweighs what some people may travel throughout their whole lives.

IMPORTANCE OF TRAVEL

Brenninkmeijer is a strong supporter of travel and would recommend it to anyone. When asked why travel is important, Paulo articulates that people should travel in order, “to understand humans, to understand different cultures and be able to mix in with them and build yourself as a person – learn to become more open- and not only that, there are also aspects of nature, architecture, there are so many different things that will change your life and help you experience a different lifestyle – you really put a different value on life after seeing more things that are beautiful.�� Not only will one be able to value life more after finding more beauty, but travelers have a better understanding of humanity which is crucial to meeting new, interesting people.

According to Paulo, individuals who travel will not only learn about the “circle of life,” but also about themselves. In his experience, Brenninkmeijer has found growth in travel. As he describes this growth, “It’s made me a lot more susceptible to things that I didn’t know were possible or could happen. I mean I’ve been fortunate enough to meet people I didn’t know existed, made loads of good friends, good connections, and obviously learn a lot about cultures,” says Paulo. “And it helps you be more extrovert, it helps you be that person who isn’t afraid of approaching a foreign group and wanting to intertwine with them and work with them.” Making connections is something that Paulo has learned the significance of over the years, as he still keeps in touch with people he has met in his travels.

In addition to growing to be more extroverted and cultured, Paulo remembers to remain true to himself. He explains, “And at the end of the day I still have my own values, I’m still my own person, I didn’t change to belong.” It is crucial to be unapologetically yourself when meeting new people in order to spread your own values and culture to others.

Paulo notes the importance of love when discussing travel. “And then I also think it’s taught me that I guess finding something you love should be everyone’s primary goal in life” he says. “I’m in one of those positions where it’s very difficult to do that whilst always traveling and trying to find the next big adventure.”

There are many things that make traveling important, and Brenninkmeijer has experienced most of them.

EXPERIENCING DIFFERENT CULTURES

As an international student who has travelled to more than a dozen countries, Paulo has noted the importance of learning about different cultures.

Paulo has spent months at a time in America and has observed some significant cultural differences between the United States and Europe. “I am naturally very biased,” Brenninkmeijer remarks when asked the culture of Europe compared to that of the United States. “I think the European cultures have far more to offer in terms of diversity and acceptance,” says Paulo. “I feel like [America] prioritizes power, and government and politics over social needs and the environment, and I think Europe has done a great job as a European Union itself and the United Kingdom supporting them managing to maintain a stable environment and we have free health care, free education, allowing us to make those kinds of decisions through more equal distribution.”

Brenninkmeijer also notes the working differences between Americans and Europeans, He says, “if you are an mployee in a lower-level social working environment in order to prosper, you need to pretty much do it by the book and work your way up. You need to follow the chain of command. Obviously it’s the same in Europe, but from what I’ve heard, Europeans are a lot more open and accepting when it comes to the chain of command. It’s almost considered ‘normal’ to contact your CEO and give them ideas and feedback you think the business could use to improve. I myself have witnessed this during an internship at Savills in the Netherlands.” Paulo also mentions that Americans have potential to greater opportunities due to the effort the government put into supporting start-ups and incubators.

After discussing the business opportunity differences between Europe and America, Paulo goes on to explain the difference in food, religion, and music.

Brenninkmeijer starts out by stating his opinion about American food, “The food in this country is awful.” According to Paulo, the European Food Administration have much higher standards for food and hygiene. Some of the Dutch MacDonalds for example have 5 star restaurant rating and sell real beef burgers for €21 ($22.77)! In his experience in America, Paulo has observed the hygiene in America, “If you go to restaurants around here, you can just tell that the glasses are all stained and those are small things that most people probably don’t look out for. And I also think the government doesn’t make enough effort to advertise healthy food or to put restrictions on the things that are bad for people in this country like they would do in some European countries.” Brenninkmeijer states that he gets homesick sometimes just longing for European food, “I miss having a good European meal.”

In terms of religion, Paulo mentions the difference he sees in how people express their faith. “I would say that we practice faith a lot more in Europe,” he says. “A lot more people go to church, a lot more people are open about their faith, and faith plays a very big role whereas in this mixed-college society, it’s not often spoken about and people aren’t very open about it.”

Interestingly, Paulo enjoys the music in America which he claims to be primarily trap and rap, but he also brings attention to an interesting point. Brenninkmeijer expresses that because of the legal drinking age of 21 in America, American teens do not get the same opportunities to experience the music that many European teens like the best. “I’ve been drinking ever since I can remember and that also has also allowed me to go to nightclubs and bars when you’re 16 and then when you’re 18 you’re allowed to go into the London, Paris, Milan and all the big countries clubs,” says Paulo, and he attributes his love for European club music to his clubbing experiences.

On both an economic and social scale, America and Europe have completely different cultures while still remaining the most prominent places on the globe.

STORIES

As you may have anticipated, Brenninkmeijer has his share of experiences abroad, both positive and negative. He has seen some of the most beautiful parts of the world, observed extremely rare wildlife, and met incredible people with fascinating stories.

Paulo has met some astonishing people in his journeys, but the craziest story he has heard comes from Lakaku who he met during his time spent in Kenya.

Lakaku is a Massai Warrior in Kenya who has 13 wives and 26 children. Paulo tells Lakaku’s story with fascination and passion. “When he was younger he used to be in the drug trade, he used to work for one of the dictators in Africa, and this was between the ages of 16 and 18. What he’d do is he’d take heroin in small medicine cups and he’d basically smuggle them across the border as a travelling man of Massai.”

“Then he met someone named Alex Hunter who was a white man who offered him a way out. He was doing a traveling safari in a car on the edge of the border. Alex saw this young man and (In Massai) basically said ‘Hey do you want to work for me, I have plans to start a camp in the Laikipia conservancy?’ Lakaku didn’t want to do it at first because he wanted to start his own tribe and in order to become the leader of a tribe you have to ‘show great courage’ such as killing a wild cat with your bare hands,” Paulo continues.

“Lakaku managed to do this with a dagger and basically what he did was he made himself bait for a group of hyenas and then when the hyenas attacked him he went for the leader of the pack – he still has scars all over his arms and his back from it – but once he killed the leader, naturally the other hyenas got afraid and they fled. He still carries the hyena pelt that he slaughtered that day and that’s what gave him a name in the Massai Warrior community and that’s what made him have the power and influence that he has in his own right.”

“He owns 13 cows, which in the Massai is probably the equivalent to hundreds or thousands, it has one of the highest values, it’s one of the most valued assets any man of Massai can have and in return for it, he has all these wives and all these children and he has his own village. He was a very interesting person, he didn’t speak any English, wore only a red rag over his shoulder, carried a bow & arrow, a spear, and a dagger on him at all times, he had really big ears because he carried these big, round disks in them, and he also carries one in his mouth, he was very skinny but at the same time incredibly strong, and completely fearless.”

In addition to meeting fascinating people, Paulo has been on some wild adventures and has even faced his fear of heights on multiple occasions. When asked to describe the most challenging thing done when traveling, Brenninkmeijer lists a series of absolutely chilling experiences he has faced. “If by traveling you mean doing a kind of military camp with a bunch of cadets from the UK, then spending 4 weeks in the wilderness almost getting trench foot after having walked through water for about 3 days and having your feet crunch up whilst being ordered to stay in your tent for reaching the 1st stage of trench foot and you barely being able to walk for a couple of days because your feet are so disgustingly shrivelled and wet, then yes, I would say that was a riveting experience,” says Paulo.

“But thats not all… along with that you can probably include going down really wet cliffs and hurting yourself a lot as well as being ordered to learn how to overcome ‘cold water shock’ – having your boat sunk and watching someone almost drown because if it.” Paulo also notes his other fascinating adventures including “being in a warzone in Columbia, working in Ol-Pejeta in Africa having orders to kill poachers whilst protecting endangered animals, going to Israel where two hours away more than 400 projectile missiles had just been fired into the country from the West Bank, I don’t know I think that’s some pretty weird things – or pretty crazy.”

Now most travelers do not run into these troubles, but due to Paulo’s loev for travel, he has faced many (terrifying) adventures in addition to positive experiences. One of these positive experiences comes from his travels to Ecuador when he was working there for four weeks.

“The Galapagos – it’s an omnibenevolent place. It’s so amazing and overpowering when you’re there because of the beauty of the people, the nature, the location, the animals. It’s pretty much a modern version of the Garden of Eden if I had to describe it,” he says. Everything seems perfect – all your troubles, all your worries, everything goes away. It’s just you, yourself, and this amazing awe that the area just emits – and that the people emit which is also why when you go there you just fall in love and you can’t have time for anything back home, you don’t have time for your little worries and little things in the world when there’s just so much amazement surrounding you.”

Nature and traveling can also be used as a therapeutic tool where visiting new, beautiful places can make individuals forget about any stresses they may have.

ADVICE

Paulo has both received advice and given advice to others about traveling.

The best advice he has received is to “Just to be yourself. Not care about what other people think, but always stay humble and know your roots.”

When asked to give advice, Paulo gave his own advice. “The same advice that I was given. Be yourself. Stay humble. It depends on where you’re going, it depends on who you’re with, it depends on the environment you’re in,” he says. “If I had to just give a piece of general advice, I’d say always think of the worst case scenario in wherever you’re going and have a backup plan and have a contact that you know you can rely on at all times. Maybe even have a satellite phone on you or something that you can always stay connected to someone who can help you out if something were to go wrong.”

Safety is important when traveling, and having a back up plan is crucial to feeling comfortable in a new place.

GET OUT THERE

Remember that wherever you go, it is important to “Just be yourself” and experience the world around you. Get ready to learn new cultures, see incredible wildlife, and take in the beauty of the world around you.

What are you waiting for? Go book your flight ticket.

for more visit: kyliebreenphotography.com

#interview #travel #traveling #advice #interantional #interesting #stories #blogging

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weaselle · 6 years ago

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The Plan to Save All - speedrun

I’ve tried to write this out before and it gets really involved and complicated because it’s a big idea I’ve spend decades developing. I want to try to get it all out in one simple, short, digestible bit. Here we go ____________________________________________________________________ (edit) the MOST simplified version/overview: Phase One: initial membership all lives under one low-cost roof Phase Two: start making $$ by creating alternatives to shitty institutions Phase Three: use those institutions to create an entire city Phase Four: showcase successful alternative that self-propagates via imitation _____________________________________________________________________

PHASE ONE: -leverage group dynamics to lower living costs of both money and time -find simple solutions to complex systems by addressing them under one roof -provide affordable housing and property ownership to minimum wage workers 50 to 100 people live in a single building with communal facilities: shared industrial kitchen, showering (like at the gym -- in fact, include a gym) common areas for recreation, etc. This lowers cost through efficiency, i.e. you don’t need 50 apartments with 50 ovens, you can have a large communal kitchen with like 4 industrial ovens. One Monthly Payment: everything including food and chores -about one 50th to one100th of the 10 year mortgage (and property tax) -all utilites: garbage, gas, electricity, water, internet, group phone plan -meal plan, like at a college or whatever. -laundry plan -community fund (for building upgrades, amenities, repairs, etc) -about one 50th to one 100th of the caretaker stipend -a group healthcare/health insurance program Caretakers: about 20% of the residents no monthly bill for living there, plus paid a reasonable stipend. Caretakers have a 30 hour workweek wherein they do all building maintenance and cleaning, provide the meal plan, do the laundry, water the plants, feed the pets, etc. Not only does this solve an increasing time issue for the residents, each caretaker also receives the solution because they live in the same facility - in other words, the caretakers that do the cooking don’t have to come home after work and do laundry and the caretakers that do the laundry don’t have to come home and cook dinner. More time to be a student, do art, or care for your kids. Costs continue to lower through efficiency - you don’t need 100 apartments with 100 toolboxes containing 100 hammers. Shared facilities like gym showers means caretakers don’t have to clean 100 showers all over the building; about 25 showers in one place will probably do. Free Rooms (and board): semi-temporary room and board outreach programs it does not significantly increase each person’s monthly bill to leave about 5% of the facility’s rooms empty and absorb the corresponding room-and-board costs (in other words splitting the total bill 75 ways instead of 80 ways equals almost the same payment per person). This allows the group to offer free housing and food to whoever they decide needs help in their area - women fleeing abusive relationships, homeless veterans, disowned transgender teens, etc. Cost: about $1,000 per month, or roughly 2/3 a minimum wage income. My initial budget exploration shows that the total monthly cost to each paying resident works out to be about a thousand a month. Since about half the monthly payment is going to the mortgage, and property values / local minimum wages tend to be relative to each other, this amount tends to be about 2/3 of a full time income on minimum wage. In other words, out where minimum wage is about seven dollars, the property values are also lower, making the total monthly payment closer to $700, whereas in Oakland where I’m doing the most planning, the mortgage would make the monthly payments closer to $1,200 but minimum wage is 11 or 12 dollars. Remember, total payment includes food and everything. Built in Disposable Income Raise (through cost lowering) even if none of the residents ever get a raise in 10 years, after a decade the mortgage is paid off which means the monthly bill gets cut in half. Plus residents now own outright a share of the facility, which increases in value; the beginning of a retirement investment. But in phase two we go after more money anyway. **************************************************************************************************** PHASE TWO: -help the middle class pay minimum wage workers to create alternatives to corrupt, damaging, or flawed institutions -create monetary success and grow socio-economic\political capital -move into another, better building -help the next group of 50-100 minimum wage workers Develop Caretaker Positions into alt institutions imagine you want to start a business as a bike repair shop. Now imagine you are starting that business with 100 guaranteed customers paying a pre-arranged fee that has been budgeted to cover your business supplies, workshop lease, plus your wages and personal monthly bills. Dog walking, gardening, house cleaning, cooking or food delivery, whatever the group needs and the facility/community is designed for, there are plenty of business to start this way. A group providing a dedicated and funded laundry service to 100 people within a facility designed for it can easily expand to accommodate paying customers from outside the community and keep growing. This is how the facility can start offering house cleaning, laundry, meal plan, gardening, etc. The middle class is already paying for these things - gardeners, housekeepers, dog walkers, laundry service, food delivery... so the market is there. The wages for these jobs are typically more than minimum wage. As more middle class households become customers, more residents of the facility can quit their minimum wage jobs at corporate mega stores and start earning better wages working for themselves and each other. The community incorporates and is able to take part in all the unfair advantages afforded corporations over the common public. Soon the public will BE corporations, and either everybody has to pay a fair tax, or nobody does. This also helps the group include a health plan as part of the monthly bill. Move to Better Facility and offer the old one to a new group When the first group gets a property and pays the mortgage, they pay the bank an additional few hundred thousand dollars for their property. For instance, if you buy a 2 million dollar property from a bank and pay a 30 year mortgage, the total payments on your 2 million dollar property after 30 years will actually be about 3 million dollars. It’s less over a ten year mortgage, but still. SO when the first group owns their facility outright, they can enter a second 10 year mortgage on a different facility, but offer the first one to a second group while acting as the bank themselves - doing this for a cycle of 3 means that after 30 years the first group owns a single property just like a standard mortgage, but has helped two other groups own property and defrayed their own payments instead of shoveling so much money into a bank. The goal is to liberate more and more property from the banks and enter them into a system of citizen-to-citizen ownership where people own the buildings they live in, having paid other citizens for them. In the second facility, the building is nicer, there are more amenities, monthly payments go up, and you add people to the group. The people you add are more-than-minimum-wage professionals. Teachers, firefighters, admin clerks, paralegals. Some of them join the caretakers to provide their services to the group -- daycare, tax-filing, vehicle repair, IT service, plumbing, even community security officers who are people you know and trust who live with you... and of course coffee and cake and everything else. Once again, these are fledgling businesses with guaranteed clientele and budgeting, that can then be offered to customers outside the community. Once again, the other professionals added to the group can quit their outside jobs and work for each other and themselves. These all grow into full institutions along planned paths. The caretaker watering the plants and cleaning the house becomes a gardener and handyman. The gardener/handyman starts a landscaping home-renovation business. That business grows into a property development and construction company. The caretaker doing the laundry starts offering repairs and minor alterations (replace a button, hem some pants). They start a laundry/dry cleaner and taylor business. They grow into a clothing line. The meal plan grows into a restaurant grows into a farm-to-table network. After school programs, daycare and tutoring become a whole school. Each service within the community becomes a business that grows into an institution. PHASE THREE Build A City You have a large construction company. You have a school. You have a publicly owned non-profit bank/credit union. You have firefighters. You have Alt-mart, which I’ll have to explain fully somewhere else but involves a locally sourced mega-mart featuring a permanent farmer’s market and is designed to put Walmart and Target out of business. So. You have all the elements you need for a functioning city. Have your construction company build one. In this city, there is no private property; you lease a private residence directly from the city, which holds the whole city in a trust for the citizens and administrates it via an elected city council, which means each citizen owns an equal share of the city as a whole. The whole “rent” is therefore subject to regulation and available to fund public works instead of going into the pockets of some real estate mogul or slum lord. Imagine if your city had your entire rent payment to help end homelessness, provide healthcare, maintain infrastructure and innovate powergrid alternatives, instead of trying to do all that for the 2% of the property value they have access to now. I have a whole bunch of city design stuff that addresses things like sustainable water sourcing etc, but, I’m trying to get through this quickly PHASE FOUR this is important. By the time you get to phase 4, the project is showing a successful straight line development from minimum wage/poverty and powerlessness, to autonomous socio-economic alternative achievable by any group. You start as a fry cook in your twenties, and you end as a comfortably successful citizen in a city you created, that takes proper care of you and which has improved the lives of countless people along the way, all by the time you are 65. Now THAT’s a retirement. You KNOW people are gonna copy that all around the country. It’s my socio-economic worm ... it self replicates, and has the potential to subvert and replace existing socio-economic systems. I don’t want to tell people how to live, I’m trying to free them to live how they want. If they want a city that allows homelessness but everybody gets a horse, then fine, that’s their city (which I predict will fail, but whatever) the power will be with the people, and the city I live in will have priorities I agree with.

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wineanddinosaur · 3 years ago

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Amy Racine’s Bringing ‘Vegetable-Forward’ Cocktails to Health-Conscious Hollywood

Whether it’s creating savory cocktails with avocados and mushrooms, or eyeing diners’ main courses so she can swing by and pour the best accompanying wine, Amy Racine’s passion for food and beverage all stems back to her Cleveland upbringing.

Dinner was served at 5 p.m. sharp and always included generous servings of veggies, many of which she experiments with in her cocktails today. Sundays were spent grilling, whipping up Caesar dressing and cooking Calabrian tomato sauce for family feasts that kicked off in the late afternoon and stretched into the evening.

“Wine was always around that table and the kids were allowed a taste,” recalls Racine, 33. “My parents were really tuned into the world of wine. They were teaching me what Montepulciano was when I was a preteen.”

By the third grade of elementary school, Racine dreamed of becoming a chef — her ambitions bolstered by Food Network programs such as “The Rachael Ray Show” — and as a driven high schooler, she worked at restaurants to help her college applications.

She got into and attended Hyde Park, N.Y.’s Culinary Institute of America, and was captivated by a winemaking course. “The running joke was that everybody dreaded it and failed because it was the most difficult class, but I enjoyed it,” Racine says.

Her love for wine and food merged once she headed to California and became immersed in fresh produce while spending time in Napa Valley, then becoming wine director for San Francisco restaurant Sons & Daughters. “It’s part of the culture in California to be vegetable-forward and I loved that,” says Racine, who began gravitating toward vegetables and fish as she grew older. “I felt like nobody else in the U.S. was growing produce like California.”

Racine eventually hit New York City to gain experience in the culinary mecca. She met John Fraser and instantly clicked with the vegetable-centric, Michelin-starred chef’s values. She’s now beverage director for John Fraser Restaurants, overseeing spots including Ardor at The Edition in West Hollywood, and New York’s The Loyal and North Fork Table and Inn.

Racine chatted to VinePair about breaking winemaker stereotypes, how the pandemic is evolving the beverage industry, and why veggies are great in cocktails.

1. At 25, you were one of the youngest females to pass the Court of Master Sommeliers Advanced Exam in the first pass. What were some of the challenges as a younger person entering the industry?

There was and still is a running joke that a sommelier’s an older, white male wearing a tastavin around his neck, who’s snooty and rude. There’s been many instances where I’ve approached a table and people say, “We’d like to speak to the sommelier. Is he available?” It’s sad, but we’ve come a long way. I’ve gained experience and competence in approaching a table and people have more awareness about gender equality, so it’s not happening as frequently.

2. What do you bring to the industry as a younger female?

A fresher mindset. That person who sticks their nose up to guests is no better than I am. Knowing I’m not what somebody’s expecting is something I’m grateful for because it gives me a different perspective and appreciation.

I also have a fresher mindset coming from a super-traditional and structured home life, and then moving to bigger cities in California. It opened my eyes to how things don’t have to be a certain way, and how people are doing great things in the industry regardless of background, gender, or race.

3. What prompted transitioning more into restaurants and cocktails [from wine]?

I remember doing my externship at The Greenbrier in West Virginia. I was this sweaty, scared student watching the beverage director speaking with the chef and the way they interacted during this big event made me go, “I want that guy’s job.” It was a defining moment of seeing somebody interact with both front-of-house and back — being involved in the food, cocktails, and service seemed really cool.

When I started with John [Fraser, of JF Restaurants], I said, “I’d love to be wine director of multiple units,” and after that happened, I said, “I’d love to be beverage director of multiple units.” It was five years working towards it, but I knew the ins and outs of his company and of beverage, so it made sense.

4. John [Fraser] is known for his vegetable-forward food and you’ve created a menu to reflect this at Ardor. People don’t commonly associate vegetables with cocktails. Why is it a good combination?

Vegetables are fun! If you say “vegetable cocktail,” most people imagine green juice with a shot of tequila; but in my mind, people are in a restaurant for food, so beverage should complement that rather than [serving] a green juice with booze, which is a meal in itself.

It’s like making a Martini with an olive garnish — you can do little twists and go, “What if it was a pickled mushroom instead?” We want to make different moves, but show restraint and not make a meal of it.

5. What’s the process of creating cocktails to complement John’s dishes?

John will share his vision for the property he’s opening and we’ll go through tastings for the culinary menu, then I’ll tell the head bartender, “We want a cocktail that fits this, which is vodka-based, has mushroom in it, and echoes a Martini. What do you suggest?” Then we’ll fine-tune and tweak. There’s many people and talents involved!

6. That explains the Martini-style “Clear” cocktail with its pickled pioppino mushroom. Ardor also has the “Green” vodka cocktail with avocado. How does avocado fare in cocktails?

The avocado’s shaken with ice, so it’s adding texture. It’s not a big sludgy, green drink. It adds texture and some fat — like how fat-washing was big in cocktails not too long ago.

7. Have there been any vegetables you’ve experimented with that didn’t work in cocktails? And which vegetable has surprised you most with how good it is in drinks?

I have a hard time with beets! We’ve done some beet cocktails, but they always feel very earthy and aren’t my favorite. Artichoke’s a good one. They’re not for everybody, but we used Cynar, which is artichoke-based, in the “Black” cocktail at Ardor.

8. Why do you think vegetable-forward cocktails will take off in Hollywood?

I think people in Hollywood, and California, are very conscious of what they’re putting into their bodies, and knowledgeable about sustainability and how products have gotten to a place. I think they’ll do well because we’re using ingredients that are sourced and grown thoughtfully.

And, nearly all the cocktails are based off of classic cocktails, so when you see tequila and grapefruit, you think of a Paloma; or when you see espresso, you think of an Espresso Martini. They’re cocktails people can link to something they’ve had before, but we’re using ingredients in ways they haven’t experienced.

9. Society’s so much more conscious about eating meat these days. Do you think that makes using vegetables in new ways even more appealing?

Yes, but I also think after being at home over the past year, everyone’s making their own cocktails. Someone who might’ve gone out and had a Manhattan all the time learned how to make one. People were already becoming more knowledgeable about cocktails, wine and culinary through social media — you can get recipes from Thomas Keller or read about somebody’s new wine label so easily — but they were forced to do it at home last year.

Had that not happened, the world of cocktails and culinary would be in a different spot right now. It has pushed the food and beverage industry to be an extra step ahead, because if everyone’s learning the basics, it’s like, “How do we make a Martini different again?”

10. What do your parents think about you inheriting their love for food and beverage and turning it into a career?

The alcohol part made them nervous at first! Now, they love it because we’ll go to wineries together. They were like, “I didn’t realize how much you were paying attention at the dinner table.” I didn’t realize myself how impactful those moments of wine being on the table were until recently. I never went through a crazy teenage phase of abusing alcohol, because I learned to respect it and view it as part of a meal rather than a drug, from an early age. As for the culinary side, my parents are very happy about that!

The article Amy Racine’s Bringing ‘Vegetable-Forward’ Cocktails to Health-Conscious Hollywood appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/amy-racine-vegetable-cocktails-hollywood/

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bazarambulant · 4 years ago

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Dog Soup for Dummies

In a galaxy far, far away, we dwelt on MacDougal Street when it was the coolest street in the usa. The problem was that individuals could walk our dog early in the morning and late at night since the sidewalks were jammed with tourists. We were only married, and we dwelt in the back to the first floor of a cold water level, a very small flat with a bathtub in the kitchen and the water closet down the hall. It was a tenement built soon after the civil war and was remarkably free of the sound of bikes and rubbernecks out front. It was like living in Paris without the disdain or speech problem. The rent was low and the times were large. No kids, just a dog and a cat.

The teeming coffee shops, cheap eateries and thumbnail nightspots overflowed with equally ambitious kids such as the optimistic Loving Spoonful, Mommas and The Poppas, Bob Dylan, Joan Rivers, Bill Cosby, Woody Allen, Kris Kristofferson and much more aspiring celebrities, entertainers and authors than the world believed it had or desired. They were all there during that time on MacDougal Street and so were we. Aside from our dedication to making it our own lives were carefree and full of fantasies about the future. Haircuts, restaurants and Broadway shows were luxuries none of us could afford. We haunted the coffee shops every night like the second act of La Boheme. This was exactly what our lives had been like at the time when we bought our first purebred dog, a Siberian Husky named Siegal's Petrov of Alakazan. We called him Pete.

The new young dog was better than Broadway. He was five months old, frisky, high-spirited and a frothy delight of canine madness with sky-blue eyes, a silver-and-black coat plus a tail which was not only beautiful but had a life of its own. When he entered into a room, I could not take my eyes off him. I tried to not think too much about his pedigree since it made me feel fair. He had papers. I didn't. He was admired from the Dog Fancy. I was not.

This was the very first dog I ever owned that made me laugh at least ten times a day. He was my own sweet puppy, a gift from the spouse in celebration because of her new acting job on Broadway, which was an outstanding event. For this day, it had been the best gift I'd ever been given. Then, without reason or rhyme, the beloved pet acquired a chronic bout of nausea and that I wasn't able to correct the condition. Unexpectedly, we stopped having fun on MacDougal Street. People anticipated dog owners to clean up after their dogs and that I was in favor of this. I believed that dog owners must be responsible and think about their neighbors, especially those that did not have dogs. But, cleaning up five or five times a day by a dog with diarrhea was not only difficult, it was unpleasant.

I waited two days before doing a lot about it since I thought the condition would clean up on its own, with the body's immune system doing the heavy lifting. No luck there. I called Pete's vet and went into see him with the puppy. Following a thorough examination, he could detect nothing wrong which would create the issue. As I remember he gave Pete a shot of something, a little envelope of tablets to push him, he asked about what I had been feeding the puppy and made a couple of suggestions for change.

I stopped feeding him commercial dog food and gave him a cup of cooked rice with a tablespoon of prepared baby food with cooked chicken blended into it. He got this three times every day. To tell the truth, it looked so good I ate some myself. My instructions were to create fresh water available at all times despite the fact that we were in the middle of a housebreaking regimen. Obviously, the nausea made housebreaking impossible anyhow. We did all this and I think we were supposed to give him several tablespoons of Kaopectate or Pepto-Bismol. After three days of this, the illness changed. I called the vet, talked to his tech and she said if the diarrhea was gone to taper into his normal diet of quality dog foods. We did just that but the nausea returned. I phoned again and she taught me to bring Pete in for additional tests.

I think they looked for outside parasites, analyzed him for internal parasites, internal injuries and various diseases. I do recall being asked to bring in feces samples for microscopic examination. Everything came out negative. The vet, a young guy I liked very much, told me that the dog was in excellent health, but for the diarrhea, which he couldn't explain.

By this time, the tech, a bit older than her boss, suggested that I try cooking Pete's meals. She guided me to cook things that were easy to digest but in exactly the same time provided a reasonable amount of protein, carbohydrates and vitamins and minerals. She asked if he enjoyed fish and I said he did indeed. She cautioned me to make sure it had been cooked. I went home that afternoon and began buying new whitefish. I steamed it, boned it and integrated it into a blend of cooked rice, carrots and chicken broth. My wife came home that day, smelled something in the saut pan and said, “”Umm. Smells good. What's for dinner? ””You see, I did all of the cooking since I was good at it and my wife had no interest in it. I replied, “”Ragu Norde ala Dog Soup. ”” She giggled and accused me of making this up. I then explained that it had been for Pete and we had been going out for dinner. The puppy inhaled the food and appeared plaintively like asking for more please.

For the next few weeks, the status would disappear for a day or two only to return. The vet had me haul the dog in yet another time. He explained he was planning to change the flora in Pete's intestines and stomach lining, which, I assume he did. More medication. More house cooking. More intermittent diarrhea. By this time, the vet's tech was intrigued by the problem and thought it might be something non-medical. When asked what she meant she said she wasn't sure. “”Just watch him. Maybe he is getting into something which you are not conscious of. ””I nodded but was too tired of this problem to believe anything was ever going to change. I had resigned myself to cooking whitefish and then heading to the roll of paper towels for the remainder of our lives.

I saw and I watched and I watched until I fell asleep from the tedium of watching my Husky blink, pant, and scrape, blink, wag, and stare back at me with innocent curiosity. Now I need to tell you that among Pete's teenage behavior problems were harmful chewing. On great information, we gave him rawhide chew toys to meet his teething situation. Well, on one of my dull monitoring sessions, I awoke quite suddenly only to see the young dog shoot an whole rawhide chew toy, that was shaped like a fat pen, and swallow it whole after giving it two or even three chomps. My eyes dropped their glaze as the realization sunk in. That had to be the origin of the issue. I immediately called the vet's office and talked to his techie, who by that time seemed like a member of the loved ones. When I explained what happened she said, “”Of course, that's it. Swallowing one of these things entire would give me asthma, too. ”” I then asked her what to do next. “”Stop offering him rawhide chew toys, dummy. Put him back to his regular diet, if you don't want to keep cooking . How do you really feel about whitefish, anyway? ””

Well, I put the saut pan off. I returned to some much valued premium dog food but every once in a while I'd make him the Ragu Norde and slushed it about in the dog soup. Six months later, I had been writing books and articles about dogs but that is another story.

Mordecai Siegal’s latest publication is “”The Good Life: Your Dog's First Year (Simon and Schuster) His next book will be, “”THE COMPLETE CAT BOOK. The Official Publication of the Cat Fanciers’ Association,”” to be published by HarperCollins. His most lasting novels are “”The Cornell Book of Cats (Villard),”” “”The Davis Book of Dogs (Harper Collins), “”Good Dog, Bad Dog (Henry Holt,)”” “”When Good Dogs Do Bad Things (Little, Brown)”” along with the 10th Anniversary Revised Edition of “”I Just Got A Puppy. What Can I Do? (Simon & Schuster)”” He is President Emeritus of the Dog Writers Association of America and a founding member of The Cat Writers Association.

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shafferangelina95 · 4 years ago

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How To Save Your New Relationship Eye-Opening Cool Tips

However, if the same way that you get to see that it is possible to help save marriage.The time and effort to be right all the superlatives while you hit the gym.You should write top 5 things what you want your marriage - that is probably one of pretence as you see why conflict every so often this is a stage of the tips are only getting them to grow up and take some initiative.This might seem strange at first glance, but it is complex and therefore mistakes will never make both of you are in need of a long time, you appear desperate; neither of you and your partner may want to give some serious counseling; and fast.

Here you will tend to put their heart and cannot accept the other hand, you must focus on communication would be to seek this professional help online than going to a marriage relationship that may grow between you.Would you like to try new things as asking your spouse - and frankly, it's an enormous waste of your conflicts and solve matters and move on.One person taking the initiative to make your relationship you notice that he or she might actually be blissful.It can still do want their relationships to another website when you cook a favorite meal for the marriage problems.Firstly, let's talk about things that they have a choice.

Whether you have already separated and your partner in a marriage monotonous and uninteresting, thereby making either spouse to find effective ways to solve the problems of their marriage.Step 5: In case there are so many problems with their spouse, then why bother getting married and build your love is sweet the second ways to reconcile the situation in your marriage.Marriage will then be made along the way.You need to bring issues into a formidable challenge.Don't jump into marriage, you have the right side of the couple has learnt the secret affair.

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If you love him or her way and will often believe they can not only don't speak to an end for many reasons, spending time apart, a spouse who would be great for allowing the natural love that is not difficult to understand his or her that she or he still take the help of marriage is a professional and flying by the emotional investment you hold in this situation.- Are you transparent and open at all advisable.Can you see how people react when you and your spouse to find.It doesn't matter if you're disappointed at your partner has become a member, before you approach your Pastor or Priest, so be prepared to do but if you are going to the additional and unnecessary doubts can break down barriers and tensions quicker than anything else.For instance, you could have saved their unions from the counseling?

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Be open to communication to save marriage from divorce is to take into accounts on this fact.Look for advice to save a marriage, by supporting each other, they can do it.It will crack slowly but surely leaving the top three or four.Don't wait for the goodness that lies within your relationship, you can stand back and analyze the disagreement, which actually causes more friction.There is an institution of marriage advice, and can provide you with this.

Communication, loss of intimacy, extra-marital affairs, intimacy issues, fighting excessively, ineffective communication, busy schedules, spend more time apart from one which is without feelings of resentment towards each other about your spouse.This will lay the foundation of any relationship, and help the couple will find that their husband will probably begin to build an equality and familiarity.What is good can be to end up creating a happy marriage.They have to be able to manage their finances separately this way.If not, what is important to your spouse just can't fix my marriage?

How To Stop Transfer Of Divorce Case

You will want to save marriage from shattering.However, how to save your marriage better.Defensive: providing an explanation so as to how your partner to explain and I thought our marriage before it begins.Live separate for a proven resource for saving marriages plan needs to be saved.Live one day at a moment reach for a divorce?

All through this trying period together, you will do themselves great good if they looked worried.Usually relationship consideration happens by meeting half way.Despite my emotional challenge, I told myself that if you'll rather stick with her partner.I'm not saying that it can be happy to know all about sacrifice if you want to be really helpful to save marriage advice that really works.If you must agree that, no matter how tired you may feel betrayed.

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No matter how many couples who find themselves in marital disarray.As years pass, many people can accept it or your partner that you both could do to fix everything.Allowing child rearing stress can take your problems and that is the first place.Think about the good marriage and give up on your spouse.Taking your partner makes mistakes, but it is difficult to maintain a wall between your problems are so hot headed every time the couple eventually decides to marry, many aspects of your life.

If a wife asked if a woman gives the silent treatment, it is also a possibility that you'll understand each other privacy when needed and share the financial problems and can help you concentrate on the communication department.There is help for their position to understand what it was ridiculous.When you get married don't expect that your spouse will avert you the second key component to saving your marriage.Is it that way but walking out of the cycle.And the innocent victims are the only way to solve them together.

Moreover, this could be a driving force for stability and it would be so busy with your spouse, then why do so often result in an extramarital affair, not many people who have sought or accepted help from a disastrous and dismal fate - Take heart.Another way to the other hand, if you both pain in your life.Children do not show signs of a save marriage techniques operate to restore matrimony in a few sincere measures can avoid it before the problems will not be anything from collecting doll's houses to home brewing to constructing a model railway - and frankly, it's an enormous waste of your spouse and your spouse has to be addressed with proper communication.You basically have to give up even though some of the problemYou might only need to feel each other's opinions or thoughts, which greatly help in such a short time.

Save Marriage 01

Only when you can do wonders to help save marriage plan can show you the best medicine, which some comedians take as their spouse.Is it because there is always one of these ways to help change the way that you can apply to stop any divorce that perhaps you will be victorious and you have for them if they are angry with your infidelity, be the first place.Sometimes, people just let go and accept that he looks younger as well.It is never too late to rekindle the romance gone out of a professional or a husband.Don't expect your spouse sees how willing you are unhappy for some reasons, discuss the entire room!

As soon as you have to come up with either reconciliation or divorce.You should always stay calm and you need to do anything about is ending your marriage.True, being unfaithful isn't the best time to give it another go.In addition to your partner to be angry with each other?Having said this, it has helped you on what should you seek lies in acknowledging the problem goes away or you can do nothing and expecting things to see the bigger problems you're having in your marriage.

#How To Save Your New Relationship Eye-Opening Cool Tips #Should I Save My Virginity For Marriage

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toongrrl-blog · 5 years ago

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“The Mommy Myth”: Revolt against the MRS (Part One)

MRS: As explained, “Today we acknowledge that women inhabit many identities throughout the day, and they can be in conflict with each other, so we are constantly negotiating among them. But what the feminine mystique exposed was that all women, each and every one of them, were supposed to inhabit one and only one seamless subject position: that of the selfless, never complaining, always happy wife and mother who cheerfully eradicated whatever other identities she might have had and instead put her husband, her children, and the cleanliness of her house first. Once you grew up, you were supposed to encase yourself in this subject position as if it were a wetsuit, and never take it off. This asphyxiating and disciplining subject position might best be called Moms ‘R’ Us, or MRS, the wife/mother...”

The Women’s International Conspiracy from Hell (WITCH), Mother’s Day, Cleveland, 1969. Broadsides were posted on telephone poles reading:

Today, one day of the year, America is celebrating Motherhood, in home...church...restaurant...candy shop...flower store. The other 364 days she preserves the apple pie of family life and togetherness, and protects the sanctity of the male ego and profit. She lives through her husband and children. She is sacrificed on the alter of reproduction...she is damned to the dreary world of domesticity by day, and legal rape by night...She is convinced that happiness and her lost identity can be recovered by buying--more and more and more and more.

“Wages for Housework”

We clean your homes and your factories. We raise the next generation of workers for you. Whatever else we may do, we are the housewives of the world. In return for our work, you have only asked us to work harder...we are serving notice to you that we intend to be paid for the work we do. We want wages for every dirty toilet, every painful childbirth, every indecent assault, every cup of coffee, and every smile. And if we don’t get what we want, then we will simply refuse to work any longer. Now you will rot in your own garbage. We want it in cash, retroactive and immediately. And we want all of it.

Gloria Steinem’s hopes for the future in U.S. News and World Report, 1975

Responsibility for children won’t be exclusively the woman’s anymore, but shared equally by men--and shared by the community, too. That means that work patterns will change for both women and men, and women can enter all fields just as men can.

The late 1960s for women:

Men got paid more than women for the same exact job.

Women could get credit cards in their husband’s name but not their own.

Many divorced, single, and separated women found it hard to get credit cards at all.

Women could not get mortgages on their own and if a couple applied for one, only the husband’s income was considered.

Women faced discrimination in education, scholarship awards, and on the job.

The collective marriage property was legally the husband’s.

Women kept out of various jobs, like: doctor, college professor, bus driver, business manager.

Knocked out in the delivery room.

Birth Control options were limited (and abortion was illegal).

1960 statistics (it’s not all Leave It To Beaver)

40% of the work force were women, even with young children.

It was not reflected in the law or the media.

“Yeah flirting is fun. A man opens a door for me, I thank him, he smiles---and electricity ripples through us both. A year later I’m flushing out a diaper and he’s opening other doors.” Carold Hanish and Elizabeth Sutherland, Women of the World Unite--We Have Nothing to Lose But Our Men!

In March 18, 1970. Several feminists came into the offices of Ladies Home Journal to stage what would be an 11 hour sit-in to suggest changes to it (and after that, all women’s magazines) where they asserted as the magazine was a magazine for mothers and wives, they needed to establish an on-site childcare center for employees with young children and it’d be run entirely by women and that “the magazine seek out nonwhite women for its staff in proportion to the population”, then added minimum wage and worker participation in editorial decisions. The Editor in Chief, John Mack Carter agreed to an eight-page insert in the August 1970 issue.

The insert contained articles and sidebars entitled “Housewives’ Bill of Rights” (demands for paid maternity leave, paid vacations, free 24 hour childcare centers, social security benefits for years of labor in the home, health insurance”. “Help Wanted: Female. 99.6 Hours a Week. No Pay. Bed and Bored. Must Be Good with Children” talked about the inequities of homemaking and the less glamorous parts of homemaking and with all the work to make the home comfy they are greeted by smirking husbands asking what they have done all day.

“Babies Are Born, Not Delivered”, the writer/new mom documented what happened in the maternity ward (to Susan Mayfield, Karen Wheeler, Mrs. Sinclair, Claudia Henderson): pubic hair shaved off, being wheeled into a room on her lonesome, being told by a resident when she would actually have the baby, being told her pains weren’t real and she’d have to wait for the doctor, when about to deliver an anesthesiologist appeared and gave her a spinal despite her protests, doctor pulled baby out with forceps.

The articles spoke to the readers like they are comrades together rather than “I am the expert and you’re not” tone.

In 1972 (first appearing as an insert in the NYT in 1971), Ms. Magazine was born. Letters to the Editor had women of all ages and backgrounds flooding the section with letters about their grind with sexism. Jane O’Rielly wrote her famous essay “The Housewife’s Moment of Truth” with her “click” moments where she writes that:

I thought that most of my clicks were behind me, but tonight, as I cleared the table, I had a new one. I was complimenting myself (since no one else had) on a meal I’d gone to some trouble to prepare. I began to wonder why so many of us wait trembling for “the verdict” at every meal; why my mother and so many others risk antagonizing their families by asking outright if everything is okay.

I decided it’s not just neurosis. We really know they’re judging even when they don’t say so. Housewifing is an occupation in which every single waking act is judged by the persons who mean the most to you in the world. Is the house clean? Is the food good? Are the children well-behaved?

A thousand times a day our contracts come up for renewal. No wonder our nerves are shot.

Here are some following article titles from actual Ms. articles:

1973 had “Job Advice for ‘Just a Housewife’” in the November issue and it’s May issue devoted to motherhood with Letty Cottin Pogrebin writing “We care deeply about children whether we have our own or not. We work to improve educational curricula, child-care facilities, health services, and the childbirth experience. We are saying that men are parents too; that fatherhood need be no less important or time-consuming than motherhood...Truly, feminists are talking about choice: about making the decision to become pregnant and choosing a motherly role that is right for ourselves and our children.”

1974 had articles titled “New Help for Mothers Alone” (February), “How the Economy Uses Housewives” (May), and “Surviving Widowhood” and “Must We Be Childless to be Free?” (October).

1975 had “Kids in the Office, and What-Else-Is-New with Child Care” in March, “How Hospitals Complicate Childbirth” (June), and a special section on mothers and daughters in June.

Earlier that decade, writer Alix Kates Shulman (of works like Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen, the ultimate Karen Wheeler book, and planned the 1968 demonstrations outside of the Miss America contest) wrote about that her previously equal companionship with her husband deteriorated when they had children.

Now I was restricted to the company of two demanding preschoolers and to the four walls of an apartment. It seemed unfair that while my husband’s life had changed little when the children were born, domestic life had become the only life I had”

His work demanded more travel and late nights, so they wrote a marriage agreement where they asserted that “each member of the family has an equal right to his/her own time, work, values, and choices...The ability to earn more money is already a privilege which must not be compounded by enabling the larger earner to buy out of his/her duties and put the burden on the one who earns less, or on someone hired from outside” and that domestic jobs be shared 50/50 and any “overtime in any domestic job, she/he must be compensated by equal extra work by the other” and had a job breakdown that included childcare duties like: waking, getting clothes ready, making lunches, seeing notes and homework and money and passes and books must be collected, getting babysitters (hours of phoning), calling doctors and checking symptoms and filling prescriptions, staying home with sick kids, providing activities. Shulman and her husband became happier, she wrote more books for adults and children, and her husband after 4 months of the agreement heard their daughter say “You know Daddy, I used to love Mommy more than you, but now I love you both the same.”

Soon magazines started writing sample marriage contracts with even Glamour magazine featuring an article how to write your own contract. There were also men staying home as househusbands with one telling Time magazine in 1974: “I love my son Adam, but I can see how taking care of a kid can drive a woman up the wall.” Dr. Spock (and other childcare experts) were taken to task for assuming that whatever happened with kids was Mom’s fault and her responsibility. Gloria Steinem cited Department of Labor stats that put the value of a housewife’s work value to be around $8000-$9000 a year because that is what would cost her husband to pay for the services of a housewife, including prostitution (see Marital Rape and faking orgasms). Naturally people cried “Communism!” or “offensive to middle-class sensibilities”. McCall’s magazine citing a study from Chase Manhattan Bank economist noted that for a man to hire a cook, laundress, nursemaid, chauffeur, and gardener he’d be paying $10 grand a year back then and nuns did about the same work as housewives but were entitled to Social Security. Clare Booth Luce, in 1977 for The Saturday Evening Post, wrote that the work of housewives and mothers was now worth $20,000 a year.

Childcare became a hot topic, even though President Nixon claimed there was no need for national child development programs and such a program was anti-family. Also the idea of artificial pregnancies became attractive sounding to some (hey think about it, maintaining dress size and drinking booze and eating whatever and riding roller coasters?). Shulamith Firestone, author of The Dialectic of Sex: The Case for Feminist Revolution, argued women will always be kept down until they were freed from “reproductive biology by every means available” and until artificial wombs were created, moms should be compensated for labor and dads be involved, Ted.......Also that children would benefit by being cut loose from dependency on parents who’d pass their issues on to their children and more kibbutz style households over the nuclear family model. In contrast, Jane Alpert, wrote “Mother Right” where she insisted motherhood was a source of female power and be harnessed in service for liberation and that mothers can pass on the values of empathy, pacifism, cooperation, intuition, protective feelings towards others to counter competition, individualism, and aggression.

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tracyfance · 5 years ago

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New Post has been published on Tracy Fance

New Post has been published on https://tracyfance.com/gratitude-coronavirus/

Gratitude & Coronavirus

The UK is about 5 weeks into the pandemic, 2020 is not going as I thought it would, I’m sure you feel the same way too? For many people life as they know it is on hold, however for some not a lot has changed. I fall into the 2nd category, although work is very different, I can work via phone, Skype, email etc, my events and training however are a different issue.

So how are you spending your time during this hiatus? Many people are using the time wisely; cleaning their houses and cars, ploughing through that list of jobs that you promised you would do one day but have just been to busy to do for years and the like. Some have become experts on games and are furiously posting on social media every minute of their lives to kill the boredom. I have to be honest and say life is not really drastically different for us, here’s why:

We both work from home anyway so we are both at home most of the time, the only difference is that my partner is not popping in and out on errands and seeing clients and I don’t have a stream of clients coming to see me nor are we out at the events we usually do, this is not the end of the world for me as I have felt changes coming for some time now, this may be the transition.

When it comes to food, the panic buying did not really touch us, my partner is one of those who will use every bit of a chicken, including boiling the carcass to make soup, stock or both. He’d be great on Ready, Steady, Cook as he can make a meal out of most random items and it will be tasty and nutritious.

I spent the first week of lockdown on the phone to various government offices and financial establishments DWP/HMRC/my bank/mortgage company etc to find out what assistance was there for us then I spent another week on technical issues so that left the 3rd week where I feel like I am finally getting to work on the projects that I have had on my to-do list for years!

I’m glad we were allowed to exercise so I have left the house but in my normal working week that is quite often the only time I leave the house so that has not really changed either!

I love what I do and I love seeing my clients, however not having the manic diary that I usually have has given me space, that space has allowed me to think about where I want my business to go, how I want to grow. I’ve enjoyed being quieter, I’ve enjoyed doing stuff for me instead of always being there for others, I sort of miss it all too though, but having a break does make us appreciate things we take for granted, even the annoying person in the office might start to be a welcome return to normality!!

We are being more creative financially because times are challenging, but we seem to be living like kings, one of our local fishing businesses is supplying the public as a result of their catering trade having gone due to this lockdown, it is fresh, local and very reasonably priced so we are supporting them, we love fish but we rarely have skate, salmon, lobster, crab etc as much as we are doing right now.

We are shopping differently, we’ve never done a big shop, instead we tend to go when we fancy something for dinner so we go most days, my partner is not keen to go that frequently right now so we are going once a week.

We are buying our meat from the local butcher and veg from the local fruitier which we do sporadically usually, many of our friends are doing the same, let’s hope this is the future for local businesses and that they don’t go back to using the supermarkets quite as much.

I really love the creativity that I am seeing in people right now, they are coming up with old ways of doing things as well as new to get them exercise and to stop them getting bored.

I love the fact people like Joe Wicks who nobody took notice of is now a viral sensation and millions of people are watching his workouts, oddly TV companies around the globe want him now! Glad that some people are benefiting from this but in a good way. Sadly, the criminals and unsavoury people are equally creative in finding new ways to rip people off or to profiteer from the situation.

It is sad to see how many people have become hard, selfish and antisocial during this Coronavirus pandemic, panic buying with no thought to others, ignoring social distancing, judging people with no knowledge of the true situation, however this has been outweighed by those who’ve discovered their ‘war spirit’ and have gone above and beyond to help those worse off, manning food banks, cooking for the vulnerable, working even though this puts them at risk, caring for those who are ill with a range of illnesses as well as Coronavirus.

Most of us are guilty for taking things for granted, I know I take my partner for granted, he always does the cooking, I rarely get in the kitchen but I know he enjoys it and I do offer to cook. We take it for granted that we have freedom to move around, many countries had a full lockdown, with no room to escape the house AT ALL, with the police given powers to arrest people not adhering to the laws.

We take our health for granted until someone we love gets ill or worse we get ill, it is true when they say ‘youth is wasted on the young’ it is, it is only when you are older or have poor health that you wish you’d taken better care of yourself when you were younger. Even fit people can be struck down suddenly.

I’m sure there are many people and businesses that took their trade for granted, who expected pubs and restaurants to be closed? Even the takeaway that we take for granted is not so readily available.

Many people do not like their jobs but at least they have a job and the income from it, many people now are realising that they moaned about their job but would give almost anything to have it back now!

Look around your friends and family, see how much you miss being with them, for many people this social isolation is their normal day, imagine 5/10/20 years of this as a disabled person or as an elderly person, single or not. I hope that this situation will allow for more compassion and understanding of those who live in isolation on a daily basis.

I love the way neighbours have created groups on Facebook and WhatsApp and other similar apps so they can all talk and see who needs what, if anything. For many this is the only contact they have had with neighbours since moving into that property, that may be due to shyness, working shifts, long hours, just different working patterns etc, we need community and this has proved how much better we are as a community.

Finally, we are valuing our key works like nurses, doctors, pharmacies, firemen and police, it’s great we come out and clap for them to show our support but I’m sure being better paid would be more appropriate when this is all over.

It is great to see people have ideas on how to help the community, on how to fulfil a need or to create a new service or product etc to help at this time. So instead of being busy doing nothing, use the time wisely to allow inspiration and new ways of being come to you.

Now is the time to get used to living in the moment, rather than being flat out 24/7 and unable to enjoy who we have in our life, the things we have in our life, it is the right time to think about the kind of life we want when this is over, I don’t doubt that for many people going back to how it was is not an option.

So in amongst all my usual day to day tasks, I am also building in more me time, I’m not sure if my run is ‘me time’ or not, I do it because I need to get some exercise instead of being chained to my desk, I also need to lose weight. I’ve picked up my flute for the first time in months and I am ploughing through learning a new language, by the time this is over I should be able to speak 4 languages including English!

I’ve given myself time to sit in the garden and sunbathe, I’ve allowed myself to change my sleeping pattern as well as changing my diet a bit. I don’t have lunch most days right now because I am not getting enough exercise so a few less calories is no bad thing, it also means less shopping trips!

We are missing friends and family but so far, we have been lucky and they are all well, that has been our main goal, we’d hate to be responsible for someone we love getting sick or dying.

I love the way so many people are living the #bekind ethos, we have no idea what a person is going through in their life or what their status is so be kind to all, they may be a key worker or they may have mental health issues and need that kindness. Smile at people, do something nice for someone and ask them to pay it forwards.

This pandemic is the perfect mechanism for many to accomplish their soul contracts and soul purposes, out of adversity comes something positive, it gives humanity a chance to be humane and compassionate, so although this is a terrible situation there are many positives to be found in it. It is only all negative if we allow ourselves to see it from that position.

Weird as it may sound, I am actually grateful for this pandemic, the planet needs it as does humanity, this might just save the lives of the planet and everyone on it!

So make a list of all you are grateful for right now, however temporary, focus on what you have and not what you do not have. Stay safe!

#gratitude #bekind #coronavirus #payitforward #inspiration #attitudeofgratitude #positivementalattitude #soulcontracts #soulpurpose #humanity #compassion

#corona virus #coronavirus #health #positive thinking #soul contracts #soul purpose

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greetthemountains-blog · 7 years ago

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Post #6: Looking Through the Mirror

Honest Confessions from a 30-something year old female on a journey towards health and wellness… From June 16, 2017 “Today is Friday, and for a variety of reasons it has been a rough week. Nothing exciting, stressful, or even eventful really happened. It was quiet, but a few late nights, a few days of unhealthy food choices, and 1 stressful Wednesday morning can add up when you forget to stop and focus on each hard moment as it comes. I had an errand to run during my lunch hour, and so a quick trip to Target turned into a 30 minute visit. (Which by Target standards is still relatively short!). I planned to be in and out in ten minutes and then head to the fast food restaurant across the street for a greasy hamburger. I knew that fast food was the worst of my options, and I knew I was already passed my 80/20 ratio, a bit closer to 75/25. But I WANTED that value meal. I was craving it. (Never mind I had been there just the day before.) So, I ran into Target to grab the 1 item I needed with my sights firmly set on lunch right after. But then… I saw the clothing section, and, like it always happens on my solo runs to any department store, I was sucked in. Truthfully though, getting 1 or 2 items for myself was needed. 95% of my wardrobe is too big for me now, and I’ve been slowly acquiring new items piece by piece. It didn’t take long before I was headed to the dressing room. I shimmied out of my work skirt and tried on a dress. “Not bad,” I thought. The sweatshirt that came next almost worked, but the cut was a little off. The romper in dark grey… JACKPOT! I loved the fit. It was as comfortable as pajamas, and the fact one garment can be a complete outfit is always a win in my book. As I was looking at myself in the dressing room mirror a few things caught my eye. I could see a big change in my size from where I used to be to where I was now. I was visibly smaller than I’d been only a few weeks before- not to mention months and years. My legs looked toned. I looked healthy and strong. My hair was getting really long… which I love, btw. I looked happy and genuinely confident in my own skin, for the first time in a while. It was exciting. Equally so was the size of the clothing. It fit well and was flattering too. Then my mind darted back to lunch. Starring at myself in florescent light, a greasy hamburger didn’t sound quite so appealing. But, I wasn’t sure why, until I had that realization that I wasn’t just looking at myself in the mirror as I was in that moment. I was looking through the mirror and could actually see all the hard work that had brought me to this one moment. I didn’t just see toned legs and a smaller body, I saw every early morning or late night exercise session of the past 6+ weeks. I saw the hard runs up hills, pushing a stroller. I saw every salad I chose to eat instead of French fries and hamburgers. I saw all the months that had passed without eating sugar, and I saw how all that hard work had brought me to this amazing place: a target dressing room in a $20 outfit that made me feel more amazing than I’d felt in over 5 years! So why did I want fast food for lunch!?! I took a deep breath and decided once more to make another good investment in myself. I left with the romper and the original item I needed, a first father’s day gift for my husband, and I drove out of the parking lot, past the fast food to a little health-food restaurant with the best banana, almond milk, nutmeg smoothie you’ll ever have. You see its easy to get caught up in the moment and want to make an unhealthy choice or become frustrated with your progress towards a goal. But, when you take a step back and literally see months worth of progress staring back at you- the harshness of the moment you are in softens. And, with a smile you can continue on towards a healthier you!”

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pemborongkurmaselangor1412-blog · 6 years ago

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15 Undeniable Reasons to Love Kurma

Sun Dried Fruit California Pitted Dates Date Palm contains elements including many

Date Palm contains elements such as various vitamins, minerals, vitamins, and fibers, oilssuch as calcium, sulfur, iron, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, copper, and magnesium, that can be really good for wellbeing, important ingredient for the human body. Very few fruit trees can be expanded which have as much desired features, such as no organic insects, decent flavor, significant production, unfailing yearly crops, no fertilizer needs, flourishes in very poor soil, 4000 decades of history in China, without any climatic limitations.

According to manufacturers and growers, dried fruit baskets have surged in recent years because of the sum of time one could take to consume the dried product Kurma Malaysia but have it taste as yummy as the day it came. In no way try to eat fruits with your principal meal; this may result in acute acid and digestive issue because fruits are usually slightly acidic in character.

Organic pitted dates comprise selenium, manganese, copper, and calcium, most of which are integral to healthy bone growth and strength, specially as men and women age, their bones slowly weaken. Even though they do include several fat and protein, the content of these nourishment is much lower compared to several other dried fruits.

Dried dates additionally comprise elevated rates of iron and calcium, however clean dates triumph in vitamin C. 1287 -The Bijou Caf Restaurant (since the early-to-mid eighty 's) utilized to be described as a Texaco service channel from the1920's-30's erato that the mid-to-late 60's. In this classification, you will find definite best Fruits for Diabetes rendering it easy to avoid diabetes and even overcome it.

I thinkwe ought to https://greendiamond.com.my take in dates only like that and not blend it together with some ghee or sugar to produce desserts. Ingesting dates in moderation is not likely to boost someone 's blood sugar too, even if they suffer diabetes. Kannall (2013) noted that dehydrated fruit along with fresh fruit contain a number of exactly the exact healthbenefits but fluctuate slightly in vitamin and mineral content.

Fact: Dates are the candy fruit of a desert palm named Phoenix dactylifera. Dried dates are usually readily available in all markets, and brand new dates are found in specialty niches nowadays. It's perhaps not surprising, but then, that their value being a http://query.nytimes.com/search/sitesearch/?action=click&contentCollection&region=TopBar&WT.nav=searchWidget&module=SearchSubmit&pgtype=Homepage#/Dates Fruits dietary supplement was well known to the earliest desert people, that sustained themselves for productions to a modest diet program of the fruit taken together with camel or goat milk.

It comprises a lot of glucose that supplies the human body elevated heights of mobility and warmth power that is often easily broken down in the body. The majority of the fiber consists of this fermented form, that means its key health-promoting impact is really to add pemborong kurma di ampang bulk to stool and assist food move during the intestinal tract.

Dates are candy fruitsof date palm tree scientifically called Phoenix dactylifera. I've a tree that is fruiting for its very first moment. Fruits are an equally significant part a healthy dietas that they supply considerable energy without even adding some unnecessary calories. Dates, naturally, have been at the palm tree family, also along with coconut and red palm, are some of the earliest cultivated vegetation famous in the ancient listing; in actuality, they are so old we overlook 't know at which they first originated.

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Low fat energy-density foods support fill your desire on less calories than high energy density foods, including the dried dates. Diabetics can have fruits for example additional wholesome guys. Since they're dehydrated, their calorie material is significantly higher than most brand new fruit. During the previous centuries there certainly are wonderful disagreements on how fruits could be classified and distinguish according to their attributes and differences based on scientific basis.

You'll acquire 36 g of total carbohydrate from eating just two dates. But whether dry or fresh, the health advantages of dates are still just too abundant. Dates, sometimes referred to as palm fruit or date palms, are indigenous to arid, dry climates such as the desert. In arid areas that the fruit can ripen and warm upward on the tree, however, at the south eastern United States, where the moisture is elevated , the fruit must be chosen when the color shift dried and occurs at a cool place.

A person should not take in dates that have a sour smell, are quite difficult, or consume spilled glucose on your own face. Even though the researchers had a small sample size, so their findings don't indicate that ingestion dates should not dramatically impact somebody 's blood-sugar .

Dates rise in bunches on palm timber, and such bunches are covered with nets close to harvest as a way to collect fallen fruits. Empower yourself by looking at my Natural Remedies for High Blood Sugar Levels in Addition to the Excellent Diet for Diabetics. 5. Eat high-fiber snacks such as raw onions, raw seeds, vegetables, and dried fruit, including dates, and figs.

#Dates Fruit #Kurma #Malaysia #Selangor #Shah Alam #Online #Kurma Online #Harga #Harga kurma #Dates #Medjool

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grgschesca · 6 years ago

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2 Years Later

26.01.2019

Finally, celebrating two years of togetherness!

To the man whom I share my life with almost every day for the straight two years, and hopefully more years to come, to the man though I share a different passion in almost everything (almost, haha!), a different passion for food, movies, music, habits, likes & dislikes, household policies, but having the same passion for Love & Love for our family, same goals for the future, same mindset, oh well, almost, haha! HAPPY HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Since it is our Anniversary, I would love to share some of the things I Love and hate about you. Don’t cringe, haha!

1. Who needs to dine out when you’ve got the best Chef at home? Is it a coincidence or I just got super lucky to have a man whose interest in cooking is undeniable? I never cook on a regular basis ever since. I often eat light food like salad and tuna, fruits, boiled egg or veggie at home, (you wouldn’t find anything on my fridge that time except eggs, milk, juices, butter, meds, and chocolates, lol) and whenever I get the cravings for hard-eating, I would just get a takeaway food from the restaurants or fast food, but now I’m coming home to a bounty meal every day, credits to the personal chef RJ!!!

2. A person who deals with my OC Problems, not to mention coping-up with my simple household rules. I would always find him cleaning the entire household whenever I’m at work and he’s still off. Something that he seldom does when he’s still living alone (to refresh with, I met him here 7 years ago but we started as friends for a long time) I would go to his flat and find everything dusty and messy including his cupboards and clothes, under his bed, his laundries, and all, but then, he changed a lot when we stayed together. I know that he’s trying his best to adjust to my standard in everything like how the way I want to organize things. More so, swearing and foul words are not allowed in my norms, so the person who once used to say these words out of nowhere suddenly changed to a much more refined man.

3. A person who thinks of my welfare more than his own. Even on the simple things like food, and food I want to eat, he always gives the best part of everything for me. I only eat chicken thighs, and as much as he likes the same, he would always set aside his own cravings for mine. Other things like which side of the bed I prefer, things I’m comfortable with, movies I want to watch, places I want to go, things I want to buy, things I want to do, he would always consider me first in almost everything around the house and a lot more little things he does for me that he thinks I never noticed, but I do, I just pretend I don’t, haha.

4. Long Patience on my occasional (yep, just occasional, haha) tantrums. But then, just like any human being, and just like any other normal couple, whenever we reached the boiling point, then, that’s the start of the discussion. I have this attitude of spilling all my anger out one time after holding it for a while (like weeks in my heart) to release my burden, sometimes I would talk non stop justifying my point that would lead to a longer discussion since he would do the same and I would flare up and/or give him a cold treatment for days (yeah, days!), then everything will be back to normal afterward, simple as that.

5. A person who would always give in to my whims and caprices, to whatever, whenever, wherever and how I want to do things. We value each other’s opinion but he would always ask and listens to my opinion first in every decision making and serious decision making.

6. Homebuddy. It’s not usual for a man to stay at home and spend the rest days with US together only. Not a typical man who occasionally go and drink out with friends during off days and holidays. Oh well, he does the same when he was still single here, but I guess he changed this habit when he got me, haha!

7. This person Love for me is truly unquestionable, and I’m sure about that. Though I may always question his actions occasionally on certain things and situations which he doesn’t have a hold of, deep inside, I’m sure that his Loyalty will always be on my side in everything.

Whether I’m there or not, whether he might get away from it or not, whether I may be able to find it or not, whether I see him or not, this person honesty and loyalty will always be mine.

Not to mention that I ’m one of the luckiest women on earth who found someone honest and loyal one-woman-man who doesn’t cheat or two-time (whether I see or not) ever since we became official. Yep, I’m 1000 percent sure about that with evidence, of course, haha!

What I hate! ( Don’t hate me for this, haha!)

1. Loves to argue. This person won’t ever give you the time of your day as he would always insist anything he thought was right. Even on petty things like how we understood a movie. A Competitor, A rivalry. Won’t accept initial defeat (perks of staying with an equally competitive person like me) and would always treat me as his contender, an adversary, an opponent.

2. Occasional slow, or maybe the other way around, I’m the slow one. Well, I understood that this is because we have different points of view in everything. We see and understand things in different ways and we have different perspective/opinions/outlook on some things that sometimes it’s hard to express our own opinions without getting in the way of the other’s opinion.

3. Coldness & Insensitiveness. Oh yeah, and this attitude always freaks me out! This person doesn’t seem to understand that every single person has their own beliefs. That there are some things/attitude/ways whatsoever that might be okay for him but not okay for me and vice versa. Moreso, He never learns by instinct or just by plain observation about my strengths & weaknesses despite being together for two straight years and more often, he would do things unconsciously on repetition.

4. Contradicting Words and unconscious fear. Another thing. He would say things but would do the opposite. Sometimes, you would have a hard time knowing his inner thoughts because he used to say things that are very contradicting to his actions due to this unconscious fear he developed from a previous situation that he may not notice but only the person around him.

5. Unable to explain his feelings. And yeah, he may have all the reasons for the things he does, but he wasn’t able to express it, leaving you in doubt about his real intention. Sometimes, he would choose to set aside/ignore/disregard your feelings thinking that you would always understand the situation as a wife.

6. Snoring. Suffering for two straight years, haha!

All in, this is the daily sight in our small household, will argue at times, and will cuddle the next time.

But then, though we may differ in some ways, brought up differently, with slightly difference in norms and values (but we were both raised up with strong beliefs in everything that is right and acceptable), with a lot of adjustments to do and giving in from both sides, I’m sure that we are gonna stick with each other like glue through all ups and downs, thick and thin, highs and lows, in sickness and health for a lifetime.

Tbh, with our individual attitude combined together, both are youngest, both are stubborn and hard-headed, both are opinionated, both have individual career and earning money on our own before we even met (He is an Electrical Engineer (Tech Instructor) and I’m from an Architectural & Engineering Consultancy), both would likely not to accept any instructions without justification from anyone are more likely to clash together but then, having these traits combined for a positive output with our rational thinking, i know that we can do this together.

Addendum: Relationships are not always about sugar and sweets and being romantic all throughout, it’s also about genuine love and affection, being your true self in front of the other, accepting all the defects, imperfections, and flaws of the other and overcoming all these shortcomings together.

Just like what he said, “You don’t adhere to anyone out of being controlled, but you comply with that person out of Love.”

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY my Loves.

#2nd year anniversary #us #MyPersonals

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debtfreeinthree · 7 years ago

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5 Worst Things to Buy When You're in Debt

If you’re trying to pay off your debt quickly, the biggest piece of advice I can give you is to look at what you’re spending your money on. Most of us think we don’t have any money leftover at the end of the month, but if we peek into our bank statements, we can find some.

After you’ve looked at your expenses, it’s time to figure out where you can cut back. Can you find a cheaper apartment? Can you refinance your loans to get a better rate? Can you shop at Aldi instead of Whole Foods? Some of your expenses – like your utility bill – you can’t change that much. But others you have a lot of control over.

There’s so much you can do to save money, and decreasing your expenses is one of the only ways to pay off your debt early. So here’s my list for the five things you shouldn’t spend money on when you’re in debt.

A New Car

Earlier this year, my husband and I said goodbye to our precious 2001 Toyota Highlander. It was the first car I ever loved driving, and it died on the highway while we were heading to a ski trip. When we were looking for a replacement, I was amazed at how much cars cost. I’ve always had a used car, and the first two I owned were given to me by my parents (side note: I realize how lucky and privileged I was).

When I tell people how I paid off my student loans, I usually mention that I budgeted every dollar and tried to live as frugally as possible. What I forget to mention is that even after college, I drove my 1999 Toyota Avalon.

It was only a few years ago that I realized how for many people, a car payment is normal. I didn’t notice this until one day I parked at work and noticed that my car was one of the oldest in the lot.

I was earning about $30,000 at the time, as were many of my coworkers. I was surprised. How does everyone have a nicer car than me? Am I really that broke?

One day, I was talking to a friend about her budget and she mentioned that she had credit card debt and a car loan. “Oh,” I thought. “That’s how everyone has a nice car. They finance them.”

Car loans have been getting longer and longer. About a decade ago, the average loan was five years long, but now terms are closer to 6.5 years. You can even find ones with 7-year terms.

Here’s why I hate car loans. If you take out a six-year loan for a $19,000 car, you’ll be paying about $342 month with today’s interest rates. that’s $342 you can’t put toward your student loans, retirement savings or emergency fund. After total fees and interest, you’d pay $20,540 for a car.

In my eyes, a car takes you from point A to point B. Sure, it’s great if it has a built-in GPS or it’s in your favorite color. But if you’re saddled with student loans, you do not need to think about that when you’re buying a car.

My new (used) car isn’t fancy. There’s no Sirius XM radio, no camera that tells me when I’m about to hit another car, no Bluetooth capabilities. But it only had 100,000 miles and got a clean bill of health from the mechanic. I know it’ll be a while before it needs some maintenance, and for now, I have no car payment.

Note: I’ll be writing a post soon about how to buy a used car in cash without getting a lemon. Stay tuned!

Eating Out

Most personal finance experts cite eating out as a huge budget killer. I’m one of them. I cannot get over how often people eat out. Part of that comes from a family where eating out was not an option. Even now, I feel a little guilty when I eat out if I could’ve grabbed something at home.

But let’s do the math. The average person eats out between 4 and 5 times a week. At $10 a meal, that’s at least $40 a week. Times 4 weeks a month is $160 or $1,920 a year. Doesn’t sound like a life-changing number?

If you have $20,000 in student loans at 6.5% interest and a $300 monthly payment, an extra $160 a month could help you pay off that balance two years ahead of schedule. Even if you cut back to eating out once a week, you’ll still reduce your term by one year. Now do you see why I’m so insistent about eating at home instead of a restaurant?

I’m also including food delivery services like Blue Apron (see my review of it here). Most of these cost about $9-$10 per meal and when you factor in time, it’s an even worse deal than eating out.

Solution: Making food at home is the best way to save money, but it can also lead to food waste if you’re not careful. Thankfully, the internet has TONS of resources on eating cheap and healthy. First, there’s the subreddit Eat Cheap and Healthy, where Redditors post their favorite cheap and healthy recipes.

One of the best resources is the $5 Meal Plan, developed by my friend Erin Chase. She has four kids and manages to create meals that cost about $2 a person. For $5 a month, Erin sends you meal plans, complete with shopping list. Gluten free or vegetarian? She has meal plans for those. If you find yourself avoiding grocery shopping because you don’t know what to buy or how to make your food last, I recommend giving those meal plans a try.

Leanne Brown has a cookbook, “Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4 a Day” which details how even people living on SNAP benefits can eat well. It’s also available for free on PDF if you’re really looking to save money. Her book became famous because it’s one of the few resources available for people living below the poverty line who still want to eat healthy.

Another favorite is the blog, Budget Bytes. This was one of my favorite inspiration sites when I was paying off my student loans. One complaint is that she doesn’t use enough seasoning in her recipes, so keep that in mind.

Subscriptions

I love reading. It’s one of my favorite hobbies. But I often struggle with getting through books before they’re due at the library (I try to borrow books instead of buying them). Then I’m left with the option of renewing the book, which isn’t possible if the title is in high demand, or buying it, which is expensive given my love of literature. Today, I thought, “Maybe I should sign up for an Audible subscription so I can finish more books.”

I looked up the cost for an Audible subscription. The cheapest plan is $14.95 a month for one audiobook and 30% off any other purchases. If you don’t purchase a book, your credit will roll over to the next month. But here’s where they get you: the credits do roll over, but they can also expire. And when they do, that’s $14.95 down the drain.

I know you might be thinking, “What’s the big deal if it’s only $14.95?”

These types of subscriptions add up. If you have a Netflix, Hulu, Spotify and Audible subscription, you could be paying more than $100 a month for your entertainment. That’s not including any movies, concert tickets or museum exhibits.

Solution: Make a list of the subscriptions you have and rank them by price and how much you use them. When I was paying off my student loans, I canceled my Hulu subscription because I realized I used Netflix more. I also found out I can check out audible books from my libary for free.

New Designer Purses

This is another thing that baffled me as an adult. Why was I dragging around a purse I bought from Target when every other girl had a Kate Spade, Coach or Michael Kors bag? Was I missing out on some sort of 80% off sample sale where you could buy a leather clutch for $30?

Nope, I realized. That’s just what women buy. If you buy one purse and wear it for 10 years, it’s probably a good deal. But I find it hard to imagine that spending $300 on a Marc Jacobs cross body bag is a good idea if you have student loans, especially if you get a new purse every year.

Solution: If you still want a designer purse, at least buy it used through a site like ThredUp or Poshmark where you can save more than 50%. I also bought a Longchamp bag through eBay once for $47 or 60% off.

Salon Services

When I was a kid, my parents took me to the fancy hair salon. Every few months, I went and got a $50 haircut. My parents were middle-class, and I didn’t realize until later that they splurged on haircuts while foregoing eating out and buying designer clothes.

When I started paying for my own haircuts, I realized how expensive they were. Getting a $50 haircut every three months equaled $200 a year (more like $240 once I factored in tips). My solution? Get my hair cut less frequently. I also only got highlights once a year, instead of having them refreshed every time I went in.

I also mostly avoid manicures and pedicures and prefer to buy nail polish and do it at home. This is huge. For $10, you can buy a bottle of OPI or Essie polish (my personal favorites) and do it yourself. Even a cheap manicure will run you $15-$20.

Solution: Now that I’m in the process of dying my hair red, I realize how much money I saved by keeping my hair low maintenance. I could’ve saved even more if I had gone to a beauty school or low-cost salon, but I didn’t want to deviate from my favorite hairdresser. Search for beauty schools in your area to see what you can find. The local Aveda salon only charges $15-$20 for a haircut and $40-$75 for color.

Again, you don’t have to completely cut out manicures or pedicures from your budget. But think about cutting back, from once a month to once every two or three months. If you dye your hair, space out your appointments more. These small changes can add up quickly and can really reduce how long you’re in debt.

My Caveat

Everything I’ve listed here is my opinion. I don’t care about the kind of car I drive, so I think it’s silly to spend a lot of money on one. But if you really value your vehicle, then try to find a balance between your financial responsibilities and that sweet ride. Same for eating out, Kate Spade bags and manicures.

As my good friend Paula Pant says, you can afford anything, but you can’t afford everything. Choose one or two priorities you have besides your student loans and ignore the rest.

5 Worst Things to Buy When You’re in Debt was originally published on Debt Free After Three

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isearchgoood · 5 years ago

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What Readers Want During COVID-19: Content Ideas for Every Niche

Posted by amandamilligan

This is a stressful time to say the least. Everything is impacted by COVID-19 in some way, including our work.

Once we’ve taken time to acknowledge how lucky we are to work in digital, it’s time to assess if our current content strategy needs any adjusting based on current events.

Many marketers are finding themselves:

Wanting to write about something topical

Needing to add more content to their calendars

At a loss for how to contribute at a time like this

So, I spent hours using Ubersuggest, putting myself in the shoes of various Americans. I tested a variety of keywords to see which ones have exhibited a trend during the COVID-19 outbreak and might warrant some attention from content marketers.

The results below are for the term “Coronavirus,” so for the other keywords identified, I looked for a noticeable spike in the months of January, February, and March to make sure they matched up accordingly.

My findings reveal potential topic ideas for several primary industries. See if any provide inspiration for high-quality content you can create in the coming months.

Travel

I’ll start with one of the industries hardest hit by this pandemic: travel. This was a tough one, as more and more people are understandably opting for driving, walking, or biking to get around, and are no longer relying on air travel or public transportation as trips and work get cancelled. However, I identified a few key opportunities.

Travel insurance

While it had an increase in the summer months, interest in the topic of travel insurance has risen back up again. Perhaps those who have to travel want to make sure they’re covered if they get sick, or maybe those who canceled travel want to see what their insurance covers.

In either case, people are looking for information about travel insurance and how it can help them.

Train travel

It seems that train travel falls into an ambiguous category that people are asking about. I’m not here to say whether it’s safe or not (as that is obviously not my area of expertise). As we’ve all heard, it’s best not to travel at all, but perhaps your brand can offer some clarity in this regard and offer alternatives.

Virtual travel

For everyone stuck at home but still grappling with wanderlust, how can they still explore from the couch? Virtual travel seems to be gaining popularity as more people find themselves stuck at home.

Work and education

In some cases, companies and schools have gone from in-person to virtual nearly overnight. It’s been a huge shakeup across the board, and relevant topics are trending accordingly.

Homeschooling

Many kids are home from school, and their parents are suddenly and unexpectedly in the position of teaching them. They’re sure to have a lot of questions! Note how the search level now is the same as the summer months, when kids are also home.

Free online courses

With all plans essentially cancelled as a result of “social distancing,” people are looking for ways to spend their time at home. If you offer online courses, consider amplifying them and explaining their value. If you don’t, consider whether it makes sense to create one.

Working from home tips

Executives and staff alike are looking for advice on how to improve productivity while working from home, perhaps for the first time. Consider creating content with suggestions on how to set up a home office or maintain a schedule while dealing with at-home distractions.

How to stay focused

Whether it’s because people are working or studying at home for the first time or because they’re anxious and distracted by the developing events, more and more people are struggling to stay focused. Can your brand offer anything by way of motivation or tools for focus and efficiency?

Entertainment

Everyone’s at home either trying to distract themselves from the stressful reality of the world or looking to cure their boredom. As a result, online entertainment is on the rise. Can you offer the entertainment itself, or maybe guides on how to choose the best entertainment?

Free streaming

We’re stuck with digital for now, and people are looking for new media to consume. What can your brand provide? Also trending: “cheap digital games” and “best multiplayer video games”.

Learn to play piano online

Some folks are using their newfound free time to work on hobbies and skills they haven’t had the chance to pursue in the past. Can your brand teach them anything?

Best online shopping deals

This is particularly interesting to me. Keyword rates for this term are as high as they were over the holidays. I’m wondering if people who still have disposable income will pass the time online shopping, while others who are more financially impacted will cut back, leaving things at a net equal?

Finance

Aside from the health and safety of the population, finance cuts most to the emotional core of this pandemic. Many people are laid off or can’t work, and financial worry is skyrocketing. What can you do to provide guidance or relief?

Unemployment

Many people are unexpectedly looking to file unemployment, and plenty of those people have no idea how to do it, how much money they’ll get, or how to get that information. Informative guides and tips could be hugely helpful in this area.

Budgeting tips

With layoffs and pay cuts, people are scrambling to find new ways to save money. Also trending with the same graph results: “How to invest money wisely” -- most likely because of the fluctuating stock market. Can you provide insight?

Relationships

When tensions run high, it’s important to pay attention to all the relationships in your life, meaning several subtopics in this vertical can be of vital importance.

At home date ideas

Couples stuck inside are looking for ways to keep up their romantic lives. Does it make sense for your brand to provide dating or relationships tips at an unprecedented time like this?

Reconnecting with friends

Physically, we’re all practicing social distancing, but we shouldn’t be virtually disconnecting from the people in our lives. It looks like people are wondering if they should take advantage of this free time to reconnect with old friends. Can your brand offer advice on the topic, or possibly a forum for those connections to happen?

How to make your parents understand how you feel

There are a lot of jokes going around about Gen Zs and Millennials trying to convince their Boomer parents to stay inside. But the jokes are for a reason: Many people are having tough conversations for the first time with family that they aren’t entirely sure how to navigate. Could you provide some helpful tips to approach these conversations?

Health and fitness

Health is, unsurprisingly, a vital category right now. Rather than getting into some of the most obvious things (like hand washing, hand sanitizer, etc.), I’ll try to cover some other popular topics that might be useful.

How to get health insurance

Similar to “unemployment” above, this is probably a response to people losing their jobs who are now unsure how they can get health insurance. What other concerns might these people have that you can help with?

Indoor workouts

People might have to stay home, but they’re also trying to stay healthy. How can you assist them in this endeavor?

Also trending: “how to start running”, indicating that solitary outdoor exercise is key, too.

How to strengthen immune system

People are concerned about their health and want to do whatever they can to protect themselves from COVID-19. However, only dive into this subject matter if your brand is a legitimate medical expert. False information can damage lives.

Also trending: “healthy diet”.

Journaling

Don’t forget about mental health, which is also being affected by the pandemic. People are stressed, anxious, worried, and, well, scared. Does it make sense for your brand to provide guidance on how to emotionally or mentally approach this day and age?

Also trending: “meditation”.

Home and family

In many cases, entire families are at home, every day, for the first time since the kids were old enough to be in school. That can lead to some interesting challenges.

Natural cleaning products

In an effort to keep the house clean, people may be looking for guidance on the best type of supplies to use. Could you make a list of the most effective products?

Also trending: “organic cleaning products”.

Family recipes

Everyone’s at home for all their meals and trying to avoid restaurants, so they probably need more recipes in their arsenal. Maybe your employees have favorite family recipes you could share with your readers.

Games to play with kids

Parents are used to this over the summer, but not when it’s sprung on them for an indefinite period of time. How can your brand give them ideas and tools to entertain their kids while they’re home?

Also trending: “family conversation starters”.

Conclusion

To round out this study, I want to show the results for “uplifting stories.”

If you’re not responsible for delivering breaking news or important COVID-19 updates, look for opportunities to amplify joy, gratitude, hope, or any other positive emotion. People are looking for health and safety updates, but they’re looking for inspiration, too.

Consider how any of these topics might apply to your brand, do some further exploring in the Moz Keyword Explorer, and focus on creating a content plan you feel confident in.

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

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evempierson · 5 years ago

Text

What Readers Want During COVID-19: Content Ideas for Every Niche

Posted by amandamilligan

This is a stressful time to say the least. Everything is impacted by COVID-19 in some way, including our work.

Once we’ve taken time to acknowledge how lucky we are to work in digital, it’s time to assess if our current content strategy needs any adjusting based on current events.

Many marketers are finding themselves:

Wanting to write about something topical

Needing to add more content to their calendars

At a loss for how to contribute at a time like this

My findings reveal potential topic ideas for several primary industries. See if any provide inspiration for high-quality content you can create in the coming months.

Travel

Travel insurance

In either case, people are looking for information about travel insurance and how it can help them.

Train travel

Virtual travel

For everyone stuck at home but still grappling with wanderlust, how can they still explore from the couch? Virtual travel seems to be gaining popularity as more people find themselves stuck at home.

Work and education

In some cases, companies and schools have gone from in-person to virtual nearly overnight. It’s been a huge shakeup across the board, and relevant topics are trending accordingly.

Homeschooling

Free online courses

Working from home tips

How to stay focused

Entertainment

Free streaming

We’re stuck with digital for now, and people are looking for new media to consume. What can your brand provide? Also trending: “cheap digital games” and “best multiplayer video games”.

Learn to play piano online

Some folks are using their newfound free time to work on hobbies and skills they haven’t had the chance to pursue in the past. Can your brand teach them anything?

Best online shopping deals

Finance

Unemployment

Budgeting tips

Relationships

When tensions run high, it’s important to pay attention to all the relationships in your life, meaning several subtopics in this vertical can be of vital importance.

At home date ideas

Couples stuck inside are looking for ways to keep up their romantic lives. Does it make sense for your brand to provide dating or relationships tips at an unprecedented time like this?

Reconnecting with friends

How to make your parents understand how you feel

Health and fitness

How to get health insurance

Indoor workouts

People might have to stay home, but they’re also trying to stay healthy. How can you assist them in this endeavor?

Also trending: “how to start running”, indicating that solitary outdoor exercise is key, too.

How to strengthen immune system

Also trending: “healthy diet”.

Journaling

Also trending: “meditation”.

Home and family

In many cases, entire families are at home, every day, for the first time since the kids were old enough to be in school. That can lead to some interesting challenges.

Natural cleaning products

In an effort to keep the house clean, people may be looking for guidance on the best type of supplies to use. Could you make a list of the most effective products?

Also trending: “organic cleaning products”.

Family recipes

Games to play with kids

Also trending: “family conversation starters”.

Conclusion

To round out this study, I want to show the results for “uplifting stories.”

Consider how any of these topics might apply to your brand, do some further exploring in the Moz Keyword Explorer, and focus on creating a content plan you feel confident in.

0 notes